Rings and Medallions
Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien.
Authors Note: Enjoy the following insanity.
Thanks to my good friend and beta, Paladin Steelbreaker.
Chapter TenHarry could not help it. His eyes constantly went to their guide, his mind wondering why Jacqueline seemed to dislike Haldir. The Marchwarden was proud – perhaps a bit too proud, he was strong, honour bound, smart, and easy on the eyes. Not that Harry was an expert on the last item. He just couldn't figure out why his goddaughter and the elf didn't get along.
James skipped about beside Harry, sometimes daring to go closer to the elf in front of them. Each time the kid got close, Haldir would turn his head and raise an amused eyebrow, and James would scurry back to hide behind the green-eyed man. A few minutes later the routine would be repeated.
Cecil Darling was the last one in the group. The young man was strangely silent, and had been ever since they entered the borders of Lothlórien. Of course, Harry knew that good things never lasted and not long afterwards Cecil Darling started to speak again.
"How much further is it?" the young sailor asked and readjusted the straps on his backpack. "My shoulders are falling off, captain!"
Harry resisted an urge to clobber the man for ruining the peaceful mood of the forest around them. "Don't ask me that question, mate, 'tis the first time I'm here meself! If ye 'ave te ask anyone that question', it'd be our good Haldir over 'ere, savvy."
Haldir stopped and turned towards them. "We will have to either walk all night, or sleep out here and reach Caras Galadhon on the morrow."
James pulled at Harry's sleeve. "Can't we spend the night out here in the forest, Uncle Harry? It'd be so much fun to experience something like that, like an adventure in an adventure. Please?" the young boy turned on his puppy-dog look knowing that his uncle never could deny him anything when he used those.
"Alright, that is if ye have nothin' against it?" Harry looked at Haldir.
"It is fine with me, captain, I have to check up on a guard station not far from here anyway. We can spend the night there." The Marchwarden replied and they moved on.
It took them about an hour to get to the guard station, and by then dusk had seriously started to fall and James was almost dead on his feet. Cecil Darling looked only slightly better, and even Harry was starting to feel tired after traipsing through the forest all day long. Haldir stopped by a tree that didn't look any different from any of the others, and as soon as he was close enough a rope-ladder fell down through the foliage and the Marchwarden climbed up quickly.
"Right James, up with you," Harry said and held the rope-ladder steady as the young boy climbed. "Darling, you next." The green-eyed man said once James had disappeared into the leaves. Cecil Darling slipped a few times on his way up, but finally it was Harry's turn. A minute later Harry reached a wooden platform situated nicely between the branches of the tree, and was helped up by several pairs of hands. The rope-ladder was pulled up again as soon as he stepped away from the hole.
Looking around, Harry raised an eyebrow upon seeing blonde elves like Haldir all around. There didn't seem to be one elf with a darker hair-colour anywhere in sight. 'Well, Lothlórien is called the Golden Wood...' the pirate-captain mused. In the trees closest to the one they were in, he could see other platforms and elves sitting or standing around.
"Captain Sparrow," Haldir said and Harry snapped back from his musings. With the Marchwarden were another two elves, and all three looked so much alike that there was no mistaking the relation between the three of them. "Captain Sparrow, allow me to introduce you to my brothers, Rúmil and Orophin."
"Suilad, greetings," Harry said using what little of the elven tongue that he had managed to pick up in Rivendell. "Captain Harry Potter-Sparrow at yer service!" he declared and offered his hand.
The elf Harry thought was Orophin, grabbed his hand in a firm elven shake. "Máravë omentaina, Captain Potter-Sparrow."
"If I knew what that meant, mate, I'd be happy to return the sentiment – if it was a sentiment at all." Harry grinned.
Rúmil shook his hand next. "It is Quenya and means 'well met'. And you are well met indeed." Then, with a sly grin towards Haldir, Rúmil added: "You have a most interesting and charming goddaughter, captain."
Harry would have to have been born blind if he had missed the twitch that the Lothlórien Marchwarden performed upon the mention of Jacqueline, and he raised an eyebrow. James snickered quietly from his hiding place behind his uncle, and Cecil Darling just blinked in surprise. "Yes, she's quite the... spirited young woman," Harry said at last and his eyes twinkled upon seeing Haldir twitch again. Then the pirate in him raised its head, and he couldn't help but tease the elf. "Marchwarden Haldir, is anything wrong?"
