"Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves and immortality." - Emily Dickinson


Chapter Two: The Arcane Sanctuary

Things were as usual as I walked through the doors of Arcane. Or A.S.

Many people found it amusing to point out what the abbreviation spelt if you were to add another S. My usual reply was to curtly point out that by some coincidence they'd found a pun out of my work and also managed to address what they were as a person.

I took great pride in A.S. Pun or not.

The air was musty and smelled of old copper and parchment, but what better of a smell to wake you up? I had gotten used to it years ago. The receptionist was a large girl named Amber in her late teens. Acne had caught her last summer, but we all decided to call it 'allergic reaction to the dust' She didn't bother looking up anymore for we all knew it was highly unlikely to have any strange new visits from unwelcome people. I could've been targeting her head at gun point and the poor darling wouldn't have noticed. Our days against protesting culture radicals were far behind us. No one generally even knew where our building was located. Not that it bothered me. That was just the way I enjoyed it, forgotten and peaceful. I passed the desk and stopped at the identification router.

Up popped the holographic face of MAGGI. Our A.I. security coordinator. She smiled mechanically.

"Good-after-noon-Miss-Brooks. Pass-word?"

"C5applesauce." My favorite letter, number and food. Impossible to forget.

"Access-Granted. Have-a-wonderful-evening."

"Uhuh." I passed through the steel sliding doors and immediately into the levitator. Two seconds later the doors opened to the underground floor where Aries, Poppi and I worked.

I wondered where that girl was anyway, I had told her to file some of the new shipments that had come in and I doubted it had even been touched.

"But I can't read Ancient Turkish!" She had crowed. I rolled my eyes in recall. Surprisingly Poppi was fluent in a variety of languages from her scholarly years at the university. Sadly that's where her usefulness ended though.

Poppi was an odd one. She looked more likely to be found gallivanting in the midst of a fashion industry as a model rather then what she was- A first class horrible secretary. I rounded the dark corridor of decorative false wood and rickety vintage benches and slowed my steps when I heard noises coming from the office opposite mine. No need to wonder where Poppi was. I'd already found her.

The sound of guttural moans and rough masculine panting and the distinct bumping against the wall made my cheeks tighten and the heat in my face rise a couple degrees.

Of all things to come in to….Annoyed I stomped into my office banging the door shut so fiercely the stacks of files against the wall tumbled over in messy heap. I ignored them-my office was already a complete and utter disaster and those files were months old. The panting had gone quiet and I heard voices.

I sat down behind the mounds of untouched files and books at my desk and heaved a large sigh. Curse that girl!!

Leave it to Poppi to never do as I tell her- wasn't I supposed to be her superior? I was sure the words I'm-in-charge-therefore-my-WILL-be-done were included somewhere in the job description…

Just then my door creaked open and low and behold my next annoyance waltzed in straitening his collar like he owned the place.

Ahh enter Aries Rammington.

Late twenties, tall, exotic jet black hair that fell loosely about the nape of his neck..he was my co-worker, suave, arrogant and undeniably handsome nonetheless. I had researched the actual Greek god his name was derived from…(a secret I would take to the grave for I didn't want anyone thinking I was obsessed!) Their appearances were strikingly alike…not to my surprise.

He grinned sheepishly at me, a flash of pristine white teeth against olive chiseled skin and I already knew how this was going to turn out.

Him apologizing with poor acting skills and pitiful patrimonies of sincerity, me giving in to his irrevocably good looks as usual, and then ME left to be more frustrated then ever before.

I could recall countless times at the drop of a hat.

"Caspria! Dear heart, I need to leave early. I'm so sorry.. I know you needed me here but my sisters sick and- well… you understand don't you?"

"Oh…alright Aries, clock out early."

"Caspria, love, can I do those files next weekend? Believe me Moby Dick won't be missed by anyone, I promise..."

"Sure thing Aries. Just finish it soon.."

