Lex- thank you, I know I get mushy to every now and then
Fernvigiel- thanx for the suggestion. I'll most likely end up doing that for this chapter.
MY BETA- You rock I don't know what I would do with out you!!
Chapter 4 – In which much is revealed.
The next week seemed to pass by as if it were but a mysterious dream that I would wake from at any moment. I spent most of my time with Legolas trying, but failing horribly, to improve my archery skills. We would talk about the different things, though most of the time he wanted to hear all about the many machines in my world. I taught him some English words and phrases and wrote words out in the dirt with a stick, he picked things up quickly. I told him of my different ideas for novels I wished to write and of the one I was having published. He would sit there and listen to me talk, his eyes forever watching me. He seemed almost fascinated with the way I talked and acted, he told me that I was the boldest and loudest female he had ever met. Most of the girls of this Elvin forest were quite, soft spoken and timid around their men.
I got a different impression, many of the maidens I had talked to, had a sense about them that told me that they should never be underestimated. Milliki wasn't the only extremely skilled archer of the "fairer" sex. There was Eari (Seas), she had mastered the long knifes, Karne (Red), she knew how to kill using her own two hands. Then there was Milliki's apprentices (she only teaches girls) Laiqa (Green), Malina (yellow) , Neen (Water), Quelle (Early Autumn), they were the best next to their sensei. I got along very well with the warriors of my grandmère's regime.
I had the most fun with Legolas' younger twin brothers, even though their way of talking together at the same time saying the same thing always gave me goose bumps. I learned many things about the elvish way of life in those few days. I would spend many of my days with Legolas, Aragorn and the twins. I learned new songs and poems from the twins, small sword play from Aragorn, which I was surprisingly good at it and of course my love for Legolas grew in the time we spent we spent together. The only thing that seemed to nag at my brain and heart was that I didn't know his true feelings for me. True he was very affectionate but maybe that's all it was affection and not love. I tried to banish these thoughts from my head but they would never totally leave me, they still hung in the back of my mind.
*clang*
"Very good, Aranel (princess) Mena." Aragorn said as I blocked his attack.
"Thank you my lord Aragorn. Please my lord just call me Mena." I said as I attacked.
"It would be my pleasure to do so as long as you call me Aragorn or Strider." As he easily avoided my attack
"Oh yes the name you go by when your one of the Rangers." I said and took up the defensive position.
"Did Legolas tell you that?" he asked and returned his sword to its sheath.
"No, nobody did I read about it." I said with out thinking it wasn't until the words were out of my mouth that I realized what I had said.
"Read about it? How could you read about it? Only a select few knew about that name and the man behind it. You're a spy aren't you!?" he said and redrew his sword and was upon me before I could say anything holding the sharp blade to my throat.
"Aragorn!" Legolas cried as he grabbed hold of Aragorn's shoulder. "Stop she is not a spy!!! Are you?" He asked me with a look of confusion on the face.
"No I'm Not! Now well you get this mad man off me!?" I said threw clenched teeth and was tiring to push Aragorn's heavier weight off me.
Aragorn froze, his face went a deathly white. His withdrew his sword and got off me.
"I'm sorry Mena, I over reacted and I acted without thinkg, but I think you should tell us where you came from and how it is you know very secrete information." He said in a cold lifeless voice, it sent a chill down my spine.
I took a deep breath and stepped back. I had all their attention, the twins leaned in closely to hear better, not even Legolas knew how I had gotten to middle earth.
