Chapter 9
Glorfindel and Joey burst through the front doors to the palace, barely out of breath from their mad dash from the forest. At the noise of the doors swinging open, a blond-haired elf waiting for them turned around and smiled.
"Haldir!" Joey exclaimed, rushing over to embrace her friend, though it was rather unorthodox, causing the older being to chuckle. "Mae govannen, mellon nin," Haldir said, returning the embrace before releasing her to greet Glorfindel. "Mae govannen, my lord." "No need to be so formal, my old friend," Glorfindel said in Elvish, a twinkle in his eye. "It has been too long," he said, placing a hand on Haldir's shoulder as Haldir nodded and returned the gesture. "It has," Haldir agreed, a memory of two young elves causing mischief flashing through his mind. He smiled at the memory, but forced himself to stop reminiscing, and focus on his task at hand. "Come my friends, Celeborn and Galadriel are waiting for you." Together, the three friends walked towards the council "room", which was actually out in the open.
~*~
"Welcome," Elrond said form his seat around the circle. "Please, sit down," he said, gesturing to the seats empty around the council chamber. Glorfindel, Haldir, and Joey bowed their greetings to the half-elven lord and to the others around the council. The council circle itself was far from full. The only other people present were Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas. Joey took a seat beside Legolas, who reached over and took her hand, entwining his fingers around hers. Haldir looked over, his eyebrows raised in slight shock, though he was happy for them. At the same time, Galadriel and Celeborn smiled at each other, betraying the fact that they had known these two young ones would find their way to each other, eventually. Elrond cleared his throat and nodded towards an elf standing by the door. The elf nodded back and disappeared though the door and reappeared with Atheral by his side. Atheral's hands were bound, not in cruelty, but as a means to keep him from escaping. Though he had been a prisoner, he had been treated with respect and was taken care of for Lord Elrond was not cruel to his captives.
"Remove his bonds, Elrond," Galadriel said softly. Elrond nodded and the elf cut the ropes that bound Atheral's hands before leaving the council chamber again. It was safe for Atheral to be free here, for Elrond and Galadriel's power would be able to hold him in the center of the council circle. "Now," Elrond said in his attention-catching voice. "Let us begin." Joey sat as Atheral's side of the story was heard as well the tales of the roles Legolas and Glorfindel played. Lastly, Joey was asked to state the events that led to and during the time Atheral was now being tried for. When the whole story was told and looked at through every aspect, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn moved to one said and began to speak so softly, no one was able to hear.
As they waited, Joey looked over at Atheral and what she saw made a chill run down her spine and caused her pulse to quicken. Atheral was staring back at her, but the eyes that gazed into hers held something dark, the light that once was present was now clouded over, barely present. Joey felt her heart wrench at how those eyes that had once held the light of the sun could now be so clouded and dark. Sensing Joey's distress, Legolas squeezed her hand in reassurance, snapping Joey out of whatever trance she was in. A small smile lit up her face, but did not touch her eyes that held grief over the darkness that she had beheld. The murmuring ceased between the three wise elves ceased and all chatter abruptly stopped as they turned to face the council once more.