"Caspria…darling, I KNOW you're my superior but I realized this office is just so cramped and well…you have a lot of room in yours that you just don't seem to use-"

"You can have it Aries. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Hey Miss Boss." He greeted me his tone sultry and hair stiffening.

The nick name was new..I wondered what he could possibly want this time. Me sitting on his lap feeding him a cornucopia of fruit? Well I certainly would not! Not unless he asked me of course.

He stepped past the threshold looking around.

"You didn't tell me you were coming in early.." He said sounding a bit inconvenienced.

I folded my arms and arched a brow.

'I'm sorry. I guess I should've called ahead of time so you didn't have to put your clothes back on so quickly.'

Yeah right. Like I was ever that projective..

But honestly! Who was inconveniencing who here! Did he expect me to make it a habit of calling? Like a neighbor for a visit? Next thing you know he'd want me to air out his office when he was done saturating it with the smell of-

I shook my head. No no no. Put on your patience hat Caspria.. Calm is the way.

I cleared my throat for a clean stern sound. It came out as a bit of squeak instead though.

"You missed a few buttons."

He blinked and grabbed his shirt to fix it.

"Ah! Thank you love."

"You're welcome."

The dark haired womanizer smiled broader now and pirouetted to poke around the papers in my office.

" I see Lucreda hasn't been by to clean your office in a few weeks.." He chuckled swiping some dust off the window ceil.

The perturbed librarian looming inside of me screamed in defiance. And I was quickly succumbing to her whims.

'Don't just sit there! Voice yourself you quivering spineless chicken! Put that foot down and show him who's in charge.'

"Aries," I started conjuring up my most serious face as he leaned against the far back wall smirking. He'd fixed the bottom button but left the top purposely undone. I stuttered, failing miserably to not look at the bronze surface of his chest.

"I…I think we've discussed this many many times before and obviously that wasn't enough. Now I hate making myself sound like a broken record but I think I've illuminated how completely unprofessional it is to…" I nodded off blushing, " f-fornicate within the building."

At this he laughed and came forward, I was unaware that I had leaned far back into the safest pits of my chair.

What a dreamer I was to think he'd ever come on to me.. But weren't we all very aware in this building that Aries could have any woman he wanted simply by seduction? I was the last person he'd ever try to seduce- the shy little librarian who hid away behind stacks of ancient novels and texts while normal women my age were dating and thinking of marriage and babies.

I had nothing to worry about but It still bothered me how much power he had over women and with every passing day how increasingly more aware he was of it.

Was I too a hopeless slave of fantasy? Yes. Hopelessly so.

" Caspria!," He chuckled shaking his head as if I had just told a funny joke that amused him, " We weren't having sex darling. Don't be ridiculous!"

My eye twitched.

Sex.. Why did that word unnerve me so much? It was such a short nasty indecent excuse of a word… of a feeling people often misconstrued as true love.

He idled through my papers curiously as if the matter was simple and his 'noble word' was worthy enough to settle it. But his dark black eyes told me otherwise.

"Really?" I challenged feeling my temper finally coming to a flare.

Aries retaliated smoothly with another flash of his teeth. His initial tactic to circle his prey or get over on me.

"I am fond of Poppi," he replied, " but she and I have an understanding. What goes on at the office remains just that.-" He tilted his head thoughtfully. " A professional and formal relationship."

I tried not to snort. Pigs were prehistoric.

How stupid did this man honestly think I was!? How incompetent did he think I -ohh dear how dark are those arms…with rolled up sleeves- how hard those muscles are and they twitch with rough masculine power when he moves- argh!

I squirmed petrified at my own helplessness. Ooh how horrid! I was starting to sound like our harlequin romance files- right out of a damn Nora Roberts novel! Enough!!

"Right and that is why you were…panting? In your office?" I continued lifting my chin , determined not to lose a battle in my own office.

"Asthma." He said shrugging. Asthma. The curable cough you went to the clinic for.

