Chapter Nine

Lying With You

"Everything has changed and yet, I am more me than I've ever been."

-Iain Thomas Word Forn.

Elleta was laying in the bed, her ash brown hair looked like a halo around her head. Two pillows laid beneath her head, showcasing the shallow cheeks that marred her face along with her blue tinted lips. A white gown adorned her body, most hidden beneath a heavy quilt. Her arms were laying atop the blanket, her muscles weakened to the point that bone was easily seen through the paleness of her skin. Beneath the blanket and the gown, her abdomen was wrapped with a white gauze like material, small dots of blood had leached through and the bandages would need to be rewrapped to prevent the blood from getting onto the quilt.

Her breaths were soft and shallow, lips barely parting for the necessary ingredient of life to filter to and fro. A brush sat on a small table beside Elleta's bed, occasionally a healer would come in and brush her hair in soft strokes to not disturb her head, fearful of too much movement. The curtains were occasionally opened in the talan to help the air from becoming stale and for the hope that fresh air would break Elleta out of her comatose state.

Elleta's companions thought much the same, rotating who sat with her and spoke, some days they would crowd into the room in the healing talan and just watch for any flicker of movement. Such an action occurred a few days after she was brought into Lothlorien, rushed in by the young prince and the March Warden who brought along the orc who was barely grasping the thread of life. Frodo was sitting by her side telling her of Barathon who would refuse any of the stable hands and was falling into a state of depression and had bouts of anger that almost hurt Legolas.

A flicker of her eyes caught him by surprise, more noticeable however was how her eyes moved beneath their lids rapidly. The head healer however said it was no course for hope, it was similar to other cases of comatose victims and was simply her dreaming. Hope persevered, swelling in their hearts at every spasm of her muscles and any time her breathing deepened or shriveled when her breathing became erratic as if she was in fear or more importantly when it stopped all together.

She seemed to never improve, color was lost in her face, her body was barely healing itself despite the numerous tonics and broths they tipped her head and massaged her throat for. Elleta's health was either stable or was diminishing, a race against time and the group momentarily forgot of the original mission and solely focused on this precious pixie who was barely hanging on and was fighting for her life.

Galadriel occasionally saw her, when she first arrived and a few other handful of times. The Ring was a pressing matter no matter how deathly ill the young pixie was, it was necessary to deal with that before she could full help Elleta come back. A daunting task that even Galadriel was unsure of whether she could do it all on her own without calling upon Elrond.

Galadriel was sitting in front of her mirror, the large curved mirror sat upon the pedestal, only a few moments ago did she add the water and whisper soft words that were drenched in the magic of the stars. Her crystal eyes stared deeply into the still water, her golden hair glowing softly in the moonlight. Gentle were her hands that grasped the edge of the mirror, eyes flickering frantically upon the surface, true fear lacing itself upon her heart sent her into a flurry of movement.

Darkness sent what few elflings they had in Lothlorien to bed and the rest were enjoying each others company's in their talans or were out dancing in a meadow, swaying soulfully to magic fueled music that seeped into their very core. With the majority occupied elsewhere it left the bridges and stairs vacant for Galadriel's graceful movements as her husband Celeborn trailed behind her, sensing her frantic thoughts. They appeared as streak of gold and silver, their hair whipping around from the flurry of wind erupting from the branches of the mallorn trees.

The hobbits stood outside the door accompanied by Gimli who could not bear to see Elleta's torment. Tears cascaded down the poor hobbit's faces, their hearts breaking with every shriek erupting from the other side of the door. Galadriel stopped coming upon them and kissed each of their foreheads before she looked over to Celeborn and spoke with him softly through his mind, he nodded and opened the door for her to walk in choosing to remain outside and would only enter if the others could not keep the pixie still.

The room was in almost complete disarray, Elleta remained stock still upon her bed not even a hair out of place, her quilt was without any wrinkles and her face showed the same pallor as the days before. The room however showed an entirely different story, the curtains were burnt, the drawers on the dresser and tables were open and the contents spilled out, the branches of the trees curled into the room the leaves teasingly touching the top of Galadriel's hair. Water soaked the floorboards, leaking into her slippers that squelched with every foot fall as she neared Elleta's bed.

