MPD: Hey all, sorry I haven't written for so long, my life's been so crazy and jumbled I could never edit or go over any of QoL's chapters!! But hey, guess what? I'm starting to read the LoR books! I'm so proud of myself! They're really good but everything goes so slow!

QoL: Schoolwork, schoolwork, schoolwork!! I'm up to my elbows in schoolwork damn it!! Writing is the last thing on my mind!!

'a' = thoughts *a* = bold/italics

Chapter three; The Gift of the Sword

It had been a week since I was locked away in my room and when father saw my large and messy stitches, my sentence worsened from two days to two weeks. My eyes were sore from looking too hard at the thread and my fingers stung from all the pricks I had given myself. Sometimes I did it on purpose, to keep me awake, to try and see if it really was just a nightmare, or just because it was my small way of cutting my wrists.

I tried harder to thread my needle over again as it slipped from the eye and grunted in frustration. I leaned my head against the straight-back chair and rubbed my eyes. There was a sharp knock at the door and my Mistress of Torture stood to open it. A young boy stood with a letter in hand.

"This is for you Miss." The messenger said handing her the piece of paper.

"Thank you." she replied politely handing the young elf a few gold coins.

She closed the door when he had left and broke the wax seal holding the message closed. Her kind eyes moved rapidly, then coming to the end of the letter, she blushed and she breathed harder smiling slightly. Remembering that I was still in the room and watching her with intensity, she folded the note once again and put it in her belt.

"Luinlosloth," she addressed me.

"Madame?" I asked, hoping she was needed elsewhere.

"Please excuse me for a few moments, I expect your stitches to be neat and done by the time I get back, am I understood?"

"Yes Madame." I said almost smiling.

As soon as she had closed and locked the door, I laughed half-sanely. I threw the embroidery to the ground and spun in circles. I took my hair down from its tight bun and loosely braided it. I went to my dresser and took out two small pieces of old, worn dark blue cloth and slipped them over my hands, gloves that had no fingers whatsoever.

I ran to the window and opened it wide, startling doves that had settled there into a frightened flight. I saw a spider on the pane of the window and let it crawl into the palm of my hand. I was admiring its beauty when I heard someone whisper my name from below. I looked down to be face to face with Tunar hanging on to the vines growing on the wall.

"You elves are too damn light you know that?" I said jokingly.

"Is that all you say to someone you haven't seen in a week and just risked his life to get you out of hell?" he asked smirking.

"So *you* wrote the letter!" I said.

"Who else could do such a marvelous job?"

I laughed at the humorless statement.

"So," I continued, "what's phase two of your *marvelous* scheme?"

"Phase two would be to convince you to climb down this wall with me."

"And what happens when my Mistress returns?"

"She won't for a while, you've got time."

"Just what did you write in that letter?" I asked swinging my leg over the widow pane.

"Not much," he said as we climbed down, "something down the lines of 'I have watched you from afar for so long, I wish to meet you. Whenever I see you my blood runs dry from your intense beauty and my heart stops, the only one I want is you, my love. Come and meet me in the garden at the end of the village and wear that blue silk dress I like so much.' And signed it 'Your Secret Admirer'."

"And how is that to buy me so much time?" I asked, "the garden is near and when there's no one there and she sees it was only a joke she'll come storming back more mad than ever!"

"But what if someone met her there?" he asked mischievously.

"You?" I asked in disbelief.

"No not me! I do have other friends beside you, you know! He'll keep her there a while, enough time for us."

"So let me get this straight," I said as we jumped to the ground, "your friend actually agreed to lie to some stranger and pretend he's wild about her?"

"That's right." He replied.

"What happens afterward? Does he have to keep meeting her?"

"Only if I give him the signal. If I don't come to the garden, he'll break up with her, but he's assuming you want to escape prison more than once."

I smiled, "So, where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." He answered teasingly.

~*~

We walked a ways, weaving our way to the heart of the village. Finally we stopped in front of a small, old-looking house. He knocked on the worn wood three times, then once more. The door swung open and we walked into the dim room. There were three candles lit in various places and ashes glowed in the fireplace, but other than that, there was no light.

