Galadriel surveyed the broken bodies at her feet and looked sternly at her
assembled guards.
'This cannot continue!' she said, barely keeping her temper in check. 'We are the Elves' Sanctuary, we cannot have orcs entering with such ease.'
She drew in a deep breath. She was not truly angry with the guards, but with herself for not having seen this coming. There was something out there, something from the East that did not wish young Aniarel to grow to maturity. The way things were going they would succeed as well.
The Lady had cast auguries at the child's birth, and they had shown her that, besides being the most beloved woman ever to grace Middle-earth, from her marriage would come a child with the ability to see through all deception and deceit, and to hold such power as the Dark Lord could only dream of. Galadriel knew that whatever was trying to kill the child would succeed if steps were not taken.
She glanced about at the elves around her.
'Give them a proper burial,' she ordered, 'and find Jenien and Licomias. I need to speak with them.'
*~*~*
The two elves hurried along the woodland trails, hand in hand, laughing together. They reached the Lady and bowed, their smiles reflected for a moment on her lovely face. Galadriel gather Jenien in her arms, a sad expression on her regal features. Licomias looked on, a dark foreboding in his heart.
'Oh, my friends, I cannot tell you how sorry I am to lay this upon you.'
Jenien drew back, her expression mirroring that of her husband as he laid an arm about her shoulders.
'What do you mean, Lady?'
Galadriel sighed.
'Where is Aniarel?'
'With Legolas,' Jenien told her, her face puzzled.
'Has he agreed to bind his soul to her?'
Licomias nodded.
'Yes, Lady. What is this about?'
She gestured for them to sit beside her, taking Jenien's hands in her own.
'The darkness that has been growing in my mind since Aniarel's birth has begun to seep into our lives here. I'm sure you are aware of the terrible attacks that have begun happening with frightening frequency on our borders?'
They nodded, glancing at one another in confusion.
'They are trying to get to Aniarel,' Galadriel told them. 'They wish to kill her.'
Jenien gasped.
'No,' she whispered. 'I won't let them. They won't take my child from me again.'
Licomias tightened his grip on her.
'We won't let them,' he corrected her.
She laid her head on his shoulder, visibly shaking with the thought of losing her daughter. Galadriel gently soothed their minds.
'There is only one course of action that I can think of to keep her safe. You must go away from here, to the world of men.'
The two elves looked confused.
'World of men?'
'They call it Earth,' she explained. 'Only Men live there, in a world that is in many ways more advanced than ours. Your features would be altered slightly to help you blend in, and Aniarel's ageing accelerated.'
'Is there no other option open to us?' Licomias asked her.
She shook her head.
'There is none, Licomias. I have thought long and hard about it, and this is the best I can come up with.'
She withdrew a little way to allow them to discuss her plan. Her heart ached with the knowledge that the only way to keep them safe would be to separate them from all they knew and loved, and to throw them into a world where beauty and joy came second to money and power. She feared the world of men would destroy her fragile friend.
They came over to her, hands clasped tightly together.
'When must we leave?' Jenien asked, her face pale but determined.
*~*~*
Aniarel gurgled at her mother from Legolas' arms, as she flitted about, preparing herself for a new world. Licomias stood by the door, leaning against the frame. Finally, Jenien was ready. The three walked along the woodland trails, each lost in their own thoughts.
Jenien was lost in her memories. Her childhood in Mirkwood, growing up with Legolas as her closest friend. Living in Rivendell with Arwen, and putting up with her friend's attempts to get her married off quickly. The journey from Rivendell to Lothlorien, in which she put aside her doubts and found love. Her wedding day. Losing her first child, only to be told she would never again bear children. Almost losing herself, but for the presence of Licomias. The hopes and fears that had wracked her through her pregnancy with Aniarel. Licomias' face when he held his daughter for the first time. And now, she was leaving the world that had made her who she was, for a world she knew nothing of and that knew nothing of her.
They reached the edge of the woods, where Haldir and a few other guards waited. The couple turned to Legolas.
'This is where we leave you, my friend,' Licomias said, carefully embracing the prince and relieving him of Aniarel.
Jenien threw herself into Legolas' arms for the last time, sobbing into his chest. He held her tightly, trying to reassure her but failing miserably. He drew back, dashing tears from his eyes. Smiling down at his childhood companion, he said,
'You take care of yourself, hear me? And the little one.'
He drew her close again.
'Come back, Jenien.'
'I'll try,' she whispered through her tears.
Stepping away from him, she wiped her eyes and wrapped Aniarel inside her cloak. With a final glance back at him, the small group melted away into the darkness.
Legolas watched them go with a heavy heart. As they crept away through the trees, he couldn't help but feel that that would be the last time he would ever see his friends again . . .
*~*~*
Whaddya think? Obscure enough?
I had to post this. I really enjoyed writing it, even if people haven't liked reading it. I'm still at a loss for sequel ideas as far as 'Unusual Heritage' goes, so any suggestions would be most welcome!
