A/N: This is where I ask you, the readers for your input. I write this fic with you guys in mind, and I think it only fair that you have a say in the events to come. So, here's the million dollar question:
I'm gonna wait for about three weeks to a month so you all can think it over and have your say . After that, I start writing up a bloody storm. Thankies, you guys are great, especially with all the encouraging reviews. And speaking about reviews……
Replies to Reviews:
Niffers: I see forgiveness as something that is double edged and requires much soul
searching in something like Midori's matter (wink wink, nudge nudge, hint hint). I'm glad you
like the story; there's more drama and stuff to come. As to the Leggy-mancing, I'll leave you to
be the judge. ^_~
phoebemoon: I didn't see your question as stupid; it's perfectly valid. Does he? Does
she? Sorry to do this (I hate this too, but, please, try to see why it's necessary; damn dramatic
purposes ^^;;), but you have to wait and see. But there will be plenty of fight scenes in the
future; one pretty soon in fact…I hope that appeases you somewhat. ^^;;
Right of Blood
Chapter Twenty
Kayla took a deep breath, the familiar scent of mallorn flowers greeting her nose; it felt good to be back in Lothlórien after so long an absence. She urged Slepnir on further, wanting nothing more than to see the places she had come to love.
"Behave yourself." she said as she passed through the first fringes of the guards in the flets. "I'm going to head up and see what's been happening. Just go on to the city. You know where the stables are." she said as she dismounted.
She wrote out a quick note on a piece of scrap parchment before she dismounted and sent the horse off with a brisk smack to the hindquarters. Slepnir gave a short-tempered snort before trotting off. Kayla smiled to herself before she walked on a bit, finding the rope ladder a few feet away. She climbed up quickly, surveying around; the few guards looking at her before they resumed their vigilant watch. Kayla walked through, trying to find someone who was on their break.
"Can I help you, my Lady?"
She turned, seeing a fair haired man leaning against a tree trunk. "Yes, I just got back. I was wondering if you could fill me in on what's been happening…"
"Rumíl," he said with a slight inclination of his head. "Where should I start my Lady?"
"At the beginning." she said, furrowing her brows; maybe it was just her, but Rumíl's appearance…
"Is something amiss?" Rumíl asked, peering at her with an arched eyebrow.
"No…it's just that you look somewhat like Haldir." she said waving a hand. "But it's all right ."
Rumíl smirked slightly. "Haldir is my brother, as is Orophin. But you wanted to know what has happened, correct?"
"Yes." Kayla cleared her throat. "I've been away for awhile."
"Indeed. Everyone remembers that night." Rumíl said before he paused for a moment. "Not much has really happened, aside from more attacks on the forest from Orcs from the Black Land. They come with beasts that have long been thought forgotten. Six attacks have come in all…they seemed to have stopped for a while."
"But I thought there had been…" she trailed off." Never mind, six attacks, all right. How many did we lose?"
"Not many, though many were injured." Rumíl paused as he looked at her with a tilted head and slightly curious expression. "You know, you do not seem so."
"Seem so what?"
"Haldir says you have a tendency to be rash."
"And he has a tendency to be cold." Kayla said with a shrug. "I'm surprised that we even managed to talk."
"Don't like him, huh?"
"No. I mean no offence to your family, but Haldir seems to not be much fun…if you get my meaning. Is he always so serious?"
Rumíl nodded with a huge grin. "That has been Haldir since the day he was born. Women seem to like it though. And he likes women."
"Haldir?" Kayla blinked a few times in surprise at the tone in Rumíl's voice. "Haldir of Lórien? Mr. Uptight? With a woman? Are you sure we're talking about the same Elf?"
"The same Elf. Though, he has been acting rather strange."
"I can't believe my ears. What's wrong with him now?"
Rumíl shrugged. "I have no idea my Lady. He seems irritable, despondent, like there's something wrong."
Kayla shook her head. "Well, he's your brother. Do some digging, ask around; you're bound to find out the reason." she paused. "Rumíl…is Midori…you know, is she still here?"
"Here, here?" Rumíl paused. "No, her last watch was about a week ago. I haven't seen her since ."
"All right, thanks. I think I'll take off now and go see Mother and Father." she gave him a smile. "Is Orophin like you?"
"Yes, some what. Why?"
"Oh, no reason at all. I'll see you around." she said in farewell as she started back towards the rope ladder.
