Chapter Fourteen

Kayla sighed as she rested against the door, looking up at the sky. The stars twinkled down brightly from the indigo expanse, light white puffs passing by overhead. She had to admit, the time she had spent in the Shire so far had been more than enjoyable, despite the tension that still existed between her and Midori. It was as if they couldn't find the words to at least attempt apologizing to the other. All they had done was exchange thinly veiled words and smouldering smarting glances.

"Perhaps this should wait until we get back home. It may be for the best after all." Kayla slipped her hands behind her head. "I don't think either of us can-"

Her words were cut off as the door was opened from the inside, leaving her to fall flat on her back. Looking up, she saw Bilbo's surprised face.

"Good gracious, what are you doing there?" Bilbo said helping her up. "You could have hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." Kayla said, resting against the doorjamb. "I have a hard head. It hasn't cracked on me yet." she knocked her head gently.

Bilbo nodded his head as he took a seat beside her and pulled out his pipe. "A fine night to relax, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Where are Frodo and Midori? I haven't seen them since," she paused thinking. "Elevensies."

"Probably out wandering throughout the Shire again." Bilbo filled up his pipe and lit it. "Those two do love the hills and trees of this place."

"It is rather nice." Kayla said. "I wish I grew up in a place like this."

"Where did you grow up? Not in a forest I presume?"

"No, no. I grew up in a city of men." Kayla paused, staring up at the sky. "Now don't get me wrong, cities can be very nice. The ones I grew up in however were squalid depressing places."

"Dear me, that doesn't sound very nice at all."

"You don't know the half of it Bilbo." she sniffed. "What's that you're smoking? It smells very nice."

"Pipeweed. Haven't you ever heard of it?"

"No."

Kayla watched as Bilbo rose and hurried off inside and came back out a few minutes later.

"You can try some if you like." he said handing her a pipe.

"This is a nice pipe." she said admiringly, noting the fine engravings and letterings. "Pass me some of the leaves."

"Here you go. Stuff it down tight now." Bilbo advised as he puffed away contently on his.

Kayla did so, taking the candle he had brought and lighted hers carefully. After a few minutes, aromatic smoke filled her mouth before she blew it out slowly. 'It's better than pot and it doesn't hurt my head.'

"How do you like it?"

"It's very nice Bilbo." she paused. "May I..." she held up the pipe with a questioning look.

"Of course. I have been meaning to find someone who wants it anyways."

"Thank you." she said before she took another slow puff. "We'll have to leave tomorrow, you know Bilbo."

"So soon?"

"We've been here three days now. We can't stay any longer."

"Not even for one more day?"

"Sorry Bilbo. We should leave tonight but I figure that a fresh start in the morning is better." she gave him a grin. "That way, we can at least have dinner with you."

"I suppose you're right." he sighed. "People expecting you?"

"Galadriel and Celeborn, our parents. I would imagine that Celeborn has worried all his hair out by now. We've been gone for almost half a year now." even now, she could still recall the look of worry on her father's face when she proposed they leave ahead of schedule.

"Heavens, you should go home and see them." Bilbo said. "You never know when you'll see a loved one again. And make sure you don't do anything you regret. Now, don't go getting mixed up in things you may not understand. More often than not, it leads to an adventure."

"That's some good advice Bilbo." Kayla paused. "Man, those two have been gone a long time."

"They'll come back, don't worry." Bilbo patted her on the arm. "I believe Frodo can't quite easily give up his feather pillow and comfortable bed."

"Neither could I." Kayla chuckled. "Speaking of which, what do hobbits do during the winter?"

"Not much. We get gifts for one another, sometimes we decorate a tree."

Kayla inhaled sharply, smoke rushing down her lungs. She coughed a few times to clear her throat. "Seriously?"

"Yes. I don't know if Elves do the same thing or not." Bilbo shrugged. "Are you all right? You look a bit pale."

Kayla smiled as she took another slow puff. "I'm fine Bilbo. I just didn't think that...oh never mind. You know," Kayla said. "I could stay here for the rest of my days."

