Hello guys!
Kitty apparently has begun to recover from the pneumonia she had, while in Orthanc, Saruman prepares everything to get the One Ring and Kitty.
As always, waiting for your reviews and ... let's go for the Chapter 11 ..
Chapter 11: "What are you?!"
The day after the fever subsided, Kitty woke up. Pale, weak, not in a good mood for the headache and atrocious hunger but healthy. Whatever she had done, Lady Galadriel had worked and the young woman was healthy and, what was better, was recovering quickly, so much that the next day she woke up she was already able to walk and move on her own. And no more was said after two days, Kitty was so well that it seemed she had never gotten sick. Decidedly the medicine of the elves could do wonders, much more and better than those that the called 'paracetamol' did.
The joy of seeing that Kitty had finally awakened and the speed with which she was recovering filled the Fellowship, especially Sam and Boromir, with joy and reassurance.
The hobbit had been busy over the last few days to cook her the best he could to show his joy, and as for Boromir, the man from Gondor was not a person to give presents, nor to give hugs or great demonstrations of affection, but he did. He had been talking for a long time with and treating her with great deference and affection, more than he had shown before Kitty was so seriously ill.
There was, however, something that no one had dared to ask: what had she hallucinated? Everyone remembered perfectly the incoherent words that she pronounced over and over again, the emotional and physical pain that the girl suffered and wondered what had happened and what she meant; But no one had dared to ask.
The hobbits had not done so for fear of disturbing her as did Gimli. Boromir preferred to let a little more time pass by knowing her as he knew her, knew that Kitty would not say a single word (at least not for the moment) and instead would close. But Aragorn was of another idea, his curiosity and most of all concern did not leave him for a moment.
It did not seem, at first glance, that Kitty was a danger to the Fellowship of the Ring, especially considering her friendly demeanor. However, the Ranger could not shake off what he had heard. He had decided that if Kitty did not say it by motu proprio what had happened, he would simply leave her in Lothlórien, after all that had been the plan from the beginning: to take her with them until they came to an inhabited place and there to leave her because she was not and would not be, for any reason, part of the quest. Surely neither Boromir nor Sam would like the idea, but both would have to comply because they had proposed that idea, more specifically the man of Gondor.
And Legolas? What did Legolas think? The elf, after making sure that Kitty was finally well and that her recovery was astonishingly rapid, had disappeared again shortly in the camp. It was the best, the girl had some strange power that made him feel feelings found in his elf heart and really did not have any that continued to happen, especially that while he spent time in the camp he would see that Boromir and Kitty spent time talking, Gimli and the hobbits, and the two of them and that ... it bothered him even more. So, with the excuse that he wanted to spend time with his kin and enjoy that stay that, by the strange command of Lady Galadriel, had been long enough, was in the camp the shortest possible time.
But that did not stop Kitty from spinning over and over in his mind. Yes, Kitty, the otherworldly young woman who had arrived at a dangerous time, who had shown a skill worthy of any witch or fairy, who by her words seemed to have a dark past and had some strange power over him so that he no longer he knew exactly what to think or what to do. The truth was that he could not trust her, no, he could not, no matter how much he thought of those words he heard, no matter how much he remembered in her suffering while she was hallucinating, he could not shake that feeling of mistrust. All these thoughts troubled his mind as he walked aimlessly. Suddenly he heard a female voice in his mind asking him,
"What are you worried about, Thranduillon?"
Legolas raised his head sharply. He knew that voice perfectly and knew who it belonged to. He looked around and saw only ten yards to nothing more or less ... Lady Galadriel staring at him.
The elf was astonished. How had the Lady of the Light found him? The answer was obvious: he was talking about Lady Galadriel and there were few things that Lady Galadriel could not do.
Legolas walked toward her slowly, wondering if the elleth wanted to talk to him or was just his imagination. Fortunately, it was not and the Lady of the Light began to walk slowly without making a sound after making a gesture to Legolas that walked next to her when this one bowed to her in a respectful way.