She climbed down rapidly, landing noiselessly on the ground before she started off towards the city; it wasn't that far in, only about a mile from the border. A sense of new contentment washed through her as she approached the city, but it felt different this time, as if it was lacking in something. She brushed it aside as the scent of food reached her nose; it seemed that dinner time was soon. She made her way up into the flet she called home, pausing to make sure a servant set a place at the dinner table for her before she went to her room. 'Back…back home.' She sighed as she grabbed a robe and headed down to the baths, scrubbing herself clean in a rapid amount of time. 'Maybe I should just eat later.' She laughed as the thought vanished as quickly as it had come; like that was going to happen. She was halfway to her room now; all she had to do was change and head down to eat.
"Think I'm doing more running around here than when I was at Mirkwood." she muttered as she did up the ties on her dress and slid her feet into her slippers.
She hurried down the hallway, making her way to the dining chamber. Opening the doors she smiled as she saw Galadriel and Celeborn seating themselves at the table. "I hope I'm not too late." she said as she took the place set for her beside Galadriel, noting only three places.
"We weren't expecting you until late this evening," Celeborn said. "But it is good that you are home early."
"Wouldn't miss dinner for the world," she said grinning. "Smells like venison tonight."
"Indeed." Galadriel looked at her as the entrée was brought out. "You had no problems returning?"
"None. Had to avoid a few patrols, but otherwise it was very uneventful." she looked between Galadriel and Celeborn. "Where's my sister?"
"Carardaiel has gone off once more." Celeborn shook out his napkin rather briskly. "Off to Erebor and the Dwarves once more."
Kayla looked at Galadriel with a hesitant expression. "Okay. Um…may I ask why she went off again?"
"She received a message a week ago and left the same night." Galadriel said. "And no one knows what it says, for it is written in Khuzdûl."
"You mean no one knows anything about Dwarves?" Kayla looked between them again. "Nothing at all?"
"We see it as nothing as no consequence. Long has there been hostility between Elves and Dwarves."
"Well, it had to start somewhere, right?" Kayla finally spread the napkin over her lap and helped herself. "Where did it start?"
Kayla immediately regretted her words as a tense silence descended around the dinner table, the gentle sounds of forks and knives accenting the silence and making the situation worse. She felt as if she had gone across some line and didn't know how she could cross back over it; she didn't even know if she could.
"So," she cleared her throat. "What's been happening in Lothlórien lately?" she asked, trying to move away from the awkward silence. "Anything interesting besides the usual?"
"Nothing beyond the battles." Celeborn said quietly.
Kayla didn't' say anything for a few minutes, taking in the expression on his face. "I'm sorry Father. Whatever it is, I didn't mean to…" she stopped as Celeborn held up a hand.
"It is not your fault; you know nothing of what passed between Elves and Dwarves. Suffice it to say, this is a topic I do not like to discuss."
"I understand." she said nodding her head. "Though, I never understood the fascination of dank smelly holes in the ground."
Celeborn gave her a small smile. "It is quite difficult to comprehend."
"You two should talk more often." Galadriel said more demurely. "It is quite interesting to see you talk."
"Thanks Mother." Kayla said with a smirk. "I'll try more in the future."
The atmosphere eased around the table as easy conversation came back once more. Kayla ate and talked, glad that the situation hadn't been completely irreparable. 'But I still don't know about my own heritage, my own past.'
The quiet rustle of pages turning broke the silence in the library. Kayla reached over for the small cup she had with her, taking a sip. She had immersed herself in the aged pages since the sun had risen into the sky and showed no sign of stopping. Lothlórien had a rather interesting history, as did the rest of this land, called Middle-Earth. She sighed and stretched as she looked down at a page.
"This is actually getting good." she turned the page, hissing as the paper cut her finger. "Tanya reena' naa maeg [1]." she muttered as she sucked on it.
"It is nice to see that you put my gift to good use."
She whirled around, overturning the chair to find a pit of black shadow in a corner. "Forobas, " she sighed as she picked up the chair. "You shouldn't do that to a person." she sat down. "I thought you were still with Midori."
"Circumstances dictated it would be best that I keep my distance from your sister." Forobas replied in a wry voice.
"What happened?" Kayla asked, motioning that he should come closer.
Forobas glided closer. "She is no fool when it comes to magic. She very nearly dissipated this body you see before you."
"She almost killed you?!" Kayla looked at him sharply. "Sut, e' i' essa en' i' Valar, tanya waanaya [2]?"
Forobas remained silent for a moment. "I misjudged a situation between her and someone. I came to her aid and she turned on me."
Kayla rubbed her forehead. "You didn't tell her who you were, did you?"
