Chapter 20
All Armena could see was dark. There were no clothes on her back. She looked to each side of her, and saw nothing but an endless sea of darkness. She slowly knelt, and felt she was standing on nothing. She was not scared. She didn't panic. She stood there. After a few moments, she began to walk. She couldn't even hear footsteps. Where am I? she thought. What is this place? It seemed as if she were walking for hours.
Soon, her head started racing with what she thought were scenes from the past, but other images came up. She saw Legolas, as a younger Elf. She thought of her and Legolas as they were playing around the castle. Then a thought of Sorator trying to have an intimate talk popped up in her mind, as he was faced with rejection. Many images of Sorator being rejected, in fact, had popped up. O my goodness, she thought as she put her hands on her chest. Sorator has been through all this shame for me, and he has stood by my side all this time. Her hands dropped to her side. There was one image where Sorator and Armena actually having fun together. Nothing separated them until she saw someone by the castle. She did not know who this was.
How did I come to meet Legolas? She saw another glimpse of Legolas, lying on the ground. He was really young, but it was unnoticeable because of the Elvin features. Armena had come to his aid, and when he woke up, she was the first thing she saw.
"Where am I?" he said.
"You are at my home," she said. "Come, you need to be treated."
"No, I should go back to my own in Mirkwood."
"You are in no shape to leave here. Mirkwood is many miles away. You'll never make it. You'll stay with us tonight." She picked him up, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and walked towards the castle.
"What is your name?" he asked. He was in the girl's bed.
She looked over to him while she was tending to him. "I am Armena. Where did you say you were from again?"
"Mirkwood."
"Who are you? And how did you get here?"
"I was attacked, by orcs, I think. When I came to, I was here." He turned his head towards her. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Elvin Prince of Mirkwood."
The vision stopped. Armena felt a sudden warmth overcome her. She looked around, and began to run. The only problem was, she didn't know where to run. Panic had begun to take its toll. She stopped, turned around, and backed away. She finally heard footsteps, but the sound couldn't be pinpointed because it came from every direction. She backed up slowly, until she bumped into something. She screamed.
She turned around. She heard a familiar voice. "Now you know what happened," he said. Armena looked at the face, and recognized who it was. She held him in her arms, and he slowly put his around her.
She opened her eyes. The woods were dark and tattered, and everything looked dead. She saw a green garment in front of her as she was lying on her side. Her head rose, and there was Legolas's face, with his eyes closed. She felt his arms around her as she tried to move. She removed his arms, and knelt over him.
"Legolas…Legolas…" she whispered in his ear. His eyes opened and turned toward her. He sprang up, and grabbed her.
"Your awake," he said. "I was so afraid that I lost you."
"I was afraid I lost you, Legolas. Weren't you killed by Sorator?"
Let go and grabbed onto her shoulders. He looked at her and said, "I could not have let you die. His arrow didn't pierce far enough to permanently damage me, so I had enough strength to help you."
Armena hugged him one more time, until she saw another lying down by the willow, which seemed to be very much alive. Armena got up and ran over to him.
"Sorator… O my, he's injured." She touched the wound where she struck him before the explosion. "I'm so sorry."
"He's not dead yet. He still has some strength, but it's not much." Sorator opened his eyes, and looked around.
"What happened? Where is everything?"
Armena had tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that this other person had come back?"
"I couldn't," he said reluctantly. "You would have been devastated. I didn't have the heart to—"
"It's not his fault, Armena," said Legolas. "I told him not to because I felt you were not strong enough." Nothing was said after this. Armena stood up, and looked around.
"What happened to this place? It was so radiant, and now, it's as if nothing existed."
"I know what that parchment meant," said Legolas, while standing beside her. "This is how it was stated
The one who bears the pendant
And the one who holds the diamonds
Shall be forever ruler
If they can harness the power
For who ever fails to harness the power
Will bring great destruction to this world
If one chooses to wear the diamond
They will be put
Under great torment
Where they will be forces
To life a life
Of hell.
I also could have sworn I saw something that was like a warning. 'You are in danger. You must leave now.' I didn't understand it, until Sorator went mad." Legolas looked around. "Where is the pendant?"