"Nothing at all, Captain Potter-Sparrow," the elf replied with a straight face. "Get some rest, captain. I'll be on one of the other talans if you need me." With that the elf disappeared.
"I think we scared him away," Orophin said after a while, and shared a look with his brother which spoke volumes.
'My eyebrow has definitely gotten stuck in the UP-position,' Harry thought to himself as James snickered again.
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Caras Galadhon was amazing, Harry decided. The city had looked wonderful from outside the walls surrounding it, but once you got inside and started to climb upwards on the spiral staircases it was completely awe-inspiring. Especially when dusk fell and all the silver lights were lit; they made the elves look like perfect living statues of silver and gold, reflecting on their clothes and jewellery, and the occasional weapon as well as guards either came in from patrol, or made themselves ready to head out.
Haldir led them to the biggest mallorn-tree in sight and they started on the climb upwards, which seemed to take hours. James and Cecil Darling where practically dead on their feet once they reached the top, and Harry was feeling out of breath as well. Haldir on the other hand, looked like nothing and seemed to smirk slightly upon seeing the look Harry sent him. The Marchwarden had seemed to turn into Severus (to a lesser degree though) since that night in the talan, and it wasn't unusual to hear well-meant insults and jabs fly back and forth between him and Harry.
Before either of them could remark on anything, the platform they were standing on was filled with an unearthly light. It wasn't totally unlike the light which appeared around the pirates if they realised the hold on their aura, but this was a sharper kind of light, filled to the brim with wisdom, love, compassion and power. Harry had to close his eyes due to the brightness of the light, and when he felt that it was gone and that it was safe to open his eyes again, he did so and couldn't help but gape slightly at the sight which met him.
An elven man and an elven woman stood there in front of him. The man was dressed in white and soft, light grey clothing, while the woman was dressed in an amazing white dress. Their hair seemed to be spun out of pure gold, and magnificent circlets rested on their brows. Their faces were, like all elven faces, devoid of age and wrinkles, yet the light in their eyes spoke of the age and wisdom these two beings held. The Lord and Lady of Lothlórien stood there magnificently in all their glory.
James tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Uncle Harry, are they angels?" the young boy whispered in awe. Both the Lord and the Lady smiled kindly at this, and James hid his blushing face – and himself – behind Harry.
Harry cracked a grin at the lad's remark, then turned back to the Lord and the Lady in front of him. He put his left arm on the small of his back, placed his right palm with fingers apart over his heart and leaned forwards in a traditional wizard bow, his head bowed deeply and his eyes closed in a show of respect and trust. Cecil Darling quickly did the same, and James copied them as well as he could.
"Welcome to Lothlórien, Captain Potter-Sparrow," the Lady spoke in the same voice which had entered Harry's head a week ago, and the pirate-captain straightened. "I am Lady Galadriel, and this is Lord Celeborn. We are honoured to finally meet you face to face."
"The pleasure's all mine, Lady," Harry replied sincerely. "Let me introduce to you James Sparrow, my nephew." He gently nudged the young boy towards the Lord and the Lady. The boy seemed to be petrified with awe.
Lady Galadriel leaned over so she was on James' level, and extended a hand. "Come child, let me look at you properly." James hesitantly reached for her hand, but as soon as his fingers touched hers he relaxed and grinned up at her. Galadriel smiled as well and gently pulled the boy closer so that Celeborn could inspect him as well. Both of them seemed to take an immediate liking to the lad, a fact Harry had noticed with all elves. Come to thing of it, Harry hadn't seen any elven children running around. Not in one of the three elven populations he had visited so far.
"There is much goodness here, and wisdom. And I dare say an affinity for breaking rules," Lord Celeborn spoke with an amused tone to his voice as he looked James straight into the eyes. "Just like your father and uncle." The lad couldn't help but proudly puff himself up at being compared to his two role models.
"And potential for greatness," Lady Galadriel added as well before releasing the boy's hand. James walked dignifiedly back to Harry, as proud as the Statue of Liberty. The Lady straightened and continued speaking. "Who is your other companion, captain?"
Harry blinked. He had almost forgotten that Cecil Darling was still there. "One of my crew, and I'll let him present himself."
The young sailor took one shaky step forwards and managed a small smile. "C-Cecil Da-arling, at your-r s-service."