"Well I come from a place called Earth it is large and filled with many races of man and animal. There are no elves, or hobbits, or magic wizards, at least not any more. I am or was apart of a group of people who tried to bring that magic back to the land. We would gather together and act as if we lived in the ancient times of my world. We would have different themes for different occasions such as dragon slayer, a contest of arms. We would eat, drink and dance in the ways of our past. We would wear clothes that would tie us to a country or people of the time. I was on vacation with my family in Scotland, when I went to one of these gatherings. We were in secluded part of a forest. Theme for that night was fantasy subjects that had been made into movies and the like. There were goning to be mnay actors and actresses there from different movies, but the only things that came were the Nasgul. It wasn't until they killed, KILLED the first person that we realize something was wrong, and that's when I started running. I could hear the screams and the sound of the tearing of flesh behind me. I hope that my sister was able to get away, well I guess she isn't really my sister, but I still love her like one. Any way I had been running for a long time praying for help and trying not to be caught and the answer to that prayer came in the form of that cute elf over there. He brought me here and the rest is history. Now how I came to know about your history is that a man named J.R.R. Tolkein wrote a book. I know he is a seer in this world for my grandmère told me. He tells of the future of this place and the people here. I know about all of you except your twins, I don't remember you ever being mentioned. You all are so much better then the descriptions in Tolkein's books. Aragorn no matter what never let your love for Arwen falter, not that it ever would. Legolas, you were my favorite character, I love being here but some things are going to happen and I can't be here when they do it could screw up everything. I well not tell you anything else yet to come." I said and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
"A very wise decision, Aranel Mena O Lothlorien," A deep male voice said behind me.
I turned around to see and old man who was cloaked in grey, he had a long beard, grey robe, and a tall staff was gripped loosely in his left hand. A powerful energy surrounded him, He stood only a few feet away but I could still see the twinkle in his eyes.
"Hello Gandalf, welcome to Lothlorien." I said with a deep curtsey and a bowed head. If he had been startled at all by what I had said he kept it well hidden. The others bowed and said their greetings.
"Thank you,Gentlemen, I hope you don't know mind but I'm going to steal your lovely companion, we have to have a talk." Gandalf said as he took and hand and lead me away from the guys that I felt very secure with, but there was something very secure about the old man, that I found my self walking in step with him. We walked in silence, the only sound was our feet on the leaves that carpeted the forest floor. I had to lift the hem of the skirt of my dress to keep from tripping over the large roots. He stopped but my foot hept going and was caught on one of those large high roots I was trying to ignore.
"EPP!" *smack* OW!!!!!! That hurt!" I cried tears pouring down my face. I sat back on my heels a felt something warm run down my face. I wiped with the back of my hand, it was covered in blood.
"Oh…my…." And everything went black.
#$^!@#^
*tap tap*
I slowly drifted into an awake state.
I opened my eyes to the face of Gandalf. He was standing above me. I lifted a hand to under my nose the blood was gone and my nose felt a little sore.
"Welcome back Mena, don't scare me like that again." He said and scolded as he helped me up into a sitting position.
"So what is this all about?" I asked, the curiosity in me was almost over whelming.
"Well my dear, your great grandmother contacted me soon after you had arrived. Have they told you anything about your mother and father?"
"Not really, only that my father was banished and that my mother had disappeared. I know that my family adopted me, my mother had left me on their door step." I said on an off hand way.
"Ah I see, well I think that for your safety that you should know the truth. Your mother went to this other dimension that you Earth to escape your father's people. Your parents were deeply in love but forbidden to be together, your father was a descendant of one of the great kings of old, but because of his blood line he was considered tainted and unworthy of any daughter of Lothlorien. But despite the forces forbidding your parents love, they came together and in a moment of their purest love you were conceived. When your mother was found to be with child, this noble wood was filled with great joy. Your Father had left your mother to go tend to his ruin lands, he had promised to send for her and the child she carried but before he could, he was killed by his more trusted advisor and friend.
The advisor knew of your parents forbidden love, after he killed your father he started on his way to this wood. You were born only a few weeks after your father's murder, the great lady of this noble wood feared for your health, you were born too soon, two months too soon. She sent for the healers of this land, you were a very sickly child; three days after the healers arrived your father's murder appeared with four score of men.
Men who hated and despised elves. Your mother with the hope of saving you took the advice of Lamdly the Pink, one of my counsel and one of your healers. Lamdly gave to you mother the words that would send her and you into a safer place. But since your mother too was weak from early child birth, she only had the strength to send you away. She was later found by Kinderly the Purple, dead on the steps of your father's tomb." Gandalf's voice was flat and emotionless, his face bleak and expressionless.