"I tried. She wanted nothing to do with me." Forobas lapsed into a momentary thought. "I do not think she is treading a wise path with that one."
"With who?"
"Haldir."
Kayla's eyebrows nearly flew off her face. "Haldir? Jesus, I leave for a bit and she digs herself into a hole. Can I ask how deep this hole is?"
"Fairly deep at the moment."
"Ai ya," she looked at the book. "And I should be finding this out from her, not from you. She probably still hates my guts."
"Do not give up hope, arwenamin [3]." Forobas said. "The ties of blood are strong and cannot be easily broken."
"Says you." she muttered, good-naturedly.
"No; so says experience." he countered with an amused tone. "Enough of your sister's tangled complicated love life; what are you reading?"
"Uh," she glanced down at the page. "Something about an Elf, who went renegade and joined up with Sauron in the Second Age, I think that's what it says."
"Ah…the Lay of Tiriheledh." Forobas murmured. "It was in the Second Age. She was a Moriquendi ."
"Tiriheledh…I'll have to admit it, Elves have some interesting names. "How did you know Tiriheledh was a she? You read the tale before?"
"No. She was one of Saranawen's apprentices who wanted power," Forobas sounded bitter. "So much power that she had to go to Sauron to achieve her goals."
"You were one of Saranawen's apprentices?" Kayla nodded her head as she thought. "What was it like?"
"Nothing spectacular, a lot of memorization and practice." he shrugged. "I should have seen it ; Tiriheledh was always asking Saranawen to teach her something new, something more potent, more dangerous."
"It's all right Forobas; you couldn't have realized her true motives." she closed the book. "How about you tell me, instead of me reading?"
"I suppose. The account in there is highly…"
"Wrong?"
"Misleading." he stated. "It's why most Elven parents hope their child doesn't have red hair; it's viewed as a bad omen. Because of Tiriheledh."
Kayla looked at her hair in surprise; red hair was a bad omen? "Heh, maybe that explains the current situation between me and Midori."
Forobas shook his head. "Red hair is extremely rare amongst Elves. They say it is the legacy of Melkor. It is seen as a bad omen true, but as the child grows, it can either be a bane or a curse."
"Oh that's nice; pick between a rock and a hard place." Kayla sighed. "It's all genetics anyways." she said in a nonchalant voice. "So, are you going to tell the story or not?"
"For one so old, I thought you would have patience by now." he scolded. "I'll tell you the basics of it; the entire tale is long enough."
"I usually do; stories are a different matter." she grinned at him.
Forobas chuckled before he cleared his throat. "Tiriheledh was a gifted apprentice; it was from watching her that I wanted to become one as well. To become an Istar [4] was something one rarely did in those days; now it isn't even considered. She could do the most beautiful things and create works of fear and anxiety to strike down our enemies. She was reaching her pinnacle when she started to dabble in the most forbidden and esoteric of magical arts. Saranawen found out and forbade her to continue. Tiriheledh listened for a time, but found that it had a hold on her, that pulled her back time and time again. She became consumed by her studies of the arcane and…"
"And?" Kayla asked eagerly.
"One moment," Forobas said. "When one has been drifting aimlessly for many centuries, memories can become rather dusty."
Kayla watched as Forobas' black shape fluttered gently in the breeze, betraying nothing. She looked out the window with a smile, glad for the breeze; she could smell spring and renewal in it . She closed her eyes, savoring the scent, before something sour reached her nose; it smelled like-
"Arwenamin [3]?"
She broke out of her reverie, focusing her attention back on Forobas. "She was studying the arcane; then what?"
"Tiriheledh was found out. She and Saranawen battled, before she was defeated. Saranawen banished her from Lórien to survive on her own. Nothing is know about Tiriheledh at that point until she reappeared by Sauron's side as his advisor. Sauron was trying to bring darkness onto the world again in the Second Age and Tiriheledh was helping him achieve that."
'How could an Elf wizard die?' Kayla paused as she heard Celeborn's demanding tone in the back of her mind. 'We are trying to find out who my Lord.' She frowned for a moment at the unfamiliar voice. It was probably just her mind trying to come up with some far-fetched theory.
"After the attack on Lórien, all knowledge of Tiriheledh vanished, as did she. No one knows what happened to her even to this day. Sauron stopped with his attempts and has remained quiet until now."
Kayla remained silent for a few minutes absorbing what Forobas had said. "That was a pretty good story. I can just imagine what that battle must have been like."
"Terrible and impressive no doubt." Forobas looked at the book. "Be wary of history; even with Elves who have been there in the flesh, the truth is shaded by partialities."