Both Aragorn and Legolas were drenched in either sweat or water. Aragorn was hunched over, his hands clutching onto his knees and could barely stand to watch the shimmering elleth glide over to Elleta's bed. Legolas carefully crafted a mask that shared a resemblance to his father's. He stood rigidly at the end of her bed watching Galadriel's movements with a critical eye, his body posed and ready to protect either women.

"What transpired here Legolas?" Galadriel spoke, her voice was gentle and comfort rang in her words as the bounced off the walls of the room.

Legolas eyes flickered briefly to Elleta's face, "Aragorn was watching her and I was just coming through the door when one of the branches attacked me, they erupted from the windows and took both of us in their grasp, Elleta was whimpering and then in a few moments they receded to the ceiling, dropping us onto the floor," his eyes glared disdainfully up at the mallorn branches, "water rose through the floor, creating currents that took us off our feet and nearly reached my knees before it too left and fire consumed the drapes, Aragorn and I tried to save them as best we could with some of the waterlogged clothes in the drawers. She made no sound until she began to scream," his voice had remained neutral and monotone up until that point where it decided to crack and his emotions nearly leaked through til he carefully composed himself, "it broke some of the tonics and the pitcher of water, the fire was extinguished by whatever came from her throat."

Legolas stopped speaking conveying the bare minimum of what happened, Galadriel would have to delve into his mind (which she had already done to both him and Aragorn as Legolas spoke) to figure out the rest. Galadriel nodded her head, the wavy locks barely straying from behind her shoulders before she gently placed her hands onto Elleta's temples and closed her eyes cracking open her mind and finding exactly what was controlling it.

I was sitting in a rather plain wooden chair, the same white gown as before adorned my body. I was entirely unable to figure out what was reality and what was not, the only thing that reigned true was the white expanse of my mother's realm. How I despised this white never ending hole of despair as my mother played with my mind. I had given up on waking up from this loop of nightmares.

I felt an extraordinary pain in my heart when I woke up the first time here after my false trip to reality. My mother stood above me with a sinister grin and told me that I shouldn't so easily, after that I was constantly within a loop of fake realities with "trials" in between with short periods in between where I was allowed to rest, like I was currently doing now.

I lost track of how many times I was forced to kill someone, how many times I watched them die in a battle that they should've won. Tears were no longer shed in a place like this, I had given up on them when I realized they were hindering me and not allowing me to think logically about what I was being forced to do. I stopped interacting in my false realities, opting to only sit there until my mother grew either furious or bored and brought me back.

Distantly I could hear gentle footsteps, they were unfamiliar, but I refused to look at the source. My curiosity knew better than to rear it's head at that moment, I was more than content to sit with my thoughts. They were beginning to near me and I felt my body calm and a comforting aura entered my senses, jarring me with the foreign kindness that I experienced so little of. Yet, I refused to turn, my mother was probably pulling out another one of her tricks seducing me into looking and exposing another weakness that she can exploit and torture me further with.

The further the footsteps came I could hear the gentle swish of fabric as it touched the invisible flooring. There was a purpose to their steps, a sense of power that grew as they neared. I sighed deeply and examined my pristine hand, my body was still toned as it was when I fell and cured of the stab wound, but every now and again there was a phantom pain where the sword met my skin.

"You are trapped within her domain Airedhiel."

My ears perked up at the distinct tones of Galadriel's voice, she was always absent in my nightmares. I had little faith however that she was truly here, but if she was I knew she would be the only one to help me escape.

"Mae govannen nin mellon," (well met my friend)I spoke softly and just low enough so only she could hear, "nin naneth ped- dilthen Sindarin." (my mother speaks little Sindarin) It was the truth, she only knew what my mind allowed her to see when my memories flooded back and only caught bits and pieces.

"Answer me then in Sindarin, I shall speak commonly your naneth, Faerui is incapable of coming to us." Her voice was behind me and I would not turn my head to acknowledge her, if she wanted me to see her than she would have come in front of me.

"Na- i hen est-?" (is that her name?) I asked curiosly.

"Aye, but she holds many and it is one of few. Have you been here before you fell?"

"Ir Gandalf aeg." (When Gandalf fell) I replied, my thoughts drifting to that dull pain from losing him to the fires of Dwarven greed.

Galadriel laid a comforting hand on my shoulder and stepped in front of me. I looked up at her radiance, somehow she made the room dim in her glowing presence. She was beauty and perfection embodied in physical form and her eyes showed a gentleness that eased my doubts and power was keeping my mother at bay.