I slowly took this in, I could feel my heart rising in my throat and tears bluring my vision. My breath came out in sobs and my throat seemed to be closing and cutting off my air supply. I stood up and ran off into the forest tripping and stumbling over roots. I head back in the direction that I thought I had come from. Everything was a blur but the trees seemed to be thinning and more light entered the wood. I suddenly stood in the middle of a dirt road.
*HONK!*
My hands flew up in front of my eyes to block the bright light of a car's headlights. I jumped out of the way of the speeding car. I did a few summersaults that laid me in a ditch; I could feel dirt and more blood on my face. I lay there sobbing. 'Bloody crazy driver…stupid car…Wait…a car? How can that be?' my confused mind thought.
"OI! Lass, are you alright? I saw you take that dive from the road." A light rough Scottish voice asked above me. I looked up; a bright light stung my eyes.
"Please turn the light off" I croaked.
"Sorry lass." The man said and the offensive light was gone. The man jumped down beside me. "Do you feel aright, do you think you broke anythang? Oi you're a sorry sight right now me girl. Do you know your name lass?" There was a deep frown creased on his forehead.
"Yes its Mena O Lothlorien…I mean Mena Salamander." I said in small voice, the use of my adopted name felt weird on my tongue.
"You're that missing girl aren't you? Your that girl they've been looking for for the past three weeks. Come on lass lets get you to a hospital, like I said you don't look to good and it well give us a chance to see if your really that young miss that's missing" The man said lifted me into his arms and carried me out of the ditch. He placed me in passenger seat in the front of his big truck. A large dog sat between the man and me, I couldn't determine it's species. As the trunk drove on I was lulled to sleep by the vibrations of the truck.
@#%!#45
(Somewhere in the forest of Lothlorien.)
"The lady has returned with knowledge of her past, my debt to her father has been paid. It is only unfortunate that she has gone with a heart filled with love that will be broken." A pale faced, violet eyed, Lavendar cloaked woman said and she used her tall oak staff to guide her through a maze of roots.
!@#%$%&$%
Legolas looked up from talking to Glorfindel to see Gandalf walk in to the clearing…alone. He looked expectantly behind the old wizard, but there was no sign of Mena's red hair or of the burgundy dress she wore.
"Where is Mena?" His voice was on the edge of panic.
"Calm down prince Legolas, She is safe. She has returned to her land." Gandalf said in a clam gentle voice.
A sob was torn from Legolas' throat. He sprang on the old wizard.
"You did it you sent her back to the place that was her hell!" Tears filled his eyes as he pounded his fist against the old man's chest. Aragorn was now the one who had to be the ref of the situation.
"Legolas let him explain! I know you have suffered a great loss but please calm down!" Aragorn said in a firm voice.
Legolas took a deep breathe and stepped away from both men.
"You have ten seconds to start talking old wizard! That was my love and future you sent away!" Legolas said, it was visible how hard he was trying to fight the urge to reek violence upon the old man.
"Legolas don't let anger cloud your mind! I had nothing to do with Mena returning to her home! It was Kinderly the Purple who spoke the spell that returned her to the place she had come from." Gandalf said and sat down on a tree stump.
"Why!? Dear valor why?! How could you let Kinderly do that!?" Legolas choked out.
"I didn't know what happened till I came a upon Kinderly while searching for Mena."
"Why wasn't she with you?" Aragorn asked in a calm voice.
"She had run off after I had told her about her parents. I thought she had headed back this way but when I say and talked to Kinderly I found it to be differently.
Legolas walked out of the clearing. The twins followed behind him to make sure he didn't do anything to stupid.
@#^%#^
"Oh Mena honey! Sweet heart!!!" My "mother" Crooned over me as I lay in a uncomfortable hospital bed. The normally white room was a multicolored feast of differently colored flowers. All of my adopted family was there, my mother, father, brother and my sister Rena, who had been able to escape the Nasgul. A large teddy bear lay on the bed with me.
I once again had to tell my story to them, and they like the doctors all thought I was crazy all except for my sister. She believed me.
End of Part One to be continued.