Chapter Nine
The sunlight had just begun to outstretch its arms across the terrain as Rose was saddling Kia. She was in the stable alone aside from the horses. She felt Legolas' horse nudge her shoulder, and she turned around, feeding it a handful of hay. The horse snorted in satisfaction, and went back to starring out the stable doors. Rose was brushing her horse's nose, deep in thought. Legolas' horse neighed and Rose turned around, seeing his outline walking into the stable. Rose smiled, turning back to Kia and putting the brush away. The horse stomped its foot in protest a few times before giving up and settling for a treat that Legolas offered when he approached.
"Have you changed your mind during the night?" Legolas asked. Rose patted the horse.
"If I had changed my mind I would not be readying myself for a journey." She said.
"You could have decided not to return." He said. Rose turned around, looking into his eyes. She touched his face, comforting him.
"I will return Legolas, even if it takes my life." She said. He kissed her deeply, holding her body close to his.
"If the sun were to never rise again upon my face I would be complete because you have stepped into my life." He said. She smiled.
"And if I were to perish in moments I would rest in peace because you have freed my heart from the terrors it has known, and given it a new light that I could not have brought upon myself." She kissed him again. "Thank you. I love you, Legolas."
"And I love you." He said tenderly, and watched her mount the horse.
"I will see you by night fall." She said and took off her necklace, handing it to him. "This is my promise to remain in your heart forever." She said. "Do not worry about my faithfulness."
"That has never been a worry of mine." He smiled and watched as she rode away from Rivendell, towards her old home.
"She is going alone?" Arwen asked, shocked. Legolas nodded.
"She asked to."
"And you are certain she will return."
"Yes. She will return by night fall." Legolas said, watching where she had gone. "Is there something wrong?" He asked, looking at her. She looked where Rose had gone for a few moments before finally shaking her head.
"She will return." Arwen said, and the two walked from the stable.
The moment Rose left the tree line she had chills running down her spine. She looked across the landscape, not seeing anything unusual. She tied her horse to the porch, and walked up to the door. The door was broken off of it's hinges. She pulled a sword from her pocket, walking into the house. The furniture was overturned, and papers blew throughout the house. She rushed into the room with the desk, seeing all of the frames from the walls smashed. The maps and the picture of Kiyana with Elrond were missing. Suddenly horrified, she turned around to the chair by the window. She searched frantically until she was out of breath, and felt as if she could no longer hold herself up. She slid to the floor, breathing hard and close to tears.
Kiyana's journal was gone.
Rose starred at the wreckage of her house, and after a long time pulled herself to her feet. She began to search her home for anything left that was worth something to her to take to Rivendell. Among the things missing were the maps her grandmother had composed, pictures, sketches, Kiyana and Rose's journals, and the book written by a hobbit that had been a gift from Elrond.
The sun was slowly being reeled into the ocean, and Rose had just made it into her bedroom. She got together a few clothes, and set them on the bed. Something caught her eye out the window, and she focused on it. Her eyes grew wide and she slowly backed out of the bedroom, frantically searching her mind for what to do.
Arwen ran through the halls of the House of Elrond, her sleeves and dress trailing behind her. The sun was slipping behind the trees, throwing a deep red the color of blood onto the clouds. She came to a stop in front of Legolas, who looked at her in confusion.
"It has happened." She said breathlessly. His eyes slowly widened. "They are headed for her house as we speak."
"Tell Elrond where I have gone." He said, and she grabbed his arm before he could run off.
"I wish to come." She said. Legolas thought for only an instant, and then nodded. The two ran to the stables, quickly mounting their horses and riding swiftly through the forest. Elrond ran to the main balcony of his house, watching the two ride off. Many of the elves had stopped what they were doing to watch the two ride away, softly saying prayers in their native tongue.
"What is going on?" Elrond asked, running to the street and starring hard into the woods. The two were already out of site.
"The humans are headed for Rose's house. They are going to take her to the town for a trial." Someone said. Elrond starred out at the forest, his eyes wide but his face showing no emotion. Wordlessly, he turned back to his house, slowly walking up the steps. He went to the statue of Kiyala, and knelt in front of it.
