Edoran



*ring*

I leap for the phone and click on talk. "Hello?"

"Emmy, baby," says my mom.

I sigh. "Mom, I've got so much to tell you! There's been so much going on."

"I have something really important to tell you," she says. I've never heard her talk this way before. It's too hard to explain. She sounds sad though. "You have a brother."

"You're having a baby?!" I don't know what more to say! I can't believe it! A baby crawling around my house when I go home for the summer! "That's...exciting!"

"No, Emma," Mom says. "You have an OLDER brother."

There's a pause. Either that or the time goes by really slowly. An older brother? That I've never known about? But, no, there's no way!

"I know you must be shocked. At fifteen he was banished when he got into drugs and started his punk band. He was not supposed to act the way he did! It wasn't the elvish way and he was in the wrong. He snuck out almost every night and was getting mixed up with girls with very high reputations. Word was spreading about how he was too roguish to be a high-elf. He brought disgrace to our family and if he did stay the way he was, in our family, we'd no longer be first class. You would have no chance of marrying a fine husband with money to support you. And your father would lose his job. Your brother understood all this. He knew he would ruin your future and he didn't want to change his ways. We banished him and he left willingly. He's now twenty-one..."

"I was ten when he left. Edoran," I said coldly. I now remembered only a boy with chin length blond hair with a baseball cap that he'd wear when mom and dad weren't looking. Big brown eyes and this mischievous smile. Edoran.

"You remember now," my mother said with a sigh.

"How could I have forgotten? I don't understand how I have forgotten him for so long."

"That was my doing. I persuaded your father into giving you a spell of forgetfulness of anything to do with your brother. I didn't hate your brother. I cried for so long, wanting him back, don't you remember?"

"I do," I say, feeling the tears well in my eyes. I only remembered a few things. Maybe everything would come back to me?

"Well, I thought you had the right to know, because he is searching for you. If you ever see him, you'd know because you've been told about him. The spell is now broken."

"Did you say searching for me?" I squeak.

"Yes. He remembers you much more than you remember him. I've heard from Lord Elrond himself that he is no longer into drugs as he once was and his band is still together. He searches for you, for he misses you."

"I haven't seen him in six years, mom. What will it be like? What should I do?"

"I don't think there is much you CAN do. He will find you. Let's just hope he will not try to lead you away from the family. Who knows what he's really like now?"

I shivered.

"But you are strong in mind and in heart, Emthiel. If he tries, he will be unsuccessful in deceiving you."



I laid in my bed for a few hours that afternoon. I remembered so much from my childhood that before was lost. Could Edoran be that sweet guy I remembered him as? Would he be that crazy brother that protected me when I was nine, when we went to the same school and when I'd get into trouble? Or would he be totally different? He was obviously punk now, since he was in a punk band with some of his old buddies. I could only remember one guy I guessed was in his band. Rollend. I think I had had a little crush on him when I was seven or so.

But would this all change him? Would he be dark? Would he be hateful of my parents for banishing him permanently? Would he try to change me and persuade me to run off and forget my parents? Would he try and force me?

I had a headache from all the questions I was asking myself. I couldn't answer then by sitting alone in my bed. I would have to meet him and find out for myself.

I started crying really hard. I was scared and confused. A part of me missed him so much, but another part of me was scared of seeing him. Who knew what he was like? It seemed that Elrond knew a bit, but he wouldn't be the only one. Soon I'd know.

Talim came in just then. Behind her were Legolas and Eomer. I turned my face so they wouldn't see me crying, though I knew it was impossible. You can't ignore people when you're in this tight little room with them.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

I tried to sound okay. "What makes you think anything's wrong?" I ask.

"Because you're cuddled up in your bed at five," she answers. She sits behind me and pats my back. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Just then I start crying like crazy again. "I...I have a brother!" I sob.

She pauses. "What? I didn't know that!"

"Seems like everyone's putting spells on me," I whine. "My mom and dad made me forget him. He had been banished from the family. Now six years later, he's trying to find me. My mom says he will find me. I don't know what to expect."

"Awww," Talim hugs me as I turn to face her. "We'll be with you. I know what you must be thinking. He wont do anything to you."

"Okay," I sob. Talim gets up and Legolas comes and cuddles in my bed with me. He holds me, his arms all around me. I feel really protected. Talim and Eomer slip away just in time.

"I'll be with you. Nothing will happen to you. Remember what happened to Earfalas? I'll be with you to the end, Emma, no matter what end it is. I'll protect you," he kisses me on my neck. "I'm in love with you."

I start crying again, but softly this time. I think I have the best boyfriend and best friends in the world. I just hope I can say that I have the best brother in the world. Not the worst.

A week later

[Author's POV] ?

That night a dark figure stepped onto the school grounds. His dark head was covered with a hood and his whole body was cloaked in black. The figure crept to a window and prying it open with a tool, he got in. This was the principal's office, he was sure. He started going through the files, searching for a certain name. "Goldring, Goldring, I know she's in here," he muttered.

