Dusk Maiden
Chapter Two


"A fiery eye? It can't be Sauron, can it? We destroyed the ring!" Legolas was enraged. He stormed out of the council circle. Shara got up and ran after him. Aragorn sunk to his knees; sobs shook his body. This could not be happening. After these many years he suddenly came back. Not to mention that it wasn't possible to come back. Arwen came back with Lomewen hanging limp from her arms. No, she's not dead, she just blacked out, Aragorn reminded himself. He followed Arwen up into a room in Rivendell, leaving the rest of the council sitting there shocked.

Shara cought up with Legolas near the river. He was just stading there starring. Shara wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close. He unwrapped himself and turned around. Shara and Legolas just stood there looking at each other. Then they hugged each other. They were both crying by this point. How could something like this return? After so long of having a blanced world, evil will rein again. Legolas and Shara released their grip on each other and head back to the council hand in hand.

"Just sit by her side and get me when she wakes up," This was more than Aragorn could handle. He left the room with Arwen watching over their daughter. Morwen and Tinuviel were huddled in cloaks in the corner. They too were weeping. Aragorn left this behind as he walked outside. He sat on the rail at the edge of the balcony and swung his legs over so they were hanging off the edge. He watched the conversation below him. The council was furiated.

"Silence!!!" Legolas yelled. The council stared at him. Legolas continued, "Maybe we are jumping to conclusions, maybe this isn't Sauron." Members of the council murmered amoungst themselves. "Let us talk to the girl when she awakes," Legolas concluded, "We shall hear a detailed telling of what she saw. Perhaps its is not a source of great evil but rather cheap street tricks!"

"Foolish elf!" A dwarf called out. "The eye is no more a cheap trick than I am a balrog! It is Sauron and it must be destroyed!" The council roared out in agreement. Another uproar like the last one awoke the poor sleeping child. Morwen ran out to fetch her father. Aragorn stumbled back into the room rubbing him temples, this was not going to be good.

"Morwen and Tinuviel, please go fetch the painting of Sauron's Eye and bring it back. Quickly," Aragorn shooed away the twins. Then went back and leaned over the railing. He called to Legolas and Shara hoping that he could be hear over the uproar. And he was. The two cam scurring up two the room and sat down beside the bed in which Lomewen lie. Morwen and Tinuviel walked calmly into the room holding a small canvas. Morwen handed it to Aragorn. He was pleased with his daughters work because they fetched him the most well made painting. It was a close to the real eye that you could get.

"Lomewen, sweetie, can you still remember what you saw in the forset?" Shara asked calmly. Lomewen nodded. Shara motioned for Aragorn to hand her the canvas, and she then held it up. "Did the eye look like this?" Lomewen shook her head, no. They let out a sigh of relief. It was not Sauron. He was now clearly dead. Lomewen tried to sit up, but Arwen gently pushed her back down.

Legolas was standing in the corner of the room and everyone forgot he was there until he spoke, "Lomewen, without sitting up can you tell us what they eye did look like? We are still concerned for the safety of Middle Earth. Lomewen cleared her throat. They waited for her to speak but she was silent. "Morwen, please fetch your sister some water and a wet cloth," Legolas ordered. He knew that she would soon pass out again if she wasn't cooled down and color returned to her cheeks.

The room was silent. Outside was silent because word had drifted that it was not Sauran's eye that Lomewen had seen. Morwen soon came back with a cool damp cloth and a mug of water. Legolas stepped forward and collected the two items from the girl. He folded the cloth up and laid it upon Lomewen's forehead. He proped her up with pillows and handed her the mug of water which she took very small sips from.

Lomewen closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a second before she shuddered again. Lomewen slowly opened her eyes and started to discribe the eye in detail. "It is not orange flames that surrond the eye, but rather blue. And unlike what Sauron's pupil is believed to look like this pupil was very round. I saw a name flash in my mind before I came to you the name was --" Lomewen stopped suddenly.

Lomewen's brother entered the room. "Continue, sister," He pressured, "The council must know everything that you know." Arwen shot her son a glare and he sulked out of the room. Arwen turned back to her daughter in bed and nodded. Your brother is right, Lomewen. Please continue.

"The name that flashed through my mind was Zobotieth," Lomewen finished. He eyes rolled back into her head as if she was about to fait, but Shara and Legolas were by her side fanning her until she regained herself. Aragorn walked out of the room onto to the balcony to address the council.

"Evil does not come in the form of Sauron, but rather a new enemy called Zobotieth. We will learn how to fight him, and once again, we will win!" The council cheered in agreement. But soon quieted when they remembered that they know nothing about this new form of evil except his name.