Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.
Author's Note: One year ago today my friends I started writing this story, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of my readers that has made this story a success. Whether you were there waiting for updates since chapter 1 or you are just now finding this story -you all are awesome and it's because of you guys that I keep on writing. So thank you so much for reading.
Chapter 43: Tomorrow
Standing on the grassy banks of the river, the dark haired elleth had watched the Fellowship pack their meager belongings into the boats provided by the realm's hosts, early morning mists dancing circles between the flurry of movement along the water's edge. The whole company seemed in better spirits, if only slightly, compared to when Ani had stumbled upon them a few weeks ago. That being said, one only had to make eye contact with Frodo to see that the death of his good friend still hung heavy on his heart. Time would eventually heal him, if the old sayings were to be believed, then all Frodo would need was time. But while there was a Dark Lord in Mordor trying to take over the world, everyone alive right now was on borrowed time…and everyone was aware of it.
Anita wanted to be of help somehow, but helping to load the boats felt like she was threatening the masculinity of the Men. So she stood by helplessly, watching the flurry of movement as the group got ready to depart. Galadriel and Celeborn had come bearing gifts for the Fellowship to help them along their way. Daggers, bows, even some rope were among the gifts given before Galadriel bid the company farewell and safe journey. Ani only wished she could be that eloquent. With things between her and Legolas being understandably awkward after his impromptu marriage proposal that morning , the girl found herself quite speechless and not for the first time in her life.
Not that an abundance of words would have saved her in the first place. Of all the things that Anita had little or no talent for, goodbyes definitely ranked somewhere near the top of the list. Parting ways with someone for an indefinite period of time usually meant overly emotional or sappy speeches…and it was during those particular moments that Ani's sarcastic and often inappropriate sense of humor made a guest appearance. She wished she had the ability to give grand speeches about love being stronger than the miles between them or how she would be here waiting for Legolas when he got back, even an inspirational bit of rhetoric meant to encourage him in the most dangerous times of his travels, hell even just telling him to stay safe. Instead the only thing that had come to mind was to say "Give 'em hell", after which Ani had to resist the urge to smack him on the ass as he walked away.
Climbing into the boat, Legolas had paused to send one last longing look in Anita's direction, where she stood upon the bank with her arms tightly wrapped around herself to fend off the non-existent cold. Silently they stared at each other; Legolas wishing he could stay behind with her, while Anita wished she could go with him, knowing that in either case it would never be allowed to happen. Instead Ani gave a half-hearted smile as she raised a hand to wave at him. Legolas didn't acknowledge it, he simply took his position as the oarsman of the boat and steered the boat through the currant using his powerful upper body. The elleth didn't take it personally, she understood that Legolas had to be strong now, that he had to steel himself against his emotional attachment to her and focus on the task at hand.
Anita remained on the shore watching the three boats until they had drifted out of sight. Come back to me, it was the only quiet prayer she allowed her heart to make as fear for what lay ahead for the Fellowship filled her heart. It wasn't her problem anymore. Legolas had gone, and soon her own escort would arrive to take her back where she belonged, sheltered behind the high walls of Rivendell and under the protective eyes of her father. In her own mind it was like committing a betrayal; that a group of nine volunteers have to brave the worst evils in the world and battle for her very freedom, while she sat safely at home far removed from fights to come. Ani had never known such a complete feeling of uselessness , waiting around for someone else to save her. A hand coming to gently rest on her shoulder brought her out of her dark thoughts with a slight start. Turning around, Ani found that the hand belonged to none other than the Lord of the realm himself, Celeborn.
"My lord?" Ani didn't mind Celeborn one bit, since he didn't creep her out nearly as much as Galadriel did. The elleth didn't know if Celeborn could read minds too, but since he hadn't done it blatantly to freak her out , he still ranked as less freakish than the Lady of the Golden Wood did.