"What is it that worries you, Thranduillon?" She asked again, but this time loudly "because it is certainly not the quest nor the reason that I have ordered you to stay here longer than you expected"
Legolas swallowed hard. He knew that he could not hide from the Lady of the Light what he thought, and that perhaps it was not the wiser because in one way or another she would find out and it was not elves hiding secrets, at least not in that way.
"It's about the maid named Kitty" said more as a statement Lady Galadriel that as a question
Against his will, the elf nodded. It was more convenient to tell the truth, could the Lady of the Light help him, or could he convince her that the so-called Kitty was nothing more than a witch or fairy and probably at worst a Saruman spy.
"What do you care about her, Thranduillon?"
"Her true identity, her ... skill or witchcraft ability that she has"
"Identity?"
"I do not think her real name is the one she told us, namely 'Kitty' or Katherine Anne Pryde? A name so ... so ... "
"Sweet and tender?"
Legolas turned sharply to the elleth who walked slowly and quietly beside him. How had she known that, very unwillingly, he thought that about the girl's pet name? Once again, the answer was simple: he was talking to Lady Galadriel. However, this time he did not dare to nod, but it was not necessary as simply the fact that he had stiffed and turned her around had given the elleth what she already knew.
"And why would a name as ... 'tender and sweet' as 'Kitty' be, could not be her real name?"
Legolas knew that Lady Galadriel already knew the answer or at least had an idea quite close to the reality, but also knew that it was very typical of the elleth to ask such things. Why did he use it? Most likely to bring the person into reason.
"You know, my lady," she replied.
Lady Galadriel just stared at him for a moment without saying anything. Legolas sighed, it was obvious she wanted me to tell him what he had seen Kitty do, so he did.
Throughout the story, Lady Galadriel continued to walk slowly and quietly, though her gaze was fixed to the ground and a slight wrinkle was drawn on her smooth, white brow, it was obvious that she was thoughtful. The long silence that followed the story of Legolas only confirmed it. Why that reaction? Had she finally realized that this girl was a witch? These were the questions the elf had, but nothing further from reality, for Lady Galadriel said at last:
"And that's why you think Kitty is a witch or, worse, a Saruman spy?"
Legolas was surprised. It was an unexpected question.
"Certainly, not a single person, for as far as I know, never in the history of Arda has there been any person of any race who possesses such a skill ..."
Lady Galadriel looked at him with such a look in her beautiful deep blue eyes that Legolas could not help but say:
"Have they?"
Lady Galadriel did not answer his question, but just looked at him for a few more minutes and walked on. Legolas, who had stood in his place without even reacting because of his great surprise, after a few moments followed and reached.
"My lady, have there been in Arda beings able to pass through things?"
"Why do you think she's lying, Thranduillon?" The elleth asked in turn, thus proving that she was not going to answer his question, at least not for that moment, so that Legolas decided to drop the subject.
"Because she did not show us her ability before. She could have beaten the orc who attacked her when we found her and did not; Was able to cross the avalanche that launched us on Saruman in Caradhras; Could have prevented the guardian of the lake from catching her and throwing her into the water and even avoiding this disease that almost killed her ...! "
Lady Galadriel smiled slightly. She realized that with everything and that the elf did not trust (or wanted to) trust the girl, he still cared very much for her anyway.
"And has not Thranduillon ever made you think, that perhaps there is a reason, and a sad and powerful, for Kitty to have concealed?"
Legolas could not help but notice that the Lady of the Light referred to the girl with her pet name. She obviously trusted her.
"And what reason would that be, my lady?"
"That's something you'll have to find out, Thranduillon. And I advise you to do it soon unless in the future you want to be an elf of the most unfortunate "
Legolas opened his mouth in amazement and did not know what to say which was not common. He? Unfortunate? Why? Because the quest will fail? Because any of his closest friends like Aragorn would die?
"Think it over, Thranduillon, judging before you know it is not wise, and even less if the judgment you make it will depend very much on your future"
And without more, she left him to the edges of a crystalline stream that ran happily.
