Hope everyone is alright this week. It seems to be a tumultuous week for everyone surrounding me, and I hope you all are safe, well, and sound.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 25

As the company trudged through the wind and rain that whipped across their faces, Kelsey clutched her cloak to tightly wrap around her small, trembling body. The weather had worsened since their departure, but there was no sense in turning back. She was determined to finally prove herself to her teacher, and her love; she wanted to show them more than anything that she was ready for her upcoming departure to the faraway lands of the east.

Not too far from the grand gates of the tucked-away city, There was a small clearing of less dense trees that carved through tall cliffs. The cliffs looked dense with trees, but wide enough to have a pathway. The company gradually separated; Gandalf, Legolas, and Kelsey switchbacking their way up the cliffside, and the rest exploring the valley. It was not long before Kelsey and her companions were covered by the trees, making it almost impossible for the company they had left behind to see where they were.

"There have been orcs spotted in this part of the wood", he said in a hushed tone as they rode, "we must leave our horses here if we wish to not alert them of our presence".

Legolas swiftly jumped from the back of his horse, and extended a hand to aid Kelsey in her descent. She eagerly accepted his gesture, and leapt down from her steed. Fear welled in her lungs, what if this would be the last time she would see the light of day? What if she wasn't as ready as she thought and she was heading towards her demise? She clutched to the hilt of the sword on her belt to help steady her nerves, but it was to no avail. She looked at Legolas and hoped he would be the answer to her silent plea for strength. He looked at her, and his piercing blue eyes and warm smile was all she needed to press on through the foreign wilderness. She knew she was ready, and she would take down any orc that came across her path.

"Now", Gandalf said, breaking the silence, "we must discuss your new power that you have yet to discover. It is your attack spell; the one spell you will know that will destroy your enemies before you. It is bestowed to the Fainauriel to harness the same fiery powers as her dragons; to smite ones enemy down with a blaze. In order to do this, you must focus on the task before you. You must never falter, for a weak heart will never hold in battle. Do this, and you will be ready for your journey".

Kelsey nodded, knowing that she was up for the challenge. The three began to make their way through the trees; no pathway aided them through the dense forest. On any other day, Kelsey would have admired the surrounding wildlife and enjoyed being surrounded by it, but she was too focused to pay heed to anything except the approach of a possible enemy. It seemed as if hours had passed before they had heard, in the distance, a brutish howl of a wild Orc. Immediately, the three crouched down so as not to be seen in the brush. The gurgling, spitting sounds of the Orcs grew closer and closer; they sounded like elephants tearing through the wood. From her hiding place, she could hardly see how many there were. Legolas, who was crouched down only a few feet from her, held up three fingers to her. Three; three orcs were heading their direction, one orc for each of them. For now, this would be a manageable number, but Kelsey knew more would be to come when her and her companions made their attack.

Kelsey could hear the footsteps grow closer and closer, and the sharp, gruesome tongue of Mordor was being exchanged by them. She had no knowledge as to what they were saying, but she could only imagine it wasn't pleasant.

They were close now, almost close enough to attack; she could hear their vile snorting a few feet away. Her pulse quickened, and her heart leapt to her throat in nerves. Sweat accumulated on her brow and upper lip; her breaths were short and made her head dizzy.

"Hault!" one of the orcs grunted savagely, and the three orcs stopped in the woods, listening to their surroundings. Kelsey's heart stopped beating, they could sense them.

She looked to Gandalf, who behind a nearby tree. His staff was held across his chest, making him completely unison with the shadow of the tree. He made eye contact with her and Legolas, and held a finger to his lips.

"Who goes there!?" the orc yelled, his voice sounding venomous.

Kelsey waited, like a cat stalking its prey. Her heart was now in a full on race, and its deafening thump was making it hard to hear.

Gandalf suddenly moved into view, standing tall before the Orcs; his staff made ready. Kelsey and Legolas rose from her hiding places, to be greeted by the stunned faces of the slimey Orcs.

The beasts drew their swords, but not in time. Gandalf pierced the ground with the end of his staff; a white light threw the three off of their feet, and they lay on the ground several feet from the trio of warriors.

"Make ready" Gandalf said, and Kelsey and Legolas had their weapons drawn and ready for battle. The orcs were rattled for only a few seconds, but then they were back on their feet and running towards them. Legolas quickly shot on the orcs straight between the eyes and it fell before his feet. Gandalf struck the orc closest to him continually with the end of his staff, and he swung it around with agility that Kelsey would never had expected to see from the old wizard. Kelsey looked straight ahead to see her orc, and her first victim, charging her. She made her sword ready, and artfully cut the air around her with her sword, fending off the orcs every deathly blow. She quickly struck his sword hand with the cutting edge of her sword, and she could hear the orcs blade clatter to the ground. She swung around and made her last killing strike, landing the biting teeth of her blade into the vulnerable neck of the beast. The blade went clean through the Orcs neck, and its head came tumbling of its pedestal and down the ground; it rolled and touched her feet as the rest of its body clattered to the ground.

