II
all the living things in close proximity had their eyes upon her as
she lay asleep and lost in the lands of elvish dreams. asphodel was silent
but watchful, she was still awake and standing guard over her rightful and
beloved master. the leaves swaggered upon the gentle night breeze, the
clouds had covered the stars, and the moon's light had started fading in
with the thickening mists. through the thick air faint whisperings could be
heard from the trees, all of them were astounded to know that this elf lady
could very well communicate with them. none had ever done so, lest if they
were ents, which are tree creatures who can speak the common tounge, but
they were not, they were just trees, borne of the earth with their own
secret language and realm. however, though unknown to the outside world,
trees knew things that even the wisest did not, for they are permanent
witnesses of the earth, and through them news travelled most fast and
clearly.
all was calm in the hours before the day came, the clouds had lighten, and
dewdrops were visible from the blades of grass. imogen was roused by
asphodel in her native beast tounge. she stirred and opened her eyes at
once. indeed the sky was lighter and it indicates a fine day. imogen
straightened her back which hurt from the solid rock it leaned upon the
whole night and stretched her arms high up, she winced a little upon doing
so. and then she finally stood up and inhaled the morning breeze of the
shore. " ah, the green smell, it is indeed better than much sleep !", she
spoke in satisfaction of the fresh morning ambiance. she walked towards
asphodel and patted her head, greeting her with the most friendly manner
"good morning, dear friend", then she took out from her packings some bread
and an apple. as she ate her mind was at work of where she plans to go,
then after a ramble of thoughts, she remembered that amaranth had told her
that in ithilien was where she was found by the stewards of Harnen. "
ithilien, the land beside mordor... a perilous journey this will be, but if
peril responds my fate then I shall go thither.." imogen was determined to
pay no attention to whatever comes her way, good or evil, living or dead.
why on middle earth was she found in ithilien? it was the nearest land to
the Shadows, and though it is still under the realm of gondor, evil often
pass it's plains. being a fighter and protector of the people, imogen was
taught to be quick in everything, and that includes eating. when she had
finished her breakfast, she walked briskly towards asphodel and gave the
beast some water to drink. asphodel is indeed a mighty horse, she could
travel far and ride fast even if food is short, water is enough for her to
keep going. imogen had be very thankful that this horse bears her well, and
once again, she spoke to the beast in a soft voice and off they left the
cliff overlooking the sea."farcum nin mellon, I lui can ven" ( with this
asphodel took her pace and rode westward from where they came from. upon
the night of the second day since they left the cliff, imogen had reached
dol amroth, in which the tower of the king of belfalas stood.
upon entering the realm, the people marvelled at her sight, it was a
realm of men, and they were quite surprised to see a she- elf so fair pass
by their lands alone and unguarded. imogen was uncomfortable by the
wondering eyes examining her, she stopped by an inn and there she ate her
dinner. all stopped from what they were doing and stared at her, "this is
so uncomfortable.." she thought. she made her way towards the bar and
ordered food. "greetings fair lady, what would you wish to have for dinner,
beautiful one?" the host asked her with a calculating look. "whatever it is
that you have.. just be sure it is good or else.." imogen said warningly,
but she was actually chuckling inside. "very well, fair lady, I would give
you the best dish my kitchen offers.." he was still not finished speaking
when imogen cut him off "please sir, stop calling me that, no need to
flatter me you see.." she said in the most uncomfortable manner. "alright
then, fai.. madam.. off to the kitchen I go to bring the best food you will
ever taste." imogen shook her head as the man set off towards the kitchen
so excited that he stumbled down hitting a post. "ow.. now that will hurt."
she said to herself smiling. imogen ate rather fast because she could not
take the stares around her anymore. she decided to leave dol amroth as soon
she finished eating, she didn't care if it's dangerous, for her it was
easier to spend the night under the protection of the trees than to spend
it with men who seemed like they haven't seen a lady before. and so she
finished her meal and head towards the door, but in time a sardonic looking
man stood in front of her, blocking the door. "you are the fairest living
thing i've laid eyes on. pray tell me your name." the man said almost
pleading. but imogen did not stir. "I would sorely suggest that you get out
of my way sir.." she said with a warning tone. but the man took no heed and
remained at the door. " you are a wildcat, i've always liked that in a
woman, come on now tell me your name, and be my wife." all laughed save
imogen who quickly loaded her bow with an arrow so fast that they did not
even see how she did it at all. an arrow now pointed directly to the man,
the tip was so close it touched his nose. "how bold of you sir, but I see
that you are bothered by a bad case of insanity, I will not long to get
married to a man conjuring such illness. now move aside and let me pass or
i'll let this arrow loose and you would wish you had not laid your eyes
upon me at all." she whispered in a deadly tone with a hard look on her
eyes. the man now stood stunned and unable to move. " move!", imogen
shouted startling the man which quickly leapt to the side and let her pass.
