Hi Everyone! Welcome to the latest Chapter of If I Die Young! Sorry once again about the wait! I really need to work on that, huh?
So, now that we're only a couple of Chapters away from the end of the First LOTR Book, I'd like you're opinion on what I should name the Second. I was thinking about something that matches the title of this story. I don't now if I'm Going to start a poll, I'll have to think about it but, I've already thought of things like, Die Another Day, Time Of Dying and To Die For, so please tell me what you think, I'd really love to her the great ideas you guys come up with!
Also, we've reached 30 reviews! I want to thank everyone who Favourited, Followed and especially the people who reviewed! A Shout out to the Reviewers is way to small a thanks so I decided to thank everyone!
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I had to thank every single one of you for helping me along this journey, and I promise, even though I may be gone for a while, I will never truly leave you guys hanging!
Well, Allons-y!
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PS: This Story is now on Wattpad! You Should check out the website, there's some really talented People out there!
PSS: The Song used in this Chapter is Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru, from the wonderful game; Kingdom Hearts.
PSSS (Wow that's a lot of PS's): ~This~ is Memories.
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If I Die Young
Chapter 8
If I Told You The Truth, Would It Keep You Alive?
To say that the Fellowship was surprized when Rosalie walked around with a blindfold over her eyes was an understatement. They were surprized and worried. The worried that she was running into danger, still grieving Gandalf's sacrifice. Despite seemingly having no problem with the blindness, the group also constantly worried that their resident witch would walk into something or someone. When the hobbits saw her practicing with her bow and arrows (still rather badly), they decided to finally ask how she was coping.
"Rosa, can I ask a question?"
The Mage looked at Sam silently for a moment before smiling softly and answering in a small and comforting voice.
"Of course you can, Sam."
The hobbits seemed slightly shocked that Rosalie actually answered, convinced that she had shut herself away from the world after the death of her mentor.
"W-well, t-the t-thing is…"
"Yes~" She prompted, setting her bow down next to her as she sat on a tree stump nearby.
The hobbits looked at each-other nervously, not wanting to offend their childhood friend.
"We were wondering if you were okay." Frodo finished, knowing quite well how the younger girl was feeling, even if it was on a slightly smaller scale.
Underneath the blindfold, Rosalie's silvery-white eyes glistened with sparkling tears and her soft smile turned into a sad one, already knowing what the hobbits meant.
"I'm okay… How are all of you?" She asked, showing once again how concerned she was for the obviously upset hobbits.
At this, however, Frodo's eyes watered and within seconds he was hugging the witch, tears streaming freely down his small face as Rosalie hugged him and murmured soothing words as the hobbit sobbed onto her shoulder…
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After all of the shortest members of the fellowship had had a good cry with Rosalie, all five joined the others to meet Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Despite having never met the Lord and Lady before, Rosalie was not particularly nervous as Gandalf had talked about the two often enough for her to feel like she had already met them.
She had removed the blindfold for Two Reasons. The first as to not seem disrespectful, the second as to actually look upon the elves that her Mentor had frequently talked about.
The group stood, head bowed as the Lord and Lady approached. Not being able to resist taking a peek, Rosalie glanced through her long fringe, gasping slightly at the glow that seemed to surround the two exceptionally beautiful elves.
For a second, the Witch could have sworn that Lady Galadriel had noticed her and thrown a soft smile. Not wanting to insult the shining woman, she quickly ducked her head lower, only raising it when the fellowship did.
Lord Celeborn signalled, more elves quickly stepping forward with beautiful cloaks. The elves draped the cloaks over the group's shoulders, using amazing leaf broaches that shone brilliantly in the light that shone through the trees.
"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people." the Lord said, looking at the Fellowship as soon as the elves finished. "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes."
Lady Galadriel stepped forward and eyed the group, ready to present her gifts. To Boromir, she gave a shining golden belt, Merry and Pippin getting similar silver belts, each with a small dagger. Rosalie was sure that Legolas was ecstatic with the beautiful Bow he received, making a mental note to ask him for more help with her lessons later. Sam got a small box containing earth from Lady Galadriel's beautiful garden. In the delicate box was also a nut from a Mallorn tree, a very large one that grew in the elf forest. He also received a coil of brilliant elvish rope. The Mage didn't know what Aragorn was given but she assumed Gimli was pleased with his gift from the Lady as he couldn't stop smiling soon afterwards.
