A/N: Hello all. I deviated from my own form and wrote a very, very, VERY long chapter. I admit to rambling a bit and so I apologize now. This only contains two scenes but I'll warn you now, a lot happens in this chapter- a few answers are given but more questions are raised. This will all be settled when Karalynn meets Galadriel.
About the location and setting.... I got most of my info from the FotR (Book 1.) Though I'm sure it takes longer to reach Lorien from Mirkwood, I fudged the time a bit. I admit that and take all criticisms that come my way. To the emails asking if Legolas and Karalynn will kiss.... first of all, thanks for being interested in the story! And second of all.... the answer is yes. Patience is a virtue, after all. Oh and if you combine the names Faran and Doláe... what do you get? Only "A Wrinkle in Time" fans will get this =)
Chapter 14: Elfin Jealousy and Unwise Elements
They reached Lothlorien in three days.
True to Legolas' command, they did not rest. They only stopped a few times to share a quick meal or to redress Fortinbas' wound. Fortinbas would slip in and out of consciousness, though for the most part he slept against his brother's back. As for the Karalynn, Legolas kept her unconscious for most of the ride. When it seemed that she was in danger of waking up, he would clasp the cloth over her mouth and nose, rendering her asleep once more. He allowed her to stay awake long enough to eat but that was all. He did not think it cruel or heartless to keep her in that state for in fact she did not resist him. She seemed to welcome the darkness that the herb kept her in and Nuratar explained to Legolas that it was because the void that she fell into was a dreamless one.
Surprisingly enough, the wind did not cease.
Even when Karalynn's mind was at rest, the wind seemed to spur them forward, helping them along their way.
Though Nuratar and Faran spoke not a word of it, Legolas knew that they had also noticed the extra help they were getting. But if Karalynn was unconscious, then what force was compelling the element of wind to help them? He wanted to test the power of fire, to see if it too would help them but they were never on the ground long enough. Deep down inside however, Legolas had the feeling that everything around them would come to their aid if sorely needed.
None of it made sense to Legolas and he decided that he would not make judgment on the matter until the Lady Galadriel spoke of it. The others seemed to sense his decision and made no mention of the things that had come to pass days before.
Now they were in the Golden Wood and Legolas did not know what to expect. He decided to lead them away from the east bank of the Silverlode to where Vanalaith had mentioned first meeting the elves. Great and majestic trees surrounded them- so unlike the ones in Mirkwood that Legolas was entranced by the sight of them. Astonishingly gray trunks that reached up towards the sky to an unknown height. The riders now slowed their gallop to a trot, digesting the beauty around them.
"I have never seen such trees before." Faran said, in wonder. He gazed up and squinted towards the sky. "These are strange growths, one that is wholly unknown to me."
"Aye." said Nuratar. "They are called Mellyrn and they bear a yellow blossom. Many in our kingdom have not seen these trees, only sing their names in songs."
He smiled wistfully.
"If only there were time enough to climb them." he muttered and Legolas smiled slightly. Nuratar had been reduced to child-like wonder though he was ages older than Legolas. "'Twould be a wonderful thing to study the twists and curves of their branches."
Karalynn stirred slightly in Legolas' arms and he shifted in his seat, making Belleth come to a halt. Nuratar and Faran both stopped also. Since they had arrived in the wood, he had changed her position so that she was placed sideways on Belleth. One of his arms was wrapped tightly around her waist and her head was resting heavily on his shoulder. It was easy to watch her face that way. He waited patiently as she struggled to wake up and slowly but surely, her eyes did flutter open.
"Where am I?" she muttered softly.
She reached up and rubbed her eyes sleepily and Legolas pulled the hood back from her head. The fine strands of her hair surrounded her face like a halo, even though he had tried to smooth her hair back in a braid earlier. She raised her head to blink curiously at Faran, Fortinbas and Nuratar.
"We are in Lorien, Karalynn." Legolas said quietly. "We crossed its borders this morn. You have not eaten since last night. I suppose this would be a good time to stop."
He looked up at the others and they nodded.
"Aye, your Highness. 'Tis but a few miles from where Vanalaith met with the elves of this wood." Nuratar said. "I see no harm in allowing the girl to remain conscious for the remainder of the day as long as she does not fall asleep on her own."
