A quick update! I did not have a lot of work this weekend, so I was able
to write! I am sorry for saying that last chapter was boring, I'm glad you
all thought otherwise! Hopefully, I can keep you entertained. This
chapter again ventures into Haemerethwen's mind, so let me know what you
think. Thanks again for all the reviews, I am glad that there are new
reviewers, I hope they will inspire even more to review! Please continue
to review, I write so much faster (hence why this one was so fast, I got so
many reviews!).
By the way, if anyone knows anything about the Halls of Mandos, could you please give me some information? Thanks!
****
ELVISH DIALOGUE: Law: No / ú-aníron: I don't want it / Gurth: Death
****
Haemerethwen peered up towards the stone ceiling with glazed eyes; she merely stared upwards, not actually concentrating upon the beautiful scene painted upon it. Her eyes made out the various colors: striking blues, bright yellows and verdant green, but she did not form the colors into the pattern. Her face was contorted into a frown, a dark frown that edged on hideous.
She was lying within one of the most comfortable beds, but it offered no peace to her struggling mind. The silk sheets were pushed down to her waist, exposing her upper body. Her hands rested upon the skin of her chest; she had unstrung the laces of her shirt, revealing the revolting wound seared into her flesh.
The she-Elf had temporarily forgotten the previous incidences with the Orcs; possibly her mind had impeded the memories to arise for the sake of her sanity. Yet, slowly the brooding thoughts leaked through the boundaries and stifled what happiness had temporarily flourished. She stared thoughtlessly now, neither remembering nor realizing. The sight of the emblem shocked her memory into existence, rendering her insensitive to the world around her.
Slowly blinking, the temporary darkness forced her mind to recognize who had tortured her. Thrakdreg. His wretched and undeniable image flashed within her mind as she closed her eyes, temporarily. Her whole body jumped off the bed as she glanced upon his face; her eyes opened wide and she began to quickly breathe. Her breath came out in short gasps and as she blinked again to calm herself, the image returned to her sight. Crying out, she inhaled even more quickly until she began to hyperventilate. Her sight flashed with white streaks as the panic overtook her and she softly moaned as her head sank down upon the pillow.
Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir burst through the bedroom door seconds after the she-Elf had fallen unconscious, her breathing slightly slowing down. They had heard her cry out; they had been hearing her cry out for the past three days.
"She is unconscious again," stated Elrohir after he taken her pulse. Legolas had sat down upon the side of the bed, grabbing ahold of her hand, while Elladan had sank down into a chair. "She must have hyperventilated; her pulse is racing." Legolas knotted his brows as he looked upon the she- Elf, realizing that her shirt had been undone.
"Do you think. . . ?" began Legolas as he trailed one of his hands towards where the she-Elf had kept her other hand over her chest. Elrohir quickly grabbed the Elf's hand and sternly looked into his blue eyes.
"Aye, Legolas, but mark her hand," he stated, "Does she not cover it?" He gently pulled Legolas' hand away and afterwards pulled the sheets over Haemerethwen's upper body. "Perhaps she does not want it noticed." Legolas looked to the floor, slightly ashamed as the older Elf scolded him.
"My intention was not to harm," he whispered. Elrohir nodded at him, an impassive expression upon his face as he realized what caused the she- Elf to faint. He turned to face his brother, who had been silently sitting upon the chair and also observing what might have occurred with the she- Elf.
"Her happiness will not persist," slowly stated Elladan as he brought his grey eyes upward to meet Elrohir's.
"She will not fade, Elladan," sternly stated Legolas, quickly overcoming his shame and turning his face to peer at the twin. Elladan merely stared at the Elf, offering no rebuke, although his mind suffered to deny the words he desperately wanted to speak. 'My own mother faded,' he thought with sorrow, 'Even she could not withstand the sufferings of her mind. Now I live with the constant thought of regret: What if we had arrived earlier so the wound would not have occurred? How could our love not suffice for her? Not even father's could alter her transgression.'
He turned his eyes to the floor, not wanting to look at Legolas. 'And what will happen to young Legolas if she should fade? The only one he is beginning to love would be removed, ending the relationship that could be so much more. He will not be able to survive the sorrow of losing her; he would perpetually think her fading was due to his actions. By Valar, let her find happiness from him.' He slowly stood up and walked through the door, not wanting to ponder the future.
