Shadow of a Doubt
Chapter 12 - Save Us
by Capella no da
A/N - Warning: there's a lot of dialogue here. Sorry, couldn't really avoid it.
I made a few changes on the fic as a whole -- since i'm not good at making up titles, all the chapter titles will be from Nickleback's Hero or Five for Fighting's It's Not Easy. ^.^
I want to get to the fic, so all I'll say is that reviews are brain food *^.^*
BTW-for those of you who haven't read the Silmarillion, some of this about the Valar and Manwe might get confusing. But don't worry -- I'll do my best to explain (and I'm not making it up ^.~)
_____________________________
'And they say that a hero can save us;
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles,
Watch as they all fly away...'
-Nickleback, "Hero"
______________________________
Harry woke up the next day dreaming about home.
He grasped in his mind the disappearing images of Ron, Hermione, and Hogwarts as he slowly woke up. Ron....I'm so sorry.
Wincing, opening his eyes, Harry sat up slowly, a ray of sunshine catching him in the face. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, absently trying to wipe away the dried tear tracks staining his face. Just like Cedric, he thought dully. Killed, and probably my fault. If I would have been there...how many people do I have to hurt before I die?
He didn't know how long he stayed there when he started to hear voices overlapping his thoughts. Scooting closer and hiding in a bush, he peered through it to see Legolas and Aragorn. Aragorn's face was carefully composed, while Legolas looked the most...frightened...that Harry had ever seen him. It looked abnormal on his smooth face.
"We cannot let him do this, Aragorn, and you do know it. I know you are not that cold. I have followed your decisions thus far but this I cannot allow." Legolas seemed nearly frantic. "He cannot do this alone!"
Aragorn sighed. "I know what you are saying, Legolas. But we have to do this. He's not just a mere child, but he might be more powerful than Saruman himself! Do you want that wasted?"
Legolas's eyes widened. "Wasted?" he whispered.
"You know what happened to the last one who was here. You know what will happen to Harry."
"That was different. Harry is stronger than that one and he will make it, Aragorn. I know it."
Legolas strode off into the woods opposite Harry, his even, beautiful brows pinched with anger. Aragorn stared up through a hole in the canopy, eyes full of sadness. "I am truly sorry, Harry," he murmured and walked slowly toward the fire.
Had Aragorn known he was there? Harry frowned and got to his feet.
Suddenly he was knocked back down, breath ripped from his lungs as another wave of pain hit him. He barely felt the dirt beneath his head or anything besides the horrible agony in his stomach, like a sword had been shoved through it. All he could do was curl up into a ball and pray for unconsciousness to take him.
Finally, after what seemed like years, and with excruciating slowness, the pain receded. Just like the last time, it was just as if it had never been. He touched his stomach, feeling around for something that would cause this, but nothing was there. No hole, no wound, nothing.
He heard the crunching of leaves before he saw Aragorn come into his vision, and, before he knew what he was doing, Harry flew to his feet. He grabbed Aragorn's shoulders and clutched them tightly, looking up at the ranger in desperation.
"Aragorn, what is happening to me?" he said desperately as Aragorn gently took hold of his wrists and took Harry's hands off his arms. A shadow of a sad look passed over his face.
"Harry, I do not know if this is the best time to discuss --"
"Just tell me, Aragorn," Harry said. "Tell me why Saruman was after me and why he called me a messenger, and what this Sauron is. Tell me why I'm bloody here!" He was tempted to add 'and why am I falling apart from the inside?'
Aragorn sighed deeply. "Alright, Harry. I think we owe you at least that much. Sit down." Harry sat on a nearby moss-covered rock, flinching when a little tremor of hurt raced through his middle. Aragorn didn't notice.
"To answer your first question, Harry," Aragorn started slowly, "I must first tell you what you are. I'm sure you know of the symbol on your forehead?"
Harry frowned. "It's a scar. From when I fought Voldemort, remember? I told you in the council of Rivendell."
