AN: This chapter is dedicated to Linmenel and Kitty because I can ; P And for those who love Alfirin, there will be more of her here and something is going to happen to her that, hopefully, will make some of you trying to strangled me. Unfortunately, I'm in this side of computer and you're on that side. What can I say? I'm a bit on the sadistic side. What's going to happen? Well, you just got to read to find out.
Chapter 7: Closed
The darkness greeted her as Firiel woke to find another day has begun. The poison has neutralised, she thought as she stood with ease. The only remnant of the incident was a dull throbbing pain on her face. She looked around; making sure that the elves was within her range and started to seek a figure amongst it. She gathered her robe, picked up her staff from the ground before starting another day travelling with the elves. And with each passing day, it brought her closer to her destiny. To Dol Guldur.
She shook as the wind blew; sending chill through her body, forcing her to gathered her robe closer. She had noticed the gradual coldness of the wood, felling it grew around her and she wondered at this. In the distant she could hear an elf talking. It was Legolas, she noticed. She walked swiftly towards Er-Galadh that did not seemed to notice her and heard amidst the talk a word mountain. She let out a gasp as the realisation sunk in. Mountains of Mirkwood were ahead of her. She was unprepared for this. Of all other obstacles that she must face, it was mountains ahead of her.
The gasp betrayed her presence as Er-Galadh turned around to saw the dark shadow behind him. Despite what he knew of her, she was still a shadow. Many part of her was still covered in it. The shadow was a part of her. It mirrored her heart, her soul. She was dark. And he wanted to see more beyond those shadow, the way he had seen beyond the hood. Yet he also realised that her darkness attracted him. She was of the shadow, of the night and it allured him, drawing him slowly into the web it contained within. The web of her past.
He must have looked at her for too long for she asked, "Is there anything you want to say, Er-Galadh?"
Er-Galadh looked at her, doubt stirred in his mind. This was his opportunity. It seemed that knowing her had thrown away any barrier that stood between them. He looked once at Legolas who started to move away with the rest of the elves. He walked along with the elves but close to Firiel before saying, "I wanted to know of who you truly are. You have not answered one of my questions last night. Who are you?"
"I am Firiel, apprentice of Radagast. There is nothing else you should know," she replied before asking, "Are we going to pass through the mountain?"
Er-Galadh looked at her as he noticed a note of fear in her voice. He wondered at this and said, "We will climb it for it is the fastest way to Dol Guldur but I do not think that you should come with us. The journey will be perilous and it seemed that you knew about it. Go back to the kingdom and you will be save. I fear for your safety."
Firiel laughed at the remark and said, "Fear for my safety? Hah! What folly. I knew about the danger of Mirkwood and I accepted the task."
"But you cannot protect yourself, should need arise," he argued.
"Do not underestimate me. I am a mage and therefore I can protect myself and perhaps even others. If not, I would not be here right now."
"You would have died if I do not help you." Er-Galadh still could not accept it.
"But I did not. The poison did not worked straight away. The orc that I faced was but a novice for the poison, should it injured its ally, could easily be removed. I could have tended it myself."
Er-Galadh fell silent. Seeing this, Firiel continued, "I am also a messenger and to end my task is to go back to my master, Radagast. I have a task to be done and I will conclude it. And I asked you not to reveal my identity to anyone. Promise me that for to do otherwise would only worsen the situation."
Er-Galadh walked in silence, contemplating her reply. He shook his head in despair and said, "Very well, I will keep your identity but promise me that you would never stay far away. I do not want to be responsible for your death."
"Fear not. Death will come unaided, even if I stay close with you and the rest of the elves." And with that she looked up to the mountain, looming high above them and wished that she could change the way. But the mountains met her nonetheless. Yet it was not death that she encountered there.
Soon the way got stepper and harder yet the amount of trees stayed constant. This bothers them not as the company climbed the mountain in the same pace. Being elves, they were light-footed and therefore find no problem in travelling through the mountain. They moved swiftly as the need to reached Dol Guldur pressed on to them.
But Firiel found the route hard and laborious but it was not the terrain that bothered her. Rather, it was the climate and the wind that blew through the trees that proved to be her greatest foe. Her body shook with every blow of wind and breathing was painful as the chill of the mountains greeted her. She was not prepared for this. In her haste, she had forgotten about the Mountains of Mirkwood.
In spite of that, she still did not relinquish her task. Her spirit was low but it was not defeated yet. She thought for a while, trying to find a way to overcome this predicament. The main problem was the weather and the solution for that was to wear more raiment. That was one of the solutions, yes, but there must be another way out. She looked at the horizon and wished that the mountain were not there. Wished that the terrain would soon come to pass.
Suddenly she gasped. She found the answer to her problem. Smiling secretly, she slowed her pace until she could stop without being noticed by Er-Galadh, or any elves that might be nearby, and watched until the elves were far away from her sight.
