Chapter twelve
"The Ring?" Lee whispered. Lis dared a look up into his face and saw it dumbfounded, utterly shocked. He was no longer confidant, just confused. Lis feared she had lost him.
"But that's impossible," Lee muttered quietly. "She can't be the Ring. She's a person, not a Ring."
"Forms change through the years, Legolas. Just as Frodo is not pocket sized, and you are not exquisite with pointed ears, the Ring is no longer a ring."
"But why not?"
Drili shrugged. "I only see fate, I cannot read its will."
Lee reached out and leaned against the tree trunk, his usually composed body beginning to sway. Lis just sat there, huddled in a root, her eyes fixed on Boar.
"That's why…" she whispered to him, and he nodded quietly.
"I'm so sorry Lis." His voice was soft and rough, haggard by an evening of tears that left his eyes red and raw.
A flash of light seemed to sear her mind, and Lis grabbed her head in pain. Images bean to cut through her, visions, memories. She saw all as it was, Middle Earth, Rivendell, Mrodor, Sauron, the Fellowship. Fingers reaching for her, fires licking up all of her body. And Boromir, chasing her through the woods. But it wasn't her. She rest carefully on Frodo's chest, suspended by a chain. Boar wanted her. Wanted the Ring. wanted the power.
That was it.
They had never wanted her, they had wanted what she would give them, Power. Lis suddenly felt very alone, and very useless. Her mind calmed slowly, a thin mist of days still floating about, but Lis wasn't paying attention to it. She was shivering violently, a cold desolation washing over her.
"Nor for me…" she mumbled quietly, rocking back and forth. Lee happened to look down and noticed her. His face clouded and he kneeled by her side.
"Lis?"
"Not for me," she repeated dazedly. "Not for me… just for the Power…" Lis stopped swaying and snapped out of her reverie. She looked up at Lee, and her eyes immediately began to tear.
"Lis, what's wrong?" he probed, his eyes worried.
"You never wanted me." Was all she could manage out, her throat closing with the threatening onslaught of tears.
"What?" he nearly laughed, "What are you talking about?"
"You never wanted me, just like Boar didn't, and Sauron didn't. they didn't want me, they wanted Power. That's all I am. I'm means to an end, nothing more."
Lee chuckled, then reached out his hand and gently slid it down her cheek. Lis felt the urge to pull away, but she had wanted his touch for so long she couldn't bear to leave it now.
"You're infuriating sometimes, did you know that?" he asked, a gentle smile playing on his face.
"I will have you know that true artists, and apparently Elves, do not believe in power. I never even saw the ring in you. Not like they did. Trust me, please. I know I have no proof, except my word. I never saw you as anything other than," Lee swallowed, the merriment gone from his eyes now, replaced by the fear that comes with the voicing of souls, "As anything other than the most, astounding person I've ever had the honor of knowing. You are, beautiful, Lis. And I don't care if you're a ring, or a scarecrow, or whatever. As long as I can call you, YOU, mine, I won't care. I love you Lis. You, not what you can give me."
Lis looked back at him, trying to read his eyes. It didn't take her long. All she needed to know from him was lying there. She inhaled, breathing him in deeply. He smelt of mossy woods and sunny fields. Her mind flashed and she saw Legolas, as he once was, a proud elf prince. Beautiful. But his hands her not reaching for her from Frodo's neck. His eyes did not peer lustily at her while Frodo slept as Boromir had. He watched, he protected. He loved.
And that's when Lis collapsed into his arms, weeping.
Lee pulled her into him, nestling his cheek into her hair, sighing. She always felt right in my arms, he thought. This is where she belongs.
Boar watched quietly from behind Drili, his eyes still.
"Will she be alright?" he asked softly.
"She will be now." Drili smiled.
"But what will happen now? What's to become of her now that, well, now that we know what she is?"
"That," Drili answered darkly, "Is for the Fellowship to decide."
Boar nodded and silently moved off through the woods, searching for the Ring's protectors once again.
