** Disclaimer: I only own Zana ********* *********** ************
I wrote another fast chapter! The truth is that I'm in a strange mood and I needed to write..: ) I don't know if this will be good or not.. I just wrote what was inside my head.. I hope it won't be too bad, and thank you very much for the reviews!!!!!!! Ah.. if I was able to solve my worries just writing the solution.. it would be too easy and the world would be a chaos, I know : )
************ ************ ************* *********** *********
You're such a secret
Misty eyed and shady
how you hold the key
Oh, you're like a candle
Your flame slowly fadin'
Burnin' out and burnin' me
Can't you see
Just tryin' to say to you
You're bringin' on the heartache
Takin all the best of me
Oh can't you see
You got the best of me
- Bringing on the heartbreak - Mariah Carey
Haldir had been analysing the human boy for the past three hours. The journey went on, the rising sun filled everything with its light and the black sky turned into red in the horizon. The elf walked near from Legolas, and they both exchanged a meaningful look.
"What do you think about him?" Haldir whispered, and Legolas shrugged, staring at Zana.
"It seems they both were good friends on Earth.. but I can't judge by the moment.. lets be patient, and if he tried to.." He stopped talking for a while, and Haldir waited with en expectant look. Legolas shook his head. "Lets give him a chance"
"Something tells me that things will change from now on.." Haldir murmured, and went on watching at the couple in front of them. Zana was smiling happily, talking all time, and he felt a kind of pain inside his chest when the human boy looked back at her. He wasn't too older than her, maybe a couple of years.. with dark hair and eyes, as tall as Zana. His skin was darker than hers, he wore a strange brown sweater. And he didn't seem to be interested on the creatures of Middle Earth. His eyes were only for the human girl and this made the elves mad.
"Someone should write a book about this" Gimli commented with a laugh, staring at the elves. "This is too funny to be missed, you both are so jealous that I wish I had here all the dwarves of this world with me!" His laughs sounded all over the place, and Zana looked back, smiling. Haldir saw her eyes, shining with a different light, and he didn't like that.
"Don't play with us, dwarf" Legolas beated on Gimli's arm. "Something troubles us and time will tell what is it.. don't make jokes about that, Gimli, this can be more serious than it seems" They three went on walking behind the humans, and suddenly silence spread around. The land of Rivers was there.
------------- ------------------- ------------------- ----------------- -----------------
I couldn't understand their silence.. since he had arrived, three hours ago, Haldir and Legolas had been avoiding me. That made me angry and I opted for ignoring them.. there were too many things I wanted to know, too many questions for the new member.. I still couldn't believe that he was the one who had helped me some months ago.. the one who had made possible that I had got that job in the faculty.. I was so shocked and happy, too confused to analyse what I was feeling.. for a while I forgot about the elves and I felt as if I was back on Earth.. as if I was just walking with a friend in any of our forests or parks.. only when I heard Gimli's laughs I came back to present time and I realised that many things were waiting for me there, including a mysterious mission.
"This is too confusing and I don't know where to start.." I murmured, and Fern looked at me with a smile.
"It's difficult for me as well.. now you can imagine that I didn't arrive here by coincidence " His dark eyes shone , and in some seconds we were walking apart from the group.
"Why don't you explain me, first, how did we arrive here? I mean, how come you were able to follow me?" He nodded, and I waited for the answer.
"I can't tell in detail, Zana.. " he looked in the distance, trying to remember. "I saw you walking, and I tried to reach you.. I needed to talk to you, after so many months hidden.. and suddenly a blue light filled the halls, many people shouted, scared, but you seemed not to realise about it.. and then, you came into the light.. I ran, and followed you.. and then.. then I woke up in a wooden room, and someone told me that I was in Middle Earth" he laughed, as if it was something unreal. "Can you believe it? I mean, those people wanted me to believe that I was among elves in Rivendell.. but in the end it was true, Zana.." He looked amazed, remembering his days in that place. " Elrond himself came to talk to me.. and he explained everything.."
"What do you mean with "everything"? " I wanted to know if he was aware of what was happening. Fern looked at me, amazed, with a strange expression on his face.
