THE DAYSTAR
BY: GABRIELLA THE FAIR
Chapter 2
LIFE, LOVE, AND OTHER MYSTERIES
"What was she like, how would you explain her?" With a faraway smile, he looked up to the sky and answered, "She was the Daystar, lighting up the day during our darkest hour, warming the earth with her love." "She is as clear as the moon, as fair as the sun, and as glorious as an army under one banner"
To most she was a loving friend, her fairness lighting up the world, no matter what the weather. To some a companion, and one a lover and dream. Yet, many feared her dignity in her footsteps, power in her stride, and authority in her eyes. This is her story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Arwen, look what I found!"
Arwen looked up from her spot on the ground, it had been three days since the two Elves left Rivendell.
"What is it?" she asked, getting up and walking over to the spot Raquel was examining.
"Look" she pointed to the ground, on it was several little footprints, about four of them. Next to them were obviously hoof prints, but what puzzled them the most were the ones next to that.
"Who's are those?" Arwen asked, her voice hinting that of hope.
"I don't know, but obviously a man, a Mortal man for that matter." Raquel answered.
Arwen looked into Raquel's eyes. She could see her focusing, taking in everything around them, contemplating, trying to find answers.
"How do you know that?"
"The footprints are deep, and Immortals walk light footed and warily, while Mortal Men walk without worry, leaving behind obvious tracks" Raquel explained " but the smaller ones are not as deep, and I am guessing that means they are not as heavy."
"Do you think it could be him? Raquel tell me, is it him!"
"I don't know, I'm sorry I cannot be able to tell", she said timidly, eyes shadowed with anxiety. "It has to be, I know it is." her voice trailed off, ending on a desperate note.
"Come", Raquel said, mounting as she spoke, "we will never find out if we don't press on".
Arwen nodded, reluctantly, and mounted.
"We will find out Arwen, and soon, for I will not let any ill thing come of him."
"Thank you, Raquel."
"For what?"
"For coming"
Raquel looked down, trying to hide her smile. When she looked up, all Arwen could see was determination,
"If we stand here any longer, we will wither and die, come, they went that way!" With that, she turned her horse and rode off into the distance, hair twinkling under the sun. ~~~~~~~~
"Do you feel something?"
"Yes, and I don't like it one bit!" Raquel whispered to Arwen, sleeping across their camp. "I feel, as though, well, someone's watching us, a someone I wish were not watching us."
It was their fourth night since Rivendell.
"In the tracks did you see anything?"
"No" Raquel replied, thinking back to the tracks.
"Then lets hope it stays that way"
~~~~~~~~
"Arwen can I ask you something? " "Yes what is it?"
It had been six days since they had found the tracks. For those days it had been hard riding, only stopping for an occasional meal or checking the road for tracks.
"Are you really in love with him?"
"With who?" Arwen asked innocently, eyes twinkling.
"You know who, Arwen, don't play dumb, Estel, Aragorn, and all the his other names."
"Well what do you consider "in love"?"
"That is what I am asking you!" Raquel said, frustration apparent in her voice.
"Well I guess I would, you don't exactly fall in love over night, why do you ask?"
"I was just curious", she said, staring straight ahead.
"You have never loved someone, have you Raquel?" Arwen inquired, in a soft voice, for this was a very personal area.
"No, I never have" she said in a small voice, "but I don't want to until I find someone I really do love, because then I am with them for the rest of my life, and that means eternity."
Silence followed that statement. Arwen had always considered her and Aragorn "in love", but Raquel had a point, what would it be like to be with Aragorn forever?
Raquel broke the silence "Lets camp here, for it has been a long day, and our horses need rest." "Yes, a long day indeed" Arwen sighed. ~~~~~~
"I think I have found something!"
"Let me see" Raquel crawled over from the bushes. "Hold this for me, right over my head" she instructed.
On the ground in front of them were the same looking tracks as last time. Raquel bent down to examine them. After sometime, Raquel got up, dusting off her hands on her shirt she explained to Arwen what she saw.
"There is good news, and bad, which do you want to hear first?"
"The good news" Arwen said anxiously.
"Well, the tracks are fresh, very fresh, maybe about half a day old."
"And the bad?"
"The bad is that we are being tracked"
"By who?"
"The Nazgul, I keep seeing, or maybe even feeling, them in the shadows." Raquel said with a well-deserved shudder.
"We will speak more about this later, anything else?"
"Yes, one more thing"
"What is it?"
"Well look for yourself", Raquel said, pointing to the tracks as she spoke.
Arwen bent down to look more closely, and other then repositioning of the tracks, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"I see nothing" Arwen exclaimed.