"Saying goodbye to a loved one feels a bit like part of our own heart has died does it not?" His dark and wise gaze traveled from her youthful face off to the direction that the boat had disappeared. Anita didn't answer him, she got the feeling he wasn't seeking an answer to his question so much as trying to get a reaction out of her by saying 'loved one'. Whether that was the case or not the dark haired elf pursed her lips and chose not to respond. After a short paused had passed following his questions without response, Celeborn continued with what Ani assumed was his original intent on coming to see her. "Seeing as how there is naught for you to do now but wait for your father's reply to your letter, I felt I would offer you the invitation to come and dine with Lady Galdriel and I if ever you feel the desire for company."
Anita pushed the most genuine feeling smile onto her face that she could muster. " That is indeed a very kind offer of you. I shall be sure to come and visit with you before my time in Lorien comes to a close." Like hell. There was no way on this earth that Ani was going to willingly occupy a small room with Galadriel. Nope. Taking meals in her room may have been the far lonelier prospect, but at least it meant no one would be poking around inside her mind mucking about in her personal life. Good lord if Galadriel even caught a hint of what had happened between herself and the Prince of Mirkwood within the last twelve hours she was sure that was a crucifixion in her immediate future. Valar forbid she pass that information along to her father Elladan. Even though Ani and her father were on better terms with each other, and Elladan had explained the reasoning behind his behavior, it didn't mean he was any more on board with Ani and Legolas being together. The girl certainly didn't want to risk anything by broadcasting thoughts about what had transpired between her and Legolas to someone that could easily pick the words and images straight from her brain.
With the Fellowship having left, Ani was left to feel glum and alone in a foreign land. The people of Lorien were nice and accommodating, but it wasn't home, and she was sorely missing her twin right now. As the day wore on dark thoughts started to cloud the girl's mind, having nothing but time now to sit around and stew in her own mind. All the things she had learned about Mordor and Sauron before leaving her home slowly started to trickle back into the forefront of her memory. The nasty creatures that the Dark Lord commanded, the impossible landscape that the Fellowship was going to have to travel across, not to mention the dark magic that every second was oozing from that little golden bauble. It didn't take long before every horrible scenario where something could go wrong began to cloud Ani's mind. Sinking down to sit in the tall grass that decorated the banks of the river, the world around her fell away to dim background noise as her grim imagination took over.
In her high school she he taken a class that specifically talked about the worst dictators and tyrants; Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, Vlad the Impaler… and she could remember distinctly thinking how lucky she was not to have survived their rule. But what if the Fellowship failed? What happened if Sauron got his Ring back? What horrifying nightmarish punishment would he dole out on Middle Earth as vengeance for his three thousand year imprisonment? The thought sent a cold shiver through out Anita's body. She sat there for hours, the grass tickling the exposed skin of her arm where the dress sleeve stopped. In her short twenty five years, the girl had never done very much worrying for the future, she had always been a roll with the punches kind of person. But if Sauron managed to regain full power, it would be more than a punch she would have to roll with. Surely she couldn't be the only one to have thought this? Anita was far from the smartest person that she knew, others must have come to the same conclusion that she had. But if others that figured out the true dangers of Sauron's return, then where was the army to barge through the Black Gate? Why was there only a handful of brave men going to destroy the Ring?
Hours passed as Ani remained shut into her own thoughts, following the dark spiral down into fear and despair that waited at the end of the path. The more she thought about Sauron and the Quest, the more fearful she became, fearful and agitated. Where was everyone else? What was everyone else doing that was so important they couldn't stand against the greatest evil in the world? A sharp gust of wind finally broke the dark haired elleth from her troubled thoughts and drew her attention to the tightly woven tree canopy overhead. While she had been involved in her own mind, the sun had climbed high into the sky and the day was certainly more than half over. The gust of wind that had nearly knocked the girl off balance was followed by another, and then another in repeated succession . As the elleth focused, the rhythmic sound of wings beating could be heard over the rustling tree leaves. Her eyes still focused upward toward the sky, Anita abandoned her seat in the tall grass and followed the sound of wings. Whatever was making that sound had to be massive she realized, to create that kind of wind and sound, it would have to be enormous. Curiosity and concern melded together in one driving force as she jogged through the winding forest paths, desperately trying to keep up with the phantom sound that she followed blindly.
