Chapter 5
Denial
"WHAT?!" Aranel practically yelled. " There is no way I am the one to save Middle-Earth. It is impossible. I've lived a very normal life and nothing special has ever happened. How could it be that I am the one to save a whole, well, world?"
"That is the way the ancient scriptures have told me. It is also the only way, that I can think of, that you would be able to come here, from another planet," Gandalf replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"But, but, no! I- I can't be the one, no, I'm not. There is something wrong, I know there is," she resisted.
"May I see your left wrist, inside please?" Gandalf questioned.
"Of-of course," Aranel replied shakily, still recovering from the terrifying shock. She held out her arm and pulled up the silky sleeve to her elbow, so that only the lower half of it was revealed. Turning her wrist up ward, Gandalf took her hand and began inspecting it. He closed his eyes and said a few words that to Aranel sounded like gibberish, but Legolas recognized them as ancient elvish. A bright glow filled the elves eyes; so bright that he was forced to shield his fair face with a pale hand. The glow faded and he peered at the sight before him. Aranel stood there, arm outstretched, and looking purely shocked as her wrist blazed with a blue brilliance, yet this hue was different than any other color he had ever seen. It had a tint of ocean blue, but at the same time it was the color of the sky on a cloudless spring morning, when the sun shines down in its full brilliance. The shine was produced by what seemed like a symbol of a four-tipped star, one pointing north, one east, and so on. In the middle of the star was an arrow, in the direction of north.
"Wh-what is it? That was never there before!" Aranel practically whispered.
"Just as I thought," Gandalf replied bluntly. "It is the Mark. It will lead you to your destiny as the arrow will always point in the direction you are fated to."
"But, no, I can't do this!" the terrified girl whimpered.
" We will go with her," Legolas said bravely.
" The Fellowship will go with her," Aragorn replied
"Yes," Gandalf sighed, "that would be the best thing for now, while the journey will be rough. But in the end, it will be Aranel who will survive and conquer the fate of Middle-Earth." The dais was silent as the reality of their doom sunk in.
" We will leave in the morning, early as possible and begin our journey swiftly," Legolas said as he broke the silence. The group departed gloomily and headed toward the gleaming palace. Once the rest were out of sight, Legolas approached Aranel and tapped her shoulder.
" Hello," he said.
"Oh," the surprised girl said, and turned around. "May I be of service to you, milord?" she questioned.
"I need you to come with me. We will leave early tomorrow morning, and you will have a horse to ride on. Which one it is, though, that is for you to decide."
"Thank you very much! I appreciate your kindness in a world of strangers,"said Aranel.
"May we walk and talk? What was life like in 'London'? Very different, I suppose. And your life must've been very different there."
"No, I've not much to tell. Life in England is a routine; the same thing every day."
"Oh, but every person has a story, something that awaits its release. And there is no need to call me by such a proper name. Legolas will do fine. It is what the Fellowship call me," the prince replied.
"Alright, Legolas. I suppose your right, but I may have yet to find my story."
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
The next morning, Aranel rose, finally noticing the blood stained bandage that wound around her shoulder, recalling painful memories of days long past. She climbed out of bed and padded over to the elegantly carved wardrobe and opened the oak doors. She began searching through the numerous drawers for an outfit suitable for riding. Erame entered the room and hurried over to Aranel's large, upholstered bed.
"Thandruil sent this outfit for you to wear," the handmaiden said. "A bath will be brought in to you. I will be back shortly." She scurried out of the room and closed the door silently behind her. Aranel examined the clothes next to her. There was a white blouse and tight, brown pants, made of soft, worn leather. They smelled of fresh flowers and were extremely soft. Next to them sat a pair of sleek boots. She gathered these garments in a bundle along with some undergarments and waited for her bath to arrive.
The tub came hot and steamy, as Aranel had slipped in gently, quickly washing her self and drying off swiftly. Erame plated her hair along with a white ribbon and a lily tucked behind one ear, to contrast with the blue of her eyes. The other handmaidens finished with her make-up and hastily shooed her out of the room and down the hall, where the Fellowship awaited.
Every one of them welcomed her kindly as she entered the courtyard. She had her bag packed and was ready to go, though feeling awkward with her light carrying load, as all the other men wore heavy bags full of supplies..
" We are ready to go, Lord Elrond," Legolas informed the king.
" Very well. You have my gratitude and thanks, Legolas," the elf replied. Legolas began to depart when Elrond yelled one more thing,
"And, Prince," he said.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Watch the girl with your life."
"I will, milord, I will."
