Thank you Jada-Mirei for pointing out all the flaws. My grammar has always been rather bad. Sorry. I'll try and get the coming chapters beta'ed A.S.A.P.
Chapter Eleven
The messenger from Gondor was ushered through a long hall filled with shadows and half-lights. It was supported by intricately carved pillars, gleaming with gold. He went forward, past the clear fire burning upon the great hearth and then, he paused for beyond the hearth was a gold dais and upon it sat the King of the Mark of Rohan. Beside him, sat his Queen.
"Hail, King Eómer, Lord of the Mark." The messenger bowed low.
"Greetings, what tidings out of Gondor?" The king asked.
"Ill tidings, I fear. The threat of assault from the Dark Lord on Gondor grows larger. King Elessar seek help from the Men of Rohan and bid the Lord of the Mark to remember our old alliance."
"The Men of Mark do not forget words of allegiance easily. Tell King Elessar he will have fifteen thousand stout men and twelve thousand riders from the Land of Rohan under his banner."
The messenger looked at the king in wonder. "These words would bring great ease to the heart of my Lord. Indeed, if the Dark Lord should dare assail us, he will find a host grim to look upon and fell-handed in battle."
"That remains to be seen." The king replied.
After the messenger had left, King Eómer stood on the porch upon the top of the high terrace, where once his predecessors had stood and took counsel with a powerful wizard. He could see beyond the stream of green fields of Rohan fading into distant grey.
The sky above was bright blue but ahead, grey clouds were creeping stealthily towards the green plains. The king perceived that the strength of the Dark had grown enough to challenge the strength of Light. Suddenly, through a rent in the dark clouds, a shaft of sun stabbed down. And the king smiled and perceived that mayhaps the strength of Light may overcome the Dark.
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As the cheerless shadows of the early evening began to fall the four companions set off from the Last Homely House. Ragged clouds chased one another overhead, dark and low. The East wind was whistling through the branches of the trees and howling in the dark pines on the hills.
The travellers were clad in Elvish cloaks and could be seen only as grey shapes in the waning light. The first leg of their journey was uneventful and went unnoticed by unfriendly eyes.
Early next morning while the sun was still shining weakly in the blue sky, they set off once more. Ahead of them loomed the daunting snow-capped peaks of the Misty Mountains. White mists hid its summits. Callysta didn't like the look of the mountains one bit and even less when Legolas told her that their path takes them across the High Pass over the mountains.
Despite the warm cloaks, the chill in the air made Callysta shivered. Her feet were tired and sore and each step became a burden. Her pack had somehow mysteriously gotten heavier as the journey lengthened. Each companion was gloomy and no one sang. It was then that Callysta decide to play a little riddle game to lighten up the mood and it went something like this:-
"I spy, I spy with my little eyes
A shape in green and brown up ahead
Not a tree, I fear
For over grass it lightly treads
And has two very pointed ears
What is it? What is it?"
"It's just me." Legolas replied, turning around, "And I suppose you think that's very clever."
"I'd say so myself unless you can come up with something better." Callysta challenged him.
"I spy, I spy…" Legolas began and paused in mid-sentence. Something on the plains had caught his attention.
"What?" Callysta asked, craning to see what it was.
"Shhh…get down." Legolas hushed her. He pushed her under some thick bushes and motioned for Lorgast and Laurëwen to do the same.
In the middle of the plains, four carrion fowls were fighting over a dead carcass. The three birds squawked and pecked at one another and the fourth grabbed the opportunity to steal away the largest piece of meat. Callysta hardly dared to breathe. These birds were huge and their beaks were strong and looked evil. Soon, the birds flew off with their meal, not noticing the four grey figures crouching under the bushes not far away. All would have gone ill if they were spotted for these birds were also spies of Morgoth.
The companions set off again and while the sun was high in the sky, they descended into a deep valley with a river at the bottom. Callysta could see green willows along its banks bent and sighed in the wind. Flat rocks jutted out from the riverbed and served as a path across the river. Lorgast went first among them. He deftly jumped from one rock to another and was soon safe across the river. Laurëwen did the same, her feet hardly touching the rocks. Callysta stared at the icy water gushing and rushing down and shuddered.
"I don't feel very hoppy right about now." She said to Legolas.
"Just imagine a large nasty Orc is right behind you." Legolas smiled. He jumped onto the first rock nearest to the bank and motioned for Callysta to do the same.
Callysta stuck out her tongue at him, "Not funny." Taking a deep breath, she said to herself, "I can do this."
She did just fine until she came to the fourth rock. A huge slimy toad was resting on it but Callysta was not aware of the toad and as soon as she set foot on the rock, it hopped up, startling her badly. If there was one thing she could not bear, it was slimy toads.
"Aaaahhh…" Callysta shrieked, and tried to jump forward onto the fifth rock to avoid the toad, quite forgetting that Legolas was right in front of her.
