A/N: Hi, everyone :) :) How are you? New chapter is up, guys! After the storm comes the sun, do you not agree? Well, the Four Hunters start their chase to save Merry and Pippin, but Audrey deserves some moments of peace and there is someone who can provide them to her ;)
Bellamort500- Thank you, I'm happy you liked it.
makemecoffe- OMG, your reviews are sooo great! Yeah, I don't like Boromir, but I cried when he died in the movie, he didn't deserve that :( I am so happy that you're enjoying the story s much and I feel flattered by your words. I only hope you will the new chapter too.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings belong to their rightful owners
We ran all day without stopping at all, following the tracks the Uruk-Hai had left behind them and with Aragorn leading us. He was a Ranger for many years, meaning that he could find his way easily and he could orientate in unknown places. I had tried to use the 'Point me' spell, in a desperate attempt to locate Merry, Pippin and their abductors, but it was unsuccessful.
'The Uruks are protected' stated Aragorn when I told them about this. 'A great power shields them from other forms of sorcery'
'Their creator perhaps?' I made a guess. 'After all, they are a weapon of Sauron and surely he doesn't want us to track his army so easily'
'They are not created by Sauron' Legolas disagreed. 'Do you recall the mark on their heads? I think it is the White Hand of Saruman'
'Saruman?' I repeated and remembered Cedric's words in Limbo. 'Sauron's most loyal servant? Does he have the power to create…'
'I fear Sauron has the power to do far worse things, Audrey' Aragorn said as we continued running and I felt scared at the thought of such an evil wizard. 'He lurks in Isengard, his workshop, from where he sends Sauron's armies to attack the free regions of Middle Earth'
I nodded and stayed silent as we went on, thinking about Gandalf and Dumbledore. Oh, if we had one of them with us, everything would be so easier. The others had told me stories about Gandalf, about how wise he was and how he could encourage them even at moments of great despair with witty comments, as could Dumbledore. My thoughts travelled to Merry and Pippin and how terrified they would be at the hands of the Uruk-Hai. We had to save them, we had to. I wouldn't endure the loss of someone else, as would neither of us, I knew it.
My eyes travelled to my hand, to what was left from the wound the Uruk had caused me. I had cleaned it and now it was only a scratch, forming a narrow line, as a reminder that I had fought and I had survived. Back in Hogwarts, when Alecto Carrow had used the Cruciatus Curse on me because I had doubted her during class, Ernie had told me that scars are reminders of brave achievements and battles. Oh, how right he was, because now this scratch would tell me that this war wouldn't end without permanent risks and fights.
Who would have known that, only at the second day of my journey, our Fellowship would be split up, with two companions dead, two on their way to Mordor, two being captured and four on the way to rescue them. It was much different than I had imagined, but even this was a lesson. No matter how many plans we could make, overthrows could happen, overthrows we didn't expect. Yet, we had to stick together, without giving up, because, if we were on our own, then our disaster would be definite.
When we decided to stop the hunt for that day and rest, the night had already fallen, the bright stars shining above us. Only when we stopped running I felt the exhaustion from the all-day chasing and I was grateful for the stop. And, apparently, I wasn't the only one, because a certain Dwarf was breathing heavily.
'I do not think I have ever run so much in my whole life!'
'Me neither, Gimli, but I know some people who did' I comforted him and remembered Katie Bell, who was complaining about Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who was relentless when it came to Quidditch practices, literally tormenting his team in exercises.
If he was here, then he would surely tell us that we should continue, I thought as I was standing up to place the usual protective charms around the camp.
'We will rest only for a few hours, for we have to run after the Uruk-Hai as long as their tracks are fresh' Aragorn warned us.
'Alright' I sighed, while Gimli was complaining loudly because of this. I still wanted to sleep as less as possible, although I knew that it was anything but healthy. But the nightmares and the visions that kept making their appearance in my mind during sleep weren't healthy for me either.
'You know, lass, I have to say that you made a marvelous performance with your witchcraft today, during our attack' Gimli turned towards me. 'These foul creatures were not expecting that'
'I agree with him' Aragorn said. 'What were they, if I may ask, Audrey?'
'The first one was a Stunning Spell, it knocks the victim unconscious' I answered randomly without looking at him, because I was casting "Muffliato" at that moment. 'The other one was a Shield Charm, which blocks any threat that is threatening you, whether it is a spell or a weapon'
'That sounds very interesting' Legolas commented. 'Were you taught to use them in your school?'
