The Traveler: Chapter Eleven

The two rode down towards the House in silence. Ariana watched the trees pass by her slowly, a feeling of dread growing in her stomach. She felt like she was riding to her death.

Gandalf was silent as they descended the mountainside. The old wizard seemed to be deep in though and Ariana thought it best not to bother him.

She was having a tough enough time keeping upright atop Argon. A powerful headache was starting at the base of her skull and working sharp fingers throughout the rest of her.

She began to feel drowsy as the two entered a beautiful courtyard. Trees surrounded the yard except for a large door at the front. A man stood in the doorway, dressed in deep red robes. His long dark hair was pulled back to show a stern face. A small gold crown weaved across his forehead.

Ariana pulled to a stop and slide off Argon's saddle. As she and Gandalf neared the man, a sad smile spread across his sorrowful face.

Gandalf looked over at Ariana. "Ariana, this is Lord Elrond, Lord of Rivendall and the Homely House." Ariana wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but she quickly bowed and then looked to Gandalf, afraid she'd made a mistake.

If she had it didn't show on the wizard's face. He turned to Elrond and motioned towards Ariana as he spoke, "This, Lord Elrond, is Lady Ariana Korvec."

Lord Elrond gently nodded his head to Ariana. "Welcome to Rivendall, Lady Ariana," Elrond said, with a hint of a smile. He motioned to three horses, standing on the far side of the courtyard. "The rest of you party has already arrived." He turned back to Ariana and Gandalf. "They have already been shown to their rooms, for much needed rest."

Just then, a beautiful, dark haired elf stepped into the courtyard. She walked up to Elrond's side and gave a small bow. "The rooms have been prepared, Lord Elrond," the elf said in a soft voice.

Elrond nodded his head and looked at Ariana. "Kaiya will show you to your room, Lady Ariana, where you may rest before tomorrow's Council."

Ariana smiled and thanked him, then followed the dark haired elf out of the courtyard and into the House.

* * *

Ariana couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the ceiling, giving the walls and floors a glimmer. The room that the two stopped at was nothing short of breath taking.

Above the bed was a white canopy, with creamy white silk hanging down the sides. The bed was also covered in the white silk, which reminded Ariana of just how tired she was.

A sudden voice behind her startled her and Ariana turned to see Kaiya standing at the door. The elf smiled at her. "If you need anything more, Lady Ariana, I will see to it."

"Uh, no. Thank you Kaiya, but all I need is some sleep," Ariana said with a small laugh. Kaiya gave a small nod and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Ariana let out a long sigh and stretched out her back. She had no idea what was planned for the rest of the day, but she knew the first thing she was going to do was take a very long nap.

She moved to the bed and pulled of her riding shoes. Then she pulled down the blankets and slowly crawled deep down in the covers. Her head had barely touched the pillow before she was asleep.

* * *

Gandalf watched as Ariana was lead out of the courtyard and into the Homely House of Elrond. A small weight had lifted from his troubled mind when they arrived in Rivendall.

"So, she is the great traveler? The one who holds the power to destroy all of Middle Earth?" Gandalf heard a voice ask beside him.

"Yes, this young woman holds Sauron's power," he answered Elrond solemnly. Gandalf saw Elrond shake his head.

"The Council will not like this; the life of every creature in the hands of a woman, a woman who is not even from our time, Gandalf. How will she be able to make such a decision?" Elrond asked.

Gandalf stood silent for a moment, staring at the door Ariana had just passed through. "The Council has no say in who was chosen for such a task, just as they will have no say in the decision she must make. The Council has been called to discuss what should be done after Ariana has made her decision. We must be prepared to fight Sauron, if that is the decision she makes."

Gandalf stopped and looked to Elrond. "I do no think Ariana should be present at the Council tomorrow. She can serve no purpose there," he said suddenly.

Elrond studied Gandalf for a second. "No purpose? Gandalf, the Council must see her. She holds the key to Sauron's power and she must face the council."

"What good will that do, Elrond, besides confuse her even more," Gandalf said with a sigh. "I fear the Council does not understand what faces Ariana. The decision is not one easily made."

