The Morning Star of Rivendell
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: FOTR is not mine.
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xxxMadameMysteryxxx: Thank you! ^^
theheartsbeat: Thank you for your wonderful review! I shall stay inspired to the best of my abilities :P
wonderpanda10: Yes, she is going to keep it secret for a little while. It's not that she hates him, more like frustrated. All will be revealed in time ;)
MsRose91: Thank you! Haha, me neither XD I can't wait for that moment oh my goodness! I am so eager to get to that part :D
Kazama-sama: Thanks! ^^ I loved Frodo's POV, too. I didn't want it all just to be my OC's and normal POV. If you want to see even more POVs, just let me know in a review or PM me! :)
Tarlia: Thank you! I shall. I appreciate the comment that my story is good, I really do! :D
Lily: Ahahaha, I'm happy to see you love my story so much ^^ At your request, I will make this chapter longer. I hope you like it!
ZabuzasGirl: I shall try my hardest to update whenever I can :)
A/N: Okay, just to let you all know, it's gonna take me a little longer to update since before I had written out documents while watching the movie to use beforehand. Now that I'm past the point I'd stopped writing documents at, I have to watch the movie and look at a script for dialogue since they pretty much whisper half of the time XD And this is going to be a longer chapter due to a request, so bear with me :)
Strider's POV
I could hear the Wraiths storm into Bree, noting a loud crash that was likely the gate.
They entered the Prancing Pony within minutes, heading up to the inn rooms with swords in hand and their screeches filling the darkness of night.
Out of the corner of my eyes, the hobbits were still sleeping soundly in their beds. I could only guess their ranger friend Blaze was nearing the same state.
I found it odd how quickly he'd grown to trust me. Normally a ranger would be more hesitant, especially if I was so interested in helping the hobbits. Perhaps Gandalf had told him about me before coming here. It would make sense.
I continued to gaze out the window with narrowed eyes as the riders stabbed and tore viciously at the inn beds, which I witnessed through the windows they were near.
Angered and frustrated shrieks erupted from the Prancing Pony, awakening the hobbits from their blissful sleep.
The ones I now knew as Merry, Pippin and Sam all leaned against the headboards wide-eyed.
Blaze did not stir, or was pretending to sleep. Either one seemed reasonable. I'd heard rumors about him, how he took odd jobs and did it within a week's time. He had to be an elf of some sort. No human could fight so swiftly or get a job done so fast.
Frodo, concerned about the sudden attack, sat at the end of the bed and looked at me.
"What are they?" He queried grimly.
I locked eyes with him as another screech resounded from outside.
"They were once Men," I began, "Great kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave them Nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question, one by one falling into the darkness. Now they are slaves to his will."
My eyes averted to the cloaked riders that remounted their midnight steeds and galloped away.
"They are the Nazgûl: Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring-drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you."
I tried to get my point across. They could not take this situation lightly, nor let their guard down at any given moment.
At this Blaze sat up, seeming distressed. Standing he briskly walked over to the window I was at and peered out to see something. He sighed in relief.
I cocked a brow. "Is something wrong, Blaze?"
The ranger sent me a short shake of his head before I could follow his gaze. "No. I just needed to confirm something."
I found it suspicious, but it was none of my business.
Turning to the hobbits, he spoke gently, "There is reason to worry, and I believe you should. But remember Strider and I are here to protect you. Get some sleep, you'll need it."
They complied in the end, though I sent him a curious gaze. Who was he, really? How did he even know the hobbits?
He tensed when he met my stare.
"You should rest as well. I can take over the shift."
"I will be fine. You clearly need the rest more than I." I insisted.
And that he did. Blaze's hardly visible face was pale and weary, as if he'd been alert and awake for days on end. He must take the role of protecting the hobbits very seriously to do so.
I also noticed that, despite his grace, his footsteps were slightly unbalanced from lack of sleep.
Blaze released a tired sigh. "Very well, if you must."
Walking over back to his cluster of blankets, he lied down and faced away from me.
"How do you know the hobbits?" I asked.
There was a long pause in which I almost believed he had fallen asleep. Then he answered.
"I traveled to the Shire with an old friend. Once there I fell in love with their kind. It was a pleasant break from the terrors of the rest of the world. There is so much peace to be found, and happiness and laughter. Even rangers like you and I can relax in a place like the Shire."
I had never traveled to the Shire, but he spoke of it as if it were something out of a dream.
"Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin were some I came to know best. Which is why they will never die so long as I live and breathe."
Our small conversation ended there as Blaze slept and I kept watch.
Yáviën's POV
The next morning, after eating breakfast, I went to retrieve Than from the stables, mounted him and led the hobbits away from Bree alongside Strider, who'd shot me a glare when he learned I'd had a horse in my possession.
We managed to acquire a pony to carry supplies.
Trudging through a thick forest, Frodo questioned Strider. "Where are you taking us?"
"Into the wild." He answered simply without stopping.
I said nothing, for he was right. I did send him an approving look, though, since he was taking the same way I would.
The forest's air was fresh and crisp, abundant with nature that put me at ease. Trees loomed above us, rich soil giving way beneath us, and plants of all kinds surrounded us.
Walking along through the forest, Strider took the lead with me behind him and the hobbits gathered near me.
Merry leaned in to whisper to Frodo, which I overheard due to my sharpened hearing. "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?"
"I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler." The dark-haired hobbit answered.
"He's foul enough!" The Brandybuck argued.
Ouch.
I trained my eyes on Strider, who seemed to have heard the negative comment. I felt bad for him, being put under such speculation.
"We have no choice but to trust him." Frodo reasoned.
"Yes, we do! We could just stick with Ya-Blaze, instead of him!" Merry whispered harshly.
I appreciated the fact he used my ranger name and the trust he put in me. I failed to prevent a smile of amusement.
"Master Merry, Strider is taking the same way I would. You are in capable hands, I can reassure you."
"But where is he leading us?" Sam inquired.
"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee." The ranger answered loudly, surprising the hobbits so greatly they stopped walking.
"To the House of Elrond."
'To home.' I thought, eager to see my homeland after so long. Home was still home, despite my restlessness.
Though I was not looking forward to the customs I would have to follow once we arrived. I'd be revealing a side of me long abandoned and it was not something I wanted the hobbits to see.
"Did you hear that? Rivendell! We're going to see the Elves!" The copper-haired hobbit murmured excitedly.
'You've already seen one, Samwise.' I thought dryly.
After some time, we left the forest to cross an open field with tall grass, mostly a pale green. Small patches of brown, however, were evident.
Strider had pulled on his ranger hood, wrapping it around himself for warmth. I did feel the cooling breeze and lower temperature, but I embraced it. The winds whipped my face, sending cold waves to collide with my skin.
I offered a spot on Than for the hobbits. Pippin and Merry eagerly accepted.
As the day continued, snow had fallen to coat the ground in a blanket of pure white. The temperature had dropped considerably and every time someone exhaled a breath, a small puff of fog escaped their lips.
I had been excited by the snow, but kept this from Strider. He'd find it childish and unlikely of a ranger to get excited by snow. Snow was one of the things I loved most in nature. I found it comforting somehow.
I had dismounted Than after a while to ease his burdens, instead carrying the hobbits, but they had hopped off as well for some reason.
Too lost in my thoughts beside Strider, I did not stop to see what they were doing.
Strider, however, stopped and turned after hearing the racket. Glancing at him, he almost seemed perplexed by whatever he saw.
"Gentlemen," He said, grabbing their attention as well as mine.
When I spun to see the predicament, I sighed. The hobbits had bright rosy cheeks and noses from the climate change. They had paused to start unpacking, pulling out cookware and food.
"We do not stop 'till nightfall." Strider informed them.
"What about breakfast?" Pippin queried.
"We already had it." The ranger replied, confused even further. I found it highly amusing.
"We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?" The Took countered, seeming a little smug.
In response, Strider simply walked away. I shook my head, my face full of mirth. Than bobbed his head, nibbling at strands of my hair. I patted his nose, the reigns in my free hand, choosing to linger for the hobbits.
"Don't think he knows about second breakfast Pip." Merry whispered, deciding to follow Strider. I had started to proceed as well.
Pippin grew alarmed.
"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them doesn't he?" He asked fervently, causing Merry to stop.
"I wouldn't count on it." The Brandybuck bluntly stated.
Strider and I tossed them apples for a snack far ahead from over the bushes. I had convinced him to give them something to munch on. Looking back, I saw Merry catch the first one, handing it to Pippin. He patted him in mock sympathy and continued on his way.
Another one of the sweet fruits soared to bonk Pippin on the head, eliciting a befuddled expression from the hobbit as he gazed up in confusion.