Nuratar got down from his horse and Legolas followed. Faran removed Lohr's cord, borrowed from Legolas, from his waist and his brother's and Nuratar helped him set the still sleeping Fortinbas on the ground. Nuratar tended to his wound and Faran unpacked their supplies.
Karalynn was unsteady on her feet and Legolas had to help her take her first steps. She clung to him tightly, groggy and quiet from her long sleep, and Legolas set her down on the cool earth.
He sat down beside her and she slumped against his arm. He took the time to study her form and he did not like what he saw.
Though Kythe had given him more dresses for Karalynn, they did not have the time to change clothing during the trip for obvious reasons. And Legolas did not want to change the girl's clothing while she was unconscious. He knew how humans disliked to be seen without their clothing and he found it distasteful for him, or any other male for that matter, to touch her while she was unaware. She had changed only once in nine days and now her clothing was rumpled, torn and dirty from their travels.
He had, however, taken the time to clean her face daily and to make sure that she was still presentable. It was not his own vanity that compelled him to do so but the feeling that it was what Karalynn would have done for herself.
But what Legolas did not like was the fact that she had lost an alarming amount of weight. She had not much of an appetite during the days before the trip and though she did eat a bit more in the beginning of their journey, whatever progress she had made then was completely undone by the last three days. Her cheeks were sunken in and her neck seemed breakable. Her limbs felt like sticks in his arms and he had to move even more carefully when he held her. He helped her take off her cloak and he frowned at the way her dress seemed to hang off of her frame. Humans were such fragile creatures, prone to physical sickness and ill health at the slightest change in surroundings. Karalynn had been through too much now and she was showing signs of deterioration.
No, Legolas did not like what he saw at all.
Faran walked over to them and handed Legolas a thick slice of bread and a water pack. He frowned down at Karalynn and looked at Legolas meaningfully before walking away.
Faran did not like what he saw either.
Legolas broke off a small piece and held it up to her mouth. Her lifeless eyes blinked and stared at the morsel without emotion.
"Eat, dear one." Legolas said gently. "You need your energy."
She blinked again and then looked away, disinterested.
"Karalynn, you must eat." he said, a bit more firm.
"'Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table.'" she said softly. "'Alice opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words `EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants.'"
Legolas' hand wavered slightly and he moved the piece of bread closer to her mouth. He forced himself to smile at her though his soul willed him to scream out in frustration.
"Later, I can find some cake for you to eat. I am sure the Lady Galadriel has such delicacies. But right now you must...."
Karalynn made a sound of disgust and pushed herself away from him. He lowered his hand and watched her as she struggled to get onto her feet. She walked away from him, away from all of them and Nuratar glanced at her in surprise.
Legolas stood up and followed her as she walked.
"Stop, Karalynn." he said when they had wandered a bit from the other three. "This is far enough. If you would like to be alone, I will leave but you should not walk any further. I am not familiar with this wood and neither are you. You could easily get lost."
Karalynn stopped and turned around to face him. She leaned against the massive trunk of a tree and she looked emaciated in comparison to its girth.
Her eyes were dark with shadows and red rimmed with exhaustion.
The child was gone from her features and in its place was a haunted creature. Legolas suddenly wished that they had never come to Lorien- he preferred her strange child-like behavior to this beaten figure before him. He wished that he had ignored Vanalaith and his message.
"I'm already lost, Legolas." she said.
"Nay, we are in Lorien." Legolas said quickly. "In a few hours time, we shall be in the domain of Lady..."
"You know what I mean."
He closed his mouth and stared at her.
"Where does reality end and the dream begin?" she muttered, looking past him. "Maybe I'm dreaming you, Legolas, and this conversation is all in my head. Maybe in the real world, I am standing in the middle of the forest and you are staring at me as I rant and rave at the sky. Or maybe I'm in a padded white cell with a straitjacket tied around my body."
He frowned.
"I do not understand what you mean by a straight... jacket?" he said. "But that does not matter. You are here, Karalynn, and I am real."
She sighed heavily.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked. "Things are floating around in my head and I don't understand them. I'm having thoughts that... that seem right but I just don't understand them. I'm not sure what's real anymore. My mind is like a foreign place to me. The voices are... the bad one is getting worse. The story doesn't comfort me anymore like it used to because the bad voice is...."
She trailed off and looked back at him. Her gray eyes grew dark and she motioned for him to come to her. Legolas moved towards her and stopped only a few inches away from her body. She reached up and touched his face gently, looking into his eyes.
