Chapter 24
Legolas paced the halls of Rivendell, his gait choppy and hurried. He took no notice the resident elves who scurried quickly by him, avoiding him at all cost. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, sighing loudly. He finally stopped, banging the same hand into the stone railing of the balcony he now stood on.
"Elrond would not be pleased to see you damage his halls so." The crisp female voice spoke, breaking him from his rampage.
Legolas jumped, turning to face Galadriel. He bowed and greeted her numbly.
"Let us walk." She offered a hand.
He hesitated, Legolas knew she wanted to speak with him and he had no desire to speak with anyone at the moment, not even the great lady. However, denying her was impolite, and it was more an order than a request. He gingerly took her outstretched hand. Then her voice echoed through his mind and he shuddered. He knew she had the gift, had felt it once before while with the company of the Fellowship, it was hard to get used to.
'I have known Canye a long time.'
Legolas did not respond, it was no new news to him of their relation together. But then he had another thought, unlike so many others the Lady of the Wood accepted her, remained her friend and loyal to her, why?
'It was hard at first.' She replied smiling when she saw Legolas frown, forgetting she could read his thoughts. 'Once she was free and the war against Morgoth over, she came to me in the dead of night. At first I was frightened, I recognized my friend, but I also knew it was not the same friend once had. No elf could manage to come into the kingdom of Lindon, where I resided at the time, unnoticed. Lindon was heavily guarded, yet she was there on my balcony and no sign of activity in the city.'
She paused a moment here, thinking back to that fateful night so long ago.
'Being of the Maiar, she had always been beautiful, but that night she was radiant, almost evilly so. It was a force that compelled one to her. It was a struggle no to go near, but for the warning in my heart I stayed where I was. She spoke to me then, only two words, 'help me.' I am not sure if it was the pain I could see through the shears in her eyes or my own curiosity that made me go forward. It was then I about screamed, had she not slapped a hand on my mouth, and the shock of her coldness. It was her eyes, now a golden color where the color of blood, with stains on her clothes to match.'
'I might have fought harder, woken my sleeping husband, until I saw the fear. She was terrified and in pain. Even after what I was seeing, it was still my old friend before me, and something else was propelling me to just listen. I was surprised when all she said was 'break into my mind, see everything.' I do not know if you understand what that request means?' She questioned Legolas, who shook his head.
'It is not a request to take lightly, and nothing I had done before. To do such a task meant I would see her every memory, know her every thought, every secret, all her dark longings, they would be mine to have for as long as I remember them. There would be nothing hid from me, so you see Legolas what it was she was asking of me.'
'And did you?'
'Yes, I snuck her through the empty halls, to a tall observatory tower I often visited and few others rarely did. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was not what happened, I was pulled from memory to memory, felt everything she felt, knew everything she knew. The process took most the night, when I was able to break away dawn was approaching. We sat there on the cold stone floor and we both cried. For you see everything I witnessed, she had to re-witness.'
'Why are you telling me this?'
'Because even after all these years, after breaking into her mind, knowing so much, it creates a sort of link, even without using my mind I can get flashed of her thoughts and feelings. The terrible things she thought of herself then, she still feels to this day. In her mind she is an abomination, maybe not to the extent she once did, for she knows she does good deeds, but it changes things little. She feels because she was created by evil for evil purposes she shall always carry that evil with her and never be rid of it.'
'I am sorry, my lady but I still fail to see how this pertains to me.' He was looking straight forward, avoiding the eyes of the Elven Queen. His chest was tight not only with anger but with pain. After today, there was a chance he would never again lay eyes upon her, and even if he did, there would be nothing he could do, he had his duty to his people, a duty she could not happily be a part of.
'My dear prince, Have you not already considered starting a city in Ithilien? That had been your plan after traveling with the dwarf. Is that not splitting up your people? Not all would leave your father's halls.'
'If ever there was a chance of a future between us, it would be in her city. Could I ask it of my people to move there? To be among a people they distrust? It is not fair.'
Galadriel gave a slight chuckle, 'It is rare for an elf to use those terms—it is not fair. For we all know nothing in life is fair after the long lives we are granted. Elves are not a people to take things for granted, especially the wills of the heart. A broken heart can be a grave thing.'
'I will not fade; knowing she lives will be enough.' His voice echoed gravely in her mind, she knew he would not fade easily, yet she also knew that his happiness rested with Canye, alone he would never be the same, nor would she.
She foresaw many things; their future had many possibilities, depending on the paths they all chose, each weaving a slightly different outcome. One dream clung close to her heart, one she did not know if it was real, but she saw her old friend and the Prince of Mirkwood at her side, and they were happy, smiling up at one another on a balcony. But she knew her friends curse hindered such an outcome. Could there be a way to remove the curse? Could Canye ever be her old self again? They were questions Galadriel did not know the answer to, ever since she had seen the image she had researched, but always left empty handed.
'There are forces in this world at work that even I do not understand Legolas, the Valar are powerful and ever watching, we do not know what they have planned.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Simply to not give up so easily when the future has so many different possibilities. I will take my leave now. Get some rest and travel safely tomorrow.'
