May it Be
By Siren
Hey guys! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, even the people who disagreed with Mesa. But I said I'd take everyone's opinions into consideration. I'm still not sure how the rings were forged exactly, so I'll take out the book and read it over again. But I'll change the song lyrics at the beginning. I thought I heard that it was 'strong' but if Mesa thinks it's 'down', I'll change it. Also, if someone is reading my story and thinks it's lame, than I'd like to ask you not to continue reading it. I want people to enjoy my story, so if you're not enjoying it than read a different story. It's that simply. Oh yeah, I'm going to answer a few reviews, before the story begins:
Melissa- This is definitely a Legolas romance, don't worry. I just didn't want to rush things. And there is going to be a HUGE twist, just wait until they meet Lady Galadriel.
She Who Hates Flamers- Mesa was just being honest, but thanks for your support. I really really appreciate it. ^_^
Faile- You'll find out about what happened to Lily's family and why in this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems rushed, but I need the Fellowship to know about it for the next chapter. ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
You heart will be true
-"May it be" by Enya
Night had fallen and dawn soon followed it. The sun was just beginning to rise when Gandalf wandered down the halls of Rivendell. Aragorn and Boromir were already awake, but the hobbits, dwarf, elf and mortal girl were still asleep. Peering into Legolas's room, a soft smile graced his lips. Legolas and Lily were curled up on his chair, her head tucked under his chin. "She sleeps peacefully, yet something haunts her terribly." Gandalf turned and smiled at Lord Elrond. "I have noticed. Though her bond with the Master Elf seems to ease her pain a bit."
Elrond smiled slightly. "Aye, her heart seems a bit lighter. And yet, her nightmares plague her night after night. I fear that her spirit will be broken if whatever burden she carries is not lifted." The old wizard sighed. "I know not of how to help her, Lord Elrond. I cannot assist her with her current situation, and I cannot mend a broken heart. I do not know how she will take the news that she may not be able to return to her home." The Elvin lord's face grew grim.
"She is still weak, Gandalf. Let us worry about her surviving the quest, and then we will worry about sending her home." Gandalf glanced back at the sleeping forms. "You truly think she is the answer to our prayers?" Elrond shook his head. "One cannot be sure of anything these days. She may very well be the answer to our prayers, or she may be nothing more than a girl. That has yet to be seen. But it is not every day that a girl just appears in our world like she did." Gandalf nodded. "I will wake them. Would you mind waking the hobbits?" Elrond nodded. "Of course. But do not expect me to wake the dwarf," he said with a thin smile. The wizard laughed quietly. "Of course not, my friend." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily stirred a bit in her sleep. Her legs felt cramped, and she stretched them out a bit. Letting out a whimper at the tight muscles, she felt Legolas stir next to her. His eyes became alert and clear once more, and he looked down at the uncomfortable mortal in his lap. The book was on the desk next to him. Lily had fallen asleep after an hour or so, and he gave up on tying to finish reading it.
"Sore?" he asked. Lily's eyes fluttered open, and she immiedietly shut them. "It's too early to be sore," she mumbled and buried her face in his shirt. Legolas chuckled and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "It's time to wake up, mellon. We make for the south today." She opened her eyes and sat up a bit. "How long before we have to leave?" "An hour," answered a soft voice. They looked to the door and saw Gandalf smiling at them. "It's good to see that you're awake," he said with amusement in his eyes.
"Good morning Gandalf. I trust you slept well?" The old wizard nodded. "Now that you two are awake, I must awaken Gimli. Somehow, I doubt he'll be as cheerful about it as you are," he said dryly. They smiled as he left. "Somehow, I think I'm going to get along with Gandalf very well," Lily said with a smile. Legolas cleared his throat. "Well, now that we both have an hour to get ready, do you suppose I could get the feeling back in my legs?"