Legolas stared for a moment at his reflection in that stream. It was so clear and clean that he could not help but lean down to drink some water. His heart was troubled by what Lady Galadriel had said to him. What did Kitty have to do with his future? She was not even close to him! He did not even consider her as a friend! And yet, there was a little voice that told him insistently that it was not true, that Kitty was someone special to him, in what term could he label her? He did not know it, but that little voice did not leave him, which after a very long time between two and three minutes it mixed with one he knew very well and said:
"Oh crap! Have I already forgotten? But no! I learned it well from Ororo! "
He approached without making the slightest noise, guided by the voice that seemed to murmur mutterings of exasperation. And as he imagined, he saw Kitty sitting on a large stone by the stream. In her hands, she had one of those flutes used by the elves. The young woman was in perfect health, the color had returned to her cheeks, her hazel eyes glowed once more, she was no longer swollen from so much sneezing and at that moment she wore the same clothes as they had met her, the only ones differences were that it was clean because Kitty had washed it and had not put on the jacket.
Kitty was watching and frowning at the flute, and she seemed not to have noticed the presence of the elf who was a couple of feet away from her, hidden behind the trunk of a large tree.
"Okay, let's see, remember Kitty, remember ... not only are you good at computers and so on, you also have some ability in music" the young woman said "okay, let's try it once, let's remember Ororo's lessons"
She sucked in air and blew. The sound that came out of the music instrument was not bad, in fact, it was sweet enough and well enough that even Legolas surprised him; But apparently, Kitty did not think it good enough because she said:
"Oh! I'm a mess! Why are not you here Ororo! I assure you that this thing in your hands would sound angelic! "Laughed amused and sad" well, at least Legolas is not here or otherwise he would hate more than what, apparently, lately hates me "
The last words were said with such a sad and hurt tone that they made a dent in the elf. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders, though there was still sadness in her.
"Come on Kitty! What the hell is wrong with you? After all, it's nothing you have not faced, " she added.
Legolas frowned. Once again there was that dark past. He remembered the words of Lady Galadriel. Would be pry a good idea? After all, he had not treated her lately, his words alone. He decided that it was best to reflect on what the Lady of the Light had told him and then make a decision.
He had hardly separated from his hiding place a step, when he saw Kitty turning and standing sharply. Her body was tense, her hands almost closed in fist, her legs slightly open ready for any rapid movement, her eyes bright and menacing. It was obvious, she felt threatened and not only that: she also knew how to fight and was willing to fight.
"Who's there?" She asked aloud, "I know you're behind the tree"
Legolas was astonished. How would she have known? He had not made any noise! How, then, did the girl realize? He thought for a moment to rush off, he knew Kitty could not reach him, though ... yes, she could recognize him. That would not matter, he would simply evade her and her questions. And already he thought to take the bearer when he clearly heard a voice in his mind that made him stiffen.
"I advise you to do it soon unless in the future you want to be an elf of the most unfortunate"
Legolas sighed defeated and came out of hiding.
When Kitty saw him, she was surprised, but there was also a certain mistrust and sadness in her eyes. It was obvious that Legolas's recent attitude had hurt her.
"I do not know how the elves behave with other elves, but I have to say that in my home-realm it is most uncomfortable and rude to be spying on people," she said.
"I apologize, I should have shown myself before. It was just that I heard the soft sound of the flute and I went to see who it was because I thought there was an elf playing here, "he added to flatter her and break the barrier he had immediately felt the young woman had raised between her and him.
However, his effort was of no use as the only thing that made Kitty was to look skeptical and said in the same tone 'Uhu'.
She started to walk away. Legolas realized that if he wanted to know the motive behind Kitty's attitude to her ability, he would have to stop her.
"I did not know you knew how to play the elves' flute," he said, standing in front of her, who looked at him.
"I do not know how to play, I was doing a couple of tests" she replied dryly.
"And where did you get it?" He asked, trying to talk to her.
"The March Warden gave it to me"
"Haldir ?!" exclaimed Legolas astonished.
"Yes, Haldir. Now, leave me alone, " she replied, making him slightly to one side
Legolas realized he had to do something to stop her, and most likely it was the only thing that worked out addressing the issue directly.
"Who is ... Ororo?" He asked.
