Reighn nodded silently to Gwen as she watched the smaller woman worry over this Frodo. She knew he was the one she had to prevent from going to Valinor, but she knew that by taking this Frodo to Legolas and Jairah, she would be there physically to protect them.
"I cannot help you."
Gwen's head shot up "What?! Why?!"
"I have come from a far off place - to stop this Frodo Baggins from going to Valinor."
"What do you mean?" Gwen questioned.
"He carries with him a great evil, one that will never leave him because he has been touched by the Dark Lord." Reighn explained "If I help you and take him to your friends, he will be closer to the Gray Havens."
"That isn't fair!"
"No. But it will ruin the lives of many if he should go. Should he change destiny, the other fates will be angry, not only at him, but at those who did not stop him." Reighn said. "However, if you swear by his life that he will not run off to the Gray Havens, I will take him."
Gwen nodded "All right."
*
Reighn's head snapped up from her place at her Stallion's side as she felt a fluxuation in the web as a ley line was suddenly flooded with dark power. Quickly she fell into a trance, following the line to the flood's destination, shocked at the pulsating sickness that the darkness had left behind.
*
Above ground, Gwen looked up at a sudden blast of bagic that was pure evil. It was immediately responded to by a blast of pure magic, and Gwen rocked on her feet. This didn't seem right somehow, there was no way one of the Earth's Guardians could directly use its power. The Ents were part of that power, and could not use it. Gwen rushed to a window and gazed out, seeing Reighn's horse standing placidly before his rider as she stood there, eyes closed. Her black armor had gone white, and she was glowing. Everything about her was white save the gold circlet on her hed and her deep red hair, both of which seemed to radiate their own light. A greenish-white Celtic knot decorated the ground below Reighn as the wind picked up. The overcast sky was suddenly leaden and angry, the wind whipping through the trees with an evil howl as rain crashed down on Hobbiton. This time the rain did not hit Reighn, it hit an invisible barrier and slid down it as if around a bubble.
Gwen could only wonder what was going on.
*
Inside the bubble Reighn held no awareness to the outside world as she threw another blast of pure magic at the dark attacker that was going after Jairah and the child she carried. She spirit that guarded the woman pulled Reighn into the web abruptly, revealing himself to her, and now, both fought side by side. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her and turned just in time to see a Dream Shadow slip through the barrier between planes into Ithilen. Reighn followed, appearing in the halls of Ithilen clad in white armor, glowing, gold circlet and red hair contrasting. Athair stood next to her and soon both forms were running after the Shadow. Athair was almost completely transparent, while Reighn was nearly solid, one could barely make shapes out through her form.
She felt a surge of surprise come from Jairah that was quickly followed by panic. They were approaching an enormous set of wooden doors, and a ball of white energy formed in the Sorceress' hand. She blasted the doors off thier hinges as she and her teacher continued their headlong sprint, passing the wrekage without a backward glance.
Reighn entered the room first and immediately placed a dream-shiled around Jairah just as the Shadow sent a blast at the Elf. It reflected off the shield and slammed into a pillar, cracking the ancient marble. The Shadow gave a high-pitched screech as it turned on the Celtic Princess, who glared at it in challenge. She muttered a spell under her breath and began throwing bolts of lightning at the Shadow as it tried to dodge one way, only to find its path blocked by another bolt.
Athair passed the Sorceress as she stood, concentration all over her face as he passed through the shield around Jairah and knelt next to her. She looked up at him and stared as he reached forward, and placed a cool hand on her forehead as he began to heal any damage done to Jairah or her child. When he reached for the child with his mind he encountered a shield, which surprised him, yet he knocked on it, asking entrance. It was granted and he found the child in pain. Dark Magic ran through its spirit as it did its best to fight and Athiar reached out, wrapping his calming aura around the child and pouring his healing power into its spirit, expelling the evil that attacked.
*
Reighn sagged in exhaustion as the Shadow dissapreared with a final scream. Nothing remained of the creature save the echo of its scream as it passed through the palace in an other-worldly manner. She allowed the shiled around Jairah to fall and she walked over as Athair's image flickered. Suddenly he moved away from the Elvin woman and nodded to Reighn, his power depleted so much that he could not speak. Reighn nodded in reply as Athair dissapeared, back into the Web as he went to replenish his strength.
Reighn turned to Jairah and sighed in relief to see the Elvin woman staring at her with wide amber eyes "Who are you?" she asked.
"Reighn sighed wearily "Mì eil Sian, bean-uasal a àirde Albannach*. I am Reighn, lady of the Celts. We shall meet again Jairah of Ithilen."
Jairah stared in shock as Reighn slowly faded away, leaving the once magnificent room in shambles as guards poured through the destroyed doors.
------------------------------------------
* "Mì eil Sian, bean-uasal a àirde Albannach" actually means "I am Rain, lady of the Scotsmen." - but it was the closest I could get to "Celts" so, deal with it. And it's actually Gaelic, I have a Scots-Gaelic dictionary on my comp. Very useful.