After searching for a few minutes, he found what he was looking for. "Room M-40." He smiled and quickly fled the room, taking some of the files with him.



Emma POV [Saturday, the next morning]

A week passes from the time my mother called me about the news. Everything is pretty good. I've gotten over my shock and I'm not so worried. Elise comes over for the weekend and we go out to eat, just her and me.

"I'm kind of worried," she says. "I don't have anyone to do music with me. Greenwings is not looking for a female singer. I want to be in an actual band. I don't want to be just a singer with a whole bunch of random people playing music for her. I want to be with a few guys or girls my age and we could hang and do out music together, ya know?"

"I know what you're saying. There has to be a band out there that'll play with you. What kind of band are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a punk band, but a little more hardcore than Greenwings. With guys like...hmmm...Rome? He's a real punk guy."

"And he plays the guitar really well," I add. "He's been into music and has done guitar for at least six years."

"Yea! But I don't know if he'd be up for getting serious. Besides, I couldn't ask him to join me if I didn't think I could get anymore people for our band."

I shake my head. "Elise, you are very talented. You're going to find some guys or girls...or both... and you guys are going to be awesome. I have no doubt that you'll succeed. Sterver Records wants you to sign for them. They could get you some band members. But when you're famous...don't forget me."

"Are you kidding?" she giggles. "You're going to be working with me in the summer! Right?"

I laugh. "Right."

"Well, I'm going to hang with Faramir soon, so I guess I'll go. I'll see you later though, right?"

"We'll have to hang more before you leave," I answer. "Later."

She smiles and leaves. I like that girl. She's like my sister that I've never had. And speaking of siblings, that reminds me of the one that's searching for me. I wonder how long it'll take him to find me?



"Emma, don't freak out. I've got some shocking news that may involve you," Talim says as we head into the Wizard's Cup.

"What?" I ask, taking a seat next to her.

"The principal's office has been broken into. There is a file missing. It's a list of all the people on our floor. He knows you're here."

I suddenly feel faint. "UM...okay. Well, I guess we'll meet him very soon, won't we?" I try to sound calm and careless, but the truth is I'm petrified! "Anything else you've found out?"

"Uh, he left no finger prints, but he did leave a print of his shoe. He wears DC shoes. Sounds like he's got some style."

I roll my eyes. "Oh thanks Talim, but this is no joking matter. My brother is coming to find me. He could be a complete psycho."

"Or he could be a brotherly-best-friend kinda guy," she says.

"He's broken into Gondor High, along with some of the other top schools in the country! Obviously no one is telling him where I am so he's breaking into schools to find out. Sounds to me like he's no brotherly-best-friend kind of guy or maybe someone would tell him where I am! No one knows if he actually dangerous! I'm scared, Talim, all right?" I find myself kind of biting her head off.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"Yea, I'm sorry too. I just need everyone to kind of look out for me, if they would. Does the principal know who broke into his room?"

"Not at all. He thinks it's someone at the school. Should we tell him?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't know what to do."



"I think I'm going to go to my room. I'm tired," I tell Legolas. It's ten o' clock and all of my friends are hanging out in front of the school. We've already gone to the movies together and now we were thinking about clubbing.

"But it's Saturday, Emma. You sure you don't want to just go to a club or anything?"

"Yea, I'm sure," I say. "You can go without me."

"All right. You want me to walk you up there?"

"No, the girl's dorm rooms are pretty safe. We have a guard watching almost all the time," I answer. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night, Emma," everyone says at the same time. They all get up and hurry to their cars. "I think it's abut to rain! Hurry up!" says Arwen.

I run into the school, the opposite way and the rain starts pouring on the windows. Lightening crashes and the thunder rolls. I start walking up the stairs and with every step the floor creaks. "What a creepy night," I mutter to myself.

I walk into my room, locking the door behind me. I feel around for my lamp in the darkness. My one lamp is my only source of light.

Just as my fingers hit the lamp, it falls crashing onto the ground. "Damn, I didn't know it was that close!" I say to myself. I got on my hands and knees to pick it up as best as I could.

"Emma?"

I look up to see a dark shape standing at my window. I can't see anything but a man just a little taller than me with chin-length hair. Just the shape I remembered him...

"Edoran..." my voice faltered and I could say no more. He slowly walked towards me. My heart was beating out of my chest. I wanted to jump up and run, but I felt like I was stuck with my hands and knees on the floor.

"Who knows what he's really like now?" my mother's words echoed in my mind. The lightening flashed in the window behind him. Then I noticed blood dripping from his hand and in the other hand he held a knife. My mind was racing like crazy. Why would he want to kill me though?

'You fool, Emma! He wants revenge!' That seemed like a silly thing to think. I couldn't remember doing anything to him, but the figure walking towards me with a knife made me think so.

"I finally found you."