"He told me about you, about your arrival in Mirkwood, and then Aragorn and Arwen spent with me some afternoons, and the ranger told me some stories about your days with the elves.. and then Gandalf met me too.. he talked about your mission and the big decision that one day you'll have to make.. and I realised that you must be a very important person with a very important destiny.. and I was meant to share it with you.." His last words were lower and we stared at each other. But that was too odd, I already was sharing my destiny with Haldir, Legolas and Gimli.. and I already had found someone very important for me.. Fern looked at me again. "Zana.. something worries you, right? " He looked back, to see Haldir and Legolas, and then watched at me again. "They're the real Haldir and Legolas. how come they look exactly like in the movie?" I smiled, and sighed.
"It's a too long story and I'll tell you it another day.." He didn't reply, and silence came over us. I had a strange feeling, something bad, as if I was getting a kind of warning from somewhere. I looked at Haldir, and I noticed he wasn't too comfortable with Fern's presence.. neither was Legolas.
"People, what do we do now?" Asked Gimli, when we arrived in the Rivers. I saw the land from the top of a hill, and it was wonderful. The green landscape was crossed by hundreds of small blue rivers.. the contrast of colours reminded me of my favourite painter, Van Gogh. And the sun over them.. it was too charming and I couldn't stop watching at it. Suddenly I felt Haldir's hand on mine. I turned to meet his gaze and he smiled.
"I'm sorry for being absent minded the past hours" I apologised, but he shook his head.
"I understand that you had many questions to make, Zana.. but I have to be sincere with you. I don't like the way he acts with us.. he even didn't say a word to me, or to Legolas, or Gimli.." Haldir's eyes searched for him and his expression changed again.
"Maybe he didn't talk to you for the same reason I didn't, Haldir.. he was too surprised when he met me, and we needed to talk.. now that I got an explanation, things will change.. he just followed me, but he doesn't have any relation with the mission.."
"Galadriel said he would change things, Zana.." I didn't reply this because I couldn't find a proper answer. Legolas came close to us, and looked at Haldir.
"We must cross here, the first river is too deep, but then we'll find an easier path for them" Legolas pointed at Gimli and Fern. And then , to my surprise, he walked towards my human friend. Fern turned around and met the tall elf.
"Don't you think it's about time to talk to us, boy?" Legolas crossed his arms over his chest , and waited. Haldir joined him soon, and Fern looked at me, confused.
"I'm sorry, I was too shocked when I met her.." he apologised, and then shrugged. " I don't know what do you want to know, I can't give you more information than the one you got from Zana.. I still don't know what happened that day in the faculty.." I felt sorry for him, the two elves were standing in front of Fern and he looked so small.
"Maybe you should leave and return to Earth" Haldir said, arrogantly. "We're enough here, and we don't need you, you'll be an obstacle for our journey.."
"Haldir, wait a minute" Legolas warned, and then I walked towards them. "Galadriel said he would appear, so this means that he must come with us" Haldir gave him a freezing look.
"My intentions are good, I mean no harm to her, and you shouldn't worry about this" Fern was looking at Legolas when he talked, and this surprised me.. because in my opinion, it was Haldir the one who looked more threatening..
"I usually don't make fast judgements, and I decided to give you a chance.. I'm sorry if I was rude at first.. but you must understand that we're involved in a serious situation.." Legolas relaxed a bit, and then Haldir walked back with me.
"We must go on walking" He said, looking at the human, and then at me. "Come on" He took my arm gently, and gave a last look to Fern.
"I know him and he's not a danger " I said, and Haldir stared at me, surprised.
"You're defending him?" I shook my head, taking a deep breath.
"I'm just saying that he's a good person, and if Legolas trusts him, you should do it too. Look at Gimli, even the dwarf is keeping a conversation with him now!" We looked at them, Fern was laughing at something that Gimli said, and Legolas smiled too.
"I don't trust humans.." Haldir murmured, and then he realised about what he had said, because he looked at me worried. I stopped walking for a while, unable to say anything. I felt so bad, I knew that deep inside he would never be happy with me. "Zana, I didn't want to say that.."