"Tell me, my love; what is it that they hate so much about our race?" He asked, almost silently. "What is it that they cannot accept about who we are, and who she is?" He paused, starring at the statues face. "Why is it they would rather kill than understand?" He shouted, standing. "The Separation was supposed to rid this world of people who could not see!" He slammed his fist against the base of the statue, feeling his legs become weak. He leaned against it heavily, and slowly brought himself to look up at the statues face. He forced out one final whisper. "Why must they kill everything I love?" He fell to his knees, his emotions overtaking his body and breaking it into a thousand tears.
As the humans with their torches approached the small house, the ocean screamed in protest. Rose's horse bucked wildly, finally breaking the porch and charging madly at the humans. They slaughtered the horse after much struggling, still continuing for the house. Suddenly a man in front screamed in pain before collapsing into a dead heap. The mod stopped, examining the man. He had an arrow sticking out of his neck. Another arrow sliced through the air, and another sickening scream pierced the night. The wind whipped through them, threatening to extinguish their torches as arrows came at them. Lightning lit up the sky, and Rose could finally be seen on the roof with her bow, aiming again. The mob made it to the small house, throwing a torch into the house, and setting one against the porch, letting the flames lick the dry wood and spread through the structure, burning what was left of her home. She looked around frantically for an escape, and whistled for her horse. A loud laughter could be heard from the mob as they hollered, shrieked, and howled at her, thrusting their torches and pitchforks into the air. Rose could feel the roof cracking below her, and gasped as she fell through, landing hard on her old desk. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, feeling the flames licking at her clothes and flesh. Soot fell onto her, and she ducked to get away from falling timber. She grabbed the sword from her belt, and ran out of the house, trashing wildly at the mob. She cried out in pain as a dagger pierced through her shoulder, and staggered as she was hit by various objects. It was not until the walls of the house had been burned to the ground that she faltered. Slowly her mind became numb, and gave one final thrash with her sword before falling to the ground. The mob bound her wrists, and dragged her back towards the town.
Legolas ripped through the tree line, seeing the flames from the distance. He rode swiftly to the house, seeing the dead horse and scattered dead men.
"She did not go without a fight." Arwen said. Legolas ran into the ashes, through the flames and behind the smoke. Arwen grabbed the reins of his horse holding her breath until he reappeared, soot covering his face.
"She is still alive." Legolas said. "They did not kill her here, she would be here."
"They took her to the town for a trial." Arwen said. "But surely we can not go to the town. There will be thousands, and they will see us."
"I will fight to save her. I will die trying." Legolas said.
"And what good will it do if you die and she lives?" Arwen asked, shouting against the wind that had begun, throwing the rain against the side of their faces. Their hair was wrapping around their faces, dancing wildly in the wind. "If you die they will still kill her."
"I can not watch her die."
"Than return to Rivendell." She shouted back at him. He starred hard at her as a sheet of rain fell onto them. "There is nothing left to do in our power Legolas." She spoke softer. "She is beyond our reach."
"Then let us take back our planet! We let them arrive and stay out of pity. They repay us by killing everything they come in contact with that is not like them! This is how the hobbits and wizards and dwarves were nearly wiped out."
"And what makes you think they will stop now?" Arwen asked. "That is the nature of humans. If they do not recognize it, they do not want to know of it. And they destroy it. We took this risk."
"She does not deserve to die because of a risk we took."
"She is one of us Legolas, and she took the same risk we did in the beginning by returning here. She knew of the risk, she spoke of it softly to the stars last night as I sat below her in the courtyard." Arwen said. "She is dying for our sake."
"It should not have come to this." Legolas said, the rain running down his face. "I should have kept her at Rivendell, or come with her."
"There is nothing you can do now wishing you had done something different." Arwen said. The sky was becoming lighter as they spoke. Legolas looked towards town. "If you go, I shall go with you." Arwen said.
"You do not have to." Legolas said, the rain subsiding.
"I wish to." She said, and the two silently put up the hoods on their cloaks, riding towards the town in silence.
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