Chapter 15: Sword of Light
A/N: Okay, this is a tight chapter, and I hope everybody likes it. I'm having buttloads off fun writing this story and I hope that everybody else is having just as many buttloads reading it.
…
Shaking her hand and clapping her on her back, the elves congratulated her and apologized for ever doubting. Rubbing her sore left arm, Aila grinned at them, proud of herself for achieving her short term goal.
Seating herself down and thirsting from water due to her exercise, Aila leaned back and had a sudden vision. She closed her eyes and concentrated wholly on listening on what was occurring in her sight.
Legolas and Arwen were seated on a beautifully carved marble bench in one of Arwen's favorite gardens are Rivendell. Legolas was polishing her wooden bow and restringing it. Arwen, aiding him, was sighting his arrows for straightness. Casually they were talking about nothing in particular, as best friends do.
Their conversation wandered over to Aila and the Light Bearer had a sudden wave of guilt. She wasn't supposed to listen to this, it wasn't right. However, try as she might, she couldn't pull herself away from the conversation. Soon, she didn't care about pulling away, no longer guilty, intrigued by what she heard faintly.
"It was strange," Legolas said, his voice was fading and his eyes were blurring out of focus as he stared straight ahead. "Usually I cannot sit in one position for very long--you know that, Arwen. But when she was asleep, I just sat there, with her hand on my arm, and I didn't feel the need to move around. When she woke up she moved her hand and I had this sudden wave of emptiness and grief. I cannot understand it, mellonim."
His cheeks were turning slightly red at the thought of how he had felt, but Arwen's face lit up, knowing exactly what her friend was going through. However, she wiped the grin from her face and shrugged.
"I have no idea, Legolas. That is strange, indeed." Unknowing of his friend's white lie, a pregnant silence was held for a few minutes before they took up another subject, obviously Legolas unwilling to speak further on the current subject. Slowly, the scene faded as the two elven friends worked and spoke lightly to each other, no longer talking of the people they knew, but the places they have seen.
Opening her eyes again, Aila screwed her eyes together, wondering what exactly she had just overheard. Shrugging it off, she collected her archery equipment in her right arm and held her left stationary as she headed back to her room. Humming Will Smith's "Lovin' Livin'" she strolled back to her room, casually hooking he bow onto the quiver given to her by one of the elves.
She saw Arwen and Legolas walking a way in front of her and smiled to herself, breaking into a run. They turned too late to see her coming, she ran and thrust her arms around their shoulders, thrusting herself into the air in a high jump. Landing back on the ground, Aila started laughing.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?" Smiling in a "what the heck" sort of way, Legolas raised his eyebrows even further, exchanging glances with Arwen. "Okay, and then you guys respond: 'Chillin' like a villain, yo!' all right?" Then Aila looked at her two friends, and decided to play with them some more, amused at their lack of lingo. "Never mind, you're both way too white to be saying 'yo'." (a/n: just kidding, no racist remark, all right? I'm just saying, African Americans are cool, seriously. My friends and I have this joke about that, it's great. Personal joke.)
"What?" exclaimed Arwen, totally lost. Laughing uncontrollably now, Aila put a hand on each of their shoulders to keep herself from falling to the ground. She felt Legolas shift for a moment at her touch, but stopped quickly and stood calmly, a smile playing on his lips and his eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Never mind. Just never mind." Her laughs under control now, Aila's face still held a wide grin. "Where are you guys going?"
"To return my archery equipment and then up to supper," Legolas replied, continuing to walk in the direction they were headed. Nodding her head, Aila followed in between the two elves, her arms still thrust upon their shoulders. Smiling between, the three continued to jest with each other until Legolas had returned his equipment.
Entering the Dining Hall, Lord Elrond stood at the head of the table and called upon the three as they entered the hall, every elf already there, eyes trained upon them. "Daughter, Prince, Bearer, come let us feast before the Fellowship is to depart." Exchanging glances, the three walked to the places that the Lord gestured for them. Arwen sat on her father's right, Aila on his right, and Legolas next to Aila. Aragorn sat next to Arwen and Aila looked across Elrond at the two several times during the meal, smiling to herself at the happiness of her friend, unknowing that Arwen did the same while she talked with Legolas.
"Are you nervous?" she asked Legolas. He looked questioningly at her, as if he didn't understand. "You know what I mean, Legolas. Are you nervous about leaving to destroy the ring and so forth?" After a few moments of thought, Legolas simply shook his head.
"Are you?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. Then, "No, I'm terrified, not nervous."
"Why so?"
"I'm getting these theories and they all don't look so good for me, Legolas. Plus, I know what will happen and I can't do anything about it, because if I change what will happen, then I don't know what will happen after that, you know? And the end might be different too. Do you understand what I'm saying? Sometimes I wonder if this is even another world, but millions of years in the past, before when we had no history of what-so-ever." Satisfied with her answer for now, Legolas nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"I understand. I should be nervous I suppose, but I just can't bring myself to it. I'm looking forward to it, mostly. Though I will regret leaving my good friend Arwen, I want to do everything I can to help Middle Earth." Sighing for a moment, Aila nodded her head ever so slightly.