"Look, you are not focusing, let me show you" she said, bending down next to Arwen.
"Look again.", she said pointing as she explained "There were four little tracks last time, one horse, and one man, right? Well now there is the horse, and there's the man and small ones, but there are only three small ones!"
"What does this mean?"
"Either they got hurt, died, or lost." Raquel ended in a small voice.
Arwen stared at the tracks. She hated death, and killing. She hated war, especially when it hurt her people.
"We do not know what happened for sure, so come, we cannot ponder any longer, we are already too far behind."
With a whistle from Raquel, Artemis appeared in the shadows, her silvery mane glistening.
She mounted Artemis, and positioned herself, checking her bow and Sunstone, having them ready at hand. For a fleeting moment, Arwen saw Raquel as a different person. A mighty warrior she looked, tall and glorious upon Artemis. She was clothed in white and silver, her hair falling behind, glowing a cold silver. Her usual soft green eyes had turned merciless, unwilling and hungry. Even Artemis was different, standing taller, eyes defiant. Then everything changed, and there was Raquel, the same Raquel that she had known for so long.
"Come on Arwen, we must leave, if we wish to catch up" she said, turning Artemis and riding at a slow pace so Arwen could catch up.
Puzzled, Arwen nodded, mounted, and rode after Raquel. ~~~~~~~~~
"Do you hear that?"
"Yes, it sounds like talking" Raquel answered, keeping her voice low.
"I wonder who it is."
"Let's go find out"
Raquel dismounted and spoke to Artemis softly, then walked toward the voices, silence in her footfalls. Arwen followed equally quiet, straining to listen for the voices. They approached two little men, hobbits obviously bent over another one, talking in low voices. There was another one, not far off, in the weeds, lookin for something. From her spot in the bushes, Raquel could see that the one lying on the ground was some sort of sick, shivering and looking a little.clear. She started to move toward him, but Arwen grabbed her arm.
"Not yet, let us wait and see what happens" she said walking off in another direction.
Nodding in agreement, Raquel followed her.
As they got closer they could see the silhouette of a man crouching in the weeds, frantically, searching for something. Arwen drew her sword, smiling as she did. Following her example, Raquel drew Sunstone. Quietly both approached him, dodging leaves and twigs.
"What's this, a ranger, caught off his guard?!" Arwen slide her sword to his throat, the cold metal gleaming on his bear flesh.
Aragorn looked up at them and smiled, yet it disappeared quickly.
"Come follow me" he said feverishly, "there is not much time to explain"
He lead them back to the spot with the little Hobbits.
"His name is Frodo" Aragorn whispered as Raquel bent down to examine him, "he was stabbed with this" he held up the hilt of a sword.
Raquel looked at the blade "Nazgul!" she said in disgust, "He's fading. He's not going to last. We must get him to Rivendell."
Arwen looked into Frodo's eyes. "Frodo... Im Arwen. Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad." (Translation into English:) I am Arwen. I have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.
"Who are they?" one of the hobbits asked.
"Frodo" Raquel said softly, "fight them, do not let them win!"
"They are Elves", another one said
Arwen looked to Aragorn, "I've been looking for you for two weeks, There are 5 wraiths behind you. Where the other four are I do not know."
"Dartho guin berian. Rych le ad tolthathon." Aragorn said pleading in Elvish (Tran) "Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses for you"
"Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im." Arwen replied softly, trying her best to do it. (Tran) "I'm the faster rider. I'll take him."
"What are they saying?" the yongest of the Hobbits asked.
"Andelu i ven" Aragorn retorted. (Tran) "The road is too dangerous."
"Frodo fir. Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon.", For the first time the Hobbits heard the other Elf talk.
(Tran) "Frodo is dying. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him. I do not fear them."
Aragorn looked at her and a smile of old came across his face. "I know you don't, you fear nothing."
Turning to Arwen in answer, Aragorn said, "Be iest lin", sadness sweeping the smile from his face.
(Tran) "According to your wish"
Arwen then took Frodo and set him on Asfaloth, leaving Raquel free to use her weapons if she must.
"Where are you taking him?! What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!" One of the Hobbits asked, worry making him stammer.
"Arwen, Raquel, ride hard. Don't look back!" Aragorn said in Common, looking to each in turn.
With that said, each mount, Raquel strung her bow, and checked her weapons quickly. Nodding to Arwen, they set out, leaving only the sounds of the horses' hooves and Frodo's soft moans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, how was it? Hope ya enjoyed it! Next chapter, Arwen and Raquel are chased by some unwanted people. be prepared for alot more chapters everyone. Anywho, this was REALLY slow! sry, I know I said I would speed it up. R&R highly wanted. Again, what do you think will happen? Tell me! thanx for reading and more to come soon.
