Wow, I can hardly believe it ... 212 reviews... *bouncing around happily*
A heartfelt thank you to all of you!!!
Getting so much feedback makes posting this so much more fun!
*Waving to Lasse-Lanta* : thank you for the roses!
I do not know if this chapter will really stop
- Elena from dying of suspense,
- iNsAnE oNe from whining, pouting, sniffling & stomping feet
- gershwin from using her stockpile of instruments and methods of drastic action
...but I hope it will keep you writing all this nice reviews!!!
Special thanks go to Little My once more for beta reading!
Oh, and a short message to Hematite (and everyone else who is interested) : thank you for your email... if you have a Fanfic.net account you can add me to your authors alert section... I am a supporting member, so you receive an email notification if I upload anything... if not, let me know and I will send you an email as soon as the next chapter is up!
So.. read and forget not to let me know if you like it...
___
Closing her eyes, Amayn prepared herself for what she knew she would find as she started to reach out with her mind. She had used this technique before, to calm a troubled mind or ease the pain of the ones she cared for. But never before had she encountered something like this. Where usually she would find a vortex of different emotions and thoughts, swirling in a complex pattern that one could never understand but only feel, she could sense nothing when she tried to touch her son. There was only an emptiness so deep it scared her as nothing else had ever done. She needed to reach out wide, almost as far as she dared to go, to finally make out the familiar presence of Legolas. He had grown a little bit stronger, she realized, and it was a small relief.
She knew the risk of losing him forever was great. He was so far gone already that only a little push into the wrong direction could mean the end of him. His mind and heart had taken too much, and his soul was ready to flee if given only the slightest hint of more anguish.
So it was tentatively that she approached him and called out to him, trying to coax him out of his unresponsive state.
She talked to him, sang to him, and gradually she could feel the tension in him ease. She had not touched him yet, only called to him and finally, for the first time she could feel him respond. It was a small sign but it gave her hope.
'You are safe now,' she tried to convince him. 'Follow me.'
@@@
He knew her, knew her voice, and her presence was familiar to him, bringing a feeling of security with it. Still he refused to respond for it had happened before: a familiar face or feeling only to be twisted into something that would tear his heart.
He could not take it again.
He tried to block it out, to ignore it, but he was too weak and weary to succeed. She remained here, close but not invading him as another mind had done before. Not shredding at his heart but soothing it, and he found himself craving her touch against his will.
His numbness had started to fade and without it his shield of protection faltered.
Memories of emotions started to return; fear and pain as well as a deep longing for something he could not name. Her gentle voice promised relief and slowly, not trusting her completely but finding no other way to escape all this, he reached out for her.
@@@
She could have wept as she felt him tentatively touching her. Joy swept through her and she was sure he could feel it, too. It seemed to encourage him for he took another step closer to her, and this time she could not keep herself from responding to his gesture as she reached out to envelop him. She could feel his fear as he started to back away immediately and she stopped, satisfying herself with only a light touch that seemed to have a calming effect on him.
This time she could feel him following her as she moved slowly away.
She took care of never losing his touch and he never tried to break it. But the way back was long, and he was weakened even more than she had feared. Her own strength was starting to fade as she carefully led him through the dark emptiness, ever stopping to encourage and soothe him for she could feel that he was far from calm and trusting. He followed her but only hesitantly, and one wrong move could make him bolt again.
And if this happened it could take him out of reach forever.
She fought her growing weakness as it urged her to move faster. It took much strength to reach out to another mind, and Legolas had removed himself so deeply that only finding him had already enfeebled her. But she refused to give in, knowing what it might cost. She could start to feel the other presences in the room waiting for them as they came closer with every step they took.
Her love for her son kept her going even as her strength dwindled, and she had to fight the pull that would force her mind to return to her body.
But even the strongest will has its limit, and the moment came when her resistance broke. As she was torn away from Legolas, she cried out in despair, knowing she might lose him forever but it was beyond her to fight.
@@@
Gimli had watched her closely as the minutes passed and he missed no change to her countenance. He could see the expression of joy flitting across her face and he rejoiced for he knew she had found Legolas.
It was an agonizing wait as he saw the strain she was under and the color slowly seeping from her face. His heart clenched in fear of what was happening, for he could tell she was fighting but not if she was gaining or losing. As she grew ever paler he found himself leaning closer, wishing to aid her with his own strength but failing to know how.
She was starting to tremble now and it became clear that she could not go on for much longer.
Aragorn watched with growing fear, for apart from the elves he was the only one realizing what really was happening, and he knew the danger in what Amayn was doing. It might bring Legolas back, but if she failed it might drive him away completely. He could see her trembling and he could see Thranduil's pale face. He had offered his own strength to support his wife but it seemed that it was not enough.
With a cry that sounded more like a sob Amayn sank down, her head coming to rest on Legolas' chest. Thranduil sank to his knees beside her, weakness and grief overcoming him.