she heard the man say something but it was not clear for it sounded like a
hoarse grunt. imogen walked with her back towards the door, her arrow still
at aim. asphodel saw her and quickly rode to open door of the inn where
imogen is. but before she could mount asphoddel, guards in armor mounted on
horses surrounded her and the steed, she did not know why but they seemed
to be arresting her. a proud looking man dismounted off his horse and
walked to where imogen stands. "my lady, we do not wish to harm you in any
way, but we were commanded by the prince to find you, for he wants to talk
to you about matters he does not wish to share with us." the guard said
looking honest. imogen had noticed that he bore a plate on his armor
meaning that he is an officer of the halls of the tower of the king. "very
well, take me to him and let us be quick, I also have pressing matters to
attend to." imogen said as she averted her gaze to the other guards. as
usual, all of them gave her the same calculating look she got from the men
inside the inn, she did not understand why so, but she payed no attention
whatever caused it.
they rode towards the tower of the king and she was escorted to hall
where the prince was. imogen bowed down as she greeted the prince in
respect. "prince imrahil of dol amroth, I believe you have called on me,
what is it that you want to talk about?" the prince looked magnificent in
his golden tunic, with a small crown towering his head. his eyes looked
straight into imogen's, as if searching for something. it is undeniable
that the prince himself had some elven blood within him, for he also had
pointy ears and imogen could sense his aura as one of her kindred. "you are
imogen northiam, lady of harnen, the land beside the river, am I not
right?." he said at lenght, not drawing his gaze away from imogen. "yes,
indeed that's my name, my lord, but not the real one I suppose." she said
drawing her face down to her knees. the prince's brows narrowed and asked
"pray tell me what you mean by that my lady?" imogen gulped a little, and
thought for a while, would it be right if she tell the prince about her
quest, would he be of any help? and so imogen mustered her thooughts and
finally spoke " I am in quest of my true identity my lord, for over a
millenium and a half I carried this burden, I wish to know what my real
fate is.." the prince, contrary to what imogen had expected was not
surprised at all, he gave imogen a weak smile and said "I am not in wonder,
for I knew amaranth and for sure I know that he is not elven.. you see my
lady, fate is what you make out of yourself, you need not search for it for
it is in your very hands and I see that you carry it with you." the prince
said as he looked down on the starlike pendant she was wearing. imogen was
dumdfounded by what the prince had said. "that I know, prince imrahil, but
pray tell me, do you know anything about this jewel that I bear now with
me? she asked clutching the pendant. prince imrahil shook his head and
answered "nay, I do not, but I believe this holds the fate that you are
searching for... it has been said that the lady galadriel of lothlorien had
long been searching for a star, though vaguely described what kind, it
still is lost." he moved his hand towards imogen's left shoulder and
brushed the hair which hid the mark on her neck. "not very usual I
believe." he said as he set his eyes upon the mark, and then he spoke
again, "where are you headed my lady?" imogen's mind was not very sure
where to go now, she planned to go to ithilien, but upon knowing that the
lady galadriel was looking for a star, she wanted now to go to lothlorien.
" it is in my plans to head and explore the lands of ithillien but.." she
was suddenly cut off by the prince. "nay! my lady, you should not pass over
ithilien these days, that land is dangerous this time being, for what cause
I could not yet tell you. hear me, and take advice not to head the land
neighboring the realm of the shadows. to lothlorien is where you should go,
so that your quest would not be in vain, I deem you would find nothing but
peril in ithilien, especially nowadays." his voice sounded as if he was
commanding imogen, but his face revealed deep concern for the she-elf
standing in front of him. there was silence from both companies, imogen's
mind was at work whether to take the prince's advice or not. lothlorien,
the name of the place itself made her heart leap for some unexplainable
reason. and by that she decided to take the prince's counsel. after a long
while of talking, imogen finally bid farewell to the prince. "but you are
weary and the roads are dangerous at night.." the prince said with an
obvious look of worry in his face. "my prince, you know very well that I
fear no danger. i very much appreciate your concern, but I can not delay,
time calls me, and any hour lost brings a burning to my heart." imogen
persisted, she was in one of her stubborn moods. before leaving, she was
brought some food for the journey and arrows for her quiver. it was not a
problem to imogen though if she ran out of arrows because she also was good
with the sword, and she carries one tucked around the belt. asphodel had
rested and ate and was in perfect condition to journey. she thanked the
prince once more, and bid farewell. the prince looked not so happy about
her leaving but he could not persuade imogen not to go. and so she was
gone.
imogen was in haste journeying upnorth, she stopped only to eat, she
slept only a little. it had been months since she came out of the realm of
dol amroth, she looked thin, but still glowed. her beauty never ceases and
sometimes she thinks its a curse. with the help of the trees and the other
beasts and animals, she had made her way to isengard, some wandering orcs
had often had the unfortunate luck of coming across her and get slained.