Kayla nodded her head. "I know. Well, I think I've had enough reading for one day. Think I'll head down to the training grounds and see what some of the recruits are doing."
"Do you wish for me to accompany you?" Forobas asked.
"If you wish. Just make sure that no one sees you. I think it may freak them out and you'll be attacked. Don't want that to happen." Kayla said as she placed the book back and left, cup in hand.
She walked down the hallway, looking back every once in awhile; Forobas was nowhere to be seen. 'Good. I don't think anyone else would understand if he floated behind me. They'd probably think he was a Nazgûl or something.' She made her way down to the training ground, inclining her head in greeting to the teacher before she took her seat a few feet away, watching the rows of young men. They looked brave, confident in their abilities. 'Let them face a charge of bloodthirsty Orcs; then we see the warriors from the pretenders.' She watched as the recruits were put through the session, smiling to herself; some of them still had a long way to go in terms of skill and effort.
Her gaze drifted to the mountains she could see off in the distance between the trees. She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what caused this sudden emotion. She frowned, as her brow furrowed; it like something was coming, a massive wall of blackness that stretched on endlessly. And judging from the way others were acting, it was as if they didn't sense it at all.Plus that smell was back, with its sourness. She wrinkled her nose, as she identified the scent - rotting fetid blood was not something easily forgotten. Kayla rose abruptly, making her way to the outer flets that guarded the city; once she made sure nothing was there, the easier she could rest.
Ignoring the surprised looks that came at her as she hauled herself up the rope ladder and brushed off her dress, she walked to the outermost flet looking out towards the black mountains of Mordor in the far distance. It was even more palpable than before, making worry pound away in her heart.
"What is it?" she whispered softly to herself.
"What is what, my Lady?"
She looked at the voice, seeing a young guard look at her curiously. "Look out there? Do you see anything? Feel anything off?"
The guard looked at her but did as she asked. "There's nothing out there, my Lady."
Kayla nodded her head in thanks as she made her way back to her room. "This is what I get for reading all those tales in one morning. Stirs my imagination too much."
The lone candle guttered wildly in the breeze. With a sigh, Kayla rose, outing it before she went to stand on the balcony. Two days had passed and the strange, sudden feeling inside had only intensified and become worse, as of she was anticipating something, but she wasn't too sure what . And to make matters worse, she seemed to be the only one who sensed something off. She ran a hand through her hair as she walked out onto her balcony, exhaling noisily. A restlessness had taken a hold of her, making any sort of rest and relaxation impossible.
"May as well make myself useful." she muttered as she changed quickly into her Ranger clothes. "Ah, good old comfort." she said as she headed from the uppermost talan to the outer flet.
She silently took her place amongst the guards, keeping a close eye on the border and beyond. A few glances around showed her that Haldir was a few feet away from her. Rumíl had been right; even though he looked focused, there was a distracted air about him, as if part of his mind was elsewhere. 'Sheesh, the things people do to that get them into trouble.' She looked back out over the vast distance, the green grass frosted by the silver moonlight. She squinted slightly as she saw a strange waver on the horizon; apparently, she wasn't the only one who saw it, for low murmurs flowed down the others watching. The strange waver grew more in size until a large contingent of Orcs appeared, two massive figures in their midst.
"What are those…things?" she asked someone close to her in a whisper, seeing the faint lines of chains and massive bulky arms.
"Olog-Hai." he whispered back. "Trolls from the heart of Mordor, my Lady."
She looked over as she recognized Rumíl's voice. "I'm guessing they are not a good thing?"
"No; incredibly hard to kill. Many traps are necessary to slow one down." Rumíl looked out at the approaching advancement. "And they have two."
Kayla started to chew her lip, mind racing through the various tactics she knew. "What if we drew them in, and trapped them in a circle? No doubt they will send an advance party. They know we have bite."
"Orcs in the Golden Wood?" Rumíl looked horrified. "I think not my Lady."
Kayla sighed; the tone in Rumíl's voice didn't want an argument. "We have to stop them somehow."
"She is right; we must draw them in a bit if we are to succeed. Engaging them in the open will only result in needless dead."
"Uh, thank you, Haldir." she said, looking up at him in surprise; his expression was very grim . "But they aren't to get within a mile of the city; anything beyond that becomes dangerous for the rest of the people."
"Someone run to the city and warn the Lord and Lady." Haldir ordered curtly. "This is the plan ." he began as everyone drew in close.