I nearly laughed at the sight.
"Pippin!" Merry called impatiently.
Normal POV
Eventually Sam and Merry took up Yáviën's ongoing offer of riding Than, much to their relief for a break. The elleth even asked Strider, but he refused. When they were halfway through another darkened forest, Yáviën spoke specifically to the hobbits, who were complaining about food once more.
"My friends, you will have to learn to cope without several hearty meals a day, a warm bed and many other things. We are far from the Shire, and hard times still await us."
Their eyes were as wide as saucers, becoming a little frightened at her warning. But still, they understood and their complaining ceased, much to her and Strider's relief.
They'd found it mutually agreeable that a silent journey was better than one filled with complaints.
The group of six continued to travel though increasingly rough and dangerous terrain. It slowly went from dark forest to flat marshland, in which they inevitably had to cross. The sludgy waters went up to their knees, save Yáviën, Sam and Frodo, who were atop the towering Thangannas.
The horse whinnied in irritation towards the marshlands.
"Be patient, Than. It will end soon." His rider said reassuringly, but that did not stop Than's frustration until she fed him an apple.
"Greedy horse." Yáviën smirked, stroking his neck.
Merry slapped away unmerciful midges.
"What do they eat-when they can't get Hobbit?" He asked dryly.
Pippin slipped and fell into the mud, shaking it out of his matted-down curls. A slender, gloved hand wavered beside his face. Craning his neck, the hobbit saw his elven friend smiling.
"Need a hand, Master Took?"
He eagerly accepted her hand, surprised when he was easily hoisted to his feet. Elvish strength was indeed amazing.
What Pippin didn't know was that Yáviën had obtained her strength through centuries of hard work.
Yáviën's POV
When the sky became shrouded with an opaque blue, we finally settled down to make camp on the boggy, and admittedly soggy ground.
Strider said he was going to go hunting. To this I instantly shot up.
"I will go, too."
He sent me a strange look. "Are you certain? The hobbits will need protection."
"I doubt the Wraiths would cross here willingly. We certainly didn't." I replied.
Strider, in the end, didn't care. I warned the hobbits not to make any noise and just rest before sprinting off to hunt. Silently creeping in the marshland, Strider had gone to sturdier ground. I knew there were rabbits around here, I just needed to find them.
Then there was a bundle of something fluffy that hopped into my line of sight.
Quietly notching an arrow, I steadied my aim before releasing, the arrow hitting its target head on. I shot down four more rabbits, thanking them for the energy they would give us and apologizing for taking their lives. Stringing them along over my shoulder, I met up with Strider coming back hefting a massive deer.
I should have gone to sturdier land.
He glanced at me and my rabbits. "Hopefully this will be enough for leftovers tomorrow."
I laughed. "When it comes to hobbits, never expect leftovers. Especially if they've been deprived of half of their usual meals."
The ranger had the beginnings of a smile on his face, though it soon faded.
Thangannas received apples I'd stowed away for later, delightfully munching on the juicy fruits. He blew in my face in appreciation, gently nuzzling up against me for more.
"No more, Than." I grinned, affectionately stroking the muscular white steed.
My hands ran through his soft mane, untangling wild knots that had accumulated throughout the day. I sensed his distress.
"Avaro naeth, Thangannas (don't worry)." I murmured in my false manly tone, knowing all-too well Strider was straining to listen. Sometimes I had to curse his sharp hearing.
"A hauta sinome, mellon nin (rest here, my friend)."
The hobbits and ranger stared at me for different reasons. My small, innocent friends were rather gazing at me in wonder while Strider's eyes grew wide with surprise and suspicion.
"I didn't know you spoke Elvish." He said, grabbing my attention away from Than.
I smirked. "One picks things up after a while of traveling. The language of the Elves is most interesting, is it not?"
He narrowed his eyes, knowing I was hiding something, but before he could press Pippin interposed.
"What did you say to him?"
"I simply told him not to worry and to rest. He appeared stressed, and that is unhealthy for a horse if it continues for too long. Although he has a very brave soul. He's served me well countless times." I answered, turning back to the now soothed horse.
"Losto vae, Than (sleep well)."
Thangannas softly nickered at me, nuzzling my hand before settling to sleep peacefully.
Strider continued to stare in piqued curiosity. I spoke my native language so fluently it probably aroused his suspicion of me.