"Many have said that." Bilbo said as he took a final puff and emptied out the ashes from his pipe. "Make sure you have those two close the door behind them."

"I will. Good night Bilbo. And make sure you sleep; no working on your book tonight."

"All right, all right. You can hassle as much as Lobelia!" Bilbo said with a chuckle as he went in. "Good night."

Kayla watched as he walked in, his hand slipping into his pocket to turn something around and around. She narrowed her eyes, feeling a strange sensation course through her; she felt as if she knew what was in that pocket, as if it...belonged to her somehow. She shook her head to clear away her thoughts, returning to puffing away on her pipe. She must have been loosing it. 'I'm starting to develop schizophrenia. Voices and thoughts that are most certainly not mine.'

"I warned you my Lady."

"Forobas!" she stared as she jumped up, hand flying to her hilt. "Jesus, don't sneak up on people like that! You could get stabbed or something worse!"

"Forgive me." his shadowy figure bowed slightly before the cloaked head shifted slightly. "Old Toby."

"Pardon?" she looked at him puzzled.

"The leaves that you are smoking, they are called Old Toby; one of the Shire's best."

"You know a lot Forobas." she chuckled as she sat back down. "You were saying something before?"

"I warned you to not listen to him for a good reason. Annatar is a dangerous person."

"How so? He helped me that day Forobas. I most certainly didn't see you there anywhere."

"I cannot enter the Barrow Downs." his voice sounded bitter and regretful. "The wights have trapped me there numerous times, for years on end, centuries even."

"Did you neglect to mention that before?" she asked in an amused and arched eyebrow. "Don't worry about it. You do what you can, and that's what matters."

"Please, my Lady, believe me when I say to not trust Annatar. He seems to be the bearer of good things. Like his curing you of your fear of water, as well as showing you a bit of magic."

"Then what is so bad about him? People have been saying he's bad and hinting at things that I know nothing about. If you people told me, then I would make a rational decision."

"My Lady, Annatar is a great deceiver. He is one and the same as-"

"You'll have to tell me that tale again Midori."

"Maybe when I come back Frodo. It would appear that both hobbits and Elves share a great love for tales."

Kayla sighed then looked back to where Forobas was, only to find air. 'He sure moves fast.' She turned back and remained seated there contently.

"Good evening Kayla." Frodo said as he approached. "Enjoying a pipe are you?"

"Yes. Quite good actually. I was feeling somewhat restless." she glanced up at Midori who had smudges of dirt on her face as well as Frodo. "And what were you two up to all day?"

"Exploring the Shire." Midori replied in a guarded voice.

"You should have come with us Kayla. You could have met Pippin and Merry." Frodo said.

"His cousins. Long explanation." Midori filled in.

"Where's Bilbo? He's not in his study working is he?" Frodo asked, looking into the dark window.

"I told him to go and get some rest. He looked like he could use it."

"Well, it's about time. Sometimes he stays up all night, working until he falls asleep."

"Your uncle will be fine Frodo." Midori said, touching his shoulder gently. "Now, I for one and going to rest. There is a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"I know." Frodo said somewhat sadly. "I still say you should have come back here instead of coming to the tavern with me."

"That was not a problem."

"If you say so. Good night Kayla."

"Good night Frodo." Kayla paused as Midori started in after him. "What's up with you? You act nice with everyone else, but you're Queen Bitch with me." she said in a quiet voice.

Midori paused, looking at Kayla before she looked away and continued in, closing the door behind her. Kayla took a thoughtful puff as she mulled over the emotions flashing in Midori's eyes. There was anger, oh yes; it still burned there, still as fresh as it must have been all those years ago. But a glimmer of poignant sadness was there too. She sighed as she continued to puff away at the pipe leisurely. She felt like staying outside in the open air tonight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kayla took a deep breath, filling her lungs. "The river is close. We're almost home." she said as she urged Sleipnir forward. It would be nice to take a break after doing so much for so long. She hadn't realized it, the nip that was in the air now as well as the faint gleaming of ice on the ground in the early morning. Winter was going to be here soon; she was glad they were watching the south and able to remain in Lothlórien.