Kayla fell silent as she listened to Haldir talk. A classic pincer movement, tightly held to demolish the advance party and lure in the rest, before they were rapidly picked off. The main concern was with the two Olog-Hai and if they released first and went berserk. Kayla nodded as the final elements of the plan was stated and they broke off into their small teams. She had been assigned to the highest reach, essentially, moving along with the Orcs and picking them off. 'Sniper work…haven't done this in awhile.' She sighed as she took a bow and quiver that had been give to her and shrugged into it as she headed up; she knew why Haldir had really assigned her here; keep her safe and out of harm's way. At least he had left her in charge of the group. She mentally ranted to herself as she notched an arrow, waiting to see her quarry.
After what seemed like an eternity she heard the first of the tramping footsteps that tried their best to be silent. She laughed in her mind as she trained the arrowhead on the Orc below, waiting for the right moment. Just as it entered the center of the small party, she drew the drawstring back and let the arrow fly, smiling in satisfaction as it thunked home through the neck. Confusion descended as the Orcs tried to find their assailant and were quickly brought down.
Kayla looked around at her compatriots with a look before she motioned them forward a bit, closer to the edge of the tree line. The growls and snarls of the Olog-Hai reached them, savage and bloodthirsty. She looked out notching another arrow as she trained it on an Orc. A imminent tenseness descended over the forest as then Orcs came closer and closer. Then they stopped a few feet away. 'What the hell are they doing?' Kayla's brow furrowed deeply as she watched the Orcs fuss with the chains. 'Oh…no.' She froze momentarily as she realized what they were doing. 'They're letting the Olog-Hai go first…shit.' She drew the bowstring back, watching with coiled anticipation as she waited for her moment. Then she let the arrow fly, killing the Orc who was about to release the lock.
Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she fired arrows for all she was worth, a volley springing forth from the trees. The Orcs fell like flies, but there came a sudden clanking sound. She looked up horrified as the Olog-Hai spun the chains around, decimating the Orcs around them. The arrows flew through the air like hornets now, buzzing home to the Orcs, and a few to the Olog-Hai. It wasn't long before most of the Orcs lay dead, trampled by the Olog-Hais' feet and chains. Then came the high-pitched growl as the Olog-Hai charged forward, swelled by the remaining Orcs, bloody murder in their eyes.
Kayla disappeared from the front as Haldir gave the order to fall back, moving with the others to a better location that gave them the advantage, The Olog-Hai crashed through the trees, chains dragging behind them as they lumbered on. Kayla watched as they passed, seeing broad jagged tree stumps up ahead. She ran up to Haldir quickly, telling what she was going to do before she jumped down to the ground and ran after the great Trolls. When she grabbed the chains and gave them a sharp yank, the Olog-Hai turned around, intent on crushing her beneath their massive hands. She gave another sharp yank, which made the Olog-Hai scream out and charge off, northwards. Kayla gritted her teeth as she was dragged along the ground, dirt and rocks flying up in her face. She managed to get to her feet before, she dug her heels in, leaning to the right, sharply. The Olog-Hai gave a rather choked sound before they charged at her, bloody murder in their eyes. She ducked through the legs of one, dragging the chain with her. The Trolls twisted around trying to find her, falling to the ground, arms flaiing madly. As if in response, arrows came from the trees, as a few Elves descended as well, helping her to pull the chains.
Kayla winced as the rough metal ground against her palms, skinning it slightly. She kept pulling with the others while the archers in the trees fired rapidly, distracting the Trolls. They pulled the chains to the tree stumps, dodging the few blows that the Olog-Hai managed to hurl their way, starting to twist them up into secure knots.
"We're out of arrows!" Haldir called as the rest of the Elves descended and flourished their weapons. "Good work, though I doubt the Lord and Lady would approve of your actions, Lady Arlonniel."
She snorted as she twirled her axe around. "Better this that worrying."
She brought her axe down into the side of an Orc, pushing through the stinking press of black bodies and armour. The pitch of the battle grew in fervour as the screams of Orcs mingled with the enraged howls of the Olog-Hai, the stained blades drawing more blood. Kayla managed a glance around, taking in the few remaining Orcs before she felt a sudden burning sensation in her thigh. She looked down to see a dagger buried in her leg, an Orc's hand still attached to it. She whirled her axe around before she brought it down, cleaving the skull in two. She grabbed the dagger and jerked it out before she turned her attention to the Olog-Hai; the remaining Orcs were inconsequential.
