Dear Readers,

To those who don't think this is progressing, well, that sucks for you because that means you're not looking close enough. This part of Persie's story is ultimately about character development and that doesn't happen over one chapter- it takes time, so just hold your butts for a moment and chill. Also, this is going to be a long story with FOUR PARTS and this is only the FIRST PART omg so get settled because this is going to be both long and epic.

The plot of the Hobbit will be coming soon, which will take place in the SECOND PART and the THIRD AND FOURTH PARTS are going to be taking place during the Lord of the Rings timeline.

This FIRST PART is Persie finding her place in Middle Earth, which will be important for later parts.

And let me just say that next chapter you all are gonna freak the Hades out.

Oh, and follow me on instagram ( theallylayne ) because why not and Just Do It™ like Nike says.

See y'all on Insta,

Ally Layne.

Do Not Go Gentle

Chapter 32: I Obviously Need Sleep

Of course, like any smart person, I decided to allow Lord Ulmo to teach me a bit about my water powers here in Arda. It ended up being one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I went for hours on end without exhaustion and learned more in one training session than I did in my entire lifetime.

The jar that held my powers, the lid I tugged open in my gut whenever I unleashed something… I finally let it all out.

It was amazing.

By the time I was done, Ulmo had taught me everything I was going to need to know to complete the task he told me was given to me by the Valar.

"We brought you here to fight the darkness that is seeping into everything that lives within our world," he had said. "There is the work of something so sinister that it is greater than what this world has ever seen before, which is why we sent for a being from another world. Your gods, they chose you for this quest."

I looked at him curiously. "A quest? Does that mean when this is over I get to go home?"

He tilted his head. "Do you wish to?"

I thought of everything I had left behind, including the people I would have later greeted in the Elysium. Could that mean if I die here I am subject to this world's afterlife? Will I ever lay eyes on my mother- or my friends- again?

I asked him my questions, and a sad look came across his face. "One cannot jump across worlds as you describe, even in the afterlife."

That was my answer.

Would I be willing to never see them again?

"I don't know," I told the sea god. "I'm not sure what I want."

He let out a hum that vibrated the water itself. "Once you know what path you want to take, you will know what your quest shall be."

I blinked. "Well, that's helpful."

"Glad I could be of service."

I opened my mouth to tell him that no, he did not do any service for me what-so-ever, but then the same vortex sensation whipped around me and I was shooting back through the rivers once more.

Stupid gods. Stupid Valar.

The next thing I knew, I was back by the waterfall. The sun had started to deplete below the horizon and the breeze had become crisp with chilly air.

I must've been gone for hours.

It only felt like one.

I swam out to the riverbank and sludged out while letting the water droplets fall off my dry skin. I shook my hair out and felt it dry instantly. Being the daughter of a sea god was nice, sometimes.

Letting out a sigh, I turned back to the river with a small smile. The river nymph I had spoken to poked her head out of the water with a mischievous grin and waved. Everything about her told me that she knew something I did not, but that was nothing new.

I waved back at the nymph and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when she sank back underneath the small flickering waves. A part of me wanted to join her, but that was not where I needed to be.

It was time to step back into reality.

Before I turned to leave, I lingered by the river shore a little longer, taking in the dewy air from the waterfall, feeling the breeze of water molecules hitting my face with a smile. I noticed then that a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

The water will always feel like home.

I wrapped my hands together and left, fingering the delicate ring that remained on my finger, the only connection I had to the previous world that remained. Well, that and the tennis shoes Gerda and Arwen would never let me wear.

My walk back to Imladris abruptly ended as soon as a frantic elf rode toward me along the forest trail on a dark warhorse. For a moment I thought they were going to barrel me over until the elf halted the horse to a stop right in front of me.

"Thank the Valar! Persephone!"

I jolted out of the whimsical fog I had been living in, and nearly punched the elf that hopped off the horse and wrapped me in a tight squeeze. I opened my mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by dark hair falling into my mouth.

I spat it out indignantly. "What did I do, now?"

The elf, Elrohir, pulled back from the embrace and held me at arms-length. "What do you mean, what did you do? You were gone for days! We all thought something horrible had befallen you!"

I blinked.

"Uh… what?"

I like to think that I'm often a person who knows how to use words, but apparently I'm just fooling myself completely.

"Ada had sent out everyone to try and look for you, and that is all you can say? What?"

My arms crossed instinctively. "Hey, it's not my fault, I didn't exactly plan on being gone for that long-"

Elrohir let out a groan. "What, so you planned on being gone for only a day? Maybe two? You must stop running away, Persie. Running away will never get you anywhere. Especially with elves."

He was going to be lucky if I didn't punch him, but this time it was for a different reason.