'Only the basics, but my friends and I practiced it on our own, especially when the war started' I informed him and had to stop talking again to cast the triple spell, "Protego Maxima. Fianto Duri. Repello Inimicum", for more protection. 'We had to be prepared for battle and at that period…well…let's say that we didn't have much help'
I was referring to my fifth year, the year Umbridge came and forbid any forms of practice, the year we formed Dumbledore's Army. These moments with Harry teaching us in the Room of Requirement were my favorite ones in the entire year, because we were resisting and we were learning. There I learned to use the Shield Charm and it was the first time I saw my Patronus, the badger. But, as I was finally placing the last charm above the camp and thinking about all this, a terrible realization sank it. That day, during the battle…I had used MAGIC, although I should keep it a secret for as long as possible. And I had revealed it to the enemy from my first battle already! I knew that the Uruks would spread the news of a sorceress, because surely the red and blue lights my spells had produced wasn't something they were seeing every day.
Oh. My. God!
Everything had just become worse because of me. I sighed furiously as I was walking up and down, swearing at myself and my stupidity, unable to relax and ignoring Cedric's attempts to calm me.
'What happened to you, Audrey?' Aragorn wanted to know.
'Yes, you seem very upset in a sudden' Legolas added. 'What is going on?'
'I'm stupid is what's going on!' I hissed, unable to control my nerves. 'I'm more stupid than a mountain troll! I used my magic, although it should stay a secret and now the enemy will know!'
I saw the others exchanging worried looks, but they quickly managed to relax, probably to not scare me even more. Ugh, I hated when people tried to convince someone that nothing was their fault, although it clearly was. I would rather hear them yelling at me, accuse me that I was too spontaneous and didn't care about the consequences.
'Will you stop blaming yourself, Rey?'
'No, Cedric, I won't!'
'Audrey…Calm down' Legolas spoke first. 'Trust me, nothing is your fault'
See? Told you.
'Don't start saying that it's not my fault and that I was in self-defense and I don't know what else…' I snapped at him, but was interrupted by Gimli.
'We will say it, because it is the truth' he said determined. 'If I remember well, that Uruk-Hai had left you without a sword. And the only way you still had to save your life was your magic, unless you would rather wait for it to kill you'
That word again, "kill". I knew I should get used to words like "kill", "death" and words with a similar meaning, but I still couldn't react with composure when I was hearing them. It reminded me of Hogwarts and the aftermath of the battle, especially now, with Boromir dead. Images kept appearing in my mind, images I was trying to forget. Bodies, funerals, friends and families mourning…How much time would pass until they would stop crying about my death and the deaths of many others? What comfort could parents find when they had lost their children? When I found my whole family dead, on that summer evening, with the Dark Mark over my house, I had thought I would explode from pain. Would these wounds ever close or would they only stop hurting?
'I will keep watch' I told them quietly, trying to think of something else than my revealed magic and my death. 'And I don't want any objections, gentlemen. You haven't let me watch over you yesterday and today was difficult for us all. You deserve some rest'
'If you wish so much to protect us lads, my lady, then I will surely not decline your generous offer' Gimli smirked, laid down and, only seconds later, he was snoring so loudly, that even the Uruk-Hai would flee terrified if they heard him.
'Have a peaceful night, Audrey' Aragorn wished me and covered himself with his cloak, which made him almost invisible.
So, finally some space for myself and my thoughts, then, I thought as I was turning to bid Legolas goodnight. Then I noticed that, not only wasn't he lying down, but he also looked as if he wasn't in the slightest mood for sleeping. Seriously, when was this guy resting? I knew, of course, that one of the perks of being an Elf was great endurance, more than we humans could endure, but this was getting almost disturbing.
'Legolas, when I said that you deserve some rest, I was referring to all of you' I told him and I was sounding as strict as Professor McGonagall when she was scolding me. 'You kept watch yesterday and you fought bravely today. Get some sleep, we still have a long way before us'
'Do not be worried about me, Audrey, Elves do not need much sleep' he informed me. 'I will be fine'
'Well, I won't do you the favor to lay down to sleep' I made clear and a sly grin appeared unwillingly on my face. 'I'll look after you tonight, it's only for a few hours, anyway'
'Do as you please' he returned the grin and, in the light of the flames, he seemed almost menacing. 'But you can not order me to sleep against my will or prevent me from keeping you some company'
'No, I guess I can not' I sighed defeated and looked at the dark horizon. So much for having some space for myself and my thoughts. I crossed my arms and tried to pierce the darkness with my eyes, aware of the charms that were shielding us, but yet suspicious of the smallest sound.
What was surprising was that Legolas didn't speak to me at all. For the next two or three hours (without a watch, it was pretty hard to know the time exactly), he was only looking at the sky, at the fire or at me, but without talking. For some odd reason, I liked this comfortable silence and I felt safer, because it was making a balance with the memories and the thoughts that had, for one more time, paid me a visit. It was painful, but it was worse when I was asleep and unable to control my mind. I remembered seventh year, when I was hiding in the Room of Requirement with so many others. There were nights I couldn't sleep for a single minute and I was sitting there, alone or with Seamus, who also had insomnia issues. We were talking in hushed tones, listening to Potterwatch and once we had sneaked out of the room to write on a wall.