*~*~*Gabs*~*~*
"What was she like, how would you explain her?" With a faraway smile, he looked up to the sky and answered, "She was the Daystar, lighting up the day during our darkest hour, warming the earth with her love." "She is as clear as the moon, as fair as the sun, and as glorious as an army under one banner"
To most she was a loving friend, her fairness lighting up the world, no matter what the weather. To some a companion, and one a lover and dream. Yet, many feared her dignity in her footsteps, power in her stride, and authority in her eyes. This is her story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Arwen, look what I found!"
Arwen looked up from her spot on the ground, it had been three days since the two Elves left Rivendell.
"What is it?" she asked, getting up and walking over to the spot Raquel was examining.
"Look" she pointed to the ground, on it was several little footprints, about four of them. Next to them were obviously hoof prints, but what puzzled them the most were the ones next to that.
"Who's are those?" Arwen asked, her voice hinting that of hope.
"I don't know, but obviously a man, a Mortal man for that matter." Raquel answered.
Arwen looked into Raquel's eyes. She could see her focusing, taking in everything around them, contemplating, trying to find answers.
"How do you know that?"
"The footprints are deep, and Immortals walk light footed and warily, while Mortal Men walk without worry, leaving behind obvious tracks" Raquel explained " but the smaller ones are not as deep, and I am guessing that means they are not as heavy."
"Do you think it could be him? Raquel tell me, is it him!"
"I don't know, I'm sorry I cannot be able to tell", she said timidly, eyes shadowed with anxiety. "It has to be, I know it is." her voice trailed off, ending on a desperate note.
"Come", Raquel said, mounting as she spoke, "we will never find out if we don't press on".
Arwen nodded, reluctantly, and mounted.
"We will find out Arwen, and soon, for I will not let any ill thing come of him."
"Thank you, Raquel."
"For what?"
"For coming"
Raquel looked down, trying to hide her smile. When she looked up, all Arwen could see was determination,
"If we stand here any longer, we will wither and die, come, they went that way!" With that, she turned her horse and rode off into the distance, hair twinkling under the sun. ~~~~~~~~
"Do you feel something?"
"Yes, and I don't like it one bit!" Raquel whispered to Arwen, sleeping across their camp. "I feel, as though, well, someone's watching us, a someone I wish were not watching us."
It was their fourth night since Rivendell.
"In the tracks did you see anything?"
"No" Raquel replied, thinking back to the tracks.
"Then lets hope it stays that way"
~~~~~~~~
"Arwen can I ask you something? " "Yes what is it?"
It had been six days since they had found the tracks. For those days it had been hard riding, only stopping for an occasional meal or checking the road for tracks.
"Are you really in love with him?"
"With who?" Arwen asked innocently, eyes twinkling.
"You know who, Arwen, don't play dumb, Estel, Aragorn, and all the his other names."
"Well what do you consider "in love"?"
"That is what I am asking you!" Raquel said, frustration apparent in her voice.
"Well I guess I would, you don't exactly fall in love over night, why do you ask?"
"I was just curious", she said, staring straight ahead.
"You have never loved someone, have you Raquel?" Arwen inquired, in a soft voice, for this was a very personal area.
"No, I never have" she said in a small voice, "but I don't want to until I find someone I really do love, because then I am with them for the rest of my life, and that means eternity."
Silence followed that statement. Arwen had always considered her and Aragorn "in love", but Raquel had a point, what would it be like to be with Aragorn forever?
Raquel broke the silence "Lets camp here, for it has been a long day, and our horses need rest." "Yes, a long day indeed" Arwen sighed. ~~~~~~
"I think I have found something!"
"Let me see" Raquel crawled over from the bushes. "Hold this for me, right over my head" she instructed.
On the ground in front of them were the same looking tracks as last time. Raquel bent down to examine them. After sometime, Raquel got up, dusting off her hands on her shirt she explained to Arwen what she saw.
"There is good news, and bad, which do you want to hear first?"
"The good news" Arwen said anxiously.
"Well, the tracks are fresh, very fresh, maybe about half a day old."
"And the bad?"
"The bad is that we are being tracked"
"By who?"
"The Nazgul, I keep seeing, or maybe even feeling, them in the shadows." Raquel said with a well-deserved shudder.
"We will speak more about this later, anything else?"
"Yes, one more thing"
"What is it?"
"Well look for yourself", Raquel said, pointing to the tracks as she spoke.
Arwen bent down to look more closely, and other then repositioning of the tracks, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"I see nothing" Arwen exclaimed.
"Look, you are not focusing, let me show you" she said, bending down next to Arwen.
