Chapter 11

The next morning came and Tally was already awake when Malia came to wake her. Tally ate breakfast at the little table in the room and then washed and dressed. She put on another new robe, identical to her day-one from yesterday but in dark purple this time.

"My lady, today you go to Lord Elrond and Mithrandir. They wish to speak with you because they know you have many questions which need answers and much to learn. They hope they can provide you with some answers and that you can help them solve a few puzzles as well."

"I will do my best although I do not know if there is much I can help them with Malia. When do we start?"

"As soon as you are dressed, Lady Natalia."

Five minutes later, Tally wandered down to the library. Elrond's study was behind it. Seated inside the room she saw Elrond, Gandalf and Legolas. She walked in, but Legolas didn't turn and look at her. Tally realised how much she had offended him last night. "Good morning everyone, I hope you all slept well."

"I did thank you very much Natalia. I hope you did as well and the draught worked."

"Yes thank you Gandalf, it was very good of you to mix that up for me."

"I will make some more later then, enough to last you a while until you are recovered fully." Tally nodded and thanked him. Elrond motioned her to a chair where she sat down and arranged her robe around her, not wanting to crush the fabric too much. Elrond rose and said,

"Very well let us begin. Lady Natalia, Prince Legolas, you are here today because you have many questions, as do we, and that perhaps with some discussion we can answer them and get a fuller picture of the situation. Legolas, much of why you are here has already been explained to you. Do you have anymore questions?"

"No Elrond. I do not. Gandalf has answered much of it for me, except to say why I was taken at that point."

"Legolas, two weeks after you looked into the Mirror, Lorien was set upon by the evil which lurked in Moria. Everyone in it was killed, including Lady Galadriel and Gimli. It was a massacre like we had never seen even under the power of Sauron. It marked the first Orc rebellion. The remainder of the Easterlings also fought and there were many Uruk-Hai still lurking in the mountain depths. Legolas, we could not bring you back if you were dead so it had to be then, whilst Gandalf was still there. Do you understand me Legolas?" There was silence for a minute. Tally looked at Legolas, she could feel his emotions about to boil over. He had clenched his fists and his knuckled had turned white.

"Yes Elrond I do. Has the World been in turmoil since then?"

"Yes, sadly, it has. The Men of the world do not see because chiefly it is against the few elves remaining. There are only very few elf strongholds left. The others have been wiped out over the millennia. As our numbers dwindle, the numbers of orcs has too, but they are more cunning." There was silence again. Tally broke it,

"I do not understand. Tolkein, the books? What are they?"

"Natalia, in your world we needed money to survive. Tolkein was one of the descendants of men from many years ago who had stayed in contact with the elves. He offered to play the role of a very gifted author. His family does no know the truth, but much of the money which has been made from it went to the setting up of the Sanctuary. The endings are very different from what you have heard, but this was done deliberately because as Tolkein once old me, no ones likes an unhappy ending."

"Ok I understand that. But why has it taken you so long to stop them. Why now and why me?"

"We cannot stop them is the simple truth, but we have been biding our time, researching them and the prophesy as to what will happen. The descendants of my daughter were blest with many different powers shall we say given by the Valar to honour her memory. One was given the power of prophecy. They prophesy spoke of our victory coming when the immortal mortal was found and instilled in her rightful place as Queen. That is you Natalia. We know that. The signs point to you. We are not ready for war, we were not coming to find you quite yet, although we have had our eye on you for many years making sure you were protected. It is a strange coincidence which has brought you and Legolas together." Tally looked at Legolas at this point. His eyes were full of hurt. Tally winced inwardly,

"So my gift is immortality, is that what you are saying? How do you know? How do you know you haven't made a mistake?"

"There is a simple test. I have prepared it because I knew you would require proof. We take a small drop of your blood and add it to this potion. If it goes green you are immortal and if it does not change, you are mortal. You will need to prick your finger with this." Elrond held out a small pin, "It is clean."

Tally simply nodded. Maybe this would prove them all wrong she thought and she could go away and go back to her normal life. She took the pin in her right hand and went to pierce the index finger of her left hand. A round drop of blood emerged on the finger and Elrond motioned for her to drop it into the phial of potion he held. Tally squeezed several drops out and then sucked her finger to stop the bleeding. All eyes were on the phial in Elrond's hand. The room was silent and tense. The colour began to change and it was soon a bright acid green. Tally just stared.