Lily blushed and stood up. "Alright, I better get ready before Gandalf wakes up the dwarf and puts him in a bad mood. Are all dwarves as snotty as he is?" Legolas sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." Shaking her head, Lily walked into the hallway. "I'll see you later," she said, and walked to her room. Legolas closed the door behind her. Entering her room, Lily quickly found her pack, and took out her faded and somewhat torn jeans. Taking out her old shirt, she quickly bathed and put them on. "Boots...where did I put my boots?" she muttered. After finding them, she quickly slipped them on, grabbed her pack and left.
Walking down the corridors, she glanced in the rooms. "Okay...I'm officially lost." "What strange clothing." She turned around to see Boromir behind her. "Good morning," she greeted with a smile. Boromir returned it, and quickly glanced at her clothing. "I don't believe I've ever seen clothing like that. Where are you from?" Lily lifted an eyebrow. "You mean there's someone around here who hasn't heard?" The steward of Gondor stared at her blankly.
"I'm not from this world," she told him. Shock and disbelief quickly fell on his face. "How can that be?" She shrugged. "I'm not sure. One minute I was sleeping in my room, and when I woke up I was in Mirkwood. Lord Thranduil thought that Lord Elrond could help me. I was just on my way to see him actually, but I think I'm lost." Boromir smiled. "The halls of Rivendell are easy to get lost in. Come, I'll show you to Lord Elrond." He offered his arm, which she gladly took. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Elrond watched as his daughter kissed Aragorn lightly. He knew of her love for the Ranger, and it pained him to know that he might lose her. She was willing to give up her immortality for him, to live a mortal life and die as one. He knew that Aragorn loved his daughter, and he loved him like a father. But he could not approve of their relationship. He wanted his daughter to be with him and his people when they sailed to the Gray Havens. Sighing, he shook his head. Either way, he would lose someone he cared for deeply.
"Lord Elrond!" He turned to see Lily and Boromir walking towards him. "Good morning Lady Lily, Lord Boromir," he greeted with a smile. Lily returned the smile, and walked up to him. "I was hoping to speak with you about my situation. I was wondering if anyone had found a way to send me home." She looked up at him with large, eager eyes, and he felt his heart break for her. Forcing a smile, he replied, "I'm sorry my dear, but they have found nothing yet. But do not lose hope, they are still researching." Lily's face fell, and she smiled sadly. "Okay. Thank you."
Turning to leave, Elrond touched her arm. "The quest shall be perilous, and it would grieve me to have you fall into shadow. Be safe, Lily. And do not be afraid to open up to those around you. You are now part of a Fellowship, and must learn to depend on others. To share your pain with them." She held his gaze for a moment, than nodded and walked away. He sighed deeply at her retreating form. If her heart was not relieved of it's burden soon, she would fade. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas was growing impatient. It was time to leave, and there was still no sign of Lily and Boromir. He couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous at the thought of her being with him. He shook his head to clear it. He was not jealous, merely worried. They were nothing more than friends, and it would remain that way. "Legolas!" He turned and smiled with relief. Lily walked towards him with Boromir following. He glanced down at her clothing and smiled. "I recall that you wore this when I first found you."
Lily smiled and shrugged. "They're comfy clothes. I like comfy clothes." "Good morning Lady Lily!" Pippin greeted with a bright smile. Lily ruffled his hair. "Good morning Master Pippin! Are you ready for an adventure?" Pippin nodded eagerly. Sam and Frodo walked over to the group with Aragorn following closely. "Gimli and Gandalf are coming. Where's Merry?" "I'm right here," the hobbit said from behind Lily. "Oh hello Master Merry," she greeted with a bright smile.