As she ran, Ani soon came to the conclusion that whatever was flying overhead was headed in the direction of Caras Galadhon. There weren't too many clearings in the forest where the tree line broke to reveal the sky above, but Anita knew of one for sure….and it happened to be in Lady Galadriel's private garden area, where according to Gimli the Lady of the Wood practiced her black magic. With a destination now in mind, Ani was no longer following along the sound blindly, and she began to run at a full tilt in the direction of the garden. As she hurried along the forest floor, she became acutely aware of other elves, guards, running along-side her using the hidden paths woven into the tree branches. The closer they got to their destination, the more guards joined.
Anita pulled up short, just shy of the tree line that would break to reveal the hidden garden, where she knew she damn well didn't belong. As she timidly walked forward, the sound of wings grew to a crescendo that blocked out all other sounds around her, the wind spinning little tornadoes of leaves, sticks, and dirt blew every direction. Lifting a foot slowly, Ani meant to step fully into the clearing when a hand gripped her arm tightly and yanked her back hard. She barely caught her balance as she was harshly pulled behind a tree and pushed against the trunk.
"Stay here." Haldir said firmly, releasing his grip on her arm to draw an arrow from his quiver and notch his bow. With a small jerk of his head, he signaled the other guards nearby, and as a group they slowly advanced into the clearing, leaving Anita hidden behind a tree. Peeking around the curve of the trunk, the girl was able to catch a glimpse into the clearing as the biggest brown eagle she had ever seen in her life descended between the trees. Anita's mouth hung agape at the sight of the massive bird, which was easily the same size as prop plane. The eagle descended and hovered a few feet off the ground, where it dropped an item before ascending back beyond her line of sight. AS the sound of wings slowly faded and the winds died down, Ani stepped out from behind the tree to see what had been left behind by the eagle. The guards had already moved to occupy the clearing, moving towards the thing on the ground with trepidation in their steps. As Anita came through the tree line, she could easily tell just as the other Elves could that it was a body that the eagle had left on the ground. The body was entirely naked and barely moving except the minute rise and fall of a breathing chest. There was a mess of white hair and a long beard that grew from underneath a large nose…a nose that seemed oddly familiar to Anita as she drew close.
"Holy Shitballs." She quietly exclaimed as recognition hit her. She leapt forward , ignoring Haldir's angry cry for her to get back where she belonged. She knelt down beside the naked form and put a hand on his chest to feel the contractions of his heart before putting an ear near his mouth to feel his breath against the sensitive skin of her ear. "Gandalf…?" She kept her voice quiet as she stared at his face waiting for any movement.
Haldir turned to his guards and ordered two of them to go and fetch Galadriel. Slinging his bow back over his shoulder and placing the arrow back in its quiver, the Marchwarden came to kneel beside Anita. " He's alive Haldir." She whispered excitedly, a sense of awe and disbelief covered her face. "He's barely alive, but he is still alive." Haldir removed his sage green cloak and covered the wizard's body with it. Anita continued to watch the wizards face, looking for any signs of his waking, but if she were being honest….he looked like death. His skin was pale and sallow, dark circles formed under his eyes and his hollowed cheekbones, his lips were white. The guards that had vanished under Haldir's command hastily returned to the clearing with Galadriel in tow, an equally shocked expression on her faces when she recognized Gandalf laying on the ground.
"Quickly, bring him to the house." Galadirel gestured to the guards, and without hesitation, four guards stepped forward and lifted the wizard's limp form out of the dirt and followed behind the Lady of the Wood as quickly as they could while remaining careful. Anita followed behind the bizarre procession as they left the garden and began the climb up the long winding staircase to where Lady Galadriel led them to the house. She entered the house with the guards carrying Gandalf behind her, but a hand stopped Anita before she could follow them in. For the second time in a matter of minutes, Anita looked up into Haldir's face seeking answers as to why he had stopped her.