"My friend, do you love me?" she asked.
Legolas exhaled loudly and nodded. His hands crept around her waist and stayed there. Her own gaze, though unsettling, was fuller and deeper than he had ever seen them to be. They no longer reflected the familiar simplicity that he was used to. They were knowing but anguished. He was no longer dealing with a child. Something had happened to her during the time between the attack and now- something had replaced her smiles and laughter with an eerie self-possession. Legolas thought that perhaps keeping her under the influence of such a powerful sleeping potion had temporarily damaged her in some way and he felt a surge of self-hatred at the thought of inadvertently harming her.
"Yes." he whispered. "Yet you call me friend and that is not...."
"Would you do what I ask, if I pleaded with you with my heart and soul?" she said, cutting him off. "Do you promise to do anything I ask of you?"
"Yes, I could not refuse you anything." he said without hesitation. "But Karalynn, you do not understand what I mean to say. The love of a friend is not..."
She stopped him again by leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his shoulders in an embrace. He was undone by the way her body felt against his, that despite her frailness she was warm and soft under his touch. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her tightly against his chest. Karalynn moved her head a little so that her mouth was at his ear and for a moment, he closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her soft breath against his sensitive ear.
And then she spoke the words that made his blood run cold.
"End this."
His grasp on her tightened slightly and he held his breath, waiting for an explanation.
Had he heard her wrong? For surely, she could not mean....
"The two small blades you carry at your side." she whispered. "You can make it painless for me, Legolas. It doesn't have to hurt, right? I beg you, end this now."
With a cry of outrage, he pulled away from her and stared down hard into her face.
"You do not know what you say." he said firmly. "You are tired. Weary. After all, you have..."
"I know exactly what I ask of you. I've been thinking of it for a long time." she said quietly. It was unnerving- the way she spoke. It was as if she were speaking of something banal and uninteresting. "How can you expect me to live like this, Legolas? In between worlds- both of them foreign and alien to me. Something looms over me like a shadow. I try so hard to keep it away from me but it beckons to me. There are too many voices... too many things that I just can't... Legolas, I walk the line between nightmares and dreams... and the nightmares get stronger with each moment. How long do you think I can last like this? Drifting in and out of my mind. Release me, my friend. Keep your promise."
"I won't do it, Karalynn." he said, clenching his jaw. "Anything but this. How dare you think that I could bring even my hand up against you! What do you take me for- if you think I can use my blade against an innocent! You have somehow saved my life and yet you want me to end yours? How dare you even ask this of me! "
She pushed him away from her and his arms ached with the sudden loss. She fell down to her knees before him and looked up. Her eyes grew shiny and wet but she smiled though her mouth trembled.
"Then I'll beg you until you do." she said.
"Karalynn..."
"You just said that you could not refuse me anything." she said. "Prove it. This is what I want from you, Legolas. You have the power to release me from my nightmares."
"No."
"I beg you. Please." The pain in her voice was so strong that it seemed to fill the air around them, covering them both in a blanket of despair. "If you won't do it then at least give me your blades. Let me do it. But please, Legolas, help me to end this."
"No."
Her smile slowly disappeared and she looked at him sadly, trying to blink back her tears.
"Then you lied to me." she said quietly. "You're not my friend and you don't love me."
"That is not true."
"I don't belong here." she said, lowering her head. She sat back on her heels. "Everyday I become more sure of it. You don't believe me- I don't have to look at your face to see that. The only time I felt safe was when you would put me to sleep with that liquid that Nuratar gave you. There were no dreams- just rest. I think... I think death would be like that, don't you? Nothing bad. Just quiet. Peace and quiet. No voices. No stories. Just quiet."
"Karalynn, the Lady Galadriel will give you the answers you seek." Legolas said. He bent down and pulled her up, trying to ignore the way she staggered a bit on her feet. "Death is not... death is not the answer for you. The length of this trip... the attack... perhaps even Nuratar's potion have all combined to confuse your head even more. You are severely undernourished and weak. You do not know of what you speak of and in a few days time, this will all be but a distant memory to you."
She moved away from him and placed her hand against the tree trunk to steady herself. Her face was grim and somber.
"Remember this moment, Legolas." she said. "I asked you for help and you wouldn't give it to me. I reached out for you and you turned your back on me."