"We're ready to set out. Does everyone have everything that they need?" Everyone nodded. "Alright than, let's go." Walking towards the gates of Rivendell, Lily turned around and waved to Elrond and Arwen. They waved back, though Arwen's gaze was settled on the Ranger. "I guess we'll have to keep Aragorn extra safe," she said to the elf next to her. Legolas smiled and lifted an eyebrow. "And why is that?" Lily smiled at Aragorn's back. "Because Arwen is head over heels for him," she said as though it were obvious. Legolas smiled. "You noticed it too?" Lily nodded. "Oh yeah." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They had stopped to rest for a short time, and Lily was enjoying every moment of it. Merry and Pippin were practicing the art of fencing with Boromir, who seemed especially fond of the hobbits. Aragorn was smoking his pipe, watching them with a critical eye. "Move your feet!" he instructed. Frodo and Sam watched with amused faces, while Gandalf sat nearby. Legolas was watched the area around him, his whole poise screaming 'alert'. Gimli seemed to be growing impatient.
"If you ask my opinion, which I see you're not, than I'd say we're taking the long way around!" the dwarf growled in annoyance. He walked over to the old wizard, his shoulders hunched. "We could take the road through the Mines of Moria," he suggested. Gandalf looked at the dwarf and shook his head wearily. "No Gimli. I would not take that road unless I had no other choice," he said, his voice grave.
Lily walked over to Legolas and stood beside him. "What are you looking at?" The elf kept his eyes on the area around them. "I'm looking for spies of Saruman." Lily nodded. "Oh." They were silent for a moment. "I talked to Elrond today," she said, breaking the silence. "Oh?" She nodded. "Yeah. He says that he hasn't found a way to send me home yet, but he'll keep trying." She looked at the land around them. "But I know he won't find anything. How could there be a spell or incantation to send me home when no one has had to write one? There's been no need for such a thing."
Legolas looked at her, and frowned at her darkened face. "I'm never going home," she said softly. She shrugged as though to convince herself it didn't matter. "I don't know why I'd bother to go home though. There's nothing there for me." He frowned. "What about your family?" He saw her stiffen, and her eyes darkened. "They're dead," she answered. His eyes widened in surprise. "Dead?" Lily nodded. "They were murdered four years ago. I wasn't home when it happened though."
Legolas watched as her eyes filled with sorrow, and saw the tears well in them. "My mother was a cop. She was a warrior, you might say. Anyway, she was about to arrest a drug lord, but apparently he heard about her plans and decided to stop her. He found out where we lived, and killed her and everyone that was a witness to it. Meaning my father and brother, Tom." She smiled bitterly. "My little brother's name was Tom. He's the one I cried out for in my sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see them."
She clenched her fists tightly. "They were butchered. I had to identify the bodies." She shook terribly. "I could barely recognize them," she whispered. Hot tears escaped her eyes, and her nails bit into her skin, drawing blood. "Every night I see them. I see their faces, and I relive memories, and I see them dead. I can't sleep for long, because the memories always come back. They're punishing me for not being there. Elrond was right about one thing. I wasn't sent here by accident. I was sent here as punishment. This is hell."
Legolas turned to her and shook his head. "No, you're wrong. This isn't your fault. None of it is your fault. You couldn't have stopped it from happening. You were spared, Lily. It's not your fault." Lily shut her eyes tightly, and let choked down a sob. "Yes it is. It's all my fault! All of it! I should've been there! I should be dead, I shouldn't be here!" she shouted. Legolas shook his head and quickly gathered her into his arms. "It's not your fault, mellon! It's not your fault!"
He held her tightly, and felt her shake in his arms. "I miss them so much..." she cried. "I should be dead. I can't live without them. I should have died that day. I should have died with them." Legolas stroked her back softly, and noticed that the others were watching with worried eyes. He pulled away a bit, and cupped her face in his hands. "You were meant to live, Lily. You weren't meant to die, and your family wouldn't want you to either. Don't blame yourself anymore. Let them go." Kissing her forehead lightly, he pulled her into his arms again.
Looking at the sky, he noticed something. "What is that?" Frodo asked. Gimli waved a hand. "It's nothing. Just a wisp of cloud." Gandalf frowned. "It's moving fast." Aragorn's eyes narrowed. "And against the wind." Legolas pulled away from his distraught companion, and searched the sky. "Crebain from Dunland!" he shouted. The others quickly sprung into action, hiding the packs and putting out the fire. Legolas took Lily's hand and pulled her with him. "We must hide!" He pulled her underneath a bush and held her close.
