Tears In Heaven
Chapter Seven: Haunted Past
(Author : Jennzah)
Jairah sat alone, high up near to the falls of Rivendell, deep in thought. She had turned on her heel and fled from the room where everyone sat, when the strange friend of Boromir had arrived. One hand played with her hair as she thought, staring out to the crashing water.
She was still trying to comprehend the feeling she'd felt when the Shadow had appeared. She'd been frozen to the spot, but she'd felt a stirring inside of her, a sense of power that she'd not felt in years.
She knew she had power in her veins, but had neglected it after she and Legolas were married, there had been no need. The only time she'd ever used it was to speak to the butterflies, to send messages to others, but this was a commonly known power. The power to communicate mentally with her husband came from their shared blood, and the fact that they were elves.
The rest of the powers, she'd forsaken. She didnt need them. In fact she didnt even want them. There was much she didnt know of it.
"That is correct, my child." Gandalf said, coming up behind her. "There is much you dont know about what flows through your veins."
Jairah looked at Gandalf. "Did you know what was happening in Reighn's time? Is that why she was calling for help?"
Gandalf sighed. "Yes. I went to assess the situation, to ask her why she called on you. And when she told me of the War, she asked for your strengths. But you must realize, Jairah, i told her not to ask you. I did not believe that it was a good time to ask you. You were, and still are, in a very fragile state. Plus you do not know how to grasp your powers. It could prove deadly for them and you."
Jairah lowered her eyes to the falls again. "Is it true, Gandalf? Are people dying there?"
Gandalf nodded. "Yes, my Lady. People are. Boromir brought his daughter here to protect her, and to ask you to help them."
Jairah looked at him. "But he did not ask me. He said he did not wish to include me."
Gandalf smiled. "Boromir would have asked. He intended to. But it was the wish of your husband that he did not. I overheard a conversation between the two, and Legolas clearly stated to Boromir that he not ask. In fact I believe he even threatened him with an arrow if he did. His heart seeks to protect you, Jairah, just as mine sought to also."
Jairah looked at Gandalf, with tears in her eyes. "For that i thank you. I am lucky to have you as a friend, dear Gandalf. But this troubles my mind, it does. Do you know, when i saw that shadow, i felt the power stir inside of me, though i did nothing?"
Gandalf's face lost it's smile. "Jairah, what your husband said, is true. You are not a warrior anymore, though i am sure that if you were put into battle, you would have no problem defending yourself. You have proven time and again, in the olden days, that you were a strong fighter. But it has been a long time since then. And this power inside of you has manifested, grown. You do not know what you wield. It is stronger than anything I have ever seen. And this evil, in their time, is bigger and darker than anything you have ever faced. These are no mere Orcs, nor are they Uruk-Hai."
Jairah was silent for a moment. "Gandalf, I have been in the very heart of Mordor. I have been in the presence of the Dark Lord, and survived torture by him, despite its horrid repercussions. I have slain my share of Orcs, goblins, and those Uruk-Hai. And yet you say that the evil there is bigger than all of this. I tell you, Gandalf, what do I have to lose? If i cannot wield life, i must do what i can to save it, shouldn't i?"
Gandalf looked at her sadly. "You are very brave, and valiant. But i fear that the power, once you grasp it, could change you. You would not be Jairah, wife of Legolas, future Queen of Mirkwood. You would become something else, something terrible. Power is not always a good thing."
Jairah looked at Gandalf. "But people are dying, Gandalf. You said so yourself. I do not wish to become something dark, but i cannot stand by and know that people, Reighn's people, are dying. She once saved me, you know that. Now I may be able to help her, like i helped Frodo long ago. It is the same thing."
"No! It is not the same, Jairah. When you helped Frodo, you helped him conventionally, you protected him with your skill with the bow and the sword. Your own Elvish wits, senses. You cannot help Reighn this way. To help Reighn, you must embrace the power thats inside of you, the magic. You have never used it! It is so great it might overtake you. It is what happened to your mother!"
Jairah's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "What of my mother?" she said. "My mother died, long ago, bringing me into this world!" Her eyes scanned Gandalf, almost glowing with intensity.
Gandalf closed his eyes. "Your father told you that, this is true. But it is not what happened to your mother, Jairah. Your mother was very powerful. Have you ever heard the tales of the "Elven Witch of the Brown Lands?" He looked at her.
