Assyrian's eyes snapped open as a wave of heat almost knocked her over. With a cry of horror she recognized her surroundings even if she wished she hadn't. The tree next to her burst into flames as she stumbled away. Taking a step away she fell to the ashy ground and looked to see what had caused her fall. The scream never reached her mouth when she saw what held onto her ankle.
The bloody, burnt hand belonged to a once known friend. The face she remembered as always smiling and laughing was now only partially there. The beautiful blond hair she once ran her hand through was singed away. The blue eyes that once shined as brightly as mirth was now filled with pain and pleading for comfort. She knew she could not offer any comfort in any form of Elvish or any other language she knew of; comfort was banished from this place. The hand started to move up her leg as she screamed and scrambled to her feet and started to run. Buildings crumbled to the ground as she desperately remembered the friends of hers that had called it home. She finally caught sight of her home and ran to it screaming for her parents and brother, hoping against hope to receive an answer. Almost reaching it the building exploded in a burst of blood thirsty fire and knocked her off her feet and back several yards. Slowly lifting her head she looked at the burning building and paid no heed to the silver tears running down her cheeks as she watched the hungry flames lick at the sky. A movement at the doorway pulled at her attention as she turned to see a form come flailing out the door. Her eyes widened in horror when she recognized her father's screaming voice, screaming for her brother and her. The fire consumed figure stumbled towards her; arms outstretched trying to reach her. With choked sobs she scrambled back as she tried to stand as the figure neared her. Finally reaching her feet the figure fell at her feet with a sickening thud and the stench of burning flesh invaded her nose and her entire being. Her feet didn't want to work as she struggled to leave the horrid place. But she knew that she couldn't leave, the nightmare wasn't finished with her yet. It still had images to show her and wouldn't let go till she had seen all of them and felt the pain of the memories. Spinning to the side she ran from her dead home in lost hopes of finding someone to share the grief and pain.
Everywhere she turned she heard her name being screamed for help. Her own screams mixed with theirs as she screamed for her brother. If she found him maybe she could protect him. Protect him from the pain, the horror; she always protected him. She was always there when he needed her, she couldn't fail him. She wouldn't fail him.
Her feet took her where she needed to be. Slowing to a stop she looked ahead of her to see the blade plunge into her brother's torso.
"Talut!"
The scream was ripped from her lips as she stumbled forward. Rushing to her brother's side she cradled his upper body to her chest as she cried in anguish. Her silver tears trailed a path of pain down her cheeks to gently fall on her brother's face and mark a new path on the bloody face. Her tears cleared a path of pure white as she slowly moved her hand and gently closed her brother's eyes against the destruction around him.
"I'm sorry Talut. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
Slowly lowering him to the ground she bought her hands up and looked at all the blood on her hands; Talut's blood. With a whimper she tried to wipe the blood off her hands but it always remained. The blood was spreading everywhere; around her, over everything, over her. Suddenly turning she saw the blade coming towards her throat; stained with Talut's blood and about to be stained with her blood as she released a piercing scream from deep within her soul.
Assyrian jerked upright from her sleep and struggled to hold back her scream. One hand flew to her throat and felt for the gaping wound but found none. Looking at her two sleeping companions she grabbed her weapons and disappeared into Fangorn Forest before she woke them. She didn't know what had caused the nightmares to come back; she thought she was rid of them but the nightmares had returned with a vengeance that night. Looking down at her bow in her hands she had an idle thought that she knew what had caused them. The thought came to her every time she looked at him and saw him smile; his laughter and bright eyes brought more pain to her than she thought possible.
Minutes later she was perched in one of the taller trees looking at the moon. Turning her head a bit she could see the glow of the fire from the campsite and the two figures. With a faint smile she looked back to the moon and stars as she listened to the trees weep softly for her sorrow.
Legolas blinked a few times and wondered what had woken him. He could hear the horses shuffling nearby; looking at Aragorn told him that he was still sleep. Looking beside him, his eyes widened not finding Assyrian there. Sitting up he saw that her weapons were gone but there was no trace of her around the camp. Turning, his eyes caught a movement in the trees and froze not knowing what it was. When it moved again he relaxed and picked up his bow before moving to the tree and scurried up it.
Reaching the branch Assyrian was sitting on he paused for a moment to allow her time to notice him. Turning to look at him she motioned to the spot next to her for him to sit. Climbing out to her, he sat and looked back to Aragorn before looking at the moon as she was.
"You should be resting," she said softly after several minutes of silence.
"And so should you," he replied looking over at her.
He was rewarded with a faint smile before they lapsed back into silence.
"What woke you? Or did you just have the sudden urge to climb up a tree?"
"I had a dream that did not fare well with me," she replied looking down at her bow in her hands.