"No, Haldir.. I always thought that you would never be with a human girl, because since the day I met you, you acted arrogantly with me.. until we finally fell for each other.. but now I can't be sure about you, knowing that you can't trust one of mines.."
"I trust Aragorn like I trust any elf" Haldir took my hand and walked closer to me. "Please, Zana.. you have to believe me. I trust you, and the reason is that I don't see you like a human.. I mean.. you're not like the rest of humans.."
"Why not?" I asked, with a sharp voice. But his face had such a sweet expression that I couldn't be angry any more.
"Because I love you, and you know it.." He whispered, and I felt shocked.. I didn't expect that and I blushed deeply. Of course, I had guessed his feelings towards me, after all what had happened.. but it was the first time he had said it so. clear. I was about to reply when I heard Legolas voice.
"Zana, Haldir.. we must take this path. " He showed a narrow way, and we stopped and walked back. The ground was full of mud, of humidity, and the sound of water was around us. Fern looked at me, surprised. And I felt confused.
"What's wrong?" I asked, and he was doubting, but I insisted. "Tell me, please.."
"You.. and Haldir." I nodded, and he shook his head. "But it was Legolas the one who.." He stopped talking, and I stared at him.
"What happened with Legolas?" When the elf heard his name he looked back with interrogant gaze, and I blushed.
"Do you know that it's not polite to talk about someone when he's not there to defend himself?" he commented with a smile.
"Don't be so selfish, we weren't talking about you" I said, and Legolas eyes stopped on mines, and for a while, all the doubts came again.. what was happening to me? I saw Haldir stopping, and looking around. He put his bag in the ground, next to the river.
"I suggest having lunch now.. and taking a bath in the river.." He looked at us saying those words, and I felt offended.. I had the magical gel and shampoo from elves, but I realised that the effects probably were gone. I smiled, but Haldir didn't. he just sat down with a strange expression on his face.
"Bath? Are you crazy? Water is cold! Temperature is cold! Do you want to kill me?" Gimli complained in loud voice, choosing his place under a tree.
"I won't take a bath unless I'll be alone, boys" I said, looking around, searching for a hidden place.
"No, you can't go too far away" Legolas said, with a worried face.
"And you want to keep a close watch on me, of course" I said, joking, but it seemed I had made a mistake because I saw Haldir's freezing gaze.
"No, but I think you shouldn't go too far away, Zana" Legolas replied, with a smile.
"I know what you wanted to say, I was just joking.." I said the last words looking at Haldir. We all sat down, in silence.. Fern sighed and took something from his bag. A cd player.
"Oh, my god, it's so nice to see something from Earth here!" I shouted, and walked towards him. He smiled.
"I know.. this is the only thing that comforts me.. I'm really looking forward to come back"
"And you think you'll manage to do it some day? I mean, that you'll find the way to leave Middle Earth? What if you can't ? " Gimli said, and I realised that this was the question I had kept in mind for the past time.
"If there was a door to come , sure there's a door to leave" Fern looked so sure and optimistic, and he smiled again at me. "Do you want to listen to some music?" I saw Legolas approaching us, with a curious gaze.
"Can I check it? How does this work?" The elf kneeled beside me and fern gave us the machine.. I put one of the headphones in his pointy ear, and the other one in mine, and soon a song was playing. Legolas eyes widened, and looked at me. "I hear music! Strange music, like in the dance in Mirkwood!"
"You can keep it for a while" Fern said, leaving us alone. He sat with Haldir, who was as surprised as I was, and they started a conversation.. from time to time the elf watched at me.. I felt bad with that big mood change.. he was acting in a strange way.. as if he carried with him a big secret.. I tried to avoid his gaze, and a nice song filled my ears. I never liked Mariah Carey, but that song was nice.. Bringing on the heartbreak.. "Your flame slowly fading" it said.. "burning out and burning me.." Legolas looked at me. "Can't you see, just trying to say to you, you're bringing on the heartache, taking all the best of me.." Why that song, in that moment? With his blue eyes so close? I looked at the rest of the group, they were watching in another direction.. and I felt Legolas hand taking mine. My heart almost stopped. He smiled and then, removed the headphone from his ear and joined them. And I took the chance to take a bath, alone, behind some trees..
