Disclaimer: I do not own LotR
Hey guys, so glad to hear all the positive responses with the last chapter it made me want to write fast, and what do you know ... ANOTHER CHAPPIE DONE! Here's a little tip, when a certain wizards leaves the chapter, start playing 'As long as you're Mine' from Wicked, it suits the scene perfectly.
Also, 2 questions. One, I am loving the Hobbit film right now, I've seen it twice (Thorin, Fili and Kili OMG HOT!) and I'm considering writing a story about, only making Bilbo a woman. Should I?
Two, I recently found out that my story was added to a community called 'Hark A Mary-Sue!' Has Dee acted like a Mary-Sue at all during this? I really need to know for future reference.
anyway, ENJOY!
Never Let You Go Again
My memories after Sauron's defeat are filled with holes and blurry visions.
First there were arms helping me to stand on my shaking feet, with my nose being tickled by Legolas' hair as he held me closely, muffling the voices.
" ... there must be some... earth is gone how ... Gandalf ... Frodo an ..."
Then it all went white all of a sudden, but my head had only turned up and I was staring into the blazing sun.
It felt good.
My eyes closed and I lent all my weight on the elf. I was so tired.
Why could I taste blood?
"... way, but first we ... end scouts. Those orcs ... wrong with her? ... Dee!"
My body convulsed and blood trickled out of my limp mouth.
The first hole appeared.
I then vaguely recalled the feeling of a warm embrace, a warm fur muzzle of a horse pressing softly into my cheek, an eagle's screech.
Eagle?
Someone lifted my left arm and I was brought into almost a full consciousness from sheer agony. I felt a growl of pain in my throat in response to the broken chainmail digging into the wound.
"We have to treat ... must return to the ... fetch water ..."
The noise around me softened like I was wrapped in thick sheets, and for some reason, I felt as though I was slipping, my hand loosening its hold of something.
It seemed easier to let go.
But before I could, I felt a rush of hot air by my ear. Soft delicate lips moved against it quickly.
"Deorwynn ... hin en' edan leitha tuulo' i' du yassene. Lasto beth nin ... Mela en' coiamin"
I held on.
The second hole appeared.
Hands trailed up and down my arms, though they did not touch the skin. They were rough and calloused yet the movement was soothing and eased the pain.
" ... Had I know, perhaps ... a hollow curse ... pride of her's ... rest up you two, Master Samwise ..."
"Sam?" The husky sound of my voice startled me. How had it been since I had spoken? I tried to pull myself up, but the same gentle hand pressed ever so slightly on my head.
"No Deorwynn. You're still too weak." That was Aragorn's voice.
"But ... Sam and Frodo ... where ...?"
"They are safe now. Sleep."
The last hole.
xxxxxx
My energy slowly returned to me as I slept, filling up my body. I rolled me head from side to side, loosening the tense muscles and opened my eyes. My eyes adjusted to the bright light quickly and I was relieved that I was in my own chambers again, though be it slightly confused as to how I was so, and why it seemed so bright.
As I sat up from the pillows I was propped up on, I noticed that I had been cleaned from head to toe, my hair had been combed, I was dressed in only a soft linen nightshift and then finally, the damage of my arms.
The sickly black markings were still present under the skin of my forearms up to my shoulder, but my hands looked normal again. My left arm was wrapped tightly up for my more serious injury.
"Deorwynn." My eyes honed in on the owner of the voice, who was standing out on the balcony.
Enshrined by the light of a blazing sun, Legolas looked the image of a heavenly being except for the paranoid glint in his eyes. He wore only his sky blue tunic and travelling breeches, his hair sat loosely about him free from his usually braids.
"Good morning." My groaning was concealed by a smile.
"Actually it is well past midday already." Another voice said softly. "How do you feel?"
"Gandalf?" I muttered. The White Wizard had been standing next to Legolas all this time. "I feel ... fine. Where is everyone?"
I pushed back the blankets as to allow room for my legs to move. I swung them over the edge of my bed and almost fell out. My body ached beyond belief. Legolas came over to my side and sat carefully on the edge ready to catch me. His hand snuck around my weak frame and held my shoulders up. "Please take this slowly Deorwynn. You need time to recover."
