p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"The soft singing voices of the elves filled the forest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""A lament for Gandalf," Legolas declared solemnly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""What do they say about him?" Merry had asked wistfully, but Legolas could not tell him, the grief was still too near./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Eliza felt exhausted and she knew her brother must be too. She implored him to take a break, but he did not share the collective trust of the elves. He demanded to watch over her while she rested, and though she felt it was unnecessary, she had seen the extent of his fear and uneasiness earlier and thought it best not to push him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"She lay on the soft forest floor between the roots of a great tree in the glade. The air was warm so Eliza lay with her cloak beneath her. She stroked the blades of grass and smiled gently, her eyelids growing heavy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Eliza knew emall/em the fellowship needed rest for they were plagued by loss and the uncertainty of their future. She prayed that they would find hope here. She pondered how even the very em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"soil/em here smelt alive; in fact emeverything/em thrived. Surely their strength would renew too…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Just as Eliza was drifting to sleep she heard Aragorn approach Boromir, who sat protectively watching over his sister; his weapons still within easy reach./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Take some rest," Aragorn said to Boromir, "These borders are well protected."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""I will find no rest here," replied Boromir; uneasiness and worry evident in his voice. "I heard her voice inside my head," he whispered, referring to Galadriel and her power to enter others' minds. "She spoke of my father… and the fall of Gondor. She said to me, 'Even now, there is hope left.' But I cannot see it... It is long since we had any hope."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Aragorn sat down listening to Boromir as he continued, "My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing. And now our… our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right and I — I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Something in Eliza's stomach wrenched and she stirred a little from her half-sleep. It was painful to hear her brother, the hero of Gondor, speak with such doubt about their home, their city - their people. He was clearly troubled and if their father's rule was failing…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"But Boromir's tone lifted again as when he went on, "Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""I have seen the White City," Aragorn replied wistfully, nodding, "long ago."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Proud once more Boromir concluded, "One day, our paths will lead us there. And the tower guard shall take up the call: 'The Lords of Gondor have returned!'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Frames and thoughts of her home, the White City, danced through Eliza's mind as she settled down again with a soft smile. This time she drifted soundly to sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Hours passed before Eliza heard a soft creak behind her. She stirred ever so slightly. A weak smile slowly spread across her lips as she felt warm woollen covers around her and a soft mattress beneath her. She lie facing down on her bed and dreamily gazed up to the white stone wall beside her. Then she heard another faint noise. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"A footstep?/em She drowsily tilted her head, raising her ear to listen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Suddenly a rough and callused hand clamped down over her mouth and Eliza started in complete shock. Her eyes shot open in fear and confusion. The large figure loomed over her from behind and she struggled feverishly in its grasp. The covers were thrown back and Eliza's thin nightdress was torn from her back in the process, sending her into a renewed state of sheer panic. Every hair on her body stood on end in the sudden chilly air. Adrenaline coursed through her limbs she lashed out with her feet; her hands trembled wildly. She willed herself to calm down so that she might be able to defend herself… but that was when emit/em fell down upon her. A cold, hard, heavy sheet of chainmail. It immediately burned fiercely into her flesh like a thousand emstabbing/em, emtwisting/em arrows./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"The pain was agonising. Tears spilled from Eliza's eyes, and she clenched her jaw unbearably tight. Her vision threatened to go dark just to escape the excruciating pain. The links of steel still seared into her body. The figure's grip loosened for just a moment and Eliza let out a bloodcurdling scream of agony. The sound of a blade clattering to the stone floor was drowned out from the cries of her suffering./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Boromir nearly started as much as Eliza when he saw his sister jolt violently in her sleep. He leaned over, and noticed her sleeping form was trembling. He gently shook her shoulder to rouse her when she violently struck out, knocking him over. The sudden commotion was not lost on Aragorn, who had been sharpening his sword close by in a subtle attempt to keep watch on the weary Boromir./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Wake up Eliza!" Boromir urged, but she did not stir. She just thrashed fiercely from side to side on the forest floor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Aragorn hurried over as Boromir tried to pin his sister's legs down. Her limbs were smashing about and she would surely hurt herself. Noticing the bruises already forming on her limbs, Boromir positioned himself on the backs of Eliza's knees. He pushed his hands hard on the small of her back in an attempt to stop her struggles./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Eliza! Eliza!" they both yelled in growing intensity as Eliza quivered. A stray arm flew out, nearly striking Aragorn's face but he quickly caught her wrist, firmly holding her palm to the floor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Wake up! Eliza!" Boromir pleaded, looking more and more frightened as the seconds ticked by. "It's emjust/em a nightmare!