Yay! 5 reviews!!  As a result here is chapter 8! Thank you sooooo much for the reviews!!!!  Again, sorry if the elvish is a little off, I'm no expert

 I have a seriously bad case of writers block so it might take a while 4 Chapter 9

Disclaimer:  I don't own LOTR I don't own anything…:(

Chapter 8

            I was awakened the next morning by a maid, who helped me dress.  I wore a grey riding dress, and boots that were concealed beneath my skirt.  She tied up my hair into a tight plait, leaving no loose ends.  I looked around my room sadly. Part of me felt terribly lonely, and half of me felt the anticipation that can not be avoided before a journey such as this.  I moved slowly around my room, checking every corner, for trinkets that I might have over looked.  Nothing-everything I could possibly need or want was packed and most likely being saddle onto the horses. 

            I opened my door and I saw him-Legolas leaning on the wall across from my door, smiling mischievously at me.  I blinked and he was gone.  I tilted my head slightly willing the tears to disappear. I was not going to cry and waist my life away, no Legolas always told me to live my life.  That was how I would honor his memory.  Blinking to get the memory of his face out of my mind I headed straight for the dinning hall.

            For once I wasn't the last one to arrive.  Haldir had yet to make an appearance. I sat down, eating heartily.  I smiled at Haldir as he came in, and engaged me in conversation. He spoke about the trip ahead, explaining the path we would take.  I began to argue senselessly with Haldir that the winter would burden us. I swear I saw Elrond smile.  Arwen whispered into my ear, and we stood, excused ourselves and left.  She led me the library, into a quiet secluded section. I knew that this would be good bye, and my heart saddened. As if reading my mind she said, "Do not be saddened. We will meet again."

"Yes, we will," was all I could manage to say.

"Promise me, that you will follow your heart, wherever it may lead you."  I looked at her, but held the questions.

"I will try."  She hugged me.  I knew that if I held on any longer I wouldn't be able to leave.  We broke apart.  The air held a bite to it that I had just noticed.  It seemed that winter had come sooner than I had ever anticipated.  We walked together in a comfortable silence. 

            We stood side by side at the door watching the company of elves who would be returning to Lothorien preparing for the journey.  A maid came, bowing, and handing me a heavy cloak of which I was thankful.  I put on the cloak adjusting it around my shoulders.  Elrond appeared at Arwen's side. Haldir came up to us, and bowed. 

"My lord I thank you for your hospitality. I do hope to see you in the future.  We are ready to leave." I nodded.  I turned to Arwen, again we hugged.

"ier ikotane lye  kirma  nan' il ten'oio" she whispered into my ear, so only I could here.

"namaarie, sister."  She said.

"namaarie."  Elrond turned to me.

"My dear, even if you can not see it, your path lies before you.  Stay well, my daughter."

"Namaarie, Ada."  I looked around for Elladan and Elrohir.

"They left in the night Alatariel, but they bade you fair fortune."   I stepped out of the door, and into the cold. I turned, and curtsied.

"Namaarie!" I said to them, "Farewell my Lord and Lady!"  They nodded.  I mounted my horse, Elvea.  We rode, in procession away from the halls of Imladris.  The wind was harsh on my face, and I lifted my hood. We reached the crest of the valley, and I turned for a last glimpse at Rivendell.  I missed my home already.  Haldir rode beside me, while the other members of our company fell into place-two ahead, and two behind.

"Haldir, what is Lothlorien like?" I asked curiously. He began to tell me about his home with such excitement that I laughed. 

"Do you find me amusing My Lady?"

"Of course not, tell me, Haldir, about your life."

"Well, when I was growing up my friends and I used to go to this stream just outside the smaller village. Well one year I was the first to jump in, I was down to my undergarments and I thought that it had been just my friends with me-well I was mistaken.  A group of girls had arrived shortly after us-after I had jumped in. My friends couldn't stop laughing.   I came out of the water. I was so humiliated! I stayed in my house for weeks!"

"That doesn't sound like something you would do."

"Yes," said an elf that had come up on my left, "he stayed in his house for weeks plotting revenge!"  I laughed. 

"My name is Vorima. I was one of the laughing friends. One of the friends mind you, who was on the receiving end of his revenge."  Vorima said shooting a glare over at Haldir.  I laughed. 

"And what of you? You laugh at us; have you no child-hood stories?"  I shadow crossed my face. My childhood memories held mostly Legolas. 

"Well, I went through this time period where I hated Legolas." Haldir raised an eyebrow. "No, really he was the bane of my existence.  It was after I had moved to Rivendell so I didn't know him very well-just from the letters.  He came to and Arwen and I were made to show him Rivendell.  I pushed me into the mud "accidentally".  Elladan and Elrohir helped me.  Together we slipped into his room and slipped a spider into his boot during the night.   The next morning we all hid out empty room next to his. That morning-I'll never forget how he screamed. We were punished.  Lord Elrond made us wait on Legolas. I'll never forget that smug look on his face, when I had to wait on him. OOO I swore I would get him back."  They both laughed though I noticed that Haldir looked slightly uncomfortable.   They told me stories of their childhood, and I told them of mine.  It was soon nightfall, and we stopped to make camp. 

            I was introduced to the rest of the elves.  Their names were Uurion, Sorni, and Raaka. The one called Raaka had a shady look about him. I didn't trust him entirely. The others were all very nice to me, yet he seemed cold. I may have seemed fine during the day, but my nights were misery. It was as if the night drew out the worst in me. I had always been afraid of starless nights, and now my sky seemed without light. I rested, yet when I did I had visions. I saw him die, over and over. My nights were full of terror, so different from the day, when I carried on as if the nights didn't exist. I made myself smile and laugh. I was healing, but it after every day of healing; I had the night to destroy whatever progress I made. One night the terrors became unbearable.