Legolas nodded and chose to leave it at that. If she did not want to speak about it, then he wouldn't push it.
"You remind me a lot of him," she said quietly breaking the silence again.
Legolas looked over at her in confusion and saw her staring at the bow in her hands. Her thumb continuously drifted across the inscription as Legolas quickly understood her words. The pained looked in her eyes reinforced his assumption.
"Your brother," he whispered and she slowly nodded.
"You both laugh the same and have the same way with words. My dream woke me from slumber and kept me from sleeping again. It was a dream about my brother."
"Dreams rarely plague Elves. Why do they plague you?" he asked quietly watching without judgment.
"I am not easily bothered by dreams but this one did," she said grimly before turning her gaze towards the horizon.
"What was it of?"
"I wish not to speak of it Legolas. It was far worse than any battle I have been in or seen and I do not desire to visit up on it. At least not at this moment," she said and set her lips in a straight line.
Legolas nodded and turned to gaze upon the horizon as dawn slowly swept closer to the two Elves. Assyrian appreciated the unspoken comfort of which Legolas offered to her during the last few hours before the rise of the new day.
Aragorn slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear them before realizing that Legolas and Assyrian were not at camp. Sitting up quickly he looked to the horses and counted three to indicate that they were close by. Standing up, he looked around just as he caught sounds of faint laughter from the trees. Walking into the edge of the forest he looked up into the canopy and finally caught sight of the two figures he was searching for. Standing at the bottom of the tree they were in; he rested his hands on his hips and looked up at them.
"You know there are some of us normal people that like to stay grounded," he called and saw Legolas's head peek out from the dense foliage.
"Some of us are more at home in the trees that the ground," he called back before disappearing and scurrying down the tree.
"Must just be the wood elves," he muttered just as Legolas and Assyrian dropped lightly to the ground beside him.
"Did you sleep well my friend?" Legolas asked as the three of them walked back to camp.
"As well as can be on a rocky surface," he replied as they made a small, quick breakfast.
Soon everything was packed and stored back on the horses and all evidence from their stay was erased. Legolas decided to head towards the Shire and all his hobbit friends to pay them a visit. The day wore on as the three rode on and discussed anything that seemed worthy to discuss. Assyrian spoke of one of her more humorous adventures in Rohan that almost left Aragorn and Legolas in tears as she recounted the problems she had encountered. She smiled at the memory and laughed thinking back on it. Once their laughter faded they walked on in silence passing in and out of the shadows along the Anduin River.
"Tell me Assyrian…are all the rumors about you true?" Aragorn asked as he leaned forwards to look across Legolas to her.
"Tell me what the rumors say and I'll tell you if it is true," she replied looking back at him.
"One says that you killed a pack of thirty orcs alone."
She busted out laughing at the mere thought of that.
"No my dear Strider. I could never handle thirty orcs alone. I can only do about ten at one time."
"Are you a sorceress?"
Assyrian paused thinking of how to answer.
"Partially true. I am able to do a few things but nothing compared to Gandalf the White or any other wizard."
"What can you do?" Legolas asked curious to learn more of the mysterious Ranger.
Turning her gaze to him she lifted her hand and softly murmured to herself as Legolas looked over to Aragorn. Legolas felt something at his back and twisted in his seat to look behind him. Seeing nothing he turned back to Assyrian and was shocked to see her holding his bow. His eyes showed his shock as she smiled and held out the bow to him. Reaching to grab it his hand closed around air as Assyrian pulled it out of reach faster than he saw.
"You must be faster than that young Legolas," she said nudging Aurora into a canter as Aragorn laughed at Legolas's face.
Legolas cantered after her along the bank of the river as Aragorn brought up the rear. The river swirled and rolled beside them, swollen from the storms that had passed over it and released the rain into the river. The bank continued to grow stepper as they rode along before Assyrian finally slowed and came to a stop. Assyrian turned Aurora to face Legolas and held up the bow to him before lightly tossing it to him with a laugh.
"Show off," he muttered good naturedly as Aragorn and she chuckled.
Before Assyrian could reply a sense of foreboding swept over her; so strong that she almost slipped off Aurora. Shaking the dizziness away she looked to Legolas and saw him clutching Arod's mane hinting that he had felt it also. Her senses screamed trouble at her as she looked to Aragorn who was closest to the river. In horror she saw a bit of the edge behind Hasufel's rear hooves break away triggering something in her mind.
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Okay everyone there is the new chapter. Hope everyone is still interested in the story and not becoming bored by it. I feel so dejected…I didn't get any reviews for the previous chapter…slumps in chair in front of laptop. I hope it's just because after reading no one wanted to review but its okay. I can handle rejection…*sob*…okay yeah I'm fine now. So anyway here's the new chapter and please R/R. I just adore reading reviews. Okay peace.