Galadriel stared at him as her husband spoke. "Welcome to Lothlórien, Master Darling. I hope you had a nice journey here?"
"Y-yes, thank-k you."
"Captain," Galadriel spoke up again and turned her attention to Harry. "You are all weary and need rest. Haldir will lead you to where we have set up camp for the pirate-group currently here." The Marchwarden tried to suppress a twitch, and ended up with a grimace. "May I request a private meeting with you at a later time when you have rested?"
"Anytime, Lady," the green-eyed pirate replied.
She nodded. "Good, I will contact you later then. It was nice meeting you, captain. Tenn' enquetielva, until we speak again."
Harry nodded politely and retreated along with the other three. Haldir explained the Lady's parting remark on the way down, but otherwise the Marchwarden seemed to just get twitchier and twitchier for ever step, making Harry wonder what the hell was going on between him and Jacqueline.
'Well, I suppose I will find out soon enough,' the Boy-Who-Lived thought to himself and started paying attention to where they were going. He didn't need a repeat of the Rivendell-incident and get himself lost again. There were no nice hobbits around here to lead him back to the camp, and most of the elves in Lothlórien didn't speak Common.
Suddenly the shout of "HARRY!!!!" in Jacqueline's delighted voice rang through the trees of Lothlórien.
It was quickly followed by Anamaria's "GREEN-EYES, YOU'RE FINALLY HERE YOU OLD SCALLYWAG!!!!" and not long after that, the two women threw themselves on Harry sending him to the ground in one major bear hug.
A second later, Jacqueline noticed that James was there as well and attacked the boy with another one of her bear hugs. "JAMES!!!! It's so wonderful to see you!!!!"
"How's Severus?!" were the first words out of Anamaria's mouth once she had calmed down somewhat. "How's the quest going? Have we managed to get a hold of any of the medallions yet? And if so, then how many? How are everyone? How's Jack? Actually, ignore those questions, and just tell me of any news from Severus!"
Harry laughed. "Easy there luv, one question at the time. I'll answer all of 'em later on, I promise that on pain of death, but let me catch me breath after that attack of yours." He said as he got to his feet again.
Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. "Hey! That's called a hug. H-U-G, get it?" then she turned to Cecil Darling. "Hello, Darling-" she stopped once she finally spotted Haldir who was standing there with a scowl on his face, and her eyes narrowed even more. "What are you doing here?"
"I happen to be the Marchwarden of this realm," Haldir replied in a clearly restrained tone. "And I was showing the captain to your camp."
"Well, now that I am here I'll take over, so go on and skip off on your merry way!"
Haldir's expression darkened. "Skip off on my merry way? Do you think being a Marchwarden is easy, you acrimonious woman?"
"Yes, I do. But if it's too difficult for a 2000-year-old guy like you, then who's the abstruse idiot?" as a reply to this the Lothlórien Marchwarden muttered something in elvish, and Jacqueline promptly tried to whack him at the back of the head, but Haldir jumped out of her reach. "I don't know what it was you said, you pointy-eared moron, but I don't like it!" she growled as she continued trying to hit him and he continued jumping out of the way. "Will you stand still?!"
"And let an orc-spawned woman like you near me?!"
"Who are you calling orc-spawn, clodhopper?!"
"How long has this been going on?" Harry asked Ana as he watched Jacqueline chase the Marchwarden between the trees with her sword unsheathed.
"Since the first time we entered the borders of Lothlórien," the woman replied. "Five minutes in each other's company and they were at each other's throats."
"Stop chasing me, you nitwit!"
"Get your mind out of the gutter you bloody perverted ponce! And start defending yourself!"
"I refuse to hurt a woman – even though the term is used in it's widest possible meaning in this case!"
"Evil bastard! Get back here and meet your doom!" this was followed by the sound of something embedding itself in wood and a yelp.
Cecil Darling blinked. "Should we break them up, captain?"
Harry looked thoughtful for a second. "Nah," he replied. "Those two can take care of themselves. In fact, I'll bet that they will end up together before this adventure is over."
Anamaria grinned. "I'll take that wager! Say, 50 galleons?"
"Done!" the green-eyed man grinned.
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Jacqueline returned to the camp later that night looking like she had just run a marathon.
"Hey, Harry." She panted as she dropped to the ground next to him.