Elrohir dropped his head slightly, realizing that his brother was thinking of their mother again. He slowly turned his face towards Legolas; he watched silently as the Elf glanced with pain at the unconscious she- Elf. Legolas was accepting his heart's gentle whisperings and slowly building up the strength to resist the temptation to follow his mind. Elrohir stared with sorrow in his eyes, not wanting to see his young friend to suffer as he fell in love. Yet, he was glad that the Elf had finally deserted his previous lonely life; Elrohir had only known true love for a short period and he understood the extreme anguish that was felt when that one was lost. He did not want Legolas to undergo the same sequence; he could not watch her fade.
"Legolas, will you remain here?" gently asked Elrohir, his grey eyes softening as the Elf turned around to face him.
"Would you mind?" asked Legolas. Elrohir shook his head, a slight smile playing upon his lips.
"Why ever would I mind?" he jokingly stated, walking over to the Elf and standing next to the bed beside him, "Promise me you will not glance upon the wound," he seriously stated, his eyes piercing into Legolas'.
"I shall not, Elrohir," he stated, a slight frown displayed as he understood that the twin did not quite trust him. Elrohir nodded his head and walked out the door.
Legolas dropped his eyes back to the sleeping she-Elf, pain still etched in her face; she could not even find solstice within her dreams. A frown fell upon Legolas as he watched her twitch and her mouth open slightly in anguish; he still could not wash away the feeling of guilt when he realized how emotionally distraught she was. Although Elrohir and Elladan constantly told him her capture was not due to him, he still did not believe them.
He sighed sadly; his heart spoke such grief to his frustrated mind, telling it to reprimand itself for denying it what love he sought. He had hardly been able to talk to Haemerethwen the past three days, mainly because whenever she had awoken she had refused to talk to anyone. Her mind had resorted to trusting no one and Legolas knew that he was not close enough to her to change her mind. He cursed himself every time she closed her eyes on him, not wanting to speak to him. If only he had allowed his heart to disobey his mind and follow his emotions earlier, then perhaps maybe she would confide in him.
Yet, the Elf would not give up on hope. He finally allowed his emotions to be expressed and although Haemerethwen might not accept them now, perhaps she would later. He had to find a method to allow her to talk, she needed to verbally release herself instead of watching her life slip away. More than ever, Legolas needed to hear her voice and find out if now her emotions had transformed, now leaving him to be the one sure of his emotions.
He stood up softly, trying not to disturb the bed and wake up the she- Elf. He moved into one of the chairs beside the bed and decided he would wait for her to wake up. When she did, he would open up his heart and try to coerce her to find some happiness within the world.
****
A sudden pain ripped through her body, shocking every nerve along its path. Her eyes opened wide in the horrendous sensation as her body began to slightly twitch as it tried to calm the agony soaring through her. Biting down on her lip to suppress the extreme stinging, she clenched her eyes shut and tried to soothe her body. Yet, each second ticked another stifling ripple of pain through her body and soon her senses became distorted enough that she could not remember where she was.
"Haemerethwen!" stated a dulled voice, seemingly miles away from where she was. She felt the thick flow of blood over her chin as the voice spoke out again, somewhat closer than before. She breathed in heavily, gasping for air, as a sudden relapse in the torture occurred; her chest arched up and she clenched her hands into fists. There was that voice again, becoming louder and louder and seemingly closer and closer. Her mind raced as she tried to connect the voice to a face, concentrating on understanding where she was located.
A sudden resurgence of pain tore through her and she opened her eyes in surprise and anguish. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon the creature that had spoken to her; her eyes widened in fear and she began to cough in surprise. It suddenly moved closer to her and the horror doubled as she felt its touch upon her.
"Law, ú-aníron!" she shouted at it as she quickly ripped her arm away from its grasp and moved to the other side of the bed. The creature stood back for a moment, seeming to consider what action to take next. It then extended its hand out to her, almost begging her to come closer.
"Law," she whispered, her head shaking from side to side. She cried out in alarm when it placed one knee on the bed and continued to extend its hand forward to her. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, only her wide eyes peering over at it.