Kelsey stared down at the Orcs vulgar head; its eyes were open in a glazed-over panic and its snake-like tongue hung lazily from its gaping mouth. She had done it, she had killed her first orc.

She felt Legolas place a proud hand on her shoulder, and she was brought back to reality from her dazed silence of her success.

"Well done, Lady Willow" Gandalf said, smiling proudly at his pupil.

Kelsey wished there was more time to celebrate her conquest, but shrieks of approaching orcs filled the air.

"Make ready, try to use your power to fend them off" Gandalf said hastily to Kelsey.

Legolas drew a new arrow from his quiver on his bow and made ready for his first target. Kelsey placed her right hand in front of her, preparing to use her power as she never had before. The orcs came closer, hidden by the darkness of the trees. As soon as one came into view, Legolas gracefully shot him down with a "twang" of his bow. But as he shot one down, two more would be seen in its place. The herd drew closer, and Kelsey could feel her pulse quicken in nerves.

No!. she thought, and quickly shut her eyes. She had just defeated her first orc, and there was no way she would allow her nerves to destroy her quest. She could do this, she knew she was able. She breathed deeply, easing her racing pulse. She felt her courage come back to her, and she opened her eyes, full of determination and rage to defend herself, her teacher, and her love against the dark slaves of Sauron.

And then she felt it...as if her hand had caught fire and she saw the red blaze expel from her extended palm. The stream of fire catapulted towards the orcs, and struck them down; lighting their monstrous bodies aflame. They screamed their deafening screams as they thrashed, dying slowly as the fire melted their flesh. Then they fell to the forest floor, in a heap of bones and charcoaled hide. Not an orc was in sight now, just smell of burn carion filled the air. None of the brush had ignited; the light falling rain had ensured the safety of the surrounding nature.

"Bravo!" Gandalf said loudly, and Legolas proudly looked at Kelsey.

Kelsey had done it, she had finally mastered her power and was a skilled warrior. She had never thought herself to be this, and she remembered how small she had felt when she had come to this world. Now, she was strong and full of resilience, and she was ready.

And apparently she was not the only one, for her companions looked with her with what she could only perceive as admiration.

"You are ready, Fainauriel" Gandalf said, "you leave Rivendell tomorrow".

Kelsey felt herself buzz with excitement. She had done it, all of her hard work had paid off. Her mind was racing, she had never expected that she would leave so soon. She had so much to do, so much to prepare. She looked at Legolas, hoping to see happiness, but the expression that greeted her sent her heart down to her feet.

It was sadness, she could see it. He was standing there, his face frozen in a stunned silence, but his eyes looked wounded. A realization struck her, like a punch to her chest; she was going to be leaving someone she had grown to love, possibly never to see him again.

The whole company returned to Rivendell, tired and worn from the day's journey. The company that had staid in the lower hills had killed several orcs during their journey, and were all ready to rest their aching muscles and feed their rumbling bellies. As the rest had left their horses to be attended by the stable elves, Kelsey wished to personally escort Miriel to the stables; she wanted to assure that she was properly prepared for her long journey.

Kelsey tried to catch Legolas's attention as he followed the company, but her paid her no attention. His jaw was clenched hard in concentration, trying hard to avoid her insistent gaze. She was astounded at his behavior, but she would address it before her departure. She had too many things she had to do.

Kelsey lead Miriel to her stall, and began to groom her. From the many horse lessons she had had as a child, she had learned the appropriate way to tend to a horse. She, however, was so absorbed in her task, that she hadn't paid attention to the figure that stood at the entrance of Miriel's stall. When the sound of a throat being cleared, she was startled by the sudden noise. She looked to see Eraisuithon, standing before her.

"I am sorry I startled you", he said, with a smile on his face. She was taken aback by his kind expression, seeing as their last meeting here was not so pleasant.

"Can I help you?" she said, sounding frigid. In most cases, she would have tried to mask her feelings, but the wound Eraisuithon had left in her heart was still fresh. She hated how he had abandoned her, and couldn't comprehend what he wished to speak to her about now.

"I believe I owe you an apology", he said, "I understand you are upset with how I treated you. I understand know that you did not know your feelings, and you tried to tell me that, I was just not willing to listen to you. I am sorry".

Kelsey was stunned, she hardly knew what to say. She had never expected him to apologize, and she couldn't help but be thankful for his words.

"I accept your apology", she said, "but the fault also lies with me. I should have told you sooner; deep down I knew there was something more between me and Legolas, and I should have saved your heart from agony by telling you that".

"You owe me no explanation has to your deepest and darkest feelings", Eraisuithon said, smiling at her, "you told me when you felt ready. I should have appreciated your honesty then. I hope now, that you will still accept me as your personal escort through your journey in Middle Earth".

Kelsey felt herself sigh in relief and her worries dissolved. She wouldn't be alone, and she had a chance of surviving through this foreign land.

"I would love for you to come with me" she said, smiling at him.

"Very well," he said, his face lit up with excitement, "we leave tomorrow!"