            We were near Lothlorien, only a day's ride away. It was night. I lay just outside the pool of firelight. After the first night I learned to sleep away from them, but one or more were always close to me, on guard. That entire day I had been a little quiet, letting the talk surround me. That night the worst of the dreams came. Whether they are dreams or visions they came at night and they came with a sense of reality that made me cry out that night.

            I retired early hoping to claim rest instead of what came. I was soon wrapped up in a whirl of impossible, yet very realistic events. It was night, and I stood by Legolas on the wall of a dike. The air was tense. I had never seen so many elves and men together. For there were elves, they were under Haldir's command. Aragorn too was there. I looked straight out. Black masses of orcs were marching to the wall. Then the battle began. I was like a ghost, a watcher. I couldn't be injured, but I couldn't help those around me either.  I looked around me. There were boys; some looked as if they hadn't reached manhood yet. 

            Orcs cleared the walls. The hand to hand combat began. I watched elves fall. Then I screamed as an orc grabbed me. Now it became real. We struggled. I groped for the knife that the Lady had given me, lashing it on any piece of skin I could reach. "LEGOLAS!" I screamed. He stopped. His eyes grew wide. He began to run towards me. He notched an arrow and let it fly. It hit the orc square in the face. I turned stabbing my knife at the orcs who saw me as a weakness. However, a knife was no sufficient weapon against the flood of orcs that didn't stop coming. Another one grabbed me around my neck cutting off circulation. He took my dagger and sliced it across my stomach. I screamed watching the blood flow out of me. Legolas was running towards me. I turned my head Haldir looked at me, his concentration shifting, when an orc stabbed him through the stomach. "HALDIR!" I cried, as I watched him collapse. Aragorn was by his side, as Legolas reached mine. I had forgotten that I was bleeding. Legolas' blue eyes were shinning with tears.

            My eyes flew open and I clutched at my stomach, screaming into the night. Haldir was at my side, dabbing my forehead with a damp cloth.

"Haldir," I gasped, tears streaming down my face, "Haldir I died, and you died, and Legolas held me he was crying. Haldir you died. There was a huge orc army; tens of thousands."  I was in hysterics.

"SHHH, it's ok, it wasn't real."

"It felt real." He held me. "Legolas…" I whispered as I lost conciseness. 

            Haldir insisted I ride with him.  I persisted.  I could've ridden on my own, but he wouldn't have it.  I was still weak from the night before, and I gave in.  None of us spoke. The whole group was on guard.   We reached the Golden Wood.  The sight took my breath away.  It was indescribable.  Scouts met up with us.

"My Lord, we have had orders to remain scouting." Haldir dismounted.  They exchanged news.

"Alatariel ride on without us.  Sorni will take you the rest of the way," he dropped his voice, "Will you be alright?"

"I am not a child," I said rather colder than I meant to. What gave him the right to feel protective of me? He isn't Legolas.  I mounted my own horse, and galloped after Sorni.  By midday we had reached Lothorien.  I was exhausted.  I was allowed to go to my room, and rest a while.  I refused to let myself fall into the docile state I was in when I the dreams came. 

            There was a knock at my door, it was late into the night.  I stood and opened it. Vorima stood outside. He bowed, I curtsied-Elven etiquette.

"The Lady wishes that you meet with her." I nodded.  I shut the door to change; I think he was surprised at this.  I put on a dark purple gown, and clipped the hair around my face up.  I found in my pack the diadem that Elrond had given me.  I opened the door.

"Vorima, should I were the diadem?"

"Yes."  I slipped on the tiara. Vorima offered his arm and I took it.  He guided me through the hallways.  Lothorien was so different from Rivendell.  They are both so beautiful but in different ways. Lothorien held a silvery beauty, it was silent and calm. Rivendell was the same, silent calm, yet different. 

"My Lady, this is the Lady Ataltariel. Adopted daughter of Lord Elrond of Imladirs." I dropped my head and curtsied.

"Thank you Vorima.  That will be all."  Vorima left us and I became nervous under the vigilant stare of the Lady Galadriel.

"Tell me about yourself. You are the love of Legolas Greenleaf are you not?" My heart broke into a thousand and one pieces.

"My Lady, Legolas Greenleaf is dead. I received notice a few weeks ago." She gazed into my eyes, and I shifted uncomfortably. I have been told that the Lady of the Golden Wood knows all, sees all. 

"Tell me of your visions." I didn't quite know how to respond to a question I had never seen coming.

"My visions?"

"Yes." I took in a breath. How was I to explain? I can't remember most of them.

"They come at night. I can't remember any of them, save for the one I had last night."

"What happens?"

"I feel coldness and pain, always pain.  Sometimes I feel loneliness or death.  I watch Legolas die- I remember.  He dies-always." Tears blossomed in my eyes. Not again, I begged silently.  I was tired of the tears.

"Tell me of the last vision." I obliged, reliving what I saw.  I saw the Lady before my eyes, but I also seemed to be slipping back into the vision as I told her of the events.  I saw every movement; heard every arrow fly through the air.  I felt a soft, reassuring hand upon mine.  She was nodding.

"Would you be so kind as to get me a glass of water?" The Lady asked gesturing to a water jug.  I stood, moving my way across the room.  I poured the glass, handing it to the Lady. I turned to replace the porcelain water jug when something caught my eye and I stopped.  I stood frozen.  I dropped the water jug and vaguely heard it smash, feeling the water cascade over my feet.  I shut my eyes.  No, it's just like the one I saw in Rivendell. He is dead, and my mind is cruel.

Review Por favor (please)!  I need inspiration for chapter 9! Coming as soon as  I write it