I wondered where Tunar had taken me to a place was full of books and papers, a mess everywhere. Suddenly a blade appeared from the darkness and stopped right at the bridge of my nose. I stood perfectly still, not understanding, but not testing.

An elf younger than Tunar and myself stood to my side holding the sharp sword. He wore green and brown clothes, had sharp eyes and dark brown hair with fair skin. He swung his weapon straight up and put his hand behind it, then sharply looked at me.

"You are Luinlosloth?" he asked not moving from his position.

"I am," I replied relaxing a bit, but not letting down my guard.

He swiftly moved the sword and slid it into its protector. He was the fastest and swiftest swordsman I had ever seen.

"Luinlosloth, this is Celebhith (A/N: meaning silver mist); probably the best and youngest master of the sword." Tunar said.

"Nice to meet you." I said under my breath.

He only nodded.

"I understand you wish to master the sword." He said.

"I was considering it," I replied eyeing Tunar suspiciously.

"Welcome," Celebhith told me, "you will make a fine sword-keeper."

I nodded at him and he smiled, more a smirk than friendly smile, but nevertheless a better sign than before.

~*~

It was hard to swing the sword I was given for practice, though it was light, it seemed to resist my commands and movements. What made it all the more difficult was the fact I only had three hours a day with Celebhith and my sword. I was always fidgeting and anxious for my lessons, I was starting to fear my Mistress would notice, but she was busy with daydreams of her own.

After three days of this, we arranged to come late at night so I had three more hours and I was always prompt, if not early. On the fourth day there was something waiting for me once I had returned. My father.

He had started to suspect something and said he had fired my Mistress, I now had a stricter teacher. She was harsh and old and cranky and I hated her so. By the end of the fifth day I was furious enough to kill the woman, but knew I would have to do something else. My windows were sure to be locked, just in case, and if Tunar was seen even near our house he was too be chased away.

They did not know of Celehith, though, and Tunar was sure they never did. The night of the sixth I was deep into a dream, a dream of open fields, deep dark forests and bright shining stars. I started to surface from the dream when I felt a soft hand brush across my cheek. My eyes shot open and I bolted up and out of my bed.

"Who's there?" I asked in a furious whisper to hide my fears.

My window was still locked and my door was still closed. At first I thought it to be my imagination, then I heard a rustle of cloth behind me. I whipped around, but there was nothing I could see in the darkness. My heart quickened; then I saw a long narrow object leaning in the corner.

I ran to it and grabbed it, but it was so heavy it took me to the floor when it fell. I pulled my fingers out from underneath the metal, but I couldn't make out what it was so I felt it. It was long and flat and cold and skinny, made of metal. At the top there was a handle woven in a complex design, but then I knew, it was a sword!

It was a heavy, beautiful, professionally designed and carved sword. I dragged it toward the window with all my strength and opened my heavy curtains wide looking at it in the pink-yellow morning. It shone proudly in the weak rays of light and I saw it was a silver-like color with a tint of blue woven in. Then the question of where did it come from finally struck me.

I looked under my bed and checked every corner and crack, but there was nothing, my room was empty. Suddenly, I had the queerest craving to know who made such a beautiful craft and why they put it there. My mind wondered to Celebhith. I knew my door would be open, just in case anything happened, so I silently slipped out of my room and into the long dark hallway, not caring that I was still in night pants and a tank top.

I closed my door behind me and ran with quiet footsteps down to the corner and turned. I ran through the dark halls and finally reached the end of the maze. I opened the large entrance and walked into the crisp night dragging the door behind me. I ran the path to Celebhith's house, knowing the way by heart by now.

I knocked lightly three times, waited, then knocked once more. It was immediately opened and I slipped in like a dark shadow on a dark mission.

"You escaped your new Mistress? Tunar said you would not, not even at these early hours." Celebhith said hidden in the shadows.

"I came for another purpose and only stay as long as I dare." I replied.

He dropped from his hiding place above me, landed on his feet and looked straight into my eyes.