She smiled slightly, recalling Bilbo's words to her and Midori as they saddled up. 'Don't go getting mixed up in things you may not understand. More often than not, it leads to an adventure.' She shook her head, trying to not laugh and garner more looks from Midori. Her face sobered up as she remembered whole time en route here. They hadn't talked beyond necessary, sharing a campfire and doling out food. And even those few words were tense enough to halt any sort of talk that they might have come up with.

She watched as the trees came closer and closer, passing through the small river until they were underneath the cool shading foliage, the sun winking out through the canopy leaves. Looking up, she saw Midori glance at her before she looked back ahead, spurring Kuroi on faster. 'We're going to the same city. You can't escape me that easily.' The rest of the journey continued on in silence, even when they reached the outskirts and waved to the guards in the upper watch flets.

"Here come the greetings." Kayla muttered in exasperation as she spied the runner moving through the tree branches, ahead of them.

"Hm. Aa' ron naa ai." Midori said in a quiet voice.

'May they be short indeed. I don't want to sit through the niceties now. I want another bath.' Kayla sighed as they made their way to the eastern side gate, dismounting when they saw a small crowd of people. That bath suddenly seemed farther. She held Sleipnir's reins as the crowd parted and Celeborn and Galadriel came out. She watched as Midori handed Kuroi over to a handler and walked up to greet them with a hug and a kiss. 'The dutiful daughter.' She handed the reins over as well, giving Sleipnir a look that said to not act up as she walked up to them, nodding to the others there, glancing at Midori who was standing beside Celeborn.

Galadriel, Celeborn, it's good to see you again." she leaned forward and gave them a kiss on the cheek. "Maybe later we can catch up? I would like to clean off the grime."

"As you wish Arlonniel." Galadriel said as they started into the upper levels. "You certainly do smell as if you have been traversing all of Middle-Earth."

"Please, don't remind me." Kayla said with a grimace. "But it does make you appreciate baths and such more often."

"I would imagine so. When you are done, you will find me by my mirror. I believe there is something of great importance that we should discuss."

"What about?"

Galadriel looked at Kayla. "Things of the mind more than war and such."

"Very well." Kayla said with a nod. 'She knows.'

"Go and have your bath." Galadriel said with a gentle smile as she paused at a hallway juncture. "Then we shall talk and alleviate your small problem."

"Thank you...Mother." she whispered as she made her way down the left.

She glanced back to see Midori still immersed in near silent conversation with Celeborn, the laminated paper between their hands. She narrowed her eyes before she strode down the hallway, feeling anger, and a flash of something else, in her heart. She hadn't spent nearly as much time with Celeborn and yet she was showing him something that was obviously so intimate? She stalked off to the bath, stripping down and sinking into the nice hot water, as she rested her head on the towel. Now wasn't the time to deal with Midori's little hang-ups. But she was starting to become more than irritated with them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With a languid stretch, Kayla made her way through the empty courtyard. She had to admit, she felt a weight had been lifted off of her. No more did she feel an incessant niggling in the back of her mind. And for once, when she had accidentally bumped into Midori, there was no viperous voice with a vicious retort. She was freed. 'This certainly makes some things easier for me. I can freely talk to Midori...if we ever talk again.' She paused, watching her slippers move through some of the fallen mallorn flowers. It seemed like she and Galadriel had that talk last night but it was simply a week ago. ever since then, whenever she went to look for Midori, she was either down at the river doing something or she was out on the flets with the rest of the guard, keeping vigilant watch. 'Perhaps I should go on the watch. It's almost nightfall and more eyes are better.' Smiling to herself, she headed to her room quickly and changed into her Ranger clothing and taking up her lochaber before she made her way through the upper levels to the southern most flets. What pleased her most now was that Haldir wasn't following them around all the time. In fact, she hadn't seen him at all, only once when she was making her way to the library. She hummed a tune gently as she approached the flet, seeing some silhouettes in the darkening night sky, halting when she heard a quiet voice.