Another pain erupted through her body and she groaned as she tried to repress it; she placed one hand upon the bed, steadying herself as white lights flashed across her sight and her view became blurred. Her stomach twisted into knots and a sudden onrush of bile raced to her throat, but she suffered with discomfort instead of shame as she swallowed it back down.
"Let me help you," the voice stated to her, still resoundingly dull as it reverberated within her clouded mind. Her sight cleared slightly as the pain deadened, allowing her to realize that the being was now completely on the bed and only a foot away from her. She began to shiver with fear and sweat glistened on her forehead; her grey eyes pierced his, not wanting to lose sight of him in case he would suddenly attack her.
"You cannot help me anymore, Erlaithion," she darkly whispered at him, her chest heaving from both pain and panic.
"I am not Erlaithion," it stated to her, a confused expression upon its face. It again offered its hand out to her, but she merely stared at it with cold suspicion. Another onslaught of pain rushed upon her, this one fiercer than the others. She doubled over, clenching onto her abdomen as her stomach threatened to expel what was within it. She swallowed down the accumulating spit and clenched her eyes shut; a small cry escaped her lips as her head pounded, almost as if someone had flung her temple against a rock.
Fear soared through her body as she felt cold hands upon her forehead; she quickly straightened her body and wrenched her head away from the touch, quietly growling as she did it. She looked in both anger and dread at the light-haired Elf kneeling in front of her, its blue eyes narrowed as it looked back at her. She swallowed uneasily at him, panic soaring through her as her emotions went haywire. Shaking, she felt her body lose strength suddenly and darkness began to ebb around her vision.
"Law. . ." she whispered silently as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell forwards towards Legolas.
****
"What has happened here?" questioned a confused Elladan as he entered the disturbed bedroom. Legolas, who was holding an unconscious Haemerethwen on the bed, quickly turned around , his eyes wide in both surprise and fear.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied as he let the she-Elf slowly drop to the bed. Elrohir then stepped through the doorway, his eyes immediately opening wide as he took in the scene. The bed-sheets were strewn on both the floor and the bed, one even hanging over the upper-left post. The she-Elf, with crusted blood on her chin-and also on some of the sheets-was lying upon the bed, unconscious, while Legolas was sitting beside her with a perplexed look upon his face.
"I was sitting in that chair," began Legolas, as he slowly got off the bed and pointed to a chair, "When she suddenly awoke and began twitching and moaning. I called out her name, but she did not visibly respond." Elrohir moved closer to the she-Elf on the bed, letting his finger rub against the deep gash on her lip.
"She bit her lip," he stated as he continued to search for any other wound, but there was none, "Was she dreaming?"
"No, she was suffering from sort of pain," Legolas answered, glancing upon Haemerethwen's face, "When she opened her eyes and saw me, she immediately paled and her eyes displayed such an extreme form of fear." Legolas stopped and shook his head, not understanding what happened. "She did not recognize me. . . she called me, 'Erlaithion.'"
"Erlaithion?" queried Elladan, his mind working to try and understand the entire sequence.
"Aye," stated Legolas as he sat down within the chair, his shoulder slumping. Elrohir turned around to Elladan, a questioning look upon his face.
"I have never heard of him," stated Elladan. Elrohir shrugged his shoulders, agreeing that he too had never heard of that Elf. "Perhaps there is more to this then we understand," stated Elladan as he peered at the sleeping she-Elf.
"Has she spoken to you yet, Legolas?" questioned Elrohir.
"No, she merely closes her eyes to my voice," he answered, his eyes saddening. Elladan looked up at Elrohir with a raised eyebrow.
"She needs to speak," stated Elrohir, "And we need to understand what is disturbing her mind so greatly." Elladan nodded in agreement.
"So we wait," stated Elladan as he sat down within the chair next to Legolas'.
****
A violent scream tore through the dark night, forcing Haemerethwen to quickly open her eyes. The darkness of the area surprised her as she blinked, trying to understand if she had truly opened her eyes. Yet, then she became accustomed to the stifling blackness of the night and she frowned in confusion.
