AUTHOR'S NOTE
Because I'm running this story parallel to the actual book and don't want to get into a situation that tangles the real story up. Hence, Legolas will be at a minimum for a time. Bear with me. He comes back in later chapters, and he's in this one. I like reviews so fire away.
THANKS
Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes.
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
Anarkyn surveyed Elrond coolly as he entered the room. The secret counsel he had called was scarcely over before he had summoned her. She had not been invited but felt no insult in that. She really had no place there. What she did have a say in she thought was accompanying the fellowship of nine that was going. She expected her orders to follow them to be told her by Elrond now.
"I want you staying here for now Avergaar," he raised his hand at her infuriated and surprised look, "you would only complicate matters. For now you stay in Rivendell."
"I have more resting on that ring than anyone," Anarkyn growled.
"You have no more than the rest of us. Your duty is here for the present. If the need arises I will send you after them."
"You send a lot of novices on a suicide mission. Only a fool would think they could make it to Mordor and back unscathed. I, at least, know the way," she spat.
"Which is why I'm saving you for a time when I have no other option."
Anarkyn said nothing, but Elrond could sense her quietly smoldering at her impotence in the matter.
"Everyone else has more say over my actions than I do," she finally hissed, "I bow to the will of my master and stay in Rivendell."
"Good! At least you remember your place," Elrond snapped imperiously.
"So help me Elrond, I won't if the need arises. I've defied greater ones than you and I am tired of being dictated to in matters of my own existence," her voice had taken a dangerous edge, "curse or no, I will have my say eventually."
Elrond was taken aback. In over 3000 years, this was the first time Anarkyn had openly become hostile to his authority. For the first time the calm, emotionless mask she always wore had slipped a little and the seething bitterness underneath had become visible. What Elrond wondered was what had prompted the sudden display. For the first time he wondered about the justice of punishing an already brutalized elf, who from his research, had done nothing more than been in the wrong family.
"You will do as I command," he said simply.
He pointed towards the door and Anarkyn slid out, stinging at the final judgment and her own uselessness. She needed to think, or more accurately, brood. She had hidden and locked down the pain and resentment for so long that she was almost to the cracking point, and when she hit it, she wasn't sure what she would do. She wanted no one to see her like this. Weak. Not in control. She needed the darkness of her forest. She counted on no one following her, but love is a funny thing that occasionally lets the other half of the party know just when they are needed.
Legolas grabbed her before she disappeared into the darkness of the trees. He had been looking for her earlier and had no idea of what had happened to her, but he knew Anarkyn needed him for some reason.
"Let go!" she demanded and pulled hard against his grip. He simply tightened it had and held her by her shoulders. The rage finally broke over Anarkyn.
"Let me go!" she hit him hard in the chest with both fists, hard enough to make him let out a shorts gasp, but nothing more. He drug her to himself and as much as she tried to pull away, he held. Her efforts felt half-hearted and she finally let out a gut-wrenching sob and clung to Legolas.
"He's making me stay in Rivendell," Anarkyn choked out, "I have nothing to do with your mission and am to remain useless here. I stand to get you killed and I can do nothing about it. Nothing! As always I am at someone else's mercy."
"Hush," Legolas whispered, "why do you always have to do something? I can take care of myself, you know that. Trust me."
He tilted her chin so he could look at her. Bitterness and pain haunted her eyes.
"What did Sauron do to you?" he murmured, "if I could have taken any of your pain then, I would have, but I couldn't, so all I can do is help you let go of it. I don't want you to be eaten away by this. I would die for you An, buy I can't live for you. You have to do that yourself."
She said nothing and leaned back into him. For the first time, Legolas felt like the stronger of the two. He caressed her hair and felt extremely protective of the injured being he was holding.
"As long as I am breathing," he vowed, "I will never let anything hurt you like that again. I would die before I let that happen."
"I know you would," Anarkyn said weakly, "that is what scares me so much."
He continued to hold her without saying a word.
" Thank you," Anarkyn whispered to him, "thank you for caring."
" How could I not?" Legolas said softly, "you can't be strong for everyone forever, and I intend to be strong for you whether you like it or not."
Finally Anarkyn got up to leave. She rested her hand on the side of his face and kissed him on the forehead.
"I don't deserve you," she said.
"No, you don't" he returned, "you deserve better."
