The Greatest Reward
By: SilverRose82
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"Elladan, I do not know what to do any more. My father will begin his search for me once again." Serena whispered as she gazed over at the young elf lord. Serena had her pale hands clasped together as she tried to bring warmth to her icy fingers. Elladan gazed over at the younger she-elf, her eyes were downcast with fears of her father. A man she had never before met but feared with every ounce of her soul.
"Serena, you are in Imladris, there is no possibility that your father is powerful enough to find you in this city. Sauron himself was never able to enter or truly see where the ring was once they past through the ford." Elladan told the young queen before him, custom from her race that the female be the ruling member of the house. Her father had betrayed her mother, forcing her to give up her title, in fear of losing her daughter.
The two had fled, along with the white stallion, but were captured and forced into slavery. The stallion taking on his human form had become a gardener, a teacher to Serena, and fore most her confident and friend. The bond the two had only grew with years, for as Ithilquessir where their lives were immortal. Few things were able to kill an elf from the Moon, grief, fatal wounds, or a loss of will. Serena and Helios never lost their will, as long as the two friends were never parted, never forced away from each other for great deals of time they never gave up. There was no reason to do so, they would know the minutes the other was injured, and they would know the second their friend had been killed.
Serena's mother, Selenity, had been the one to loose her light, the one to slowly give up on her will. The soul that kept all Lunarian's alive and strong. She had been given harder tasks to do than her daughter and Helios, tasks that even a slight mess up would mean a severe beating. Ones which could leave her wishing for death to take her, but her will, her will to be strong for her daughter kept her going. Selenity never gave in and with the help of Helios the two had formed a plan that would get all three of them out of the horrid palace they worked.
Serena had been a kitchen maid all her life, never knowing anything outside of the palace walls, except that her best friend was a gardener and that a sharp tongue got you farther that a silent one. She had become stronger over the years as a slave, wiser, and sarcastic. She knew where her icy words were needed and when they were not, many people were amused by the small sprite of a girl that could hold her own against the head cook, it had made her a favorite among hired staff. Getting her and her family better food than the other slaves.
It had been years since the three had been forced into a lifestyle they didn't understand. Put into situations that most people would have not lived through. Serena had come out unscarred, mind a young girl that was tougher than people twice her age. There had been meeting over plans on getting out of the building they were forced to serve, knowledge of guard changes, days in which the moon did not shine over the land. But they had gotten out and they were able to make in to one of the elven safe havens.
"I know that, but that does not mean that he will not attempt. He knows I am here." Serena told him, her eyes shone with her doubt and worry. Gazing down at her hands she looked up at Elladan, the elder twin smiled at her reassuringly before placing both hands on her shoulders. His chestnut hair falling around his shoulders as his warm grey eyes sparkled with inner light at the young girl he had come to know as a sister and friend.
"No harm will befall upon you, Serena." Elladan whispered before he took leave of the small center garden he had found her sitting in. Serena sighed before gazing at the marble statue, it had been the second time she had visited the inner sanctuary of her mother's memorial in the last week. Standing up she gazed into the early dawn light, her azure eyes shining with inner strength as she remembered what and who, she had truly been searching for. Frodo had asked if any other members of the fellowship had even been to her glen, with the exception of Estel and Gandalf no other member had ever entered her safe haven for orphans.
Shaking her head as she remembered the talks that had gone long into the night about having a dwarf enter the safe haven. Then elven children had been against it; simply put, they, from their teachings had learned to dislike the dwarves. While the hobbits had tried to tell them that Gimli was a friend to the elves and was in the good graces of Galadriel nothing had seemed to work. Serena seeing that nothing would have worked stood up and left the room for a moment, not wanting to watch the children she raised act in such manner. Most had quieted down after she had left, upset that they had upset the softhearted woman who raised them, only Isaldur had not quieted his dislike towards the dwarves. The dislike had only quieted down after Serena came back into the room demanding silence in her seldom used tone that had come from years of slavery. Her eyes had been smoldering with inner fire, as she demanded the elven children to silence. She had then spoke of what this secret glen represented, to her it was a place of personal paradise from the horrors that had once been her life and it was also to help children in need, of any race rather in be hobbit, man, elf, or dwarf. Like Rivendell, her secret glen, was a place welcomed for all invited.
"Ah, Lady Serena was it?" a soft voice brought her out of her thoughts, turning around she smiled at the elven prince and his dwarven friend, her search had just been finished without her needing to search out another soul. Nodding towards him she let her gaze wander off for a moment before once again remembering her reasons for leaving the hobbits to watch after the children, they had offered to find their companions but Serena had shushed them for that speaking that they would not be able to find the path again, for only few knew of it and to find any one who did would be futile.