She reached upward, grabbing upon a sturdy branch of a tree. Pulling herself upwards slowly, she ran her fingers over the leaves of the branch. She immediately recognized them to be Oaks; she smiled as memories flashed into her thoughts, reminding her of the days when she would spend entire days within the security of those brilliant trees.
She startled as the dark scream reverberated through the forest, her eyes opening wide as she realized what torture must cause a creature to scream so unnaturally. She involuntarily shivered as the scream died down to a choke. She then started to gracefully run across the branches of the tree, determinated to free the trapped creature from such evil ministrations.
She did not understand why she was so determined to reach the creature; fear raced within her as her feet silently ran and her mind continued to scream at her to not go any further. Yet, her legs would not stop, and soon she realized that she was no longer in control of her body, or of her mind. She watched in trepidation as one foot after another landed upon the sturdy branches, bringing her closer and closer to where the creature was being tortured.
Blood raced through her veins as her heart pumped faster, her face became flushed and her breathing became heavier. Fear coursed through as well, although she was still unsure why. She was only certain that she did not want to venture closer upon the site of where the creature was, but the reason behind this was unknown.
"Let me stop," she yelled out into the darkness, her eyes wide in panic as her legs only went faster. She gasped as she realized she was closing in to where the creature laid; a tremendous fire raged and she could recognize a form lying beside it. The being was not moving.
She continued to run towards the site, no matter how many times she urged her body to stop. She closed her eyes when she began to slow down, following her mind's advice to not glance upon such horrible sights. The fire flickered below her, she could feel the heat emanating from it, and she could hear the rasping breath of the broken being below her as well. She clenched her jaw tight, trying to ignore the fear wrapping itself around her heart as her legs continued to press her forward.
She gasped suddenly as her foot caught upon a small branch, tripping her body to the left as she stumbled to right herself. She opened her eyes and desperately tried to grab onto a branch to prevent her falling, but she only paled when she watched her lithe fingers grab onto air. She was falling.
A thousand thoughts flashed upon her mind as she felt gravity pulling her downwards, but they were all quickly dissembled when she felt her back painfully hit the ground. She gasped as the wind became knocked out of her from the force of the fall, closing her eyes to settle her racing mind. Yet, her panic doubled when she heard the hoarse breathing beside her; slow intake of breath, slow exhale.
She swallowed hard as she slowly turned her head to the side, gaining courage to glance upon the tormented creature. She stifled a cry of utter fear as the creature turned its head as well, allowing the she-Elf to glance upon its face. A distorted, swollen and mutilated face. Her face. Opening her eyes wide, she started to try and move away from the horrendous face, but again her body did not cooperate. She felt nauseous as she watched a flap of ripped skin flutter with every breath the creature took, the cause behind the raspy breath.
"Gurth," stated a voice. Haemerethwen wrenched her head forward to stare upwards at the figure that spoke: Erlaithion. A wicked sneer was upon its face as it raised its bloodied blade, aiming for her neck.
"Law!" she screamed as she watched the metal flash downwards.
****
Ana: Well, yes, that nasty Orc will come back (but not for a while); he'll just remain in her thoughts for a while. I'm not sure what will happen to him, yet, so we'll see! I like your story, by the way!
Galadriel Lorien: Actually, that song is part of "The Ballad of Luthien and Beren." I've been using it throughout the entire story, using only one verse at a time. I wish I could write like that, lol, but that's all Tolkien.
Night Interlude: Alright! You were finally able to read the last chapters! I'm glad you still like Thrakdreg and you think he's a great character (although I'm sorry that he'll be leaving for a short while!). I'm glad that you liked the ending of chapter 20, I tried to add something romantic in there. Also, I'm glad that you mention that I had better control over the speed, I've really been trying to improve on that since chapter 12. I re-read that paragraph in chapter 21 that you pointed out and, wow, I have to agree with you. I really did brutalize the word "lip." I'll try and keep a look-out for that next time. Thanks!!
Paperclip Princess: You're welcome! Just keep reviewing and I'll keep acknowledging!
Simbelmyn: I'm glad you liked the imagery, I thought for a while over what I should include in that scene.
Taraancaiel: A new reviewer! Thank you so much for the compliment, I'm glad that my story interests you so much!