" Right. Asthma." I sucked on the soft flesh on the inside of my cheeks to keep me from saying any outbursts. I saw this was just going no where fast.

"Look I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now and take these with you to Poppi- if she's.. composed herself by now. Have her get these to me finished and published by Wednesday." Aries stared at me from under dark thickets of lashes and the corner of his mouth inched upward.

"Your wish is my command." He made to leave but turned at the door as if he forgot something.

"And by the way I love that blouse ." He winked causing me to turn pink. "Red's a sexy color for you." I stared at him a bit startled.

Aries rarely ever flirted with me anymore…he took one glance at my fashionless simple exterior and saw the conquest would bore him to tears before it even began. Nonetheless I was quite surprised by his flattery.

"Really?- thank you- I," I shook my head almost hooked but I forced myself to escape.

Idiot! For the love of the stars…don't indulge in his seductions..He's a man. Men are just…..just the most…argh there wasn't even a word that could describe a million descriptions in one! If there was a perfect man physically then surely I was looking right at him, and unfortunately he was my promiscuous manipulative coworker, but if somewhere in the galaxy…there was a real 'perfect man'…one who was perfect on the inside.

Well…it wasn't this one. I obviously needed to remind myself of that more often before I started becoming a infatuated sponge to Aries playful nature. I sighed.

"Aries. Just please. Go. Now."

I placed my face in my hands to hide the redness and to block out his chuckling all the way down the hall.

Irresistible shmuck.

How I ever got anything done around here with a super male and a ditzy vixen as a secretary was beyond me. All I knew was that I had a lot of work to do. And as the old saying goes work won't do itself. Well that wasn't entirely true now…all I needed to do was turn on the highlighting machine and scan the proper files I wanted in the library. Piece of cake. I pulled back my hair into a sloppy knot at the base of my neck, sat forward in my chair and set to work.

I'd need everything done before I went to this meeting tonight.


The Files had been done, not without effort however and by the time I had the last of them in the alphabetized C section I nearly tipped over from exhaustion. My tush felt like a ancient atomic bomb had radiated across it and my back was not in much of a better disposition.

I groaned feeling all of my aches as I slowly retreated back to the ladder with a new stack of books.

Oh how I wished we had one of those fancy Nuro Bots to tend to the ordering of the books and scrolls and ancient articles…

But unfortunately Arcane ran on a stiff donation budget as far as special utilities were concerned. It was up the ladder I went for my next section of stacking.

I peeked at the stack of D's to my left and shuddered at the pain it would bring my calves. I hated that damn ladder. And glancing up at the two and a half stories of climbing ahead I swallowed a lump in my throat.. suddenly the towering height ahead seemed much longer then it had been a moment ago..

I weighed my options.

Poppi would only make a mess of things if I had her do it..she was always wearing ridiculous pump shoes that were more likely to break your Tibia then get you where you needed to go.

I glanced down at my simple black suede boots. They were cheap. Durable. Nothing like the lavish rubber and pomp of Poppi's shoe collection.

"Well at least I had practicality on my side" I mumbled.

I did not take to jealousy very well …and now for the ladder. Taking five books off the D stack I placed them strategically against my hip bone jutting it out a bit for leverage. Looking up at the two story and a half journey ahead of meI cringed.

Ooh Why must so many start with D!

Don Qiote... Davinci Code… The Devastating tale of Molly Mcqueen.

Step by step I inched closer to my destination, the steel ladder bearing my highest trust. It terrified me to think the ancient 100 used to climb these deathtraps when they were made of real wood…what a nightmare that would be.

Finally on the last step up I straightened my aching back and lifted one book at a time. The last, a dusty paper print of Dante's Inferno was particularly difficult to put in place. Daringly, I stood on tippey toes and shoved the difficult book where it belonged.

Sighing in relief I began my journey down. A soft thump stopped me. Slowly I looked around from my perch, squinting at the shadows.

"Poppi?" I called. No response.

