Chapter 16

He woke her early the next morning, "Tally? Tally my love? You have to get up now. Come on, wake up." Tally murmured and turned over, pulling the sheets over her head,

"I want to sleep, leave me alone. Go away."

"Tally this is my room. You ought to get back to yours before Malia comes to wake you. She'll know where you've been otherwise."

Tally say bolt upright, she was bleary eyed, but awake enough to know she ought to go. She jumped out of bed and rushed to find her dress. It was on the floor exactly where she'd left it. Suddenly she realised how naked she was and held it up across her chest. She watched Legolas warily. He just laughed at the embarrassment she was suffering and got out of bed. He walked around to her uninhibited and helped her into the dress, doing up the same buttons he had undone the night before. He spun her round and planted a good morning kiss straight on her lips. Tally pulled away, she hadn't brushed her teeth, but then she remembered Legolas was kissing her good morning and what they'd done the night before and kissed him back. "I'd better go," she said,

"Wait," he called after her, "Your tiara my lady, and a key. It's the key to the room with your piano in so you can keep it all in there safe."

"Thank you Legolas. Thank you so much. It means more to me than you can ever know." She paused for a second, "I.. I love you."

Tally turned and left before he could say or do anything, she didn't want to see his face at that moment. If it wasn't what she wanted to see it would have crushed her. It took Tally a while to find her way back to her room, luckily she saw no one on her way. Malia wasn't in her room when she got in, so Tally wriggled out of her dress without undoing the buttons, took off her tiara and climbed into bed. She could get a few hours sleep before Malia came. It wasn't quite dawn yet she noticed. Tally snuggled down and drifted off to sleep. This time however, the nightmares were back. A rush of images and situations.

She was alone in the woods near the Sanctuary, smiling and walking when a voice came upon her and the pain seared through her skull. We are coming for you. You and the Elf you love. The final victory and the coming again of Dark to the Earth. You cannot stop me. We're coming.

The Sanctuary was under attack. Orc streamed from everywhere. They were behind every door and in every corridor. The Elves had gone and Tally had been left alone to fight them. Suddenly there came a cry and they all retreated. Tally caught a glimpse of Legolas' limp body being carried with them.

Legolas was chained up. Tally was taken and she stood in front of him The Voice said, "You have come." And it laughed, "Now you must choose. Your life or his. Give your life and I will release him and all the others I hold captive. Or I will kill him slowly and release half the others in my prison, but you go free. Choose!" Tally looked at Legolas. She knew what she had to do. "Take my life, spare his. But release them all first." The elves were released and fled from their captors. All except Legolas, Elrond and Ghilad. The latter two were holding the first back and he cried out to Tally. She turned and said, "Legolas I will always love you. This is for the best. Trust me. I love you." The last thing she hurt before the pain ran through her body was his cries.

Tally woke with a start. She was sweating and shivering at the same time. She had cried out in her sleep and Malia was at her side. She had heard her whilst running a bath in the next room. "Oh my lady. It is safe. Do not worry. Didn't you take your medicine before sleeping?"

"Malia? I must see Lord Elrond. Now. It's important. Please can you take me to him?"

"My lady, I'm sure it can wait. You should have some breakfast before you go."

"No!" she cried, "Malia, please, I have to go."

"Very well. Here is a new dress. You can put in on and brush your hair and I'll take you there as soon as you are ready." Tally got dressed quickly and scraped her hair back into a bun. Malia returned and said, "Very well Lord Elrond will see you now. He had arisen already so you need not worry about waking him."

Tally went to Elrond who said, "Lady Natalia, I judge there is a good reason for this early intrusion. What is so urgent?" Tally sat down and told Elrond of her dreams,

"Normally I don't' really remember them. I just wake up the next morning knowing I had one and then I forget about it, but this one was so real. And I remember it, every word, every feeling. It was different."

