~*~* A/N: All right, I'm pretending I'm De (pixiegal) and writing in school. :-D One of the last chapters - enjoy! *~*~
Imgaeriel backed away quickly, falling backwards over her feet.
"Please!" she exclaimed, raising her hands over her face. "Take pity upon me, I was but following orders!" It was only the mercy in the hearts of Annifrid and Rinatarien that allowed her to stand.
"If I ever see you again," warned Annifrid with a sneer, "I shall not be so merciful." She and Rinatarien turned away, Rinatarien grumbling underneath her breath. If only her heart was not so guilty already, she would have killed that wretched guard Imgaeriel without a thought. As she and Annifrid walked away, toward the center of the city and the center of the fighting, Imgaeriel straightened, unsheathing a knife.
Ringathradiel ran, back in the direction of the center of the city, but was stopped in her path. Galenavarien, tall and wise, stood before her, a strange expression upon her face.
"So this is the human that has destroyed the Luinalation," she said sadly, and Ringathradiel felt herself being drawn to the wise, old elf.
"Yes," she replied, looking down. Never had she seen Galenavarien, and Ringathradiel was in awe of her elven wisdom and beauty.
"So be it," the elf spoke, her voice both loud and soft, all at once. "The time of my people dwindles; how strange, that a race immortal must succomb to the trials of time."
"What shall happen?" asked Ringathradiel, almost in a whisper.
"The time of humans fast approaches. The elves will remain no longer in this world."
"Did I cause this all?"
"Silly mortal," Galenavarien laughed bitterly. "You have caused nothing but for me to realize the inevitable. How typical of a human girl to believe she's caused a revolution. This all would have happened without you, if you had not been here."
"What will you do?"
"Unlike Minyalonnwen, I see my fate. I will go into the West."
Imgaeriel leapt at Rinatarien, knocking her to the ground. Annifrid quickly kicked her off, cleaving her with her sword. With a grunt, she pulled her blade from the guard's body, and turned to Rinatarien.
There she lay, holding her chest, a look of utter shock and immense pain upon her face. Blood cascaded like a red fountain from a large wound, inflicted by Imgaeriel's knife.
"Rinatarien," said Annifrid softly, dropping to her knees beside her fallen comrade. Rinatarien looked up at her, eyelids fluttering, the realization finally setting in that, despite all of her efforts, she would not live to see the revolution's end.
Ringathradiel watched, still amazed, as Galenavarien walked off, her feet silent upon the path. She watched for a long time after the elf had gone and then, stirring herself from her reverie, she turned back toward the city, breaking fast into a run.
Rinatarien grunted as Annifrid sat her up, placing the handle of her sword in her hand.
"You were a brave warrior, noble and true," Annifrid said, holding her friend's hand, as her grasp became weaker and weaker.
"Tell Ringathradiel... tell her, I love her."
"Oh, no," came the voice from behind them, and Annifrid half-turned. Ringathradiel knelt beside her, looking down upon Rinatarien.
"My dear friend," Ringathradiel said, sadness and grief dripping fromher words. Rinatarien stopped moving then, her eyes frozen.
"I'm sorry," Annifrid whispered, looking down.
"Who did this?" asked Ringathradiel, and Annifrid gestured to Imgaeriel's fallen form.
"Oh Rinatarien," said Ringathradiel, taking her best friend's hand. "You gave me hope when all was lost. You were the only friend I had left."
Annifrid looked away, unable to watch such a heart-wrenching scene.
"Rinatarien. I'm going to miss you. Damn this all!" Ringathradiel cried, her voice heightened with anger, at the unfairness of this all.
"My sister, my best of friends. May the Valar cry your name, for it is a holy one. You are the greatest person I've ever known. Rinatarien. I love you, friend."
~*~* A/N: *sniffle* ~*~
Imgaeriel backed away quickly, falling backwards over her feet.
"Please!" she exclaimed, raising her hands over her face. "Take pity upon me, I was but following orders!" It was only the mercy in the hearts of Annifrid and Rinatarien that allowed her to stand.
"If I ever see you again," warned Annifrid with a sneer, "I shall not be so merciful." She and Rinatarien turned away, Rinatarien grumbling underneath her breath. If only her heart was not so guilty already, she would have killed that wretched guard Imgaeriel without a thought. As she and Annifrid walked away, toward the center of the city and the center of the fighting, Imgaeriel straightened, unsheathing a knife.
Ringathradiel ran, back in the direction of the center of the city, but was stopped in her path. Galenavarien, tall and wise, stood before her, a strange expression upon her face.
"So this is the human that has destroyed the Luinalation," she said sadly, and Ringathradiel felt herself being drawn to the wise, old elf.
"Yes," she replied, looking down. Never had she seen Galenavarien, and Ringathradiel was in awe of her elven wisdom and beauty.
"So be it," the elf spoke, her voice both loud and soft, all at once. "The time of my people dwindles; how strange, that a race immortal must succomb to the trials of time."
"What shall happen?" asked Ringathradiel, almost in a whisper.
"The time of humans fast approaches. The elves will remain no longer in this world."
"Did I cause this all?"
"Silly mortal," Galenavarien laughed bitterly. "You have caused nothing but for me to realize the inevitable. How typical of a human girl to believe she's caused a revolution. This all would have happened without you, if you had not been here."
"What will you do?"
"Unlike Minyalonnwen, I see my fate. I will go into the West."
Imgaeriel leapt at Rinatarien, knocking her to the ground. Annifrid quickly kicked her off, cleaving her with her sword. With a grunt, she pulled her blade from the guard's body, and turned to Rinatarien.
There she lay, holding her chest, a look of utter shock and immense pain upon her face. Blood cascaded like a red fountain from a large wound, inflicted by Imgaeriel's knife.
"Rinatarien," said Annifrid softly, dropping to her knees beside her fallen comrade. Rinatarien looked up at her, eyelids fluttering, the realization finally setting in that, despite all of her efforts, she would not live to see the revolution's end.
Ringathradiel watched, still amazed, as Galenavarien walked off, her feet silent upon the path. She watched for a long time after the elf had gone and then, stirring herself from her reverie, she turned back toward the city, breaking fast into a run.
Rinatarien grunted as Annifrid sat her up, placing the handle of her sword in her hand.
"You were a brave warrior, noble and true," Annifrid said, holding her friend's hand, as her grasp became weaker and weaker.
"Tell Ringathradiel... tell her, I love her."
"Oh, no," came the voice from behind them, and Annifrid half-turned. Ringathradiel knelt beside her, looking down upon Rinatarien.
"My dear friend," Ringathradiel said, sadness and grief dripping fromher words. Rinatarien stopped moving then, her eyes frozen.
"I'm sorry," Annifrid whispered, looking down.
"Who did this?" asked Ringathradiel, and Annifrid gestured to Imgaeriel's fallen form.
"Oh Rinatarien," said Ringathradiel, taking her best friend's hand. "You gave me hope when all was lost. You were the only friend I had left."
Annifrid looked away, unable to watch such a heart-wrenching scene.
"Rinatarien. I'm going to miss you. Damn this all!" Ringathradiel cried, her voice heightened with anger, at the unfairness of this all.
"My sister, my best of friends. May the Valar cry your name, for it is a holy one. You are the greatest person I've ever known. Rinatarien. I love you, friend."
~*~* A/N: *sniffle* ~*~