"Lady Galadriel will need time and quiet if she is to help Mithrandir survive. Perhaps it is best if you wait until she sends word to you." Ani opened her mouth to argue with him, but snapped it back shut when she understood that Haldir was right. Leila was the one who had studied healing under their grandfather's tutelage, what good was Ani in a healing situation? Dejected, the young elleth sat down on the steps leading up to the house, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. The Marchwarden gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder before he descended the stairs to return to his duties. Anita remained there on the steps as day slowly descended into night, the little bit of light that filtered through the leaves turning from gold to misty blue, and then grey before the lanterns strewn throughout the trees lit themselves simultaneously. She watched as pages ran up and down the steps, some returning with water, others with clean cloth, and others still with varying items from the garden, not one sparing a glance in her direction.
As time dragged on, the girl began fidgeting on the steps; making clicking noise with her tongue, picking at her cuticles, drawing patterns on the steps with the toe of her boot, anything to make the time feel like it was passing faster. Sometime late during the night, she leaned back against the hand rail that led upward along the staircase and closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, she didn't even remember feeling all that tired when she had rested her eyes. But when she opened her eyes again, morning had come and she found herself resting on a chaise inside of Celeborn and Galadriel's home. Sitting up quickly, she understood that someone must have seen her out on the steps last night and brought her in here. Glancing around to get her bearings, it appeared she had been moved into a sitting room of sorts as the only furniture in the small space was for leisure or lounging. Standing, she straightened her dress before exiting the room to seek out her hosts.
Thankfully, the lord and lady of Lothlorien had more reasonably sized housing than her own family did back in Rivendell, and it was not hard to find her way to the dining room which was already occupied. Galadriel and Celeborn sat at the round table with Gandalf, who was wrapped in a robe and slowly eating a bowl of broth. Anita was so overjoyed to see the wizard looking better, which was to say less dead, that she nearly pounced on him from joy. The only thing that stayed her excitement was a stern look from Celeborn as he raised a hand that clearly told her to calm herself. Slowly she stepped forward to address the wizard. "Mithrandir?" Her voice was just above a whisper. The old wizard paused his repetition of bringing a spoonful of the hot liquid to his mouth and turned to look at her, only the barest glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "What happened?"
"My task is not yet done," His voice was hoarse and cracking, "I was sent back to complete it."
"You mean the Ring?" Ani sat at one of the open chairs at the table next to Galadriel. "The Fellowship left yesterday, heading south on the river, with a little luck and a strong horse you could meet them in Parth Galen." There was a pause that followed her statement as Galadriel and Celeborn exchanged a look that didn't go unnoticed by the dark haired elleth.
"There are other evils that plague Middle Earth that must be dealt with if Frodo has any hope to succeed." Gandalf turned his attention back to his bowl of broth, and Ani swore that with every spoonful the wizard was looking more lively. She sat back in the chair as she contemplated the old man's words. Other evils? What more could possibly go wrong?
"You mean to go and fight these 'other evils'?" Gandalf nodded in response to her question. "Great, well while you are off fighting these other evils and the Fellowship is off to destroy Sauron I'll just hang out here and wait for someone else to save this world." The snide comment wasn't directed at any one person, it was more a venting of the girl's frustration that she was unable to offer any help. Her seething frustration must have been apparent to everyone around her as the wizard set down his spoon and leaned forward to give her an intense stare.
"Everyone will be called upon in due time to stand against the darkness. Even you child, will be called upon to fight the evils of this world. The blackness cannot be held at bay by a select few, it must be subdued by the strength of all peoples. And when the time comes, when opportunity arises, you must offer your sword in defense of this world, you must stand and fight. Or surely this world will be lost to the darkness."
Tomorrow- Avril Lavigne