A/N: Okay, I know this story has been rather dark and sad so far, but it starts to cheer up next chapter, promise. Thank you to all who have followed this story, and it is now drawing towards its close. There are only about five more chapters, maybe less, so the action will speed up a bit, too. Also, a small note, I said 3017 last chapter, but the Shire Reckoning was 1417, sorry about that!**ArwenStar**
~*Love Never Loses Hope*~
Chapter 10: Truth and Waiting
Luingil watched Strider as he sat beside their small fire. They were still a few days journey from Mirkwood, and Gollum was more or less behaving. Luingil smiled in spite of himself as he looked at the Ranger. He, an Elf, had been raised by the Rangers, and Strider, a Man, had been raised by Elves. Someone somewhere must be having a laugh about that, he thought with a wry grin.
Stretching out, Luingil settled against a rock. "You may ask," the Elf said easily.
Strider started and looked at him. "Ask what?"
"Whatever question you have been wanting to ask for the past few days but have been afraid to ask," Luingil replied with a smile.
Strider laughed and shook his head. "You may have been raised by Men, but your senses are still those of Elves," he said with a grin. "However, I do not know if I should ask."
"What did I just say?" Luingil replied with a lazy smile.
Still Strider hesitated, looking at the fire rather than his companion. Finally he asked, "Is Shadow your sister?"
Luingil looked at the Ranger, not bothering to hide his surprise. "Yes, she is my sister. How did you know?"
Strider shrugged. "You two look fairly alike, and you also act like siblings."
Considering we have not seen each other for a few hundred years, I am surprised he could tell, Luingil thought with a bitter smile. "That is not your only question?" he asked aloud.
Strider shook his head. "But I fear my second question more than the first."
"Ask, and I will answer if I may," the Elf said honestly.
"Why does your sister fear the wood?"
Luingil sighed. "My sister has... had some bad experiences in the wood. We both lived there until our parents were killed, and she stayed whilst I left. Then recently she and some of her friends were attacked by Orcs, and most, if not all, were killed. That is why she dreads the wood."
Strider bowed his head, his face grim. "Evil things have befallen your sister, my friend," the Ranger said quietly.
Luingil nodded sadly. "I can only hope she will shake the darkness that assails her before it is too late."
Luingil and Strider reached the Elven-king's halls a week later, and neither of them said anything about Aiwë. Even though the Wood-Elves guessed she was alive, Luingil said nothing, and told no one he was Aiwë's sister. He would not even tell Legolas, though it troubled him to withhold the truth from his new friend. Still, he loved his sister, and he hoped she would overcome her fear soon.
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As for Aiwë, now called Shadow, she carried on to Minas Tirith, fighting her way through the Dead Marshes and the Druadan Forest. When she reached the White City she was starving and hardened by her travels, but a kind old woman had pity on her. She gave Shadow clothes like that of a Ranger's and allowed her to stay in her house. Shadow befriended the old woman, but would not say her true name. The old woman was patient with her, guessing rightly that the girl was running from something.
Shadow left the old woman's house only at night, and she made sure she hid in the shadows. Even so, many people began to talk about the strange shadow that lurked about their city, and many wondered if it was good or ill.
Shadow never truly got used the city, but she found some comfort in the smooth white stones. She saw nothing to remind of her past, and she was thankful for that, but she still held a love for the woods in a part of her heart that was not completely hard. Sometimes that feeling would overwhelm her and she would hide somewhere and cry, remembering what she had left behind. But these moments grew rarer as time passed, and she learned to ignore them.
A year passed in this manner, and when the new year came the rumors of war grew stronger. In the summer of that year, the steward of Gondor sent his oldest son west to Rivendell, for he and his brother had had mysterious dreams, and he hoped to find answers in the Elven city. But the sons of the steward were not the only ones having dreams.
Shadow never left Minas Tirith, and yet she knew more about what was happening in Arda than the steward of Gondor. In dreams she saw the gathering of Mordor's hosts, and she even knew of Elrond's counsel and the Ringbearer - but she did not know of Legolas.