Because I'm running this story parallel to the actual book and don't want to get into a situation that tangles the real story up. Hence, Legolas will be at a minimum for a time. Bear with me. He comes back in later chapters, and he's in this one. I like reviews so fire away.
THANKS
Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes.
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
Anarkyn surveyed Elrond coolly as he entered the room. The secret counsel he had called was scarcely over before he had summoned her. She had not been invited but felt no insult in that. She really had no place there. What she did have a say in she thought was accompanying the fellowship of nine that was going. She expected her orders to follow them to be told her by Elrond now.
"I want you staying here for now Avergaar," he raised his hand at her infuriated and surprised look, "you would only complicate matters. For now you stay in Rivendell."
"I have more resting on that ring than anyone," Anarkyn growled.
"You have no more than the rest of us. Your duty is here for the present. If the need arises I will send you after them."
"You send a lot of novices on a suicide mission. Only a fool would think they could make it to Mordor and back unscathed. I, at least, know the way," she spat.
"Which is why I'm saving you for a time when I have no other option."
Anarkyn said nothing, but Elrond could sense her quietly smoldering at her impotence in the matter.
"Everyone else has more say over my actions than I do," she finally hissed, "I bow to the will of my master and stay in Rivendell."
"Good! At least you remember your place," Elrond snapped imperiously.
"So help me Elrond, I won't if the need arises. I've defied greater ones than you and I am tired of being dictated to in matters of my own existence," her voice had taken a dangerous edge, "curse or no, I will have my say eventually."
Elrond was taken aback. In over 3000 years, this was the first time Anarkyn had openly become hostile to his authority. For the first time the calm, emotionless mask she always wore had slipped a little and the seething bitterness underneath had become visible. What Elrond wondered was what had prompted the sudden display. For the first time he wondered about the justice of punishing an already brutalized elf, who from his research, had done nothing more than been in the wrong family.
"You will do as I command," he said simply.
He pointed towards the door and Anarkyn slid out, stinging at the final judgment and her own uselessness. She needed to think, or more accurately, brood. She had hidden and locked down the pain and resentment for so long that she was almost to the cracking point, and when she hit it, she wasn't sure what she would do. She wanted no one to see her like this. Weak. Not in control. She needed the darkness of her forest. She counted on no one following her, but love is a funny thing that occasionally lets the other half of the party know just when they are needed.
Legolas grabbed her before she disappeared into the darkness of the trees. He had been looking for her earlier and had no idea of what had happened to her, but he knew Anarkyn needed him for some reason.
"Let go!" she demanded and pulled hard against his grip. He simply tightened it had and held her by her shoulders. The rage finally broke over Anarkyn.
"Let me go!" she hit him hard in the chest with both fists, hard enough to make him let out a shorts gasp, but nothing more. He drug her to himself and as much as she tried to pull away, he held. Her efforts felt half-hearted and she finally let out a gut-wrenching sob and clung to Legolas.
"He's making me stay in Rivendell," Anarkyn choked out, "I have nothing to do with your mission and am to remain useless here. I stand to get you killed and I can do nothing about it. Nothing! As always I am at someone else's mercy."
"Hush," Legolas whispered, "why do you always have to do something? I can take care of myself, you know that. Trust me."
He tilted her chin so he could look at her. Bitterness and pain haunted her eyes.
"What did Sauron do to you?" he murmured, "if I could have taken any of your pain then, I would have, but I couldn't, so all I can do is help you let go of it. I don't want you to be eaten away by this. I would die for you An, buy I can't live for you. You have to do that yourself."
She said nothing and leaned back into him. For the first time, Legolas felt like the stronger of the two. He caressed her hair and felt extremely protective of the injured being he was holding.
"As long as I am breathing," he vowed, "I will never let anything hurt you like that again. I would die before I let that happen."
"I know you would," Anarkyn said weakly, "that is what scares me so much."
He continued to hold her without saying a word.
" Thank you," Anarkyn whispered to him, "thank you for caring."
" How could I not?" Legolas said softly, "you can't be strong for everyone forever, and I intend to be strong for you whether you like it or not."
Finally Anarkyn got up to leave. She rested her hand on the side of his face and kissed him on the forehead.
"I don't deserve you," she said.
"No, you don't" he returned, "you deserve better."