Coming down near the ranger, I gazed upwards to the moon. It was full and glowing brightly, like an orb of beaming silver in the sky. The sight comforted me, eliciting a content sigh.
Soon enough, I was resting and lulling to a full sleep as Strider kept watch again, smoking from his pipe.
"Tinùviel elvanui,
(Tinùviel, the elven-fair)
Elleth alfirin ethelhael,
(Immortal maiden elven-wise,)
O hon ring finnil fuinui
(About him cast her night-dark hair,)
A renc gelebren thiliol."
(And arms like silver glimmering.)
At this tune he sang softly, my eyes snapped open in recognition. I heard Frodo sit up abruptly. I had not realized before how much he had delved into the journal I gave him for learning Sindarin. I was rather proud of him for it.
"Who is she?" He asked, startling the ranger as he turned to look at the hobbit.
"This woman you sing of?"
"Tis the Lay of Lùthien. The Elf-maiden who gave her love to Beren, a mortal." Strider replied grimly.
I gripped my cloak tightly, knowing why he chose to sing that particular song. It related to his own love life, though he was beginning to despair about it.
"What happened to her?" Frodo inquired.
Shutting my eyes in preparation for the answer, I chewed the inside of my cheek.
"She died." The ranger said. I felt his sadness, almost as if he were holding back tears.
"Get some sleep, Frodo."
The hobbit listened, lying back down with his cloak wrapped around him for warmth.
'That will never happen to you, you fool. Not all stories are the same. Nothing will happen.' I thought angrily towards his ridiculous fear.
Though, I inwardly admitted it was more to comfort me than be enraged at Strider.
Soon enough, though, sleep took me into a world of strange dreams: Strange dreams of a place I'd only visited once.
At Isengard/Yáviën's Dream
Saruman was in the Chamber of the Palantir, his hand hovering over the Stone. An orange light gleamed from within its darkened depths.
He seemed to be able to reach Sauron through his mind alone.
'The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, Lord of the Earth.'
The Eye of Sauron appeared from within the Palantir, forever flaming.
'Build me an army worthy of Mordor!'
The white wizard sat on a chair in one of his many rooms, his arms limply folded and his face gaunt.
Some orcs entered, catching his attention.
"What orders from Mordor, my Lord? What does the Eye command?"
"We have work to do." He replied.
Massive trees were ripped out of the soil, felled by groups of orcs. They creaked and groaned as if in torture, crashing down under Saruman's orders.
On the high pinnacle of Orthanc, Gandalf awoke in agony. Disheveled and battered from his fight with Saruman, he rose slowly.
Hearing the ruckus, the grey wizard cautiously peered down to see what was happening. Rain pattered down as if to soothe his injuries and weep for the hundreds of trees being stripped from the earth.
"The trees are strong, my Lord. Their roots go deep." An orc stated.
"Rip them all down!" The white wizard ordered.
Gandalf seemed to mourn for the trees, slumping against one of the thick sides of the high pinnacle of the tower.
Normal POV
When Yáviën awoke, she frowned.
It was a rather sad and odd dream, but perhaps it was induced by recent events and her worry for Gandalf. Saruman would never work for Sauron. Her subconscious was toying with her mind. But a part of her argued that usually when someone dreamed they only remembered pieces of it-she remembered everything, down to the details of the leaves on the poor trees.
She shooed the thoughts out of her mind. They wouldn't help her protect the hobbits, her focus would.
The group of six left the marshlands and were crossing through rocky country that was just as difficult. Strider stopped when he spotted the ruins on a tall hill.
"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We shall rest here tonight."
The hobbits, tired and weary from their travels, discarded their packs onto the cold, hard rock floor, slumping against the walls of the ruins.
Yáviën managed to find a place nearby for Thangannas where he would be safe but accessible with Strider observing her. He still thought she was a man named Blaze, of course, but he still found her odd.
She seemed to delight in giving him cryptic and vague answers whenever he questioned her about something, and was never curious to learn of him in return, as if the mysterious ranger took pleasure in leaving him in the abyss of ignorance.
Strider tore his attention away from Blaze and unfolded a bundle before the hobbits, revealing four sheathed, small swords.
"These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. Stay here."
With those words uttered, he left to inspect the area. Yáviën glanced at the hobbits, having returned from settling Thangannas down.
"I should search as well. Keep an eye on Than for me, okay? And stay safe."
They nodded to her as she departed.
