Songs owned by Sarah McLachlan and Enya.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
"Who is it?" Keira asked through the door.
"A friend of Aragorn's," the voice replied.
Keira cracked open the door and saw an elf standing in front of her. He towered above her 5' 6" and his hair was the color of the winter sun. His eyes shone a friendly blue, though his frame suggested he was a skilled fighter.
"What have you come to a ranger for?" Keira asked skeptically.
"Aragorn wishes me to escort you to tonight's feast," the elf replied.
"Damn him!" Keira cursed softly. "Always thinking I can't do anything myself."
"Actually it was the Lady Arwen who put the idea into his head," the elf said.
"And damn your elven ears," Keira said clearly shocked he had heard her before realization dawned.
"Lady?" he asked as Keira walked back into her room.
"Well Master Elf you seem to have a choice," Keira started. "Either you may return to Aragorn and tell him you have been sent away or you may wait a few moments for me to dress accordingly for the occasion."
"I'll wait outside for you milady," he said.
"And Master Elf," Keira said as he started to close the door. He paused and blue eyes met purple. "The name's Keira."
Smiling he replied, "And mine is Legolas."
Keira smiled and he continued out the door, shutting if softly behind him.
"A feast? What does one wear to a feast?" Keira asked herself. "A dress, of course."
Opening the small wardrobe in her room, Keira pulled out the only dress he had ever owned, a dress of her mother's. The dress was by far a glorious thing to look at and quite comfortable to wear. It was a blue silk dress cut in the ways of the elves with silver gauze over the skirt and bodice. The sleeves billowed about her arms and the dress trailed behind her as she walked about her room fixing her long hair. Finally deciding herself as decent as she could be she opened the door of her room.
"Ready, are you?" a voice said from behind her and Keira bit her tongue to keep from screaming.
"Yes, I am," she replies calmly.
"Did I scare you?" Legolas asked amusement vivid in his eyes.
"Damn your elven quietness as well," Keira hissed as they started toward the main hall. Legolas just laughed gently to himself.
"Do you find me funny, milord?" Keira asked glaring at Legolas.
"In truth? I do find you quite amusing, milady," Legolas replied.
Smiling Keira nodded her head to him as they walked into the hall. Stopping at the doors Keira turned back and whispered softly, "I can't do this. I am no proper lady."
"You won't embarrass yourself, I promise," Legolas whisper in her ear and Keira nodding before smiling a small smile and taking the elf's arm.
"Can you promise against something so sure of happening?" Keira asked just as the doors opened. Legolas's only reply was a smile in her direction as he led them into the dining hall.
"My friends," Aragorn announced as he saw Keira nd Legolas walk in, "I'd like you to meet my first student and fellow Ranger, Keira Nightingale."
The sound of applause greeted Keira as she bowed her head to hide her blush. Finally, as the applause died down, Keira let her eyes met Aragorn's.
"I thank you milord," she said smiling. "But you do embarrass me."
"Why?" the king asked. "Because I dolt on you for being my best student, a skilled shot, and an expert swordswoman?"
"Strider!" Keira cried turning red. "Do you enjoy making me feel so out of place?"
For a moment Aragorn stopped smiling and looked slightly scared that he had hurt her feelings until he saw the twinkling in her eyes.
"Enough games," Aragorn said smiling again. "Let us eat."
The dinner passed quite un-interrupted. Keira met two hobbits, one the short guard she had spoken to and another, his friend, named Pippin and merry. She also met a friend of Legolas's, a dwarf named Gimli. She also met a few of the people who had fought with Aragorn in the War of the Ring; Eomer and his sister Eowyn, and her husband, Faramir.
"Keira," Aragorn said as everyone finished eating. The young woman looked up at the king. "Would you care to sing a few songs for us?'
"Surely you aren't serious," Keira said shocked. At Aragorn's look she nodded and stood. She walked over to where a small band of musicians sat. After a few minutes conversation she stood before everyone at the table and smiled as a lulling tune started.
"May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh, how are you are from home
Mornië utúlië (darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornië alantië (darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornië utúlië (darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornië alantië (darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
A promise lives within you now."
Everyone seemed in awe of the Ranger as she finished singing her solemn song. Then as the shock wore off the applause started. Smiling Keira gestured for the band to start playing again.
"This is a song from my homeland," Keira said before she started singing softly.
"The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone
I haven't seen the sun for weeks
Too long too far from home
I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh....darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
Its better this way, I say
Having seen this place before
Where everything we say and do
Hurts us all the more
It's just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness....I feel like letting go
If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
I know I could love you much better than this
It's better this way.."
Keira finished to see all eyes on her, awe again on everyone's face. Smiling she made her way back to her seat beside Legolas as the applause started.
"There," Aragorn said standing, "now you've all had a taste of North's singing, and by far Keira is the best."
All Keira did was smile and blush prettily. Feeling eyes on her, Keira looked up and into the blue depths of Legolas's eyes. He smiled and raised his glass to her. Smiling even broader, Keira did the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
"Who is it?" Keira asked through the door.