Anger bit into Legolas' heart and he stepped forward, furious but grief-stricken at the same time.
"You asked me to kill you." he spat out. "You asked me to end your life and no, Karalynn, I will not give that to you. You did not ask me for help. You asked me to commit a crime against all that is right and good."
A cold breeze blew past them at that moment and Legolas looked around, startled and suddenly afraid. Karalynn closed her eyes and tilted her face upwards, as if listening to something. Though he didn't think she would harm him, his heart pounded in his chest at the thought of what she would do to herself. She had just asked him to commit murder, to take the very breath of life from her body, and he was still reeling in shock. Was her torment so bad that she wished to die? Could her words be simply the result of severe weakness?
But Karalynn's mind seemed to be clear. In fact, she was more coherent now than she had ever been before. True, her body was weak but her mind was strong and Legolas hated to admit that she was asking him to kill her with clear thought.
"Karalynn, do not..." he started but she opened her eyes and held up her hand.
"Do you hear that, Legolas?" she asked, dropping her voice to a whisper. Her eyes moved away from him and up into the high branches of the trees. The loose strands of hair were swept back from her forehead as she blinked .
Legolas frowned. In his anger and confusion, he could not properly attend to his senses.
"Hear what, Karalynn?" he asked. "Stop speaking in riddles. I have not the patience..."
"They are coming." she said quietly. "Just a few more moments and they will arrive."
"Who?"
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Who has come, Karalynn?" he demanded. "The spirits that do your bidding? Will you make them harm you? Is that what-"
"What an angry creature you are!" a melodious voice said behind him, amused. "The Prince of Mirkwood, I presume, by the ring on your finger and the proud way you hold your head. Though I am surprised to find royalty speaking in that way to a human girl."
Legolas did not have to turn around to know that he had just been informally introduced to the elves of Lothlorien.
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Such delicate features for a human. Doláe said softly. He tucked his finger underneath Karalynn's chin and raised her head to look at him. A bit disheveled and obviously far too thin for your stature yet your eyes are enchanting. I can see why he is taken with you, pretty one."
Karalynn looked at the Lorien elf who spoke to her.
she asked, perplexed.
Legolas looked up sharply from where he sat and stood up, moving towards the elf and Karalynn.
Do not touch her. She is not accustomed to being handled in such a way by others. he said quietly but there was an unmistakable threat in his tone.
Doláe and Karalynn looked up at him and Doláe stood up, bowing his head slightly.
Dear cousin, I was merely talking to the girl. he said. Please, put your thoughts to rest. No harm will come to you or your friends and especially not to the fair creature that the Lady has called to see.
Though Legolas knew the elf was speaking truth, he made it a point to sit down very closely next to Karalynn.
They were all sitting in a large, open grassy space in the Naith of Lorien that Vanalaith had spoken about.
Doláe and Tharuial had been the elves that greeted Legolas and Karalynn in the wood and they had brought them back to Nuratar, Faran, Fortinbas and the horses. The words passed between them were few and short but friendly- Doláe and Tharuial would act as their guides through the Golden Wood and take the travelers back to the city of Galadhrim with them. Legolas was told that the journey would be short- lasting only that day, before they reached the city itself.
Doláe and Tharuial had allowed the horses to come along with them, for Fortinbas and Karalynn were still far too weak to walk the distance they had to cross, but now the Mirkwood elves were being told that they had to release them for the time being.
It made sense to Legolas- the horses would be safe in the area and soon they would be climbing upwards to places where such animals could not possibly go. Doláe and Tharuial would leave their own steeds behind as well. But he still felt sore over the loss, as did his companions. They had not been made to wear blindfolds, as Vanalaith had had to, for they were expected and welcomed. Legolas felt that this was a special errand for the two Lorien elves- one that they treated gingerly and with great respect.
Though he would never admit it, Legolas was feeling the faint stirrings of possessive jealousy- an emotion wholly new and unwelcome to him. The golden elves of Lothlorien seemed to be absorbed with Karalynn as she was with them. As they traveled both males- Doláe especially, would often touch the girl as if to see what materials she was made of. Tharuial had sung to her and Doláe had even gone as far as to pluck a flower for her delight. It annoyed him to see them act so familiar with her and to see her allow it. Legolas found himself wondering if Karalynn found them beautiful and attractive; he wondered if she enjoyed their presence more than she did his.
