Author's Notes: Hi, thanks to any one who has read this story and a HUGE thanks to LalaithElerrina (Sorry if I got that wrong) for giving me a confidence boost in this story and writting technique. Here's the next instalment to Fire Eyes.
New Nightmares
A minute passed of silence and deep thought. "When did your journey to Rivendale begin?" Lord Elrond asked when he came out of his sense of deep thought. I counted the restless days that had passed and came to the number five. "It has been five nights since I left the stables of Doehas and it took half a night for me to leave the boarders of Castdeia behind, my lord." I looked up at the stain glass ceiling which depicted the lost tales of the Elf kind. Each of the sections should a different story but each were showed in great detail. There was not a colour that seemed out of place. "But it is an eight journey from the kingdom Castdeia to Rivendale. Your time and distance does not add up properly. No horse can keep moving with no rest even then it would have only been a 3 day ride." Lord Elrond paused. Maybe he thought I was taking him as a fool or maybe he believed it too be a trick. But, what I was telling him was the truth and nothing less. "My lord, I can assure all my words I have spoken in the past 10 minutes has been the truth and nothing less. That I that I can promise my life and afterlife on." I said with a sense of dignity.
In the eyes of many people of Middle Earth to promise on your afterlife was something rarely done. An afterlife is something all people want to have so to promise that away would be stupid unless you were speaking the truth, which I was. "I traveled by no horse but on foot because I cannot be tracked whereas a horse could be tracked. I was no fool to take those kinds of risks. I have not rested since I left the boundaries of my kingdom. Which is why it took so little days to arrive." I spoke quickly with a defensive tone. I hoped Lord Elrond didn't take it as an verbal attack aimed at him.
Luckily he did not. "I see. Your mind has certainly become more strategic since the last time you stayed in Rivendale. Then again some of the fake battle plans you made up with my sons were quiet well planed." his train of thought seemed to drift back into old memories of peaceful decades. I too drifted back into old memories of having massive games of hide an seek in the near by plains and woods. Or raging fake battles against imaginary Orcs out in the forests, creating battle plans with Lord Elrond's twin sons and any other kids our age that were near. These childish games turned to Archery contests and hunting games as we grew older and the visits less often.
"I think that it would be best to talk of this topic tomorrow at some point in the day."
"I agree. If this witch has spectres at her disposal who knows what or who could be listening in from the shadows." A yawn escaped from my lips. I may have been tired before but the lack of sleep had come back with revenge. It was not only the fear of spectres but the fear of dropping off in front of Lord Elrond. "Come, this lack of sleep will make you ill if you are not careful"
He lead me through twisting and turning passages and coridors that were lit by candle flame until he stopped at a door a recognised all too well. It was the old guest chambers that I had used ever since my first few visits to Rivendale that I could remember. The times before that I had stayed in my father's guest room. But I had spent the longest amount of time here when I was fourteeen after my father's death. For 6 years I stayed here under until my uncle thought it too be safe to return to Doehas. You see, my father the once named King Dorrian of Castdeia did not die of natural causes. Someone had planned his death to every last detail. On hunting trip with his most loyal members of the Nymph's of Castdeia Guards they spotted a supposed wildfire in western part of Stratern forest. But this was a trap. When they arrives they found a group of 20 or so Wargs and Orcs. No one returned from that hunting trip alive. No one knew what do with no King. The kingdom became weak in the eye's of its enemies. I was sent to Rivendale until Castdeia was deemed well protected and safe by my uncle and Castdeia's allies.
"Here's the key. Your old clothes are still in the trunk under the bed." Lord Elrond placed a cold silver key into my hand then walked down the corridor towards his own quarters. I slid the key into lock and unlocked the door. Nothing had changed. The room was just as I remembered it. I placed my quiver, cloak and bag down on top of a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed. Then I moved the trunk that contained my old clothes out from under the bed and opened it up. There, folded neatly in piles were my clothes that I had seen nor worm since the passing of the last six decades. I pulled out a pale plain white nightgown and laid it out on the bed. After pushing the trunk of clothing back under the bed I began to get dressed in the nightgown. I almost looked like a ghost dressed like this. The moonlight made my skin a lifeless shade of white. It brought out the grey marks beneath my eyes which had been caused by lack of sleep. I looked at the shadows of the room. Their positions gave away what time it was. Judging by most of their positions it was 6pm.