Sokochan: I'm glad that you liked the dream sequence, I tried really hard to make it sound erratic and yet sensible. Kinda hard to do! I'm going to try and keep in Legolas' thoughts throughout the dreams, I find it fun to write him in! Thanks again for the review!
By the way, if anyone knows anything about the Halls of Mandos, could you please give me some information? Thanks!
****
ELVISH DIALOGUE: Law: No / ú-aníron: I don't want it / Gurth: Death
****
Haemerethwen peered up towards the stone ceiling with glazed eyes; she merely stared upwards, not actually concentrating upon the beautiful scene painted upon it. Her eyes made out the various colors: striking blues, bright yellows and verdant green, but she did not form the colors into the pattern. Her face was contorted into a frown, a dark frown that edged on hideous.
She was lying within one of the most comfortable beds, but it offered no peace to her struggling mind. The silk sheets were pushed down to her waist, exposing her upper body. Her hands rested upon the skin of her chest; she had unstrung the laces of her shirt, revealing the revolting wound seared into her flesh.
The she-Elf had temporarily forgotten the previous incidences with the Orcs; possibly her mind had impeded the memories to arise for the sake of her sanity. Yet, slowly the brooding thoughts leaked through the boundaries and stifled what happiness had temporarily flourished. She stared thoughtlessly now, neither remembering nor realizing. The sight of the emblem shocked her memory into existence, rendering her insensitive to the world around her.
Slowly blinking, the temporary darkness forced her mind to recognize who had tortured her. Thrakdreg. His wretched and undeniable image flashed within her mind as she closed her eyes, temporarily. Her whole body jumped off the bed as she glanced upon his face; her eyes opened wide and she began to quickly breathe. Her breath came out in short gasps and as she blinked again to calm herself, the image returned to her sight. Crying out, she inhaled even more quickly until she began to hyperventilate. Her sight flashed with white streaks as the panic overtook her and she softly moaned as her head sank down upon the pillow.
Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir burst through the bedroom door seconds after the she-Elf had fallen unconscious, her breathing slightly slowing down. They had heard her cry out; they had been hearing her cry out for the past three days.
"She is unconscious again," stated Elrohir after he taken her pulse. Legolas had sat down upon the side of the bed, grabbing ahold of her hand, while Elladan had sank down into a chair. "She must have hyperventilated; her pulse is racing." Legolas knotted his brows as he looked upon the she- Elf, realizing that her shirt had been undone.
"Do you think. . . ?" began Legolas as he trailed one of his hands towards where the she-Elf had kept her other hand over her chest. Elrohir quickly grabbed the Elf's hand and sternly looked into his blue eyes.
"Aye, Legolas, but mark her hand," he stated, "Does she not cover it?" He gently pulled Legolas' hand away and afterwards pulled the sheets over Haemerethwen's upper body. "Perhaps she does not want it noticed." Legolas looked to the floor, slightly ashamed as the older Elf scolded him.
"My intention was not to harm," he whispered. Elrohir nodded at him, an impassive expression upon his face as he realized what caused the she- Elf to faint. He turned to face his brother, who had been silently sitting upon the chair and also observing what might have occurred with the she- Elf.
"Her happiness will not persist," slowly stated Elladan as he brought his grey eyes upward to meet Elrohir's.
"She will not fade, Elladan," sternly stated Legolas, quickly overcoming his shame and turning his face to peer at the twin. Elladan merely stared at the Elf, offering no rebuke, although his mind suffered to deny the words he desperately wanted to speak. 'My own mother faded,' he thought with sorrow, 'Even she could not withstand the sufferings of her mind. Now I live with the constant thought of regret: What if we had arrived earlier so the wound would not have occurred? How could our love not suffice for her? Not even father's could alter her transgression.'
He turned his eyes to the floor, not wanting to look at Legolas. 'And what will happen to young Legolas if she should fade? The only one he is beginning to love would be removed, ending the relationship that could be so much more. He will not be able to survive the sorrow of losing her; he would perpetually think her fading was due to his actions. By Valar, let her find happiness from him.' He slowly stood up and walked through the door, not wanting to ponder the future.
