A/N: No words can describe how horrible I feel. I'm trying to make things right, so if this starts to be like shit, you tell me, and I'll take lessons. I've been trying to find a beta for this for months, but no one ever answers me. Really, this is shitty.
7. Ithilien's caves
We walked like this for hours, climbing onto slippy rocks, sometimes stopping when some of the soldiers were thirsty. Alaric always asked me if I was tired, if I needed water or anything. I didn't know if it was because I was a woman or Maheran, but that annoyed me somehow.
"Maheran."
It was after one of our pauses. I was walking relatively close to the first man, and Alaric joined me, his dark gaze locked on me in a strange way.
I turned to him. "Alaric?"
"We are drawing close. I should ask you to put a blindfold, but I am under the impression it would not prevent you from knowing where we're going."
We were already climbing into the rocky mounts heading to the Forbidden Pool, a misty place the Men of Gondor considered as a holy place.
I smirked. "Indeed. I already know you're leading me to the Forbidden Pool and its surrounding caves."
Alaric sighed and then gestured me to go on. "That's what I thought. After you, She-Elf."
And he didn't say anything after that.
With my bare hands, I kept on touching every rock I crossed path with, talking to them as quickly as I could, asking for assistance or counsel.
They had already told me Alaric and his men weren't a threat to me. They had already captured two more important people back in the caves, and they were those I had to focus my mind on.
When one rock whispered the word 'Hobbits', I quickly crossed these thoughts with what the Fangorn trees had told me. The Ring had left the Shire. The Ring was travelling to Mordor.
Well, the Ring-Bearer must have gotten lost on his way.
"Maheran?" I lifted my gaze and saw that we had reached a passage in the cliffs that leaded to a waterfall. "Follow me, and try not to slip." I nodded and followed my guide, entering deeper and deeper into the dark rocky caves.
The water soon estranged any other sound, and, as I passed a hand through it, a jolt was sent through my body.
Welcome, Maheran.
I smiled. "Thank you, water my friend."
Alaric spotted my smile and walked close to me so his voice wasn't covered by the fall. "Why are you smiling, Maheran?"
I didn't bother turning to him. "Apparently, I am welcome in these lands."
He didn't answer, and I resumed walking, careful of both the slippy ground and the men that were now gathering around to see us arriving.
It wasn't such a deranging sight, Men of Gondor, their always dark hair floating in the air with the soft breeze, their gazes locked on my figure as I passed them. I could see I was intriguing them, seeing all the shared quizzical glances between them.
I smirked at the thought of their blatant fear when they'd learn.
Still, I couldn't help but marvel at the number they were. A good sixty men, all clad in Rangers' outfits. Whoever was that Captain Faramir, his men were both sent to exile by their Stewart and brave enough to bear it.
Alaric stopped the formation and turned to me.
"Follow me, please."
I exchanged an amused glance with one of the youngest of the company, his eyes immediately lighting with fear, and sauntered to follow my guide.
The caves were all linked together, providing a good hiding place for such a bunch of men, all covered by the waterfall and the sole entrance to the place.
Alaric turned several times into a maze of cavities and natural stairs, and then, finally, we reached a smaller cave, the waterfall forming a fourth wall, with a boulder used as a desk in the middle.
A man was sitting at the edge of the water.
Alaric cleared his throat and the man turned around, before standing up and face us both.
His hair was strangely bronze, a colour I had never seen on a blood of Numenor before. His eyes were the deepest blue, and his figure suggested he was a great warrior as well as a man of thought.
I saw him take me in as I did him, and smirked at the thought.
His eyes them turned to Alaric. "What news of the path?"
"The mercenaries are gathering, even more in number than before, I'm afraid. If it hadn't been for this She-Elf, they'd still have many more oliphants to ride."
The man – Faramir, I thought – looked at me then. "And who are you?"
I put a hand on my chest, as usual. "My name is Aniha."
I didn't want to give in too many informations, and I knew Faramir had understood that. "Where do you come from?"
I smirked. "As I keep saying to many people these days, I was born in Mirkwood. But, as you see, I'm currently in Ithilien."
The corner of his mouth twitched and he turned back to Alaric. "You can leave us, I'd like to talk with Aniha alone for a while. Prepare another wood mattress, our guests will have company tonight."
Alaric bowed and whirled on his heels to leave both Faramir and I alone.
The Captain, in his light-blue shirt, briefly looked at me before taking back his seat by the waterfall, and I followed, passing a thoughtful hand thought it, marvelling as it chuckled under my touch.
After a moment, Faramir's deep voice echoed again around the cave. "I know what you are."
I didn't answer right away, in case he wanted to add something. But he didn't. "And what are you going to do about it?"
Faramir sighed a little. "I do know of some tales about those like you, how they can be the darkest creatures among your kin. But, all I see is a She-Elf who killed oliphants when this war isn't even reaching the boundaries of her land yet."
I shook my head. "It's not because Mirkwood hasn't been attacked yet that it'll never be. Besides, I choose to help Middle-Earth in its entirety. Maherans feel the pain of people. I can feel their distress-calls."
Silence fell around us for a while, and I could almost hear the clogs working in his mind.
When he spoke again, he asked something I wasn't quite sure was relevant.
"Do you know of the Fellowship of the Ring?"
This time again, I didn't answer right away. "I know a little. My cousin is part of it."
He sighed deeply, and I could feel pain and loss oozing through his eyes. "So was my brother."
I didn't ask what question burnt my lips, for Faramir's gaze locked on mine and everything was then clear. His brother had died, and he ignored how or why.
Without a clue of why I did so, I put a careful hand on his bigger one, and to my surprise, he squeezed it quickly before standing up and gesturing me to follow.
"Come. There are people I wish you to meet."
And he disappeared in the maze of caves.
I shook my head in wonder and followed him.
Strange how I easily bonded with someone without touching him...
I hope it was satisfying. It wasn't that hard to write, after all...
Hope I'll be more regular with this story from now on... Review!