"I guess I should feel that way too. It's crazy how much I care about this world. I've always loved it from the first time I knew about it, never knowing it existed for real. And then when I fell through the mirror it was amazing because there were all of my idols, you know? Then, here's me, and I get to help save the world I always wished had existed! It's crazy stuff, man."
The feast was a casual affair and afterward Arwen began to pull her towards the Hall of Fire. Lord Elrond insisted that she come with them to the Hall of Fire, if at least for an hour, though she was yawning.
"Light Bearer, come forth," he called, once he was sitting upon his thrown in the Hall of Fire. Only slightly interested, Aila wandered forward to him, remembering to curtsy. "Greatness such as you has never walked my halls until now, and I present with a gift which I feel may aid you in the journey you and Nine Companions are about to undertake." *Greatness?* she thought to herself. *Okay, so my kid is going to save all of elven kind, but …* She had no further time to think to herself, as weariness left her for a moment. From his side, Elrond pulled forth a glittering scabbard, set with clear stones, at its end was an emerald the size of a golf ball. Engraved upon the scabbard shot with silver were the runes that were on her mirror.
Knowing that this sword belonged to her, Aila stepped forward and accepted the scabbard from the Lord.
"Only the Light Bearer may pull this sword from its sheath," he exclaimed. "Never has elven kind looked upon the blade since it has been made. Legend says it is the most beautiful of all elven blades ever created in the Old Days. Now, with Lady Aila's consent, we may look upon it again." Nodding ever so slightly, Aila gripped the handle of the blade that stood forth from the sheath. It fit her strong hand perfectly, as if made for her. *It was made for me,* she thought.
Exerting only slight pressure, she began to pull the blade from the intricate scabbard, wreathed with metallic leaves. The most magnificent of blades came forth from its sheath, shining and glittering, casting its own light reflected from that of the fire around the room. Shining pinpoints danced around the carved ceiling as Aila twisted the sword in his hands, feeling its light weight and perfect balance. A blood channel was carved down its exact center. Cautiously, Aila reached up a thumb and a forefinger and placed the lightest of pressure upon them as she ran them along the double-edge blade. Blood sprang from her fingers and alighted on the blade's shining metal. Gasps arouse from the crowd around her and she stood in wonderment, gazing dumbfounded at her new blade.
A/N: Okay, this is a tight chapter, and I hope everybody likes it. I'm having buttloads off fun writing this story and I hope that everybody else is having just as many buttloads reading it.
…
Shaking her hand and clapping her on her back, the elves congratulated her and apologized for ever doubting. Rubbing her sore left arm, Aila grinned at them, proud of herself for achieving her short term goal.
Seating herself down and thirsting from water due to her exercise, Aila leaned back and had a sudden vision. She closed her eyes and concentrated wholly on listening on what was occurring in her sight.
Legolas and Arwen were seated on a beautifully carved marble bench in one of Arwen's favorite gardens are Rivendell. Legolas was polishing her wooden bow and restringing it. Arwen, aiding him, was sighting his arrows for straightness. Casually they were talking about nothing in particular, as best friends do.
Their conversation wandered over to Aila and the Light Bearer had a sudden wave of guilt. She wasn't supposed to listen to this, it wasn't right. However, try as she might, she couldn't pull herself away from the conversation. Soon, she didn't care about pulling away, no longer guilty, intrigued by what she heard faintly.
"It was strange," Legolas said, his voice was fading and his eyes were blurring out of focus as he stared straight ahead. "Usually I cannot sit in one position for very long--you know that, Arwen. But when she was asleep, I just sat there, with her hand on my arm, and I didn't feel the need to move around. When she woke up she moved her hand and I had this sudden wave of emptiness and grief. I cannot understand it, mellonim."
His cheeks were turning slightly red at the thought of how he had felt, but Arwen's face lit up, knowing exactly what her friend was going through. However, she wiped the grin from her face and shrugged.
"I have no idea, Legolas. That is strange, indeed." Unknowing of his friend's white lie, a pregnant silence was held for a few minutes before they took up another subject, obviously Legolas unwilling to speak further on the current subject. Slowly, the scene faded as the two elven friends worked and spoke lightly to each other, no longer talking of the people they knew, but the places they have seen.
Opening her eyes again, Aila screwed her eyes together, wondering what exactly she had just overheard. Shrugging it off, she collected her archery equipment in her right arm and held her left stationary as she headed back to her room. Humming Will Smith's "Lovin' Livin'" she strolled back to her room, casually hooking he bow onto the quiver given to her by one of the elves.