"I didn't run away-"

"Yes, you did-"

"I was carted away by Lord Ulmo, I'll have you know-"

"Do not think you can just spout out names of the Valar-"

"I am not just spouting out names-"

"It does nothing to change the fact you ran away-"

"Oh, I so did not run away-"

"Really? It looked a lot like running away to me-"

"Maybe you're just-"

"Blind? I am a master archer I do not think-"

"A blind master archer-"

"Enough!" I looked up at Elrohir, who's face had slowly become redder throughout our bickering. "You will come with me back to Imladris. There, you can explain to more than just me of how you were not running away."

Before I could even answer, he had turned around, whipping his long-ass hair in my face (again making me spit it out aggressively) before he strode back to his horse. He looked back at me to where I was still standing, obviously annoyed I had not moved with him.

"Hurry up, the sun is falling."

I looked up at the sky that had gotten darker than it was when I had first left the river and snorted. "Doesn't take a smart person to figure that out."

He blinked.

I blinked.

"Yet, you have been gone for four days, Persephone. Are you calling yourself dumb?"

I glared.

"Just hop on your horse, hotshot. And shut up, while you're at it."

His chuckles of laughter were the only sound that could be heard.

I suppose I was glad that Glorfindel wasn't there with the welcoming posse as soon as I hopped off Elrohir's horse. I don't think I could handle having another verbal altercation with him this soon.

Yes, I'll admit that most of our meetings have been verbal altercations, but that is usually grounded in passion. I think.

"Persephone, you do not know how glad I am to see you," Lord Elrond spoke, as he took metered steps down from where he waited with other important elves. I glared at Lord Macalster AKA Lord McDicks, who was among them.

He glared back.

I assume he wasn't so pleased to see I had survived.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," I said, doing my best to be all court-like and piss McDicks off. "I am glad Lord Elrohir found me."

I heard the faint sounds of people running down the halls and smiled when some familiar faces came into view.

"Persephone! You are alive!"

"I knew you would come back!"

"Thank you for finding her, brother!"

I was immediately swallowed in large hugs coming from every which direction. My arms were pinned to my sides and I let out a small groan at the impact that could have sent me rolling if they weren't holding me so tightly.

I grinned at my friends. "It's nice to see you too, guys."

Arwen, Elladan, Aldarian, and Alma were still holding me like fools. I never thought Arwen would be the group-hug type, but stranger things have happened.

I noticed that Gerda and Varis were standing off to the side and I made wide eyes at them. "What, you don't want a piece of the love, too?"

Gerda pursed her lips, serious as always, and I noticed her eyes dart to the Lords and Ladies that were still standing there imperiously behind Lord Elrond. I rolled my eyes.

Varis, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow knowingly. "I would rather not be trampled by you lot, thank you for asking."

I blinked.

"That sass, Varis." I shook my head and tsked as my other friends started to release me from their grasp. "Where did you ever learn such a thing?"

This time Elrond looked down at me with a wry smile. "I have been meaning to ask you the same thing, Lady Persephone. But there is a time and place for that, and this is not it. Shall we venture to my study and discuss where you have been over tea and wine?"

I smiled widely in response but internally winced as the Lord of Imladris had just verbally handed me my ass. "Of course, Lord Elrond."

He gracefully walked over and took my arm in his, patted my hand fatherly before turning back to the rest of the courtiers. "You are all dismissed, we will reconvene at the next meeting to discuss what we missed, thank you for your understanding."

Lord Macalster grabbed his wife, the elleth Lady Mirwen had called her mother, and scurried away, but not before delivering me another glare.

I ignored all of Lady Heliel's rules and stuck my tongue out at him. I figured it served them both right, anyway.

"I will pretend I did not see that," Lord Elrond told me softly, before leading me to his study. "The rest of you may join us if you wish."

We walked to his study in a slow, silent procession.

When we had finally settled in the confines of his study, Elrond was sitting easily at his desk while I was snuggled up next to Alma on one chair, and Arwen was posed calmly on the other chair. Her brothers were standing behind their father stoically, and Aldarian stood next to Varis and Gerda to the side.

Gerda had calmly poured us all glasses of wine or tea, depending on our choosing.

I decided to do without, for the moment. I was busy trying to ignore the current issue.

They were all looking at me.

"What were you thinking, being gone for so long?" Elrohir asked me again, looking down upon me sternly. "We were all worried beyond reason-"

"That is enough," Elrond cut him off, holding a hand to pause. "Let Persephone speak for herself, Elrohir."

I gulped.

Alma grabbed my hand, which had been thumbing the ring I still wore while frantically trying to come up with the right words to say. "I, well, I guess I ran away because I was angry-"

"Something you never should have done," Elladan cut me off.

The rest of us glared at the elf, and in turn, he had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"Carry on, dear one," Elrond told me, before turning to eye his sons knowingly. "The rest of us will hold our tongues, or they will be asked to leave."

"Yes, Ada," they said in unison, and suddenly it felt as if I had never left.

