4/11! Nearly halfway there!

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Chapter Four

~~~Dream sequence/memories~~~

I was a small child, running underneath a waterfall, with another girl running behind me.

"Hold on Selene! Let me catch up!" she shouted.

I turned around and came face to face with Arwen. A grin found its way to my face. "Come sister! I'll race you back to ada!" I shouted, to be heard above the roaring of the water. I started running again, determined to beat her. After a few minutes of running, we crossed the bridge that led into the Council room, where our father was sitting, deep in thought.

"Ada!" I shouted, as I jumped onto his lap. His arms quickly grabbed mine so that I wouldn't fall off.

"Selene dearest you should not run around the grounds like that," he spoke, a small smile on his lips. I looked into his eyes with a grin on my face.

"You know Arwen and I like racing ada! I was determined to beat her!" I told him while squirming in his arms.

Lord Elrond shook his head my impulsiveness.

"My dear child you know that we have visitors today. King Thranduil is coming with his son, and you and Arwen are to keep him company while his father and I talk on important matters."

"But ada do I have to? Surely you remember the last time Legolas and I were in the same room! We ended up having a fist fight over something that was rather unimportant and petty! I don't like him!" I argued, crossing my arms over my chest, looking every inch the petulant child.

"I know you don't see eye to eye but I just ask you to entertain him for a short while. Maybe go with him to the archery range, that would be a good idea, don't you think?" he asked me.

I huffed in response. "Fine, I guess. But I'm not happy about it." I said, shaking my head.

My ada leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "I do not expect you to be, it is not who you are." I was told, my father chuckling.

I was still in my memories; however I was a bit older. I looked about 18 in human years, but as being an elf-ling, I could not guess as to how old I truly was.

"Race you to the range!" I shouted at the blonde haired boy behind me, trying his best to keep up.

"How is this fair? You are far ahead of me!" he yelled back at me.

"Come, Legolas! We all know that you're a faster runner than me!" I laughed, my long blonde curls fanning out behind me as I ran. I heard his footsteps quicken, and the next I knew, I was being thrown over Legolas' shoulder.

"Hey! That's not fair!" I cried, squirming trying to get out of his grip. "You're cheating!" I felt his body shake as Legolas chuckled.

"You should not goad me in future then little one," he said to me. We had now reached the archery range, and Legolas dropped me back to my feet.

"Hmph. Little one! I'm nearly as tall as you!" I argued, slapping his arm. He just laughed, his bright blue eyes twinkling in the sun.

We then became aware of the two pairs of eyes watching us. My father and King Thranduil were stood by one of the targets, with smiles on their lips.

"At least we don't have to send out two search parties to look for you," my father spoke. "You're always causing trouble together!"

I blushed and looked at the forest floor, embarrassed by what my ada had said.

"Come, children, you will not be practicing your archery today, we need to speak to you both." King Thranduil's voice held an air of mystery, and I cocked my head to one side in confusion. I could normally read a face like a book, all emotions and thoughts, but I could read nothing on our father's faces.

My ada lead the way to the council chamber that was inside, where the small table was placed. After we had sat down, my father started speaking to me.

"My dear child, as you are nearing of age, we decided that it was time to tell you both of the arrangements that were made shortly after your birth," he started, gesturing between Legolas and I.

"When you were a few months old, Selene, your ada and I had long talks and we arranged that when you were old enough, we would inform the both of you that we had arranged for your marriage." Thranduil told the both of us.

I was in shock. To find out that my father had decided my life for me, dictated who I was to marry, was world shaking. I wanted to marry for love, not out of arrangement. My eyes filled with tears as I remembered all of the times that Legolas and I had been forced together, as if to make the bombshell dropped on me seem a little less destroying.

All through this, I noticed that Legolas had been silent, almost sheepish in a way. I turned my head to him and he looked away guiltily.

"You knew?" I screamed at him. "All the years that we have been friends, you knew that this had been decided? And you never bothered to tell me?"

He then looked at me, his eyes rimmed red. "And don't even try and tell me that it was 'for the best'! You know me. You know how much I despise being kept in the dark!" My anger had hit the roof, I was furious.

Legolas didn't seem to know what to say or do; he just looked at his hands. "I'm sorry." He spoke softly, "I didn't want to keep this from you, but I had to!"

"You HAD to? Did someone tie you up and make you? Did they hold a dagger to your throat?" My voice was starting to become hoarse as I was yelling so much. All of a sudden, I felt something building in me, like a fire of sorts. And then, the most peculiar thing happened. The table, at which Legolas, my father and Thranduil were sitting at, split in two. Almost as if someone had taken a sword to it.

