Chapter 17
Both the men looked at her. Armena started to feel pain as Sorator came even closer, but neither of them seemed to notice. Then she started. She told them every detail, from the setting to the color of clothes that they wore, not that it mattered. They both listened, with open ears, and as soon as she finished explaining, she plopped down on her bed. I just don't get a break, she thought.
Sorator took her hand, which was clutching her chest. Armena could feel more pain come toward her. "Let go!" she said.
"Why?" he said, "What happened?"
This time Legolas took her hand. "I think your hurting her."
"I have done nothing but touch her hand."
"I think it has something to do with what happened," said Legolas.
Armena looked up at them. "What happened?"
"Nothing, Armena," said Legolas. Go back to sleep."
"No! I need to know!" but Legolas just gestured for he and Sorator to leave the room. Armena sat there yelling at them, "Why musnt I know?"
But Legolas just left the room, with Sorator right behind him. Armena got up, but when she tried, the pain in her chest began to worsen, so she returned to her bed. What's happening? I thought this place was in ruins. And why wont they tell me what the hell is going on?
"Something's wrong," said Legolas.
"What?" said Sorator in confusion. They were both in the grand hall looking at the writings on the wall.
"The last time, this place was in ruins. No one from her family was alive, but you. This is really strange."
"Whats so strange about this? Isn't this her- I mean- our home?"
"Yes, but…who in her family built it? In fact…the only thing that survived the explosion was…the parchment!" Legolas ran back towards the end of the hall and looked at the hall. He saw the same writings he had seen before. Sorator came closer and started to read it.
"I think I can understand some of it. Power…great destruction…torment…I don't see the connection." Legolas was analyzing the pamphlet when he found a small message at the bottom saying you are in danger. You must leave now.
"Danger? This wasn't here before."
"What?"
"Look at this!" but when he pointed to the message, nothing was there.
"I don't see anything."
"I'm sure I saw it." Legolas looked long and hard, but he continued to see nothing. "I'm sure."
Moments later, Armena lay back in bed. She looked at the images in front of her, but it all seemed too unbelievable to be true. As she looked, she saw a door leading to the outside. As she crept out, she saw yet another flash of light, and something pierce her chest, then she fell back.
Legolas heard a thud in her room, and rushed to her rescue. He ran in the other room, and, as usual, Sorator followed. He found her, with her hand still clutched to her chest, breathing heavily. Sorator tried to come closer, but Armena grew more painful. He stepped back.
"What's wrong?" said Legolas. "What happened?"
Armena had trouble breathing. "Something's wrong. Something attacked me, but I didn't see who, or what."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm quite sure. Legolas." she let go of her chest, and fell limp. Legolas took her up in his arms, and put her in the bed. Then she spoke again. "Why is all of this happening all of a sudden? I fainted several times, got shot in many different places, and I cant get close to my best friend. What has been wrong with my life lately? All of this happens in a few days?"
"I don't know what's going on. Everything just…happened. I wish I could answer that for you."
"I wish I could," said Sorator, with much sorrow on his face. This time, he bothered not to go near the sickly girl. She was breathing hard. He turned to Legolas. "I think I should leave."
"No, don't go," said Armena.
"What reason do I have to stay here?"
"Why not? You were the one who came to help me in the first place. So what you were a deranged lunatic. That was in the past. This is now." Armena sat up in the bed. "All of that's changed now. You're different..."
"No, it hasn't," interrupted Sorator.
"What do you mean…? I don't understand…"
"Armena, I…" he started, but Legolas signaled him to stop. Sorator held his head down.
"You what? What is it?"
"O, nothing. Forget about it."
Armena felt slightly better, but only slightly. She laid herself down, and looked up at the ceiling. I really need a break. Why is this all happening to me?
After all that, she slept- or at least tried to, even without any food, though she seemed to find it really hard to do. Instead, she looked around the room. She saw things she never noticed before. First, she saw paintings, most of which looked like her. The furniture was very elegant, just like that of Rivendell. She looked out the window, and saw a few little children playing. They all stopped and waved to her, and she waved back. She turned her attention to a white dresser, which was by the door in front of the bed. She saw vast amounts of jewelry, and one very pretty ring, which seemed to look like it had some inscriptions on it, but that she could not make out. She picked it up, put it on, and found it to be the right size. After a while, she put it back.
She sat on her bed, and took off her pendant and her anklet. Each of them she looked at with a close eye. She twirled the diamond anklet around her left forefinger for a second, then threw it up and caught it with her right hand.
Then she looked at the pendant. She set the feet on her finger, and it began to twirl on its toes on her left hand. This made Armena feel less frightened and more pleasant. She smiled. It began to fly and dance around, and this made her even happier. The pendant's clothes changed color every second, and every few minutes, gave texture to the room.
This little act went on for about a half hour, until finally it landed back on her left hand. The little pendant bowed, then it fell out. Armena looked sad. Is the little fairy dead? She tapped it with her right pinky finger, but it remained unmoved.
"Legolas!!" she cried. "Something's wrong."
Legolas walked in. "What's wrong?"
"Look…" She held up the pendant to Legolas. He grabbed it gently, and examined it. Then he sat down next to Armena on the bed.
"What happened?" he said calmly.
"Well, she- um, it, started to dance around in the room, then it bowed and collapsed. I don't know what's wrong." Legolas just sat there and examined it. Then she spoke again. "Do you think this in an omen?"
"Might be…. This can't be good."
Armena rested her head on Legolas's shoulder, and Legolas put his arm around her. Then she got up, and thought she could feel something. "Something's wrong. Now, this doesn't feel right." She looked through the door and saw Sorator looking at the parchment with his head held low.
