Legacy of the Ring
Echo the Nymph
Disclaimer: I'm out of it for a little while and those people get delusions of grander!
Chapter 27
~v
Phoenix trembled in rage and fear. Before her a battle waged upon the lands of their enemy. Because of what had happened to her, she was unable to help any of them. Blood as red as roses and as black as night flew through the air to splatter on the ground. One by one, members of the Fellowship fell, unmoving.
"No!!!" she screamed, driving away the horror of the vision of battle. Her golden legs refused to hold her up any longer and she fell to the rocky ground with a thump. "If I stay as I am they will most certainly die!" The huntress slammed her fist into the ground, angered.
Unknown to her, a mare was approaching. The pattern she observed upon the upset huntress was that of ivy leaves in golden light. A graceful shimmering of health and strength. A gentle hand touched her shoulder. "Terah sonya losha nanar sonya mela vadi. Sho kishae siy sonyars, mi earna. Nah bes sin fila le." Lijanora Tara gently wrapped her arms around her daughter, drawing her to her hooves. "Choose soon, for others are near. You must choose: the Gift of Men or the Life of a Maia." She released her daughter and looked at her as a filly grown. No longer was she the rambunctious foal of old, yet still had that mischievous quality that endeared her to her friends. Her eyes were still the same blue that they had always been and her raven black hair shone radiantly.
Phoenix wiped the tears from her face as her mother faded into the distance. I see what will happen to my friends if I'm unable to help. There will be no hope for the Fellowship. "I will not allow Middle Earth to fall into darkness without a fight." Her gaze shifted to the western horizon in her dream. "Manwe, my choice is made. To help protect those who cannot fight the darkness, I will become a Maia."
The barren land around her bloomed with beautiful green grasses and colorful flowers. Once putrid water was clear and looked crisp. Sapling trees rose along the courses of water ways, yet, in the distance, dark mountains still loomed. She had given hope to Middle Earth, yet the chance for death and failure was still there. "So you understand your choice. As a Maia, you will fight the darkness alongside the peoples of Middle Earth." Manwe's voice faded away.
v~
Aragorn placed his hand on Phoenix's brow. "Lord Elrond, her fever broke." He removed his hand and stepped back to allow his father-in-law more room.
The elf-lord checked then relaxed. She had given them quite the close call. What had caused that fever in the first place? He shifted his gaze as he pulled his hand away and noticed that she had woken. "How do you feel?"
"I feel like someone pushed me to the ground and then decided that I was something to walk all over." Her voice was soft, tone unsure. She glanced about at the friends that remained in the tent before attempting to rise.
A gentle hand stopped her motion. "You'll be fine, Phoenix. Get some rest." Elrond's gentle command was soothing. Obediently, she slid into a renewing sleep. Wearily, he sat down. What caused that fever? Huntresses rarely get ill.
Ember burst into the tent, bringing with him a gust of cold wind. Talitha lifted her head and gave him a deep growl before returning to watching her bound huntress. The red one turned to Aragorn and relayed the images Vixen had sent him to deliver. Fair complected centaurs stood to one side of their large camp. All were coated with dried mud that hid their colors as easily as snakes hid in the shadows. The king stood and left; he had to defuse the situation before it got worse. Once he reached the proper area in the fire-blackened land he stopped.
The leader, to judge by his gear, of the group stepped forward and spoke in a harsh tongue that made some of them wince. That would hurt their throats. A shy filly, clearly not one of their people, translated his harsh words. "Who is the Chieftain of the Dunedain, the King of Men?"
"I am King Elessar Telcontar." Aragorn stepped forward a couple more steps to make sure that they had a clear view of him. The filly translated his words and the stallion snarled. He moved to strike him, then stopped and let out a startled gasp.
Phoenix, who had been woken by the rising tensions, stood behind the barricade of archers. To many, her beauty had been elvish, but unto these fair-skinned ones she was almost too much to bear. She walked among the peoples of Middle Earth, the sun glinting off her shining coat and raven black hair. The grace in her motion made even the most graceful of the number outside camp feel bumbling.
