Hi there! *jumps around cheerfully* (You can't blame me - the weather is
nice, I've got much less work to do and tomorrow a day off. What more can I
ask for *g*) Thank you so so so much for your nice reviews, guys! Here we
go - next chapter.
Chapter 13: Traitors
"She is coming," she repeated again and her eyes had a far away expression to them as if she was lost in thought, but the time for making plans, for hoping that she would never have to face this situation had passed. The inevitable couldn't be postponed anymore. She briefly closed her eyes and exhaled, this was her last retreat in her inner sanctuary of peace. The moment only lasted a split second, because she then ordered her body to move, to jump into action, because by itself it would never have done so.
Arnaya threw Legolas one last apologetic glance before she whipped around and quickly ran off to warn the others. The elf needed a few seconds to recover, after all he had just been assaulted by an almost overwhelming flood of different emotions - wonder, indescribable joy, the feeling of completeness, followed by ice cold and blood chilling shock. He sat motionlessly on the stone floor, where he had kneeled down to comfort her, his eyes following her retreating form incredulously. A tempest of thoughts was raging in his mind and he tried hard to force them down, which he finally managed to successfully, but only by the aid of almost two millennia worth of experience. He had to do what was expected of him, what he needed to do. Legolas put on a determined face and swiftly got to his feet to follow the young witch.
Arnaya felt as if she was hovering a few inches above the ground like a completely uninvolved, detached spectator, who watched the happenings unfold with a strange fascination. She saw herself and Legolas run down long corridors, her bare feet touching the cold floor in a regular and seemingly endless pattern, her long hair swaying behind her, with every move she made, and her eyes widened and full of shock. Strangely enough she didn't feel anything at all, only numbness. Her mind was clouded. It had been prone to a myriad of different sentiments in the last few minutes and now protested to endure any more of them. Instinct had taken over: try to find help, seek shelter, and protect those you love.
After what seemed to be an eternity the finally arrived at their destination - Gandalf's quarters. When she stepped up to the door a wave of power hit her with a force that let her stagger a few steps back. She blinked rapidly and tried to focus again. There was no time to think about what had just happened, she would find out soon enough. Her hand shook a bit when she grabbed the door handle and pressed it down determinedly. Arnaya stormed into the room with Legolas right on tail and was greeted by the sight of Gandalf and Galadriel involved into a vivid discussion.
"Gandalf!" her breathless voice reverberated in the room and both the wizard and the high elf turned around immediately. For a moment she could sense the power they emitted with breathtaking intensity - their figures seemed to be engulfed into blinding white light. She felt dizzy for a few seconds, swaying from side to side like a drunk. Arnaya blinked rapidly, trying to regain control over her senses again and after a seemingly endless moment of frightening disorientation, everything went back to normal. Gandalf and Galadriel watched her expectantly.
"We are being attacked," she announced with a shaky voice.
"We already know, child," answered Galadriel with eerie calmness. The she- elf's eyes were fixed on the old wizard as if she was waiting for him to speak or to explain something. Unfortunately Arnaya didn't notice the silent exchange between those two, her mind was only able to focus on the things at hand and that excluded subtle details.
"Then let's hurry we have to protect King Elessar!" she said already turning to leave.
"That won't be necessary," Gandalf's deep voice announced loudly.
"Believe me, she is coming for him. He needs our help. You of all people should know that humans can't fight magic! He will absolutely stand no chance," she said with a stunned expression on her face, her delicate eyebrows raised and her forehead in a frown. If they didn't hurry only the Valar knew what Sauda would do to the king. Every second that passed by idly could mean his death sentenced.
"Sauda is not coming for him," the wizard replied and for the first time in the last centuries he hesitated to continue speaking. "She is coming for me."
"Why should she be...," Arnaya suddenly trailed off. Her eyes widened in realization and her breath caught in her throat.
"You are him!" she exclaimed and took a few steps back. "And for all this time you fooled us into believing that it was Elessar she was after."