When she heard the name, Kitty paled and a dark cloud of sadness covered her forehead; But after a few moments she frowned. The elf had mistreated her lately, and now he wanted to know her past. No way!
"Is not your business," she replied dryly.
"You are wrong, it is and I am worried," answered Legolas, "because when you were in a hallucinating fever, you mentioned that name and that of other people many times"
Kitty paled, but her eyes narrowed.
"Oh! And now you're so worried about me, elf? "She said mockingly," you worry so much about me that you've treated me badly for the last few days since we left that hell called Moria. Oh! Really your concern and attention is most touching! "
Legolas realized that he had taken a wrong turn, but he had to know what was behind that ability and, if he could, of those terrible hallucinations.
"I know what you can do," said Legolas, "and I want to know who you are and how you have such skill or power to do such ... magic"
Kitty paled and laughed at the same time. Magic? So, he considered her a witch? A fairy?
"Oh! That explains a lot! " She said mockingly" now that you know what I can do you consider me a witch, a dangerous person and therefore you treat me badly and you push me aside! "
The elf paled. It was obvious that it was not the first time the young woman was in such a situation, but decided to use the truth all the time.
"Yes," he replied, "but at the same time I know that I cannot judge you without actually knowing everything that happened. It is for this reason that I ask you who you are and how you can go through things as if you were a shadow. I do not want to judge you badly "
Kitty was going to say some mockery, but suddenly she stiffened. Was Lady Galadriel talking to her? Whatever it was, the attitude of the young woman changed to a totally sad and resigned.
"Give me your hand, Legolas," she said dully.
He frowned without understanding.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she added when she saw his reaction.
The elf slowly gave her his left hand and remained as one who sees visions because at that moment Kitty took with one hand his wrist and her other hand went through the elf's left hand without he feeling the slightest sensation. Before he could recover from his unheard of astonishment, Kitty ran her hand through his chest, then out of his head, and finally walked through him.
Seeing that Kitty was right behind him once passed through him, Legolas turned sharply, stepped back several puzzled steps and, one might say, terrified to the point that he fell backwards while saying:
"What are you?!"
At the sound of the question, Kitty's gaze darkened even more, if that was possible, a thick cloud covered her forehead, and her hazel eyes filled with tears.
"You're no different from anyone of my home-realm," he murmured, "and that I thought elves were different from humans"
She sat back on the stone where she had been before and stared at the stream that was still running happily. Legolas got up slowly, this was something that was not expected. She had passed through him and had felt absolutely nothing! What kind of sorcery was that?! Surely a very powerful and very dangerous! Kitty's words made him turn and walk toward her.
"Well, elf, you're going to run away or you'll know how I got this ability as you told me"
Legolas sat slowly beside her, leaving a space between him and her which did not go unnoticed for the last, who just smiled bitterly. No doubt, outside the realm that was the mutants would always be the monsters, the veto, the ugly ducklings of society.
"In my home-realm, the Earth, unlike here, only human beings live, but not all human beings are the same," began Kitty in a slow voice and staring at the stream "from very remote times between humans there have been some that are different can be as much of appearance as of some supernatural ability or both.
"These different people in ancient times were regarded as gods, divinities, angels, and worshiped. However, over time the idea of these people who were different changed and gods and divinities were now called 'witches' and 'sorcerers'. For that reason and with the excuse that they were dangerous when in fact the only thing that they were different, they began to be persecuted and to all those that they caught them tormenting them and later to burn them alive. But there did not stop the hatred of the human race before we were different, centuries later would still chase us labeling us with the name of 'mutants' "Kitty chuckled bitterly" did you know that the word 'mutant' is the worst insult that a person can you tell you in my home-realm? "
Legolas did not answer, but he realized that she had been called by that name to know how many times for the sole reason of insulting her.