Aragorn waved his protest away. "Whatever it was in your world, in Middle-earth we only know it as one thing -- that you are an imperial message from Manwe, a Valar.
** "In the beginning of time, before Arda, our world, was created, there was a supreme being named Eru. Eru decided to make his children, fashioned in the likeness of him. They are called the Ainur, or the Valar.
"Eru had a plan to create Arda. He gathered his Ainur together and taught them to create a great song. This song planned the entire history and shape of Arda. It was perfect, a flawless world. However, there was one Ainur, named Melkor, who was tainted. Into the theme of music he wove discord of his own, a separate tune that was not pure, and the other Ainur became afraid.
"Then Eru wove into the song another theme, small at first but rising in strength. These are the First-born, the Elves. It battled the discord of Melkor.
"Melkor's theme then rose up again, but this time Eru wove a different melody. It was loud and, together with the first, took over Melkor's. This was the Last-born, Men."
Aragorn exhaled. "After Arda was shaped by eleven Ainur and their servants, called Maia, Melkor attacked the Valar's city. By this time he was known as Morgoth. He had many fell servants, but his most deadly was Sauron, an evil Maia.
"During the wars of the Valar, it was clear that to escape Morgoth's treachery, they had to mark themselves so that the evil one could not impersonate any of them. Stars for the Valar, moons for the Maia, and for the imperial messengers -- lightning. The messengers traveled between Middle-earth and the realm of the Valar, carrying messages, secrets, and news for the armies of elves and men. Many were captured and killed. They also had tremendous strength in magic and sorcery. It was they who trained the wizards."
Pausing, Aragorn went on after studying Harry for a moment. "I do not know why you have the imperial mark, but you must have some mission to do for the Valar. This is why Saruman and Sauron are desperate to find you and most likely kill you. They do not want you to carry out your task."
"Hold on just a minute," Harry interrupted. "If I were a messenger of these Valar, wouldn't I know why I was here? And anyway, it's not an imperial mark. I've had it since I was a baby."
"The Valar may have took you from your world for just this reason. You have their mark -- perhaps it was meant to be. You are a sorcerer, a strong one. What else could the reason be for this?"
"I'm not a messenger," Harry said vehemently. "I just want to go home."
"Harry," Aragorn said, "I still have something of great importance for you to hear." Harry sat back and closed his mouth, all of a sudden getting depressing and homesick. Aragorn continued.
"About nineteen years ago, when the Ri was still unknown and in the Shire, a council had gathered in Lothlorien, much like the one at Rivendell. However, this council of elves had not gathered to discuss the Ring or Sauron. We had come to decide what to do about a strange girl that had appeared, much like you.
"She was about ten years your elder, or she looked so. We did not know who she was until she revealed that she was a witch. Not as powerful as Gandalf, or you, however. I believe her name was Katherine Thatcher. Or at least that's what she called herself."
The name didn't strike any remembrance with Harry.
"We never did figure out who she was. She appeared to be concerned with our problems, and offered to help. Gandalf took her on to teach her, and she helped us greatly. But after a some months, we noticed change. She became very sickly, and complained of stomach pains. According to her, they were, at first, few and far apart, but became closer and closer together until she had them nearly constantly. And at the end of a year, she died during one of them."
Harry had frozen in disbelief when Aragorn mentioned the pains. He stared at the ranger in shock.
"Harry, if you have these -- pains -- tell me. I cannot promise you that we can get you home but maybe we can find out how to stop it."
I can't let them know, Harry thought. They have lots of things to worry about -- the least of all is me. Besides, I'm fine. It was probably just something I ate.
"I'm fine," he said hollowly. It sounded like a lie even to himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
Aragorn looked slightly doubtful. "All right, young wizard. There are other...matters...we need to discuss but I will leave that up to Gandalf. First, we must travel to Isenguard." He paused. "You...will come, won't you?"
Harry lowered his eyes and tried desperately not to think of his short time in the tower. "Why wouldn't I?" he mumbled.