"Is something wrong? You ran here with great haste I can see from your breath, what is your reason for disturbing me from my thoughts among the shadows?" he asked looking concerned.

"Someone was in my room, but I can see now it wasn't you. I haven't the faintest idea who else could have been able to slip in and out so quickly without me detecting their movements. He nearly frightened me to death, but that's not all, he left me a sword."

"A sword?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, the heaviest thing I've ever lifted, the most beautiful carvings I have ever seen, and the strongest of metals I have ever felt. It is sharper than sharp and it was left in a great protector."

"May I see this sword?"

"I can hardly lift it an inch and that's using all my strength, how do you expect me to get it here?"

"I don't. Allow me to come back with you, I will see it there. I am swifter and as silent as a shadow, no one will detect me and you won't get caught."

I sighed, "Alright," I replied, "we'd better come quickly."

He snatched a heavy black cape and threw it upon himself, it had no sleeves and a long hood covered his face so it hid in shadows. We ran into the early dawn and he immediately disappeared. I did not wonder where he was, but knew he was with me and near.

I entered my house and saw his figure quickly take refuge inside, then closed the door and led his unseen presents through the winding halls and sharp corners. I reached my room and dashed inside, Celebhith appearing beside me. He saw the sword in the rays of the morn lying on my floor and walked to it.

"This work is remarkable, I've never seen anything like it. Whoever made this was the best there is and whoever gave it to you cares deeply for you. These designs, they are pictures and words of the ancient tongue, I doubt there is anyone left alive who can tell you what they mean."

He lifted it off the ground a foot with a great struggle, then heaved it on the bed. He panted loudly and wiped his brow, I for one was shocked he had gotten it that far.

"I don't know what that's made of, but it's the heaviest sword I've ever managed to hold and I've held many a sword. I don't know how you will use it in such a small area, but I have a feeling this is a sign. Learn to wield it Luinlosloth, however you may go about doing it, and do it with great care, that is my only advice to you."

Then he left with a gust of air back to his own home. I sat long and hard thinking over my choices and what I should do, then I made up my mind, and I would stick to it no matter what.

~*~

I made sure to leave the room just before my Mistress came to wake me harshly. I was slow because of the quill of arrows, bow, and heavy sword on my back, but I was determined to make it. I wandered down the path to Celebhith's house once again and knocked just like always.

He opened and left the door as was expected and I walked in, my back bent downward in strain from the sword. I didn't dare to drop the sword's strap for fear I would never be able to lift it again, but went down on one knee.

"Is Tunar here?" I asked to the darkness.

"You know he always is at this time of day." Replied the corner where Celebhith leaned.

"Hey, long time no see." Tunar said sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on the table before him.

"Look, I'm going away. I don't know for how long or exactly where (somewhere toward the Trollshaws or Misty Mountains perhaps), but I know why. I feel I am being called and I want to answer. This sword has something to do with it. I want to find the person who made such a craft and yet I want to use it and become stronger, to teach myself. I know I can trust you two not to tell Elrond or Arwen, the only thing I want to reveal is that I'm not dead, I'm coming back, and I *don't* want anyone coming after me. This is my chance to really discover my sword, and maybe even my past."

"Celebhith said you might decide to leave, though I'm sorry he was right." Tunar said then sighed, "I won't stop you or say a word, but promise you'll come back so at least Elrond will get some shred of good news."

"Yes, I will come back, it is only a matter of time."

"You're going to be a hell of a swordsman when you come back, no doubt a lot stronger too. I know you'll push yourself past your limits, just don't hurt yourself too bad got it?" Celebhith said walking forward.

He took off the heavy black cloak he still wore and draped it over my own shoulders.

"It will protect you from fire, shield you from the rain, and when the time comes help you hide in the shadows as I." He said.

I smiled gratefully and stood.

"Thank you," I said, "for everything, the both of you."

Tunar stood and said goodbye, then I turned and left them behind me, never to forget them.

~*~

Well, I hope you enjoyed it, it certainly took us long enough to put up, this is getting seriously hard!! We hope the next chapter will come sooner, but we can make no promises, our lives are *so* busy right now!