I looked down at my thin wrist of my right hand. It was here where my Nymph Scar was. Some Men and Dwarves call them 'Birth Burns' and some Men and Dwarves even dare to call them 'Darkling Marks' even though we have nothing dark within us. We are not the Dwarves who dig greedily in the ground, nor are we the war mongering and selfish Men. So who are they to call 'Darklings'?
Mine was a scar in the shape of three interlocking spirals that made the shape of a very obscure triangular shape. The lines were 3mm thick and the triangle was an inch tall. I closed my eyes knowing that a burning pain would soon begin. I clamped my scar free left hand over my Nymph Scar on my right wrist. Then the burning began. These scars were linked to our homeland and kin through unbreakable bonds. I pictured the night sky that would be hanging over Doehas the capital city of Castdeia at this procicse moment in time. In that sky formed my Nymph Scar signature made from pure blue light. It iluminated the sky then faded into nothingness. I opened my eyes and looked at the Nymph Scar that was stilling shinning with blue light.
I soon crawled under the warm covers of the bed and drifted off into my deep, dark ,dreams. And dark they were.
I was stood on a battle field of fire and death. The dead, lifeless bodies of Elves, Nymphs, Men, Dwarves and the child like bodies of Hobbits were prowled across the battle field in a bloody mess. Veil Orcs, Goblins, Specters and Daemons walked the battle field of their victory killing those showed any signs of life and taking what objects took their liking. Horrid hungry Wargs ripped fresh flesh off the newly dead and devoured it greedily.
Behind these disgusting beasts stood a woman with an evil glint in her eyes of blackness. The shadows of the day reached out for her like adoring fans. Her skin was as pale as freshly settled snow. Her jet black hair sat up in a messy bun that made her look like she had been dragged threw a bush backwards. In her hand she weild a black iron sword that was noted for being tipped in the poison of a thousand lost souls. Little was written about her in books, she was believed a myth. But, her myth was once a legend and her legend was once truth. Where she walked all colour was lost. Was this the future or the past? I did not know. Or maybe it was my imagination running away with my mind?
Two growling black wolves walked beside her hissing and growling. I stepped back only to trip over the lifeless body of a fallen dwarf. The sorceress became alert of my presence. She sheathed her sword then knelt down by a dying elf and ripped out a black arrow from the elf's chest. An Orc cautiously present his mistress with a bow. I scrambled backwards cutting my hands on rock and steel. After notching the arrow she fired it threw the air. I lifted my arms up cover in my face in a desperate attempt to save myself.
I heard the sound of smashing glass and watched at the arrow broke into the tiny shards of glass along with all it's scenery. Like a broken mosaic the scenery fell to the ground until I found myself stood in an endless land of white.
Then the whispers in a long forgotten language began once more. This chorus of a million whispers soon began to speak in sync with eachother. 'That only but a taste of what distruction The Witch and The Dark Lord Sauron will cause in middle earth. The time is rising. The White Wizard has joined forces with the darkness. No one is safe. The One Ring must be destroyed or all hope will be lost.'
Everything went quiet. The broken mosaic of a world rebuilt itself in another form. This time it was in the form of a pitch black forest. "This way!" The voice of a young girl called from my right. I walked about five steps before she called again. "This way!" I stopped. I knew that voice. It was Arwen's voice from when she was six. I moved closer to the sound to inspect only to stop when another voice called. "No come this way!" The young voice of Elladan shouted. That was impossible Arwen was more than hundred years younger than Elladan and his twin brother. "Don't listen to them. Come this way!" Now it was the turn of young Elrohir to shout out from the darkness. Their voices became louder and louder. Then they stopped.
In the air was a eerie silence. But it didn't last long. Their shouts turned to taunting whispers trying to lure me into their directions. These lures changed into insults. "The king wanted a son, a warrior, a prince. Not you!" The young Arwen teased.
"Your people don't want you as their leader. They want a strong warrior fit to protect their kingdom. Not you" Elladan sounded exactly as he used to sound. It really dud seem to me that his younger self was taunting me. "Your weak and coward. Your nothing but a dead leaf falling from a great oak tree." Elrohir finished off his siblings taunts.
Everything about this dream screamed danger and dark magic. I wanted to wake up so badly but I couldn't. Every time I tired my would throat closed up like someone was squeezing at my throat. I looked at the ground wondering if this really was real. When I looked up I found a black shadow in the shape of a woman in front of me. I could feel the shadow's warm breath blowing into my face. "This is only the beginning." The shadow hissed before pushing me to the ground.
Only, I didn't hit the ground. Instead I woke up sat up straight in the darkness of my room. My breath was fast and my heart drummed out of beat.