"What happened?" I looked at him seriously, "After Mount Doom collapsed ... what happened?"
Legolas removed his hand from my shoulder and his posture tensed ever so slightly. He glanced over at Gandalf, who nodded to him. "We evacuated the army soon after the destruction of Barad-dur and sent scouts out to deal with the remnants of the orcs. You collapsed on the way back and were coughing up blood."
Trust me to end up in such a sorry state. "What of the hobbits?" I asked Gandalf. He folded his hands in front of himself spoke.
"You were right. With the help of the Great Eagles, we found them on the slopes of Mount Doom. They were alive ... but ... barely. Now do not fret." Legolas held me still as I stood up violently in shock then proceeded to wobble on shaky legs, "They are resting in the House of Healing. I have done all I can for them."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"You were in and out of consciousness for a few days, but calmed down ..."
"How long?"
" ... eight days."
"Damn it," I rubbed my face with my good hand in a frustrated manner, "Why must this always happen to me?" I tried to step around the elf, but he shot out an arm to stop me. "I know what you're doing Deorwynn, and you can not hope to work in your condition." He said gently.
"I have a duty to my people. I'm already failing by passing out after a battle ... and for attacking a comrade."
"You have nothing to worry about. Aragorn is overseeing things with your brother's help." Gandalf said calmly, "Now just worry about you own condition for now Deorwynn. You need rest."
" ... Very well." I was defeated. I could never win against Gandalf.
"Now Deorwynn, I would like to speak with you about ..." I gestured to my arms with a single finger.
Gandalf held out his hand, asking for my own with his eyes. I complied and placed my right hand in his, my left arm hurt too much. Legolas stepped away from us to allow some privacy, and settled himself the door like a look out. Gandalf silently inspected my fingers, turning them from side to side before placing a hand under my forearm. "The marks first appeared only on your hands, correct?"
I bit my lower lip and shuffled my feet, only nodding my head.
"I will need to know everything Deorwynn, everything."
So I told him everything, the vivid dreams, the whispering voices, the breaking of the Palanitr, the bleeding and Sauron's promise.
By the time I was done talking, the sun had set further and the brightness of the room eased a little. Gandalf and Legolas had remained completely silent the whole time I spoke, I don't think they even moved a muscle.
I sat back on my bed when I was finished, cradling my left arm.
"This is most unnerving to hear." Gandalf finally said, "I had no idea he would plan such a thing."
"I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner, but I thought that I could ..."
"Battle it alone? My dear child you do not have to bare everything alone. I am aware that you have much pride, but don't let that pride get the better of you."
Even though his voice tender, it still made me feel small and childlike.
"Do you know what he did to me?" I asked sheepishly, staring at the black marks.
"I do. I believe that when you touched the Palantir, Sauron used it as a medium to cast a curse known as the Zhavarr Burguul. This curse slowly takes the life essence of any living creature it comes into contact with and as the physical body is drained of power, the conjurer of the curse can use the body as a husk for his own energy."
"Is that why I could ... hear him?"
"In a way. But you did mention have him visit your thoughts in the past, so it could have been unrelated."
Gandalf pulled his smoking pipe out of his robes and proceeded to lit it. As he was distracted, I quickly glanced over at Legolas. He was already looking at me, eyes filled with rage.
I hope that rage was not at me.
"Thanks to the destruction of the Ring, the connection between you has been destroyed and with it the curse. But, unfortunately the regaining your strength will take time and the damage to the body will not heal." So these marks were now permanent damage by the Dark Lord's puppetry. A reminder of my mistake.
"You are lucky though. Many would have died soon after being cursed, but your bloodline helped slow the process."
I looked back at the wizard, "My bloodline?" I remember Sauron mentioning something like that.
'Though the bloodline was thin ... you were the purest.'
What would my blood have to do with anything?
'A mother's dying gift to her child.'
"Do you mean ... my mother's bloodline Gandalf?"
The wizard let out a puff of smoke and looked at me with a question in his eyes. "I just thought that ... well ... after what happened to Father, maybe ...?"
"No, you are quite right. The blood of Galador's house is much more present within you than your brothers."
