All right kiddies: will news of her yuckie fate bring Nephryn to her knees (in the 'oh dear I can't handle this' sense and no other sense, thank you!!) or will she emerge the strong shiny Mary Sue-ish thrive-under-pressure type gal?? Well what do think??? Read on and find out, sillies (do I have to tell ya to do everything??)
Ps, sorry this one took so long. Also thanks to all who gave the thumbs up on chapter 11, its good to know I'm on the semi-right track… keep those reviews coming….
Legolas lay awake as the morning sun filtered through the heavy cloud that had settled over Lorién. The glare of light on white walls did not affect him for he knew that if he stirred at all, the fair maid that lay slumbering in his embrace would awaken and the self-made illusion that all was right in his world would be shattered by the rough edges of reality. So he lay, squinting in the brightness, breathing in her scent and lulled by the steady thump of her heart against his.
Nephryn lay slouched in his arms, her bare arms and clothed torso covering most of his bare chest. His hands were twined in her hair, relishing the luxuriant feel of her. So lost in illusions and waking dreams was Legolas that he almost did not hear the subtle tap on the door.
The elf-prince was reluctant to break the silence but he could not invite just anyone into Nephryn's inner sanctuary.
"Who is it?" He whispered, trying to be loud enough to be heard by their visitor but not so loud as to wake the slumbering elf-maid in his arms.
A voice answered from beyond, equally quiet, "It is Aragorn. I would speak with you urgently." He did not wait for further invitation and gently pulled open the door.
Aragorn looked as rested as Legolas felt. He'd not changed clothes since yesterday and his shoulders were set with worry and preoccupation. He did not look even the slightest bit surprised by the sight of Legolas lying with Nephryn in his arms.
"What is it that has you so obviously worried?"
Aragorn hesitated briefly, trying to decide whether Legolas ought to know what awaited the elf-maid rather than her telling him herself. It was not his place, he decided quickly.
"The Lady wishes to speak urgently with Istriél."
Afraid if he lingered, his loyalties would coax an explanation, Aragorn nodded once to Legolas and departed quickly.
Legolas watched as the man strode out of the room. Something was amiss. That was obvious from the unusual awkwardness with which the man spoke to him. In his arms, Nephryn stirred and her clear green eyes fluttered open. She did not smile because she could see immediately that something was wrong.
She sat up quickly, a slim hand hovering on his brow as though she was trying to sweep away a frown.
"What is wrong?"
Legolas shook his head lightly and took her hand in his, pressing light kisses on her cool fingers. He closed his eyes as she swept soft palms over his temples, banishing the pain that might otherwise settle for the day.
"Galadriél wishes to speak with you presently. I know not why."
Nephryn dropped her hands and folded them neatly in her lap. When she looked up, tears had pooled in her bejewelled eyes.
"Elves died last night. Never before has it happened that Woodland elves have died by the hands of darkness in our own realm. It is a sad day."
Legolas sat up and took her by both arms. He leaned in towards her until their foreheads touched. He stared straight into her eyes as though trying to see into her soul.
"I will avenge their deaths, I promise you."
Nephryn nodded and pulled him close capturing his lips with hers, pressing passionate warm kisses on him, and twining her hands in his hair drawing him ever closer until every part of them was touching. Drawing back at last for breath, Nephryn inhaled deeply, forcing back the lust the Elf-prince roused in her.
"I must go," she stated firmly, a twinkle glinting subtly in her tired eyes.
She slipped off the bed and disappeared behind a screen. Legolas averted his eyes and when she re-emerged, she wore long slim robes of burnt ruby and gilded gold. As she walked past him to depart, he pulled her back and drew her to him for one last embrace.
"I will await your return," he murmured softly.
Nephryn nodded once and rising onto to her toes, pressed a chaste kiss to his fair brow before pulling away abruptly. If she did not leave right now, she mused, she might never.
She scurried quickly through crowds that had kept a nightlong vigil against the receding evil. There was a whetted edge of tension in the air that cut through the cosy appearances. Fear branded plainly on the faces of elves, old and young alike, brought to the City of Light an eerie aura. Features bathed in sunlight still dreaded the doom that hovered at the peripheries of their existences. It brought shivers to Nephryn's limbs and urged her onward toward her destination.
The court of Galadriél was silent. Many of her attendants probably rested or kept vigil outside. Still it was unusual, and a fair mark of the strange events of the past night, for the dwelling to be so devoid of life.
Nephryn was so intent on her way that she hurried past the entrance to a small, secluded terrace without noticing that it was not deserted. Only when her name was carried on a gentle voice behind her, did Nephryn stop and redouble. Galadriél stood, clad in customary robes of white tulle and lace, hands clasped expectantly before her, a ghost of a smile dawdling on her pale lips.
She did not say anything, merely beckoning with her eyes that Nephryn follow her onto the terrace.
As the elf-maid stepped out onto the terrace, the stunning vista stole her breath. From here all on the glorious Wood could be seen, and from such a distance that one could imagine that all was well in the realm. It reminded her all the more of how quickly it had all changed last night.
"You mourn the loss of Lothlorién of yesteryear. You feel bereft and angry."
The elf-queen's sharp observations caught Nephryn unawares and she looked up to see compassion and even empathy tinge Galadriél's features. Nephryn shrugged in silence, for she could not dispute what was so obviously true. She pulled away from the dreamlike scene before her to give her full attention to her Queen.
"What is that you wish to speak on so urgently?"
Galadriél looked at her closely, schooling her expression so as not to alarm the elf-maid.
"I would speak with you about the mark you bear. I believe I have deciphered its significance…."
From that moment, time crawled and blurred. Nephryn heard all of what her queen spoke of, accepted all that was asked of her and seemed for all the world to be attuned to what was being said. Some portion of her being knew to respond appropriately to all the asked questions and follow all the prompts but as Galadriél dismissed her, stating that she should consider carefully what was being asked of her, Nephryn realised that some part of her had died on that terrace. She existed in a bubble, removed from realities. The sounds and sights around her were muted and blurred. She barely had the presence of mind to bow graciously to the elf-queen -the bearer of her doom- before she left the dwelling.
She would return to the dark crypts of Mordor from which she'd barely escaped with her sanity, that place that now only existed in her darkest dreams, and she would do so willingly at Galadriél's bidding. The cruel irony was not lost on her, and it brought twisted smile to her pallid face.
She walked with unseeing eyes back the way she'd come, stumbling through crowds trying to push from the edges of her vision the blackness that pulled at her balance.
She was mere feet away from her chamber when she realised that she could not go in. Legolas was inside and she knew that if she saw him, the words would slip out and the woeful tale of her mocking destiny would be imparted to him. No, he had enough to occupy his mind. Better for all that she accept this in her own time, in her own mind, so that all could be spared from this colossal burden. It was hers, and hers alone to bear.
Well there ya have it: nevous-breakdown extraodinaire, but personally I can't blame the girl. But will she really not tell Leggies, and if she does tell, how will the pointy-eared fair-faced one react. Will he be the proverbial pillar/tower/tall structure of strength or will wackiness ensue??? Chap 12 will tell all and will be posted follow on foot of reviews of this chapter. You have been warned…