Armena took it out of a little pocket, and saw that it was still lying grey and motionless. After a second, it began to glow, and its wings were removed. A colorful butterfly popped up, and fluttered away. The pendant rose from her hand, and grew little angel wings, and its color became more vivid than ever before. She looked at her anklet, and she found it sparkling more than rainbow diamonds. They went back to Sorator, but only to see that he had lain himself back down on the ground. His hand was gripping his wound, and he was in agonizing pain. Armena went back to him, and for the first time in days, she noticed that no pain had come to her.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, Sorator?" asked Armena.
"Yes, just let me die," he said.
"No, you can't die."
"My purpose on this earth has ended for me. I was to protect you, and that, I never did. I was sidetracked, not only by Legolas, but my hatred for him. I never saw that he made you happy. I upset you. And I can't change that." He kissed her forehead. "Good-bye," he said as he lay down, and closed his eyes.
Armena stood up. Her face was completely filled with sorrow as she looked down upon him, and she walked away. Legolas stood up, and began to follow her, until he stepped on something. Legolas looked at it to see it was a golden ring. He ran over to Armena and grabbed her left hand. He set the ring on her second to last finger, and she looked up. "Where did you get this?' she asked.
"I want you to come home with me," said Legolas. "Come back with me to live in Mirkwood. You've had enough adventure to last a lifetime. You took me in when I was in need, and now I am returning the favor."
Armena was speechless. She looked at the ring on her finger, and saw those same inscriptions on it when she was in the castle. "What do these words say?" she asked.
"It says, 'Please be mine forever."
Armena seemed to be long in thought. Then finally she answered, "I will come to live with you, Legolas. But first, we must bury Sorator. We can't leave him out here to rot like this."
Legolas went to Sorator, and picked him up. They walked for a while, until they were out of the dark woods. Later, they came upon a stream. Legolas crafted a raft, with the help of Armena, and they set Sorator on board. They pushed the boat along the river gently, and watched as it departed. Soon it came to a waterfall, and that was the last they saw of Sorator.
Armena cried. Legolas held her in his arm. "Let us go home now," he said, and they departed for the great land of Mirkwood.
All Armena could see was dark. There were no clothes on her back. She looked to each side of her, and saw nothing but an endless sea of darkness. She slowly knelt, and felt she was standing on nothing. She was not scared. She didn't panic. She stood there. After a few moments, she began to walk. She couldn't even hear footsteps. Where am I? she thought. What is this place? It seemed as if she were walking for hours.
Soon, her head started racing with what she thought were scenes from the past, but other images came up. She saw Legolas, as a younger Elf. She thought of her and Legolas as they were playing around the castle. Then a thought of Sorator trying to have an intimate talk popped up in her mind, as he was faced with rejection. Many images of Sorator being rejected, in fact, had popped up. O my goodness, she thought as she put her hands on her chest. Sorator has been through all this shame for me, and he has stood by my side all this time. Her hands dropped to her side. There was one image where Sorator and Armena actually having fun together. Nothing separated them until she saw someone by the castle. She did not know who this was.
How did I come to meet Legolas? She saw another glimpse of Legolas, lying on the ground. He was really young, but it was unnoticeable because of the Elvin features. Armena had come to his aid, and when he woke up, she was the first thing she saw.
"Where am I?" he said.
"You are at my home," she said. "Come, you need to be treated."
"No, I should go back to my own in Mirkwood."
"You are in no shape to leave here. Mirkwood is many miles away. You'll never make it. You'll stay with us tonight." She picked him up, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and walked towards the castle.
"What is your name?" he asked. He was in the girl's bed.
She looked over to him while she was tending to him. "I am Armena. Where did you say you were from again?"
"Mirkwood."
"Who are you? And how did you get here?"
"I was attacked, by orcs, I think. When I came to, I was here." He turned his head towards her. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Elvin Prince of Mirkwood."
The vision stopped. Armena felt a sudden warmth overcome her. She looked around, and began to run. The only problem was, she didn't know where to run. Panic had begun to take its toll. She stopped, turned around, and backed away. She finally heard footsteps, but the sound couldn't be pinpointed because it came from every direction. She backed up slowly, until she bumped into something. She screamed.