"Galador?"
"Your mother's house. Really Deorwynn, do you know nothing of your own heritage?" Gandalf asked, taking a long drag of the pipe.
"Only that of my father's house."
"Such a shame ..." The wizard muttered.
"May I seem them?"
"Mmm?"
"Frodo and Sam. I just want to see with my own eyes that they safe. And Merry and Pippin too, I lost sight of them. And I have to let my brother know I am alright."
"Not quite yet. Rest for tonight and you may see them tomorrow. You handmaiden will bring you food and anything else you may require." Gandalf more or less order.
"But I ..."
"Lady Deorwynn Iron Sword." Gadalf thundered, smoke emanating from his mouth,"You will wait until tomorrow. I'm I clear?"
I meekly nodded.
"Good." He said suddenly cheerful. "I will inform Faramir that you are well. I promise you." He turned to leave my chamber with his pipe in hand.
"I suspect Master Elf that you wish to continue watching over her, am I wrong."
Legolas did not answer.
"Did you know Deorwynn that he has not left your side since the battle? He carried you all the way across Ithilian, even binding your wounds himself."
"Mithrandir." Legolas snapped, his face tense with embarrassment. Gandalf just grumbled back, "Save me from the tempers of a love struck elf." And with that he stormed out.
Even though Gandalf's teasing was just to ruffle the elf up, it made me feel warmth in my chest.
"You stayed with me?"
Legolas met my gaze slowly, "Yes."
"Thank you."
I tried to push myself off the bed but my left arm began to hurt from the pressure. I hissed in pain, and this brought Legolas back to my side.
"Here." He offered a hand. I gripped it with my right arm and pulled myself to my feet. Legolas' arm instinctively wrapped around my middle to support me.
He let go of my hand once he was sure I would not fall and settled it in the crook of my neck, his thumb brushing along my jaw line, "You gave me quite the scare you know."
I was not even aware that I had reached up to touch his warm hand. "I'm sorry." My fingers rested on his wrist and I could feel his pulse.
"I was frightened that you would not wake, so I called for you ... and you answered." Him ... frightened? Legolas' fingers brushed over the sensitive skin of my hairline, strands of my hair caught in them. "I'm glad that you did."
"I do remember hearing something in elvish. That was you?"
"Yes."
"Well ... whatever you said, it made me feel somehow stronger inside. I felt like I was letting myself slip ..."
"Please ... don't say that Deorwynn."
He gently pulled my head towards him and pressed his lips hard onto my forehead. My own lips brushed against his chin as he did so. Old feelings of temptation started to brew again.
My head tilted barely a hair's width up, grazing my lips along his skin
I shouldn't have done that, and dropped my head back down to stare at my bare feet.
"I don't what I would have done if you had died." Legolas rested his forehead against mine.
"Lived on?" I thought out loud. The arm that was still circled around my waist tightened slightly. "You would have to."
"And what if I said ..." I felt his hand still nestled in my hair clench and tug my head back slightly, " ... that I could not?" And with that he kissed me.
Why did he do this? We did we set these rules only to toe the line time and time again before abandoning the rules? Maybe I was gluten for the unattainable.
My injured arm, though aching with effort, reached up and I caressed his cheek. This beautifully soft moment filled my mind and senses, and finally I let myself believe that Legolas, so tender with his hold and gentle with his velvet lips, loved me with all his heart. The kiss broke slowly as we both breathed heavily, our lips remained close.
"What if I told you I loved you too much to let you go?" Legolas' warm breath brushed across my lips. My body grew hot, my finger tips tingled and my heart thumped, "Don't," I whispered.
I was falling for him again, fast.
This time he really kissed me, and I was ready for it. It was far more intense. I felt his tongue gain entry to my mouth, an overwhelming sensation ripped through me, but I didn't resist, but instead let him explore, taking in his own scent and taste. My heart rate sped up as Legolas pulled me even closer to him, I placed a hand on his chest and I could feel his own racing heartbeat.
I pulled away sharply, "Isn't this 'shaming my honor' or something?" I asked, twirling a lock of his hair around my finger.
"Just let me kiss you without guilt for once."
" ... Alright."