Summoning her power, she recited the old, ancient words, lost beyond the reach of mortal mind. Patiently, she watched as her body transformed slowly into a back bird and exulted as the magic enveloped her body, burning with unnatural heat. Heat that fed on her energy, draining it gradually. Nevertheless, it gave what she yearned for. It gave her warmth, enough to overcame the chill of the mountain though she knew the pall that would cost her should she abused it.
Quietly, she flew above the elves, keeping up with them with ease while watching for any foe ahead. The flight was fine with nothing within her sight when suddenly, the sky trembled in rage as the thunder shook the sky and lightning struck. Firiel flew closer to the elves, under the trees. Storm was approaching and it was not wise to fly high above the ground.
Fortunately, a cave was before them and they soon found shelter beneath it. Firiel shifted back into her true form. Her energy, she sensed was declining faster than what she had expected. Perhaps because of the last night incident, she thought as the chill enclosed her once more. And so, grudgingly, she walked towards the elves who were trying to create fire. A seemingly hopeless task, but it was done nonetheless for the elves inherited magic inside of them and it was only a matter of time before the fire shoot out from the wet branches.
Er-Galadh watched Firiel as she sat close to the fire. The light from the fire illuminated those around her but none touched even the point of her robe. The light ended before her and it looked as though the darkness followed her no matter where she went. He could saw her shivered ever so slightly even though the fire was close to her and he knew the cause immediately. She had used her magic, for what he could not tell, but he knew that she had used more than what she was meant to.
Suddenly he averted his gaze. He loathed himself for being so overtly concerned. He was worried when he could not see her along the way and thought that something might had happened to her. Yet he did naught, feeling that her well-being was not of his concern. His first priority was, after all, to the conflict ahead of him but his heart was in turmoil nevertheless.
Perhaps because he, as what he said, fear for her safety. She could defend herself and he had seen this when she had defeated the orc still he was worried nevertheless. And something about her rekindled his memory. She was familiar to him though he could not understand how or why.
The elves turned towards her immediately as she sat. Her presence came as a surprise to all the elves who were accustomed with her being but a mere shadow that followed them wherever they went. Her usual place beneath the darkness was a preferable situation and the elves subconsciously shifted away. She sighed but did not move. Not even when the elves had retreated to sleep save one who was to guard for the night, for she needed the warmth from the fire. Indeed she fell asleep without even realising it, still sitting in front of the dying embers.
Er-Galadh looked at the silent figure and was about to take his place to guard when he realised that Firiel was asleep, shivering from the chill of the wind. He smiled as he realised how much she reminded him of Alfirin and walked quietly so not to wake her up. He wound his arm around her, ready to pick her up and lay her on the side of the cave where the wind could not come.
The pained expression on her face changes as his body closed to hers, leaving a calm and peaceful appearance. A smile even adorned her face. A pure smile, something that Er-Galadh never saw from her for her smile was always those of mockery, of others but mostly of herself. He sighed as he remembered how Alfirin would have done the same. The only differences would be that Alfirin always mistaken his presence as that of her father.
A wind blew again but Firiel did not shivered. Amongst them Er-Galadh could hear, a sound calling softly as soft as the wind. And he saw her lip moved, slightly, sounding a silent word in his mind, "Father."
*****
Alfirin looked around. The day was nearly ending and the darkness that surrounded her thickened with every passing hour. She tried desperately to find any footprint from the elf but deep down inside, she knew that it was an impossible task. She was not skilled in hunting, let alone tracking an elf. She lost the elf soon enough for he travelled swiftly, faster than any other elves she had encountered in her life, save perhaps, her father and Er-Galadh.
She gave up. She could never find him and losing her hope, she decided to travelled back to the kingdom. And that's when she realised that she did not know which way back. She did not know where she was. She was lost. She did not watched her way, relying totally on her instinct on which way to go with a folly wish that she would found a footprint, sign, anything that would tell her the way to the elf. But now, she was utterly and completely lost.
Even as she thought so, thunder roar and lightning struck the earth, fore-telling the coming storm. Alfirin screamed out in surprise as a lightning struck a tree next to her, sending it falling towards the young elf. Yet she just stood there, numb and paralysed in fear. Her thought was jumbled, she could not understood anything that was happening.
All she could remembered thinking was to run away, but her legs seemed to have abandoned its use all together and refused to do her command. She simply watched, helpless, waiting for the tree to hit her with its monstrous might.
And all she could remembered was a sensation of being slammed down before everything turned painfully black.
Guys, I really need a name for the elf, so I don't have to call him…the elf! But I'm a complete idiot with making up names, so if anyone has any idea, could you plz tell me. I'm, as you can see, desperate…plz? Thank you.
Ok, it took 7 chapters, but…there you go. Way faster than any of my other stories. Hope you enjoyed it. I know it's really crap (this is not a self battering. My friend actually said so.) Flame me if you must but plz be polite about it. Many, many helpful criticism is very appreciated.
