Tears In Heaven
Chapter Three: Linger
(author : Jennzah)
Gandalf closed the door to the elves' room. He'd just finished the spell that would prevent Jairah from ever conceiving again, and his heart was heavy. He felt the pain of both the elves, for both their hearts ached. He had left Legolas with his wife, so that they might console each other.
He walked into their main room, and sat before the fire, making ready to smoke his pipe, for he had brought with him the weed of the Shire. As he sat there, thinking deeply about what had just happened in the rooms above, his thoughts moved to what Jairah had said earlier, about having dreams of Reighn, and the shadows. How she thought Reighn was calling for help.
Gandalf closed his eyes, and concentrated. He knew of the magicks that Jairah bore in her blood, and that belonged to the sorceress from the future.
He found himself in the web, and he quickly found a thread of energy that was connected to the sorceress, which was also being sent out to Jairah. He latched onto it, and rode it untill he felt his body being pulled through a portal, and he landed with a thonk outside some sort of house.
He stood up, it was night, and the air was thick with smog. He looked at the house, it was very different than anything he'd seen before. Several houses of the same sort surrounded it. He closed his eyes, and he knew that this was the house of Reighn.
He went up the wooden steps and knocked on the door with his staff. The door was opened by a man that Gandalf once knew, though he did not look much like his old self anymore.
"Hail, Boromir of Gondor," Gandalf said, smiling. "Although i believe it is of some other title you go by now?"
Boromir did not believe what he saw. It had been four years since he'd seen the Wizard, and it felt like an eternity longer.
"Gandalf!" Boromir said, smiling back at him. "Reighn! Come quickly!" He moved aside so that Gandalf could enter their home, for he looked quite strange in this world.
Reighn came down the stairs, she had been putting Rhia to bed. She smiled when she saw the wizard.
Gandalf smiled back. "Hail, Reighn O'Haire," he said.
Reighn came forward and embraced Gandalf for a moment. "Gandalf! So good to see you!"
"And you, though im afraid i haven't come on a social call, dear sorceress." Gandalf said, the smile fading from his face.
"No, i thought not." Reighn said. She motioned towards the living room, and they all went and took seats. Gandalf picked a stout wooden chair, and not the modern couches.
They all sat in silence for a moment, before Reighn spoke.
"Well, Gandalf. What news of Middle Earth? How is everyone?"
Gandalf smiled a bit. "They are all, for the most part, well. Though i have just been visiting the Greenleafs, which is why i am here to speak with you.." he said, looking at Reighn.
"Has Jairah heard my calls?" she asked intently.
"That she has. But she does not understand your cries for help. She voiced her fears to me, and that is why i come here."
"The shadows here are getting too strong," Reighn said. "I need her help."
"I am under the impression that you have several of your kind now fighting the Shadows, Reighn. Why do you need Jairah to help you?" Gandalf sat back and looked at her.
"The Shadows are too many for us. They attack more and more frequently. Jairah is stronger than most of the Celts that fight with me, she is a Fire-Wielder, and a Healer. I need her help, very badly."
Gandalf looked at Boromir and Reign grimly. "I do not think it wise for you to seek her help, Reighn."
"Why? I dont understand, Gandalf." Reign looked to him for answers.
Gandalf sighed. "Since you left Rivendell, it has been three years in Middle Earth. And for three years she and Legolas have lived in peace, in the forests. She has had no need for the power that runs in her blood. In fact, she has neglected it almost entirely, though it grows within her. She has not bothered to learn to use it fully."
Reighn grimaced. "I am not surprised. Middle Earth is a save haven now, she would not need to use it. But i cannot say that im not disappointed. She has such power in her veins. She could heal the land of Mordor if she so chose."
Gandalf shook his head. "Jairah's only wish was to live happily with her husband, who has also gained some sort of strength in his blood. Their power, when combined, is quite great. But they do not know this, nor do they want to. They have had no reason."
Reighn stood up. "They can be taught to use it. If we had them, we could get rid of the Shadows forever. I do not see why we cannot teach them to use it! Gandalf, my people are dying. Cities are falling. I cannot just stand by, and know that there is a power so great to stop this madness, and not use it!"
Gandalf put a hand up to silence her.
"As i have said, Reighn, it is not wise to seek their help, especially that of Jairah, right now. I cannot go back there and ask her to help you, it is not a good time." Gandalf looked sadly at the both of them.
Reighn sat back down, subdued. She felt a great sadness coming from Gandalf. "Gandalf? Something is wrong, please, tell us."
Gandalf closed his eyes, and sighed.
"The elves were to have a child," he said. "But when i came to their house, Jairah confided in me that she felt something was amiss with the baby inside of her. And in fact there was."
Reighn and Boromir exchanged a look, and then looked at Gandalf. "What was wrong, Gandalf? Did they bring their child into the world without problems?"
Gandalf shook his head sadly. "No. The child was dead, inside her. I had to explain to her and Legolas that because she had been touched by the Dark Lord, that she would never be able to wield life from her body. And this came as a devastating blow to the both of them. As you know, Legolas and Jairah are heirs to the throne of Mirkwood, the last of their Kind to be. They will not be able to carry on their line. But that is not what made it so hard for them. To know that they could concieve life, but never bring it into the world, i think was the hardest for them, especially Jairah."
"How terrible for them, " Reighn said softly.
"Indeed." Gandalf said. "I performed a spell to take the dead child from Jairah, and then one to ensure that heartache of this kind will not happen again to them. Already i fear that it has taken its toll on their souls. There are only two ways for an elf to die, and one is in battle. The other is grief."
He looked up at Reign again. "So that is why i say that you must not ask Jairah to help you now. She is fragile, and she is out of commission. She doesn't know how to use her powers, not fully, and i believe that to place this burden on the both of them is too great a thing to ask, atleast, right now."
Reighn closed her eyes. "You dont understand, Gandalf. The shadows grow in number and strength every minute that passes. If we do not stop them, we will all die! My daughter will die!"
She sat down, shaky with anger, putting her head in her hands. Boromir came and sat next to her, trying to comfort her. He looked at Gandalf.
"She fights almost every day now. It is taking its toll. I've seen these things, Gandalf, and they are worse than any beast i've battled with back in Middle Earth. Things in this time are far more harsher, and stronger."
Gandalf looked at him, and at Reighn, and sighed. "I cannot ask her now, my friends. She is too fragile. Imagine if you were told you could not bring life into this world."
Boromir looked at him. "We asking her to SAVE lives, Gandalf."