Sing upon the Stars

By K-chan^-^

A/n: I'd  like to thank all the people who gave me nice reviews your support is appreciated ^-^  To the one flamer, if you don't like "Mary-Sues" don't read them.  By your definition my character isn't even a Mary-Sue yet ...  Oh I do have a Beta reader, his comps just out of wack..chaps , 2 and now 3 are edited.. four isn't too bad I don't think.. I hope…I edited chapter 3

Chapter 4 And so it begins

Ilayndra rechecked the packs that were fastened to the horse's back again, all seemed to be in order.  The horse, she observed was obviously not of Elfin breed, nor of Rohan.  It was somewhat thin and scraggily looking.  Its eyes were dull, yet something told her that the horse had seen more than what she thought.  She shrugged and put her trust into whoever had picked the beast of burden.  Her keen elf hearing picked up the sound of approaching footsteps.  She ignored them for the moment, and bent down to make sure everything was in order with her own luggage.  The footsteps stopped behind her.  "Boy, you should not be playing with those packs."  Aragorn's voice, spoke from behind her.

Stopping what she was doing, Ilayndra clenched her fists, stood and turned to face the newly arrived company; all were present but Gandalf and Boromir.

They stared.  The elf that now stood in front of them was no boy.  As she turned around her sharp grey eyes narrowed in annoyance.  They noticed that it was in fact a girl.  From behind they thought her a boy, her hair ended just above the base of her neck.  It was the color of a chestnut shell, deep brown with hints of red.  What was intriguing was that streaks of gold interspersed themselves through out her hair.  Bangs brushed her forehead.  The silver headband was still in place, as was the choker.  Her outer tunic was a deep russet color and clung to her body, showing most of the contours that women contained.  A silver under tunic could be seen at the opening of the over tunic.  Her legs were covered with pants the same color as the tunic that brushed to mid thigh; they too were tight.  A belt was secured at her waist, the buckle a silver moon shape and strapped to her left side was a dagger sheath; the handle was carved with ornate dragons.  Another dagger was tucked neatly in the top of her right boot.   Her boots ended mid calf and were tight tightly in front.  Behind her a pack sat neatly beside the horse, a delicately carved bow was propped up against it; the quiver lay beside.  She looked at them with a raised eyebrow, "excuse me?"

Aragorn coughed uncomfortably, not sure how to reply.  He was saved from a reply as Boromir approached the shocked group.  "Did I interrupt something?" he asked with amusement, taking in the shocked faces of the fellowship.  His eyes landed on Lana, and an eyebrow quirked.

She rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively.  Turning back around she crouched down and continued her inspection of the gear.  Aragorn grunted and dropped his pack to do the same, motioning everyone to check one last time.  Boromir chuckled and said nothing more.  

Soon after Gandalf and Elrond joined them.  The fellowship was lined up, a large bundle strapped to their backs.  Each of the hobbits carried short swords at their sides.  Andúril hung from Aragorn's belt, shadowed by his cloak.  Boromir was armed with a long sword strapped to his waist, and a large buckler attached to his arm. Gimli carried his faithful battleaxe and Gandalf his warped staff, with a sword hidden beneath his cloak.  The two elves both had a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped on along with their packs.  Legolas carried a long white dagger on his belt.  Elrond studied the company closely, were they ready?  No one knew.  He eyed Ilayndra for a moment, was sending her wise?  He almost smiled; no one could stop her when she chose to go.  Frodo looked resigned, he had chosen to bear the ring, would he succeed?  So many questions, with no answers.  "Good luck my friends.  Remember if any of you should choose to leave the fellowship and come back here, no one will look at you as any less.  They nodded their heads somberly.  Aragorn stepped away and nodded to the wise elf, then motioned for everyone to follow him.  With one last look at the beautiful Rivendell, the company departed.