With the dreams came a strong desire to see trees and open lands, and Shadow soon found she could not ignore the desire. Finally, on February 16, 1419, Shire Reckoning, she could bear it no longer, and attempted to sneak away. But the old woman caught her.
"Why do you run, child?" she asked softly.
Shadow bit her lip and did not speak. The woman looked at her with dark eyes surrounded by wrinkles, searching Shadow's face. "You hid much," the old woman said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you do not hid it as well as you think. I know you are an Elf, aye, and a Wood-Elf at that. I also know that you weep for your forest and for whatever you left behind. Do not look so surprised, child. I have lived a long time and I can guess much, though I cannot guess what would make you leave your home and family. It must be something terrible indeed."
Shadow blinked back her tears. How could this woman know so much? Was it that obvious? For the first time in a long while, Shadow sank to her knees and burst into tears. The old woman sat down next to her and hugged her comfortingly. "My child, why do you weep? Will you not tell me what troubles you?"
Shadow clung to the old woman, trying to control her tears. Could she tell her? Before she had fully made up her mind, Shadow found herself telling everything to the old woman. The woman listened with patient kindness, and when Shadow finished her tale the woman looked at her with pity in her dark eyes.
"You have suffered much, little one," the woman said quietly. "And it will not do you any good to run from your past. Your mother was right, love never loses hope - ever. And you have not given up, though your mind tells you otherwise. But come, you have lingered in the halls of Men long enough. You much search out healing, and you will not find it here. You must go to what you know best. You know of what I speak, so I do not need to say it aloud. Now come, stand up and go on your way. You are Shadow no longer. No, not Shadow, nor are you Aiwë. I will call you Star-daughter, for your path will be under the stars before it leads to the light. Here, I have prepared you some provisions. Take them and may the stars shine kindly on your path."
Shadow hugged the old woman tightly and thanked her for her kindness. Already she felt as if her heart and softened a bit, and she left the old woman with a spark of light in her blue eyes where before there had been only darkness.
Shadow left Minas Tirith and traveled along the mountain passes until she reached the border of the Firien Wood. She had not been in a wood since passing through the Druadan Forest over a year ago. The very sight of the wood brought feelings of fear and panic rushing into her throat. Gathering her courage, Shadow remembered the old woman's words and stepped into the wood...
It cheers up soon, promise! **holds out cookie plate** Please review!
Chapter 10: Truth and Waiting
Stretching out, Luingil settled against a rock. "You may ask," the Elf said easily.
Strider started and looked at him. "Ask what?"
"Whatever question you have been wanting to ask for the past few days but have been afraid to ask," Luingil replied with a smile.
Strider laughed and shook his head. "You may have been raised by Men, but your senses are still those of Elves," he said with a grin. "However, I do not know if I should ask."
"What did I just say?" Luingil replied with a lazy smile.
Still Strider hesitated, looking at the fire rather than his companion. Finally he asked, "Is Shadow your sister?"
Luingil looked at the Ranger, not bothering to hide his surprise. "Yes, she is my sister. How did you know?"
Strider shrugged. "You two look fairly alike, and you also act like siblings."
Considering we have not seen each other for a few hundred years, I am surprised he could tell, Luingil thought with a bitter smile. "That is not your only question?" he asked aloud.
Strider shook his head. "But I fear my second question more than the first."
"Ask, and I will answer if I may," the Elf said honestly.
"Why does your sister fear the wood?"
Luingil sighed. "My sister has... had some bad experiences in the wood. We both lived there until our parents were killed, and she stayed whilst I left. Then recently she and some of her friends were attacked by Orcs, and most, if not all, were killed. That is why she dreads the wood."
Strider bowed his head, his face grim. "Evil things have befallen your sister, my friend," the Ranger said quietly.
Luingil nodded sadly. "I can only hope she will shake the darkness that assails her before it is too late."