Frodo, however, had seemingly gotten the most beautiful gift of all. A small phial which Lady Galadriel had called 'the light of Earendil'.
"May it be a light for you in dark places, When all other lights go out." she had said softly to the grateful hobbit.
When Lady Galadriel approached Rosalie, she offered a friendly and almost loving smile.
"I had hoped to give this to you at a Later date, Little One, but it appears that circumstances demand it to be given now."
At this, she pulled out a Silvery-White Locket, very similar to the colour of the mage's eyes. An Intricate design covered the front, the beautiful Gemstone on it giving of an ethereal glow.
Lady Galadriel pressed the Locket into the Mage's petite hands, curling her fingers around it. As if in response, Rosalie's Pendant - hanging freely around her neck - seemed to glitter and glow, getting hotter, the closer the Locket got to it.
Rosalie could hear a slightly calming, humming sound, coming from the beautiful Locket, so she held it closer to her face, her pendant burning madly while the Locket seemed to freeze.
"The time will come soon, little witch, that this object will be more than just a trinket to you." Lady Galadriel said softly, smiling at the witch with crystal blue eyes, beautiful as the sky, meeting silvery-white, almost snow-like orbs.
"I think it already does…" The mage, murmured, staring once more at the ice like Locket, her doe-like eyes swimming with confusion and wonder.
A thought crossed her mind and she looked back to the glowing elf.
"But why?" She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. She could feel the Fellowships eyes on her as the Lady of the Forest answered.
"That question will be answered in time, little one."
Rosalie frowned at this, obviously not liking the concealed answer as she desperately wanted to know what was happening. All she wanted was to keep the Hobbits and Gandalf Safe. Failing at doing that, she wanted answers.
Her mind wandered back to her stay at Rivendell, and her wander in the Gardens.
…"She still wears her pendant?"…
…"Always. Never takes it off."…
'What's so important about my necklace?" She thought, confused at her Mentor and Lord Elrond's conversation.
She didn't have time to probe further, however, as lady Galadriel quickly glided away, smiling sweetly.
As Lord Celeborn pulled Aragorn away to talk to him in private, The Fellowship and Rosalie began to pack. No longer being in the presence of the lord and Lady, Rosalie was about to once more put the Blindfold on, but decided against it. Boromir was looking at her strangely, seemingly confused.
"How can you see with the blindfold on, anyway?" Boromir asked, confused and genuinely worried for the small girl. In the time she had been with them, he had started to view her as a little sister and worried almost as much as Aragorn when she was sick.
She turned to him and smiled, thinking of a simple way to explain.
"When I'm around people or animals, I put up a thin layer of ice around me. No-one notices it, but if you stand close, you should feel it get a bit colder."
Merry and Pippin brightened up at this, and started talking, one after the other.
"Oh~ That explains it!"
"Whenever we played a game where we had to be blindfolded-"
"She always Won!"
"We always just thought you were cold!"
Rosalie chuckled softly at this, shaking her head at how the two finished each-other's sentences. It was actually kind of cute. She turned back to Boromir – who looked slightly confused at the three – and finished explaining.
"I feel the same, but the opposite way around; I feel warmer." She said as Boromir started to understand.
"So when you get warmer, you know some one's entered your space." He finished, thought it sounded more like a question.
"Exactly." She confirmed, happy that he understood. The group finished and Aragorn joined them as they all headed to the boats. Walking closer, she continued.
"I hated when Gandalf first made me do it and I'm pretty sure Shadra laughed whenever I hurt myself, but in the end it was definitely useful."
"Shadra?" he asked, once again confused at how little he knew about the girl he considered a sister.
"She's a demon who lives inside my head." She answered calmly, carefully climbing into a boat with Gimli and Legolas as Boromir sat with Merry and Pippin. Seeing his shocked and slightly confused face, she explained.
"All mages are a danger." She stated bluntly, frowning slightly. "Where I came from, that's why the Templars locked us up. I lived in a tower for about 5 years, since I was a baby. I probably would have died there if Gandalf never came for me."
By this point, the Hobbits, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were listening to her as the boats were about to be pushed of the shore.
"Soon after Gandalf made me his apprentice, Shadra apparently decided that I was 'habitable' for her. She climbed into my head while I dreamt and she's been in there ever since."
The Conversation ended at that and Gimli took over, wanting to relieve the tension in the area.
"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, for I've looked my last upon that which is fairest." Gimli muttered as they slowly left the Shores of Lothlorien. "Henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me." he sighed wistfully.
