The Black Lady of Mordor Chapter 20:
The day that the Nazgul destroyed the crystal trees, as I heard they were called, was the day I heard my first song. When the trees first appeared after the ghostly woman disappated into the fog they gave off an odd sound to their glow and I had always found it a rhythmic thrumming sound. It was not until later that the sound developed into what I was to learn was music. The sound was sad yet sweet, it stirred a feeling of familiarity within me, though I could not define where that feeling came from. The day I heard the music was the Nazgul destroyed it.
Durring the process I had remained silent and still and I endured the thrashing I received after. That day I had learned that there was no place in Mordor for trees or music. That night I had silently mourned for the loss of that strange and brief beauty. In the dead of night I sat on my bed and refused to sleep. In those most quiet of hours in my room among the broken trees, was the music. Soft faint, barely audible. Quickly I got up and ignoring my injuries I searched for the source, hope faint in my heart that I was not just imagining it.
Searching diligently I found nothing, with a sigh I sat on my bed again my hope flickering out when I did not find any surviving tree to produce the music.
But what sound was that? Soft and faint it was the music again. I got up and looked around there was nothing to produce the sound. Then as if the realization struck me I pushed a piece of a broken tree aside and looked under my bed. There was the smallest tree one that hardly resembled those that were larger. It had three small branches and was barely a hand length tall.
I vowed to keep this one hidden and to never let myself forget that music. To never forget the feeling that it brought up within me. A feeling I had no name for. A longing to protect and savor each moment, to keep it close and never let any threat befall it. This feeling I had no name for.
~~O~~
As we rode to the camp where we were to wait till all the soldiers assembled I had to work hard to remain focused. It was the second day out and though Tellis had prompted me several times I had not eaten anything this day. My stomach felt twisted and I knew that I would not be able to keep what I ate.
My mind drifted as I rode and became rather foggy. I closed my eyes for a moment and relished in the slight reprieve from the effort of keeping them open.
It wasn't until I had a firm hand on my shoulder straitening me on Hastlehalf that I realized I had been falling asleep. I grudgingly opened my eyes to look at Tellis. The concern in his eyes was clear.
"Leanien," Legolas addressed me riding up next to Hastlehalf, the horse now sandwiched between Tellis and Legolas. "If you are tired sit before me on the saddle, I will make sure you do not fall off the horse." Though I did not like the idea of having to have someone watch over me I was honestly too exhausted and wretched feeling to try and object.
I merely nodded reining Hastlehalf to a stop and held the reins out to Legolas who tied them to the back of his saddle so Hastlehalf would follow behind him. As I made to get off of Hastlehalf Legolas wrapped and arm around my waist and pulled me directly from Hastlehalf's saddle to sit before him on the saddle of his horse. I was vaguely aware of Tellis who made to protest this turn of events when Legolas answered smoothly.
"If we are attacked you must be free to defend." I saw Tellis frown slightly and give a nod riding a comfortable distance from the horse that now bore Legolas and I. "Go on now, rest." Legolas said softly to me, and it was a tempting offer but I did not listen.
"I can't remember the song." I said resting my head on his shoulder, he seemed rather confused and asked.
"What song can you not remember? Hum the tune to me, and I will sing it to you." I didn't honestly expect him to know the song but I did as he told me and hummed the song that the crystal trees in Mordor sang. I was rather startled when he began to sing and I dropped the melody I was humming.
"I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew: Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew. Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea, and by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a golden Tree. Beneath the stars of Ever-eve in Eldamar it shone, In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion. There long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching years, While here beyond the Sundering Seas now fall the Elven-tears. O Lorien The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day; The leaves are falling in the stream. The River flows away. O Lorien, Too long I have dwelt upon this Hither Shore And in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor. But if of ships I now should sing, what ship would come to me, What ship would bear me ever back across so wide a Sea?*" Legolas let the song sit for a moment before he asked. "Where did you hear this song?" Half asleep I muttered.
"My mother sang me that song, from the little tree I kept hidden."
~~O~~
With those last faint words she was asleep and Legolas was more than a little confused. Certainly he did not know all of what happened to Leanien in Mordor though he knew the dark lord did not keep any trees in those black lands, let alone the fact that Leanien's mother had died when she was taken. Legolas was also fairly certain that Sauron would not go out of his way to connect Leanien to her elven heritage. He was skeptical and concerned about this turn of events.
When they stopped for the night Legolas grudgingly woke Leanien, who had been sleeping fitfully the entire day and handed her over to Tellis who found her a spot by fire.
"She getting any better?" Gimli asked walking over to Legolas who was making his way to the camp fire.
"No, she hasn't…" Legolas replied.
"Then why are you over here and not next to her?" Gimli said with a smirk spreading across his face. "You really are failing at hiding your affection for her now that Boromir isn't around."
"When did you become so astute as to figure all of that out? Very impressive for a dwarf." Legolas said making a joke.
"When you started sulking you pointy eared princeling." Legolas shook his head as his tone turned melancholy.