I stumbled back in shock, almost falling to the floor. I looked to my ada with terror filled eyes. His face was easy to read this time. He was afraid, but not at what I had done, afraid that it would take a hold of me as it had done my mother. The true reason why she had sailed to Valinor.

I ran out of the council chamber and down the steps. I ran towards my little hiding place that not even my beloved sister knew about. I carried on running, over the bridge that led outside of Imaldris and down to a small brook that I had found one day when I was little.

I collapsed by the willow tree, hiding in its stooping branches, full with leaves. It was a perfect curtain between me and the world. There I sat and sobbed. Trying to make sense of my life, trying to figure out why I had been the unlucky one. I was distraught. Even though I liked Legolas as a friend, I wanted to fall in love and then marry. Not marry then fall in love. To me, this was the deepest betrayal a father could carry out against his daughter.

Time passed, I did not know how long I had been there, then someone pushed back the branches of the willow tree, it was Arwen, my sister. She pulled me into her arms, as if sensing that I just needed someone to be there for me.

"Ada needs to see you sister. He says it's important." She spoke almost in a whisper. "He said that he's going to send you away, to a village just outside Mirkwood. He says you will be safe there." Tears started to fall down her cheeks.

I don't want you to leave!" she sobbed, falling against me. Her cries were loud, and I tried to comfort her.

"If I have to leave, I promise you can visit me. I cannot be so long without my dear sister," I spoke. "I would lose my mind if I didn't have anyone to talk to about boys!" I joked, trying to raise a smile. "Mind, we all know that you only have eyes for Estel." I winked at her, red blossoming on her pale cheeks.

"Stop teasing sister, we have more important things to talk about!" Arwen cried, trying to change the subject.

"Hmph. You will tell me, I'll make sure." I teased, poking my tongue out at her. "The next time I see you, be it in Mirkwood, or home, you are going to tell me everything!" Our darkened mood lifted, and we teased each other. "I suppose we should get back," I sighed. "I don't really want to as HE'S still there." My shoulders slumping.

"If you are talking about Legolas and his father, they are both gone. Legolas wasn't very happy about leaving though. He wanted to come and find you. I told him that I would, as I knew you better." Arwen told me.

"Thank you sister. I don't know what I would have done if I had to deal with him as well. Shall we go and see ada now?" My mood still dark, but hiding it for my sister's sake.

She nodded, and we crept from our hiding place to walk somberly back home. Once we arrived, our father took us both into the council room, saying he had some things to discuss.

"My dear daughters," he started. "I know that this situation is hard for you, yet I only worry about your safety." He told us. Ada pulled me into his arms as he carried on telling Arwen and I what was going to be happening.

"You will be going to stay with an Elven family, just outside Mirkword my dear." I nodded, to show him that I understood. "The reason for this is that I did not anticipate your powers showing so early young one, and for now, they need to be hidden."

I looked up into my father's eyes. "This is why Mother sailed to Valinor wasn't it?" I asked him softly.

My ada sighed, "Yes it is. I had hoped to have waited a while longer before telling you but it seems we have run out of time" he told us.

"Okay," I said, not fighting for fear that it would upset my family more. "When do I leave?"

"By daybreak tomorrow." Father said, with a sorrowful look on his face.

I had now been living in the village outside Mirkwood for a while, and the elves that I had been staying with were very kind to me. I was given chores to do around their house to keep me busy, and I wrote letters to my sister every day, but never sent them, for fear that they may be intercepted. All of a sudden, there was a sharp knocking on the door, like a staff being banged against it. I ran to answer, and there stood Gandalf, my mentor.

"Are you alone?" he questioned, almost scared.

"Yes I am, Leilana and Halanor left a while ago… They are due back any time." I replied.

"My dear child, they will not be returning." He spoke in rushed tones. "There are a band of orcs heading this way. We must hide you, as it is you they are coming for."

Tears started to fall from my eyes, remembering the couple who looked after me as their own for the last few decades.

"Where will I go?" I asked him, scared for what would happen.

"I must send you to the other world. That is the only place where you can be safe, but you will have no memory of your life here, unless you return."

Then, I started to sob. I would have no memory of my father, of Arwen, or Legolas. I sent a silent prayer to the Valar, praying that one day I would return.

Through my sobbing, I nodded to Gandalf, saying, "I will do whatever is needed.. I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me."

Gandalf looked at me, a sad look in his eyes. "Right, we must leave now. The orcs are approaching swiftly. Come, there is a brook not far that we need to go to."

I followed him out of the house, and down to a small brook that was hidden behind a rose bush, and that's when Gandalf spoke a spell, and then, I was sucked into the tree behind me, into a different world, with no memories of my life.

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A little insight into Selene's past.

Reviews please!

Love
Emma