Elrohir dropped his head slightly, realizing that his brother was thinking of their mother again. He slowly turned his face towards Legolas; he watched silently as the Elf glanced with pain at the unconscious she- Elf. Legolas was accepting his heart's gentle whisperings and slowly building up the strength to resist the temptation to follow his mind. Elrohir stared with sorrow in his eyes, not wanting to see his young friend to suffer as he fell in love. Yet, he was glad that the Elf had finally deserted his previous lonely life; Elrohir had only known true love for a short period and he understood the extreme anguish that was felt when that one was lost. He did not want Legolas to undergo the same sequence; he could not watch her fade.
"Legolas, will you remain here?" gently asked Elrohir, his grey eyes softening as the Elf turned around to face him.
"Would you mind?" asked Legolas. Elrohir shook his head, a slight smile playing upon his lips.
"Why ever would I mind?" he jokingly stated, walking over to the Elf and standing next to the bed beside him, "Promise me you will not glance upon the wound," he seriously stated, his eyes piercing into Legolas'.
"I shall not, Elrohir," he stated, a slight frown displayed as he understood that the twin did not quite trust him. Elrohir nodded his head and walked out the door.
Legolas dropped his eyes back to the sleeping she-Elf, pain still etched in her face; she could not even find solstice within her dreams. A frown fell upon Legolas as he watched her twitch and her mouth open slightly in anguish; he still could not wash away the feeling of guilt when he realized how emotionally distraught she was. Although Elrohir and Elladan constantly told him her capture was not due to him, he still did not believe them.
He sighed sadly; his heart spoke such grief to his frustrated mind, telling it to reprimand itself for denying it what love he sought. He had hardly been able to talk to Haemerethwen the past three days, mainly because whenever she had awoken she had refused to talk to anyone. Her mind had resorted to trusting no one and Legolas knew that he was not close enough to her to change her mind. He cursed himself every time she closed her eyes on him, not wanting to speak to him. If only he had allowed his heart to disobey his mind and follow his emotions earlier, then perhaps maybe she would confide in him.
Yet, the Elf would not give up on hope. He finally allowed his emotions to be expressed and although Haemerethwen might not accept them now, perhaps she would later. He had to find a method to allow her to talk, she needed to verbally release herself instead of watching her life slip away. More than ever, Legolas needed to hear her voice and find out if now her emotions had transformed, now leaving him to be the one sure of his emotions.
He stood up softly, trying not to disturb the bed and wake up the she- Elf. He moved into one of the chairs beside the bed and decided he would wait for her to wake up. When she did, he would open up his heart and try to coerce her to find some happiness within the world.
****
A sudden pain ripped through her body, shocking every nerve along its path. Her eyes opened wide in the horrendous sensation as her body began to slightly twitch as it tried to calm the agony soaring through her. Biting down on her lip to suppress the extreme stinging, she clenched her eyes shut and tried to soothe her body. Yet, each second ticked another stifling ripple of pain through her body and soon her senses became distorted enough that she could not remember where she was.
"Haemerethwen!" stated a dulled voice, seemingly miles away from where she was. She felt the thick flow of blood over her chin as the voice spoke out again, somewhat closer than before. She breathed in heavily, gasping for air, as a sudden relapse in the torture occurred; her chest arched up and she clenched her hands into fists. There was that voice again, becoming louder and louder and seemingly closer and closer. Her mind raced as she tried to connect the voice to a face, concentrating on understanding where she was located.
A sudden resurgence of pain tore through her and she opened her eyes in surprise and anguish. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon the creature that had spoken to her; her eyes widened in fear and she began to cough in surprise. It suddenly moved closer to her and the horror doubled as she felt its touch upon her.
"Law, ú-aníron!" she shouted at it as she quickly ripped her arm away from its grasp and moved to the other side of the bed. The creature stood back for a moment, seeming to consider what action to take next. It then extended its hand out to her, almost begging her to come closer.
"Law," she whispered, her head shaking from side to side. She cried out in alarm when it placed one knee on the bed and continued to extend its hand forward to her. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, only her wide eyes peering over at it.
Another pain erupted through her body and she groaned as she tried to repress it; she placed one hand upon the bed, steadying herself as white lights flashed across her sight and her view became blurred. Her stomach twisted into knots and a sudden onrush of bile raced to her throat, but she suffered with discomfort instead of shame as she swallowed it back down.