She whimpered at the sight of them and quickly shut her eyes. "Don't make a sound," Legolas whispered. Suddenly the sound of screeching filled the air, making Lily wince. After a moment, the terrible screeching passed. They crawled out from their hiding places, and watched the birds fly away. "Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must now take the road to the Caradhras," Gandalf announced. Standing on shaking legs, she clutches Legolas's sleeve.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly. Lily looked up at him with wide eyes that were red from crying. She nodded and swallowed. "I'm fine. I'm sorry for breaking down like that." Legolas shook his head and traced her cheek. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, mellon. I want to help shoulder your pain. Trust me and let me help you. You cannot go through this alone." Slipping her hand into his, she managed a small smile. "I do trust you." "We must make haste!" Aragorn yelled. Sighing, she leaned against Legolas as she walked, her hand still holding his.
He kissed the top of her head, and whispered encouraging words. Gandalf watched from behind them, a sad smile on his face. 'She may be opening up, but it will still be difficult for her. For now the wound is reopened, and there will be much pain. May the Valar help her.' Pippin ran up alongside Lily and took her free hand. He squeezed it gently, and smiled. Lily managed to smile back, and returned the gently gesture. "I heard you talking to Legolas. I'm sorry about your family." Lily smiled softly and ruffled his hair. "Thank you Pippin."
Gimli snorted from behind her, and Lily couldn't help but frown. She didn't want to deal with him at the moment. "Lady Lily, I offer my sympathies. To lose someone you love is a terrible tragedy, and I am glad that you are here with us today." Lily blinked in surprise. "Thank you," she said and watched the dwarf walk ahead. "Wow. That's something you don't see everyday." Legolas nodded in agreement. "I had no idea that dwarves could be so compassionate." Lily smiled at Gimli. "Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye." Legolas nodded. "Perhaps."
2 Be Continued
Hey guys! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, even the people who disagreed with Mesa. But I said I'd take everyone's opinions into consideration. I'm still not sure how the rings were forged exactly, so I'll take out the book and read it over again. But I'll change the song lyrics at the beginning. I thought I heard that it was 'strong' but if Mesa thinks it's 'down', I'll change it. Also, if someone is reading my story and thinks it's lame, than I'd like to ask you not to continue reading it. I want people to enjoy my story, so if you're not enjoying it than read a different story. It's that simply. Oh yeah, I'm going to answer a few reviews, before the story begins:
Melissa- This is definitely a Legolas romance, don't worry. I just didn't want to rush things. And there is going to be a HUGE twist, just wait until they meet Lady Galadriel.
She Who Hates Flamers- Mesa was just being honest, but thanks for your support. I really really appreciate it. ^_^
Faile- You'll find out about what happened to Lily's family and why in this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems rushed, but I need the Fellowship to know about it for the next chapter. ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
You heart will be true
-"May it be" by Enya
Night had fallen and dawn soon followed it. The sun was just beginning to rise when Gandalf wandered down the halls of Rivendell. Aragorn and Boromir were already awake, but the hobbits, dwarf, elf and mortal girl were still asleep. Peering into Legolas's room, a soft smile graced his lips. Legolas and Lily were curled up on his chair, her head tucked under his chin. "She sleeps peacefully, yet something haunts her terribly." Gandalf turned and smiled at Lord Elrond. "I have noticed. Though her bond with the Master Elf seems to ease her pain a bit."
Elrond smiled slightly. "Aye, her heart seems a bit lighter. And yet, her nightmares plague her night after night. I fear that her spirit will be broken if whatever burden she carries is not lifted." The old wizard sighed. "I know not of how to help her, Lord Elrond. I cannot assist her with her current situation, and I cannot mend a broken heart. I do not know how she will take the news that she may not be able to return to her home." The Elvin lord's face grew grim.