she had indeed traveled far, and had witnessed alot of things. she had seen
the Orthanc, from which the istari saruman dwells. she wished to visit the
wizard to seek counsel for her journey but isengard looked dreadful, she
sensed that dark powers had invaded the land, and that the tower was under
the influence of the shadow. trees were cut down and she could hear it's
yelps of pain and torment. from a distance she looked upon the tower, and
noticed that orcs had been patrolling the grounds surrounding it. she shook
her head and spoke to asphodel. "ingon I athrad dammen beriathar aen. noro
lim asphodel, to the east! " ( after two days of fleeing from isengard,
they had finally slowed down, imogen was sensing something, though it is
not evil it is still unfamiliar. she dismounted off asphodel and began
walking to the trees. imogen was hoping that the trees would help her know
what is near. she placed a hand upon each tree that she passed by, slowly
she made her way towards the oldest looking one which happened to be a
willow. she kneeled down and placed a hand upon the thick bark and greeted
the old tree in it's own tounge. "mother willow of the earth, I come in
peace.." the tree stirred and whispered it's hiss in welcome. " and so we
have met, lady imogen of harnen, I have heard a lot of things about you.."
imogen stood up and roved her eyes around the land carefully. " did you
now? what are these things you've heard about me if I may ask? I myself
know naught about who I am.." she could hear faint whisperings around her,
it seems that the trees were having some sort of conversations as they
watch her converse with the old willow. " I am surprised, know naught of
who you are? strange, but I pay no heed. however, I am impressed to know
that you, lady of harnen, could converse with creatures such as us. you are
an elf I see, it is known to us that elves could hear some of our whispers,
and that is if we intend them to hear what we have to say, but never in our
long years in middle earth have we yet encountered an elf which can speak
and hear us altogether.." the tree spoke in amazement. imogen smiled upon
hearing what the willow had said. " is that a bad thing? I reckon of it as
a gift, I do not know how i've learned your tounge and the others, but I
surely am thankful having to possess this." the whisperings around her grew
louder when they heard that she could also speak other tounges besides of
what they have. the willow replied in a soft tone. " you are blessed,
child, the rarest of your kindred I say, I could only ask that you use this
gift in Light, and void of the Shadows.." imogen could sense that the tree
had some burdens by the way it spoke. "the shadows? I do not mingle with
the evil forces of the dark lord of mordor. nay! my heart is clean and I
wish only to quest for my fate." all was silent as if waiting for her to
further explain what she meant. " I.. I am in a journey of finding my true
identity.. but if you'll pardon me, I wish to keep my business to myself."
the willow understood what she was trying to say and made no further
questions about her journey. " do not take us wrong, child, it is just that
these times, the Shadow is at work again and the powers of the Black land
far away circulates almost in every realm. the dark lord had been searching
for the Ring and he uses all sorts of creatures to help find it.. but I
believe that you are excused, child, for your heart's purity radiates your
being, I trust your intentions." imogen was suddenly stirred upon the
willows words. "mordor? Ring? what evil tiding is this? she spoke hastily,
it was not clear to her what the willow had said. "the One Ring, child,
Sauron's wrath. it happened that he is searching for this once more, and
the ringbearer, a halfling. Frodo Baggins of the Shire, is at an errand of
destroying it in Mt. Doom. truly these times days are dark." so that was
what's been burdening the willow. the black land is at work again and
sauron's forces are at loose. imogen mustered her thoughts and finally
spoke, " where have I been? why haven't I heard of this? that is evil news
indeed. now my quest stands even more perilous.." asphodel was not very far
away and imogen heard her neigh.
she felt a chill run down her spine meaning something was amiss. "
imogen! hasten, evil comes this way!" the willow spoke as she turned around
and in a split second an arrow slightly missed her face. imogen ran towards
asphodel with the greatest speed her legs can go, and being an elf trained
for battle that was really fast. "farewell lady of harnen, live by the
Light." she heard the willow spoke as she ran towards the horse. a troop of
orcs was ahead but with great speed, imogen climbed up a tree and shoot all
12 assailants one by one. it was a nice thing that she had her quiver full
of arrows before leaving dol amroth, she wasn't called a fighter for
nothing. then when all of the orcs were down, she jumped from the top of
the tree to the bare earth. for a moment she remained there squatting,
examining her enemies lay dead on the ground. then she leapt up, still
having her arrow pointed towards her enemies. carefully sensing for any
other assailant, a creature sprang from behind her, luckily imogen did not
hasten to release the arrow, for the creature was definitely not an orc.
( come my friend, time calls us.
( I guess the ford will be against us. ride fast asphodel, to the east!