*~*Circles in the grass are called faerie rings and this spells danger for
the mortal passerby. The wild enchantment of the faerie music can lead him
inexorably toward the ring which, can lead to captivity forever in the
world of Faerie. ~ Brain Froud & Alan Lee "Faeries" *~*
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 18 ~ "The Faerie Ring"
Gimli ran in the room trailing water and soap suds and brandishing his axe.
"What happened?" he shouted above Alede's screams. But the wizardess did not answer him instead sinking to her knees and sobbing into her hands. The Dwarf could see no danger, so he set his axe down and took a hold of the girl's shoulders.
"Stop this infernal racket and tell me what happened!"
"He's gone! I didn't stop him! I should have stopped him! He's gone!" Alede babbled incoherently.
"Gone? You mean Legolas? Where has he gone to?" Gimli asked urgently.
"He's gone," Alede repeated, still sobbing hysterically. "I didn't know what he meant to do . . ."
"Curse it woman!" Gimli shook her and when that produced no affect he slapped her hard.
Alede yelped and then gave a little hiccup. Blinking several times she looked up at the dwarf.
"Now," he said severely, "where is Legolas and what happened?"
Alede twisted her hands together. "He came in off the balcony and said that the answer was out there," she sniffled a little. "He also said that it was in the book," she gestured at the desk. "Then he said that he remembered all the rules, though I don't know what he meant. And then . . ." her face crumpled and Gimli was afraid she'd start crying again.
"Get on with it," he growled.
"He said he was going to rescue my father, he took off his amulet . . . and he drank from the goblet and . . . a-and vanished."
"YOU LET HIM DRINK FROM IT??????!!!!!" Gimli's roar nearly knocked her over.
"I didn't realize what he meant to do. Please believe me Gimli, I would have stopped him if I'd realized . . ."
"DON'T YOU REALIZE HE COULD BE DEAD? WE MAY NEVER FIND HIM!!"
"I know, I know!" she sobbed.
"Well, pull yourself together Woman! We've got to find him! You're the confounded wizardess! So you've got to find him!! "
"Yes, yes of course . . ." Alede stood up shakily and looked around the room trying desperately to collect her composure. "I'll look at this book while you get dressed. I put your clothing on the trestle table."
"What?" Gimli had forgotten that he was wearing only a towel and blushing to the roots of his beard, he hurried out of the room.
Trembling, Alede closed her eyes and 'listened'. In her initial panic she had forgotten her link to Legolas. Old habits had taken over and she'd closed down her song. Now she opened to him again. A wave of relief swept over her when she heard Legolas' response. His song was muddled as if it came from a huge distance and was very sluggish to respond to hers. But it was there.
*At least he is alive!*
Going to the balcony Alede looked out, trying to see what it was that the Elf had seen. She was about to turn back when something caught her eye.
"It can't be . . ." she whispered gazing out in astonishment. "No, I don't believe it . . ."
Turning to the staircase, Alede ran down to the ground below, searching the grass at her feet. Gimli joined her a moment later, panting hard.
"Have you found something?" the dwarf asked.
"I'm not certain," Alede said slowly. "But if its what I suspect, you are not safe out here. Return to the library and I'll join you in a moment."
"JOIN ME IN A MOMENT!" the Dwarf roared. "I HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF BEING SENT OFF LIKE A SERVANT! THIS IS YOUR FAULT ANYWAY, SO YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE ORDERING ME ABOUT! IF IT WERE NOT FOR YOU LEGOLAS WOULD NOT HAVE GONE OFF AND DONE SOMETHING SO FOOLISH!!"
"I know, I know, don't you think I already blame myself enough? But I mean it when I say that I don't think its safe for you . . ."
"May I remind you, young woman, that Legolas was my friend long before you ever . . ."
"Gimli! NO!" Alede suddenly cried. Lunging forward she tackled the dwarf, sending them both sprawling to the ground.
"WHAT IN THE BLAZES!!!" Gimli roared.
"Don't move!" Alede gasped. Dew from the grass soaked into her robes and she could feel several mushrooms that had been crushed beneath her. Her ribs were painfully bruised from her fall upon the turf. Never the less, she kept a death grip on Gimli's jerkin. "By the Valar, don't move!"
"What is it?" Gimli asked, her urgency finally catching his attention.