Jairah nodded. "It is a well known tale in Mirkwood, but the Witch is just a myth." she sat down again.
Gandalf shook his head. "No. It is not a myth. Your mother was the Elven Witch. You know the tale. It tells of an elf who posessed great powers, almost those as strong as the Lady Galadriel herself. The powers of the Witch were great, so great that they poisoned her mind into thinking that she was the rightful Queen of the Elves, and so she set out to take Nenya, the ring that Galadriel bears, one of the Three, from her. Into Lothlorien she went, and she met her end, because the powers of Galadriel were, in the end, greater. This happened right after you were born, Jairah. She left your father, and you, and dwelt in the Brown Lands just south of Mirkwood. She was responsible for the death of your father."
Jairah sat silently, tears falling down her face. "No. I wont believe it. Its not true!" she started to shake.
Gandalf looked at her gravely. "Your mother commanded a number of Orcs and Goblins. One night, she sent them into Southern Mirkwood, to the home of you and your father, to retrieve you. She wanted to yoke the power inside of you for her own use. Your father, and many of the Elves of Mirkwood fought off the Orcs, as best they could. Thranduil was one of them, he and your father were friends. But your father was killed. Thranduil fought to protect you, which is why you went to live with him, he hid you away from your mother, untill she met her end."
He paused. Jairah was staring him, her amber eyes full of tears. She had her arms wrapped about herself.
She shook her head. "It cant be true. It's not true!"
Gandalf sighed. " I do not lie, Jairah, daughter of Sandros. This is why i tell you that i fear for you, because you possess the same amount of power, if not more."
Jairah started back at him, breathing heavily. Then she turned her head to the open window and called "Legolas! iquista tulesse!" , before looking back at Gandalf, the pain evident in her eyes.
Legolas came sprinting up the stairs, into the room. He'd heard her call, he could hear it even if he was miles away. She sounded distressed, and he did not like that.
She was sitting on the ledge of the window, her back to the falls behind her, her arms about herself. There were tearstains on her face, and he went to her, took her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead before turning to look at Gandalf. She leaned her head into his chest as he did.
"What did you say to her??" he asked. "What has happened?"
Gandalf looked at him. "I told her about her mother." he said. Legolas just looked at him blankly. "Surely your father told you of it?" Gandalf asked.
Legolas eyes became wide. "Only once, when i was younger. I thought it was just a myth he made up to frighten me."
Gandalf shook his head. "It is no myth. That was Jairah's mother. and Sandros died at the hand of her Orcs, in a battle for Jairah herself."
Jairah let out a small cry, and Legolas turned to her again. "Shh..." he said, sitting on the ledge next to her. Then he turned back to the wizard. "Gandalf! Why do you tell her such things? She has had enough pain! I will not allow for this anymore." Back again he turned to Jairah, who was looking past him, out to the falls again, gasping for air like she was being suffocated.
Gandalf looked at the elves. "Legolas, i am sorry. I did not mean to upset her. But she was speaking of going to Reighn's time, to fight the shadows. And her power is so great, like her mother. I do not want to see it poison her, like it did her mother."
Legolas looked at him, and then looked down at Jairah, who had stopped shaking, but now was stonily silent, staring at Gandalf.
"I will not be like my mother, Gandalf. My mother had no heart, if what you say about her is true. But i do. I would use my power to help Reighn, and then return here, never to use it again." She said. "I will go to Reighn's time, and help her."
Gandalf closed his eyes. "Jairah, i do not think that is wise." He looked at Legolas, a sort of pleading in his eyes, as if to say 'dont let her do this.'
Jairah stood up. "People are dying, Gandalf. People would have died if Reighn had not come here, and helped us all. I would have died at the hands of the Dark Lord. He would have re-emerged, and we would all live in darkness. And so i must go there and help, all I can." She looked at Gandalf hard.
Gandalf looked back at her. "If that is what you wish, then you will take your husband with you. Though i suppose he was already planning on going with you, were you not?" He looked at Legolas.
"Yes. I will go. Boromir spoke of the power, that runs through us. He said together that Jairah and i could stop these Shadows. Is this true, Gandalf?"
Gandalf nodded. "She is stronger than you, but your power has grown
considerably. I will also go with you, to complete this task. I am fearful
for you, Jairah. I will go to protect you. Come. Let us go tell Boromir
of our decision, and see what must be done."