Chapter Seven - Harsh Truths
Legolas watched Melriadora check over her shoulder for the tenth time that hour and inwardly frowned. Something was wrong, and she wasn't telling him. This annoyed him. He felt left out of the loop, like she didn't trust him. He stopped as she turned around again.
"What?" He snapped, and immediately regretted his tone. He hadn't meant to be short with her.
Melriadora continued to scan the landscape. "We are being watched." She whispered to him.
He blinked, looking at her quizzically. "What?"
She sighed, "They are gone, for now."
"Melriadora, what is going on?" He demanded.
Her eyes turned to him slowly. She seemed to be searching for words. "What do you mean?"
"Melriadora, do not pretend you have no idea what I am talking about!" He looked cross.
She studied his face, and then replied, quietly, "You are right. I have not been completely honest with you." She set down her bag and set, gesturing for him to do the same.
Legolas sat, waiting for her to explain. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally began to tell the truth.
"The Isle is not under attack by a simple stranger. It is deeper then that." She looked away, into the distance. "We are under attack by one of our own, a former Priestess called Reymara. She has turned to the Dark Arts and is using her powers for to cast her will over others. And she has been taking us and somehow turning them to evil. She has awaken an old terror, the Porai, which hunts me now."
Legolas nodded, those must have been what he saw the first day she came back.
Melriadora continued, "I have to find a way to stop her, and if I fail, the Isle is doomed for certain."
Legolas took all this in, turning it over in his mind. Part of him was angry that she did not spell out their mission like this before, the other part was asking a burning question.
"Melriadora? Why must it be you to stop her?" He asked.
Melri stiffened, her eyes looked away then turned back to look with his. "Because I am the Chosen." She answered.
Legolas blinked, confused. "The Chosen? What does that mean?"
"It was prophesized that a child of Greenwood the Great would become a Priestess gifted with the Sight, the ability to see the future, more gifted then others, and would save the Isle from one of its own in the darkest hour. When I was young, I constantly had dreams that came true. As I grew, it got to the point where I saw things, even when I was awake. That was why the Lady came for me. I am that Priestess, and only I can save the Isle."
Legolas stared at her in disbelief, "Melriadora, why didn't you tell me you could see the future?" He demanded, his deep blue eyes flashing with anger. She hadn't been truthful with him when they were young. She never told him about her dreams, shutting him out of an important part of her life.
She raised her head, "You never asked me about it. I told you I had dreams, after all, you were my closest friend, but you never-" She stopped short, shaking off a hurt from childhood. "It doesn't matter, we were only children, but don't you dare be angry at me!" She scolded.
Legolas softened, his anger at her disappeared, he took her hand, "I never knew that-" Suddenly everything went dark and the world seemed to spin.
When it stopped he and Melriadora stood in a dark room, it was too dark to see anything clearly. "Where are we?" He asked her.
Melriadora shook her head, "I don't know." Suddenly shrieks filled the air and a ring of fire was lit showing their surroundings, a cavern. The Porai, who had been hunting Melriadora rushed in pointed their weapons threateningly, and baring their teeth. Legolas took Melriadora's arm and pull her behind him, they had no weapons but to get to Melri, they'd have to go through him.
Laughter rang through the cavern and the creatures stop shrieking. An elven woman came out; she had dark hair and eyes that were as cold as ice. She was wearing a cloak of blood red and seemed to glow with some red, dark light, which shone around her like an evil haze. She stepped in front of the creatures. "Melriadora, are you the best Priestess the Lady could send? I mean, really child, you walked so unwittingly into my trap, it was almost pathetic. Did you not realize you had stepped into a portal, child? I thought the Lady would have taught you better."
Melriadora raised her head, if she had any fear, she masked it well. "Reymara." She greeted, her voice showed no emotions at all. For the first time Legolas saw the regal, legendary Priestess that she had become. She seemed to be gathering herself for something.
"Your power will not work here." Reymara said, disdainfully. "Only those in full acceptance of there inner darkness can cast here." She circled around them. "It is an ancient place, this cave, full of old, dark magic." She commented. She stopped, studying Legolas, "My, my, Melriadora. Your companion is certainly a fine specimen." Reymara's icy eyes flickered back to Melriadora. "My goodness child, where are your manners? Bow."
Melriadora raised her head, stubbornly, "I will not."
"Bow to me, girl!" She shouted, her voice thundered. She raised a hand and her eyes clouded, the cold blue became black and with an invisible force she bowed Melriadora with much struggle for Melri was stubborn and refused to submit.
She stepped forward, releasing her and Melriadora collapsed to the ground. Legolas moved to help her but was stopped by the same invisible force. "No, let her struggle." She knelled next to Melriadora. "You will soon learn your place." She raised her head to shout an order to the Porai. "Take her to the chamber."
Three stepped forward; two took Melriadora and dragged her roughly to her feet, kicking her when she stumbled and grunting furiously. Legolas tried again to step forward to help her but was stopped by the third that growled threatingly. Legolas tried to side step the creature but with surprising quickness, he was struck down.
Reymara watched all this with an evil aloofness. "Take him to a cell, I will deal with him later." She ordered the Porai again. "Right now, I must try to make our lost little Melriadora see reason." She laughed again; it was a cold laugh that chilled Legolas' bones. Reymara turned on her heel and followed the path that Melriadora had been taken on, as Legolas was dragged down another.
He could not remember much of what transpired next, he was too busy looking around for a way out of the cavern, so sort of clue, an escape, but the next thing he knew, he was being tossed into a dark, cold, cell, and everything went black.
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A/N- Finally! Something happened! Anyway, reviews are my only friends! So send me some!