"Atheral," Elrond said quietly as Celeborn and Galadriel sat down again. "Come forward." Atheral strode forward, his head held high in a manner of defiance, but his eyes still seemed almost lifeless. "My lord," Atheral greeted in a hollow voice, bowing slightly. "I know what you have lost, Atheral," Elrond said quietly as the image of a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed she-elf passed through Atheral's mind. "But it is not a ground for your heart to fill with hate, and for your mind to drown in darkness. The acts you have portrayed have been a disgrace to our kind and is not so easily forgiven." "I have done nothing," Atheral said, defiance dripping from his words as he tilted his head higher. "Done nothing?" Elrond asked, amazed. "You took one of your own kind and threatened his life because you wished to possess another through wicked means. The people you have tired to harm are of great importance to all of us and you tried to kill them. Yet still, you tell me you have done nothing?" Elrond exclaimed, a fired blazing in his eyes. "You, Atheral of Lothlorien, are no banished from all of the elven realms. If you should ever step foot into the realms again, only Death will welcome you." Abruptly, Joey stood, startling the elves present. "Please, my lord," Joey said, bowing her head. "May I say something?" she asked, much to everyone's surprise. Galadriel was the first to recover from the momentary shock. "Of course you may, my child," Galadriel said in Quenyan, giving Joey an encouraging smile as Joey faltered for a moment. Joey looked at Galadriel gratefully, thankfulness filling her eyes. Joey took a deep breath to calm herself and opened her mouth to speak. "My lords and lady," Joey started, sounding much like a lawyer she once knew. The memory triggered a thought of her old life, which seemed so long ago, a thought that was not lost on Galadriel. "It s true that I have not been here long, but I know this world has seen much danger and has defeated it," Joey said as the elves around her remembered the War of the Ring, the Last War, only over two years ago. "Please, my child, continue," Celeborn said as Joey stopped to let the elves remain in their thoughtfulness. Joey nodded, closing her eyes a moment, forming the words in her head. "To defeat the evils that roamed this land, and to conquer the ones that still do, all have sacrificed much and unlikely alliances were made for a common purpose," Joey said, recalling the books she had read. "There were moments of despair, but no one gave up, for you fought for what you believed. Today, I will fight for what I believe," she said, looking over at a very puzzled Atheral. "Grief is an unrelenting master that we have all suffered more from than once. Our friends and family stand by us, to help us. They give us the hope worth living for. If I am wrong in saying this, please, correct me," she said, looking around the circle as no one said anything. "Then why do we turn away Atheral? Why do we forsake him when he needs us? I know what he did was wrong, but I was one of the ones caught in the middle of it all and I am willing to forgive him, and help him if I can. Can you all not do the same?" she asked, heart pounding at the bold words she was saying. Atheral stared at her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "She is defending me," Atheral thought, shock enveloping him. "Why?" Joey turned and walked quietly to Atheral, who tore his gaze away from her and looked at the ground. Seeing his actions, Joey placed a hand on his cheek, making him look her in the eyes. "I know not what it is you lost, Atheral," Joey said softly. "Let us help you so you do not lose yourself again. Everything is in the past now, and I would be very honoured if you would let me call you a friend again," she said, unsure of what he would say to her proposal. "Friend." Atheral whispered. "You would still call me a friend, after all I have done?" "Aye, mellon nin," Joey said, her voice strong and sure. "I promise you that." "What if," Atheral started, an unseen battle fighting inside his mind and heart. "What if I cannot defeat the darkness in me?" "You will," Joey said sternly. "You will not fail and if you are willing, I will help you, if I can." Atheral stared into her eyes, but found no trace of a lie in them, only sincerity.
As Joey stared back into his eyes, she saw a change. The shroud of darkness lifted slightly and light began returning to his eyes. The joy that sang in her heart almost caused her to cry out in happiness, but she refrained from doing so, remembering the seriousness of the situation. The light was still dim, but seemed strong and unwilling to let the darkness take over again, hope lingering along with the light. Celeborn, Galadriel, and Elrond all smiled as Glorfindel, Haldir, Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir still sat wide eyed, trying to process everything, causing Joey to chuckle slightly.