"She is still weak, Gandalf. Let us worry about her surviving the quest, and then we will worry about sending her home." Gandalf glanced back at the sleeping forms. "You truly think she is the answer to our prayers?" Elrond shook his head. "One cannot be sure of anything these days. She may very well be the answer to our prayers, or she may be nothing more than a girl. That has yet to be seen. But it is not every day that a girl just appears in our world like she did." Gandalf nodded. "I will wake them. Would you mind waking the hobbits?" Elrond nodded. "Of course. But do not expect me to wake the dwarf," he said with a thin smile. The wizard laughed quietly. "Of course not, my friend." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lily stirred a bit in her sleep. Her legs felt cramped, and she stretched them out a bit. Letting out a whimper at the tight muscles, she felt Legolas stir next to her. His eyes became alert and clear once more, and he looked down at the uncomfortable mortal in his lap. The book was on the desk next to him. Lily had fallen asleep after an hour or so, and he gave up on tying to finish reading it.
"Sore?" he asked. Lily's eyes fluttered open, and she immiedietly shut them. "It's too early to be sore," she mumbled and buried her face in his shirt. Legolas chuckled and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "It's time to wake up, mellon. We make for the south today." She opened her eyes and sat up a bit. "How long before we have to leave?" "An hour," answered a soft voice. They looked to the door and saw Gandalf smiling at them. "It's good to see that you're awake," he said with amusement in his eyes.
"Good morning Gandalf. I trust you slept well?" The old wizard nodded. "Now that you two are awake, I must awaken Gimli. Somehow, I doubt he'll be as cheerful about it as you are," he said dryly. They smiled as he left. "Somehow, I think I'm going to get along with Gandalf very well," Lily said with a smile. Legolas cleared his throat. "Well, now that we both have an hour to get ready, do you suppose I could get the feeling back in my legs?"
Lily blushed and stood up. "Alright, I better get ready before Gandalf wakes up the dwarf and puts him in a bad mood. Are all dwarves as snotty as he is?" Legolas sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." Shaking her head, Lily walked into the hallway. "I'll see you later," she said, and walked to her room. Legolas closed the door behind her. Entering her room, Lily quickly found her pack, and took out her faded and somewhat torn jeans. Taking out her old shirt, she quickly bathed and put them on. "Boots...where did I put my boots?" she muttered. After finding them, she quickly slipped them on, grabbed her pack and left.
Walking down the corridors, she glanced in the rooms. "Okay...I'm officially lost." "What strange clothing." She turned around to see Boromir behind her. "Good morning," she greeted with a smile. Boromir returned it, and quickly glanced at her clothing. "I don't believe I've ever seen clothing like that. Where are you from?" Lily lifted an eyebrow. "You mean there's someone around here who hasn't heard?" The steward of Gondor stared at her blankly.
"I'm not from this world," she told him. Shock and disbelief quickly fell on his face. "How can that be?" She shrugged. "I'm not sure. One minute I was sleeping in my room, and when I woke up I was in Mirkwood. Lord Thranduil thought that Lord Elrond could help me. I was just on my way to see him actually, but I think I'm lost." Boromir smiled. "The halls of Rivendell are easy to get lost in. Come, I'll show you to Lord Elrond." He offered his arm, which she gladly took. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Elrond watched as his daughter kissed Aragorn lightly. He knew of her love for the Ranger, and it pained him to know that he might lose her. She was willing to give up her immortality for him, to live a mortal life and die as one. He knew that Aragorn loved his daughter, and he loved him like a father. But he could not approve of their relationship. He wanted his daughter to be with him and his people when they sailed to the Gray Havens. Sighing, he shook his head. Either way, he would lose someone he cared for deeply.
"Lord Elrond!" He turned to see Lily and Boromir walking towards him. "Good morning Lady Lily, Lord Boromir," he greeted with a smile. Lily returned the smile, and walked up to him. "I was hoping to speak with you about my situation. I was wondering if anyone had found a way to send me home." She looked up at him with large, eager eyes, and he felt his heart break for her. Forcing a smile, he replied, "I'm sorry my dear, but they have found nothing yet. But do not lose hope, they are still researching." Lily's face fell, and she smiled sadly. "Okay. Thank you."