"She does not return the feelings my friend. In fact it is rather the opposite, she gives them to Boromir." Gimli who was about to respond stopped as he looked over at where Leanien was with Tellis. She had woken up and was up though she didn't make it far before she doubled over and retched. Tellis held her hair out of the way though he clearly was at a loss as how to help her. Legolas looked up and rushed over with Gimli on his heels.
"Lass sit down." Gimli said as Leanien spat and wiped her mouth, she was visibly shaking. Legolas looked at her with worry writ across his face, she looked even more gaunt that before.
Aragorn and Merry came over a moment later and had he not been worrying over Leanien, Legolas might have asked the hobbit about his armor.
"Whats the matter?" Aragorn asked his concern was shadowed by Merry who boisterously said.
"We should take her to Eowyn. She knows a lot about healing and can help!"
"I am fine Merry." Leanien said they all grew more worried as she did, her voice was soft and rough. She had lost all the fire that would have been in that comment and did not seek to say more than she had to.
"But you not! You haven't been sleeping you haven't eaten properly and now you are losing your stomach. You are sick and need help."
"I agree with the little one." Tellis said with a slow seriousness that told everyone he would take no arguments as to Leanien getting help.
"I don't need to be coddled, I will be fine." Leanien tried to argue to only be picked up by Tellis who speaking to Merry asked.
"Where is this Eowyn?"
"Right! This way." Merry said leading the way.
After they left Aragorn sighed and returned to the fire followed by Legolas and Gimli.
"Tomorrow we reach the encampment and from there we ride for Gondor. I do not think that Leanien should come." Aragorn stated in a matter of fact tone. Legolas looked over at his friend then said.
"I agree, though I do not like the idea of leaving her behind. This is no common illness that afflicts her." Aragorn nodded silently in agreement.
"It is not like we have much choice though. The lass can't get better if she is always on the move. Though I don't think it will make much of a difference if we prevent her from coming. Like you said she isn't down with the flu it is something else."
"It is Sauron, that is why she is ill. For some reason his evil is starting to kill her when it hasn't before."
"Any hope for her survival rests with Frodo then." Legolas said grimly.
~~O~~
Merry led Tellis to Eowyn's tent, to say that the shield maiden was rather shocked at the sight of Leanien was an understatement.
"What's happened to her?" Eowyn asked gesturing for them to come into the tent
"She's gotten really sick and we aren't sure what to do to help her. We were hoping that you might know what to do." Merry said watching as Tellis set Leanien down on the bed. Leanien didn't argue she didn't even seem to care anymore. Eowyn walked over and put her hand on Leanien's forehead feeling the temperature and looking at Tellis said.
"She has a fever, could you get blankets. Merry heat some water. Why haven't you had her taken to a healer?"
"She is too stubborn and refused to let us help her out. It wasn't so bad before today, she was simply tired." Tellis said putting blankets over Leanien and ignoring the disapproving look Eowyn gave him. Merry quickly left to go get water heating over a fire.
"You are planning on keeping her out of the battle aren't you?"
"It isn't my place to tell her what she can and can't do. She has made that very clear. I can only try to protect her along whatever path she chooses."
"She won't be well enough to fight let alone ride a horse. How can you let her into such a danger when she is in this condition?" Eowyn asked her tone becoming angered with Tellis who stood his expression unchanging to her words.
"Nothing I say to her will keep her from going where she wants to be. For that she lets me accompany her and protect her." Eowyn was about to speak when a yell of alarm caught both of their attentions. Merry ran back into the tent and said.
"We are under attack!" Eowyn and Tellis followed Merry out of the tent to see a small army storming the camp. Several tents were already ablaze and many of the men were trying to put the fires out.
Eowyn ran back into her tent and a moment later came out with a sword as the first of the orcs reached where they stood. Tellis drew his blade and cut down the first orc who did not anticipate the elf to be prepared for battle.
Merry attacked and was able to duck under the locked blades of Eowyn and an orc to stab the villain in the gut. The fighting continued on and several more orcs fell to Eowyn and Merry who fought well as a team. Tellis was busy dispatching several orcs who tried to make it past them. The group of them did not realize that as they fought the fires spread and that Eowyn's tent was now ablaze with Leanien inside.
*Well there is chapter 20 and I do want to reply to a review I got recently as to Leanien's relationship with Boromir and the others. She has lived in Mordor the entirety of her life so she doesn't have very good social skills let alone relationship skills and I kind of wanted her to be oblivious to the implications of some actions and how she is supposed to respond or social norms so if she comes off as somewhat whorish that is some of my intent. I know that it doesn't make for the best OC to some people but this story isn't about a perfect character who knows what the world would expect of her or how she is supposed to handle herself, for instance in the chapters that she is traveling with the injured Boromir after he was shot by Lurzt she used the skirt of her own dress for bandages and exposed her legs. I guess that some people might not realize that showing leg used to be a huge taboo in society. But yes Leanien is supposed to come off as a rather improper woman, she was raised by wraiths who only bothered to teach her what Sauron told them too which didn't include social skills or womanly mannerism. Though I do admit that the Witch-King giving Leanien the "talk" would be funny, thanks for the constructive criticism N. *