Denial
"WHAT?!" Aranel practically yelled. " There is no way I am the one to save Middle-Earth. It is impossible. I've lived a very normal life and nothing special has ever happened. How could it be that I am the one to save a whole, well, world?"
"That is the way the ancient scriptures have told me. It is also the only way, that I can think of, that you would be able to come here, from another planet," Gandalf replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"But, but, no! I- I can't be the one, no, I'm not. There is something wrong, I know there is," she resisted.
"May I see your left wrist, inside please?" Gandalf questioned.
"Of-of course," Aranel replied shakily, still recovering from the terrifying shock. She held out her arm and pulled up the silky sleeve to her elbow, so that only the lower half of it was revealed. Turning her wrist up ward, Gandalf took her hand and began inspecting it. He closed his eyes and said a few words that to Aranel sounded like gibberish, but Legolas recognized them as ancient elvish. A bright glow filled the elves eyes; so bright that he was forced to shield his fair face with a pale hand. The glow faded and he peered at the sight before him. Aranel stood there, arm outstretched, and looking purely shocked as her wrist blazed with a blue brilliance, yet this hue was different than any other color he had ever seen. It had a tint of ocean blue, but at the same time it was the color of the sky on a cloudless spring morning, when the sun shines down in its full brilliance. The shine was produced by what seemed like a symbol of a four-tipped star, one pointing north, one east, and so on. In the middle of the star was an arrow, in the direction of north.
"Wh-what is it? That was never there before!" Aranel practically whispered.
"Just as I thought," Gandalf replied bluntly. "It is the Mark. It will lead you to your destiny as the arrow will always point in the direction you are fated to."
"But, no, I can't do this!" the terrified girl whimpered.
" We will go with her," Legolas said bravely.
" The Fellowship will go with her," Aragorn replied
"Yes," Gandalf sighed, "that would be the best thing for now, while the journey will be rough. But in the end, it will be Aranel who will survive and conquer the fate of Middle-Earth." The dais was silent as the reality of their doom sunk in.
" We will leave in the morning, early as possible and begin our journey swiftly," Legolas said as he broke the silence. The group departed gloomily and headed toward the gleaming palace. Once the rest were out of sight, Legolas approached Aranel and tapped her shoulder.
" Hello," he said.
"Oh," the surprised girl said, and turned around. "May I be of service to you, milord?" she questioned.
"I need you to come with me. We will leave early tomorrow morning, and you will have a horse to ride on. Which one it is, though, that is for you to decide."
"Thank you very much! I appreciate your kindness in a world of strangers,"said Aranel.
"May we walk and talk? What was life like in 'London'? Very different, I suppose. And your life must've been very different there."
"No, I've not much to tell. Life in England is a routine; the same thing every day."
"Oh, but every person has a story, something that awaits its release. And there is no need to call me by such a proper name. Legolas will do fine. It is what the Fellowship call me," the prince replied.
"Alright, Legolas. I suppose your right, but I may have yet to find my story."
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
The next morning, Aranel rose, finally noticing the blood stained bandage that wound around her shoulder, recalling painful memories of days long past. She climbed out of bed and padded over to the elegantly carved wardrobe and opened the oak doors. She began searching through the numerous drawers for an outfit suitable for riding. Erame entered the room and hurried over to Aranel's large, upholstered bed.
"Thandruil sent this outfit for you to wear," the handmaiden said. "A bath will be brought in to you. I will be back shortly." She scurried out of the room and closed the door silently behind her. Aranel examined the clothes next to her. There was a white blouse and tight, brown pants, made of soft, worn leather. They smelled of fresh flowers and were extremely soft. Next to them sat a pair of sleek boots. She gathered these garments in a bundle along with some undergarments and waited for her bath to arrive.
The tub came hot and steamy, as Aranel had slipped in gently, quickly washing her self and drying off swiftly. Erame plated her hair along with a white ribbon and a lily tucked behind one ear, to contrast with the blue of her eyes. The other handmaidens finished with her make-up and hastily shooed her out of the room and down the hall, where the Fellowship awaited.
Every one of them welcomed her kindly as she entered the courtyard. She had her bag packed and was ready to go, though feeling awkward with her light carrying load, as all the other men wore heavy bags full of supplies..
" We are ready to go, Lord Elrond," Legolas informed the king.
" Very well. You have my gratitude and thanks, Legolas," the elf replied. Legolas began to depart when Elrond yelled one more thing,
"And, Prince," he said.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Watch the girl with your life."
"I will, milord, I will."