Legolas watched Melriadora check over her shoulder for the tenth time that hour and inwardly frowned. Something was wrong, and she wasn't telling him. This annoyed him. He felt left out of the loop, like she didn't trust him. He stopped as she turned around again.
"What?" He snapped, and immediately regretted his tone. He hadn't meant to be short with her.
Melriadora continued to scan the landscape. "We are being watched." She whispered to him.
He blinked, looking at her quizzically. "What?"
She sighed, "They are gone, for now."
"Melriadora, what is going on?" He demanded.
Her eyes turned to him slowly. She seemed to be searching for words. "What do you mean?"
"Melriadora, do not pretend you have no idea what I am talking about!" He looked cross.
She studied his face, and then replied, quietly, "You are right. I have not been completely honest with you." She set down her bag and set, gesturing for him to do the same.
Legolas sat, waiting for her to explain. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally began to tell the truth.
"The Isle is not under attack by a simple stranger. It is deeper then that." She looked away, into the distance. "We are under attack by one of our own, a former Priestess called Reymara. She has turned to the Dark Arts and is using her powers for to cast her will over others. And she has been taking us and somehow turning them to evil. She has awaken an old terror, the Porai, which hunts me now."
Legolas nodded, those must have been what he saw the first day she came back.
Melriadora continued, "I have to find a way to stop her, and if I fail, the Isle is doomed for certain."
Legolas took all this in, turning it over in his mind. Part of him was angry that she did not spell out their mission like this before, the other part was asking a burning question.
"Melriadora? Why must it be you to stop her?" He asked.
Melri stiffened, her eyes looked away then turned back to look with his. "Because I am the Chosen." She answered.
Legolas blinked, confused. "The Chosen? What does that mean?"
"It was prophesized that a child of Greenwood the Great would become a Priestess gifted with the Sight, the ability to see the future, more gifted then others, and would save the Isle from one of its own in the darkest hour. When I was young, I constantly had dreams that came true. As I grew, it got to the point where I saw things, even when I was awake. That was why the Lady came for me. I am that Priestess, and only I can save the Isle."
Legolas stared at her in disbelief, "Melriadora, why didn't you tell me you could see the future?" He demanded, his deep blue eyes flashing with anger. She hadn't been truthful with him when they were young. She never told him about her dreams, shutting him out of an important part of her life.
She raised her head, "You never asked me about it. I told you I had dreams, after all, you were my closest friend, but you never-" She stopped short, shaking off a hurt from childhood. "It doesn't matter, we were only children, but don't you dare be angry at me!" She scolded.
Legolas softened, his anger at her disappeared, he took her hand, "I never knew that-" Suddenly everything went dark and the world seemed to spin.
When it stopped he and Melriadora stood in a dark room, it was too dark to see anything clearly. "Where are we?" He asked her.
Melriadora shook her head, "I don't know." Suddenly shrieks filled the air and a ring of fire was lit showing their surroundings, a cavern. The Porai, who had been hunting Melriadora rushed in pointed their weapons threateningly, and baring their teeth. Legolas took Melriadora's arm and pull her behind him, they had no weapons but to get to Melri, they'd have to go through him.
Laughter rang through the cavern and the creatures stop shrieking. An elven woman came out; she had dark hair and eyes that were as cold as ice. She was wearing a cloak of blood red and seemed to glow with some red, dark light, which shone around her like an evil haze. She stepped in front of the creatures. "Melriadora, are you the best Priestess the Lady could send? I mean, really child, you walked so unwittingly into my trap, it was almost pathetic. Did you not realize you had stepped into a portal, child? I thought the Lady would have taught you better."
Melriadora raised her head, if she had any fear, she masked it well. "Reymara." She greeted, her voice showed no emotions at all. For the first time Legolas saw the regal, legendary Priestess that she had become. She seemed to be gathering herself for something.
"Your power will not work here." Reymara said, disdainfully. "Only those in full acceptance of there inner darkness can cast here." She circled around them. "It is an ancient place, this cave, full of old, dark magic." She commented. She stopped, studying Legolas, "My, my, Melriadora. Your companion is certainly a fine specimen." Reymara's icy eyes flickered back to Melriadora. "My goodness child, where are your manners? Bow."
Melriadora raised her head, stubbornly, "I will not."
"Bow to me, girl!" She shouted, her voice thundered. She raised a hand and her eyes clouded, the cold blue became black and with an invisible force she bowed Melriadora with much struggle for Melri was stubborn and refused to submit.
She stepped forward, releasing her and Melriadora collapsed to the ground. Legolas moved to help her but was stopped by the same invisible force. "No, let her struggle." She knelled next to Melriadora. "You will soon learn your place." She raised her head to shout an order to the Porai. "Take her to the chamber."
Three stepped forward; two took Melriadora and dragged her roughly to her feet, kicking her when she stumbled and grunting furiously. Legolas tried again to step forward to help her but was stopped by the third that growled threatingly. Legolas tried to side step the creature but with surprising quickness, he was struck down.
Reymara watched all this with an evil aloofness. "Take him to a cell, I will deal with him later." She ordered the Porai again. "Right now, I must try to make our lost little Melriadora see reason." She laughed again; it was a cold laugh that chilled Legolas' bones. Reymara turned on her heel and followed the path that Melriadora had been taken on, as Legolas was dragged down another.
He could not remember much of what transpired next, he was too busy looking around for a way out of the cavern, so sort of clue, an escape, but the next thing he knew, he was being tossed into a dark, cold, cell, and everything went black.
* * * * * * * * * * *
A/N- Finally! Something happened! Anyway, reviews are my only friends! So send me some!