His thoughts was confounded by the uneasy silence that had settled between him and the girl. Since her plea and his refusal of it, they had barely exchanged words. He did not feel that she was angry with him nor did he feel any lingering anger towards her but it seemed that she was too lost in her thoughts to even acknowledge his presence. He was afraid for her and kept a close eye on anything that she could use against herself.
They had traveled for a few hours and were now very close to the city. Doláe and Tharuial had given them time to rest and Nuratar took the time to study the different flowers that bloomed there. Fortinbas was awake and seemed well enough to continue on without the horses and all were resting nicely upon the sweet-smelling grass.
Perhaps you would take this time to eat. Tharuial said, walking towards Legolas, Karalynn and Doláe. His hair shone like gold in the bright sun and there was a faint radiance about him that Legolas had only seen in the Mirkwood healers like Nuratar. In fact, both Lorien elves seemed to cast a light all their own and Karalynn looked at them in wonder. Shall we break bread together, dear cousin? Long has it been since I have laid eyes upon Northern kindred and long has it been since I have laid eyes upon a human! Tis a day of wonders for me and it would be an honor to share a meal with you.
Doláe smiled, nodding and Legolas glanced at Karalynn in question.
I think it would be rude if I said no. she said softly to him and Tharuial laughed softly.
The girl speaks wisdom. he said. I have dried fruit and drink that I have carried from our homes and your healer has told us that there is still plenty of bread left in your pack. It would make a fine meal, if you would have it.
Legolas said, trying to decipher the strange expression on Karalynn's face. From the distant look in her eyes, she had withdrawn into herself again. Listening to something that none of them, even with their heightened elfin hearing, could detect. As Doláe and Tharuial walked away, Karalynn raised her hand, lifting up her index finger with the slightest of movements and the still air changed to a strong breeze around them.
"Karalynn." Legolas said quietly but her eyes did meet his. Instead she looked up towards the light blue sky and to his surprise, her gray eyes were cloudy and damp.
"Make it stop crying." she whispered and Legolas knew that she was not speaking to him. "Make the sounds go away. Please. Blow them away."
The wind grew fierce and for one second, it grew so strong that entire field of grass around them looked like the surface of rippling water. And then it died down and disappeared altogether. Karalynn lowered her hand and sighed, looking relieved. She brought her knees to her chest and lowered her head onto her arms, hiding her face.
"Karalynn, what did you do?" Legolas asked. "What has happened?"
But she didn't answer him. He was about to speak again when Faran called out to him a little distance away. Legolas bit his lip, uncharacteristically showing his indecision. He did not want to leave her side but to not answer Faran's call would be to add worry to his companions. They would know something was further wrong if it seemed he could not leave the girl for even a moment. Legolas stood up and then leaned down to kiss the back of her head.
"I shall return, dearest one." he said to her. "Perhaps there will be time to continue the words we shared earlier."
He lingered hesitantly, waiting for some kind of response but turned away when he received none. He walked towards Faran and Fortinbas who were sitting on the ground next to their horses. He smiled when Fortinbas raised his hand in greeting.
"I see that Nuratar's reputation has been well earned." Legolas said, studying his friend's face. Though Fortinbas was pale, he was not in any obvious pain. Like all elves, he was healing quickly despite the initial severity of his wound. "You look well, Fortinbas."
"I do not doubt it." Fortinbas said softly. His breathing was still slightly labored and he had difficulty moving his limbs on his right side. "But I would still like to fall into a deep sleep until this dull ache subsides. I am afraid that I will not be swinging my sword again for many days to come."
Faran slapped him good-heartedly on his other arm and grinned when Fortinbas winced.
"Brother, somehow I believe that to be a lie." he teased. He winked at Legolas. "Legolas, mark my words. By the time we reach Galadhrim, my brother here will be chasing after some pretty elf maiden despite his injury."
Legolas laughed and shook his head.
"Faran, what was the question that you wanted to ask me?" Legolas asked.
Faran motioned to the girl.
"My brother and I wanted to know if the little one is all right." he said, becoming serious. "She seems to have become quieter in nature and no longer does she seek to play games or laugh."
Fortinbas nodded. "Aye, your Highness." he said. "I would like to thank her. My brother told me what happened and I... I feel that I owe her more than just my simple gratitude. Is it true that she called out to the earth and that it answered?"