Alede looked to either side of her. To her left in an unbroken line marched several grayish mushrooms. To the right they tiptoed off in into the trees, gently curving ahead.
"Gimli, t-take my hand. Reach back and take my hand."
The dwarf did so slowly, the fear in her voice was so genuine that he believed in it though he could see no danger himself.
"What do you see?" he grunted as Alede rose to her knees and pulled him toward her. Once they were both standing, Alede shifted her hand to his jerkin and tugged him back the way they had come.
"I . . . I have to check something. I'm not sure . . ."
"Curse it, Woman!"
"Patience, Gimli," and with those words she walked quickly back to the library, dragging the reluctant dwarf with her.
~ ~ ~
"HERBOLOGY?!" Gimli shouted when he saw the book she had pulled down. "How in the name of Mordor is herbology going to help us!?"
Alede ignored him and leafed rapidly through the book. She froze when a page fell open to an exquisitely detailed sketch of a mushroom. She glanced at the crushed remains that still clung to the front of her robe.
"By the Valar . . ." she breathed.
"What?"
"The mushrooms," she said putting the book down. "They are called Faerie Caps." Walking to the balcony she looked out at the circle of mushrooms several paces in diameter that crossed the path. Off in the distance she could see others partially hidden by trees. They too crossed over the numerous pathways in Rivendell.
"Like nets," she said turning to the puzzled dwarf. "They are like fishermen casting nets. The goblet acts as a port key and the rest are caught in the nets."
"Nets!?" Gimli was convinced Alede had gone 'round the bend,' as they say. "Make sense if you are able!"
She pointed to the circle. "There is the 'ring' my Father spoke of. It's not a Ring of Power as we had supposed, but a Faerie Ring. Gimli, Legolas is caught in the land of Faerie."
~ ~ ~
A/N: I see from the reviews that some of you caught this already! Good job! And I've also seen that you've been doing your homework about the yellow rose. Jealousy and friendship are both correct, but you're missing one more . . .
No, Gershwin, this has nothing to do with the yellow rose of Texas. LOL! Looks like Mari's on the right track. ;) Think back to your childhood fairy tales and I don't mean the sweet, benevolent stories told by Walt Disney! ;)
Chapter 19 is a nice long Legolas chapter, so get ready for Friday and "The Land of Faeire"!
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 18 ~ "The Faerie Ring"
Gimli ran in the room trailing water and soap suds and brandishing his axe.
"What happened?" he shouted above Alede's screams. But the wizardess did not answer him instead sinking to her knees and sobbing into her hands. The Dwarf could see no danger, so he set his axe down and took a hold of the girl's shoulders.
"Stop this infernal racket and tell me what happened!"
"He's gone! I didn't stop him! I should have stopped him! He's gone!" Alede babbled incoherently.
"Gone? You mean Legolas? Where has he gone to?" Gimli asked urgently.
"He's gone," Alede repeated, still sobbing hysterically. "I didn't know what he meant to do . . ."
"Curse it woman!" Gimli shook her and when that produced no affect he slapped her hard.
Alede yelped and then gave a little hiccup. Blinking several times she looked up at the dwarf.
"Now," he said severely, "where is Legolas and what happened?"
Alede twisted her hands together. "He came in off the balcony and said that the answer was out there," she sniffled a little. "He also said that it was in the book," she gestured at the desk. "Then he said that he remembered all the rules, though I don't know what he meant. And then . . ." her face crumpled and Gimli was afraid she'd start crying again.
"Get on with it," he growled.
"He said he was going to rescue my father, he took off his amulet . . . and he drank from the goblet and . . . a-and vanished."
"YOU LET HIM DRINK FROM IT??????!!!!!" Gimli's roar nearly knocked her over.
"I didn't realize what he meant to do. Please believe me Gimli, I would have stopped him if I'd realized . . ."
"DON'T YOU REALIZE HE COULD BE DEAD? WE MAY NEVER FIND HIM!!"
"I know, I know!" she sobbed.
"Well, pull yourself together Woman! We've got to find him! You're the confounded wizardess! So you've got to find him!! "
"Yes, yes of course . . ." Alede stood up shakily and looked around the room trying desperately to collect her composure. "I'll look at this book while you get dressed. I put your clothing on the trestle table."