The great Trolls lashed at the tree stumps viciously, trying to free themselves. Kayla crept around them, knowing that their beady little eyes made note of where she was. As soon as one looked back at the stump, she moved in, aiming for the back of the knee; the skin was delicate there and easily cut. The other Olog-Hai, saw her, making a lunging motion to grab her. She sidestepped to attack, burying her axe deep into the creature's joint. It gave a loud howl before it collapsed to the ground, looking around wildly.
"Shit." Kayla cursed as she jumped back, and drew her dagger. "My axe is still there."
She circled the creature as the other Elves focused their attention on the tied up Trolls, charging at them with weapons drawn and ready to kill. 'Good, distract them.' She thought as she darted back into the fray. She managed to go to both of the Trolls, slicing them in the back of the knees and felling them. 'And I still don't have my axe.' She snarled as she moved in, intent on making sure the creatures would not rise again. The world descended into a whirling mass of limbs and trees, as they were constantly flung away before they attacked with the same force. After what seemed like endless ages, the massive creatures gave a shudder and stiffened up, a low groan escaping their throat.
Kayla walked up the still body in disgust, jerking out her beloved weapon. "Gross…" she said as a strange greenish goo came off with it. "I've never seen anything like that before."
"Us as well." Haldir said with a face of revulsion. "We'll have to drag the bodies out of the forest."
Kayla nodded as she went to the tree stump and helped to untie the knotted chain. 'Cripes, this weighs a ton.' Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead as they dragged the heavy bodies out past the tree line, a good distance away. She sighed as they came back and retrieved the bodies of the Orcs and hauled them out to the Olog-Hais bodies, the pile of corpses high.
She didn't say anything as she watched the last of the bodies be tossed on and someone brought out a small flint and tinder, lighting a small fire on the heap. An impassive look came to her face as she watched the flames grow higher and higher, licking at the dead. When the party finally started to walk away, she continued to watch, unsure of what to do.
"My Lady?" Rumíl asked.
"Are you all right?" Haldir's voice was quiet, barely heard over the crackling of the fire.
"It is my custom to wait until the fire has burned out." she stated. "Even for these creatures. You don't have to stay if you don't want."
"Your wound needs attention." Haldir said simply.
"It's a clean stab. Stitches can wait a bit." she said as she shrugged, watching the roaring flames.
She didn't look to see if they had left or not, watching the funeral pyre for the fallen. The sun was beginning to tinge the sky when all that finally remained was a smoking heap of ashes and charred bones. She looked around, eyes red-rimmed from the heat, surprised to find Haldir and Rumíl still there.
"You two actually waited?"
"And we'd go back to the city without you to face Galadriel and Celeborn?" Rumil gave her an incredulous look. "My brother and I do prefer to keep our lives."
She nodded as they started back towards the city, making straight for the infirmary. She went through the re-stitching silently, before she walked back to her room. She opened the door, surprised to see Galadriel and Celeborn waiting for her there.
"I…" she shook her head; all that would come out would be an excuse; she didn't want to give them that. "What was that supposed to be?"
Nothing was said for a few minutes before Celeborn spoke. "Sauron is moving once more. He casts his eyes about, seeking a soft spot to attack."
"And soft we are not. Celeborn and I have been talking. When the time comes, we shall not stop you or her from going. But know that there is always a place for you with us, where ever we may be."
Kayla looked at them, unsure about the words; there was a deeper meaning to them, something veiled away from her sight. She simply nodded her head, as she sat on the end of the bed, between them. She looked at Celeborn, noting something in the way he held his shoulders.
"Father?" she asked in a slightly unsure voice.
Celeborn didn't reply for a moment. "I have been going about this all wrong. I still saw you and Carardaiel as the little children from so long ago; I didn't see that I had two grown women for daughters." he looked back at her. "I ought to trust your judgement should you decide to do something."
Celeborn didn't say anything, a smile in his brown eyes. He gave her shoulder a squeeze as he nodded his head before he looked at Galadriel. Kayla looked back also to see a slightly troubled light in her mother's eyes.
"What's wrong Mother?"
"The Orcs." she murmured with a thoughtful expression.
Kayla arched an eyebrow in puzzlement. "The Orcs? What about them? It's not like they were a test for us or something."
Galadriel shook her head. "No; the Orcs are from Sauron; and Sauron is Middle-Earth's final test."
[1] Tanya reena' naa maeg - That edge is sharp.
[2] Sut, e' i' essa en' i' Valar, tanya waanaya - How, in the Valar's name, could that pass?
[3] arwenamin - my Lady
[4] Istar - Wizard