"The Ring?" Lee whispered. Lis dared a look up into his face and saw it dumbfounded, utterly shocked. He was no longer confidant, just confused. Lis feared she had lost him.
"But that's impossible," Lee muttered quietly. "She can't be the Ring. She's a person, not a Ring."
"Forms change through the years, Legolas. Just as Frodo is not pocket sized, and you are not exquisite with pointed ears, the Ring is no longer a ring."
"But why not?"
Drili shrugged. "I only see fate, I cannot read its will."
Lee reached out and leaned against the tree trunk, his usually composed body beginning to sway. Lis just sat there, huddled in a root, her eyes fixed on Boar.
"That's why…" she whispered to him, and he nodded quietly.
"I'm so sorry Lis." His voice was soft and rough, haggard by an evening of tears that left his eyes red and raw.
A flash of light seemed to sear her mind, and Lis grabbed her head in pain. Images bean to cut through her, visions, memories. She saw all as it was, Middle Earth, Rivendell, Mrodor, Sauron, the Fellowship. Fingers reaching for her, fires licking up all of her body. And Boromir, chasing her through the woods. But it wasn't her. She rest carefully on Frodo's chest, suspended by a chain. Boar wanted her. Wanted the Ring. wanted the power.
That was it.
They had never wanted her, they had wanted what she would give them, Power. Lis suddenly felt very alone, and very useless. Her mind calmed slowly, a thin mist of days still floating about, but Lis wasn't paying attention to it. She was shivering violently, a cold desolation washing over her.
"Nor for me…" she mumbled quietly, rocking back and forth. Lee happened to look down and noticed her. His face clouded and he kneeled by her side.
"Lis?"
"Not for me," she repeated dazedly. "Not for me… just for the Power…" Lis stopped swaying and snapped out of her reverie. She looked up at Lee, and her eyes immediately began to tear.
"Lis, what's wrong?" he probed, his eyes worried.
"You never wanted me." Was all she could manage out, her throat closing with the threatening onslaught of tears.
"What?" he nearly laughed, "What are you talking about?"
"You never wanted me, just like Boar didn't, and Sauron didn't. they didn't want me, they wanted Power. That's all I am. I'm means to an end, nothing more."
Lee chuckled, then reached out his hand and gently slid it down her cheek. Lis felt the urge to pull away, but she had wanted his touch for so long she couldn't bear to leave it now.
"You're infuriating sometimes, did you know that?" he asked, a gentle smile playing on his face.
"I will have you know that true artists, and apparently Elves, do not believe in power. I never even saw the ring in you. Not like they did. Trust me, please. I know I have no proof, except my word. I never saw you as anything other than," Lee swallowed, the merriment gone from his eyes now, replaced by the fear that comes with the voicing of souls, "As anything other than the most, astounding person I've ever had the honor of knowing. You are, beautiful, Lis. And I don't care if you're a ring, or a scarecrow, or whatever. As long as I can call you, YOU, mine, I won't care. I love you Lis. You, not what you can give me."
Lis looked back at him, trying to read his eyes. It didn't take her long. All she needed to know from him was lying there. She inhaled, breathing him in deeply. He smelt of mossy woods and sunny fields. Her mind flashed and she saw Legolas, as he once was, a proud elf prince. Beautiful. But his hands her not reaching for her from Frodo's neck. His eyes did not peer lustily at her while Frodo slept as Boromir had. He watched, he protected. He loved.
And that's when Lis collapsed into his arms, weeping.
Lee pulled her into him, nestling his cheek into her hair, sighing. She always felt right in my arms, he thought. This is where she belongs.
Boar watched quietly from behind Drili, his eyes still.
"Will she be alright?" he asked softly.
"She will be now." Drili smiled.
"But what will happen now? What's to become of her now that, well, now that we know what she is?"
"That," Drili answered darkly, "Is for the Fellowship to decide."
Boar nodded and silently moved off through the woods, searching for the Ring's protectors once again.