"What is it?" Midori's voice held a tinge of curiosity.

"Lembas." Haldir sounded as if he wanted to chuckle. "Would you like to try some?"

"Yes, thank you." the sound of chewing came a few seconds later. "It tastes good."

She paused as the sounds of contented eating came before a slight 'twang' sound came.

"Haldir," Midori's voice was amused. "Your bow is fine. Don't worry."

"If you wish."

"Haldir!" a quiet voice suddenly came from the side. "Orcs!"

Kayla moved forward slowly, as she heard all the Elves present grasp their weapons. She started forward as she spied the others moving along the branches, some slithering down the ropes and moving silently across the ground. She grasped her hold on her lochaber, about to start forward when she saw Haldir and Midori's figures still there.

"My bow shall sing with your sword." Haldir said as he drew and arrow and notched it.

"Wait!" she hurried out to catch up to them as they turned to look at her. "I just got here."

"There are Orcs here." Midori said as she twirled her sword around once. "Put your lochaber to good use."

Kayla nodded as they ran through the flets right up to the edge of Lothlórien's forests. She looked out in the twilight, seeing the large ragtag band of creatures that were approaching quickly and stealthily. Even for such large and ungainly creatures, they were covering a great amount of distance. She looked at the rows of archers at her level and on the ground, their bows taut and waiting for the enemy to come within striking range. She twirled her axe around as she readjusted her grip on it, waiting for them to come. She glanced over at Midori who was staring intently out at the Orcs who were drawing closer, her face devoid of anything. Faster and faster, the Orcs came until with a silent command from Haldir, the arrows went flying to sink home in flesh.

She leapt down with Midori and charged right in with the rest of the Guard, their the swords and arrows flying thick as her axe chopped and hacked away in large swings felling most of the Orcs that dared to try and cut her down. 'There's more than I thought there would be.' Her axe started moving even faster now, the mithril gleaming as it sank in and slid out wetly, the black blood dripping off of its blade. She could see some of the few Elves around her that fell to the Orcs relentless attack being pulled away by their comrades. Then she caught a glimpse of Midori fending off five Orcs who couldn't seem to hit her. She moved like water, leaving their weapons to hit the other as her own sword did its own damage.

Gritting her teeth, she gave a yell and started to bash her way through the Orcs, hearing her opponents' cries become shrieks of pain. After what seemed like an eternity, the few remaining ones fled, back in the direction of the faint mountains towards the south. Her arms were slightly weary from constant swinging and jerking in addition to the shock when teh blade connected with bone; she let the axe rest on the ground before she wiped it clean on the shirt of one of the fallen.

"You surprise me, Lady Arlonniel." Haldir said as he walked up to her. "I had thought an axe to be a most...Dwarvish weapon."

She simply nodded her head." Depends on who's using it."

"Come. Let's get the wounded back to the city. They might try to come back again." Midori said.

"Keep watch for any other party." Haldir said to the others as he hoisted up one of the injured. "We shall take the wounded to the city."

Kayla looked back at the injured Elves. "All right."

She hitched he lochaber on her belt and walked up to one of the men, looking him over. 'Broken leg. Just my luck.' She looked around and spied to sticks. Grabbing them, she ripped a piece of cloth from her shirt and bound it up tightly before she picked the man up and started back towards the city. Glancing over, she saw Midori carrying a man back piggy back style.

"What did you get?" she asked in a silent voice.

"Head trauma."

Kayla nodded as she focused on her quick steps, Midori's curt words with her fuelling her irritation. 'This is bloody ridiculous.' She looked up as they entered through the soldiers' entrance, the infirmary a few feet away. She relinquished the man to the woman who told her to lay him down on the bed. Her part was done now, and she could wash the black blood off of her; it stank and was extremely sticky. She started down the hallway but hesitated and looked back. There was Midori, leaning against the wall, looking at the sword blade in her hand.