"You speak with wisdom beyond your years, young one," Galadriel said, standing up and crossing over to her as Elrond stood up as well. "You have shown great compassion where others have shown scorn," Elrond said, slowly making his way over as well. He turned to look over at Atheral. "Forgive me, Atheral, I should not have judged you so harshly." "Nay, my lord, do not say that," Atheral said, shaking his head, causing strawberry blond hair to whip around his face slightly. "I have done a terrible thing, but I am hoping, that you will allow me to stay in the elven realms, to redeem myself." Elrond nodded his head and placed a hand on the younger elf's shoulder. "You will be welcome in the elven realms, Atheral," Celeborn said as he came over as well and turned towards Joey. "You have done well, my child," he said, smiling as Joey's cheeks coloured. "I believe," Galadriel said, a thoughtful twinkle in her eyes. "It is time to give this young one an elven name." "Yes," Glorfindel said, smiling and standing as well. "I believe so as well." Elrond smiled and nodded. "Any suggestions?" Elrond said as he tried to think of a name for Joey. "Êlcàlë," a soft voice said almost instantly, causing the small group to turn and look in the direction the voice had come from. Legolas had risen from his chair, an unreadable expression on his face as all turned to look at him. "Starlight," Glorfindel said, deciphering the Elvish name's meaning. "Why Starlight, Legolas?" "The stars in the sky watch over us," Legolas said, stepping closer to Joey. "When we are lost, the stars guide us and remind us that we are not alone. Joey is the star's light, sent here to guide us." He reached Joey and took her hand in his as all the other elves smiled at each other. "I think it's perfect," Haldir said, smiling at Joey. "Yes," Elladan and Elrohir piped in. "It is a perfect name, Legolas!" "Joey, do you object to this name?" Galadriel said, placing a hand on Joey's shoulder. "Nay, milady," Joey said, shaking her head. "It is a beautiful name and I hope that I will be able to live up to it." "You will, my child," Glorfindel said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "You already have, milady," Atheral said quietly. "For you have helped guide me back, away from the darkness." Elrond cleared his throat, catching their attention once again. "Come, my friends," Elrond said, smiling. "Let us go inside and have some lunch now that important matters have been dealt with." The others smiled and agreed, following the half-elven lord into the dining hall.
~*~
Night had fallen again and the guests had already finished dinner and were now chatting around fireplace. The leaves had already begun to fall and the nights were getting colder, though not freezing. Joey found the slight nip quite refreshing as she stood on the balcony and looked up at the stars.
"Êlcàlë," Joey whispered into the night air. "Aye, my love," Legolas said from behind her. Joey had become so used to the quiet approach of the elves that she wasn't even startled when Legolas had appeared out of nowhere. "My Êlcàlë." "Just yours?" Joey said teasingly. "Yes," Legolas said fiercely. "You are my shining star, my starlight," he said, his words soft but still held a certain ferocity. He leaned in and kissed her softly. She smiled and leaned her head against his chest and let out a happy sigh. "Êlcàlë," Joey thought, closing her eyes as Legolas wrapped his arms tightly around her. "That's my name now."
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Author's Note: Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm going to attempt to answer the reviews I got and THANK YOU for sending them! Oh! The name, Êlcàlë, I made up because I can't find the word for Starlight in Elvish! If any of you know, please correct me. Thanks!
Katy: Thanks! I sort of forgot about that part. When I started to write the story, it was more, well, for the lack of a better word, innocent! Thanks for the reminder and for the compliment!
Hellga: *ducks flying object* Okay, okay, I'm REALLY sorry! It's been almost a year since I've read the book and unfortunately, my sister has it right now and I couldn't check my references. There's only one thing that I can't really change, which is the third/fourth age thing because it throws my story out of whack. Please, just humour me on that one and I hope you won't kill me for it! I've made the others changes, but I didn't change the name one. There's this thing, called the Barrow-Downs Name Generator. It's not very reliable, but I used it a couple of times. The two names are names of my friends that I typed in. It's where I got my pen name from too, and I like my pen name, so sorry if I don't change it. You're right, evil elves are unnatural, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.
Crecy: I'm glad you like my story! Thanks for reading it! I hope you like this chapter.
French Pony: Thanks for the insight. I wanted to keep you guessing a little bit, but hopefully, by the end, it'll be clear.hopefully! Thanks for reviewing!
ElveNDestiNy: Thank you for the compliment! I've read a lot of your writing too and it's fabulous! Thank you again and I hope you like this chapter!