"Well, I went down to the river because I wanted to calm myself down, and the water helps," I explained. "I knew that I shouldn't have run away but I didn't want to face Lord Glorfindel or any of you, and I just let myself be for a moment, I guess."

Alma gave me a squeeze.

"I was mad that I freaked out as much as I did, and I swear it won't happen again," I told Elrond specifically. I noticed Varis and Aldarain look slightly disgruntled from the corner of my eye, and I shot them an apologetic look. "I didn't mean to lash out like that, it just happened."

"With powers like yours, they must be kept under control even under intense duress," Elrond told me, although there was something flickering in his eyes. "Perhaps you have learned your lesson, hm?"

I grinned. "I learned more than that, actually. The reason I was gone for so long was that I had been called upon by Lord Ulmo, who wanted to talk to me. And I swear it only felt like a day at most that I was in his company, I had no idea I was gone for so long."

Lord Elrond looked down at my ring, then back up at me. The old fart didn't miss anything, did he?

"He gave me my mother's ring, saying it was from my own father. It makes sense, I guess, from their sea-connection or whatever, but it's nice to have that recollection of home."

I held out my hand for the others to see, and Alma peered down at it with a small smile. "I was wondering where that came from," she told me.

"It was my mom's," I said. "She was amazing, and I am glad that I have this piece of her while I'm in a completely different world."

The Elf Lord nodded, leaning forward on his elbows and rested his hands on his mouth in contemplation. "Was there anything else you learned or obtained from Lord Ulmo, Persephone?"

I smirked. "He may have sort of taught me how to control my powers, so yes."

Someone coughed, and as it was coming from my side, I had a feeling it was Aldarian. "What?"

My smile widened. "He knew that I was struggling, and gave me a few tips on how to channel my powers and instead of lashing out, I can contain it. Because I won't be lashing out as much or at all, he also told me that when I choose to use my powers, it will be far stronger as there will be more essence, as he calls it, stored within me. The more I use my powers, the more this essence drains."

Arwen tilted her head. "Like a well?"

I grinned at my friend. "Exactly like a well. I like to think of it as a jar, and when I need to control myself I simply clasp the lid. But it is the same concept, really."

Elrond smiled kindly at me. "I am glad you have found this sense of peace that surrounds you, Persephone."

I nodded to him thankfully. "I also learned something interesting about my powers, which you might find helpful, Lord Elrond." This piqued his interest. "I have been able to heal myself with water for as long as I can remember, but I have never been able to heal others unless it was from the water where they were being hurt."

"Like drowning?" Varis asked. From the terror that riddled her face, I had a feeling she was thinking about a tragedy from her past.

"Yes," I told her. "I have been able to extract the water from one's lungs, on occasion."

Elladan's forehead wrinkled. "Let us hope that is not going to be a normal occurrence."

I let out a laugh. "That is usually what one hopes, yes. But if needed, I can do that. And now… there are a few other things I've learned about healing with my powers- or rather, my essence. I can use my essence to heal others, manipulating the water within one's skin to mend injuries together."

Elrond pursed his lips. "What exactly is this essence you speak of?"

I shrugged. "Lord Ulmo described it as my inner being, like my soul. But it's connected to my powers in such a way of being what contains my connection to water. If I have no essence, I have no connection."

"And therefore no soul?" Alma asked, sounding slightly worried. "That does not sound good."

"Not having my connection to the water sounds worse to me," I told her. "But in all honesty, it is nice to have this explained to me. I've never had someone teach me these things before."

Lord Elrond nodded pleasantly. "As I have said before, I am glad you discovered this-"

The door slammed open, and I jumped in my spot as Elrond's speech was effectively cut short.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Lord Elrond," a voice hurried, and in recognition, I snapped my body back to see a familiar golden-haired warrior standing there in a strikingly calm manner.

However, the hurricane that existed within his eyes told me differently. And they were directed at me.

"I heard that Lady Persephone had been brought back safely. I would like to speak with her in the council chambers if that is alright with you."

I blinked.

Lord Elrond, the little mischievous elf that he is, agreed with Glorfindel's terms. "You may be excused, Persephone."

I turned back to him, and immediately recognized the amused glint in his eye. "What-why?"

"I do believe you owe Lord Glorfindel an apology for your actions, Lady Persephone," the Elf Lord told me. "And as Mithrandir likes to say, there is truly no time like the present."

His sons snickered.

I bit my tongue to keep myself from sticking it out at them, but my glare seemed to suffice.

"Fine."

I got up from my seat, ignored all the eyes following me, and walked out of the room with all the confidence I could manage. Glorfindel held the door for me to exit and let it shut behind us.

He led me over to the council chambers and opened the door for me like a proper gentleman, however, something in his stiff posture told me that was going to be the only thing gentle about what he was planning on doing to me.