'You are angry' Legolas broke the silence quietly, to not awake Aragorn and Gimli, who were sleeping peacefully.
'You told me that the night often plays with our minds' I reminded him without looking at him. 'Especially if it is combined with things you remember'
'Is this why you avoid sleeping?' he wanted to know and I frowned as I tried to stay calm. 'Audrey, both of us know that I am right. Yesterday, when we told you that there is no need for you to keep watch, you seemed disappointed. The day I met you in Lothlorien, you gave me the impression that you had not slept at all. During the day, you are fiery, courageous and you are laughing, but when the night breaks, you are locked in yourself, so angry, sad and guilty'
How the hell could he do this? Was he reading my thoughts or something? Or was I so easy to read? I didn't answer, determined to not say anything, and I kept staring at the darkness, my hand gripped around my wand.
'I do not say this to you out of curiosity to learn what happened to you' Legolas explained, maybe thinking that I was angry at him. 'But I worry for you when I see you like this and I wish you to trust me'
'I know' I whispered, finally turning towards him and seeing the honest concern marking his face. 'I'm more than angry, sad and guilty and the events that made me like that are still haunting me. I do not want to speak about them, though, at least not yet'
'This is completely understood, I give you my word. But do you promise that, when you will feel ready, you will open your heart to someone? If you do not release your heart from its burdens, then they will overwhelm you'
'I promise' I nodded and, deep down, I already chose the "someone" I would open my heart to. 'When I will feel ready. I do not know when this moment will come, but I promise that it will come'
'Thank you' he smiled and I stared at him as if he had two heads. Why was he thanking me, as if I had made him a present? Sometimes I couldn't understand him at all, but maybe he was only worried about me because I was from another world and he could sense that it was still hard for me.
Silence fell again between us, interrupted only by Gimli's snores, which were softer now, although it didn't last for long. This time, though, it was my turn to break it, because my new companion kept staring at the stars as if something really interesting was written on them. Susan loved the stars as well, but she had never looked so intently at the night sky.
'Fond of starlight, are we?' I asked him, my voice having a slightly mocking tune.
'The Elves consider the light of the stars sacred' he answered and laughed gently. 'It is a part of how we were created, at the beginning of our world. My mother used to tell me this tale when I was an elfling and I would like to share it with you, if you wish to hear it, of course'
I reassured him that I would love to hear the story and also fixed my eyes on the sky. I was still taking care that no enemy would attack us and my ears were focused on everything around me, so I had the advantage to look somewhere else. The sky was beautiful and I had never seen so many stars before, not even in Hogwarts. The constellations were unknown to me and the stars were bigger and shone brighter.
'I do not know how time passes by in your world, but here, in Middle Earth, we are now crossing the Third Age' Legolas started. 'The tale I am about to tell you occurred before the beginning of the First Age, when our world was just created. There was a period known to us as the Sleep of Yavanna, for the sun and the moon had yet to be created and the only light that existed was that of the stars'
His voice was gentle as he was narrating me and I relaxed at the sound of it, as if we weren't in the middle of a war, as if we were in a peaceful place. I hadn't felt like that for a long time, not even in Lothlorien. For the first time in a very long time, I was calm and all the negative things were forgotten as I was wondering how it would be to exist in a world filled with nothing else than stars.
'The first Elves who awoke' Legolas went on, seeing that I was fascinated 'were three pairs, Imin and Iminye, Tata and Tatie and Enel and Enelye. They awoke in a place that was at the east of Middle Earth, which, at this time, was not as it is now. This place was called Cuivienen or Water of Awakening. When they woke up, the first thing they laid eyes on were the stars on the sky'
'That's so beautiful' I commented, although the word "beautiful" was clearly underestimating this story. Now I understood why Elves loved the stars so much and why Legolas clearly enjoyed telling this story, a story passed on to him by his mother. I would feel the same way and, as I was looking at the sky, I felt something from their magic and from the magic of the tale being transferred to me.
'Thank you for sharing this story with me' I said and smiled. 'It was so wonderful and I will never forget it'
'It was more than a pleasure and I am delighted that you liked it' he answered and smiled back. 'I know many stories and I could tell more to you'
'Stories are nice' Gimli's voice echoed in the area and we gasped 'but, since Aragorn woke me up in the middle of my wonderful dream, we would better continue with our hunting, do you not agree?'
'I could not agree more, Master Dwarf' I hastily replied as I was jumping on my feet and gathering my things. The small moment of peace was over and I should return to reality, to Merry and Pippin, who needed our help. Even though, I was grateful for that pleasant break and, although I hadn't slept at all, I felt new faith as I was running behind Aragorn, hoping that we would rescue the Hobbits.
A/N: Okay, everyone, that was it for now, hope you liked it. The story Legolas narrates is found in the "Silmarillion" and I also wrote down things I read from "LOTR Wiki". Can't wait for your reviews and a massive thank you to all of you who read, review, favorite and follow.