Glorfindel and Joey burst through the front doors to the palace, barely out of breath from their mad dash from the forest. At the noise of the doors swinging open, a blond-haired elf waiting for them turned around and smiled.
"Haldir!" Joey exclaimed, rushing over to embrace her friend, though it was rather unorthodox, causing the older being to chuckle. "Mae govannen, mellon nin," Haldir said, returning the embrace before releasing her to greet Glorfindel. "Mae govannen, my lord." "No need to be so formal, my old friend," Glorfindel said in Elvish, a twinkle in his eye. "It has been too long," he said, placing a hand on Haldir's shoulder as Haldir nodded and returned the gesture. "It has," Haldir agreed, a memory of two young elves causing mischief flashing through his mind. He smiled at the memory, but forced himself to stop reminiscing, and focus on his task at hand. "Come my friends, Celeborn and Galadriel are waiting for you." Together, the three friends walked towards the council "room", which was actually out in the open.
~*~
"Welcome," Elrond said form his seat around the circle. "Please, sit down," he said, gesturing to the seats empty around the council chamber. Glorfindel, Haldir, and Joey bowed their greetings to the half-elven lord and to the others around the council. The council circle itself was far from full. The only other people present were Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas. Joey took a seat beside Legolas, who reached over and took her hand, entwining his fingers around hers. Haldir looked over, his eyebrows raised in slight shock, though he was happy for them. At the same time, Galadriel and Celeborn smiled at each other, betraying the fact that they had known these two young ones would find their way to each other, eventually. Elrond cleared his throat and nodded towards an elf standing by the door. The elf nodded back and disappeared though the door and reappeared with Atheral by his side. Atheral's hands were bound, not in cruelty, but as a means to keep him from escaping. Though he had been a prisoner, he had been treated with respect and was taken care of for Lord Elrond was not cruel to his captives.
"Remove his bonds, Elrond," Galadriel said softly. Elrond nodded and the elf cut the ropes that bound Atheral's hands before leaving the council chamber again. It was safe for Atheral to be free here, for Elrond and Galadriel's power would be able to hold him in the center of the council circle. "Now," Elrond said in his attention-catching voice. "Let us begin." Joey sat as Atheral's side of the story was heard as well the tales of the roles Legolas and Glorfindel played. Lastly, Joey was asked to state the events that led to and during the time Atheral was now being tried for. When the whole story was told and looked at through every aspect, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn moved to one said and began to speak so softly, no one was able to hear.
As they waited, Joey looked over at Atheral and what she saw made a chill run down her spine and caused her pulse to quicken. Atheral was staring back at her, but the eyes that gazed into hers held something dark, the light that once was present was now clouded over, barely present. Joey felt her heart wrench at how those eyes that had once held the light of the sun could now be so clouded and dark. Sensing Joey's distress, Legolas squeezed her hand in reassurance, snapping Joey out of whatever trance she was in. A small smile lit up her face, but did not touch her eyes that held grief over the darkness that she had beheld. The murmuring ceased between the three wise elves ceased and all chatter abruptly stopped as they turned to face the council once more.