Seriously, did Elrond have a death wish for me or something?

The moon properly illuminated the room, as it opened out to the sky in its clearest form. The moon was full this evening, and for some reason, the sound of the waterfall didn't help calm me this time.

"Four days."

I winced. Yep, he was mad.

"Four days, and no word? No warning?"

I turned around to face Glorfindel, who was standing there with his fists clenched and chest heaving. In the moonlight, I could see that his face was flushed and there was a darkness underneath his eyes that I had never seen present in an elf, before.

"I didn't mean-"

"Of course, you did not mean to run away! But you did! Just as you always do!"

I steeled myself, ready for the verbal onslaught I knew would come my way.

"You never stop to think about anyone else other than yourself! Did you know how horrible we all felt once you never came back that first night? The tears that were shed when you never showed up the next? Your friends, my friends, were beside themselves worried for you!"

I clenched my teeth together to the point of my jaw straining and my gums jarring from the effort. I had to let him get this out, or it was going to be kept in until later. And then, it would only be a longer period of time. Yep. Just let it go, just this time.

"You are such a coward, Persephone! You left, and you never came back? Would you have come back if Elrohir had not found you?"

I blinked. Okay, hadn't we gone over this before?

"I cannot understand why I was so worried about you in the first place! It is not as if you deserve such worry after the stunts you have pulled! I should not have been surprised that you ran away yet again-"

Just let it go, let it run over you like that waterfall.

"I am so mad at you, Persephone! No, wait- I am not just mad, I am disappointed. I am so disappointed in the way you have treated us, your friends, by letting us fall to the side while you run off to wallow in your sorrows!"

Let it run off just like drying yourself after the river…

"I find myself wishing I had never befriended you, this would be so much easier-"

Woah, okay, now he's done it.

"Oh, shut up Goldfish!"

His mouth snapped shut, but a look of anger flashed brightly in his eyes.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, so I suggest you wait for an explanation before you decide to end this friendship and damage it before you even know what really happened!"

Glorfindel crossed his arms defiantly. "Tell me, then."

I debated not explaining to him what happened, but then I would be the asshole that he thought I was. Nope. I was not the asshole in this situation, he was, and it's about time he discovered it.

"Besides the fact that you don't trust me out on the battlefield, you also don't trust me as a friend. I get it. But Lord Ulmo actually whisked me away to help train me and teach me how to use my powers, you nincompoop. If you had waited, maybe even just a minute before freaking out at me, I would have told you!"

He rolled his eyes. "Then why were you gone for four days?"

"I didn't know it was four days, dumbass! I thought it was less than one!"

His hands flung up in the air. "How was I supposed to know that?"

"Maybe listen to me once and a while, Goldilocks, it might save you a headache!"

"Listening to you usually gives me a headache, so I will pass, Persephone!"

I groaned. "This is going nowhere. You obviously don't trust me-"

"That is not true!"

"You literally just told me you don't trust me!"

He raked a hand through his hair with a huff. "I am very sure those words never crossed my lips, Persephone. You only insinuated such a thing!"

"Well with how you've been treating me, it's not a hard conclusion to come to!"

"I care about you, can you not understand that? I care about your health, your safety, and if you are the one who is standing in the way of that, what else would you have me do? You should not be in the line of duty if you are already hurting yourself mentally! That makes you a danger to yourself and others. How could I, as someone who cares deeply for you, ever condone such a thing?"

I paused. "What does that have to do with this?"

"You think I do not trust you because you keep running away from your problems and choose to not face the battle raging inside of you, Persephone. It is not a matter of a lack of trust, it is a matter of me not wanting to hound you with other battles while you are still waging one within yourself."

"That is stupid. I'm not battling myself-"

"Then why would Lord Ulmo think it important to help you find control with your powers?"

I scoffed. "Maybe he actually trusts me to use them, unlike you!"

A hand went to his forehead. "Obviously you are not understanding what I am trying to tell you, Nemir. I do not want you to be hurt, so you must be able to confront your inner demons before you can be able to confront the demons that lurk outside of you, too."

I scowled. "Why do you insist on holding me back?"

His hand dropped to his side. "Because I care about you! Have you no clue of my feelings?"

I scoffed. "You're certainly making them blatantly clear!"

Glorfindel shook his head, and his anger depleted from him in waves. "I know not what to tell you, Persephone."

"Then don't, because this conversation is over." I stomped toward the door, retching it open with unneeded force. "Maybe if you come to your senses we will talk again."

He let out a groan. "Can you not see? You are running away again! Why am I even surprised?"

I let out a harsh laugh. "Oh shut up, Lord Glorfindel. And do have a good night."

"Just remember I am not the one running away!"

I rolled my eyes and slammed the door behind me, before walking stubbornly to my chambers. I needed to go to sleep. That sounded a lot better than dealing with being awake, anyway.

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-Ally Layne