Taking the way Strider wasn't, she thoroughly searched the lands for any sign of enemies. After several hours of inspection and night quickly arising, she was searching in the dark.
Then again, she didn't mind. Her Elvish sight was sharp and enhanced.
A rotten stench attacked her nose, though faint, drawing her closer downwards.
The foul odor grew stronger as she approached, going further away from the ruins, and what she discovered puzzled her. There, lying amidst the brambles, was a dead orc. Black blood stained the soil underneath and around the body.
A little swarm of flies clustered around it, eager for dead flesh. Clearly it hadn't been very long since the orc died, but there were a few more bodies several feet from the one before her.
Yáviën was deeply troubled by this. It meant something else killed this orc pack before they arrived here. Or maybe...
Crouching to inspect the body, she noted several distinctive factors. The eyes were nowhere near sunken in like a body a few weeks old would look. There were some defensive wounds on its arms and its throat was slit.
The skin, no matter how originally grotesque, wasn't decaying yet. And the fatal wound on the neck had freshly crusted black blood on it. No maggots crawled on the carcass, either.
This orc pack had been killed today.
Bolting to find Strider, she wondered if it was best if she revealed herself as she silently leapt across twigs, branches and bushes with her long legs. Yes, this would be the perfect moment. She'd teased him enough.
She found him gazing out into the distance to make sure the Wraiths weren't within their vicinity yet. Playfully, she notched an arrow when he bent down to inspect something further, her weapon of choice pointed at his head.
"A ranger should never let his guard down." She taunted in her false male tone, receiving a defeated sigh from Strider.
Turning around with his arms raised in surrender, his eyes widened at the sight of her.
"Blaze? What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, I'm not betraying you. Far from it, actually."
Yáviën dropped her fake voice, slipping into her natural, feminine one. The she-elf found his expression entertaining as it twisted to astonishment.
"You're a female?"
"Indeed. But, I believe I have hid my true identity from you long enough...your highness." She emphasized the final word, inclining her head slightly.
"How do you know of my bloodline?" Strider demanded, his blue eyes cold as ice.
Throwing back her hood, the elf smirked as her dark chocolate hair fell to frame her face, including her warrior braids.
"Yáviën?!" The ranger hissed.
"Surely you must have figured I would be traveling with dear Frodo, Strider? How did you come up with that name, anyways? Because of how big your steps are?"
He sent her an exasperated look. "I have to hide my true identity, you know this."
"No, really I do not. But being a ranger does seem to suit you better." The she-elf commented.
"Why are you here? It is far too dangerous for you, even if you are a ranger."
A dangerous glint entered her eyes.
"This is why I hid my identity from you. You are always trying to protect me, shelter me from danger. Had I not used my ranger persona Blaze, you would have tried to abandon me at Bree, correct?"
Strider did nothing but clench his jaw, the muscles in his face contracting.
"I am perfectly capable of defending myself and others, Strider. I have encountered dangers long before you were born, and I protected myself just fine. If I was injured, I limped and crawled to search for herbs. I stitched my serious and deep wounds together with my own strands of hair and a needle; I have fought enemies of all kinds across this earth. I do not need your protection, nor do I desire it."
The ranger softened his gaze. "I know, but even someone as skilled as you have encountered brushes with death. If something were to happen to you..."
"I was once a Commander of an Elven army, ranger, do not forget it. I obtained that rank through my own hard work, through my skills and hard-earned abilities. I pulled no strings, nor did I flatter anyone. I have seen dragon fire and much more than you could ever imagine. So do not speak to me as if I am a defenseless elfling."
Her voice was stony and sharp, with Strider relenting and bowing his head slightly.
"I'm sorry if I offended you, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
The usually warm and calm blue-grey eyes of Yáviën turned stormy. "No, you fear she would never forgive you if you let me die."
The look in his ocean blue irises confirmed her statement, though they were soft and gentle with concern. "That is not true, Yáviën."
Her mind geared towards a different subject, even if she wanted to argue. "Strider, we need to move out."
He frowned, partially from her request and from her use of Elvish, sending her a quizzical stare. "And what makes you say that?"
"I came across a dead orc pack about five miles out. They were killed today, more specifically tonight, their wounds were fresh and recent. And they died from slit throats caused by blades."
Eyes wide with alarm, Strider started running back towards the ruins with Yáviën close behind.
"Frodo's in danger!"
A/N: So, I hope you found it satisfactory! Review, favorite and follow! ^^ It makes my day.