"Let me help you," the voice stated to her, still resoundingly dull as it reverberated within her clouded mind. Her sight cleared slightly as the pain deadened, allowing her to realize that the being was now completely on the bed and only a foot away from her. She began to shiver with fear and sweat glistened on her forehead; her grey eyes pierced his, not wanting to lose sight of him in case he would suddenly attack her.
"You cannot help me anymore, Erlaithion," she darkly whispered at him, her chest heaving from both pain and panic.
"I am not Erlaithion," it stated to her, a confused expression upon its face. It again offered its hand out to her, but she merely stared at it with cold suspicion. Another onslaught of pain rushed upon her, this one fiercer than the others. She doubled over, clenching onto her abdomen as her stomach threatened to expel what was within it. She swallowed down the accumulating spit and clenched her eyes shut; a small cry escaped her lips as her head pounded, almost as if someone had flung her temple against a rock.
Fear soared through her body as she felt cold hands upon her forehead; she quickly straightened her body and wrenched her head away from the touch, quietly growling as she did it. She looked in both anger and dread at the light-haired Elf kneeling in front of her, its blue eyes narrowed as it looked back at her. She swallowed uneasily at him, panic soaring through her as her emotions went haywire. Shaking, she felt her body lose strength suddenly and darkness began to ebb around her vision.
"Law. . ." she whispered silently as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell forwards towards Legolas.
****
"What has happened here?" questioned a confused Elladan as he entered the disturbed bedroom. Legolas, who was holding an unconscious Haemerethwen on the bed, quickly turned around , his eyes wide in both surprise and fear.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied as he let the she-Elf slowly drop to the bed. Elrohir then stepped through the doorway, his eyes immediately opening wide as he took in the scene. The bed-sheets were strewn on both the floor and the bed, one even hanging over the upper-left post. The she-Elf, with crusted blood on her chin-and also on some of the sheets-was lying upon the bed, unconscious, while Legolas was sitting beside her with a perplexed look upon his face.
"I was sitting in that chair," began Legolas, as he slowly got off the bed and pointed to a chair, "When she suddenly awoke and began twitching and moaning. I called out her name, but she did not visibly respond." Elrohir moved closer to the she-Elf on the bed, letting his finger rub against the deep gash on her lip.
"She bit her lip," he stated as he continued to search for any other wound, but there was none, "Was she dreaming?"
"No, she was suffering from sort of pain," Legolas answered, glancing upon Haemerethwen's face, "When she opened her eyes and saw me, she immediately paled and her eyes displayed such an extreme form of fear." Legolas stopped and shook his head, not understanding what happened. "She did not recognize me. . . she called me, 'Erlaithion.'"
"Erlaithion?" queried Elladan, his mind working to try and understand the entire sequence.
"Aye," stated Legolas as he sat down within the chair, his shoulder slumping. Elrohir turned around to Elladan, a questioning look upon his face.
"I have never heard of him," stated Elladan. Elrohir shrugged his shoulders, agreeing that he too had never heard of that Elf. "Perhaps there is more to this then we understand," stated Elladan as he peered at the sleeping she-Elf.
"Has she spoken to you yet, Legolas?" questioned Elrohir.
"No, she merely closes her eyes to my voice," he answered, his eyes saddening. Elladan looked up at Elrohir with a raised eyebrow.
"She needs to speak," stated Elrohir, "And we need to understand what is disturbing her mind so greatly." Elladan nodded in agreement.
"So we wait," stated Elladan as he sat down within the chair next to Legolas'.
****
A violent scream tore through the dark night, forcing Haemerethwen to quickly open her eyes. The darkness of the area surprised her as she blinked, trying to understand if she had truly opened her eyes. Yet, then she became accustomed to the stifling blackness of the night and she frowned in confusion.
She reached upward, grabbing upon a sturdy branch of a tree. Pulling herself upwards slowly, she ran her fingers over the leaves of the branch. She immediately recognized them to be Oaks; she smiled as memories flashed into her thoughts, reminding her of the days when she would spend entire days within the security of those brilliant trees.