Legolas hesitated and then nodded slightly.
"Do you think then, dear Prince, that my thoughts on her were right?" Fortinbas said cautiously. "That she is... blessed, perhaps, by some guardian unknown to us."
"I do not know." Legolas answered. "She means us no harm, that much is clear, but that is the only thing that is clear. It seems to me that whatever she has done has brought an even greater burden onto herself. Faran is right. She has changed and it is not a happy change."
"That is sad news then." Fortinbas said softly.
"Yes." Legolas said. He glanced back at Karalynn who sat unmoving and unchanged where she was. But that could not be possible. All mortal creatures moved when they took in breath and released it. They all changed position slightly even when they were trying to remain still. Legolas decided that it was simply a trick of his eye and turned away. "We shall eat and then make haste towards the city. I feel that it is not good to linger here when help is so close by."
"Aye." Faran said. He smiled slightly at Legolas. "Your Highness, you may go to her now. I can see that though your body is here, your mind is but a short distance away."
Legolas chuckled softly and shook his head. "I should have you imprisoned for such presumptuous thoughts but because you are my friend, I will let that comment go."
They all laughed at this and Legolas walked back towards Karalynn. Doláe and Tharuial were talking with Nuratar a distance away and Tharuial held up his hand and smiled as he passed them by. Legolas felt that it was time he continued the conversation he had with Karalynn earlier that day. He wanted to tell her how he felt, to make it clear once and for all that his feelings for her went beyond mere friendship. She did not seem to understand that and whatever attempts he had made in the past had been unclear and stalled. Before they reached Galadriel and heard her words, he wanted Karalynn to know that she would never be alone- not as long as he could help it. There was an inner voice inside of him telling him that the time when he would have to give her up was drawing close and he did not want what would be the last moment of peace they had together to be spent in unspoken feelings.
( "Matthew. Matthew. Is that you?" )
If she was already promised to someone else then Legolas would deal with that when it came. But for now, he wanted to be sure that she knew how he felt. He would not impose any decision on her nor would he force himself onto the girl's affection. Though he had lost any ounce of arrogance towards the weight of his love for Karalynn, he hoped that it would be enough to make her want to live.
( "End this." )
Oh, how painful those words had been to hear for him! She had already given up and he did not want her to feel as if she had nothing to live for- or no one to live for. Though there were more factors and complexities in their situation, Legolas wanted her to know. He needed her to know. The fact that he had felt that strange jealousy towards Doláe and Tharuial were enough to convince him of his need. As he approached her, he realized that it had not been a trick of his eye.
She really hadn't moved since he left.
He frowned in worry and moved down onto his knees to be at her level. He touched her arm with his fingers.
"Karalynn." he said quietly. "Raise your head, my love. I wish to speak with you about matters important to us both."
"It hurts."
Legolas paused at her words and then leaned forward to be closer to her.
"What hurts?" he asked. "I will call Nuratar to see what he can do for you."
"My head. It hurts. It hurts bad." she muttered from within her arms. Her voice sounded suddenly childish and higher pitched as before and his fear deepened. "Make it go away, please? Make the hurt go away now."
"Lift up your head, Karalynn." Legolas said. He touched her head and he heard her inhale sharply. "Look at me, my love. I will try to make it go away."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She raised her head and Legolas bit his lower lip to keep from crying outright. The entire lower half of her face was smeared with her blood. She had bled from her nose again and this time the flow was heavier, darker. Her arms and the fabric of her skirt where she had lain her head on was coated in the stuff but she looked at Legolas as if she had no idea what had happened. Legolas reached out and touched her lips and then drew back his hand for her to see. His pale, perfect fingers were now smeared with the violent shade of crimson. Her eyes grew wide.
"Where did that come from?" she asked, blinking. She raised her hand and touched her mouth, uttering a sound of fear and shock. "Oh God! Oh God! What happened? What did I do?! Legolas, help me! What did I do?!"
She started to kick and scream and she tore at her hair with her hands. Legolas grabbed her wrists firmly to keep her from hurting herself and he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps rapidly making their way towards them.
"Legolas!" Nuratar yelled out as he drew near. "What happened?!"
"I do not know, healer." Legolas said, trying to keep the struggling girl from twisting away from him. "She is bleeding from her nose, as before...."
