The day was warm and full of rich scents in the garden of Rivendell. Meia and Frodo walked side by side, hand in hand. Nothing was said, they remained quiet and drank in the other's presence.
Meia could only begin to imagine what it was like for her hobbit-mate, to have her gone like thin air for nearly twenty years and on top of that to have Katey missing and then Bilbo. If she only knew what had taken her away. She barely remembered what had happed-"Happened?"
"What?" I asked, turning to Frodo hearing his voice on the edge of my thoughts. I hadn't realized we had stopped walking. His intense blue eyes were on me. They reflected a kind of desperation.
"What happened to you? Why did you disappear? Why did you leave?" The question hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Leave? Frodo, you think I left on purpose? I don't know what happened. I can't remember. I was talking to Gandalf and then I was sitting on my porch at home or what was my home." I kneeled down and embraced Frodo, pressing my cheek against his. "I never wanted leave, beloved, I only wanted to get back home. They thought I was mad. If Allanon hadn't found me Cinco was going to take me to an institute."
"What's an institute and whose Cinco?" Frodo asked, wrapping his arms around me.
"Cinco is my older brother, he was my parent's model child, but when they died . . . I don't remember why. . . he raised me. An institute is where they send 'crazy' people. Where they shut in you a room and keep you under surveillance until your 'okay' again," Frodo's arms tightened around me and I had never been more aware of their strength and comfort then now.
"I won't let them touch you," He said with a touch of a growl. I smiled in relief and rested my head on his shoulder.
"They can't touch us, now that I'm home," I tenderly kissed his pointed ear and felt him relax as he turned his head and caught my lips beneath his.
Brom sat across from the druid. His black eyes locked on Allanon's as the dark man told Brom everything that was happening in the Four Lands. Without Meia, the stories were quickly returning to normal. The druid council was forming and soon Bremen would be reborn. ** Arwen sat at Brom's feet, her dark arched brows drawn together in confusion.
"But if everything is going back to the way it was, what about you?" She asked, "And what about Brom Boromir?"
"A good question, one I've pondered many times and now I finally have an answer. Neither of us can ever return to the Four Lands. Even as I speak, my parents are being born; perhaps they've already grown up and are meeting one another. I will born again shortly. If I go back to the Four Lands, I will die. Not in a mortal sense, I will simply cease to be. The same is true for you, Brom Boromir Ohmsford, for you will not be born for another century. If you ever born at all. You must remain here at all costs."
"Good, I didn't want you to leave," Arwen said and leaned her head on the teenage boy's knee. Brom ignored her, and touched the pommel of the Sword of Shannara, which rested on his hip.
"What of the Sword?" He asked.
"The same, it will not be forged for decades, as long as it is kept in this realm it will remain whole,"
At this note in the conversation a figure** came through the door, tall and stark naked, with fluid movements and skin the swirling color of evening shadows with eyes the color of melted garnets.
"Allanon, its good to see you got my message," Rash said as Brom clapped a hand over Arwen's blushing eyes. " I've come with a message from Gandalf. He needs to Meia as soon as possible,"
"Impossible," Allanon answered the Shadowen sharply, " I brought Meia back at the request of her husband and family. So she may say goodbye to a quickly departing friend. Not at the request of Gandalf." The shadowen cocked it's head in a quizzical manner.
" You would not allow her to go even if it meant finding out what's become of her Katey?" Brom jumped up and drew the Sword in a single motion, it blade glowing hot white in the Shadowen's presence. Arwen, who'd been tossed from her pillow, frowned at Brom and then turned her dark eyes to the cringing shadowen. Allanon was the only one who had not moved.
"Put it away! What are you doing!?" Rash howled as Brom brought the blade threateningly closer.
"Where is Katherine? What have you done with her, snake!?" Brom demanded. The shadowen hissed, backing up against the wall, beads of sweat beading off him even though the sword gave off no heat.
"I have done nothing! I have remained in the 'Lorien as I always have until the white wanderer asked me to deliver a message to Meia. He said her knew where to find the girl half-halfing. If you want to point that pig-poker at some one point it at him!" Rash's voice grew to a terrifying high pitched screamed that made Arwen dash behind Allanon's chair and Allanon slowly rose. Brom did back away but moved closer and threatened to place the blade against Rash's throat.
"Move away, Brom," Allanon said, "He speaks the truth," Brom was reluctant to do so, but after a moment sheathed the sword and turned on his heel. He left the room with a presence of a storm cloud ready to burst, the dark elf princess scuttling after him.
** Okay, another explaination. After Rimmer Dal had been defeated most of the Shannara char had been killed. Gandalf cast a spell on them so that they would be reborn when the time came that they would be needed again. As a side note, in case you've noticed, Frodo is about 70 years old and has shown no signs of aging and Meia has been alive for more years than I can count because time travels differently for each world she's been. So Meia has basically stopped aging all together. Fearing this Meia casted a spell on the both of them, Frodo ages at an extremely slower rate, even slower than when he had the ring. He probably won't begin show signs of even that of a middle aged hobbit until he'd about 200 years old. He will still grow old and die, but this gives them a long time together* and more time for me to write stories ~Tee-Hee~ *.
Okay, if you don't know him, you haven't read my first story but he's Rash, a shadowen, that infested Meia. In the Lothlorien he was so taken by the peace and beauty he told Galadriel he wanted to change his ways. She made his body and he now lives in the Lothlorien.