The huntress came to a halt next to Aragorn as Talitha fluttered down to hover near her huntress's shoulder. Her sapphire blue eyes took in the large group as her stance shifted. "Why do you come here, fair-skinned ones? In doing so you have made yourself targets to Mordor." Phoenix's words hung untranslated as the translator stared at her in awe.
"E neva leure..." she trailed off as the stallion next to her slapped her.
The voice quickly caught her attention. "Lijanora Sterra? Siy loatta sonya?"
Cautiously, the mud-encrusted filly nodded.
"E ora Phoenix, sonyar seral." Unafraid, she approached her sister.
The confused look faded from Lijanora Sterra as she leapt over. "Phoenix! Verah siy Gregolo?"
"Gregolo dere va sho Buel."
At her sister's reply, tears painted tracks down the pale dried mud upon her face.
Talitha nudged her huntress.
"Nanar, Talitha?" At the unspoken answer, Phoenix laughed and nodded. Then, she spoke to the new arrivals. "I know you can speak the common tongue. To try to keep that secret from a true shaman is impossible."
Volcanic Strike wove his way through the crowd, only to see both of his sisters. "Lijanora Sterra!" He leapt over and hugged her, not even minding the mud that was all over her form. The chieftain looked over to the group of fair-skinned ones. "Soh, loatta siy verah sonya cria bire."
Aragorn glared at Volcanic Strike before turning back to those covered with dirt. "I will speak with you." They moved off to talk alone while the siblings wove back into the camp.
"Volcanic Strike, you will have to excuse us. Lijanora and I need to talk about filly things." Phoenix guided her to the place where huntresses had their camp. Together they groomed the mass of mud and debris from her coat, tail and hair. "Lijanora, my tent is right there." She pointed to a tent near the command pavilion. "I share it with four hobbits, and two of them are practical jokers. That's where I'll be if you need any help."
Lijanora watched her sister walk into the tent silently. Then she turned to the river with its waterfall to wash the dried mud from her coat. They have changed so much. Well, at least I'm with them again. She waded into the river and began to wash the mud from her arms. Now, at least, I will have time with them.
Echo the Nymph
Disclaimer: I'm out of it for a little while and those people get delusions of grander!
Chapter 27
~v
Phoenix trembled in rage and fear. Before her a battle waged upon the lands of their enemy. Because of what had happened to her, she was unable to help any of them. Blood as red as roses and as black as night flew through the air to splatter on the ground. One by one, members of the Fellowship fell, unmoving.
"No!!!" she screamed, driving away the horror of the vision of battle. Her golden legs refused to hold her up any longer and she fell to the rocky ground with a thump. "If I stay as I am they will most certainly die!" The huntress slammed her fist into the ground, angered.
Unknown to her, a mare was approaching. The pattern she observed upon the upset huntress was that of ivy leaves in golden light. A graceful shimmering of health and strength. A gentle hand touched her shoulder. "Terah sonya losha nanar sonya mela vadi. Sho kishae siy sonyars, mi earna. Nah bes sin fila le." Lijanora Tara gently wrapped her arms around her daughter, drawing her to her hooves. "Choose soon, for others are near. You must choose: the Gift of Men or the Life of a Maia." She released her daughter and looked at her as a filly grown. No longer was she the rambunctious foal of old, yet still had that mischievous quality that endeared her to her friends. Her eyes were still the same blue that they had always been and her raven black hair shone radiantly.
Phoenix wiped the tears from her face as her mother faded into the distance. I see what will happen to my friends if I'm unable to help. There will be no hope for the Fellowship. "I will not allow Middle Earth to fall into darkness without a fight." Her gaze shifted to the western horizon in her dream. "Manwe, my choice is made. To help protect those who cannot fight the darkness, I will become a Maia."
The barren land around her bloomed with beautiful green grasses and colorful flowers. Once putrid water was clear and looked crisp. Sapling trees rose along the courses of water ways, yet, in the distance, dark mountains still loomed. She had given hope to Middle Earth, yet the chance for death and failure was still there. "So you understand your choice. As a Maia, you will fight the darkness alongside the peoples of Middle Earth." Manwe's voice faded away.
v~
Aragorn placed his hand on Phoenix's brow. "Lord Elrond, her fever broke." He removed his hand and stepped back to allow his father-in-law more room.