Aries never came into the library unless he was hauling in heavier loads that neither me nor Poppi could carry.

Slowly I made my way further down until I was near the A row.

Thump thump.

Another noise.

Only this time louder... I stiffened feeling as truly small as I was in the large circular room surrounded by books, columns and shelves.

Had the lighting in here always been this dim?

Paranoid I called out again.

"Aries.. Aries is that you…?" My voice echoed softly off the round dome ceiling and rang back in my own ears.

Nothing.

I sighed. I was being ridiculous! There was absolutely no need to feel frightened- it was a library for goodness sakes..

Frustrated and yet relieved I fixed the long hem of my white chiffon skirt that had risen up in the process of my stacking. I climbed the rest of the way down and bent over to reload my arms with more books and thank goodness they were E's.

I dropped the last book and with a curse against our least favorite dwarf star I bent down to pick it up.

My fingers slowed and lay perfectly still across the floor when I heard movement.

A shadow formed across the floor, the owner of it's silhouette inches away from my face. The hairs on my arms went vertical. I could hear breathing. Hard menacing breathing. My breath hitched in my throat and I made to look up.

"I have a gift for you my little librarian..." he whispered.

I only had time for one single scream.


Hushed groans and sounds stirred within the trees.

All around him they spoke. Their voices a plethora of both wisdom and quiet..

He closed his eyes. Listening intently.

His ears were keen but he knew not of their mysteries. It was a language that had been spoken for ages, far beyond his time.

Something of great importance had happened. Their gentle whispers caught briefly in the wind and he tensed listening to the harbinger chorus.

What has come to us? He found himself wondering.

What is it that they have seen..?

A cool wind blew in through the canopy of trees from the east and he opened his eyes. The road ahead twisted, a pool of fallen leaves blowing abruptly in that particular direction. He knew it to be no coincidence.

Wielding a firmer grip upon the reigns, he directed his mount at a quicker pace. His three kin followed his actions quickly in pursuit.

They had traveled as companions on a request from his father for the past two eves. Ordinarily he was much more sociable..for the most part. However the previously revealed circumstances made the occasion a taciturn and contemplative one. He had much weighing his mind.

First his father gave mandate to his departure to Rivendell, which he of course was more then willing to comply.

Rivendell would be like a breath of fresh air he was in dire need of to clear away the troubling thoughts of his land that constantly clouded his conscience. Of late his father had been under great depression with movement of their kin to sail. The forest he called home and loved so much had fallen into shadow infested with the whispers of the Dark Lord. It's leaves once green and exquisite, now pallid and wan like the failing hearts of his people.

He could not deny the treacherous guilt in his own heart to leave his city..to hear the cry of the gulls high upon the sea. To feel the sand beneath his feet and the sounds of the foamy white waves as they hit the shore...

Repentantly he sighed. It was a far off dream too great in its enticing comfort for him to indulge in, for fear of urging his horse forth and racing west past the Misty Mountains, past Rivendell, past Arthdain.. and to the Gulf of Luhn where the Grey Havens awaited. Always there were ships anchored there. Their masses at the ready.

But time was a consequential thing it seemed. Eru had given him too much of it and there were still things in this world he had yet to experience before his time to sail commenced. His Father needed him, as his people needed him and he would be forever beseeched by their needs until his duty was fulfilled. For millennia he wondered where and when that time would come. Would he die the death of a warrior in battle? In a sea of spilt blood and noble brothers of his kin? Or would he sit for all eternity in the place of his father…to rule a city of fallen leaves on a throne of inheritance..

"My lord," A voice called to him. Pulled from his reverie and turned to see one of his companions.

"What is it Galdor?" He asked no longer distracted by his muses.

The young ellon bowed his head appropriately before speaking.

"We must journey off the trail now, if we are to reach Carrock before noon."

His silent response must've intimidated the young messenger and eventually he gave a small nod.

"You required that we reach the borders of Rivendell by nightfall.. If that is your wish then we must-."

