CHAPTER THREE
Frodo followed Merry through the trees for about fifteen minutes until they came upon a clearing. Throughout the walk, Merry had kept his hands shoved in his pockets, and did not look behind him. He did not seem to even realize that Frodo was behind him. It was almost as if he knew where he was going. Frodo ran his hands through his curls, that was impossible, for Merry had never been to Lothlorien. The ringbearer had decided it might be best to wait and keep behind until it was the proper moment to step in.
Merry was not walking aimlessly. He had spied the elleth during the feast and attempted to resist her for a long time. She had beckoned to him, and he had been unable to resist. So, now he followed her through the forest, his mind clearly focused though his heart screamed trouble. They came upon a small clearing in the forest, a secluded and cool amid the serenity of the tall trees and mysterious warmth of the Lady's realm. In the center of the clearing there rested a pedestal carved with leaves and thorny vines. Upon it was a jade colored urn, crafted from the rare mineral itself. Elvish runes glittered in the moonlight all about the pedestal, seeping into the etched words. The light of the moon shone brilliantly down upon them, illuminating the quiet place.
Frodo paused, catching his breath when Merry seemed to stare at the urn and speak...to something. "I followed you here." Frodo at first thought Merry might be talking to him, but it was soon clear that he had no idea that he had been followed himself.
"I want to know what you meant." Merry continued. He stuck his chin out defiantly, looking up at whatever was there.
Then suddenly, to the ringbearer's surprise, he saw a flash of sparkling light, and there was now an elleth before the Urn. She was touching it gently with her hand, caressing the runes with her fingers. Her eyes lifted to meet Frodo's eyes because she knew that he was there. Somehow...she knew. He shivered….her eyes bore far too deep into his heart…. but her voice was directed to Merry. "You have now walked into a scared place. I knew it was going to be you. I have waited for you for a very long time."
Frodo knew something was wrong, almost immediately. This elleth was not what she seemed. He saw something within the elf, something dark, a chill came to his lungs and he found it difficult to breathe. An illusion had been cast, and Merry could not see it. Her eyes...they were deep pools of black, writhing with glittering light, almost hypnotizing. He fingered the ring in his pocket nervously and was about to call out to Merry but no words left his throat. He should move...he should run. This was not right. Unfortunately, his legs were rooted to the spot, and he could not move. He struggled, but in vain.
"Who are you?" Merry asked the elleth, circling the urn. He might have seen Frodo, had he not been blinded by the vision before him. Indeed, even when he turned to look where Frodo was, he saw nothing but the silent trees.
She answered him simply, "I am all that you wish for, and everything you fear." She leant down to touch Merry's cheek, causing him to shiver from the chill of it. Her fingers were like ice.
"If you do not tell me, I am leaving." he declared, still defiant, though he knew nothing would make him leave now. "I do not want to play games or hear words that are not words. Speak plainly." He flinched as a strange pang of hunger struck him, deep within his stomach. It had come up all of a sudden and he wondered why he had not noticed it before. Then again, he really hadn't eaten all that much that day. He turned and began to walk out of the clearing. His head hurt, and his mouth was very dry...he needed a drink.
Behind him a smell rose, a glorious smell, and Meriadoc stopped. He should not look around, he should just leave. This was beyond him. He could not resist, and so turned to open his eyes wide as a table was laid out near the urn. It was piled high with scrumptious hobbit dishes, everything from buttered rum bread to savory mashed potatoes with spices he had sorely missed. "You do not want to go, and why should you? When your desires can be all quenched here." she said calmly.
Frodo shivered at the words. How could this be deep in the heart of Lothlorien? But the Ring...the ring was evil. He remembered Haldir's words "You Bring Great Evil Here." Had this been his fault? Had he disturbed what was better left alone? Strider...he needed to find Strider. But...her magic held him and he could do nothing but watch with his eyes wide in anxious fear. Merry...be strong. There was -one- way he could break free of the spell. He could put on the ring...Did he dare to do that in Lothlorien itself?