"Liar!" Arnaya spat out.
Her voice cut the air like a knife and her eyes sparkled dangerously. Inside she felt like she was losing her mind. In the last few weeks she had come to trust those people. After the fervent hostility had diminished, curiosity had gained the upper hand. She had felt like a foreigner in a far away land. Everything was so different, so alien and yet it fascinated her, though she would have never freely admitted it. Out of that fascination grew the wish to fit in to.
With time passing she had realized that those people she had once hated so passionately had great and admirable qualities to them. She had come to appreciate Gandalf's wisdom, the way he enjoyed the simple things of life and the constant twinkle that sparkled in his knowing eyes. Even her respect towards Aragorn had grown gradually, though it had been a slow, almost unnoticeable process, but one day she had discovered that she had come all the long way from despising him to admiring him. As every prejudice she had held against him turned out to be wrong, after while she grudgingly had to admit that he was indeed the perfect leader - calm, with a strong sense of justice, strict and yet forgiving.
When surrounded by people that possess such impressive qualities, you can either feel threatened, insecure and insignificant or try to live up to those high standards. After a being frustrated and sorry for herself Arnaya had stubbornly decided that she wanted to face this challenge. She wanted to be a better person.
Had she known that she would end up being disappointed again, she would never have gone through all that trouble. Arnaya had bared her soul only to realize that the people she had admired - even trusted, had fooled her. The newly rebuild, still fragile columns on which her self security, her ability to trust, her sense of right and wrong rested, crashed down once again. She was angry and confused and hatred bubbled up inside of her with burning hot intensity.
"Fine," she said into the tense silence of the room. "I hope she gets you. By the Valar, how stupid I was for believing that your way was the right one! You are just as traitorous as she is, old man."
She sighed and ran her fingers through her messy hair. The anger she had just felt so intensely was suddenly gone and left her with a feeling of emptiness. She didn't care anymore what would happen. Maybe this palace would be smashed into piece, maybe Sauda would be defeated. It was all the same to her.
"Everybody gets what they deserve," she said coldly and turned to leave.
Legolas was awoken from his trance like state by her last words. He had watched the conversation unfold in surprise and had been rendered speechless by it. He had suspected that Gandalf kept something from them. Though he knew not what it was, he had the feeling that it was something of major importance; otherwise it would not have affected Arnaya so immensely. Nevertheless he trusted Gandalf and couldn't imagine him to do something out of malice or bad intention. Maybe there was a justified reason why he had been so secretive about this matter.
"Stay," he said simply, softly, but yet determinedly grabbing her hand to keep her from leaving.
"Oh, do you have a special surprise for me, too? Don't bother, Legolas, I know where your loyalties lie and the way I see it the chances that you will chose my side aren't very good, aren't they?" she paused and a bitter streak was playing around her mouth.
"I need no more betrayals," her words cut him like a knife and the pain in his eyes almost equaled her own. She felt his fingers loosen their grip around her arm and it almost broke her heart. Her skin felt cold from the loss of touch, almost as cold as the fear and confusion that filled her entire being.
"She is here. I can feel her," Arnaya announced sadly.
Dead silence filled the room for a few moments as everybody waited tensely with their breaths held. Their eyes were searching for signs of danger; their ears poised to detect even the slightest noise, all their senses were alert, because life or death would depend on their vigilance. Then it started. At first the change seemed utterly harmless, almost unnoticeable; a soft light glowed from the chinks of bricks of the outer wall of the room, but then its intensity increased with every passing second. It was as if the sun's angry glow was trying to reach them, burning everything to ashes in the process, even these indestructible stones. Then, like pieces of a puzzle, single bricks were removed from the wall. Faster and faster they disappeared, flying through the air with an angry hiss and landing with a heavy thud in the courtyard. Finally there was nothing left of the strong wall that would have been able to protect them from the terrors that awaited them.