She startled as the dark scream reverberated through the forest, her eyes opening wide as she realized what torture must cause a creature to scream so unnaturally. She involuntarily shivered as the scream died down to a choke. She then started to gracefully run across the branches of the tree, determinated to free the trapped creature from such evil ministrations.
She did not understand why she was so determined to reach the creature; fear raced within her as her feet silently ran and her mind continued to scream at her to not go any further. Yet, her legs would not stop, and soon she realized that she was no longer in control of her body, or of her mind. She watched in trepidation as one foot after another landed upon the sturdy branches, bringing her closer and closer to where the creature was being tortured.
Blood raced through her veins as her heart pumped faster, her face became flushed and her breathing became heavier. Fear coursed through as well, although she was still unsure why. She was only certain that she did not want to venture closer upon the site of where the creature was, but the reason behind this was unknown.
"Let me stop," she yelled out into the darkness, her eyes wide in panic as her legs only went faster. She gasped as she realized she was closing in to where the creature laid; a tremendous fire raged and she could recognize a form lying beside it. The being was not moving.
She continued to run towards the site, no matter how many times she urged her body to stop. She closed her eyes when she began to slow down, following her mind's advice to not glance upon such horrible sights. The fire flickered below her, she could feel the heat emanating from it, and she could hear the rasping breath of the broken being below her as well. She clenched her jaw tight, trying to ignore the fear wrapping itself around her heart as her legs continued to press her forward.
She gasped suddenly as her foot caught upon a small branch, tripping her body to the left as she stumbled to right herself. She opened her eyes and desperately tried to grab onto a branch to prevent her falling, but she only paled when she watched her lithe fingers grab onto air. She was falling.
A thousand thoughts flashed upon her mind as she felt gravity pulling her downwards, but they were all quickly dissembled when she felt her back painfully hit the ground. She gasped as the wind became knocked out of her from the force of the fall, closing her eyes to settle her racing mind. Yet, her panic doubled when she heard the hoarse breathing beside her; slow intake of breath, slow exhale.
She swallowed hard as she slowly turned her head to the side, gaining courage to glance upon the tormented creature. She stifled a cry of utter fear as the creature turned its head as well, allowing the she-Elf to glance upon its face. A distorted, swollen and mutilated face. Her face. Opening her eyes wide, she started to try and move away from the horrendous face, but again her body did not cooperate. She felt nauseous as she watched a flap of ripped skin flutter with every breath the creature took, the cause behind the raspy breath.
"Gurth," stated a voice. Haemerethwen wrenched her head forward to stare upwards at the figure that spoke: Erlaithion. A wicked sneer was upon its face as it raised its bloodied blade, aiming for her neck.
"Law!" she screamed as she watched the metal flash downwards.
****
Ana: Well, yes, that nasty Orc will come back (but not for a while); he'll just remain in her thoughts for a while. I'm not sure what will happen to him, yet, so we'll see! I like your story, by the way!
Galadriel Lorien: Actually, that song is part of "The Ballad of Luthien and Beren." I've been using it throughout the entire story, using only one verse at a time. I wish I could write like that, lol, but that's all Tolkien.
Night Interlude: Alright! You were finally able to read the last chapters! I'm glad you still like Thrakdreg and you think he's a great character (although I'm sorry that he'll be leaving for a short while!). I'm glad that you liked the ending of chapter 20, I tried to add something romantic in there. Also, I'm glad that you mention that I had better control over the speed, I've really been trying to improve on that since chapter 12. I re-read that paragraph in chapter 21 that you pointed out and, wow, I have to agree with you. I really did brutalize the word "lip." I'll try and keep a look-out for that next time. Thanks!!
Paperclip Princess: You're welcome! Just keep reviewing and I'll keep acknowledging!
Simbelmyn: I'm glad you liked the imagery, I thought for a while over what I should include in that scene.
Taraancaiel: A new reviewer! Thank you so much for the compliment, I'm glad that my story interests you so much!
Sokochan: I'm glad that you liked the dream sequence, I tried really hard to make it sound erratic and yet sensible. Kinda hard to do! I'm going to try and keep in Legolas' thoughts throughout the dreams, I find it fun to write him in! Thanks again for the review!