I wrote another fast chapter! The truth is that I'm in a strange mood and I needed to write..: ) I don't know if this will be good or not.. I just wrote what was inside my head.. I hope it won't be too bad, and thank you very much for the reviews!!!!!!! Ah.. if I was able to solve my worries just writing the solution.. it would be too easy and the world would be a chaos, I know : )
************ ************ ************* *********** *********
You're such a secret
Misty eyed and shady
how you hold the key
Oh, you're like a candle
Your flame slowly fadin'
Burnin' out and burnin' me
Can't you see
Just tryin' to say to you
You're bringin' on the heartache
Takin all the best of me
Oh can't you see
You got the best of me
- Bringing on the heartbreak - Mariah Carey
Haldir had been analysing the human boy for the past three hours. The journey went on, the rising sun filled everything with its light and the black sky turned into red in the horizon. The elf walked near from Legolas, and they both exchanged a meaningful look.
"What do you think about him?" Haldir whispered, and Legolas shrugged, staring at Zana.
"It seems they both were good friends on Earth.. but I can't judge by the moment.. lets be patient, and if he tried to.." He stopped talking for a while, and Haldir waited with en expectant look. Legolas shook his head. "Lets give him a chance"
"Something tells me that things will change from now on.." Haldir murmured, and went on watching at the couple in front of them. Zana was smiling happily, talking all time, and he felt a kind of pain inside his chest when the human boy looked back at her. He wasn't too older than her, maybe a couple of years.. with dark hair and eyes, as tall as Zana. His skin was darker than hers, he wore a strange brown sweater. And he didn't seem to be interested on the creatures of Middle Earth. His eyes were only for the human girl and this made the elves mad.
"Someone should write a book about this" Gimli commented with a laugh, staring at the elves. "This is too funny to be missed, you both are so jealous that I wish I had here all the dwarves of this world with me!" His laughs sounded all over the place, and Zana looked back, smiling. Haldir saw her eyes, shining with a different light, and he didn't like that.
"Don't play with us, dwarf" Legolas beated on Gimli's arm. "Something troubles us and time will tell what is it.. don't make jokes about that, Gimli, this can be more serious than it seems" They three went on walking behind the humans, and suddenly silence spread around. The land of Rivers was there.
------------- ------------------- ------------------- ----------------- -----------------
I couldn't understand their silence.. since he had arrived, three hours ago, Haldir and Legolas had been avoiding me. That made me angry and I opted for ignoring them.. there were too many things I wanted to know, too many questions for the new member.. I still couldn't believe that he was the one who had helped me some months ago.. the one who had made possible that I had got that job in the faculty.. I was so shocked and happy, too confused to analyse what I was feeling.. for a while I forgot about the elves and I felt as if I was back on Earth.. as if I was just walking with a friend in any of our forests or parks.. only when I heard Gimli's laughs I came back to present time and I realised that many things were waiting for me there, including a mysterious mission.
"This is too confusing and I don't know where to start.." I murmured, and Fern looked at me with a smile.
"It's difficult for me as well.. now you can imagine that I didn't arrive here by coincidence " His dark eyes shone , and in some seconds we were walking apart from the group.
"Why don't you explain me, first, how did we arrive here? I mean, how come you were able to follow me?" He nodded, and I waited for the answer.
"I can't tell in detail, Zana.. " he looked in the distance, trying to remember. "I saw you walking, and I tried to reach you.. I needed to talk to you, after so many months hidden.. and suddenly a blue light filled the halls, many people shouted, scared, but you seemed not to realise about it.. and then, you came into the light.. I ran, and followed you.. and then.. then I woke up in a wooden room, and someone told me that I was in Middle Earth" he laughed, as if it was something unreal. "Can you believe it? I mean, those people wanted me to believe that I was among elves in Rivendell.. but in the end it was true, Zana.." He looked amazed, remembering his days in that place. " Elrond himself came to talk to me.. and he explained everything.."
"What do you mean with "everything"? " I wanted to know if he was aware of what was happening. Fern looked at me, amazed, with a strange expression on his face.