Sauda hovered high up in the air before them; she seemed to float, riding on a gust of wind. Her black hair and robes fluttered in the breeze angrily. Like a gigantic black bird, her figure stood in the air before them, announcing the coming of inevitable disaster. She gracefully landed on the ground, almost like a ballet dancer after an artfully performed leap. Her face was completely unreadable, deadly clam and almost insufferably beautiful.
Her turquoise eyes looked from one face to the next with almost insupportable intensity. They bore into Gandalf full of hatred, sparkled at Galadriel with an unspoken threat, stared at Legolas with unmasked curiosity and finally softened when they came to rest on Arnaya for a few seconds, as if to make sure she was alright and no harm had been done to her.
"So we meet again, Gandalf," Sauda finally announced casually, "How many times have I tried to imagine what it would be like. I was often lying awake at night imagining the sweet taste of revenge, dreaming of all those delightful little scenarios, of a million different ways of inflicting pain on you."
"I'm truly sorry for what I did to you. You have to believe me when I say that I never wanted to cause you any pain," his voice sounded sincere and didn't hold any falsity.
"Do you really think a few meaningless words are enough to make the damage undone? To save you?" a humorless laugh escaped her mouth.
"You made me believe that you loved me. A vicious crime, for which there is absolutely no excuse. There can be none," Sauda said and there was an almost unnoticeable tremble in her voice.
"I really loved you then," Gandalf looked her directly in the eyes; "It was real."
"Don't dare to lie to me!" her words reverberated like thunder in the room.
"The only thing that is real is pain. I have learned my lesson in the last few years. Love is really nothing more than an utterly cruel and sadistic illusion."
"When I look at you I almost feel pity. A powerful being like you, with a higher purpose," sarcasm was dripping from her voice, "forced into an old and already decaying body, when you could have ruled this word instead of being a humble servant for all your life."
"Do you know how that makes me feel?" she asked looking at the grim wizard with a confident grin on her face.
"Well, for once it is highly entertaining. Unfortunately it is just a tiny little tidbit that won't satisfy me for long. What about we skip the pleasantries and get right to the fun part," she licked her lips in anticipation.
Chapter 13: Traitors
"She is coming," she repeated again and her eyes had a far away expression to them as if she was lost in thought, but the time for making plans, for hoping that she would never have to face this situation had passed. The inevitable couldn't be postponed anymore. She briefly closed her eyes and exhaled, this was her last retreat in her inner sanctuary of peace. The moment only lasted a split second, because she then ordered her body to move, to jump into action, because by itself it would never have done so.
Arnaya threw Legolas one last apologetic glance before she whipped around and quickly ran off to warn the others. The elf needed a few seconds to recover, after all he had just been assaulted by an almost overwhelming flood of different emotions - wonder, indescribable joy, the feeling of completeness, followed by ice cold and blood chilling shock. He sat motionlessly on the stone floor, where he had kneeled down to comfort her, his eyes following her retreating form incredulously. A tempest of thoughts was raging in his mind and he tried hard to force them down, which he finally managed to successfully, but only by the aid of almost two millennia worth of experience. He had to do what was expected of him, what he needed to do. Legolas put on a determined face and swiftly got to his feet to follow the young witch.
Arnaya felt as if she was hovering a few inches above the ground like a completely uninvolved, detached spectator, who watched the happenings unfold with a strange fascination. She saw herself and Legolas run down long corridors, her bare feet touching the cold floor in a regular and seemingly endless pattern, her long hair swaying behind her, with every move she made, and her eyes widened and full of shock. Strangely enough she didn't feel anything at all, only numbness. Her mind was clouded. It had been prone to a myriad of different sentiments in the last few minutes and now protested to endure any more of them. Instinct had taken over: try to find help, seek shelter, and protect those you love.
