Before them sat a small elvish girl no older than Brom. She stared at her hands on disbelief and then threw her arms around Brom.
"You did it! I'm cured! You saved me!" She laughed happily.
The silver haired boy fidgeted , his face going pink.
"What did I do? Where is the shadowen? What happened?"
"A shadowen can never live in a place of light and purity and that is exactly what an elven child's heart is. You helped Arwen transform into a child again and destroy the shadowen," Gandalf said with tears welling in his smokey eyes. Everyone was relived and amazed. The only who seemed saddened by Arwen's transformation was Aragorn.
As everyone ooohed and ahhed over the dark child, he took the Ranger aside.
"You have lost much, Ranger and now I must tell you, Arwen will not see you as you see her," He said reluctantly, "She is a child, and her love for you has not matured. She will see you as a father figure, a protector and friend. Not as a lover and life companion. She may even change her mind about leaving this earth,"
Aragorn nodded, "I understand, Gandalf, but I would wait a hundred years over again to have her love, I shall wait. If I must be a friend and protecter I shall,"
Gandalf nodded, "That's quite an armful, Aragorn, young Brom and now Arwen, are you sure I you manage?"
Aragorn looked at the wizard in confusion, "I have slaughtered orcs and fought off shadowen, how hard can two children be?"
Mithrandir merely smiled in his all-knowing way and walked back to the others.
"Lady, you must sleep," Sam said softly as the moon rode high over head. They were still caught in the gap of the mountains. Mt Doom burned steadly but they were no closer than they were several weeks ago. Frodo was growing steadily weaker as the ring dragged his very soul through the ground it seemed.
Meia was no better. She grew rounder and fuller every day it seemed, but she would not give up. She gave everything she had to keep up and help Sam with her ill love.
But now was the time to rest and she couldn't. She just couldn't shut her eyes.
"lady,"
Meia looked over at the concerned hobbit and smiled, "I'm sorry, Sam, I can't sleep," She said softly. She reached over and brushed Frodo's curls as he slept. "Its seems I live to see him sleep, it's the only time he looks peaceful,"
"Just make sure you don't wake him, its harder for him to go to sleep than you," the hobbit said firmly and Meia smiled, drawing back her hand. She loved when Sam was protective of Frodo. Perhaps because it just showed there was some love in the world.
Meia wrapped her self in her cloak, wondering about how everyone was faring. She wondered where the others had gone. Would Allanon, Tay, Ryer, Risca, Big Red, and Bremen all leave back for the Four Lands given first chance? Meia knew she would not. Her story may have began in Paranor, but she would end her story in Shire, preferably Bag End.
`She had heard Sam and Frodo talk about it all the time, and Meia truly hoped to go there, but there was something else that nagged on her mind.
Here she was, heavy with child, surely to drop the baby any time it seemed, and Frodo had not spoken once about what was to become of them.
She knew she could not ask such a selfish thing as Frodo's very being hung in the balance, but she had to wonder. When this child was born, would he want it, would he want her, would they marry, did hobbits marry?
Hundreds of questions flew through her mind like a snowy flurry. They were brought together due to impossible odds, out of desprete emotion and perhaps a touch of fate. When it was all over and they were free of their duties, would he still want her?
The questions seemed to land on her eyelids, making hem heavy with every thought and soon she dozed off.
Bremen sighed as he and Big Red sat contemplating their fate. What could they do? Rivendell ransacked by Shadowen, how could they get out? Then their lock jiggled and it wiggled and then unlocked with a click.
Blue fire gather in Bremen's hand as Big Red curled his fists as the door swung open, but it was not a shadowen that greeted them but a small white haired Bilbo Baggins.
"I wasn't number fourteen for nothing," He smiled and threw both men a pair of elvish blades. "Come on, if its one thing, its never leave things to luck. We have to go, now!"
The two men followed the small hobbit as he lead them through winding passages and it was then they realized that it was noon where the sun was at it brightest.
"Even Meia had to hide at noon in some sort of shade," Red said in amazement.
"Yes, I learned that from watching them, as long as we stay out of the shadows they can't touch us," Bilbo said, when a shadow stepped in front of them.
"I wouldn't count on that," Said a shadowen taken elf and Bilbo shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Lithe," and with a swipe he cut the elf down with his blade. The body exploded and Bilbo hurried on, tears welling in his eyes. Better to die and be free than to live eternally shackled to darkness, he reminded himself as they killed any who prevented the three's escape.
"What about their lord?" Bremen asked and Bilbo said, "I freed Lord Elrond two days ago, he is safe, and gathering reinforcements to win Rivendell back,"
Finally they escaped and ran deep into the forest until their legs seized up and their lungs burned for oxygen. Bilbo sat heavily on the ground, smiling and sweating,, "Well, it seems there's some life in this old burgler yet," He said between gasping breaths and Red and Bremen chuckled.
They rested only a moment and then walked on at a slow but steady pace.
"Where are we heading, Master Burgler?" Red asked humorously and Bilbo shook his head.
"If I only knew," He said ," Elrond merely told me to head south to the Nimrodel River, I do not anything else,"
So together the druid, rover, and hobbit marched steadily south, curious where their destination would be.
"Thorn looked very nuch like you," Denathor smiled would say to Ester, nearly every time they spoke to one another.. The people said the small elvish girl was a miracle. She seemed to bring the king out of his body and back into the world of men. So many years of war and death had taken their toll on the king but this girl seemed to wipe all this clean. Even the King's son, Farimir noticed. What magic did this Ester Shannara hold? And what was the secret to the stones she would not let anyone see or touch? Farimir did not trust Ester. He belived she was a spy for Saruman.
"Lady Ester,"
The elvish princess turned at the deep voice of Captain Farimir and smiled. She thought he was very handsome and felt her heart flutter in her chest as he approached her.
"Yes, Captain?" She asked softly, giving a deep curtsy.
"I have heard tell you know of the new demons we are fighting," He said, "I would very much like to learn more about them,"
"Of course, Captain," She blushed, "I know much of them. When would you like to discuss it?"
"My squadron and I are leaving to potrole the borders of our land. Perhaps you could accompany me and share your skills with my men, so we can fight this new devil,"
"I-I would love to, thank you, Captain, shall I tell the King?"
"No," Faramir said, "Just met me by the gate one hour before dawn, the King won't mind," Ester smiled happily and gave another deep curtsy. Only the enemy could know as much as you say you do, Faramir though bitterly. I will make sure you poison my father no more!
Ester watched the Ranger captain walk away, her heart in her throat. In the Four Lands, she was never any use. No one ever put her danger, no one ever cared what she thought.
"Finally," Ester said softly, "a man who sees me a I really am,"