The air suddenly picked up again and it grew cold and hard around them. Karalynn's hair was whipped back and forth and she cried out as Legolas pinned her back down onto the ground. Suddenly he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, trying to pull him backwards, away from Karalynn. He glanced back and growled in anger.
"No! Do not pull me from her!" he screamed over the now howling wind at Doláe. "She will hurt herself! Keep your hands off of me!"
He saw Nuratar make his way towards Doláe and Doláe glared at him.
"Do not stop us if you value the girl's life!" he cried out at the healer. "You do not know what powers you deal with nor the strength of it. Stay back, Nuratar!"
Tharuial moved beside him and suddenly Legolas felt himself shoved back in the chest roughly. Legolas gasped at the feeling and involuntarily released his grasp on Karalynn. Doláe's arms tightened around him and he fought wildly against his captor who dragged him further away.
"Faran! Nuratar! Get them away from me!" Legolas yelled. "Do not let them harm her!"
But before Faran or Nuratar could stop him, Tharuial had thrown himself on top of Karalynn, stopping all her movements. The wind screamed and Legolas was suddenly aware of how angry it sounded, as if the very air around them was trying to rebel against Tharuial's treatment of the girl. The earth below their feet seemed to tremble slightly and the dirt seemed to grow warmer. In the distance, Legolas could hear the frightened neighs of the horses as they lifted their hooves from the ground.
"Do not fight the darkness in your mind, Karalynn!" Tharuial screamed in her ear to Legolas' surprise. "Do not call out for help! Do not fight the darkness! Do not struggle against it!"
"I have to!" she wailed. The anguish in her voice was so thick that Legolas tried to move towards her again. He was stopped by Doláe's iron grasp. "It hurts! It hurts! Blow it away! Please make it go away!"
The wind howled and Tharuial screamed at Karalynn, "Do not call out for the wind to help you! Do not be afraid of the pain! Make the wind go away, Karalynn! Command it to go away!"
"Hurts!" Karalynn squeezed her eyes shut and began to struggle underneath Tharuial's weight. As she moved her head from side to side, drops of blood splattered onto Tharuial's face and hair. As Legolas watched, a few drops fell to the ground and a strange and horrible growl seemed to emit from the very depths of the earth. A sound filled with anger and indignation. "I don't want to see! Please, don't make me jump! Blow it away! Make it go away!"
"Command the wind to go away! Make the earth remain silent on your behalf" Tharuial yelled. "Do it now or you shall kill us all!"
"Go away!" she shrieked out suddenly. She opened her eyes and sobbed, her voice dying down to a hoarse sound. "Go away. Don't hurt them. Go away."
The wind stopped abruptly and the earth grew still and cool once more. For a few moments, everyone was quiet. Legolas glanced up and saw that Faran had indeed come to his prince's aid. He had drawn out his sword and held it in his hands, as if ready to strike at a visible enemy. His face was stamped with surprise and shock as was Fortinbas' who had remained near the horses to calm them. Nuratar blinked and looked at Legolas in question.
"Your Highness..." he said weakly. Legolas looked up at Doláe and pulled away from his grasp. Doláe released him willingly. Without saying a word, Legolas got to his feet and moved towards Karalynn. Tharuial still lay on the ground beside her. He had moved off of her but he still had a protective hold over her arms. At the sight of the prince, Tharuial loosened his grasp on Karalynn but still eyed her warily.
"Do not call out for help." he said firmly to the girl. "Out loud or in your mind. Though you are tormented and in pain, do not call out to the forces around you."
Legolas glared at Tharuial and slid his arms underneath Karalynn, lifting her up and cradling her against his chest. Tharuial stood up and Legolas followed him with his heated gaze.
"She is in pain." he hissed. "How can you ask her not to cry out for help?"
Karalynn moved in his arms and he looked down at her face, smeared with the ugly drying substance. Her eyes were bright and innocent once again and she looked around her with a curious gaze.
"What happened?" she asked. She looked at Legolas and a trace of worry crept into her features. "Legolas, your eyes...."
He didn't stop her when she reached out and touched his cheek. His teardrops glistened in the bright sunlight on the tips of her fingers.
"Why are you crying?" she asked, with the empathy of a sensitive child. "Why are you so sad?"
"What is the last thing you remember, dear one?" Legolas asked softly.