"Yes friend. Tell the others. We must make more haste lest we be left to travel by night where warm beds elude us mere hours away.." To this his companion bowed his head again.

"Yes my Lord."

Free of speech once again, he drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Always he had been envious of his friend Estel, watching the mortal close his eyes and rest in that way mortals did, for hours at a time. What a privilege it would be let down your guard in such a vulnerable tranquil slumber...And for a pleasurable sake too. His immortal soul would never allow such things unless he was deathly ill or in poor condition. But he did enjoy pretending once in a while.

To Carrack they went, followed by the whispering of the wind and the voices of the trees. His Father had made one last request and it had intrigued him though the objective of the matter was a mystery.

Strange findings had been discovered there by a small village of border elves. And it was his responsibility to find out what it was. He was to send word to his father of the discovery, if prominent, then immediately continue through the High Pass into Rivendell for the summoned council. Rumors had stirred that the Ring of Power resided within the city this very moment. With his thoughts occupied fully upon reaching the city and partaking in this council, the last journey he had expected to make was to Carrack. It was a village of merely ten families at most…

What could possibly have stirred so much commotion to render his Father such wariness?

The trained warrior within him knew that answer. These were times of great darkness. Sauron had risen once again in the lands of Mordor. The great eye always searching..always looking. Learning that miserable wretch of creature Gollum no doubt had fowl knowledge to be given. He had escaped weeks ago. A smear on the Mirkwood name that haunted his Father like a spear in his side. And evil spies lay around each and every corner..the woods no longer a haven for the innocent. He too had grown wary.

He opened his eyes and they remained open. Not blinking. He watched everything within his site as they rode on. Even the trees.

One never knew just who could be watching.

When the village near the river was in sight and all that trailed behind them of their journey was the path separating the high brush, they stopped. Their leader stared across the distance with surprise and sudden joy in his eyes.

From around an outcropping of rocks two dark haired heads bobbed into view atop of Lord Elrond's finest horses.

He knew those faces well. It was the twins.

With happiness in his heart he jumped down from his steed, landing silently on his feet and quickly closed the space between the two parties.

They too jumped from their saddles delighted to see him.

"Brothers!" He grasped each of them by the arms in reunion. "My heart sings this day to see you again in such good disposition," he exclaimed, his conscious no longer dwelling on matters of home and of the council.

Elladan was of course the more boisterous one of the two and for that he was glad. Otherwise he would never be able to tell the two mischievous ellons apart.

"Great friend," Said the elf joyously, "It has been far too long! What news from Mirkwood! And what news of yourself?"

"Yes ," Elrohir added with a grin, "How has your father been?"

"He bodes well as do I," He replied forgetting his company for the moment.

"Ahh and I see you traveled light," Elrohir remarked glancing beyond him at the horses. He waved in acknowledgment at the other three elves.

"We awaited your party at the post tower. But you travel too slowly my friend!," Elladan added with a laugh, "You plan to make Rivendell this night?"

"Yes. After we tend to a discovery made in the village. Have you been shown it already?" The twins looked at one another and then back at him curiously.

"Nay."

"Not at all. We barely just arrived."

Elladan smiled and draped an arm over the shoulder of his tall sturdy friend as the three made their way through the field and into the outskirts of the small village.

"Perhaps it is a band of bewitchingly beautiful elleths to console us on our journey home." The lord laughed at his friends hopeful expression.

"Perhaps. And if it twas' then surely it was the reason you rode so eagerly out to Carrock." Elladan chuckled and shook his head.

"Actually we asked Ada if we could come out and meet you, for I was much too excited to hear that our very own Greenleaf was coming for a visit?"

"Do not fall for his feigned sentiments of missing you," Elrohir warned smirking at his brother. "He beheld much more excitement for riding Adas finest stallion then for riding to Carrack to meet you, it pains me to say."

Elladan glared at his brother.