"That settles it," said Elrond, "You are the last descendant of my daughter and Aragorn. You are the last Queen and immortal. But Natalia, immortality is not your only gift. You are given many, even if you do not know them. You feel strongly for other people, do you not. That is because you are empathic. You can read the feelings of others. You also have fighting abilities of the elves and men who's blood you have. Even if you haven't used then, the ability is there. You just have to hone the skills."

"Ok. I will do as you ask. Whatever it takes. But please, bear with me if I go wrong and I am not what you expect. I will do my best to help you. I'll need to learn to ride too I suppose?"

"Yes you will, why do you ask?"

"I never rode as a child. I was afraid of falling off. I still am."

"Do not worry. We have some magnificent riders and horses to teach you."

Then there was silence. Tally played with the pendant of her necklace absentmindedly. A thought came to her,

"You said you had questions of me, what are they? You have answered mine, now I should answer yours."

"Tally," Gandalf said looking at her, "our questions may be distressing to you. We need to fine out how much the Enemy has learnt of you, if at all. The fact that they did not kill you last week means knowledge of you is not common. Maybe they still only think of you as legend, but I must ask you this, how did your family die?"

"Oh," she said quietly, she wasn't expecting that question, "I was ten. My grandparents were already dead by then, they'd died in the War or just from old age. That concept must seem strange to you, but it's just the way things happen. It was just Mum, Dad and me, I didn't have and brothers or sisters. Mum couldn't have anymore after me. It was a difficult birth and I was born by caesarean section, when they cut the womb open and lift the baby out. They had to take out her ovaries and womb. It was my fault." She paused. Legolas reached out from where he was sitting and touched her hand. Tally started,

"Where was I? Oh yes I was ten. We were travelling down on the south coast on holiday. We were travelling fast, the brakes didn't work and the car crashed. Mum and Dad were killed. I wasn't badly hurt. The doctors said it was a miracle I wasn't killed as well. The police said someone had cut the brake cable. They never found who had done it. I lived in a children's home till I was 16 and then I went to college and then to Uni. I lived off my inheritance money from mum and dad. Our house was worth quite a bit and that money was put in trust for me. I bought my flat after I'd got a steady job. It was strange graduating with no one there to celebrate with. All my friends had their family and childhood friends around them and I was passed from group to group so I didn't feel lonely. They look turns babysitting me like I was still the ten year old child being passed from home to home as people couldn't cope with me. I was very quiet. I hardly spoke to anyone for years afterwards, until I met my best friend two years ago. The one who gave me these stones. I miss him. He was the first person I ever told all this too. I thought it would make people hate me, so much death in my life, I might cause their deaths too. Callum, I don't know, he saw past it, and was determined to be my friend. We were like brother and sister, never separable, but he got a new job and moved away, but we still spoke every day and we'd visit each other for weekends. He died six months ago. He was in a car crash. The injuries were too severe and he died. I couldn't go to his funeral. I didn't want to say goodbye. He's still in my life. I like to think he's watching over me from wherever he is." Tally stopped and swallowed. She wouldn't cry.

"You have had a sad life and have seen much suffering. We knew of your friendship with Callum. We have seen him many times visiting you. He was a good man and I am sorry for what happened to him. However there were circumstances around his death which you were not made aware of. We think that his death was caused by a group of orcs on direct instructions from the Enemy. The death of your parents is in the same manner and must mean that at least some of those in league with the Enemy are aware of you and exactly who you are. This is very troubling. Gandalf and I must talk some more. It is afternoon. You two should eat some food for lunch. You have much to think about."

Legolas helped Tally to her feet. She was shaking with effort not to cry. They'd reached the door when Elrond called Legolas back. He said some Sindarin Tally did not understand. Legolas replied and Gandalf added his own conclusions too. Tally leant against Legolas while they spoke. At last Elrond spoke in English, "Yes Legolas, go ahead. I will do all I can to help. Let Ghilad know what you need and it shall be done. Now go for lunch."