"What?" Gimli had forgotten that he was wearing only a towel and blushing to the roots of his beard, he hurried out of the room.
Trembling, Alede closed her eyes and 'listened'. In her initial panic she had forgotten her link to Legolas. Old habits had taken over and she'd closed down her song. Now she opened to him again. A wave of relief swept over her when she heard Legolas' response. His song was muddled as if it came from a huge distance and was very sluggish to respond to hers. But it was there.
*At least he is alive!*
Going to the balcony Alede looked out, trying to see what it was that the Elf had seen. She was about to turn back when something caught her eye.
"It can't be . . ." she whispered gazing out in astonishment. "No, I don't believe it . . ."
Turning to the staircase, Alede ran down to the ground below, searching the grass at her feet. Gimli joined her a moment later, panting hard.
"Have you found something?" the dwarf asked.
"I'm not certain," Alede said slowly. "But if its what I suspect, you are not safe out here. Return to the library and I'll join you in a moment."
"JOIN ME IN A MOMENT!" the Dwarf roared. "I HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF BEING SENT OFF LIKE A SERVANT! THIS IS YOUR FAULT ANYWAY, SO YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE ORDERING ME ABOUT! IF IT WERE NOT FOR YOU LEGOLAS WOULD NOT HAVE GONE OFF AND DONE SOMETHING SO FOOLISH!!"
"I know, I know, don't you think I already blame myself enough? But I mean it when I say that I don't think its safe for you . . ."
"May I remind you, young woman, that Legolas was my friend long before you ever . . ."
"Gimli! NO!" Alede suddenly cried. Lunging forward she tackled the dwarf, sending them both sprawling to the ground.
"WHAT IN THE BLAZES!!!" Gimli roared.
"Don't move!" Alede gasped. Dew from the grass soaked into her robes and she could feel several mushrooms that had been crushed beneath her. Her ribs were painfully bruised from her fall upon the turf. Never the less, she kept a death grip on Gimli's jerkin. "By the Valar, don't move!"
"What is it?" Gimli asked, her urgency finally catching his attention.
Alede looked to either side of her. To her left in an unbroken line marched several grayish mushrooms. To the right they tiptoed off in into the trees, gently curving ahead.
"Gimli, t-take my hand. Reach back and take my hand."
The dwarf did so slowly, the fear in her voice was so genuine that he believed in it though he could see no danger himself.
"What do you see?" he grunted as Alede rose to her knees and pulled him toward her. Once they were both standing, Alede shifted her hand to his jerkin and tugged him back the way they had come.
"I . . . I have to check something. I'm not sure . . ."
"Curse it, Woman!"
"Patience, Gimli," and with those words she walked quickly back to the library, dragging the reluctant dwarf with her.
~ ~ ~
"HERBOLOGY?!" Gimli shouted when he saw the book she had pulled down. "How in the name of Mordor is herbology going to help us!?"
Alede ignored him and leafed rapidly through the book. She froze when a page fell open to an exquisitely detailed sketch of a mushroom. She glanced at the crushed remains that still clung to the front of her robe.
"By the Valar . . ." she breathed.
"What?"
"The mushrooms," she said putting the book down. "They are called Faerie Caps." Walking to the balcony she looked out at the circle of mushrooms several paces in diameter that crossed the path. Off in the distance she could see others partially hidden by trees. They too crossed over the numerous pathways in Rivendell.
"Like nets," she said turning to the puzzled dwarf. "They are like fishermen casting nets. The goblet acts as a port key and the rest are caught in the nets."
"Nets!?" Gimli was convinced Alede had gone 'round the bend,' as they say. "Make sense if you are able!"
She pointed to the circle. "There is the 'ring' my Father spoke of. It's not a Ring of Power as we had supposed, but a Faerie Ring. Gimli, Legolas is caught in the land of Faerie."
~ ~ ~
A/N: I see from the reviews that some of you caught this already! Good job! And I've also seen that you've been doing your homework about the yellow rose. Jealousy and friendship are both correct, but you're missing one more . . .
No, Gershwin, this has nothing to do with the yellow rose of Texas. LOL! Looks like Mari's on the right track. ;) Think back to your childhood fairy tales and I don't mean the sweet, benevolent stories told by Walt Disney! ;)
Chapter 19 is a nice long Legolas chapter, so get ready for Friday and "The Land of Faeire"!