With any luck I should be posting again some time in the near future! See ya!
'This cannot continue!' she said, barely keeping her temper in check. 'We are the Elves' Sanctuary, we cannot have orcs entering with such ease.'
She drew in a deep breath. She was not truly angry with the guards, but with herself for not having seen this coming. There was something out there, something from the East that did not wish young Aniarel to grow to maturity. The way things were going they would succeed as well.
The Lady had cast auguries at the child's birth, and they had shown her that, besides being the most beloved woman ever to grace Middle-earth, from her marriage would come a child with the ability to see through all deception and deceit, and to hold such power as the Dark Lord could only dream of. Galadriel knew that whatever was trying to kill the child would succeed if steps were not taken.
She glanced about at the elves around her.
'Give them a proper burial,' she ordered, 'and find Jenien and Licomias. I need to speak with them.'
*~*~*
The two elves hurried along the woodland trails, hand in hand, laughing together. They reached the Lady and bowed, their smiles reflected for a moment on her lovely face. Galadriel gather Jenien in her arms, a sad expression on her regal features. Licomias looked on, a dark foreboding in his heart.
'Oh, my friends, I cannot tell you how sorry I am to lay this upon you.'
Jenien drew back, her expression mirroring that of her husband as he laid an arm about her shoulders.
'What do you mean, Lady?'
Galadriel sighed.
'Where is Aniarel?'
'With Legolas,' Jenien told her, her face puzzled.
'Has he agreed to bind his soul to her?'
Licomias nodded.
'Yes, Lady. What is this about?'
She gestured for them to sit beside her, taking Jenien's hands in her own.
'The darkness that has been growing in my mind since Aniarel's birth has begun to seep into our lives here. I'm sure you are aware of the terrible attacks that have begun happening with frightening frequency on our borders?'
They nodded, glancing at one another in confusion.
'They are trying to get to Aniarel,' Galadriel told them. 'They wish to kill her.'
Jenien gasped.
'No,' she whispered. 'I won't let them. They won't take my child from me again.'
Licomias tightened his grip on her.
'We won't let them,' he corrected her.
She laid her head on his shoulder, visibly shaking with the thought of losing her daughter. Galadriel gently soothed their minds.
'There is only one course of action that I can think of to keep her safe. You must go away from here, to the world of men.'
The two elves looked confused.
'World of men?'
'They call it Earth,' she explained. 'Only Men live there, in a world that is in many ways more advanced than ours. Your features would be altered slightly to help you blend in, and Aniarel's ageing accelerated.'
'Is there no other option open to us?' Licomias asked her.
She shook her head.
'There is none, Licomias. I have thought long and hard about it, and this is the best I can come up with.'
She withdrew a little way to allow them to discuss her plan. Her heart ached with the knowledge that the only way to keep them safe would be to separate them from all they knew and loved, and to throw them into a world where beauty and joy came second to money and power. She feared the world of men would destroy her fragile friend.
They came over to her, hands clasped tightly together.
'When must we leave?' Jenien asked, her face pale but determined.
*~*~*
Aniarel gurgled at her mother from Legolas' arms, as she flitted about, preparing herself for a new world. Licomias stood by the door, leaning against the frame. Finally, Jenien was ready. The three walked along the woodland trails, each lost in their own thoughts.
Jenien was lost in her memories. Her childhood in Mirkwood, growing up with Legolas as her closest friend. Living in Rivendell with Arwen, and putting up with her friend's attempts to get her married off quickly. The journey from Rivendell to Lothlorien, in which she put aside her doubts and found love. Her wedding day. Losing her first child, only to be told she would never again bear children. Almost losing herself, but for the presence of Licomias. The hopes and fears that had wracked her through her pregnancy with Aniarel. Licomias' face when he held his daughter for the first time. And now, she was leaving the world that had made her who she was, for a world she knew nothing of and that knew nothing of her.
They reached the edge of the woods, where Haldir and a few other guards waited. The couple turned to Legolas.
'This is where we leave you, my friend,' Licomias said, carefully embracing the prince and relieving him of Aniarel.
Jenien threw herself into Legolas' arms for the last time, sobbing into his chest. He held her tightly, trying to reassure her but failing miserably. He drew back, dashing tears from his eyes. Smiling down at his childhood companion, he said,
'You take care of yourself, hear me? And the little one.'
He drew her close again.
'Come back, Jenien.'
'I'll try,' she whispered through her tears.
Stepping away from him, she wiped her eyes and wrapped Aniarel inside her cloak. With a final glance back at him, the small group melted away into the darkness.
Legolas watched them go with a heavy heart. As they crept away through the trees, he couldn't help but feel that that would be the last time he would ever see his friends again . . .
*~*~*
Whaddya think? Obscure enough?
I had to post this. I really enjoyed writing it, even if people haven't liked reading it. I'm still at a loss for sequel ideas as far as 'Unusual Heritage' goes, so any suggestions would be most welcome!
With any luck I should be posting again some time in the near future! See ya!