okay, I'm sorry that this has taken me so long, but I got a little wrapped up with my other fic, the Fire Hawk one. I luv that one, its lotsa fun to write. oops, I'm getting off-track! sorries! well, thanks bunches to my reviewers, the input was greatly appreciated!
I think some parts of this fic might be a bit boring to some of you... I dunno. But most of it is important stuff... might not seem so now, but it will be eventually... *g* sorry that it's short.... I didn't have much time to nite.
Disclaimer: okay, well, at the moment, I dont own this stuff. Lian is my OC, Faith is Lani's, and everyone else *mutters darkly* still belongs to him. *jerks thumb at tolkien, who is coloring in a Disney coloring book with a pink marker* why he gets it all is beyond me, but there ya go. life ain't fair I tell ya. oh, Hoshi, Anto, Anil, Magen, Alian and the Gondor guards are mine, but I can't take the credit for some of the names. Hoshi was a name devised by the oh so clever Tamora Pierce. *shoots smile at Pierce, who smiles for the credit* *john sits in background, muttering darkly* "suck up" *hollie glares at tolkien* can it wise guy. oh, and the character of Anto was co-created with my dear (slightly insane) friend kristen, for a "movie" we were trying to write... it never went anywhere, but I luv his character so much, I decided to put him in this. happy reading!
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Lian: Part Two
by Hollie
"Lian, what is taking you so long?" Faith, the ruler of the elf haven Rivendell, peered around the silver birch door into the guest room that her niece was staying in. Lian, a young mortal woman, was pacing back and forth in the wide room, occasionally removing or adding things to a bag on the large bed that was nestled against the wall.
"Lian?" Faith tried again, a bit concerned. The girl didn't seem to hear her though, as she continued to pace and pack without looking up.
"Lian!" The yell broke her thoughtful trance.
"Faith, oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there. Well, I was just packing for the... trip," she paused, looking up at her aunt anxiously, "Are you sure about this? It's such a long trip, we really don't have to do this." Faith entered the room, sat on the bed and patted the section of mattress by her side. Lian obeyed the unspoken request and sat down.
"I know that you're nervous, and I don't blame you one bit. But you know as well as I do that we have to go. Besides, I haven't been to Mirkwood in ages, and I would love to see my dear friend Legolas again." She gave Lian a reassuring smile, "it will be fine."
"Lady Faith, are you sure this is the right way?"
"Of course I'm sure," Faith replied to the guard, leading the small group of travelers on. "Uh oh... I don't remember this place." They had come to a crossroad on the journey to Mirkwood Forest, and Faith, who was leading the group, hastily chose a path. "It's this way," she told the others, starting down the left path.
Lian rode up on her cinnamon-brown mare Hoshi, to speak with Faith.
"Are you sure about this?"
"By the Valar! I am positive, you and Galen need to talk about this and if you won't..."
"No, I mean are you positive that this is the right road."
"Oh," Faith's cheeks reddened slightly. "Honestly child, do you think that I would choose the wrong path? Of course not. I know exactly where I am leading us." Confidence was in her voice, but not in her eyes. Shaking her head, Lian fell back in the group to talk with some of the elven guards who had come along with the two women, in case they ran into danger. Both had protested, saying that they could handle themselves, but the men had insisted, and Faith knew that it would have been fruitless to argue.
"So this is correct?" a tall, dark haired elf, Anto, asked Lian.
"That is what she says, but something doesn't feel right. I cannot place it, but there's definitely something."
"I feel it too." Anto looked at her, smiling. "You have keen senses Lian. Like you mother." Lian smiled in return. Being compared to Arwen Undomiel, Evenstar of the elves, her mother, was a great compliment indeed. Arwen had lived in Rivendell and the now almost deserted Lothlorien until she had met and fallen in love with Aragorn, Lian's father. They were an ideal pair, the elven princess and the heir to the throne of men.
"How has she been?"
"Who?" Lian had drifted once again into her own thoughts, oblivious to the rest of the world.
"Your mother, Arwen. She was greatly missed in Rivendell after she left."
"Oh, mother, right. She's well, and quite happy it seems. She wanted to come with me, to visit Faith and her old home, but she said that she wasn't feeling quite up to it."
"Well, it is October, that's understandable."
"Beg pardon?"
Anto suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he realized that he had said something he shouldn't have. "Nothing, forget I mentioned anything." He started to ride ahead with the others, but Lian reached over and grabbed his arm.