She turned around. She heard a familiar voice. "Now you know what happened," he said. Armena looked at the face, and recognized who it was. She held him in her arms, and he slowly put his around her.
She opened her eyes. The woods were dark and tattered, and everything looked dead. She saw a green garment in front of her as she was lying on her side. Her head rose, and there was Legolas's face, with his eyes closed. She felt his arms around her as she tried to move. She removed his arms, and knelt over him.
"Legolas…Legolas…" she whispered in his ear. His eyes opened and turned toward her. He sprang up, and grabbed her.
"Your awake," he said. "I was so afraid that I lost you."
"I was afraid I lost you, Legolas. Weren't you killed by Sorator?"
Let go and grabbed onto her shoulders. He looked at her and said, "I could not have let you die. His arrow didn't pierce far enough to permanently damage me, so I had enough strength to help you."
Armena hugged him one more time, until she saw another lying down by the willow, which seemed to be very much alive. Armena got up and ran over to him.
"Sorator… O my, he's injured." She touched the wound where she struck him before the explosion. "I'm so sorry."
"He's not dead yet. He still has some strength, but it's not much." Sorator opened his eyes, and looked around.
"What happened? Where is everything?"
Armena had tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that this other person had come back?"
"I couldn't," he said reluctantly. "You would have been devastated. I didn't have the heart to—"
"It's not his fault, Armena," said Legolas. "I told him not to because I felt you were not strong enough." Nothing was said after this. Armena stood up, and looked around.
"What happened to this place? It was so radiant, and now, it's as if nothing existed."
"I know what that parchment meant," said Legolas, while standing beside her. "This is how it was stated
The one who bears the pendant
And the one who holds the diamonds
Shall be forever ruler
If they can harness the power
For who ever fails to harness the power
Will bring great destruction to this world
If one chooses to wear the diamond
They will be put
Under great torment
Where they will be forces
To life a life
Of hell.
I also could have sworn I saw something that was like a warning. 'You are in danger. You must leave now.' I didn't understand it, until Sorator went mad." Legolas looked around. "Where is the pendant?"
Armena took it out of a little pocket, and saw that it was still lying grey and motionless. After a second, it began to glow, and its wings were removed. A colorful butterfly popped up, and fluttered away. The pendant rose from her hand, and grew little angel wings, and its color became more vivid than ever before. She looked at her anklet, and she found it sparkling more than rainbow diamonds. They went back to Sorator, but only to see that he had lain himself back down on the ground. His hand was gripping his wound, and he was in agonizing pain. Armena went back to him, and for the first time in days, she noticed that no pain had come to her.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, Sorator?" asked Armena.
"Yes, just let me die," he said.
"No, you can't die."
"My purpose on this earth has ended for me. I was to protect you, and that, I never did. I was sidetracked, not only by Legolas, but my hatred for him. I never saw that he made you happy. I upset you. And I can't change that." He kissed her forehead. "Good-bye," he said as he lay down, and closed his eyes.
Armena stood up. Her face was completely filled with sorrow as she looked down upon him, and she walked away. Legolas stood up, and began to follow her, until he stepped on something. Legolas looked at it to see it was a golden ring. He ran over to Armena and grabbed her left hand. He set the ring on her second to last finger, and she looked up. "Where did you get this?' she asked.
"I want you to come home with me," said Legolas. "Come back with me to live in Mirkwood. You've had enough adventure to last a lifetime. You took me in when I was in need, and now I am returning the favor."
Armena was speechless. She looked at the ring on her finger, and saw those same inscriptions on it when she was in the castle. "What do these words say?" she asked.
"It says, 'Please be mine forever."
Armena seemed to be long in thought. Then finally she answered, "I will come to live with you, Legolas. But first, we must bury Sorator. We can't leave him out here to rot like this."
Legolas went to Sorator, and picked him up. They walked for a while, until they were out of the dark woods. Later, they came upon a stream. Legolas crafted a raft, with the help of Armena, and they set Sorator on board. They pushed the boat along the river gently, and watched as it departed. Soon it came to a waterfall, and that was the last they saw of Sorator.
Armena cried. Legolas held her in his arm. "Let us go home now," he said, and they departed for the great land of Mirkwood.