Merry nodded, wiping his mouth as he found himself drawn to teh table. He did not eat anything yet, food didn't just appear. He was more than a little suspicious, and was certainly not his cousin who would have dived right into it. "First tell me who you are, and what you want with me? You came up to me…and seemed to know all about me. I want to know why you came to me."
Frodo struggled to find a way out of his predicament other than the obvious solution. He couldn't do that, not here, not after everything that had happened…there must be another way…there had to be another way…Maybe nothing would happen to Merry...maybe everything would be all right. Sweat beaded upon his brow as he struggled.
She laughed lightly, it was not a terribly unkind laugh, but it was not one that would cause a hobbit to trust you either. "Very well, young hobbit. I am Lithilorn." she spoke only to Merry, but Frodo could hear her words as if they were in his own head. "Lithilorn, Half-Elvin. Cousin to Celeborn, once of this world, but now no more. I chose a mortal life, you see. They have chosen this place to keep a guard on my soul, and I have been here since my death, 4000 years ago."
"I thought all elves went to the west upon their death…and were later reborn…" Merry blinked at her in some confusion., rubbing the back of his neck. He was having trouble focusing, his stomach warring with his mind as he cleared his throat of the dryness that seemed stuck there now.
"Only those whose souls are willing to leave the land, Merry. I was not, you see, and because I chose to fight fate, so now I am doomed to wander this land in shadow. But if you help me, I will help you." her hand swept to the table, "Eat."
"Is this a dream?" Merry shivered, trying very hard to clear his mind. His hand rested upon the edge of the table, an unsteady grip at best…He felt like his brain was stuffed full with cobwebs because he couldn't think straight. "I don't understand…How will you help me?"
Frodo finally couldn't stand it any longer, he was not letting that…creature take his friend. He slipped the ring on…and the spell was broken. But in setting himself free….he opened himself to another evil….That was when he saw her true form…
To Be continued….
Author's note : Lithilorn is not a character made up by Tolkien…
Frodo followed Merry through the trees for about fifteen minutes until they came upon a clearing. Throughout the walk, Merry had kept his hands shoved in his pockets, and did not look behind him. He did not seem to even realize that Frodo was behind him. It was almost as if he knew where he was going. Frodo ran his hands through his curls, that was impossible, for Merry had never been to Lothlorien. The ringbearer had decided it might be best to wait and keep behind until it was the proper moment to step in.
Merry was not walking aimlessly. He had spied the elleth during the feast and attempted to resist her for a long time. She had beckoned to him, and he had been unable to resist. So, now he followed her through the forest, his mind clearly focused though his heart screamed trouble. They came upon a small clearing in the forest, a secluded and cool amid the serenity of the tall trees and mysterious warmth of the Lady's realm. In the center of the clearing there rested a pedestal carved with leaves and thorny vines. Upon it was a jade colored urn, crafted from the rare mineral itself. Elvish runes glittered in the moonlight all about the pedestal, seeping into the etched words. The light of the moon shone brilliantly down upon them, illuminating the quiet place.
Frodo paused, catching his breath when Merry seemed to stare at the urn and speak...to something. "I followed you here." Frodo at first thought Merry might be talking to him, but it was soon clear that he had no idea that he had been followed himself.
"I want to know what you meant." Merry continued. He stuck his chin out defiantly, looking up at whatever was there.
Then suddenly, to the ringbearer's surprise, he saw a flash of sparkling light, and there was now an elleth before the Urn. She was touching it gently with her hand, caressing the runes with her fingers. Her eyes lifted to meet Frodo's eyes because she knew that he was there. Somehow...she knew. He shivered….her eyes bore far too deep into his heart…. but her voice was directed to Merry. "You have now walked into a scared place. I knew it was going to be you. I have waited for you for a very long time."