"Midori," she said as walked back and stopped in front of her. "What the hell is it?"

"What?" Midori looked at her with somewhat dead eyes. "Nothing, it's nothing."

"Nothing my ass. You avoid me like I am the Plague. When we do have to work together on something, you act like I am the worst thing that happened to you!"

"You would never understand. You haven't been through what I have." Midori said as she pushed off from the wall and started to leave.

"You think that you can escape this by avoiding me altogether?" Kayla grabbed her arm and turned her back around.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Midori hissed as she whipped her arm away.

"You can't escape me Midori. I'm always going to be here. I live here now, as do you! We are kin, so if something is bothering you, the least you could do is have the decency to tell me rather than leave me in the dark whilst you illuminate everyone else!"

"What would you know, what could you possibly understand of me and my life?" Midori said as she shot Kayla a dirty look. "I have never trusted the people of where you grew up. I never liked them to begin with. You thought I would like you immediately when we found out we were kin."

"I never said that!" Kayla retorted.

"You thought it!" Midori snapped back. "You wanted the whole true family after so many years of not knowing of who you were and where you came from."

"Don't give me that shit! I accepted where I was, I knew I had to make the best of it!"

"Sticking it out with the barbarians wasn't good enough for you, was it?" Midori snarled. "You and those people are all the same, ever since the dawn of their wretched 'civilization'. You move across like locusts, devouring all that the area has before moving on and leaving the people there destitute!"

"Liar! We did what any people would do! We lived as best we could. When our crops, horses, and such were taken, we went and got them back. Do you know how many winters I nearly starved to death?! We had to expand in order to survive. That was not a fun place to grow up in! People would have killed for a scrap of bread!"

"And yet you could still find the means to wage war on increasingly bigger scales. Do you know how many of my people you killed over the course of nearly five hundred years since you came? War was and is inherent to their nature; it is inherent to your nature!" Midori advanced on her, her hand gripping her sword tightly. "You came in and tried to tell us what to do, how to dress, how to run our country. And when we said no, you whined and stamped your foot like spoiled brats!"

"What do you expect?! You couldn't settle an argument by yourselves and when things seemed hopeless, you simply killed yourselves to escape it!"

"How dare you speak of seppuku like that gaijin!" Midori's hand twitched. "You knew nothing of us, of our mentality. I could have killed myself many times! I could have killed myself after I failed to live up to my adopted father's expectations of me. I could have after I failed to deliver a crucial message on time and caused the death of a town. I could have after I failed to protect my second adopted family and they all died at soldiers' hands. I could have after...after I....after I was violated. But I didn't, so you have no right to go around saying that I jump to conclusions!"

"Aren't you one to talk!" Kayla shot back. "Here you are judging me on whom I grew up with. Did you ever think to find out what I was really like?"

"I did." Midori eyes narrowed. "That's the one thing that saved your life in Dublin gaijin. I thought that perhaps there had to be a reason for you pulling that trigger. It's why I talked to you."

"What?"

"I decided to wait, to learn of the 'great' culture that you came from to see if it had changed any. It hadn't. It was still the same greedy, dominating, imperious force it had always been. I thought, hoped, you were different."

"What the hell? I am different, I was never like that. I have no desire to-"

"Don't you lie to me!" Midori snarled as she grabbed Kayla's tunic and pulled her close to her face. "I've heard you in your sleep. That little friend of yours. Then you asked me of Annatar. I am no fool; I can put two and two together. You are up to something. You are just as sneaky, cunning and deceitful as all the others; you were that day in Edo, protesting your innocence whilst his blood lay spilt on the ground."

'Edo...' Kayla grabbed her wrists, nails sinking in as she attempted to pry Midori's hands free. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I can see through the screen....Alice Merritt."

Her eyes widened slightly as she heard the name uttered; one of her much older names. "How did you-"

"How could I forget those accursed eyes of yours, and that disgusting flaming hair; it stood out so well in the alleyway." Midori's eyes started to tear up rapidly. "It was you who pulled that trigger."

