Yay! Another chapter. I've been listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack on youtube ( VSfkU29hXwM) and it definitely inspired me to write.
Thank you to Blue1258, SleepyHollow 5, and That-Little-Witch for your reviews!
Enjoy and review if you would like. Once again, no flames please :)
~:Elven Kat:~
Rìan stayed with the horses while Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli went into the forest to continue the search for Merry and Pippin. She sat against a rock, chewing on a small piece of lembas bread that the Elves of Lorien had given them. Arod, the horse that she and Legolas rode, nuzzled her cheek. Reaching her hand up, she pulled Arod's muzzle down to her and kissed it. Just as she did, her friends appeared. She leapt up to greet them but hesitated when she saw another man with them. An elderly man with a staff.
Gandalf.
She had heard of him. Sauron was frightened of this wizard. As they approached, she bowed her head in respect.
"You must be Rìan," Gandalf said as she looked up to him. "Yes. Legolas mentioned you."
Rìan glanced quickly at the other Elf. His blue eyes sparkled with mirth.
"We ride to Edoras!"
Gandalf whistled loudly, scanning the landscape. For a moment, Rìan was confused at his actions. Suddenly, a horse neigh pierced the air and in the distance, a white horse appeared. As his majestic strides brought him closer, Legolas squinted his eyes.
"That is one the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell," he said softly.
The horse stopped in front of Gandalf.
"Shadowfax," Gandalf said, smiling and stroking the horse's neck. "Lord of all horses."
Shadowfax whinnied and tossed his head.
"Come. We must ride," Gandalf ordered, mounting Shadowfax. "Theoden needs our help."
~:✿:~
They rode quickly and swiftly to Edoras. Upon reaching the city, Rìan knew something was wrong. They rode through the gates and were greeted by the sight of people dressed in all black. Rìan kept her head down.
"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli muttered under his breath.
Rìan was inclined to agree with him. They stopped their horses in front of the Great Hall of Edoras. They were greeted by a man.
"I cannot let you in front of the King so armed Gandalf," the man said. "By order of Grima Wormtongue."
Gandalf looked at his friends and nodded. They handed over their weapons reluctantly before entering. Before them at the other end of the hall, sat an old man upon the throne. He was hunched over slightly, his eyes clouded by poison. Another man appeared next to him. Rìan instantly disapproved of him. He was evil. He spoke but Rìan did not listen. Her thoughts were only interrupted when she realized they were being attacked by Theoden's guards. She blocked their parries and threw them to the ground. Gimli had Grima pinned under his foot. Grima's eyes met Rìan's for a moment. She scowled at the slimy man and turned to watch Gandalf.
"I release you," Gandalf said, holding his hand out towards the King.
The King began to laugh maniacally.
"Rohan is mine!" he sneered.
Gandalf did not falter. Finally, with one last plunge towards the King, Gandalf yelled loudly and threw the King back. Rìan watched as a woman ran to his side, her longe blonde mane flying behind her. And then before her very eyes, the King seemed to become younger, his eyes unclouded and his gray skin regaining its color.
"I know your face," the King whispered to the woman at his side. "Eowyn."
Then his sights turned to Grima. His face turned from happiness to anger, his dark eyes furious. Rìan stayed inside the Great Hall as Grima was thrown outside. She could hear him pleading with Theoden. But the King did not listen. He banished Grima from Rohan. Rìan smirked, glad to be rid of the man. And then came a loud wail. Rìan could tell it was Theoden who emitted such a sound. Rìan turned when she heard the doors open. Legolas stood there and she could see sadness in his eyes.
"The king's son is dead," he said quietly. "They are going to have a funeral."
~:✿:~
After the funeral, Rìan helped Eowyn with the two children who had ridden to Edoras after fleeing from their village. The men who served Saruman had burned it to the ground.
"Where's mama?" asked the little girl.
"You will see her soon Freda," Rìan whispered, wrapping a blanket around the little girl's shoulders as she ate.
Rìan had immediately taken a liking to the girl. She silently vowed to protect the girl until they found her mother.
"This is but a taste of the terror Saruman will unleash," Gandalf told Theoden. "You must fight him. Draw him away from your women and children."