"He told me about you, about your arrival in Mirkwood, and then Aragorn and Arwen spent with me some afternoons, and the ranger told me some stories about your days with the elves.. and then Gandalf met me too.. he talked about your mission and the big decision that one day you'll have to make.. and I realised that you must be a very important person with a very important destiny.. and I was meant to share it with you.." His last words were lower and we stared at each other. But that was too odd, I already was sharing my destiny with Haldir, Legolas and Gimli.. and I already had found someone very important for me.. Fern looked at me again. "Zana.. something worries you, right? " He looked back, to see Haldir and Legolas, and then watched at me again. "They're the real Haldir and Legolas. how come they look exactly like in the movie?" I smiled, and sighed.
"It's a too long story and I'll tell you it another day.." He didn't reply, and silence came over us. I had a strange feeling, something bad, as if I was getting a kind of warning from somewhere. I looked at Haldir, and I noticed he wasn't too comfortable with Fern's presence.. neither was Legolas.
"People, what do we do now?" Asked Gimli, when we arrived in the Rivers. I saw the land from the top of a hill, and it was wonderful. The green landscape was crossed by hundreds of small blue rivers.. the contrast of colours reminded me of my favourite painter, Van Gogh. And the sun over them.. it was too charming and I couldn't stop watching at it. Suddenly I felt Haldir's hand on mine. I turned to meet his gaze and he smiled.
"I'm sorry for being absent minded the past hours" I apologised, but he shook his head.
"I understand that you had many questions to make, Zana.. but I have to be sincere with you. I don't like the way he acts with us.. he even didn't say a word to me, or to Legolas, or Gimli.." Haldir's eyes searched for him and his expression changed again.
"Maybe he didn't talk to you for the same reason I didn't, Haldir.. he was too surprised when he met me, and we needed to talk.. now that I got an explanation, things will change.. he just followed me, but he doesn't have any relation with the mission.."
"Galadriel said he would change things, Zana.." I didn't reply this because I couldn't find a proper answer. Legolas came close to us, and looked at Haldir.
"We must cross here, the first river is too deep, but then we'll find an easier path for them" Legolas pointed at Gimli and Fern. And then , to my surprise, he walked towards my human friend. Fern turned around and met the tall elf.
"Don't you think it's about time to talk to us, boy?" Legolas crossed his arms over his chest , and waited. Haldir joined him soon, and Fern looked at me, confused.
"I'm sorry, I was too shocked when I met her.." he apologised, and then shrugged. " I don't know what do you want to know, I can't give you more information than the one you got from Zana.. I still don't know what happened that day in the faculty.." I felt sorry for him, the two elves were standing in front of Fern and he looked so small.
"Maybe you should leave and return to Earth" Haldir said, arrogantly. "We're enough here, and we don't need you, you'll be an obstacle for our journey.."
"Haldir, wait a minute" Legolas warned, and then I walked towards them. "Galadriel said he would appear, so this means that he must come with us" Haldir gave him a freezing look.
"My intentions are good, I mean no harm to her, and you shouldn't worry about this" Fern was looking at Legolas when he talked, and this surprised me.. because in my opinion, it was Haldir the one who looked more threatening..
"I usually don't make fast judgements, and I decided to give you a chance.. I'm sorry if I was rude at first.. but you must understand that we're involved in a serious situation.." Legolas relaxed a bit, and then Haldir walked back with me.
"We must go on walking" He said, looking at the human, and then at me. "Come on" He took my arm gently, and gave a last look to Fern.
"I know him and he's not a danger " I said, and Haldir stared at me, surprised.
"You're defending him?" I shook my head, taking a deep breath.
"I'm just saying that he's a good person, and if Legolas trusts him, you should do it too. Look at Gimli, even the dwarf is keeping a conversation with him now!" We looked at them, Fern was laughing at something that Gimli said, and Legolas smiled too.
"I don't trust humans.." Haldir murmured, and then he realised about what he had said, because he looked at me worried. I stopped walking for a while, unable to say anything. I felt so bad, I knew that deep inside he would never be happy with me. "Zana, I didn't want to say that.."