"What happened Anto," she said calmly but forcefully. He looked around, as if he expected someone to be listening.
"It's none of my business about the Battle by the Fords, but I'm surprised that you haven't been told. Still, it's not my place to divulge that, I'm sure that your parents had a reason for keeping it secret." Removing his arm from Lian's grip, Anto moved up by some of the other guards, taking care to avoid Lian.
Lian sat upon Hoshi; the clever horse following the others without the direction of her momentarily distracted master.
"What on earth was Anto talking about?" she wondered, "and why was he being so secretive? Infuriating elf." She looked around at the people in front of her. There was Faith, in the lead as always. Behind her, Anto, his brother Anil, one of Faith's guard-friends Magen and the three men who had come with Lian on her journey to Rivendell. "If I commanded one of Gondor's guards to tell me the truth, they would. These elves though, they're so close, never revealing anything unless they have a mind to. Infuriating, absolutely infuriating!"
She pounded a fist on one of her knees, frightening Hoshi. The horse gave a start, neighing loudly, alarming the other horses that were already on edge from the eerie, dank forest they were traveling through. Faith's horse, Hope, reared, as did some of the others. The horse Anto rode upon went back so far, that the elf was thrown from her back. He just barely missed being trampled by one of the Gondorian horses, who was in a state of utter panic, racing around like mad.
Lian led Hoshi, who had calmed down very quickly, closer to the hysteria, and lowered her hand to Anto, offering him a seat upon Hoshi. He gladly accepted, relieved to be out of squashing range of the panic stricken animals.
Faith, Anil and Magen, who had just barely managed to stay on their mounts, were busy trying to control the other horses. They began whispering to the creatures in elvish, which worked on all but the one horse of Gondor. She was still careening out of control, giving her poor rider and those lying on the ground, quite a scare. Lian was just about to dismount, to try to speak with the horse of her own lands (A/N: I know that the Gondorians weren't horse raising people, but I'm making it so that when Aragorn and Arwen took up the rule of the country, some people raised horses, and they were used in some patrols or for just riding around, k?) when she felt Hoshi stiffen underneath her. The horse began to sniff about wildly, backing up ever so slowly.
"What's wrong," Anto whispered in Lian's ear. She brushed a stray strand of long dark hair from her face, confused.
"I don't know," she whispered back, "but whatever it is, it's not good." She gave a slight shiver as she felt a sudden, cold breeze. It was as if she could see the temperature drop around them as an ominous mist set around them.
"There is evil in this forest, I can feel it," Anto whispered to her again. "He has such a kind voice," Lian thought, "wait a moment, where the Valar did that come from?" She shook involuntarily, utterly confused about everything. Anto, sitting so close behind her, noticed her movement.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Fine, fine. Just a bit uncomfortable in this place." She led Hoshi closer to Anto's steed, Alian. He dismounted the nervous mare, walking towards his own black mount. He turned back to Lian, brown eyes sparkling as he bowed low.
"Thank you for the ride, milady." Lian giggled in spite of herself, he was acting so goofy.
"What am I doing?" Lian had never been a girl to giggle. She laughed from time to time, of course, but she never giggled. Giggly girls had always annoyed her, the ones who traveled around in small groups, giggling whenever they even got close to a man. So why was she, a more serious, non-giggly girl, suddenly giggling as an elf she hardly knew bowed to her? It made no sense. "But then again, so few things do make sense to me these days." She shrugged it off, returning her thoughts to the present, unnerving situation of the horses' discomfort.
Lian was just about to lead Hoshi up to the front to speak with Faith, when suddenly out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed out, grazing Lian's left forearm. Her spine stiffened as she felt hot blood start to trickle down her arm. She had just enough time to yell, "we're being attacked!" when her world went black.
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you know, I've realized something.... Tiff, u have been absolutely correct from the start.... I do luv cliffhangers! I've enjoyed writing this chapter more then I had expected to... and, as usual, I have totally changed my plot around. I do that so much.... but it's kinda fun!
well, once again, thanks for the reviews.... I'd luv more. I'm now gonna go back to my HP fic for a while.... but if I get a bunch more reviews on this chapter, I promise I'll come back sooner.
how do you guys like what I'm doing in this chapter? I'm not quite sure of my feelings for it yet.... but y'all know I luv input!
luv always,
hollie
ps. okay Lani, I updated... now it's your turn!! I want chapter 19 pronto!!!