"What did she show you?" I stared quizzically at her, the questions were odd and I had no thought to how they would help me escape, but I allowed her the answers.

"Nin roval a nin gobennas." (my wings and my history) I replied staring back at her unable to look away.

Galadriel contemplated my words far more than I thought they were worthy of before she spoke, "You have learned of your fae's powers?"

I nodded my head, "Nin fae na- baw an ròven." (my fae is no longer wild)

Her laughter tinkled like bells as she shook her head, "it is still wild dear one, but it is fearful right now. Everything is new to your body and it is overwhelmed and unable to cope with what faerui is making it do."

"Na- ennas estel -o edraith?" (is there hope of escape?) I asked softly gazing behind her at a… shimmering wall? Every few seconds I could see a glimpse of my mother's furious face as she beat against the wall and I nearly smirked.

"Are you willing to do what it takes Elleta?" Galadriel riddled, while it was a straightforward question, I could not dissect any intent in her eyes, but I felt like it would take tremendous effort to leave my mother's realm. I couldn't take the risk if she could just pull me back in.

"Will you help put up a wall from my naneth in my mind?" I asked and she nodded running a hand down my hair and tucked it behind my ear.

I looked at her and took a deep breath, "is it truly you Galadriel?"

Once again her laughter rang out and I know that it was pretty late for a question like that, but I couldn't help but ask now since she was offering such a thing. I was scared to hope that I could leave and reunite with my companions and more importantly my horse who I could feel was not reacting very well to my absence, every now and again that thought would rise into my head completely out of the blue and it would upset me deeply.

"Yes my child, you are not seeing another cruel reality crafted from your naneth's mind. I will take you home."

I nodded and stood up with her. My hand firmly grasping hers and a maternal looked graced her features as she kissed the top of my head. She was taller than me but only by a hair, so she did need to extend herself to reach the top of my head.

"Extend your wings Elleta."

Nodding I willed them forward, nearly doubling over in pain as they peeled back the skin between my shoulder blades and a part of my fae manifested into the center of where my wings sprouted forth. Pure ecstasy flushed through my system once I felt them leave their confinement, it was like stretching and massaging a taut muscle. I fluttered them briefly, barely lifting off the ground before looking over at Galadriel who looked at them curiously and attentively. She reached forward expecting to brush the fine scaling of the wings only for her hand to go straight through them. I looked at her curiously as a small knowing smile fell onto her face.

"Only your mate can touch your wings Elleta." She told me and I regarded her for a second on the oddness of it all, my mother managed to leave out that rather helpful detail, but then again she was never playing on my side of the court.

"Part of your fae is exposed now Elleta, you need to draw from it and wrap it around the two of us."

"Can't you get yourself out since you got yourself in here?" I asked.

Galadriel shook her head, "no it was easy getting in, getting out is the issue."

I stared dumbstruck at her, she willingly got herself trapped in this hell hole with the utmost faith in my abilities to draw us both out of this realm and back into Middle Earth, at the right point in time, and in one piece.

"Have faith in yourself Elleta."

So, I did. I bit the fullness of my bottom lip and focused deeply on drawing my fae out further. Drawing out the power it possessed and pushed it around both Galadriel and myself. I couldn't see anything, but I felt warmth extend from my heart to my toes and to the top of my head, it went through my hand and into Galadriel's connecting with her bright fae that nearly dulled the brightness of mine.

"Focus on your body, beneath the glamour that was cast over it." Her spoke into my mind and I realized that she too was concentrating on her own body, staring at her hands.

I followed suit staring at my free hand. It was startling seeing it now as opposed to earlier, it looked like shards of glass that was slowly breaking underneath my concentration and my fae's willpower. I shook my arm gently hearing the shards bounce off the floor as more became dislodged and reality set in seeing the sheerness of my true skin and the bones that were nearly protruding from the tightness of my skin. My veins looked miniscule, my fingers were knobby and freckles were all almost gone from the lack of sunlight.

"You are doing well Elleta, now focus on Lothlorien. Think of Barathon or the hobbits, Legolas, any of your companions."