"Such lies! And from my own reflection!," He turned and smiled once again to their companion.

"I have missed you! My dear friend, Legolas."

Legolas laughed at and clasped his friend on the shoulder.

"I am glad. Now," He said with a smile. "Let us see what has captured so much attention."

A crowd had accumulated swiftly around the mysterious object that stood resolute among the outskirts of the trees. It's color was remarkable. A shade of blue unknown to any words. Outlined in iron. Alluring with its light..

What was it?

Where had it come from?

Was it a wicked contraption of the dark lord sent to spy on them..?

Voices suddenly grew louder and the crowd began to divide making way for someone of importance.

The village was in even more of a surprise at the sight of three elves of royal blood sauntering quite calmly through the brush that led to the first lines of trees. The twin elves wore thin silver ringlets symbolizing their birth but the third didn't require one to be recognized . There was only one person of great warrior status that this could be. One who bore the crest of the Mirkwood elves so proudly. The crowd of on lookers bowed their heads slightly in acknowledgment.

But Legolas nor the twins noticed their respect. The three elves stared intently at the strange blue oval before them. Legolas felt his breath caught within his throat, for the first time in the hundreds of years he could remember.

What in Valinors name…

It was towering. Built by no mortal hand. The color of a bright afternoon sky in its youngest hour. Its beauty entranced him like a spell. He had never witnessed anything like it.. He walked forth shrugging away the arms of his friends in a daze.

"What wondor is this?" He heard Elladan murmur quietly behind him.

"It has been there since dawn my lords."

Legolas turned back for a moment to look for the elf who had spoken. A young ellon with dark golden tresses stood forth from the crowd addressing them with a somber anxious expression. Legolas approached him slowly.

"Did you see how it came to be?" He asked him. The ellon seemed to brood in thought under his stare.

"I was gathering our morning vegetables from the garden. I had my back turned one minute and the next time I turned around…it appeared. Out of thin air!"

A stir of alarm rose in the crowd, for those who hadn't heard this elfs tale.

"And the sound," the ellon continued, his eyes quite wide. He seemed to shiver.

"What sound?-What did you hear?" He demanded growing anxious.

The bright grey eyes of the young elf held a flash of fear in their depths.

"A haunting thunder when it appeared. And that horrid screech," he cringed. "Like the sound of birds being murdered!"

"Has it moved at all?" Elladan questioned stepping closer to the object then Legolas was comfortable with. The ellon watched him now with a sudden fear and failed to answer the question. The crowd noticed the proximity and backed away nervously. The anxiety among them was almost frenzied.

"Elladan do not touch it!," Elrohir warned. Legolas lowered his gaze to the small ellon who stared back at him blankly.

"Has it moved at all ? Has anything come forth from its surface?" The ellon shook his head deftly.

"It has not moved all day. Sometimes the color changes from light blue to white. No one knows what it is…"

Legolas squinted his eyes suddenly feeling he would be writing a much thicker letter to his father then he had intended. Of all the times…

He was summoned to a meeting of great importance and now there was a strange unidentified object in the midst of his land frightening his people out of their skin.

"Elladan, Elrohir," he called his eyes now resting on the blue enigma amongst the trees. When the twins came to him he changed the formality into Quenya knowing the majority of these rural native kin only spoke common elvish.

"We must watch it. Now and at all times. Until my Father has received word." Legolas admonished. The twins nodded.

"Dan and I shall stay and keep a watchful eye on it until you bring word to our father and he sends a post out to guard it."

"What do you suppose it is Legolas?" Elladan asked his gaze never straying to far from its blue rays of light. Legolas grasped his shoulder gaining his attention.

"You must not touch it. Both of you whatever you do. Not until we have proof it is not a potential danger to our kin."

To the young ellon he gave a small pouch of gold so the message would be delivered straight to his father. With that he bid the two Rivendell elves and his other kin fair well and rode on with the envoys, his horse trotting quickly now with haste.