"The situation of the so-called 'mutants' did not change to the times when they were called 'witches and sorcerers' because we still have no rights, we continue to be persecuted, we continue to be stigmatized, we continue to be hated for just being different. It is to such a degree the rejection that the common human being has towards those who are different that it is a real danger to know who you really are and the skills that nature has given you, because there are many who think they do a favor by reporting to a mutant and sending him this way to his doom "
"Thanks to this is that the mutants in turn adopted two positions. The first was rejection and attack on the human being who was not mutant. The leader of this group was a man named Erik Lasehnherr, who had the ability to bend the metal at will. He was one of the most powerful mutants. When he was a teenager, normal humans killed his mother in front of him because he could not move a coin, then for many years he was subjected to different experiments, all of which were more painful and cruel, which is why he hated normal humans. He took the code name of 'Magneto' in honor of his mutant ability and was assembling a large group of mutants that he called 'The Brotherhood' and who, like him, hated other humans for the mistreatment and injustice of the ones that were object.
"At the same time, there was another position, which was supported by Professor Charles Xavier. He was also very powerful, he was the most powerful telepath in the world, even able to see the future. He had studied Medicine and Genomics and had discovered that what did to the different mutants was a gene called Gen X. The Professor was of the idea that mutants and humans could coexist together in peace and harmony; However, someone had to take the first step and since humans did not seem very inclined to do so, it was up to us to show them that we were no danger and that, on the contrary, we could protect them from other dangers. For this reason, he founded a special school for mutants or, as he would call us: 'gifted youngsters'. In that school, every mutant was safe and could lead a quiet life, even if it was different. Given that Magneto intended to conquer or eliminate the human race, the Professor created a group of mutants who taught them to have complete mastery over their abilities and to fight. This group was known as the 'X-Men' and was composed of older and / or more skilled mutants. The 'X-Men' would fight against Magneto and his 'Brotherhood', as well as against any enemy that tried to do damage to the Earth "
"And you were part of that team" said Legolas more as a statement than as a question
Kitty nodded.
"Mutant abilities often make their appearance when the person is a teenager and / or when in a stressful situation. When I was 14 years old, I started to have unbearable headaches. At first, I thought it was a disease, but what was really happening is that my mutant powers were beginning to 'wake up'.
"As soon as it became known that there was a new mutant (meaning me) both the X-Men and another mutant named Emma Frost, or better known as 'The White Queen', wanted to recruit me. Emma Frost is a woman who is cruel and ruthless, calculating and with few scruples, so I decided to go with the X-Men. There I was received by the Professor in person and I stayed to live in the X Mansion or the School for Gifted Youngsters.
"They soon realized that I had some ... skill to fight and decided that, despite my age, I would be trained to become an X-Men as soon as possible. That's how I became an X-Men. On the team were other mutants, whom you've heard I mentioned: Ororo, Logan, Scott, Marie, Kurt, Jean, Pietr, Bobby and so on. Each had a code name based on the mutant ability we had; For example, Ororo was called 'Storm' because she could control the weather; Scott was 'Cyclops' because he could shoot laser beams from his eyes; Bobby was known as 'Iceman' because he could control the ice and even cover his body completely with ice and so on ... I first took the code name of 'Sprit' and later I would take a new one: 'Shadowcat' ".
Legolas was astonished. Those were the powers of the mutants?! Someone who control the weather? Could they control the ice? Would not they be by chance rather than mutants something like the Maiar? He thought for a moment if only that mutant named Ororo or 'Storm' was on their side, the Dark Lord of Mordor himself would fear her! Kitty's voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"The X-Men had many fights and battles. We were something like a group of warriors who faced many threats. In time, we had a number of enemies, but ... all the mutants we had in two people two terrible enemies: Reverend William Stryker and Senator Kelly. They both hated the mutants to death, each for different reason that is beside the point, the point is that they did everything in their power to destroy us.
"One of those plans was the Sentinels who are robots that are capable of adapting to any attack of any mutant and there is no one who can sustain a close combat against them. I ... (and here changed her voice to a whisper) I saw many of my own dying at the hands of those monsters who did not forgive even the youngest mutants. "Over time the situation worsened because not only were they hunting us as if we were wild animals, now also sought out all those who might in the future become mutants, so began a witch hunt, a razzia to eradicate of Earth to all the mutants, even to the unborn and everyone who stood in order to help or to stop them was dead "
Kitty paused as Legolas watched her. Clearly it hurt in the depths of her heart to the young woman. To be hunted as if she were a simple beast? And without finding a single place to hide? That must have been hell!