She unhooked her arm, leaving the prince in the same spot where they had started their walk; he stared after her, brows furrowed and more thoughts now swarming his mind than before. That was how Aragorn found him. Starring off into the distance, eyes focused on nothing in particular, arms dangling loosely by his side.
Aragorn laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Let us get ready my friend, the dawn will come soon enough."
Legolas nodded, giving the hall a final glance as he followed the Gondorian King.
Three weeks had passed since their journey into the tunnel through the misty mountains, and they emerged now in the barren lands of the Forodwaith, above the old realm of the witch king, Angmar. There was a small covering of snow littering the ground; the northern waste claimed its name from the harsh icy climate. The people who once inhabited the area were hardy and well suited for their harsh life. The return of some of the northern people did not lessen the stench of evil that still lingered in the thin air.
The strong odor of sulfur hit her nostrils, turning her attention to the north west. I thick billowing black smoke rose in the distance, putting Túrante on guard.
"What is that?" Elladen asked. The two twins, much to the dislike of their father had decided they were accompanying our party to Angband.
"Fire, death."
"There are no people in the Forodwaith, is it them?" Elrohir spoke next; the tenseness rising in their bodies filled her senses. They were eager for battle, for revenge against the attack of their city.
"People from Lossarch, moved back into their old realm more than 100 years ago, my people have kept watch. That is one of the villages. I will need to go look into the matter."
"We shall accompany you."
"No, I will travel faster alone."
"That is all well and good, but we have an elf king traveling with who would like nothing more than to be rid of you. If we come upon a destroyed town that only you went to check, he might not get the best idea." Elrohir smiled, knowing he would get his way.
She turned a sharp eye to the elf prince, eyes narrowing.
"Let us go."
They clapped their hands from atop their steeds, smiles plastered across their smooth faces, ear to ear. Túrante could only shake her head at them.
The site that spread out before them halted their progress immediately. The huts built of mud, twigs, and ice where destroyed, nothing more than heaps on the ground. The possession of the families burning in multiple piles hauntingly lit up the dead bodies. He heart constricted, tightening in her chest, hot tears brimming in her eyes. Not just men lay upon the cold earth, but women and children, all dead, all drained of their life force.
She slide off her mount, the twins watching her carefully, she leaned by the body of little boy, no older than 5. His eyes wide with fear, glazed over starring into blackness forever. Placing a cold hand on his eyes, she pulled the lids shut, "May your soul find its way to the halls of Mandos and their find peace for all eternity." Her tears landed silently on the ground, her head bowed.
"Do you fair okay Túrante?"
She stood up at the sound of their voices, but no smile crossed her lips at their concern. "If by that you refer to my thirst, it is well controlled. If however, you mean my feelings, I am enraged and if had I not a job to do, those who did this would be hunted down and killed."
"Good, then we are in agreement."
"Gather the others."
She heard shuffling and hushed whispers behind her, she could have listened in, but did not feel the need as her mind was too wrapped around the destruction in front of her. After awhile the noises stopped and only one set of hoof beats could be heard leaving. Elrohir then stood beside her, more comfortable around her than his brother.
"What do we do now?" He asked, voice crackling, he too was struggling to hold back the tears.
"Give them the burial they deserve." Her posture straightened and a look of hard determination set upon her brow. With that she set to work, digging a long deep trench for which the bodies could be laid.
They worked like that, in horrible silence, together. Túrante would dig the grave and Elrohir fetched the bodies. Both were dirt covered and smeared with blood when the rest of the party made it to the village, their own gasps audible to her.
It seemed no words were needed, the other elves, the Lords included, began covering the graves. No one noticed the wizard was missing. By the time night was approaching they had finished and Gandalf's absence noted.
"Where is Gandalf?" It was Thranduil who asked, looking concerned.
"Not to fear," boomed a voice from beyond the village, "I am here. Had some work I had to carry out." And the old wizard appeared, carrying a very large stone piece.
"I thought I would never find stone in this forsaken land of perpetual ice. I have a tomb stone, for the remembrance of the lost."
They all nodded and they all shared tears as he laid it upon the freshly dug earth, saying a silent prayer for the souls of the lost. That night they stayed on the border of the town. They made the choice to let the horses go, here they had no way to provide them food or shelter from the cold biting winds. Unlike the elves and Túrante, they were not immune to the effects of the cold. In the morning they would set off, making for the secret valley hidden in the Iron Mountains.
They had lost a good day of travel, and without the horses, the going would be even slower, they would not be the first to arrive, they had to hope the groups that arrived first would stay put and keep calm. Túrante knew it would be hard pressed for Hallon and Larcien to keep the men there. She would have to push the Elven lords hard to save time.
She knew her friends where safe, every so often she would use her connection to check on them, but she sighed, it was not always enough. Even after she had finally gotten Legolas to let go, the thought of seeing him again after so many months was heart wrenching and she longed for his presence more every day. Túrante knew she had to focus, the twins were taking the first watch and she needed rest. She need all her concentration to keep her body in only a small fraction of sleep, deep sleep could mean more visions, and she could not risk it. And so with that she closed her eyes.