"Faran called you and you told me you would come back." she said, smiling slightly. She looked over his shoulder at Faran and raised her hand to wave at him. "And now here you are again! I don't remember you picking me up though. I guess it's because you elves move so much faster than I can see. But I don't understand why you're crying. And why is everyone looking at me so strangely? Have I done something wrong?"
Legolas kissed the top of her head to quiet her fears and then glared at Tharuial.
"What is it you keep from us?" he said, barely able to control the anger in his voice. "Why does she act like a child again and why do you tell her not to ask for help? Why do you withhold such secrets from us, we who care for this creature, and who are you to pull me away from her?"
He turned to Doláe.
"What sort of heartless beings are you, to lay hands on her and drag me from her?" he asked.
"Prince Legolas, you must believe us when we say we mean her no harm." said Tharuial. "In fact, just the opposite. I apologize for handling the girl so roughly but you saw the fit she was in. She would not have calmed down otherwise."
"We are the Lady Galadriel's most-trusted advisors." Doláe said quietly. Suddenly his blue eyes seemed old and wise- older than his own father even. "We wish to withhold no information from you or your companions but 'tis the Lady's command that she speak to you privately. For now it is enough to say that the girl must not be allowed to call upon those that protect her. We do not mean yourself or your companions. I believe you know of what I hint at. If she is allowed to do so, I'm afraid it will mark the ruin of us all and her certain death. The elements she calls upon are strong and faithful. They are all-seeing but unwise at times. They will destroy everything they deem a threat, no matter friend or foe, in an attempt to protect her. More than that, I can not say until we reach the city."
Legolas hugged her tightly and looked at the two Lorien elves, digesting their words. Everything was so vague and the two elves that seemed to know what was happening were being purposely obtuse.
"Legolas, I'm hungry." Karalynn whispered to him. Legolas forced himself to look down and smile at her.
"First we must clean your face, dear one." he said in a warm voice that belied his emotions. "It would not due to eat while you are dirty. And then we shall eat."
He raised his eyes and glared at Doláe and Tharuial.
"And then we leave right after to see the Lady Galadriel. Perhaps she will be more forthcoming than our companions have been."
"Prince Legolas, once again, we do not mean to act in such a way as to make you think we mean you harm." Tharuial insisted. "In truth, the things that protect her may act without her asking. It is safer, however, to make sure that she does not call upon them in any way."
Legolas stood up, carefully setting Karalynn on her feet. He wrapped one arm around her waist but never looked away from the two elves before him. They seemed sincere and their words rang with truth. The wind did help them during their ride to Lothlorien while Karalynn was unconscious. Yet that didn't matter to him. If they knew the truth about who she was... or what she was, then they were in fact harming her. Legolas had a feeling that the elements were not as unwise as they assumed. During the spider attack, only the spiders had been harmed- not them. And the horses had been returned safely. Wasn't that proof that the elements knew friend from foe?
The longer Legolas was kept in the dark, the longer he could do nothing to help her and it maddened him to know this.
"And if the pain in her head returns?" Legolas asked in a low voice, too soft for human ears to hear. Karalynn looked around, unaware of the seriousness of their conversation and Legolas glanced at her, as if gesturing to her blood-streaked face with his eyes. "When she screams out in horror and bleeds, will you deny her comfort? If she does call on them and if they do bring her relief from the pain, would clasp your hands over her mouth to stop her? Or will you watch idly as she weeps, preferring to sacrifice her life for the information you hold about her? If you can help her, do so. If you wish not to, then lead us to the Lady Galadriel without delay and without further words for I do not wish to even hear your voices."
Faran made a sound of agreement and Nuratar's eyes shone with disbelief at the seeming cruelty of the Lorien elves. Doláe and Tharuial looked at each other for a long time before finally nodding at the prince.
"Aye, if that is your wish, Prince Legolas." Doláe said. "Then so be it. We shall speak no more on our behalf and lead you to the Lady without haste."
Legolas turned his back on them and looked at Nuratar.
"Come healer, examine her and assure me that she will be able to continue." Legolas said and Nuratar moved towards them, taking the girl from his arms and leading her back to his horse. Legolas moved to walk after them but paused in his step when he heard Doláe speak softly.
" 'Tis a shame the Prince of Mirkwood fights so fiercely for one that does not belong to him nor will ever belong to him."