After what seemed to be an eternity the finally arrived at their destination - Gandalf's quarters. When she stepped up to the door a wave of power hit her with a force that let her stagger a few steps back. She blinked rapidly and tried to focus again. There was no time to think about what had just happened, she would find out soon enough. Her hand shook a bit when she grabbed the door handle and pressed it down determinedly. Arnaya stormed into the room with Legolas right on tail and was greeted by the sight of Gandalf and Galadriel involved into a vivid discussion.
"Gandalf!" her breathless voice reverberated in the room and both the wizard and the high elf turned around immediately. For a moment she could sense the power they emitted with breathtaking intensity - their figures seemed to be engulfed into blinding white light. She felt dizzy for a few seconds, swaying from side to side like a drunk. Arnaya blinked rapidly, trying to regain control over her senses again and after a seemingly endless moment of frightening disorientation, everything went back to normal. Gandalf and Galadriel watched her expectantly.
"We are being attacked," she announced with a shaky voice.
"We already know, child," answered Galadriel with eerie calmness. The she- elf's eyes were fixed on the old wizard as if she was waiting for him to speak or to explain something. Unfortunately Arnaya didn't notice the silent exchange between those two, her mind was only able to focus on the things at hand and that excluded subtle details.
"Then let's hurry we have to protect King Elessar!" she said already turning to leave.
"That won't be necessary," Gandalf's deep voice announced loudly.
"Believe me, she is coming for him. He needs our help. You of all people should know that humans can't fight magic! He will absolutely stand no chance," she said with a stunned expression on her face, her delicate eyebrows raised and her forehead in a frown. If they didn't hurry only the Valar knew what Sauda would do to the king. Every second that passed by idly could mean his death sentenced.
"Sauda is not coming for him," the wizard replied and for the first time in the last centuries he hesitated to continue speaking. "She is coming for me."
"Why should she be...," Arnaya suddenly trailed off. Her eyes widened in realization and her breath caught in her throat.
"You are him!" she exclaimed and took a few steps back. "And for all this time you fooled us into believing that it was Elessar she was after."
"Liar!" Arnaya spat out.
Her voice cut the air like a knife and her eyes sparkled dangerously. Inside she felt like she was losing her mind. In the last few weeks she had come to trust those people. After the fervent hostility had diminished, curiosity had gained the upper hand. She had felt like a foreigner in a far away land. Everything was so different, so alien and yet it fascinated her, though she would have never freely admitted it. Out of that fascination grew the wish to fit in to.
With time passing she had realized that those people she had once hated so passionately had great and admirable qualities to them. She had come to appreciate Gandalf's wisdom, the way he enjoyed the simple things of life and the constant twinkle that sparkled in his knowing eyes. Even her respect towards Aragorn had grown gradually, though it had been a slow, almost unnoticeable process, but one day she had discovered that she had come all the long way from despising him to admiring him. As every prejudice she had held against him turned out to be wrong, after while she grudgingly had to admit that he was indeed the perfect leader - calm, with a strong sense of justice, strict and yet forgiving.
When surrounded by people that possess such impressive qualities, you can either feel threatened, insecure and insignificant or try to live up to those high standards. After a being frustrated and sorry for herself Arnaya had stubbornly decided that she wanted to face this challenge. She wanted to be a better person.
Had she known that she would end up being disappointed again, she would never have gone through all that trouble. Arnaya had bared her soul only to realize that the people she had admired - even trusted, had fooled her. The newly rebuild, still fragile columns on which her self security, her ability to trust, her sense of right and wrong rested, crashed down once again. She was angry and confused and hatred bubbled up inside of her with burning hot intensity.
"Fine," she said into the tense silence of the room. "I hope she gets you. By the Valar, how stupid I was for believing that your way was the right one! You are just as traitorous as she is, old man."
She sighed and ran her fingers through her messy hair. The anger she had just felt so intensely was suddenly gone and left her with a feeling of emptiness. She didn't care anymore what would happen. Maybe this palace would be smashed into piece, maybe Sauda would be defeated. It was all the same to her.
"Everybody gets what they deserve," she said coldly and turned to leave.