There was a moment where Legolas felt suspended in time. He felt someone pushed him from behind and felt his feet slipped from beneath him. He tried to regain his balance by flapping his arms in an awkward motion but it was not very successful. And then he fell sideways, toppling off the rock and into the water with a great splash.
As he re-surfaced, he saw Lorgast on the other side of the river holding his sides and he could hear the Mage's laughter. Even Laurëwen was smiling, almost grinning. Legolas glared at the two of them.
"How's the water?" Lorgast asked, when he finally stopped laughing, "Bit too early for a bath, don't you think?"
"Oh, please don't tease him!" Callysta pleaded, wringing her hands and looking as guilty as sin, "Are you alright? I'm awfully sorry, I didn't mean to bump on you just like that."
Lorgast started to laugh again, harder this time, "Did you see the way he flapped? Good heavens, do they teach you tricks like that in Mirkwood?"
Legolas ignored him and turned to Callysta. "I'm alright, but getting slightly water-logged."
"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry." Callysta got his point and started to reach out her hands to him. With her help, Legolas managed to hoist himself out of the freezing water. They made their way across the river once more but this time, Legolas made Callysta hopped ahead of him.
After crossing the river, they followed a hidden path through the thickets, as it wound away back up the wooded slopes on to the top of a shoulder of the hills that stood out in the lower land of the river-valley. Beyond it, lay the low lands and there was where they made camp for the night.
After dinner, Legolas sat a few feet away from the fire and watched the sky. Away high in the sky the Netted Stars sparkled and twinkled and soon the mists were drawn away, like a veil, by a breath of wind and he could see Eärendil. It shone down on the lands and threw a silver glow about them.
"That is Eärendil, the most beloved star of the Elves." Legolas said to Callysta, as she sat down beside him.
"Eärendil? Wasn't he one of the legendary warriors from the First Age?"
"Yes, he was a mariner and he built Vingilot, the Foam Flower, fairest of the ships of song and he sailed to Aman with his wife, Elwing to plead for help against Morgoth. He slew Ancagalon the Black, the Great Dragon and earned his place in the Grey Havens."
"Grey Havens. What is it like?" asked Callysta.
"It's the most beautiful place one can imagine. Its shore is pure white, its greens lush and over the hills, enchanting music can be heard. Its tune very fair, coming from a thousand harps and lutes played by fair hands."
Callysta asked, half-fearful of what his reply would be,"And you would give up the whole Kingdom of Mirkwood to sail there?"
"If that is my fate, yes."
And Callysta's heart broke at that reply for she knew if both of them survived this Quest, she would never see this fair Elf again.
You are a fool for love, Callysta. If he could give up his kingdom to go to this place, what chance have you got to make him stay back? Callysta's little common sense asked her heart.
"You seem troubled, what is the matter? Missing home?" Legolas asked, when he noticed that she was unusually quiet and brooding.
"A little." Callysta replied, and all of a sudden, she wished that she was back in Redwine Valley with the children and Aunt Keila and that she had never met Legolas before.
"You were about to tell me about your mother, I believe when we were interrupted by Farmer Hock's fireworks that day."
"She's still alive and that's all there is to tell." came the sullen reply.
"Hhhmmm…really? I suppose Aunt Keila must be very proud that her only daughter was going on a Quest to save Middle Earth, if she knew."
Callysta was dumbstruck and not for the first time since she met the Elf. Somehow he had a knack for knowing things.
Callysta said, when she regained her composure and her voice,"I'm not going to bother to ask you how did you know but…how did you know?"
The Elf laughed, "A good guess but I suppose it's rather obvious to one who is very observant." And he turned serious, "Why didn't you tell her who you really are?"
"I couldn't, not yet anyway." Callysta replied. It didn't make much sense but Legolas was satisfied with that answer and asked no more.
"Everything is due time and now, it's time for rest. Go to bed, Callysta. A long road lay ahead and we have to tackle the High Pass across the mountains tomorrow." Legolas told her.
She rose and left his side, rather unwillingly. She met Laurëwen as she was laying out her sleeping gear. She approached the she-Elf slowly and when the Elf looked up at her and smiled, she took it as a good sign and sat down beside her.
"Can an ordinary Mortal go to the Grey Havens?" Callysta asked Laurëwen.
"Not that I know of. Ilúvatar gives mortals a different gift-it's the Gift of Death, the Doom of Men. If he is a Mortal, he must do a great deed to earn him a place in the Grey Havens. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious." Callysta replied, feeling more miserable than ever. After a moment, she asked her the question that had been playing on her mind for some time, "Why can't a Mortal and an Elf fall in love?"
Laurëwen looked at her with a queer expression and replied,"Aren't you full of strange questions tonight? I will reply them, though. It is not a rule. They can fall in love but a great Doom awaits them ere the end and only if their love prove strong enough can they overcome it."
Callysta glanced over at Legolas, who was standing just outside the camp, keeping the first watch. She loved him ever more but she didn't want him to suffer because of her. She had begun to understand why he had been so curt to her, almost to the point of being hostile, at the very beginning. He was afraid of falling in love with her.