"What was it?" Legolas asked curiously as Rosalie looked to the Bearded Dwarf.
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head." He paused, finishing in a whisper. "She gave me three."
Rosalie looked at Legolas and they shared a smirking glance to the Awe-filled Dwarf.
Turning towards the side of the boat, she locked eyes with Aragorn. Smiling softly, they exchanged a comforting look and Aragorn nodded at her before continuing to row the boat.
She tuned now to the crystal water, running her fingers through it with her mind wandering.
"Open this only when Sanctuary calls."
'What did Lady Galadriel mean by that?' the Mage wondered, fingering the recently acquired locket in her fingers. It seemed to glow and hum with the conection so she looked at it in confusion.
She sighed softly, setting the locket back to her chest.
'Sanctuary…' She thought, the word leaving scars to her brain. She remembered Leliana teaching her a song titled that…
"…Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…"
The words seemed to echo and the fellowship looked at her in confusion. It didn't sound like any language they had heard before. There was a pause before Rosalie's eyes closed and she sang again.
"…In you and I, there's a new land…
Angels in Flight…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
My Sanctuary,
My Sanctuary…
Where fears and lies… melt away…
Music will tie…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I
What's left of me,
What's left of me now...
I watch you, fast asleep…
All I fear means nothing…
In you and I there's a new land…
Angels in flight…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
My Sanctuary,
My Sanctuary…
Where fears and lies… melt away…
Music will tie…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
What's left of me,
What's left of me...
Snwod Dna Spu Ynam Os,
My Heart's a Battleground,
Snoitome Eurt Deen I…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
Snoitome Eurt Deen I…
You show me how to see,
That nothing is whole and,
Nothing is broken…
In you and I there's a new land…
Angels in flight…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
My Sanctuary,
My Sanctuary…
Where fears and lies melt away…
Music will tie…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…
What's left of me,
What's let of me now...
My fears and our lies,
Melt away…
Wonk Uoy Naht Noitceffa Erom Deen I…"
With the mysterious song at an end, the group fell into comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, as the firey sun faded from the clear blue sky, Aragorn signalled and the three boats pulled to the shore.
Rosalie gave a sweet giggle when she saw how relieved Sam seemed to be now that the group was on the ground again. If the witch didn't know any better, she was sure the hobbit was about to start kissing the ground he now walked upon.
It wasn't long before a homely fire was started and Rosalie got restless. She had been 'relaxing' for days in Lothlorien, so she was aching for something to do. She didn't want to bother Legolas with her lessons and she knew practicing her magic and stretching wasn't going to work so, excusing herself for the toilet, she snuck away from the group for a walk.
"You shouldn't be wandering around at this time of the night, you know, Rosalie"
She turned around, recognising Boromir's voice.
"I'm not alone, you're here." She replied innocently, smiling at him. He gave her a brotherly-like disapproving look and continued, hiding a smile.
"You were alone."
She smirked at him, silvery-white eyes shining in amusement.
"Was. Past Tense."
"Same Thing, you were still alone."
"Ten out of Ten for Observation." She shot back, giggling.
"What were you doing out here anyway?"
"Same as you, I expect. Taking a Walk." She replied, happy that she wasn't alone anymore.
"May I join you?"
"Yes you May." Rosalie said, holding out her arm mockingly. He just walked past her. Grinning, he asked,
"What?"
She just playfully scowled and glared at him, striding past. Within seconds, the two erupted into chuckles, right before Rosalie saw something in front of them. She crouched low and picked up the damaged helmet, crudely bearing Saruman's white handprint.
Boromir's eyes widened, his eyes looking around for any unseen enemies.
"We should show this to the others." He said worriedly, grabbing the Witch's arm as the ran back to camp.
"Aragorn!" Rosalie called as they burst through the trees. "We found this in the Forest." She finished gravelly, Boromir standing beside her.
"Not far from the camp." Boromir continued. "Someone has been here before us." His voice had dropped and gone very low and dangerous.
"Perhaps not someone, but something." Legolas said, albeit ominously.
Aragorn took only one look at Rosalie's face and realized how worried she was for the hobbits. She had already lost Gandalf; she didn't want to lose them too.
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So, what did you think? I tried to add a little bit more on Rosalie's past, so if you'd tell me how I did, it'd really make my day! Either way, thanks again for the reviews, it really means a lot! Remember to tell me what you think about the next title!
Night, Night!