They had been plodding along for the better part of the night, no one said a word.  In truth no one knew what to say, so they continued on through the dark weary of any sound around them.  Ilayndra let her eyes wander from the back of Legolas' head, who was traveling farther ahead.  The four hobbits were between them.  Her eyes caught nothing out of the ordinary, just bare trees and struggling bushes.  Shrugging faintly she returned her eyes to the back of the blonds head.  "You cut your hair."  The person that had just fell into step beside her said quietly.

Glancing beside her, Ilayndra smiled a bit.  "Yes I did."

"May I ask why?"

She grinned, and mock pouted.  "What's the matter sir?  Do you not like my new hair style?"

The man chuckled and shifted his buckler to his other arm.  "That is not it at all my lady, I am merely curious as to why a lady with such beautiful hair would cut it off so that she looks like a boy."

"A boy!"

Both started to laugh quietly, gaining strange looks from the rest of the fellowship, they didn't see what was so funny.  They sobered quickly, with nothing more than faint smiled reminding them of their mirth.  "Seriously though, why did you cut it?  In mourning?"

Lana sighed, the painful memories flooded back to her.  "No.  I just… well it's more of a convenience thing.  I really never liked long hair."

Boromir smiled.  "Your hair was past your waist, yet you say you did not like long hair?"

She grimaced and snorted.  "That was only because my father made me.  Before I left I cut it off, mother found it amusing, father did not."

"I can imagine.  What a trouble maker you are Lana." Boromir teased lightly.

Once again Ilayndra snorted and decided to ignore him.  Boromir caught the act and smiled, he liked this elf, one of the few he did.  They were so stuck up and high on themselves.

Suddenly Gandalf, who was leading the company, stopped and signaled a halt.  "It is approaching dawn.  We will stop here for the day, who will take first watch?" he said turning.

Aragorn volunteered and set up a place at the edge of the group.  Ilayndra dropped her pack with a loud thump and unrolled her blanket.  She was tired.  Plopping herself down she sighed and rolled her aching shoulders.  Never when she traveled did she bring so much stuff.  "Your shoulders are sore?  I thought you traveled all the time." A voice quipped from behind her. 

She looked over her shoulder to the person who was setting up their bedding not to far from hers.  "Hn, when I usually travel I do not pack for ten.  You should know, elves pack no more than bare minimum."

The other elf smiled.  "True, I suppose there was some need to pack more on this trip, you carry the medical supplies do you not?"

Ilayndra turned her body so that she was facing Legolas and brought up her knees, propping her arms up on them, then her chin on her arms.  "Some, for I do not need many.  I carry food, water and tools.  The tools are the heaviest."

He studied her for a moment.  Her grey eyes showed evidence of weariness, but still sparkled with life.  He was about to ask if he could lighten her load but decided against it, he knew enough to know that she might take offense to his suggestion, instead he changed the subject.  "How do you know Boromir?"

The question caught her by surprise.  She looked up at him startled, taking in his kind blue eyes and the blond hair that framed his face.  She smiled.  "I have not known him long, two years maybe.  I fought with him in the battle of Minas Tirith."

Legolas was surprised; she had fought in the white city?  "You fought for the men of Gondor?"

She nodded.  "Yes.  Gondor is our closest ally, they had come to our aid many times, so my father felt we should return the same favour."

"And he sent you?  I understand that someone must be there to represent the royal house, but why did your father not send one of your brothers or a high court guard?"  Legolas frowned in confusion.  If she had been his sister, his father would have never let her go.

Ilayndra shook her head; he didn't know Anórien very well did he?  "You never spent much time in the company of my brothers did you?"

He shook his head.  "No, I have been to Anórien on very few occasions, and then it was very many years ago."

"My brothers were not very battle inclined.  Fírien hated weapons and training, he thought that there was a way out of every situation with out using force, a trait he got from mother.  Lórion never cared for the training.  He did not mind the fighting, but he disliked having to spend hours honing his techniques.  He was a strategist, preferring to sit in a library and read rather than train.  Father allowed them to do as they please, he did not care if they chose not to be warriors for he himself was not much of a fighter.  I was the youngest in my family, my brothers older than me by two hundred and a thousand years, Lórion was just about your age I suppose."  She explained to the confused elf.

