Faith tossed and turned. She kept hearing the soft voice in her dreams, calling her, calling her Belyndra. She could see a face but not clearly enough to make it out clearly. She was beautiful and blonde and she sensed a peacefulness about her. A bright aura extended around the woman, blocking Faith from seeing her features. Her soft voice and the words she spoke enveloped Faith in a warm blanket of love, the first she'd ever felt. Was this her mother? Where was she? Did this mean she was dead?
She bolted up out of her sleep and was surprised to feel tears coursing down her cheeks. Angrily she brushed them away. Whoever it was, she abandoned Faith and never tried to find her before now. Why should she feel anything for her now? She lay back down and closed her eyes, but sleep was impossible. She spent the rest of the night lying awake, tortured by the voice and thoughts of a mother she'd never known, but was now trying to contact her. Too little, too late. She had found her father and he wanted her. He was enough for her now.
Saruman watched the dark girl as she slept and as she sat awake. He saw her tears and was puzzled by them. Whatever it was that had caused them had been powerful enough to awaken her from her slumber and he was desperate to know the cause. It couldn't have been guilt at killing her friends. He'd seen her through the Eye when she'd done that and she had relished the job. No, it was something more. Something far more important and personal. He had to know. Maybe it would be his way to getting possession of the Ring. He left her as she tried, fruitlessly to sleep and wandered back to his room. She was a small threat to him. Sure, she was Sauron's last child and the one who had his Ring, but until Sauron himself returned to claim it, she could be controlled and he intended to do exactly that. He smiled to himself and sat back deep in thought. Soon Middle Earth would be his, as it should be.
She watched her daughter in the waters. Her Belyndra was back. She had long thought her lost but she'd returned to Middle Earth and to her. The long centuries of tears and mourning were now nothing. Joy filled her heart. She reached out her hand and gently passed it over the still waters and her daughter's image it bore. She was so beautiful. She now understood what she had seen all those weeks ago when she'd first set her eyes on the girl. The darkness in her made sense now. It was Sauron's darkness she'd seen, not Belyndra's. It was the darkness of her father, something she could not know or control. Just as she had not known the evilness that was inside Annatar. She'd loved him then, not knowing Annatar was really Sauron using a disguise to ensnare the Elves. All he'd ensnared was her heart. She'd given herself to him completely and when their child was born, their Belyndra, it was the happiest day of her life. But her happiness was shattered when he was revealed as the traitor he was and he left, taking her child with him. She thought she'd never see Belyndra again and she mourned her loss. Now she was back and soon it would be time to reclaim the child she thought lost forever. Soon...
Gandalf watched as the Hobbits and Xander joked around as they ate their meager breakfast. It was good to see Merry and Pippin back. Frodo was almost his old self again. He knew the lad had been blaming himself for his 'death', the loss of the other two Hobbits and the loss of the Ring. Everyone was back, as they should be. Only the Ring was missing. Frodo took too much blame on himself. Gandalf knew there had been nothing any of them could have done to stop Boromir from seizing it and taking it away from Middle Earth to the world he now inhabited. Even if he himself had been still with them instead of still with the Balrog Demon, there would have been nothing he could have done to stop it. The Ring was taken for a reason, and it was back to fulfil its purpose. He only hoped it wasn't for the purpose which Sauron created it for.
So much time had passed since its creation and since Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Elvish/Human army, yet here they were almost back at the same spot. History was about to repeat itself. This time however, they had Xander. He was their weapon against Sauron. He would lead them all to victory. Gandalf stroked his beard as he turned his gaze to the Dwarf, Gimli. He was a fine example of that race. Strong, fearless, a perfect warrior. He could see the traces of suspicion still in his heart, but it was lessening with each passing day. Soon it would be gone and the group would be all the more stronger for it.
"Time we moved from here."
He'd not noticed Aragorn walk up behind him. He was right. They were losing time. Time was something they had very little of now. Faith was with Saruman and soon they'd use its power to return Sauron to his physical form and give control of the Ring back to him. Gandalf knew that if that happened, all was lost. He nodded as he stood.