Luingil and Strider reached the Elven-king's halls a week later, and neither of them said anything about Aiwë. Even though the Wood-Elves guessed she was alive, Luingil said nothing, and told no one he was Aiwë's sister. He would not even tell Legolas, though it troubled him to withhold the truth from his new friend. Still, he loved his sister, and he hoped she would overcome her fear soon.
As for Aiwë, now called Shadow, she carried on to Minas Tirith, fighting her way through the Dead Marshes and the Druadan Forest. When she reached the White City she was starving and hardened by her travels, but a kind old woman had pity on her. She gave Shadow clothes like that of a Ranger's and allowed her to stay in her house. Shadow befriended the old woman, but would not say her true name. The old woman was patient with her, guessing rightly that the girl was running from something.
Shadow left the old woman's house only at night, and she made sure she hid in the shadows. Even so, many people began to talk about the strange shadow that lurked about their city, and many wondered if it was good or ill.
Shadow never truly got used the city, but she found some comfort in the smooth white stones. She saw nothing to remind of her past, and she was thankful for that, but she still held a love for the woods in a part of her heart that was not completely hard. Sometimes that feeling would overwhelm her and she would hide somewhere and cry, remembering what she had left behind. But these moments grew rarer as time passed, and she learned to ignore them.
A year passed in this manner, and when the new year came the rumors of war grew stronger. In the summer of that year, the steward of Gondor sent his oldest son west to Rivendell, for he and his brother had had mysterious dreams, and he hoped to find answers in the Elven city. But the sons of the steward were not the only ones having dreams.
Shadow never left Minas Tirith, and yet she knew more about what was happening in Arda than the steward of Gondor. In dreams she saw the gathering of Mordor's hosts, and she even knew of Elrond's counsel and the Ringbearer - but she did not know of Legolas.
With the dreams came a strong desire to see trees and open lands, and Shadow soon found she could not ignore the desire. Finally, on February 16, 1419, Shire Reckoning, she could bear it no longer, and attempted to sneak away. But the old woman caught her.
"Why do you run, child?" she asked softly.
Shadow bit her lip and did not speak. The woman looked at her with dark eyes surrounded by wrinkles, searching Shadow's face. "You hid much," the old woman said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you do not hid it as well as you think. I know you are an Elf, aye, and a Wood-Elf at that. I also know that you weep for your forest and for whatever you left behind. Do not look so surprised, child. I have lived a long time and I can guess much, though I cannot guess what would make you leave your home and family. It must be something terrible indeed."
Shadow blinked back her tears. How could this woman know so much? Was it that obvious? For the first time in a long while, Shadow sank to her knees and burst into tears. The old woman sat down next to her and hugged her comfortingly. "My child, why do you weep? Will you not tell me what troubles you?"
Shadow clung to the old woman, trying to control her tears. Could she tell her? Before she had fully made up her mind, Shadow found herself telling everything to the old woman. The woman listened with patient kindness, and when Shadow finished her tale the woman looked at her with pity in her dark eyes.
"You have suffered much, little one," the woman said quietly. "And it will not do you any good to run from your past. Your mother was right, love never loses hope - ever. And you have not given up, though your mind tells you otherwise. But come, you have lingered in the halls of Men long enough. You much search out healing, and you will not find it here. You must go to what you know best. You know of what I speak, so I do not need to say it aloud. Now come, stand up and go on your way. You are Shadow no longer. No, not Shadow, nor are you Aiwë. I will call you Star-daughter, for your path will be under the stars before it leads to the light. Here, I have prepared you some provisions. Take them and may the stars shine kindly on your path."
Shadow hugged the old woman tightly and thanked her for her kindness. Already she felt as if her heart and softened a bit, and she left the old woman with a spark of light in her blue eyes where before there had been only darkness.
Shadow left Minas Tirith and traveled along the mountain passes until she reached the border of the Firien Wood. She had not been in a wood since passing through the Druadan Forest over a year ago. The very sight of the wood brought feelings of fear and panic rushing into her throat. Gathering her courage, Shadow remembered the old woman's words and stepped into the wood...
It cheers up soon, promise! **holds out cookie plate** Please review!