The elf-lord checked then relaxed. She had given them quite the close call. What had caused that fever in the first place? He shifted his gaze as he pulled his hand away and noticed that she had woken. "How do you feel?"
"I feel like someone pushed me to the ground and then decided that I was something to walk all over." Her voice was soft, tone unsure. She glanced about at the friends that remained in the tent before attempting to rise.
A gentle hand stopped her motion. "You'll be fine, Phoenix. Get some rest." Elrond's gentle command was soothing. Obediently, she slid into a renewing sleep. Wearily, he sat down. What caused that fever? Huntresses rarely get ill.
Ember burst into the tent, bringing with him a gust of cold wind. Talitha lifted her head and gave him a deep growl before returning to watching her bound huntress. The red one turned to Aragorn and relayed the images Vixen had sent him to deliver. Fair complected centaurs stood to one side of their large camp. All were coated with dried mud that hid their colors as easily as snakes hid in the shadows. The king stood and left; he had to defuse the situation before it got worse. Once he reached the proper area in the fire-blackened land he stopped.
The leader, to judge by his gear, of the group stepped forward and spoke in a harsh tongue that made some of them wince. That would hurt their throats. A shy filly, clearly not one of their people, translated his harsh words. "Who is the Chieftain of the Dunedain, the King of Men?"
"I am King Elessar Telcontar." Aragorn stepped forward a couple more steps to make sure that they had a clear view of him. The filly translated his words and the stallion snarled. He moved to strike him, then stopped and let out a startled gasp.
Phoenix, who had been woken by the rising tensions, stood behind the barricade of archers. To many, her beauty had been elvish, but unto these fair-skinned ones she was almost too much to bear. She walked among the peoples of Middle Earth, the sun glinting off her shining coat and raven black hair. The grace in her motion made even the most graceful of the number outside camp feel bumbling.
The huntress came to a halt next to Aragorn as Talitha fluttered down to hover near her huntress's shoulder. Her sapphire blue eyes took in the large group as her stance shifted. "Why do you come here, fair-skinned ones? In doing so you have made yourself targets to Mordor." Phoenix's words hung untranslated as the translator stared at her in awe.
"E neva leure..." she trailed off as the stallion next to her slapped her.
The voice quickly caught her attention. "Lijanora Sterra? Siy loatta sonya?"
Cautiously, the mud-encrusted filly nodded.
"E ora Phoenix, sonyar seral." Unafraid, she approached her sister.
The confused look faded from Lijanora Sterra as she leapt over. "Phoenix! Verah siy Gregolo?"
"Gregolo dere va sho Buel."
At her sister's reply, tears painted tracks down the pale dried mud upon her face.
Talitha nudged her huntress.
"Nanar, Talitha?" At the unspoken answer, Phoenix laughed and nodded. Then, she spoke to the new arrivals. "I know you can speak the common tongue. To try to keep that secret from a true shaman is impossible."
Volcanic Strike wove his way through the crowd, only to see both of his sisters. "Lijanora Sterra!" He leapt over and hugged her, not even minding the mud that was all over her form. The chieftain looked over to the group of fair-skinned ones. "Soh, loatta siy verah sonya cria bire."
Aragorn glared at Volcanic Strike before turning back to those covered with dirt. "I will speak with you." They moved off to talk alone while the siblings wove back into the camp.
"Volcanic Strike, you will have to excuse us. Lijanora and I need to talk about filly things." Phoenix guided her to the place where huntresses had their camp. Together they groomed the mass of mud and debris from her coat, tail and hair. "Lijanora, my tent is right there." She pointed to a tent near the command pavilion. "I share it with four hobbits, and two of them are practical jokers. That's where I'll be if you need any help."
Lijanora watched her sister walk into the tent silently. Then she turned to the river with its waterfall to wash the dried mud from her coat. They have changed so much. Well, at least I'm with them again. She waded into the river and began to wash the mud from her arms. Now, at least, I will have time with them.