"Aye." Serena answered when she turned her gaze back onto the elf and dwarf. Her eyes flittered onto Gimli for a moment as she watched him gesture towards Legolas to speak, without him actually needing speaking up. Legolas grinned as he caught the woman's gaze land on his friend as she tried to understand what was going on before her.
"Milady, have you seen the hobbits, I do remembering you leaving with them and I have spoken with many here and no one knows where they or you have gone off too. However, the twins know and will not speak of it to me." Legolas asked as Serena turned to face him, her eyes lit up as she smiled brightly. Legolas watched her with interest as her eyes laughed with enjoyment.
"Tis because no one knows where I am, it is safer that way as to why the twins dare naught to speak is because you were not invited as they tend to call it. Come follow me, Frodo had asked when I was going to bring you there. But I ask that you tell no one of where I take you, that is my request." Serena told him as she began to make her way towards paths less used by the elves of Rivendell, Legolas gazed around him in wonder at the size of the trees above and around him, though none would compare to the trees of Mirkwood. Their beauty seemed to surpass even the trees of Lothlórien, the silver green leaves danced in the breeze as they made their way towards the lower path of Rivendell. This path Legolas remembered for he had traveled it many times when he and the twins had been at their most mischievous ages. Gazing at her in question he was surprised when she turned off the main path, gently brushing aside evergreen bushes to reveal a hidden path to Legolas and Gimli.
Once again Legolas was caught in wonder as he heard Gimli's praise at the stones and gems used to line the path and decorate the stream, he had heard her answer, which had caused even him to halt in silence. Serena smiled at their shocked faces as she turned around once she realized she was no longer being followed. Shaking his head Legolas had placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder, somehow Legolas knew that the woman before him held the grace and kindness to have charmed Gloin and Thorin Oakenshield, two of the twelve dwarves that his father had placed into the dungeons of his hall. But that the two had willingly come back to Rivendell with some of the finest gems and stones that were mined by the dwarves had surprised even him.
"What, shall you two remain here? Because I believe that a few of your friends will be a bit disappointed if you don't show up." Serena teased as she began to make her way down the path again, Legolas grinned as he and Gimli followed after the woman. Turning to look behind her she smiled brightly at the dwarf lord and elven prince before continuing down the path as it weaved through trees and bushes. She heard the next to inaudible gasps from Legolas as he caught sight of the flowering bushes that grew and blossomed only in the spring and summer. Looking up she spotted the grand willow tree, where the path ended just under the canopy branches and the meadow began. Humming to herself she continued to lead the two down the path, Gimli's grumbling of Legolas' loss of movement made her smile as she watched the great friendship between the dwarf and elf.
Smiling to herself she slipped between the branches of the willow tree, her silvery blue eyes watching the dwarf and elf as they slowly continued their trek towards the willow, following the path of pine chips below their feet. Serena laughed as the two pushed aside whispy willow branches, the laughter of children wafted through the air as the laughing voices of three elder hobbits joined the musical sound that both Legolas and Gimli had missed since they had joined the Fellowship. Serena smiled gently as she watched their reactions, pushing her hair behind her shoulders she gazed over the two once before loosing her gentle smile.
"Lord Gimli, I wish to apologise now if any of the elven children disrespect you. Their teachings have taught them the distrust I tried to disolve when they came to me." Serena told the red headed dwarf lord, her voice becoming soft and nearly impossible to hear over the laughter. Gimli gazed at the woman standing before him, though he did not respond to her words she could see his responce in his eyes. Smiling again she turned and gently apart the branches she turned to gaze behind her, her hair shading her eyes from sight as she waved for them to follow after her. The bright light of the morning sun lit up the meadow as all laughter came to a hault.
Looking around them in wonder, Legolas and Gimli smiled when they noticed the hobbits. Frodo was carrying a little curly auburn haired child, both Merry and Pippin also were carrying young hobbits, while Sam was still looking through Serena's gardens in wonder, a hobbit child or two with him. Serena smiled as she looked into the trees where most of her children were hidden, her eyes caught Isaldur's and she frowned at him when she heard his mumblings. Saying nothing she continued to make her way towards Frodo and the others, the blue eyed hobbit had noticed her and began to make his own way towards her with Merry and Pippin following him.
"I found your friends." Serena whispered as she pointed over to where Legolas and Gimli were standing, looking around the meadow in wonder. Frodo smiled as he walked over to where the dwarf and elf were standing. Hanna clasped her little hands around his neck tightly as she stared in wonder at the tall blonde haired elf and the short red haired dwarf, to beings that she did not know. Meredoc had wiggled his way from Merry's arms into Serena's, she smiled as she stood just behind Merry the sandy haired hobbit was gazing at his friends in concern as neither of them noticed that Helios, the ruby eyes stallion was picking his way towards them. While most trusted Serena's ability to see what lay in a person's soul, he had come to know first hand that the stallion was able to see an even clearer picture of a person's true intentions.