Frodo knew something was wrong, almost immediately. This elleth was not what she seemed. He saw something within the elf, something dark, a chill came to his lungs and he found it difficult to breathe. An illusion had been cast, and Merry could not see it. Her eyes...they were deep pools of black, writhing with glittering light, almost hypnotizing. He fingered the ring in his pocket nervously and was about to call out to Merry but no words left his throat. He should move...he should run. This was not right. Unfortunately, his legs were rooted to the spot, and he could not move. He struggled, but in vain.
"Who are you?" Merry asked the elleth, circling the urn. He might have seen Frodo, had he not been blinded by the vision before him. Indeed, even when he turned to look where Frodo was, he saw nothing but the silent trees.
She answered him simply, "I am all that you wish for, and everything you fear." She leant down to touch Merry's cheek, causing him to shiver from the chill of it. Her fingers were like ice.
"If you do not tell me, I am leaving." he declared, still defiant, though he knew nothing would make him leave now. "I do not want to play games or hear words that are not words. Speak plainly." He flinched as a strange pang of hunger struck him, deep within his stomach. It had come up all of a sudden and he wondered why he had not noticed it before. Then again, he really hadn't eaten all that much that day. He turned and began to walk out of the clearing. His head hurt, and his mouth was very dry...he needed a drink.
Behind him a smell rose, a glorious smell, and Meriadoc stopped. He should not look around, he should just leave. This was beyond him. He could not resist, and so turned to open his eyes wide as a table was laid out near the urn. It was piled high with scrumptious hobbit dishes, everything from buttered rum bread to savory mashed potatoes with spices he had sorely missed. "You do not want to go, and why should you? When your desires can be all quenched here." she said calmly.
Frodo shivered at the words. How could this be deep in the heart of Lothlorien? But the Ring...the ring was evil. He remembered Haldir's words "You Bring Great Evil Here." Had this been his fault? Had he disturbed what was better left alone? Strider...he needed to find Strider. But...her magic held him and he could do nothing but watch with his eyes wide in anxious fear. Merry...be strong. There was -one- way he could break free of the spell. He could put on the ring...Did he dare to do that in Lothlorien itself?
Merry nodded, wiping his mouth as he found himself drawn to teh table. He did not eat anything yet, food didn't just appear. He was more than a little suspicious, and was certainly not his cousin who would have dived right into it. "First tell me who you are, and what you want with me? You came up to me…and seemed to know all about me. I want to know why you came to me."
Frodo struggled to find a way out of his predicament other than the obvious solution. He couldn't do that, not here, not after everything that had happened…there must be another way…there had to be another way…Maybe nothing would happen to Merry...maybe everything would be all right. Sweat beaded upon his brow as he struggled.
She laughed lightly, it was not a terribly unkind laugh, but it was not one that would cause a hobbit to trust you either. "Very well, young hobbit. I am Lithilorn." she spoke only to Merry, but Frodo could hear her words as if they were in his own head. "Lithilorn, Half-Elvin. Cousin to Celeborn, once of this world, but now no more. I chose a mortal life, you see. They have chosen this place to keep a guard on my soul, and I have been here since my death, 4000 years ago."
"I thought all elves went to the west upon their death…and were later reborn…" Merry blinked at her in some confusion., rubbing the back of his neck. He was having trouble focusing, his stomach warring with his mind as he cleared his throat of the dryness that seemed stuck there now.
"Only those whose souls are willing to leave the land, Merry. I was not, you see, and because I chose to fight fate, so now I am doomed to wander this land in shadow. But if you help me, I will help you." her hand swept to the table, "Eat."
"Is this a dream?" Merry shivered, trying very hard to clear his mind. His hand rested upon the edge of the table, an unsteady grip at best…He felt like his brain was stuffed full with cobwebs because he couldn't think straight. "I don't understand…How will you help me?"
Frodo finally couldn't stand it any longer, he was not letting that…creature take his friend. He slipped the ring on…and the spell was broken. But in setting himself free….he opened himself to another evil….That was when he saw her true form…
To Be continued….
Author's note : Lithilorn is not a character made up by Tolkien…