"I will not fight," Theoden responded. "We will go to Helm's Deep. We will be safe there."
Rìan scowled. Helm's Deep. They would have nowhere to run. Freda and her brother finished eating and were escorted to bed by Rìan. As she tucked them into bed, Freda yawned and moved over, allowing Rìan to sit beside her.
"Will I see mama soon?" she asked.
"Yes, little one," Rìan said, nodding.
Content with the answer, Freda rolled over. Soon, Rìan heard the deep, even breathing and knew the girl had fallen asleep. Rìan stood up carefully, making sure not to wake the girl. Outside, Legolas was waiting for her.
"You look tired," he said.
Rìan nodded her head slightly. Legolas led her to a room attached to the Great Hall. This was where the Fellowship would be staying. She chose a bedroll in between Gimli and the wall so Legolas could not sleep near her. She was still confused about what she felt for him. Galadriel had said they were bonded. Rìan did not want that. At least, that's what she thought now.
Maybe one day, her mind said.
Turning over to face the wall, she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
~:✿:~
Rìan gasped as the blade of the knife slid over her bare stomach, drawing blood. It was deep enough to need stitches. Caruryn stood in front of her, angry. She had disobeyed an order from him earlier that day. And now she was facing her punishment, strung up naked in his tent. The shackles bit into her wrists. As always, Caruryn had threatened to kill Guddry.
"Perhaps this will teach you never to disobey again," Caruryn sneered at her.
Rìan said nothing, merely hung her head in shame. She was an Elf, the most noble and wise of creatures. Yet here she was, humiliated. Caruryn unchained her and she fell to the floor, blood loss making her weak.
"Get out of my sight!" Caruryn spat at her.
With her remaining strength, she lifted herself up, dressed, and left the tent. Guddry was waiting for her. Clutching her stomach, she fell onto her bedroll. Guddry immediately brought out a needle and some thread, knowing she would need stitches. Raising her tunic slightly, she almost gasped at the sight. The gash ran from her navel to her hipbone.
"It's going to scar," Guddry said.
Rìan nodded. She winced as he poured some water over the wound to clean it.
"Ready? he asked her.
"Yes," she managed to say.
And then came the sharp pain as he inserted the needle.
Rìan's eyes flew open. She relaxed slightly when she realized she was in Edoras, not Mordor. The dream had felt extremely real. She stood and went outside. It was a beautiful night and the city below was illuminated by the moon. She lifted her tunic and slowly ran her fingers over the scar.
"What happened?" asked a voice.
Rìan turned to see Legolas standing next to her, staring at the scar.
"Mordor. I was punished," she said quietly.
"Let me see."
Rìan held up her tunic and Legolas crouched down to inspect it. His fingers followed the scar from her navel to her hip. His touch was light. Rìan shuddered slightly. The pads of his fingers on her soft skin was almost intoxicating. Snapping back to reality, she took a step backward and pulled her tunic down.
"It is ugly," she stated.
Legolas shook his head in disagreement.
"It is the mark of a warrior. A scar that reminds you of your strength and perseverance. You look beautiful with it," he said.
Rìan bowed her head at his words. They were kind and lightened her spirit.
Then why do I still feel so ugly? she asked herself.
As if sensing her anguish, Legolas pulled her close to him, wrapping his strong arms around her. Rìan didn't even bother to hold back her tears. She sobbed relentlessly into his chest, dampening his tunic. As her sobs weakened, he tilted her face to look at her, cupping her chin with his hand. He placed a soft kiss on her reddened lips, tasting the saltiness of her tears. Instead of pulling away, she slid her arms around his neck, gripping him more tightly. Her lips parted to allow his tongue into her mouth. She moaned quietly, muted by his mouth in hers. Anyone who laid their eyes on them would have thought it was a beautiful sight. Two Elves, so close they seemed to morph into one, enveloped in the throes of passion, cloaks whipping in the wind. It was a sight of hope. Hope for Middle Earth. For even in these dark times, love still found a way to prevail.
Rìan and Legolas were so caught up in each other, they failed to notice the pair of eyes that watched them from the shadows.
