Chapter VII:
They stood in the kitchen not speaking and just staring at the figure in the doorway, until Estel broke the silence.
"But you fell…"
The figure nodded. "And it bloody well hurt, too." He smiled but it faded, as he grew solemn. "I come back to you now at the turn of the tide bearing a message from Eru." He turned his gaze to Antien who managed to get his father's side while they were all distracted. He smiled lightly but didn't say anything to him but turned to the boy's father. "You never told them?" he asked.
"Ada?" came James's whispered question.
"What do you expect me to tell them?" Estel asked in a dead whisper.
'The truth.'
"You died! What do you expect me to do?"
"And that's part of the reason they sent me back, because it seems you will never move on!" Estel snapped back as if burned and without a word left the room. Rodwen, Balan and Amariel flinched when they heard the door slam.
"Well, I do believe it is time for bed for the little ones and for those that we still think as little ones." Tonks said trying to lighten the mood as Rodwen and Amariel glared daggers at the stranger and Balan looked mildly interested. Though at the pronouncement all the kids 17 and under groaned.
… … … … … … …
Rodwen heard that Tonks sent the kids to bed and silently thanked her for it as she glared at her adopted brother-in-law turned messenger-for-the-Valar. She sent one last glare as she went in search of her husband.
'Estel?' she asked quietly in the pitch-black room.
'He's right, you know,' she heard him say.
'No, he's not, because if he was then we wouldn't be here with three wonderful children.' She felt him smile even in the dark.
… … … … …
Balan couldn't stop staring and he didn't care. The man he thought… no knew was dead was standing right in front of him staring at the door Balan knew Estel hid behind. Only he wasn't a man anymore. He was an elf and Balan wanted to know how the hell he did that.
'I'm not going to disappear and I think you need to blink every once in a while."
Balan blushed lightly but didn't say anything.
… … … … …
Locien Galad knew that the reunion could have gone better, but when he realized all those months ago that Antien knew nothing of him and Estel's past he knew that Estel needed some kind of intervention. Even then Locien knew that he really messed this one up and he would apologize later after he figured out the reason for him being there.
The Valar weren't very clear when it came to his exact mission. He only knew that the means of the remaining elves to return to the Undying Lands was among his former family. The only thing he saw was not a thing but a person. Antien.
The boy had the potential, Locien could see that, but he and those around him were denying his gifts, gifts that he once had and gifts that his death took away. Vayna seemed to be the only one that really understood. He was watching his brother's door when he felt the hand on his shoulder and he turned to see the faces of his parents.
'Naneth… Ada…'
'Don't. Just don't.' Vayna then pulled her son into her arms in a deep and lasting hug.
'You know then don't you?' Locien asked slipping into a language he was sure the rest didn't know.
Vayna sighed. 'I don't know what I know, Locien. It is all jumbled.'
Locien grew concerned. 'What do you See?'
'Green country… land… rolling hills… sunlight… yet there is pain.'
Locien started to panic. 'No, no, no, no… no, I didn't sign up for this!'
'Locien, what are you talking about-' Locien saw the pain that flashed in her eyes and he backed away as the rest of the family surrounded Vayna's prone form.
Locien heard the door open and then the anguished cry of Estel and Rodwen. Locien closed his eyes to the scene and wished that they didn't choose him.
… … … … … … …
Legolas sat next to their bed as he watched over her. The attack came so suddenly that they had no time to protect her from the family. Only the twins Elladan and Elrohir knew what was truly going on and so far they had not caved under the family's pressure to tell them. Thus it was him and the twins that got her into their rooms in the apartment before the twins went back and tried to diffuse the situation.
It had been so long ago when she was injured that it know was second nature for these attacks, as bad as it sounded. She would have sailed long ago if that path were open to them. In fact the last kinsmen to sail was Rowena and that was a special case and different all together. For her and for her alone the song had changed and they never heard it. Yet now Legolas wished with his entire mind and heart the song would change, if only for Vayna, if only to end her suffering.
Legolas's thoughts turned to his recently returned son and the look of absolute terror in his eyes mere moments after Vayna's collapse. With that look, Legolas's fear of losing his beloved wife to the edain curse only increased.
Legolas looked up as Elladan took the only other seat in the room. 'How is she?'
'This was the worst attack in many years, Otorno,' Legolas answered quietly. Elladan winced. 'How is the rest of the family?'
'They ask but we have yet to answer.'
Legolas nodded solemnly. 'What of Locien?'
'He's taken to locking himself in the study barely speaking to anyone and eating little.' Elladan grew thoughtful. 'That is if he has to eat.' A small smile graced Legolas's featured for a moment.
At that moment Vayna began to stir and Elladan went to tell the rest of the family. When her eyes opened she could only see the wonderful face of her husband looking down on her and she smiled until the residual pain caught up with her.
"Ow…"
Legolas smiled at that. "It is good to know you can still feel."
"What happened?" Vayna asked.
Legolas grew concerned at that. "Do you not remember?"
Confusion grew in Vayna's eyes. "I remember Lily's party and her opening her last gift a journal." Her eyes grew wide. "Meleth… Locien! Please don't tell me it was a dream. –"
Legolas pulled her into a hug and said. "It wasn't a dream Meleth. He did return to us."
"Then it was another attack?"
"Yes."
"And the family?"
"Bugging the twins to no end asking what is going on. So far they managed evading actually answering."
Vayna looked up at her husband. "They will want to know why."
He nodded. "Do you want to tell them?"
She snuggled into his embrace. "We will have to soon, but not yet. First, we have to figure out why Locien returned."
… … … … …
Elladan found himself in the heat of his family's anger as he left Vayna and Legolas's room. "She was just waking up when I left."
"Then now can you tell us what happened?"
"No I can not."
"Was it a vision?"
"I don't know."
"Will she be okay?" came the meek voice of Antien out of the din.
Elladan turned a sympathetic eye to the young elf-ling. "She will be with us for a while longer."
"I'll be fine." The family turned to the door way and was surprised to see Vayna standing there leaning heavily on Legolas.
"Naneth, what is going on?" Estel asked knowing that all of them needed to hear the explanation.
"Nothing that you need to worry about, young one." Estel reeled back. She never called him young one any more and even when it was unconsciously done it reminded him that while he was an elf, he was only 48 years old and not the thousands that she and the others were. "Where is Locien?"
"In the den," Antien answered even though he still didn't understand who Locien was.
She nodded and went her way slowly though no longer on the support of her husband's arm.
… … … … …
Vayna knocked on the door lightly and gripped the handle breaking the spells that lay there.
"You should choose the spells better, ion." She smiled at her son who was bent over a large tome.
"You know I have been through this entire library in my two life times and it still doesn't have the answer," he said without looking up.
Her smile faded. "Answer to what?"
"What my purpose is," he answered as he closed the book with a sharp snap, but his head was still bowed.
Vayna kneeled in front of him and placed her finger under his chin forcing him to look at her. "Locien… Ion…" She smiled lightly. "I don't know what your purpose is in coming back, but know that you are not responsible for me. I have been expecting this for years and if it is my time then it is my time."
"Then you are dying?"
"I don't know about dying, but I am really sick."
"But elves-"
"I am not a normal elf." Even through the comforting smile, Locien could tell there was something that she was not tell him and for some reason he thought that the rest of the family didn't know either.
She patted his hand and stood. "Now, come I do believe that you have some unfinished business with the rest of the family." He nodded and followed her out the door.