"The Council will not stand her absence. She must be there, if not only to see the beings of Middle Earth," Elrond said slowly. Tiredness had slipped into his voice while he reasoned with Gandalf.

The two stood silent for a few moments. Then Gandalf turned to Elrond and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I suppose you are right my friend, the Council should see Ariana."

Gandalf stepped back and let out a small sigh. "I don't suppose you have a bed for an old friend? The Council will be beginning early in the morning and I fear the ride from Mirkwood was a little more tiring then I remembered."

* * *

Far belong men where screaming, metal was hitting metal; there was a war going on below.

Ariana could hear it all but she couldn't see anything. She was stuck in the middle of a room. Across from her was a window, but she couldn't force her legs to work. Something was holding her back; something didn't want her to see the fight.

She looked around the room and felt a chill run down her spine. She searched the shadows of the room but couldn't find the source of her uneasiness. Then she felt another chill the shook her to her core.

Ariana woke up from her nightmare with a gasp. She quickly sat up in bed and looked around. Moonlight poured in through the windows and gave the whole room a soft glow.

She realized she was shaking all over. She could still feel the chill under her skin. She raised her hand in front of her face and watched it tremble. She made a fist and dropped her hand back to her lap.

Just then, a small knock on the door made her jump. Ariana let out a small sigh and climbed out of the warm bed. She stepped up to the door and pulled it open a crack. She smiled and pulled the door all the way open and Legolas walked in.

As soon as the door was closed behind him, Ariana was in his arms, her mouth pressed tightly against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. She laid her head against his chest and let her hands drop down and warp around his slim waist. Arian listened to Legolas' heart beating and felt his hands stroke her hair. Legolas rested his chin on the top of Ariana's head and closed his eyes.

They stood together, silent, motionless for a very long time, until Arian pulled her head back and looked up at Legolas. He smiled down at her, then quickly slide his arm behind her legs and lifted her into his arms. He then carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down.

Ariana scooted over and Legolas climbed in beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his side. Ariana nestled her head under his chin. She felt Legolas' hand run up and down her back, then come to a rest on her lower back.

"I was so worried about you," Legolas said in a quiet voice.

Ariana pulled back her head and looked at Legolas. A shadow feel across hi face, his blue eyes peering at her out of the dark. Ariana felt a tug at her heart, but gave Legolas a bright smile. "But I'm perfectly fine."

He looked away from her and Ariana frowned. She ran her hand over his chest and waited for him to speak.

Legolas' eyes searched the darkness of the room. Ariana had no idea how scared he'd been that day he'd awoken to find her so near death. Her breathing had been so shallow and light, he'd feared to move her. Later, as he sat by her bed, he realized he had failed her. He had not protected her even as she lay in his arms.

Ariana saw the pain in his face and understood what trouble him. She looked down and began to fiddle with the hem of Legolas' tunic. "Legolas, you cannot protect me from myself," she said quietly. She felt a tear in the corner of her eyes and quickly wiped it away. "It's not your fault this happened. It's no one's fault," she said slowly.

Ariana looked up to find Legolas watching her. "There's nothing you can do Legolas. Gandalf said I have to face this by myself."

"I want to help you. I do not think I can stand by and watch you do this alone," he said as he gently touched her face.

Ariana let out a sigh and stopped playing with Legolas' tunic. She grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Then don't leave me alone. I don't think I could take being along at a time like this anyways," she said quietly.

Legolas wrapped his arms around her and held Ariana close to him. He felt her curl up right against him.

Soon Legolas could feel Ariana's breathing slow as she fell asleep. He was reminded of the day in the meadow. They have fallen asleep in each other's arms, and then when he'd woken, he'd found Ariana had pulled away from him. She was curled up and alone.

Legolas couldn't help a feeling of dread overwhelm him. Something did not feel right to him, but as quickly as the feeling had hit him, it was gone again, leaving Legolas confused. He pulled Ariana closer and shut his eyes.

****Notes****

I just realized Ariana sleeps a whole hell of a lot in this story. Woo-hoo! Council's up next! [All disclaimers and warnings…. Ya know, if you have any problems, just head back to the first chapter, ok?]