"Natalia, this is very intriguing indeed. I do not think it is anything for you to worry about. No one knows what can be, this dream was meant to disquiet you, to upset you. If you let it, then they have won. Is that clear? I will speak about it to Gandalf but I am sure he will agree. Now I suggest you have some breakfast. You will need to replenish your strengths after last night."

But Tally didn't have breakfast. She went her room and picked up the key to her piano room. Tally had only been there once but her memories of last night were so vivid she could find her way back very quickly. Once inside, Tally locked herself in. The candles were still there from the night before. She rifled through the music until she found the pieces she was looking for. Tally sat down and played, weeping as she did so until her eyes were too sore to look at the music. Then she had to play from memory which failed her making her more frustrated and cry more. Tally wiped the tears from her eyes and began to look at the music again. The music usually soothed her, but this time was different. Legolas' calls to her as he died in pain were always in her ear, echoing around her brain. Tally continued to bash away at the notes, the pieces she chose become more and more angry in tone.

Eventually Tally just collapsed from crying, too tried to do anything else. She had been playing for hours and her fingers were tired and sore. Tally slipped off the piano stood onto the floor. She sat against the wall and curled her legs up to her chest. She sat there for hours. The shadows in the room shifted positions and it was mid afternoon before she heard a knock on the door and the handle rattle. They knocked again, "Natalia, open this door. Now." It was Legolas, "Natalia. Do it now." His voice was harsh and commanding, not a tone she'd heard from him before. "Tally, open the door up. I know you are in there. You are the only person with a key, except the groundskeeper. Do I have to go and get him, or will you open up yourself?" He heard her move inside and the key turn in the lock, "Tally where have you been? I was worried, you didn't meet Gandalf this morning or Ghilad this afternoon, and then I saw Malia and she said something had happened. Tally are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you. I was just playing." She wouldn't turn round and face him, he couldn't see her, so she'd start crying again. She didn't want to tell him. She would only hurt him. She had to end this, "Legolas, last night was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. I got carried away in the excitement. I am sorry. I do not mean to hurt you. I think you should take this." She took the pendant from around her neck. "Give it to someone who can love you back."

"Tally you don't mean that, you don't. This isn't you, how could you be so harsh?" he whispered, "Turn round and say it to my face." He was shocked as she turned round and saw her tear soaked face and red eyes,

"Take it Legolas. Goodbye."

She pushed him out of the door and locked the door behind him. Legolas was left standing there, his heart breaking. He would talk to Elrond about what had happened, maybe it would shed some light on the situation. He knew this wasn't truly Tally. She was too caring to be so callus after the night before.

Tally was not interrupted for many long hours. It was dark the next time someone knocked on the door, "Natalia, you cannot stay locked in her forever. Now open this door." Tally didn't hear, she was too deep in her own thoughts. "Natalia?" It was Gandalf outside. "I am coming in." The door unlocked and Gandalf walked in. He saw a small woman curled up in the corner, rocking back and to whispering to herself. She stopped and looked up,

"How did you get in? I thought I had the only key? Please go Gandalf. Leave me in peace."

"Natalia, you haven't eaten all day. I suggest you get some food and go to bed. Malia will bring it to you I am sure if you do not want to eat in the Hall. I will send you a strong draught as well."

"No thank you Gandalf, I shall be fine here thank you."

"Natalia, do as I say," Gandalf's figure rose, he seemed to grow in height and appear more menacing than she had ever seen. Tally was frightened. She picked herself up shakily and slowly wandered back to her room, Gandalf walking behind her to make sure she went. Tally could hear the whispers as she walked by, the elves staring at her with disgust.

When she reached her room, Tally noticed there were many boxes and stacks of books. These must have been the things Legolas had retrieved from her flat. She rooted through a pile of clothes and found her most comfy pyjamas and picked up her favourite book and teddy and went to bed. She forced down a bit of food Malia brought her and later on someone appeared with the potion from Gandalf. Tally put it to one side, not wanting to sleep just yet, but when she found she could no longer keep her eyes open, she drank it all in one go and lay back to sleep.