"What trigger?" she asked finally wrenching free as she pulled the neck of her tunic loose.

"In that alleyway. You are the one who stole his life away when it was far from his time!"

Kayla paused as it all started to come together. "Midori, you don't understand, it wasn't-"

"No more will I listen to your lies!" she drew her sword and turned the edge out. "It was you who killed my son!"

Kayla stumbled back as Midori charged towards her, the tip aimed right for her heart. She blocked it with her hastily drawn axe but fell to the ground from the force of the blow, the axe skittering out of her hand. She looked up helplessly as Midori drew the blade again and shielded her face with crossed arms as the blade started down in an arc. When she heard a clattering sound, she looked up to see Haldir holding Midori back, the katana resting by her feet. She felt immobile as she saw the tears streaming down her sister's face, her broken words lost in heart wrenching sobs. She watched as Haldir locked his arms around her more securely and started to drag her away. Kayla blinked as she heard her sister's curses fall upon her ears, incomprehensible, her eyes tearing up suddenly. She looked around seeing a small crowd talking amongst themselves, glancing and pointing at her. She scrambled up and grabbed her axe, running away from them. She didn't stop until she was back out at the southern most flets, alone in the dark of the night.

"How could she think me capable of murder?" she gasped as she collapsed against a tree. "I never killed him. I only wanted to help him. I didn't even know..."

She never imagined that stepping into that alleyway and finding a gun and a dying man would come back to haunt her in such a way. She remained there for a few more minutes before she rose and stole back into the city. Heading to her room, she packed a few things before pausing to write a brief note to Galadriel and Celeborn. She walked through the hallways until she spied a servant close to their quarters, leaving him with explicit instruction to give it to them immediately. 'Don't be that mad at me please.' She made her way down to the stables and saddled Sleipnir quickly before she started away from Caras Galadhon. 'Forgive me Midori, I never knew you were hurting that much.'

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Weary, Kayla looked up to see the dark trees approaching finally. 'I thought I would never reach here. I hope he'll let me stay for a bit. At least until she feels better and can stomach seeing me again.' She urged Sleipnir on, entering into the thick and close trees. She had been on the road again for at least four days now of hard riding.

"Easy, easy, just follow where I lead you." she said as the horse skittered away from the direction she wanted to go in. "I have been through these woods enough."

The heavy silence pressed all around as she threaded her way through the grasping roots and low branches. After what seemed like an eternity, the darkness started to lighten up until she caught familiar glimpses of flowers and trees. She wheeled Sleipnir around towards the east until she came upon a small group of grooms standing by the stable doors, talking easily. When they finally spied her, they rushed over to help her.

"What happened to you? Were you attacked?"

"No." she said wearily, realizing she still had on the same blood-stained clothes. "It is a long story and I would much rather telling it after I have bathed and rested for a bit."

"Shall I inform Prince Legolas of your arrival now?" the groom asked.

"Is the hour late?" she shook her head as he nodded. "Simply show me to a room and inform him in the morning. I am sure the Prince, as well as the King, has his hands full at the moment with out having to deal with me again."

"As you wish. If you will follow me." the groom said as he started up the flight of stairs.

Kayla followed him up, glad to not see any curious eyes or surreptitious whispers. She nodded her head in thanks as she was shown to the same room that she had been in last time. The bed looked the same with the crisp covers and fluffed pillows. The fine curtains hung by the window allowing for the breeze to pass through. She walked out onto the balcony, looking around.

"Forobas?" she called out hesitantly. "Are you there?"

She sighed and closed her eyes as no response came. It seemed as if everyone was against her now. She made her way down to the baths and stripped, the warm waters soothing her achy muscles. She sat there, staring at the ceiling blankly. She shouldn't have confronted Midori like that. But how was she to know that something like that would have come out? All she had wanted was an answer as to why Midori seemed to pretend as if she didn't exist.

"Well," she said in a shaky voice as tears started to run down her face, hot and fast. "I have my answer now don't I?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~