Legolas was awoken from his trance like state by her last words. He had watched the conversation unfold in surprise and had been rendered speechless by it. He had suspected that Gandalf kept something from them. Though he knew not what it was, he had the feeling that it was something of major importance; otherwise it would not have affected Arnaya so immensely. Nevertheless he trusted Gandalf and couldn't imagine him to do something out of malice or bad intention. Maybe there was a justified reason why he had been so secretive about this matter.
"Stay," he said simply, softly, but yet determinedly grabbing her hand to keep her from leaving.
"Oh, do you have a special surprise for me, too? Don't bother, Legolas, I know where your loyalties lie and the way I see it the chances that you will chose my side aren't very good, aren't they?" she paused and a bitter streak was playing around her mouth.
"I need no more betrayals," her words cut him like a knife and the pain in his eyes almost equaled her own. She felt his fingers loosen their grip around her arm and it almost broke her heart. Her skin felt cold from the loss of touch, almost as cold as the fear and confusion that filled her entire being.
"She is here. I can feel her," Arnaya announced sadly.
Dead silence filled the room for a few moments as everybody waited tensely with their breaths held. Their eyes were searching for signs of danger; their ears poised to detect even the slightest noise, all their senses were alert, because life or death would depend on their vigilance. Then it started. At first the change seemed utterly harmless, almost unnoticeable; a soft light glowed from the chinks of bricks of the outer wall of the room, but then its intensity increased with every passing second. It was as if the sun's angry glow was trying to reach them, burning everything to ashes in the process, even these indestructible stones. Then, like pieces of a puzzle, single bricks were removed from the wall. Faster and faster they disappeared, flying through the air with an angry hiss and landing with a heavy thud in the courtyard. Finally there was nothing left of the strong wall that would have been able to protect them from the terrors that awaited them.
Sauda hovered high up in the air before them; she seemed to float, riding on a gust of wind. Her black hair and robes fluttered in the breeze angrily. Like a gigantic black bird, her figure stood in the air before them, announcing the coming of inevitable disaster. She gracefully landed on the ground, almost like a ballet dancer after an artfully performed leap. Her face was completely unreadable, deadly clam and almost insufferably beautiful.
Her turquoise eyes looked from one face to the next with almost insupportable intensity. They bore into Gandalf full of hatred, sparkled at Galadriel with an unspoken threat, stared at Legolas with unmasked curiosity and finally softened when they came to rest on Arnaya for a few seconds, as if to make sure she was alright and no harm had been done to her.
"So we meet again, Gandalf," Sauda finally announced casually, "How many times have I tried to imagine what it would be like. I was often lying awake at night imagining the sweet taste of revenge, dreaming of all those delightful little scenarios, of a million different ways of inflicting pain on you."
"I'm truly sorry for what I did to you. You have to believe me when I say that I never wanted to cause you any pain," his voice sounded sincere and didn't hold any falsity.
"Do you really think a few meaningless words are enough to make the damage undone? To save you?" a humorless laugh escaped her mouth.
"You made me believe that you loved me. A vicious crime, for which there is absolutely no excuse. There can be none," Sauda said and there was an almost unnoticeable tremble in her voice.
"I really loved you then," Gandalf looked her directly in the eyes; "It was real."
"Don't dare to lie to me!" her words reverberated like thunder in the room.
"The only thing that is real is pain. I have learned my lesson in the last few years. Love is really nothing more than an utterly cruel and sadistic illusion."
"When I look at you I almost feel pity. A powerful being like you, with a higher purpose," sarcasm was dripping from her voice, "forced into an old and already decaying body, when you could have ruled this word instead of being a humble servant for all your life."
"Do you know how that makes me feel?" she asked looking at the grim wizard with a confident grin on her face.
"Well, for once it is highly entertaining. Unfortunately it is just a tiny little tidbit that won't satisfy me for long. What about we skip the pleasantries and get right to the fun part," she licked her lips in anticipation.