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Eliza!" Aragorn yelled even louder than before./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Upon hearing the commotion Gimli and Legolas rushed to scene. They arrived to see Eliza silently thrashing about in her sleep while the two men desperately tried to keep her from hurting herself. They begged her over and over to wake./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Gimli approached, kneeling down by Eliza's side, doing his best to help. "My Lady, it's Gimli - please wake!" he implored, "My Lady!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""She will not wake! She does not even stir!" Boromir fretted, "Why does she not wake? emIt has never taken this long/em!" He muttered unintelligibly about his brother, Faramir, as nervous sweat dripped from his brow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""She will be alright Boromir, she will wake soon," Aragorn reassured, placing a firm hand on Boromir's shoulder. Then, turning to Legolas, he shot worried look, willing the elf to assist in some way – em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"any/em way./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Legolas found he could not think straight – he simply could not decide what to do. Should he get help? Surely an Elven healer could aid her… or perhaps Galadriel was nearby; she might be able to enter Eliza's mind and sooth her troubles./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"But, before Legolas could act, Eliza let out a bloodcurdling scream of agony. The companions' faced paled in terror at pain she was undoubtedly going through right before their very eyes. Tears spilled down Eliza's cheeks, and she clenched her jaw unbearably tight. With her loose hand she clawed at her back, tearing open the back of her dress. Large scars the length and breadth of her back were now visible - the result of sinister, scorching burns. Even though the scars were old and healed-over their damage was clear - Eliza's back was practically branded. Eliza tossed and turned, writhing with a renewed ferocity as Aragorn and Boromir genuinely struggled to hold her down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"By now, Sam, Merry and Pippin had wandered to the scene, they stood, stunned, as the chaos erupted before their very eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Without even really knowing what he was doing Legolas stumbled forward and knelt by Eliza's face. He gently cupped her cheek and she let out a relieved whimper. Tears still tumbled down her cheeks and her face reeled with pain./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Eliza…" Legolas whispered softly, "Echuio... An ngell nîn." em(Awake… for my joy - or 'please')/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Eliza stilled, her struggles ceased and her eye lids slowly fluttered open. She gazed up, slightly confused as her sight came back into focus. Her eyes managed to focus on Legolas's face and she absent-mindedly brought her free hand up to her cheek only for it to rest upon his. This made her start a little and her head flooded back to reality. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""L-Legolas?" she stuttered, still a little confused. Her eyes began to flicker, taking in their surroundings. She tried to make sense, as quickly as possible, of where she was and what had happened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"The fellowship let out a sigh of relief. Aragorn and Boromir both placed a tired and thankful hand on the elf's shoulder. Boromir looked more relieved than anyone as he wiped the sweat from his forehead away, running his hand backward through his hair./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Eliza stood carefully, leaning tentatively on her brother for help. She clenched her fists and spread her fingers out several times when Sam whispered nervously, "Is my Lady alright now? We were real worried about you just now," his eyes shined in the early dawn./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Smiling sweetly at Sam's concern Eliza replied, "I am well now, thank you. It was just… a bad dream."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Boromir looked to the elf whose careful words had roused his sister, only to find a concerned frown upon his face. He followed the elf's gaze to find it fixed on Eliza's scars. Instinctively Boromir wrapped his cloak around his sister's back and the rest of the fellowship politely resolved to busy themselves elsewhere. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"Eliza gave Legolas a meek smile before he left and he bowed kindly in reply./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;""Thank you, emfriend/em," Boromir said from behind Legolas. Legolas looked back over his shoulder, nodded simply and went to see where Aragorn had gone. He could feel Boromir's watchful eyes upon his every step./span/p