"Gather your army warrior," he said. "It is time to meet our foe on their own ground."
Aragorn left the older man to his thoughts and rejoined the group. Whatever the day would bring, they would need to be ready for it. He knew that Gandalf knew more than he was saying.
She bolted up out of her sleep and was surprised to feel tears coursing down her cheeks. Angrily she brushed them away. Whoever it was, she abandoned Faith and never tried to find her before now. Why should she feel anything for her now? She lay back down and closed her eyes, but sleep was impossible. She spent the rest of the night lying awake, tortured by the voice and thoughts of a mother she'd never known, but was now trying to contact her. Too little, too late. She had found her father and he wanted her. He was enough for her now.
Saruman watched the dark girl as she slept and as she sat awake. He saw her tears and was puzzled by them. Whatever it was that had caused them had been powerful enough to awaken her from her slumber and he was desperate to know the cause. It couldn't have been guilt at killing her friends. He'd seen her through the Eye when she'd done that and she had relished the job. No, it was something more. Something far more important and personal. He had to know. Maybe it would be his way to getting possession of the Ring. He left her as she tried, fruitlessly to sleep and wandered back to his room. She was a small threat to him. Sure, she was Sauron's last child and the one who had his Ring, but until Sauron himself returned to claim it, she could be controlled and he intended to do exactly that. He smiled to himself and sat back deep in thought. Soon Middle Earth would be his, as it should be.
She watched her daughter in the waters. Her Belyndra was back. She had long thought her lost but she'd returned to Middle Earth and to her. The long centuries of tears and mourning were now nothing. Joy filled her heart. She reached out her hand and gently passed it over the still waters and her daughter's image it bore. She was so beautiful. She now understood what she had seen all those weeks ago when she'd first set her eyes on the girl. The darkness in her made sense now. It was Sauron's darkness she'd seen, not Belyndra's. It was the darkness of her father, something she could not know or control. Just as she had not known the evilness that was inside Annatar. She'd loved him then, not knowing Annatar was really Sauron using a disguise to ensnare the Elves. All he'd ensnared was her heart. She'd given herself to him completely and when their child was born, their Belyndra, it was the happiest day of her life. But her happiness was shattered when he was revealed as the traitor he was and he left, taking her child with him. She thought she'd never see Belyndra again and she mourned her loss. Now she was back and soon it would be time to reclaim the child she thought lost forever. Soon...
Gandalf watched as the Hobbits and Xander joked around as they ate their meager breakfast. It was good to see Merry and Pippin back. Frodo was almost his old self again. He knew the lad had been blaming himself for his 'death', the loss of the other two Hobbits and the loss of the Ring. Everyone was back, as they should be. Only the Ring was missing. Frodo took too much blame on himself. Gandalf knew there had been nothing any of them could have done to stop Boromir from seizing it and taking it away from Middle Earth to the world he now inhabited. Even if he himself had been still with them instead of still with the Balrog Demon, there would have been nothing he could have done to stop it. The Ring was taken for a reason, and it was back to fulfil its purpose. He only hoped it wasn't for the purpose which Sauron created it for.
So much time had passed since its creation and since Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Elvish/Human army, yet here they were almost back at the same spot. History was about to repeat itself. This time however, they had Xander. He was their weapon against Sauron. He would lead them all to victory. Gandalf stroked his beard as he turned his gaze to the Dwarf, Gimli. He was a fine example of that race. Strong, fearless, a perfect warrior. He could see the traces of suspicion still in his heart, but it was lessening with each passing day. Soon it would be gone and the group would be all the more stronger for it.
"Time we moved from here."
He'd not noticed Aragorn walk up behind him. He was right. They were losing time. Time was something they had very little of now. Faith was with Saruman and soon they'd use its power to return Sauron to his physical form and give control of the Ring back to him. Gandalf knew that if that happened, all was lost. He nodded as he stood.
"Gather your army warrior," he said. "It is time to meet our foe on their own ground."
Aragorn left the older man to his thoughts and rejoined the group. Whatever the day would bring, they would need to be ready for it. He knew that Gandalf knew more than he was saying.