"Atheral," Elrond said quietly as Celeborn and Galadriel sat down again. "Come forward." Atheral strode forward, his head held high in a manner of defiance, but his eyes still seemed almost lifeless. "My lord," Atheral greeted in a hollow voice, bowing slightly. "I know what you have lost, Atheral," Elrond said quietly as the image of a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed she-elf passed through Atheral's mind. "But it is not a ground for your heart to fill with hate, and for your mind to drown in darkness. The acts you have portrayed have been a disgrace to our kind and is not so easily forgiven." "I have done nothing," Atheral said, defiance dripping from his words as he tilted his head higher. "Done nothing?" Elrond asked, amazed. "You took one of your own kind and threatened his life because you wished to possess another through wicked means. The people you have tired to harm are of great importance to all of us and you tried to kill them. Yet still, you tell me you have done nothing?" Elrond exclaimed, a fired blazing in his eyes. "You, Atheral of Lothlorien, are no banished from all of the elven realms. If you should ever step foot into the realms again, only Death will welcome you." Abruptly, Joey stood, startling the elves present. "Please, my lord," Joey said, bowing her head. "May I say something?" she asked, much to everyone's surprise. Galadriel was the first to recover from the momentary shock. "Of course you may, my child," Galadriel said in Quenyan, giving Joey an encouraging smile as Joey faltered for a moment. Joey looked at Galadriel gratefully, thankfulness filling her eyes. Joey took a deep breath to calm herself and opened her mouth to speak. "My lords and lady," Joey started, sounding much like a lawyer she once knew. The memory triggered a thought of her old life, which seemed so long ago, a thought that was not lost on Galadriel. "It s true that I have not been here long, but I know this world has seen much danger and has defeated it," Joey said as the elves around her remembered the War of the Ring, the Last War, only over two years ago. "Please, my child, continue," Celeborn said as Joey stopped to let the elves remain in their thoughtfulness. Joey nodded, closing her eyes a moment, forming the words in her head. "To defeat the evils that roamed this land, and to conquer the ones that still do, all have sacrificed much and unlikely alliances were made for a common purpose," Joey said, recalling the books she had read. "There were moments of despair, but no one gave up, for you fought for what you believed. Today, I will fight for what I believe," she said, looking over at a very puzzled Atheral. "Grief is an unrelenting master that we have all suffered more from than once. Our friends and family stand by us, to help us. They give us the hope worth living for. If I am wrong in saying this, please, correct me," she said, looking around the circle as no one said anything. "Then why do we turn away Atheral? Why do we forsake him when he needs us? I know what he did was wrong, but I was one of the ones caught in the middle of it all and I am willing to forgive him, and help him if I can. Can you all not do the same?" she asked, heart pounding at the bold words she was saying. Atheral stared at her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "She is defending me," Atheral thought, shock enveloping him. "Why?" Joey turned and walked quietly to Atheral, who tore his gaze away from her and looked at the ground. Seeing his actions, Joey placed a hand on his cheek, making him look her in the eyes. "I know not what it is you lost, Atheral," Joey said softly. "Let us help you so you do not lose yourself again. Everything is in the past now, and I would be very honoured if you would let me call you a friend again," she said, unsure of what he would say to her proposal. "Friend." Atheral whispered. "You would still call me a friend, after all I have done?" "Aye, mellon nin," Joey said, her voice strong and sure. "I promise you that." "What if," Atheral started, an unseen battle fighting inside his mind and heart. "What if I cannot defeat the darkness in me?" "You will," Joey said sternly. "You will not fail and if you are willing, I will help you, if I can." Atheral stared into her eyes, but found no trace of a lie in them, only sincerity.
As Joey stared back into his eyes, she saw a change. The shroud of darkness lifted slightly and light began returning to his eyes. The joy that sang in her heart almost caused her to cry out in happiness, but she refrained from doing so, remembering the seriousness of the situation. The light was still dim, but seemed strong and unwilling to let the darkness take over again, hope lingering along with the light. Celeborn, Galadriel, and Elrond all smiled as Glorfindel, Haldir, Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir still sat wide eyed, trying to process everything, causing Joey to chuckle slightly.