"A friend of Aragorn's," the voice replied.
Keira cracked open the door and saw an elf standing in front of her. He towered above her 5' 6" and his hair was the color of the winter sun. His eyes shone a friendly blue, though his frame suggested he was a skilled fighter.
"What have you come to a ranger for?" Keira asked skeptically.
"Aragorn wishes me to escort you to tonight's feast," the elf replied.
"Damn him!" Keira cursed softly. "Always thinking I can't do anything myself."
"Actually it was the Lady Arwen who put the idea into his head," the elf said.
"And damn your elven ears," Keira said clearly shocked he had heard her before realization dawned.
"Lady?" he asked as Keira walked back into her room.
"Well Master Elf you seem to have a choice," Keira started. "Either you may return to Aragorn and tell him you have been sent away or you may wait a few moments for me to dress accordingly for the occasion."
"I'll wait outside for you milady," he said.
"And Master Elf," Keira said as he started to close the door. He paused and blue eyes met purple. "The name's Keira."
Smiling he replied, "And mine is Legolas."
Keira smiled and he continued out the door, shutting if softly behind him.
"A feast? What does one wear to a feast?" Keira asked herself. "A dress, of course."
Opening the small wardrobe in her room, Keira pulled out the only dress he had ever owned, a dress of her mother's. The dress was by far a glorious thing to look at and quite comfortable to wear. It was a blue silk dress cut in the ways of the elves with silver gauze over the skirt and bodice. The sleeves billowed about her arms and the dress trailed behind her as she walked about her room fixing her long hair. Finally deciding herself as decent as she could be she opened the door of her room.
"Ready, are you?" a voice said from behind her and Keira bit her tongue to keep from screaming.
"Yes, I am," she replies calmly.
"Did I scare you?" Legolas asked amusement vivid in his eyes.
"Damn your elven quietness as well," Keira hissed as they started toward the main hall. Legolas just laughed gently to himself.
"Do you find me funny, milord?" Keira asked glaring at Legolas.
"In truth? I do find you quite amusing, milady," Legolas replied.
Smiling Keira nodded her head to him as they walked into the hall. Stopping at the doors Keira turned back and whispered softly, "I can't do this. I am no proper lady."
"You won't embarrass yourself, I promise," Legolas whisper in her ear and Keira nodding before smiling a small smile and taking the elf's arm.
"Can you promise against something so sure of happening?" Keira asked just as the doors opened. Legolas's only reply was a smile in her direction as he led them into the dining hall.
"My friends," Aragorn announced as he saw Keira nd Legolas walk in, "I'd like you to meet my first student and fellow Ranger, Keira Nightingale."
The sound of applause greeted Keira as she bowed her head to hide her blush. Finally, as the applause died down, Keira let her eyes met Aragorn's.
"I thank you milord," she said smiling. "But you do embarrass me."
"Why?" the king asked. "Because I dolt on you for being my best student, a skilled shot, and an expert swordswoman?"
"Strider!" Keira cried turning red. "Do you enjoy making me feel so out of place?"
For a moment Aragorn stopped smiling and looked slightly scared that he had hurt her feelings until he saw the twinkling in her eyes.
"Enough games," Aragorn said smiling again. "Let us eat."
The dinner passed quite un-interrupted. Keira met two hobbits, one the short guard she had spoken to and another, his friend, named Pippin and merry. She also met a friend of Legolas's, a dwarf named Gimli. She also met a few of the people who had fought with Aragorn in the War of the Ring; Eomer and his sister Eowyn, and her husband, Faramir.
"Keira," Aragorn said as everyone finished eating. The young woman looked up at the king. "Would you care to sing a few songs for us?'
"Surely you aren't serious," Keira said shocked. At Aragorn's look she nodded and stood. She walked over to where a small band of musicians sat. After a few minutes conversation she stood before everyone at the table and smiled as a lulling tune started.
"May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh, how are you are from home
Mornië utúlië (darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornië alantië (darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornië utúlië (darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornië alantië (darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
A promise lives within you now."
Everyone seemed in awe of the Ranger as she finished singing her solemn song. Then as the shock wore off the applause started. Smiling Keira gestured for the band to start playing again.
"This is a song from my homeland," Keira said before she started singing softly.
"The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone
I haven't seen the sun for weeks
Too long too far from home
I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh....darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
Its better this way, I say
Having seen this place before
Where everything we say and do
Hurts us all the more
It's just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness....I feel like letting go
If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
I know I could love you much better than this
It's better this way.."
Keira finished to see all eyes on her, awe again on everyone's face. Smiling she made her way back to her seat beside Legolas as the applause started.
"There," Aragorn said standing, "now you've all had a taste of North's singing, and by far Keira is the best."
All Keira did was smile and blush prettily. Feeling eyes on her, Keira looked up and into the blue depths of Legolas's eyes. He smiled and raised his glass to her. Smiling even broader, Keira did the same.