Both the men looked at her. Armena started to feel pain as Sorator came even closer, but neither of them seemed to notice. Then she started. She told them every detail, from the setting to the color of clothes that they wore, not that it mattered. They both listened, with open ears, and as soon as she finished explaining, she plopped down on her bed. I just don't get a break, she thought.
Sorator took her hand, which was clutching her chest. Armena could feel more pain come toward her. "Let go!" she said.
"Why?" he said, "What happened?"
This time Legolas took her hand. "I think your hurting her."
"I have done nothing but touch her hand."
"I think it has something to do with what happened," said Legolas.
Armena looked up at them. "What happened?"
"Nothing, Armena," said Legolas. Go back to sleep."
"No! I need to know!" but Legolas just gestured for he and Sorator to leave the room. Armena sat there yelling at them, "Why musnt I know?"
But Legolas just left the room, with Sorator right behind him. Armena got up, but when she tried, the pain in her chest began to worsen, so she returned to her bed. What's happening? I thought this place was in ruins. And why wont they tell me what the hell is going on?
"Something's wrong," said Legolas.
"What?" said Sorator in confusion. They were both in the grand hall looking at the writings on the wall.
"The last time, this place was in ruins. No one from her family was alive, but you. This is really strange."
"Whats so strange about this? Isn't this her- I mean- our home?"
"Yes, but…who in her family built it? In fact…the only thing that survived the explosion was…the parchment!" Legolas ran back towards the end of the hall and looked at the hall. He saw the same writings he had seen before. Sorator came closer and started to read it.
"I think I can understand some of it. Power…great destruction…torment…I don't see the connection." Legolas was analyzing the pamphlet when he found a small message at the bottom saying you are in danger. You must leave now.
"Danger? This wasn't here before."
"What?"
"Look at this!" but when he pointed to the message, nothing was there.
"I don't see anything."
"I'm sure I saw it." Legolas looked long and hard, but he continued to see nothing. "I'm sure."
Moments later, Armena lay back in bed. She looked at the images in front of her, but it all seemed too unbelievable to be true. As she looked, she saw a door leading to the outside. As she crept out, she saw yet another flash of light, and something pierce her chest, then she fell back.
Legolas heard a thud in her room, and rushed to her rescue. He ran in the other room, and, as usual, Sorator followed. He found her, with her hand still clutched to her chest, breathing heavily. Sorator tried to come closer, but Armena grew more painful. He stepped back.
"What's wrong?" said Legolas. "What happened?"
Armena had trouble breathing. "Something's wrong. Something attacked me, but I didn't see who, or what."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm quite sure. Legolas." she let go of her chest, and fell limp. Legolas took her up in his arms, and put her in the bed. Then she spoke again. "Why is all of this happening all of a sudden? I fainted several times, got shot in many different places, and I cant get close to my best friend. What has been wrong with my life lately? All of this happens in a few days?"
"I don't know what's going on. Everything just…happened. I wish I could answer that for you."
"I wish I could," said Sorator, with much sorrow on his face. This time, he bothered not to go near the sickly girl. She was breathing hard. He turned to Legolas. "I think I should leave."
"No, don't go," said Armena.
"What reason do I have to stay here?"
"Why not? You were the one who came to help me in the first place. So what you were a deranged lunatic. That was in the past. This is now." Armena sat up in the bed. "All of that's changed now. You're different..."
"No, it hasn't," interrupted Sorator.
"What do you mean…? I don't understand…"
"Armena, I…" he started, but Legolas signaled him to stop. Sorator held his head down.
"You what? What is it?"
"O, nothing. Forget about it."
Armena felt slightly better, but only slightly. She laid herself down, and looked up at the ceiling. I really need a break. Why is this all happening to me?
After all that, she slept- or at least tried to, even without any food, though she seemed to find it really hard to do. Instead, she looked around the room. She saw things she never noticed before. First, she saw paintings, most of which looked like her. The furniture was very elegant, just like that of Rivendell. She looked out the window, and saw a few little children playing. They all stopped and waved to her, and she waved back. She turned her attention to a white dresser, which was by the door in front of the bed. She saw vast amounts of jewelry, and one very pretty ring, which seemed to look like it had some inscriptions on it, but that she could not make out. She picked it up, put it on, and found it to be the right size. After a while, she put it back.
She sat on her bed, and took off her pendant and her anklet. Each of them she looked at with a close eye. She twirled the diamond anklet around her left forefinger for a second, then threw it up and caught it with her right hand.
Then she looked at the pendant. She set the feet on her finger, and it began to twirl on its toes on her left hand. This made Armena feel less frightened and more pleasant. She smiled. It began to fly and dance around, and this made her even happier. The pendant's clothes changed color every second, and every few minutes, gave texture to the room.
This little act went on for about a half hour, until finally it landed back on her left hand. The little pendant bowed, then it fell out. Armena looked sad. Is the little fairy dead? She tapped it with her right pinky finger, but it remained unmoved.
"Legolas!!" she cried. "Something's wrong."
Legolas walked in. "What's wrong?"
"Look…" She held up the pendant to Legolas. He grabbed it gently, and examined it. Then he sat down next to Armena on the bed.
"What happened?" he said calmly.
"Well, she- um, it, started to dance around in the room, then it bowed and collapsed. I don't know what's wrong." Legolas just sat there and examined it. Then she spoke again. "Do you think this in an omen?"
"Might be…. This can't be good."
Armena rested her head on Legolas's shoulder, and Legolas put his arm around her. Then she got up, and thought she could feel something. "Something's wrong. Now, this doesn't feel right." She looked through the door and saw Sorator looking at the parchment with his head held low.