"No, Haldir.. I always thought that you would never be with a human girl, because since the day I met you, you acted arrogantly with me.. until we finally fell for each other.. but now I can't be sure about you, knowing that you can't trust one of mines.."
"I trust Aragorn like I trust any elf" Haldir took my hand and walked closer to me. "Please, Zana.. you have to believe me. I trust you, and the reason is that I don't see you like a human.. I mean.. you're not like the rest of humans.."
"Why not?" I asked, with a sharp voice. But his face had such a sweet expression that I couldn't be angry any more.
"Because I love you, and you know it.." He whispered, and I felt shocked.. I didn't expect that and I blushed deeply. Of course, I had guessed his feelings towards me, after all what had happened.. but it was the first time he had said it so. clear. I was about to reply when I heard Legolas voice.
"Zana, Haldir.. we must take this path. " He showed a narrow way, and we stopped and walked back. The ground was full of mud, of humidity, and the sound of water was around us. Fern looked at me, surprised. And I felt confused.
"What's wrong?" I asked, and he was doubting, but I insisted. "Tell me, please.."
"You.. and Haldir." I nodded, and he shook his head. "But it was Legolas the one who.." He stopped talking, and I stared at him.
"What happened with Legolas?" When the elf heard his name he looked back with interrogant gaze, and I blushed.
"Do you know that it's not polite to talk about someone when he's not there to defend himself?" he commented with a smile.
"Don't be so selfish, we weren't talking about you" I said, and Legolas eyes stopped on mines, and for a while, all the doubts came again.. what was happening to me? I saw Haldir stopping, and looking around. He put his bag in the ground, next to the river.
"I suggest having lunch now.. and taking a bath in the river.." He looked at us saying those words, and I felt offended.. I had the magical gel and shampoo from elves, but I realised that the effects probably were gone. I smiled, but Haldir didn't. he just sat down with a strange expression on his face.
"Bath? Are you crazy? Water is cold! Temperature is cold! Do you want to kill me?" Gimli complained in loud voice, choosing his place under a tree.
"I won't take a bath unless I'll be alone, boys" I said, looking around, searching for a hidden place.
"No, you can't go too far away" Legolas said, with a worried face.
"And you want to keep a close watch on me, of course" I said, joking, but it seemed I had made a mistake because I saw Haldir's freezing gaze.
"No, but I think you shouldn't go too far away, Zana" Legolas replied, with a smile.
"I know what you wanted to say, I was just joking.." I said the last words looking at Haldir. We all sat down, in silence.. Fern sighed and took something from his bag. A cd player.
"Oh, my god, it's so nice to see something from Earth here!" I shouted, and walked towards him. He smiled.
"I know.. this is the only thing that comforts me.. I'm really looking forward to come back"
"And you think you'll manage to do it some day? I mean, that you'll find the way to leave Middle Earth? What if you can't ? " Gimli said, and I realised that this was the question I had kept in mind for the past time.
"If there was a door to come , sure there's a door to leave" Fern looked so sure and optimistic, and he smiled again at me. "Do you want to listen to some music?" I saw Legolas approaching us, with a curious gaze.
"Can I check it? How does this work?" The elf kneeled beside me and fern gave us the machine.. I put one of the headphones in his pointy ear, and the other one in mine, and soon a song was playing. Legolas eyes widened, and looked at me. "I hear music! Strange music, like in the dance in Mirkwood!"
"You can keep it for a while" Fern said, leaving us alone. He sat with Haldir, who was as surprised as I was, and they started a conversation.. from time to time the elf watched at me.. I felt bad with that big mood change.. he was acting in a strange way.. as if he carried with him a big secret.. I tried to avoid his gaze, and a nice song filled my ears. I never liked Mariah Carey, but that song was nice.. Bringing on the heartbreak.. "Your flame slowly fading" it said.. "burning out and burning me.." Legolas looked at me. "Can't you see, just trying to say to you, you're bringing on the heartache, taking all the best of me.." Why that song, in that moment? With his blue eyes so close? I looked at the rest of the group, they were watching in another direction.. and I felt Legolas hand taking mine. My heart almost stopped. He smiled and then, removed the headphone from his ear and joined them. And I took the chance to take a bath, alone, behind some trees..