I nodded before closing my eyes thinking of when we first entered the woods, Frodo was riding on Barathon with a soft smile upon his face. Sam was chatting merrily with Frodo about the Shire, Frodo spoke back even bringing up a lass name Rosie who Sam apparently liked. Merry and Pippin were haggling on Gimli about his false words on the woods, I had secretly smiled at his words because even Gimli knew in a way that they were untrue, but the hobbits still hung onto every word like it was the truth. Aragorn was walking beside Legolas who stood beside me, we spoke of Rivendell and I told them a story of tracking the Ringwraiths with the twins.

Galadriel pulled away from Elleta in what felt like a matter of seconds to the company who had now all crowded into the destroyed room, a small smile was plastered on her face. Before she turned beckoning to the two healers who walked in with some difficulties with a stretcher between them and carefully with the help of Aragorn moved Elleta onto the stretcher.

They followed the two healers as they moved to a guest talan within the branches of the Lord and Lady's tree. Galadriel walked in front of the group behind the healers directing them to the right talan and then watched them carefully as the move Elleta onto the bed, redressing her wound which was beginning to heal fairly quickly. The room was far bigger than the healer's room and allowed the company to relax comfortably around the room.

"You hold onto hope, do not let go of it." Galadriel spoke before she left, Celeborn following after her before pausing at Legolas and laying a hand on his shoulder, "you are not your adar Legolas, do not hide beneath a mask."

Celeborn was gone before Legolas could defend his adar. Of course there wasn't much to defend, his adar only showed a semblance of emotion when he was alone with him. It had been decades since such a thing bothered him, but it bothered him now. He loved his adar dearly, but he had no intentions of being him. Part of him wanted his adar to sail so that his fae could know peace, but he was by no means ready to control a kingdom and he wanted his adar to see his elflings.

Legolas looked around the room seeing where everyone stood, the hobbits all sat at the end of her bed, conversing amongst themselves. Boromir was talking lowly with Aragorn by the window on the farthest side of the wall. Gimli was sitting to the left of Elleta, he was wearing plainer clothes than usual and several braids were evident in his hair and beard with a few beads decorating them. Legolas too had dressed as plainly as his princely wardrobe allowed, soft green breeches and tunic, brown boots were all that he wore. He had his customary braids in, but he barely had the heart to braid them when he woke from the short sleep he decided to take.

His steps were slow, every step brought him closer and closer to Elleta. His heart thrummed beneath his chest, quickening as he drew closer, he waited patiently for this moment. Legolas held onto the hope of her returning, ever since he shot the orc and almost cut his head off had it not been for Elleta. His heart clenched painfully thinking back on that moment.

That moment he nearly lost her and how her perfectly pouted lips were stained red by the very thing meant to keep her alive. It scared him seeing her so weakened, she had shown remarkable strength in Moria, but she looked so fragile and weak. Her honey eyes were frightened and were seeking a comfort he could not provide. He had screamed to the valor that night asking them why they could allow such a thing to happen.

Legolas sat down to the right of Elleta, the bed barely dipping into his weight. Color was restoring itself to her face, her lips were becoming red and her cheeks held a hint of rose. Her breathing was no longer shallow and low, it was deep and made her seem to be sleeping. He hoped she would wake up soon, to hear her laugh and smile brightly, scolding him for wallowing, and her bright eyes would hold onto his without seeing a prince. She only saw the ellon, her friendship warmed his heart, but he knew that a part of him wanted to see if they could be more, he needed her to wake up first.

Legolas leaned down, his hair covering them from the others and he gently kissed the top of her forehead before he moved down to the middle of her brow, to the tops of her eyelids, to the point of her nose, before he finally ghosted over her lips and pulled away completely. His hand came up and smoothed her hair and gently touched her cheeks. He looked back over her face and stopped short seeing those honey eyes staring back.

AN: Ummmmmm how do I say this? Totally sorry, but yes the last chapter was needed, it answered questions and left more than I originally planned. This answered some, maybe added more. Also a shift in POV? Yes, that wasn't planned, originally it was meant to be strictly first person, but some parts need the POV I did and showed part of the power that Elleta had. I am terribly sorry to my reviewers who I didn't respond too because I wanted this chapter to be a complete surprise to everyone, my beta included who sadly could not edit this chapter, but the edited one will be put up when I get close to the end of the story when I start going through and editing the story entirely to get rid of nasty typos and mistakes that got past the editing. Anyways, thoughts? Also I will say that this is reality now and not another dream (not that horrible of a writer), so what do you guys want to see in the next update? Favorite, follow, and most importantly review!

With love,

ElletaMarie