His frown lightened a bit but did not disappear, a new question emerged.  "I see.  How do you know how old I am?"

"You know my age am I correct?"

"Yes."

She smiled. "You well know that elves born of high birth know the family history of all the other noble families in Middle Earth.  I am no different.  Even though Anórien was the last High Elfin settlements here, we knew all the family history of the Grey Elves as well."

"I see."  How could he have forgotten?  He should have known she would have been schooled in history. 

Yawning a bit Ilayndra stretched.  "I suppose we should get some sleep we have a long journey ahead of us."

Nodding in agreement, Legolas lay down on his bedroll and closed his eyes.  Ilayndra turned around to settle herself on her blanket.  She caught sight of Boromir, who had set up his bedroll almost directly beside hers with out her realizing it.  She chuckled a bit at the thought of sleeping between two men; her father would have had a fit.  Yawning again she stretched out and fell asleep.

Darkness ensnared her.  It reached out with its wraith like hands and tugged at her clothing and arms threading itself through her hair.  It was not a normal darkness.  It was a substance, not quite liquid, not quite gas.  She breathed in and coughed, it was smothering.  Where was she?  The black continued to tug her, urging her forward into the surrounding darkness.  Dark voices whispered to her in a language she did not understand, some form of Elfish.  They seemed to wrap themselves around her face just as the cloud was now wrapping itself around her body, trapping her arms at her side.  The fog around her started to clear, and a small amount filtered through.  The scene around her began to shift.  The dark fog cleared, save what was holding her, and she found herself to be floating high above a vast and gloomy land.  Far below on the ground large craters could be seen.  Mountains and crags jutted out everywhere, murky smoke drifting up from of the highest peaks.  Black swamps were scattered across the vast land.  Fiery lava flowed like rivers between the mountains and craters, churning and bubbling its way over anything that stood in its path.  Directly below her stood an enormous castle.  It loomed in shadows as if to signify what horrors it contained inside.  Taking in all of the details around her, Ilayndra realized that she was in Mordor.  As soon as she had made this realization, the black fog swirled around her once more.  When it cleared she found herself in what seemed like a dungeon.  Rotting corpses and skeletons lay strewn everywhere.  Half alive Orc, goblins, dwarves and to her horror elves where chained up against the various walls.  She gasped in horror, nausea swept over her in a wave.  Panic overwhelmed her senses.  The suffering of her kindred seemed to scream at her to help them.  Ilayndra tried to cover her ears, but her arms were still pinned to her sides.  Tears made their way out of the corners of her eyes flowed down her cheeks.  Squeezing her eyes together she willed away the pain and suffering, wishing with everything in her that she was anywhere but where she was at the moment.  Her wish was granted, and she felt the fog swirl around her.  Opening her eyes again she found herself in an ornate, but dark thrown room.  In front of her a thrown stood menacingly, guarded by huge gargoyles made of stone that was darker than midnight.  They eyes seemed to be watching her intently.  Immense pillars lined the great hall, casting shadows upon everything.  They were carved with symbols and runes, in a tongue she could not read.  Then suddenly was as if she was free.  The swirling black fog no longer held her arms to her side, but before she could move a large arm snaked its way around her shoulders from behind.  It's metal glove with the clawed fingers slid across her collarbone and caused her to shiver.  Her body froze in panic and she tired to move away, but the arm tightened until she was pulled up against a broad, metal plated chest.  Whimpering a bit she tried once more to pull away.  The man that clutched her let out an evil chuckle, a sound that sent shivers up Ilayndra's spine.  "Le-let me go…" she squeaked quietly.

The chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh.  The sound was sinister.  Suddenly the sound stopped.  Ilayndra could feel hot breath on the back of her neck, and fanning over her ear.  "Nîn bereth le na." A voice hissed into her ear. 

She screamed.

Well thers Chapter 4.. I hope you like it =)