A heartfelt thank you to all of you!!!
Getting so much feedback makes posting this so much more fun!
*Waving to Lasse-Lanta* : thank you for the roses!
I do not know if this chapter will really stop
- Elena from dying of suspense,
- iNsAnE oNe from whining, pouting, sniffling & stomping feet
- gershwin from using her stockpile of instruments and methods of drastic action
...but I hope it will keep you writing all this nice reviews!!!
Special thanks go to Little My once more for beta reading!
Oh, and a short message to Hematite (and everyone else who is interested) : thank you for your email... if you have a Fanfic.net account you can add me to your authors alert section... I am a supporting member, so you receive an email notification if I upload anything... if not, let me know and I will send you an email as soon as the next chapter is up!
So.. read and forget not to let me know if you like it...
___
Closing her eyes, Amayn prepared herself for what she knew she would find as she started to reach out with her mind. She had used this technique before, to calm a troubled mind or ease the pain of the ones she cared for. But never before had she encountered something like this. Where usually she would find a vortex of different emotions and thoughts, swirling in a complex pattern that one could never understand but only feel, she could sense nothing when she tried to touch her son. There was only an emptiness so deep it scared her as nothing else had ever done. She needed to reach out wide, almost as far as she dared to go, to finally make out the familiar presence of Legolas. He had grown a little bit stronger, she realized, and it was a small relief.
She knew the risk of losing him forever was great. He was so far gone already that only a little push into the wrong direction could mean the end of him. His mind and heart had taken too much, and his soul was ready to flee if given only the slightest hint of more anguish.
So it was tentatively that she approached him and called out to him, trying to coax him out of his unresponsive state.
She talked to him, sang to him, and gradually she could feel the tension in him ease. She had not touched him yet, only called to him and finally, for the first time she could feel him respond. It was a small sign but it gave her hope.
'You are safe now,' she tried to convince him. 'Follow me.'
@@@
He knew her, knew her voice, and her presence was familiar to him, bringing a feeling of security with it. Still he refused to respond for it had happened before: a familiar face or feeling only to be twisted into something that would tear his heart.
He could not take it again.
He tried to block it out, to ignore it, but he was too weak and weary to succeed. She remained here, close but not invading him as another mind had done before. Not shredding at his heart but soothing it, and he found himself craving her touch against his will.
His numbness had started to fade and without it his shield of protection faltered.
Memories of emotions started to return; fear and pain as well as a deep longing for something he could not name. Her gentle voice promised relief and slowly, not trusting her completely but finding no other way to escape all this, he reached out for her.
@@@
She could have wept as she felt him tentatively touching her. Joy swept through her and she was sure he could feel it, too. It seemed to encourage him for he took another step closer to her, and this time she could not keep herself from responding to his gesture as she reached out to envelop him. She could feel his fear as he started to back away immediately and she stopped, satisfying herself with only a light touch that seemed to have a calming effect on him.
This time she could feel him following her as she moved slowly away.
She took care of never losing his touch and he never tried to break it. But the way back was long, and he was weakened even more than she had feared. Her own strength was starting to fade as she carefully led him through the dark emptiness, ever stopping to encourage and soothe him for she could feel that he was far from calm and trusting. He followed her but only hesitantly, and one wrong move could make him bolt again.
And if this happened it could take him out of reach forever.
She fought her growing weakness as it urged her to move faster. It took much strength to reach out to another mind, and Legolas had removed himself so deeply that only finding him had already enfeebled her. But she refused to give in, knowing what it might cost. She could start to feel the other presences in the room waiting for them as they came closer with every step they took.
Her love for her son kept her going even as her strength dwindled, and she had to fight the pull that would force her mind to return to her body.
But even the strongest will has its limit, and the moment came when her resistance broke. As she was torn away from Legolas, she cried out in despair, knowing she might lose him forever but it was beyond her to fight.
@@@
Gimli had watched her closely as the minutes passed and he missed no change to her countenance. He could see the expression of joy flitting across her face and he rejoiced for he knew she had found Legolas.
It was an agonizing wait as he saw the strain she was under and the color slowly seeping from her face. His heart clenched in fear of what was happening, for he could tell she was fighting but not if she was gaining or losing. As she grew ever paler he found himself leaning closer, wishing to aid her with his own strength but failing to know how.
She was starting to tremble now and it became clear that she could not go on for much longer.
Aragorn watched with growing fear, for apart from the elves he was the only one realizing what really was happening, and he knew the danger in what Amayn was doing. It might bring Legolas back, but if she failed it might drive him away completely. He could see her trembling and he could see Thranduil's pale face. He had offered his own strength to support his wife but it seemed that it was not enough.
With a cry that sounded more like a sob Amayn sank down, her head coming to rest on Legolas' chest. Thranduil sank to his knees beside her, weakness and grief overcoming him.