Serena lay a gentle hand on his shoulder as she watched Frodo greet the dwarf and elf, normally all four hobbits would have gone to greet their friends, but they personally felt connected to the seven hobbit children in the glen and had made it their own agenda to watch over them. The snapping of a tree branch caused Serena to spin around to face the trees, her eyes studying each branch trying to see where the break had come, which child was trying to venture much to far towards the thinner branches. Her eyes sought for Isaldur, the elven boy would soon be leaving to journey into the world on his own not wanting to go with the others to the Grey Havens. Not seeing the wild boy her eyes began to search the ground, her whole body tense as she listened for any sound out of the ordinary.
Shaking her head she turned to watch Frodo and Sam speak with Legolas and Gimli, her eyes not missing a single detail as she studied the new comers. Growling under her breath Serena suddenly lifted her hand not holding Meredoc into the air, a silver shield was errected as projectiles came from Isaldur's location in a nearby tree. Her eyes darkened as she spun to face the young elf, passing the little hobbit back to Merry, she ushered Isaldur away from the meadow, the others watched in silence at the great power possessed by the woman. Gimli laughed silently to himself as he talked with Frodo and Pippin.
~~*~~
~~*~~
So suddenly, so strange
Life wakes you up, things change
I've done my best, I've served my call
I thought I had it all
So suddenly, so strong
My prejudice was gone
You needed me, I found my place
I'm there for now, these days
Now the greatest reward
Is the light in your eyes
The sound of your voice
And the touch of your hand
You made me who I am
~~*Authoress Babble*~~
Alright, by Tolkien standards Legolas is no older that 1500, why because the elven prince would have more than likely been in the book when Bilbo was in Mirkwood should he be his movie age of 2000 something. Well no, even still he would have been in the Hobbit. Honestly I don't know where this babble is going I wrote it quite a while ago.
I'm losing it, I've lost my will to write. No not the will to write. I just lost my inspiration pray that school and that bussle brings it back.
~~*Answers to Reviews*~~
Jewelclaw Lady of Wind : I'm trying to update quickly on all my stories. But I'm at a lost of time, school's coming to a close for Me and a lot of things are getting crammed into the last two months of school. By the Gods. I only have one more month of school...... I'll be updating a lot by then.
Devils Little Doll : I hope you didn't miss the bus.
Saniel : There is one Serena/Frodo story. But she's not updated it in a long time.
Callisto Star : I never thought about doing that one, Aragorn and Serena brother and sister. Hmm, Ideas, Ideas. I'm kinda canon on Serena's mum though. Hey I'm told I make a lot of my stories confusing just yell at me or hit me over the head with a box of chocolates. :: I'd like the latter of the two a bit more.:: I kinda figured that they wouldn't all go back to Imladris but as you say it's Fanfiction. The Merry and Pip, Meredoc and Peregrin question. I was wondering if anyone was going to ask that. Actually there's no real significance between the shared names I was just typing random Lord of the Rings names in the Barrow Downs Middle Earth names thingy, :: I know I used another one, can't remember the name. :: And Pow I got my names. Erm, never though about that one either. Eh, we'll just have to see.
Samantha : A lot of people forget that the twins are there just not talked about a whole lot, so I'm making them some of the main characters.
Jes : well when you've got hobbits nothing can go wrong. At least that's what I think.
Heather : then I feel honored to get you to review. I need to start doing that, myself.
Princess Guinevere : I agree on that one, there are a lot of Sere/Legolas stories.
Celenia Crescent : More action...... I'll work on it.
Lady Love : Hmm, when and who. Well the when's not hard to work out. The who, I have an idea about who I'm going to make him….. I think.
Martha
Mooney
Sailor Universe
Macie
midlight bunny
alexz
Serenity Silvermoon
Silver Angel~~*Votes*~~
Legolas : 12
Elladan : 2
Elohir : 3
Frodo : 2
Merry : 0
Pippin : 0
~~*Ending Credits*~~
~~*(Disclaimer)*~~
Song of inspiration :
Celine Dion : The Greatest Reward
I don't own the LotR people, Serena or Helios. But I am the caretaker of the little hobbit children and any of the elven or men children that are mentioned by name.
~~*Help the Author*~~
Alright, I am unable to get any of my reviews that are on my story A Bed of Stars' new chapter. Oddly enough I do not think that they are really there. It's been about three days and they are not showing up in my stats page. So if they really are there I would be much obliged if someone would copy the reviews for Chapter 19 and send them to me vie Email.
Review, Thanks, and Goodnight:
~*~ SilverRose82 ~*~