Turning to leave, Elrond touched her arm. "The quest shall be perilous, and it would grieve me to have you fall into shadow. Be safe, Lily. And do not be afraid to open up to those around you. You are now part of a Fellowship, and must learn to depend on others. To share your pain with them." She held his gaze for a moment, than nodded and walked away. He sighed deeply at her retreating form. If her heart was not relieved of it's burden soon, she would fade. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas was growing impatient. It was time to leave, and there was still no sign of Lily and Boromir. He couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous at the thought of her being with him. He shook his head to clear it. He was not jealous, merely worried. They were nothing more than friends, and it would remain that way. "Legolas!" He turned and smiled with relief. Lily walked towards him with Boromir following. He glanced down at her clothing and smiled. "I recall that you wore this when I first found you."
Lily smiled and shrugged. "They're comfy clothes. I like comfy clothes." "Good morning Lady Lily!" Pippin greeted with a bright smile. Lily ruffled his hair. "Good morning Master Pippin! Are you ready for an adventure?" Pippin nodded eagerly. Sam and Frodo walked over to the group with Aragorn following closely. "Gimli and Gandalf are coming. Where's Merry?" "I'm right here," the hobbit said from behind Lily. "Oh hello Master Merry," she greeted with a bright smile.
"We're ready to set out. Does everyone have everything that they need?" Everyone nodded. "Alright than, let's go." Walking towards the gates of Rivendell, Lily turned around and waved to Elrond and Arwen. They waved back, though Arwen's gaze was settled on the Ranger. "I guess we'll have to keep Aragorn extra safe," she said to the elf next to her. Legolas smiled and lifted an eyebrow. "And why is that?" Lily smiled at Aragorn's back. "Because Arwen is head over heels for him," she said as though it were obvious. Legolas smiled. "You noticed it too?" Lily nodded. "Oh yeah." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They had stopped to rest for a short time, and Lily was enjoying every moment of it. Merry and Pippin were practicing the art of fencing with Boromir, who seemed especially fond of the hobbits. Aragorn was smoking his pipe, watching them with a critical eye. "Move your feet!" he instructed. Frodo and Sam watched with amused faces, while Gandalf sat nearby. Legolas was watched the area around him, his whole poise screaming 'alert'. Gimli seemed to be growing impatient.
"If you ask my opinion, which I see you're not, than I'd say we're taking the long way around!" the dwarf growled in annoyance. He walked over to the old wizard, his shoulders hunched. "We could take the road through the Mines of Moria," he suggested. Gandalf looked at the dwarf and shook his head wearily. "No Gimli. I would not take that road unless I had no other choice," he said, his voice grave.
Lily walked over to Legolas and stood beside him. "What are you looking at?" The elf kept his eyes on the area around them. "I'm looking for spies of Saruman." Lily nodded. "Oh." They were silent for a moment. "I talked to Elrond today," she said, breaking the silence. "Oh?" She nodded. "Yeah. He says that he hasn't found a way to send me home yet, but he'll keep trying." She looked at the land around them. "But I know he won't find anything. How could there be a spell or incantation to send me home when no one has had to write one? There's been no need for such a thing."
Legolas looked at her, and frowned at her darkened face. "I'm never going home," she said softly. She shrugged as though to convince herself it didn't matter. "I don't know why I'd bother to go home though. There's nothing there for me." He frowned. "What about your family?" He saw her stiffen, and her eyes darkened. "They're dead," she answered. His eyes widened in surprise. "Dead?" Lily nodded. "They were murdered four years ago. I wasn't home when it happened though."