She saw Arwen and Legolas walking a way in front of her and smiled to herself, breaking into a run. They turned too late to see her coming, she ran and thrust her arms around their shoulders, thrusting herself into the air in a high jump. Landing back on the ground, Aila started laughing.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?" Smiling in a "what the heck" sort of way, Legolas raised his eyebrows even further, exchanging glances with Arwen. "Okay, and then you guys respond: 'Chillin' like a villain, yo!' all right?" Then Aila looked at her two friends, and decided to play with them some more, amused at their lack of lingo. "Never mind, you're both way too white to be saying 'yo'." (a/n: just kidding, no racist remark, all right? I'm just saying, African Americans are cool, seriously. My friends and I have this joke about that, it's great. Personal joke.)
"What?" exclaimed Arwen, totally lost. Laughing uncontrollably now, Aila put a hand on each of their shoulders to keep herself from falling to the ground. She felt Legolas shift for a moment at her touch, but stopped quickly and stood calmly, a smile playing on his lips and his eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Never mind. Just never mind." Her laughs under control now, Aila's face still held a wide grin. "Where are you guys going?"
"To return my archery equipment and then up to supper," Legolas replied, continuing to walk in the direction they were headed. Nodding her head, Aila followed in between the two elves, her arms still thrust upon their shoulders. Smiling between, the three continued to jest with each other until Legolas had returned his equipment.
Entering the Dining Hall, Lord Elrond stood at the head of the table and called upon the three as they entered the hall, every elf already there, eyes trained upon them. "Daughter, Prince, Bearer, come let us feast before the Fellowship is to depart." Exchanging glances, the three walked to the places that the Lord gestured for them. Arwen sat on her father's right, Aila on his right, and Legolas next to Aila. Aragorn sat next to Arwen and Aila looked across Elrond at the two several times during the meal, smiling to herself at the happiness of her friend, unknowing that Arwen did the same while she talked with Legolas.
"Are you nervous?" she asked Legolas. He looked questioningly at her, as if he didn't understand. "You know what I mean, Legolas. Are you nervous about leaving to destroy the ring and so forth?" After a few moments of thought, Legolas simply shook his head.
"Are you?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. Then, "No, I'm terrified, not nervous."
"Why so?"
"I'm getting these theories and they all don't look so good for me, Legolas. Plus, I know what will happen and I can't do anything about it, because if I change what will happen, then I don't know what will happen after that, you know? And the end might be different too. Do you understand what I'm saying? Sometimes I wonder if this is even another world, but millions of years in the past, before when we had no history of what-so-ever." Satisfied with her answer for now, Legolas nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"I understand. I should be nervous I suppose, but I just can't bring myself to it. I'm looking forward to it, mostly. Though I will regret leaving my good friend Arwen, I want to do everything I can to help Middle Earth." Sighing for a moment, Aila nodded her head ever so slightly.
"I guess I should feel that way too. It's crazy how much I care about this world. I've always loved it from the first time I knew about it, never knowing it existed for real. And then when I fell through the mirror it was amazing because there were all of my idols, you know? Then, here's me, and I get to help save the world I always wished had existed! It's crazy stuff, man."
The feast was a casual affair and afterward Arwen began to pull her towards the Hall of Fire. Lord Elrond insisted that she come with them to the Hall of Fire, if at least for an hour, though she was yawning.
"Light Bearer, come forth," he called, once he was sitting upon his thrown in the Hall of Fire. Only slightly interested, Aila wandered forward to him, remembering to curtsy. "Greatness such as you has never walked my halls until now, and I present with a gift which I feel may aid you in the journey you and Nine Companions are about to undertake." *Greatness?* she thought to herself. *Okay, so my kid is going to save all of elven kind, but …* She had no further time to think to herself, as weariness left her for a moment. From his side, Elrond pulled forth a glittering scabbard, set with clear stones, at its end was an emerald the size of a golf ball. Engraved upon the scabbard shot with silver were the runes that were on her mirror.
Knowing that this sword belonged to her, Aila stepped forward and accepted the scabbard from the Lord.
"Only the Light Bearer may pull this sword from its sheath," he exclaimed. "Never has elven kind looked upon the blade since it has been made. Legend says it is the most beautiful of all elven blades ever created in the Old Days. Now, with Lady Aila's consent, we may look upon it again." Nodding ever so slightly, Aila gripped the handle of the blade that stood forth from the sheath. It fit her strong hand perfectly, as if made for her. *It was made for me,* she thought.
Exerting only slight pressure, she began to pull the blade from the intricate scabbard, wreathed with metallic leaves. The most magnificent of blades came forth from its sheath, shining and glittering, casting its own light reflected from that of the fire around the room. Shining pinpoints danced around the carved ceiling as Aila twisted the sword in his hands, feeling its light weight and perfect balance. A blood channel was carved down its exact center. Cautiously, Aila reached up a thumb and a forefinger and placed the lightest of pressure upon them as she ran them along the double-edge blade. Blood sprang from her fingers and alighted on the blade's shining metal. Gasps arouse from the crowd around her and she stood in wonderment, gazing dumbfounded at her new blade.