"Look again.", she said pointing as she explained "There were four little tracks last time, one horse, and one man, right? Well now there is the horse, and there's the man and small ones, but there are only three small ones!"
"What does this mean?"
"Either they got hurt, died, or lost." Raquel ended in a small voice.
Arwen stared at the tracks. She hated death, and killing. She hated war, especially when it hurt her people.
"We do not know what happened for sure, so come, we cannot ponder any longer, we are already too far behind."
With a whistle from Raquel, Artemis appeared in the shadows, her silvery mane glistening.
She mounted Artemis, and positioned herself, checking her bow and Sunstone, having them ready at hand. For a fleeting moment, Arwen saw Raquel as a different person. A mighty warrior she looked, tall and glorious upon Artemis. She was clothed in white and silver, her hair falling behind, glowing a cold silver. Her usual soft green eyes had turned merciless, unwilling and hungry. Even Artemis was different, standing taller, eyes defiant. Then everything changed, and there was Raquel, the same Raquel that she had known for so long.
"Come on Arwen, we must leave, if we wish to catch up" she said, turning Artemis and riding at a slow pace so Arwen could catch up.
Puzzled, Arwen nodded, mounted, and rode after Raquel. ~~~~~~~~~
"Do you hear that?"
"Yes, it sounds like talking" Raquel answered, keeping her voice low.
"I wonder who it is."
"Let's go find out"
Raquel dismounted and spoke to Artemis softly, then walked toward the voices, silence in her footfalls. Arwen followed equally quiet, straining to listen for the voices. They approached two little men, hobbits obviously bent over another one, talking in low voices. There was another one, not far off, in the weeds, lookin for something. From her spot in the bushes, Raquel could see that the one lying on the ground was some sort of sick, shivering and looking a little.clear. She started to move toward him, but Arwen grabbed her arm.
"Not yet, let us wait and see what happens" she said walking off in another direction.
Nodding in agreement, Raquel followed her.
As they got closer they could see the silhouette of a man crouching in the weeds, frantically, searching for something. Arwen drew her sword, smiling as she did. Following her example, Raquel drew Sunstone. Quietly both approached him, dodging leaves and twigs.
"What's this, a ranger, caught off his guard?!" Arwen slide her sword to his throat, the cold metal gleaming on his bear flesh.
Aragorn looked up at them and smiled, yet it disappeared quickly.
"Come follow me" he said feverishly, "there is not much time to explain"
He lead them back to the spot with the little Hobbits.
"His name is Frodo" Aragorn whispered as Raquel bent down to examine him, "he was stabbed with this" he held up the hilt of a sword.
Raquel looked at the blade "Nazgul!" she said in disgust, "He's fading. He's not going to last. We must get him to Rivendell."
Arwen looked into Frodo's eyes. "Frodo... Im Arwen. Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad." (Translation into English:) I am Arwen. I have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.
"Who are they?" one of the hobbits asked.
"Frodo" Raquel said softly, "fight them, do not let them win!"
"They are Elves", another one said
Arwen looked to Aragorn, "I've been looking for you for two weeks, There are 5 wraiths behind you. Where the other four are I do not know."
"Dartho guin berian. Rych le ad tolthathon." Aragorn said pleading in Elvish (Tran) "Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses for you"
"Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im." Arwen replied softly, trying her best to do it. (Tran) "I'm the faster rider. I'll take him."
"What are they saying?" the yongest of the Hobbits asked.
"Andelu i ven" Aragorn retorted. (Tran) "The road is too dangerous."
"Frodo fir. Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon.", For the first time the Hobbits heard the other Elf talk.
(Tran) "Frodo is dying. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him. I do not fear them."
Aragorn looked at her and a smile of old came across his face. "I know you don't, you fear nothing."
Turning to Arwen in answer, Aragorn said, "Be iest lin", sadness sweeping the smile from his face.
(Tran) "According to your wish"
Arwen then took Frodo and set him on Asfaloth, leaving Raquel free to use her weapons if she must.
"Where are you taking him?! What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!" One of the Hobbits asked, worry making him stammer.
"Arwen, Raquel, ride hard. Don't look back!" Aragorn said in Common, looking to each in turn.
With that said, each mount, Raquel strung her bow, and checked her weapons quickly. Nodding to Arwen, they set out, leaving only the sounds of the horses' hooves and Frodo's soft moans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, how was it? Hope ya enjoyed it! Next chapter, Arwen and Raquel are chased by some unwanted people. be prepared for alot more chapters everyone. Anywho, this was REALLY slow! sry, I know I said I would speed it up. R&R highly wanted. Again, what do you think will happen? Tell me! thanx for reading and more to come soon.
*~*~*Gabs*~*~*