Aragorn sounded kind. "No reason, Harry. Just be ready by sunrise tomorrow. We have four horses, so you may ride with myself or Legolas." He smiled and spoke again even before Harry opened his mouth. "I will tell Legolas, then." Harry looked up in surprise but the ranger was gone.
Harry put his elbows on his knees and lowered his head. Katherine, what happened to you? he wondered. Will I die here too?
_______________________________
"You told him, didn't you?"
Aragorn sighed. "Legolas, he had to know --"
"You think that telling him would change anything?" Legolas said angrily. "How do you know that the same thing is even happening to Harry?" Legolas clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
"I saw it in his eyes, Legolas. He knows. However --"
"He'll give up, Aragorn. If he knows that his death is near, do you think that he will even try to survive? How could you do this to him?"
Aragorn held up a hand in supplication. "Legolas, please!" The elf snapped his mouth shut and glared with red-rimmed, tired eyes at Aragorn. "I may have figured out a way to get him safe and get him home."
"Tell me. Now."
"I do not know if this is the best time to talk about this, Legolas. We will have to talk about it later with Gandalf. He knows more about this than you or I. Besides, you need some rest; we leave for Orthanc in the morning."
Legolas's proud shoulders slumped, his hair falling down around his face as he bowed his head forward. The facade of determination left him. "I am...tired," he admitted in a low voice. "I cannot stop worrying about him, Aragorn. As much as I do not want him to die...I do not know if I can bear it when he leaves." His voice grew fainter.
Aragorn put his hand on Legolas's shoulder, suprised when Legolas collapsed against him. "Sleep, Legolas. We will find a way to save him, I swear it."
Legolas looked at Aragorn with empty eyes. "As Arwen wastes away when you leave her, so will I when he is gone." His face lowered again, pressing against Aragorn's shoulder, and a shudder ran through his lithe frame. "If he dies, Aragorn, I will follow him." Aragorn said nothing, holding the elf tighter and praying for a way to save Harry.
Unknown to them, a pair of green eyes watched from the safety of the trees.
_______________________________
** This is the history of Arda, found in the Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Chapter 12 - Save Us
by Capella no da
A/N - Warning: there's a lot of dialogue here. Sorry, couldn't really avoid it.
I made a few changes on the fic as a whole -- since i'm not good at making up titles, all the chapter titles will be from Nickleback's Hero or Five for Fighting's It's Not Easy. ^.^
I want to get to the fic, so all I'll say is that reviews are brain food *^.^*
BTW-for those of you who haven't read the Silmarillion, some of this about the Valar and Manwe might get confusing. But don't worry -- I'll do my best to explain (and I'm not making it up ^.~)
_____________________________
'And they say that a hero can save us;
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles,
Watch as they all fly away...'
-Nickleback, "Hero"
______________________________
Harry woke up the next day dreaming about home.
He grasped in his mind the disappearing images of Ron, Hermione, and Hogwarts as he slowly woke up. Ron....I'm so sorry.
Wincing, opening his eyes, Harry sat up slowly, a ray of sunshine catching him in the face. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, absently trying to wipe away the dried tear tracks staining his face. Just like Cedric, he thought dully. Killed, and probably my fault. If I would have been there...how many people do I have to hurt before I die?
He didn't know how long he stayed there when he started to hear voices overlapping his thoughts. Scooting closer and hiding in a bush, he peered through it to see Legolas and Aragorn. Aragorn's face was carefully composed, while Legolas looked the most...frightened...that Harry had ever seen him. It looked abnormal on his smooth face.
"We cannot let him do this, Aragorn, and you do know it. I know you are not that cold. I have followed your decisions thus far but this I cannot allow." Legolas seemed nearly frantic. "He cannot do this alone!"
Aragorn sighed. "I know what you are saying, Legolas. But we have to do this. He's not just a mere child, but he might be more powerful than Saruman himself! Do you want that wasted?"
Legolas's eyes widened. "Wasted?" he whispered.
"You know what happened to the last one who was here. You know what will happen to Harry."
"That was different. Harry is stronger than that one and he will make it, Aragorn. I know it."