"You speak with wisdom beyond your years, young one," Galadriel said, standing up and crossing over to her as Elrond stood up as well. "You have shown great compassion where others have shown scorn," Elrond said, slowly making his way over as well. He turned to look over at Atheral. "Forgive me, Atheral, I should not have judged you so harshly." "Nay, my lord, do not say that," Atheral said, shaking his head, causing strawberry blond hair to whip around his face slightly. "I have done a terrible thing, but I am hoping, that you will allow me to stay in the elven realms, to redeem myself." Elrond nodded his head and placed a hand on the younger elf's shoulder. "You will be welcome in the elven realms, Atheral," Celeborn said as he came over as well and turned towards Joey. "You have done well, my child," he said, smiling as Joey's cheeks coloured. "I believe," Galadriel said, a thoughtful twinkle in her eyes. "It is time to give this young one an elven name." "Yes," Glorfindel said, smiling and standing as well. "I believe so as well." Elrond smiled and nodded. "Any suggestions?" Elrond said as he tried to think of a name for Joey. "Êlcàlë," a soft voice said almost instantly, causing the small group to turn and look in the direction the voice had come from. Legolas had risen from his chair, an unreadable expression on his face as all turned to look at him. "Starlight," Glorfindel said, deciphering the Elvish name's meaning. "Why Starlight, Legolas?" "The stars in the sky watch over us," Legolas said, stepping closer to Joey. "When we are lost, the stars guide us and remind us that we are not alone. Joey is the star's light, sent here to guide us." He reached Joey and took her hand in his as all the other elves smiled at each other. "I think it's perfect," Haldir said, smiling at Joey. "Yes," Elladan and Elrohir piped in. "It is a perfect name, Legolas!" "Joey, do you object to this name?" Galadriel said, placing a hand on Joey's shoulder. "Nay, milady," Joey said, shaking her head. "It is a beautiful name and I hope that I will be able to live up to it." "You will, my child," Glorfindel said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "You already have, milady," Atheral said quietly. "For you have helped guide me back, away from the darkness." Elrond cleared his throat, catching their attention once again. "Come, my friends," Elrond said, smiling. "Let us go inside and have some lunch now that important matters have been dealt with." The others smiled and agreed, following the half-elven lord into the dining hall.
~*~
Night had fallen again and the guests had already finished dinner and were now chatting around fireplace. The leaves had already begun to fall and the nights were getting colder, though not freezing. Joey found the slight nip quite refreshing as she stood on the balcony and looked up at the stars.
"Êlcàlë," Joey whispered into the night air. "Aye, my love," Legolas said from behind her. Joey had become so used to the quiet approach of the elves that she wasn't even startled when Legolas had appeared out of nowhere. "My Êlcàlë." "Just yours?" Joey said teasingly. "Yes," Legolas said fiercely. "You are my shining star, my starlight," he said, his words soft but still held a certain ferocity. He leaned in and kissed her softly. She smiled and leaned her head against his chest and let out a happy sigh. "Êlcàlë," Joey thought, closing her eyes as Legolas wrapped his arms tightly around her. "That's my name now."
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Author's Note: Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm going to attempt to answer the reviews I got and THANK YOU for sending them! Oh! The name, Êlcàlë, I made up because I can't find the word for Starlight in Elvish! If any of you know, please correct me. Thanks!
Katy: Thanks! I sort of forgot about that part. When I started to write the story, it was more, well, for the lack of a better word, innocent! Thanks for the reminder and for the compliment!
Hellga: *ducks flying object* Okay, okay, I'm REALLY sorry! It's been almost a year since I've read the book and unfortunately, my sister has it right now and I couldn't check my references. There's only one thing that I can't really change, which is the third/fourth age thing because it throws my story out of whack. Please, just humour me on that one and I hope you won't kill me for it! I've made the others changes, but I didn't change the name one. There's this thing, called the Barrow-Downs Name Generator. It's not very reliable, but I used it a couple of times. The two names are names of my friends that I typed in. It's where I got my pen name from too, and I like my pen name, so sorry if I don't change it. You're right, evil elves are unnatural, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.
Crecy: I'm glad you like my story! Thanks for reading it! I hope you like this chapter.
French Pony: Thanks for the insight. I wanted to keep you guessing a little bit, but hopefully, by the end, it'll be clear.hopefully! Thanks for reviewing!
ElveNDestiNy: Thank you for the compliment! I've read a lot of your writing too and it's fabulous! Thank you again and I hope you like this chapter!