Legolas watched as her eyes filled with sorrow, and saw the tears well in them. "My mother was a cop. She was a warrior, you might say. Anyway, she was about to arrest a drug lord, but apparently he heard about her plans and decided to stop her. He found out where we lived, and killed her and everyone that was a witness to it. Meaning my father and brother, Tom." She smiled bitterly. "My little brother's name was Tom. He's the one I cried out for in my sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see them."
She clenched her fists tightly. "They were butchered. I had to identify the bodies." She shook terribly. "I could barely recognize them," she whispered. Hot tears escaped her eyes, and her nails bit into her skin, drawing blood. "Every night I see them. I see their faces, and I relive memories, and I see them dead. I can't sleep for long, because the memories always come back. They're punishing me for not being there. Elrond was right about one thing. I wasn't sent here by accident. I was sent here as punishment. This is hell."
Legolas turned to her and shook his head. "No, you're wrong. This isn't your fault. None of it is your fault. You couldn't have stopped it from happening. You were spared, Lily. It's not your fault." Lily shut her eyes tightly, and let choked down a sob. "Yes it is. It's all my fault! All of it! I should've been there! I should be dead, I shouldn't be here!" she shouted. Legolas shook his head and quickly gathered her into his arms. "It's not your fault, mellon! It's not your fault!"
He held her tightly, and felt her shake in his arms. "I miss them so much..." she cried. "I should be dead. I can't live without them. I should have died that day. I should have died with them." Legolas stroked her back softly, and noticed that the others were watching with worried eyes. He pulled away a bit, and cupped her face in his hands. "You were meant to live, Lily. You weren't meant to die, and your family wouldn't want you to either. Don't blame yourself anymore. Let them go." Kissing her forehead lightly, he pulled her into his arms again.
Looking at the sky, he noticed something. "What is that?" Frodo asked. Gimli waved a hand. "It's nothing. Just a wisp of cloud." Gandalf frowned. "It's moving fast." Aragorn's eyes narrowed. "And against the wind." Legolas pulled away from his distraught companion, and searched the sky. "Crebain from Dunland!" he shouted. The others quickly sprung into action, hiding the packs and putting out the fire. Legolas took Lily's hand and pulled her with him. "We must hide!" He pulled her underneath a bush and held her close.
She whimpered at the sight of them and quickly shut her eyes. "Don't make a sound," Legolas whispered. Suddenly the sound of screeching filled the air, making Lily wince. After a moment, the terrible screeching passed. They crawled out from their hiding places, and watched the birds fly away. "Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must now take the road to the Caradhras," Gandalf announced. Standing on shaking legs, she clutches Legolas's sleeve.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly. Lily looked up at him with wide eyes that were red from crying. She nodded and swallowed. "I'm fine. I'm sorry for breaking down like that." Legolas shook his head and traced her cheek. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, mellon. I want to help shoulder your pain. Trust me and let me help you. You cannot go through this alone." Slipping her hand into his, she managed a small smile. "I do trust you." "We must make haste!" Aragorn yelled. Sighing, she leaned against Legolas as she walked, her hand still holding his.
He kissed the top of her head, and whispered encouraging words. Gandalf watched from behind them, a sad smile on his face. 'She may be opening up, but it will still be difficult for her. For now the wound is reopened, and there will be much pain. May the Valar help her.' Pippin ran up alongside Lily and took her free hand. He squeezed it gently, and smiled. Lily managed to smile back, and returned the gently gesture. "I heard you talking to Legolas. I'm sorry about your family." Lily smiled softly and ruffled his hair. "Thank you Pippin."
Gimli snorted from behind her, and Lily couldn't help but frown. She didn't want to deal with him at the moment. "Lady Lily, I offer my sympathies. To lose someone you love is a terrible tragedy, and I am glad that you are here with us today." Lily blinked in surprise. "Thank you," she said and watched the dwarf walk ahead. "Wow. That's something you don't see everyday." Legolas nodded in agreement. "I had no idea that dwarves could be so compassionate." Lily smiled at Gimli. "Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye." Legolas nodded. "Perhaps."
2 Be Continued