Legolas strode off into the woods opposite Harry, his even, beautiful brows pinched with anger. Aragorn stared up through a hole in the canopy, eyes full of sadness. "I am truly sorry, Harry," he murmured and walked slowly toward the fire.
Had Aragorn known he was there? Harry frowned and got to his feet.
Suddenly he was knocked back down, breath ripped from his lungs as another wave of pain hit him. He barely felt the dirt beneath his head or anything besides the horrible agony in his stomach, like a sword had been shoved through it. All he could do was curl up into a ball and pray for unconsciousness to take him.
Finally, after what seemed like years, and with excruciating slowness, the pain receded. Just like the last time, it was just as if it had never been. He touched his stomach, feeling around for something that would cause this, but nothing was there. No hole, no wound, nothing.
He heard the crunching of leaves before he saw Aragorn come into his vision, and, before he knew what he was doing, Harry flew to his feet. He grabbed Aragorn's shoulders and clutched them tightly, looking up at the ranger in desperation.
"Aragorn, what is happening to me?" he said desperately as Aragorn gently took hold of his wrists and took Harry's hands off his arms. A shadow of a sad look passed over his face.
"Harry, I do not know if this is the best time to discuss --"
"Just tell me, Aragorn," Harry said. "Tell me why Saruman was after me and why he called me a messenger, and what this Sauron is. Tell me why I'm bloody here!" He was tempted to add 'and why am I falling apart from the inside?'
Aragorn sighed deeply. "Alright, Harry. I think we owe you at least that much. Sit down." Harry sat on a nearby moss-covered rock, flinching when a little tremor of hurt raced through his middle. Aragorn didn't notice.
"To answer your first question, Harry," Aragorn started slowly, "I must first tell you what you are. I'm sure you know of the symbol on your forehead?"
Harry frowned. "It's a scar. From when I fought Voldemort, remember? I told you in the council of Rivendell."
Aragorn waved his protest away. "Whatever it was in your world, in Middle-earth we only know it as one thing -- that you are an imperial message from Manwe, a Valar.
** "In the beginning of time, before Arda, our world, was created, there was a supreme being named Eru. Eru decided to make his children, fashioned in the likeness of him. They are called the Ainur, or the Valar.
"Eru had a plan to create Arda. He gathered his Ainur together and taught them to create a great song. This song planned the entire history and shape of Arda. It was perfect, a flawless world. However, there was one Ainur, named Melkor, who was tainted. Into the theme of music he wove discord of his own, a separate tune that was not pure, and the other Ainur became afraid.
"Then Eru wove into the song another theme, small at first but rising in strength. These are the First-born, the Elves. It battled the discord of Melkor.
"Melkor's theme then rose up again, but this time Eru wove a different melody. It was loud and, together with the first, took over Melkor's. This was the Last-born, Men."
Aragorn exhaled. "After Arda was shaped by eleven Ainur and their servants, called Maia, Melkor attacked the Valar's city. By this time he was known as Morgoth. He had many fell servants, but his most deadly was Sauron, an evil Maia.
"During the wars of the Valar, it was clear that to escape Morgoth's treachery, they had to mark themselves so that the evil one could not impersonate any of them. Stars for the Valar, moons for the Maia, and for the imperial messengers -- lightning. The messengers traveled between Middle-earth and the realm of the Valar, carrying messages, secrets, and news for the armies of elves and men. Many were captured and killed. They also had tremendous strength in magic and sorcery. It was they who trained the wizards."
Pausing, Aragorn went on after studying Harry for a moment. "I do not know why you have the imperial mark, but you must have some mission to do for the Valar. This is why Saruman and Sauron are desperate to find you and most likely kill you. They do not want you to carry out your task."
"Hold on just a minute," Harry interrupted. "If I were a messenger of these Valar, wouldn't I know why I was here? And anyway, it's not an imperial mark. I've had it since I was a baby."
"The Valar may have took you from your world for just this reason. You have their mark -- perhaps it was meant to be. You are a sorcerer, a strong one. What else could the reason be for this?"