Harry smiled and raised an eyebrow at her. "Welcome back, Jack. Had a nice time chasing our resident Marchwarden?"
She grumbled. "Resident no loner. Lady Galadriel caught us and sent that male abomination out on yet another month-long patrol. She has been doing that a lot since we pirates arrived here. Wonder why."
"Perhaps to get some peace and quiet around here?" the pirate-captain suggested. "And I don't blame her. The way the two of you were shouting, you'd think it was the end of the world and not two people acting like children."
"I do not act like a child!" Jacqueline protested her temper rising again.
"I'll believe that when I see it," Harry replied calmly. "Why are you two fighting like cat and dog anyway?"
Jacqueline opened her mouth to answer, then stopped and blinked. "I- I can't remember..." she muttered quietly.
"If you can't remember it then it wasn't worth fighting over at all." Harry leaned back against the tree, put his hands behind his head and stretched out his legs. "The question now is: why do you continue fighting with him if you cannot remember why you were fighting in the first place?" the young woman mumbled something completely impossible to catch. "Didn't catch that."
"He generally calls my a feminine-deprived aberration of a woman. Not perhaps in those words, but that's what he means."
Harry sat up again and looked at his goddaughter. "Well then, you'll just have to prove him wrong, now don't you?"
"Huh?"
"Listen Jacqueline, you are a tomboy and we all know it and accept it. It's normal for us. However, these people have other beliefs and thoughts on how the different sexes should act, and you are breaking those unwritten rules. Even Anamaria acts more womanly that you do, and she'd be the first one to hit someone up the head if they tried to treat her like a, well, woman-woman of you get my meaning."
"But she has Severus and doesn't need to bother anymore thinking about if she is woman-y enough for a male to take interest in her."
"Then we'll just have to get you a man as well!" Harry declared. "At present time men see you as a 'man' – even if they subconsciously know you're a woman. So, all you have to do is act more womanly; you know, fix your hair, wear accessories, one of those elven dresses too perhaps. You'd look splendid in one of those."
Jacqueline was suddenly very shy. "Do- do you really think so?"
"Luv, ye'd be like a candle in the dark in one o' those dresses!" Harry drew her into a one-armed hug.
"But I don't know how to act all woman-y, and I have completely forgotten how to act in a dress! I haven't worn a dress since I was six!"
The green-eyed man grinned. "Then we'll just have te teach ye!"
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A week later Harry finally received replies from Ron and Severus. Apparently everything was fine in Gondor, and the letter was lengthy and detailed, explaining everything which was going on. Severus' letter on the other hand, was very short, which sent warning-bells off in Harry's head when he saw it, and by the time he had read the bells had turned into an air-raid siren.
'Potter,
Grima Wormtongue returned from a trip to Isengard a few days ago, and since then suspicious orders have been issued and King Theoden's health is failing.
The orders in question all, in one of way or another, work in the Dark Lord's favour, and towards the ruin of the Kingdom of Rohan. I also think that Wormtongue is getting suspicious of me, Pomfrey and Finnigan.
S. Snape'
Harry shook his head as he watched the letter burn. The net was starting to tighten. It wasn't desperately tight yet, but it was getting more and more worrisome. Gandalf had said that Saruman was one of Sauron's servants, and if this Wormtongue had visited Orthanc...
'If the next letter from Severus is as worrisome as this one, then I'm paying Rohan a visit.' The pirate decided. He upturned the bag which had accompanied the letter, and out fell another five medallions. 'Great job Severus.' He put the medallions away and settled down to read one of the books that he had found in the Lothlórien library. It was written in common and was an explanation of the different cultures of Middle-Earth, and Harry knew he was going to need as much knowledge as possible if he was going to survive in Rohan, and not stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, it was an interesting read.
A moment later, an elf-maiden appeared and curtseyed. "Lady Galadriel want to talk with you, please." She said in bad Common, but at least she got her message through.
"Lead the way, luv." He replied and put the book down.
Lady Galadriel waited for them in a small grove. Steps led down to it and in the middle stood a pedestal with a silver basin. A small, but natural waterfall fell as well, and an elegant silver ewer was placed on a flat stone just beside it. The entire place was silent and seemed like the epitome of privacy.
"Thank you for being so prompt, captain," the Lady said with a small smile as Harry descended down the steps.
"Only a fool would think to let the Lady of Lórien wait," Harry said as he stepped up to her.
Galadriel laughed slightly. "I thank you for your compliment, captain."
"My pleasure, My Lady," the green-eyed man grinned. "If I might be so bold, and ask why you called for me?"
"Hmm, yes," the Lady's eyes twinkled. "I have no doubt that by now you know of the rivalry between your goddaughter and my Marchwarden."
Harry nodded still grinning. "Aye, I do."
"Well, I must confide that I have gotten several complaints about their shouting, and I have in mind to try and stop them."
"Go on."
"And I just thought that what if, along the way, those two somehow ended up... interested in each other?" Galadriel looked like the epitome of innocence.
With his grin turning positively evil, Harry rubbed his hands not unlike like those mad scientists from muggle movies. "I am with you all the way, My Lady. In fact, I have a bet going on with Anamaria that Jacqueline and Haldir end up married before all this is over."
"Good to know that I have an accomplice."
"And an accomplice with a plan," Harry's eyes twinkled just as much as the Lady's. "Jacqueline told me not too long ago that she wants to learn how to act more woman-y – wear dresses and accessories and all that – just to prove to Haldir that she is a woman." He raised an eyebrow.
"Excellent! If you could just send her to me sometimes before midday tomorrow, we can get the plan underway." Galadriel managed to turn serious a few minutes of discussion later, and led Harry to the stone pedestal with the silver basin. "Will you look into my Mirror?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Harry asked confused.
"The Mirror shows things that are, things that were, and things that may yet come to pass." The Lady explained.
Harry nodded in understanding. "A dangerous tool in the wrong hands, and just as dangerous in the right ones as well." He muttered and stared thoughtfully at the currently-empty basin. It was a difficult choice. To look and know the future and try to prevent it, or to see something that couldn't be prevented and end up with a gnawing consciousness. While Harry was thinking Galadriel had filled the silver ewer with water and had stepped up to the basin again. She held the ewer over the basin and looked at the pirate-captain. Harry took a deep breath and nodded, and the Lady allowed the water to fall into the basin. She retreated and Harry stepped up and leaned over the water.
At first he only saw some scenes from his past, and nothing important. Then he saw himself and many other men fighting in the dark against black creatures that seemed like humans with some animalistic features. He saw a foreboding path nestled between two steep cliffs, a dead white tree in the middle of a stone courtyard, and he saw the five ships that had brought the pirates to Middle-Earth. In the end he saw himself with his hands bound on his back. He saw standing on a plank and the ship was high into the air. The Harry in the Mirror glared at someone who stood on the deck of the ship, and then the green beam of the Avada Kedavra towards him. Harry watched as his look-alike in the Mirror twisted like a snake to avoid the deadly beam, but it caught his led and he fell down towards his doom.
Gasping, Harry retreated form the Mirror. "Jumping Jellyfish!" he wheezed.
"Remember, captain, some of the things seen are things which only might happen." Galadriel reminded.
Harry nodded, but still a shiver ran down his spine.
The Lady of the Golden Wood didn't speak anymore and together they left the Glade of the Mirror and silently they parted ways once they had climbed the steps.
And all Harry could think of was: had he seen his own death?
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The following day Jacqueline was indeed sent off to Galadriel, and once she returned late that night she just glared murderously at Harry and just fell on her bed and was out like a light. And it went on like that for the following month.
The rest of the time onwards was spent with the pirates training with the elves, and Harry teaching Cecil Darling how to duel like a pirate. Along with that, Harry spent some of his time avoiding Fudge and Callahan who had arrived in Lothlórien with Jacqueline's group. Harry also had several talks with both Galadriel and Celeborn, feeding off their knowledge like a leech.
Nothing really happened until a little more than a month later, when Orophin suddenly came running into Caras Galadhon early one morning.
"What's going on?" Harry asked as the elf stopped in front of him.
"The Fellowship has arrived!" Orophin replied.
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Oi, long chapter mates. Please tell me what you think!
Thanks to:
Orlina, SSSRoaB, ArcherofDarkness, Lady Malfoy I, Jaaera, Digi Bonds, Lunawolf, chaser1, Heart and Mind, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Dragon Rider22, Shaddow, Musicstarlover, candidus-lupus-full Moon, crazley, Shitza, Tanya the Insane & Aristarchus the Muse, Golden-Gal and Nomhotar.