After a few moments, Kitty continued this time faster, as if trying to end that terrible and painful part of her story as soon as possible.
"The whole Earth was a danger to us, especially once the X-mansion was destroyed and the X-Men team was dead. There was hardly any place to hide because at any moment my powers could be discovered and I would be dead. But ... there was still one place left: Genosha. Genosha was a place that Magneto had founded so that the mutants alone lived in peace without anything having gotten to them and until that moment it had obtained it. For this reason, you will guess that I decided to embark there and end my days as calmly as possible.
"On the way, I met Jimmy," Kitty continued as tears welled up in her eyes blurring her vision. "He and I were great friends, he trusted me and he loved me very much and I ... I failed him. He died without me being able to do anything and instead, I ended up here, only the devil knows how to "
Very against her will Kitty was crying for a couple of minutes, just remembering Jimmy's death was terrible and painful for her, there were still times when in her dreams, she seemed to see his corpse with his eyes open and his mouth half open with a strange mixture of awe and terror portrayed on his face.
Legolas could not help but feel pain, but at the same time a strange feeling. Who would have been Jimmy? A lover? A friend? A familiar? Only the Válar would know, but the fact was that the death of the so-called Jimmy was very painful to Kitty and the elf felt terribly wrong because now he understood why Kitty had not wanted to show her mutant ability at any time: she did not want to lose the friendship of the Fellowship and to return to be persecuted as during all those years she had been.
There was a long, heavy silence during which Kitty slowly quieted down.
"Now you know why I did not want anyone to know what I can do," she murmured.
"I'm so sorry," the elf said softly.
Kitty turned to him and looked at him mockingly.
"Do you feel sorry Legolas? You feel it? You do not know what you're saying! " while standing
The elf looked at her in surprise at her reaction, for the only thing he had wanted to say to her in this way was that he understood her pain and sympathized with her, wanted to explain it to her, but she won him the word.
"You tell me you're sorry?" She repeated exaltedly, "you do not have the faintest idea what you're saying! You have never been persecuted for who you are! After all you are an elf and besides high rank, probably noble or even royalty "
Legolas looked at her in astonishment. How did she know he was a prince? Who had told her?
"When we arrived, you said that you were a kinsman from here," she replied by way of explanation, seeing his expression "and now I know from your expression that I was not mistaken, so ... how do you expect me to believe you that you're sorry, uh? How do you expect it if you have always been the beautiful child, the golden child, the child that everyone loves, the child who is well received everywhere? How do you want, then, to believe you, huh? No one here in Middle-Earth wants to kill you because you are an elf, something like a half-god, belonging to a race that everyone has for superior, so what can you understand or feel about what has happened to me? The only ones who want to kill you are the bad guys, the orcs, the goblins, the monster of the lake, that demon called Balrog, but guess what elf ... you're not the only one they wanted to kill! Gandalf died fighting the Balrog, so do not feel so unique thinking that because they also wanted to kill you in that underground hell called Moria is that you can understand what I feel! No, you have no idea! You have no idea what it feels like to be hated, persecuted, not having the slightest right to defend yourself or to try to explain yourself, just for the fact of existing!
After this burst of indignation, Kitty calmed down and looked at him with cold eyes.
"So, do not tell me you're sorry Legolas, because you do not really feel it, your behavior towards me shows clearly and your words are blown away by the wind. Come on! You even called me a 'what' instead of 'who'! You considered me an object or worse. So, do not tell me you feel sorry of it because nothing further from reality, and if there is something I do not need from you or anyone else it is pity " she said in a voice as sharp as a sword. She looked at him for a moment with disdain and then left without looking back.
Now that Legolas has known the reason behind Kitty's behavior, what will he do?
And what about Aragorn? What will he do about Kitty now that he is worried about the situation after hearing what she said in her hallucinations?
Always waiting for your reviews, guys!