"I'm not a messenger," Harry said vehemently. "I just want to go home."
"Harry," Aragorn said, "I still have something of great importance for you to hear." Harry sat back and closed his mouth, all of a sudden getting depressing and homesick. Aragorn continued.
"About nineteen years ago, when the Ri was still unknown and in the Shire, a council had gathered in Lothlorien, much like the one at Rivendell. However, this council of elves had not gathered to discuss the Ring or Sauron. We had come to decide what to do about a strange girl that had appeared, much like you.
"She was about ten years your elder, or she looked so. We did not know who she was until she revealed that she was a witch. Not as powerful as Gandalf, or you, however. I believe her name was Katherine Thatcher. Or at least that's what she called herself."
The name didn't strike any remembrance with Harry.
"We never did figure out who she was. She appeared to be concerned with our problems, and offered to help. Gandalf took her on to teach her, and she helped us greatly. But after a some months, we noticed change. She became very sickly, and complained of stomach pains. According to her, they were, at first, few and far apart, but became closer and closer together until she had them nearly constantly. And at the end of a year, she died during one of them."
Harry had frozen in disbelief when Aragorn mentioned the pains. He stared at the ranger in shock.
"Harry, if you have these -- pains -- tell me. I cannot promise you that we can get you home but maybe we can find out how to stop it."
I can't let them know, Harry thought. They have lots of things to worry about -- the least of all is me. Besides, I'm fine. It was probably just something I ate.
"I'm fine," he said hollowly. It sounded like a lie even to himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
Aragorn looked slightly doubtful. "All right, young wizard. There are other...matters...we need to discuss but I will leave that up to Gandalf. First, we must travel to Isenguard." He paused. "You...will come, won't you?"
Harry lowered his eyes and tried desperately not to think of his short time in the tower. "Why wouldn't I?" he mumbled.
Aragorn sounded kind. "No reason, Harry. Just be ready by sunrise tomorrow. We have four horses, so you may ride with myself or Legolas." He smiled and spoke again even before Harry opened his mouth. "I will tell Legolas, then." Harry looked up in surprise but the ranger was gone.
Harry put his elbows on his knees and lowered his head. Katherine, what happened to you? he wondered. Will I die here too?
_______________________________
"You told him, didn't you?"
Aragorn sighed. "Legolas, he had to know --"
"You think that telling him would change anything?" Legolas said angrily. "How do you know that the same thing is even happening to Harry?" Legolas clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
"I saw it in his eyes, Legolas. He knows. However --"
"He'll give up, Aragorn. If he knows that his death is near, do you think that he will even try to survive? How could you do this to him?"
Aragorn held up a hand in supplication. "Legolas, please!" The elf snapped his mouth shut and glared with red-rimmed, tired eyes at Aragorn. "I may have figured out a way to get him safe and get him home."
"Tell me. Now."
"I do not know if this is the best time to talk about this, Legolas. We will have to talk about it later with Gandalf. He knows more about this than you or I. Besides, you need some rest; we leave for Orthanc in the morning."
Legolas's proud shoulders slumped, his hair falling down around his face as he bowed his head forward. The facade of determination left him. "I am...tired," he admitted in a low voice. "I cannot stop worrying about him, Aragorn. As much as I do not want him to die...I do not know if I can bear it when he leaves." His voice grew fainter.
Aragorn put his hand on Legolas's shoulder, suprised when Legolas collapsed against him. "Sleep, Legolas. We will find a way to save him, I swear it."
Legolas looked at Aragorn with empty eyes. "As Arwen wastes away when you leave her, so will I when he is gone." His face lowered again, pressing against Aragorn's shoulder, and a shudder ran through his lithe frame. "If he dies, Aragorn, I will follow him." Aragorn said nothing, holding the elf tighter and praying for a way to save Harry.
Unknown to them, a pair of green eyes watched from the safety of the trees.
_______________________________
** This is the history of Arda, found in the Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien.