Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings I do not own, I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Kinda catchy huh? Lol, Have a good read.
Chapter 2- The Weight of Confusion
It was a week's trip to Mirkwood from The Shire and no quicker the way back. Lilly spent the whole day packing. She was up at 6:00 am, after only getting 4 hours of sleep the night before, and began to scrub Bag End down. They would be gone for a least a month. After everyone had had breakfast, Lilly flew from room to room, gathering everything of everyone's that might be of value for the trip. As the sun sank behind The Brandywine River, Lilly got more anxious and began to move faster. The girls came in after dinner and did not even stay awake for supper (and for a Hobbit that is a rare sight.) Sikando still had not appeared from the riding ring since dawn. Before Lilly could drag the last bag into the wagon, she decided to take a rest by the fire. Soon, light snores were heard in the parlor. Sikando and Frodo met each other at the door of Bag End; each laughing at the sight of Lilly passed out in the parlor chair. Sikando pulled his mothers hair out her eyes and Frodo grabbed and extra blanket off Star's bed and covered his wife with it. Lilly didn't even move. Sometimes Frodo wondered how Lilly could manage. She got up every morning at 3 or 4 every morning, knew when Robin needed baby-sitting, how much food should be put on the table at each meal, what time the children should be inside, and she still managed to love him no less then any other day. "Come, Sikando, why don't you let me put you to bed this night?" Frodo asked his son. Sikando just yawned and clung to Frodo's hand. Once the little boy was in bed he asked "Why are we all of a sudden going to Mirkwood? You and Mother both know that Silver, Star and I have been rather fussy about meeting the Royal's of Mirwood, so why do we leave now?" Frodo started to speak but reconsidered the thought. Finally he said, " Mommy would like to see her friend, Princess Icira" Sikando took the excuse and lay down in the warmth of his blankets. Frodo closed the door softly.
* * *
Lilly awoke stiff and sore. She made a promise to herself that she would never fall asleep in the parlor chair again. It was brutal to ones back. Then she remembered, today was the day they would be departing to Mirkwood. She sprang up, not even bothering to change her clothes. She quickly washed her hair and made a small breakfast. Her family seemed less cheerful about being woken up before the sun, but she had to get out of The Shire as quickly as possible. The sooner they left, they sooner they got to Mirkwood. Lilly wanted Rain and Pippin's problems to be over with fast. When Robin arrived with Merry, who was not feeling a bit better, Lilly began to have other thoughts. "What if Rain figures it out before we get to Mirkwood? Will Pippin force us to turn around?" she mumbled, as she grabbed Alda and hoisted her onto the wagon back. Lilly knew keeping quite was a hard thing of Rain, and she knew as well that Pippin had a temper on him. As others awoke to the new light, the wagon pulled away from The Shire. For many hours none spoke. For some, they were to excited, and for others, they were too dreary to even care. Robin stayed by Merry, doping him up on medication after medication between meals and whispering his favorite songs to him. Pippin sat at the back of the wagon, watching the trail the horses had already taken. Rain and Lilly sat up front, just sitting and whispering sometimes. Lilly was to excited to talk; afraid that she would tell her own plan to her best friend in which she was trying to help. When Lilly did speak she tried to steer the topics away from Pippin but somehow failed each time. After tea and the children had laid down for a nap, Lilly decided that there was no use trying to escape the facts and walked to Rain. "What's wrong? How did it begin?" Rain looked away and sighed. In a shaky voice she began. "It started after Belle's last birthday. Pippin became sullen and wasn't around as much as he once was. It seemed as if I barley layed my eyes on him. Then I found that I did not see him at all. He was gone from the house before I awoke and when he was at home he locked himself in the study or our room. He got irritable and started yelling if I did not have dinner or supper on the table exactly on time. I automatically yelled back." She stopped to wipe away a few tears before continuing. "My mother and father got a separation when I was 18. I have not seen my father since then. You know this. Why should Pippin and I not do the same?"
* * *
Lilly had lost her appetite and was awake for the most part of the night. The loss of sleep seemed to finally be catching up with her. Her face was pale, her eyes were dull and she didn't speak too much of anyone for almost a day. The second day of their journey was very, very long for Lilly for she was lost in her own time and thought. There wasn't any doubt that she dozed, for she remembered waking from restless sleep from time to time. 'How could Rain and Pippin want a separation? They had been so loving to one another for all those years and suddenly they fight once and it is all over?' Lilly's head buzzing with thoughts. 'Still, Time changes things, people as well, but why had they not told Frodo or herself? They were related after all. Did Robin and Merry know? Why had Rain and Pippin this a secret for so long?'
* * *
Robin sighed. Merry was not getting any better. The hot food and fresh air seemed to be doing nothing. The medicine put him into a sleep-like coma for several hours having him miss many meals. She hated seeing him like this. Sometime he would cry out for her in his sleep, other times he would refuse to take the medicine and fight her. Only a little of his energy returned each day. Robin had decided not tell him about the Took's quite yet. In his state of illness it would not have been the best idea. Again the sun reached high in the sky and the silence in the wagon was heavy and long. When it didn't lighten quickly, Robin kissed Merry's cheek and went to the front of the wagon to take in the scenery.
* * *
The children sat on the edge of the wagon, dangling their feet off the edge and trying to figure out what was going on. Sikando patted Essa, who trotted fairly beside the wagon, deep in thought. "Kan, have you thought of anything yet?" Alda asked. Kan was what Sikando had called himself when he was very small. He now shook his head to his cousin's question.
Belle took Endrile in her arms. "I know why we are going to the Elf place" she whispered suddenly. "My Mommy and Daddy have been fighting a lot lately." She hugged Endrile closer and plunged into story after story about what went on inside her hobbit-hole each day. These were secrets she had dared tell no one. Family secrets were repected in The Shire, as they were anywhere, and as her cousins gasped at her tales, she felt as thought she was betraying her family.
* * *
On the fourth morning of the trip, Lilly woke up screaming. Outside the wagon, the stars were beginning to loose their twinkle and the sun was taking over the sky. The clop-clop-clop of the horses' hooves reminded Lilly where she was.
Her dreams had been peaceful until her brain had flashed a vision of her sister, Linda, sitting on the rock by her grave. The wind had caught Linda's hair and her flesh seemed almost real. The smile on her face had made Lilly smile too. Then Linda had turned, saw Lilly and her face became dark. "DO NOT GO TO MIRKWOOD, OR YOU, MY SISTER, WILL SUFFER A FATE ALIKE MINE." Linda disappeared and Lilly had woken up. 'What did that mean? What could it mean?' Lilly wondered. They had already traveled 4 days, Lilly knew for sure that they were not going to turn around now. Besides, nothing could harm them once inside the Gates of Mirkwood. "Why did I have this dream?" she mused out loud.
* * *
Finally, at sunset on the seventh day, the wagon pulled into Mirkwood. The horses trotted fairly on the well kept-path, lined with trees on both sides. The forests of The Shire were never that thick, even in the hot months. The silence was deafening. The darkness closed in around them and an ice ball formed in the visitor's chest. "Why is it so dark in here?" Robin asked, breaking the stillness. "This is where all the Evil that once lived in Mirkwood made their last attempts to fight the Mirkwoodian Elves. The fair ones have kept this part of the path dark in honor of those elves that had lost loved ones in the battle." Lilly recalled Icira's words almost perfectly. The path circled downward and took many sharp turns. At times the dirt was uneven and the air was thin and stale. Suddenly they emerged into a clearing. The light from the setting sun cast golden of ribbons on the ground. The air was clean and velvety now, a worm feeling spread thourghout the company. At the beginning of the path, no houses had been seen, no voices were heard. Now the rows within rows of earthy-colored cubicles lined the edges of the path and from every direction Elven children ran and laughed, chasing each other. The Hobbits laughed at the jumble of activity going on but only their laughter could be heard now. The wind blew dried leaves across the path, having them scratch eerily. A feminine figure stepped onto the path and walked with graceful steps to the wagon. She had a long dark green dress with lighter leaves splattered on top. The dress reached her ankles and was lined with golden trim. Over the dress was an even longer white cape that flared out and dragged behind her. Her shoes that looked air were sandals embedded with green moss. Her hair that reached her waist was the perfect shade of brown and today was tied in a braid down her back. Atop her head was a golden crown with 3 sparkling emeralds at each pike. Her skin was the color of cream and her lips had a tinge to pink. Her eyes were a honey-gold and on her cheeks silver speckles danced in the hiding sun. "Is that Icira Greenleaf?" Rain asked, who had come to the front of the wagon. "Yes, this is Icira. If you would like you may also call her Ice." Frodo answered. Smiling up at her guests, Icira extended a hand to help them off the wagon. "Welcome to Mirkwood, my home."
* * *
"You do not have grapes in The Shire?" Icira asked, shocked. They just sat down to a dinner that Myha, the cook, had whipped up in a flash. "Or much sugar!" Sikando smiled, reaching greedily for the bowl. Lilly slapped his hand away. "You did not ask for any, Sikando Baggins, and politely for that matter and so you shall not have any!" Sikando lowered his eyes and returned to his supper.
* * *
Rain's first day in Mirkwood was the most relaxed day she could recall. She didn't have to lift a finger. She could have stayed in bed all day but soon she got an urge to go explore the castle. Plus, the castle was big and she didn't have to talk to Pippin if she did not desire to. She found her children playing in a bathtub that was so large it could have fit her whole Family Tree inside. As she watched her kids playing, she loped into a dreamy state.
* * *
That evening Lilly stood alone on the balcony. Today had been wonderful, carefree and lazy, but whenever she was in Mirkwood that was usually how she felt at the end at each day.
Soon thoughts of Rain and Pippin came trailing back to her mind. Her brain felt clouded and used. She moved closer to the railing, resting her head on it. "Confusion, why must it feel so heavy?"
* * *
Annauailrea Greenleaf darted though the trees. To her right she saw Star who was walking aimlessly about looking for her. The children were playing Seek. Analia, everyone called her that now; it was only a shorter version of her name, raced into the open field. Star caught a glimpse of her and rushed after her. "I'll get you Analia!" she shouted. Analia laughed. Suddenly she stopped. Star crashed into her almost knocking the Elf off her feet. "Faorie!" she called. A young boy dropped from a tree and rushed to his sister's side. "Lindon!" she commanded in Elven. (Listen). "I can feel something drawing nearer." Faorie gasped. "Can you tell- " the boy asked. (Can you tell-) Analia shook her head. "No whatever it is." she paused. "It is not that far off."
Chapter 2- The Weight of Confusion
It was a week's trip to Mirkwood from The Shire and no quicker the way back. Lilly spent the whole day packing. She was up at 6:00 am, after only getting 4 hours of sleep the night before, and began to scrub Bag End down. They would be gone for a least a month. After everyone had had breakfast, Lilly flew from room to room, gathering everything of everyone's that might be of value for the trip. As the sun sank behind The Brandywine River, Lilly got more anxious and began to move faster. The girls came in after dinner and did not even stay awake for supper (and for a Hobbit that is a rare sight.) Sikando still had not appeared from the riding ring since dawn. Before Lilly could drag the last bag into the wagon, she decided to take a rest by the fire. Soon, light snores were heard in the parlor. Sikando and Frodo met each other at the door of Bag End; each laughing at the sight of Lilly passed out in the parlor chair. Sikando pulled his mothers hair out her eyes and Frodo grabbed and extra blanket off Star's bed and covered his wife with it. Lilly didn't even move. Sometimes Frodo wondered how Lilly could manage. She got up every morning at 3 or 4 every morning, knew when Robin needed baby-sitting, how much food should be put on the table at each meal, what time the children should be inside, and she still managed to love him no less then any other day. "Come, Sikando, why don't you let me put you to bed this night?" Frodo asked his son. Sikando just yawned and clung to Frodo's hand. Once the little boy was in bed he asked "Why are we all of a sudden going to Mirkwood? You and Mother both know that Silver, Star and I have been rather fussy about meeting the Royal's of Mirwood, so why do we leave now?" Frodo started to speak but reconsidered the thought. Finally he said, " Mommy would like to see her friend, Princess Icira" Sikando took the excuse and lay down in the warmth of his blankets. Frodo closed the door softly.
* * *
Lilly awoke stiff and sore. She made a promise to herself that she would never fall asleep in the parlor chair again. It was brutal to ones back. Then she remembered, today was the day they would be departing to Mirkwood. She sprang up, not even bothering to change her clothes. She quickly washed her hair and made a small breakfast. Her family seemed less cheerful about being woken up before the sun, but she had to get out of The Shire as quickly as possible. The sooner they left, they sooner they got to Mirkwood. Lilly wanted Rain and Pippin's problems to be over with fast. When Robin arrived with Merry, who was not feeling a bit better, Lilly began to have other thoughts. "What if Rain figures it out before we get to Mirkwood? Will Pippin force us to turn around?" she mumbled, as she grabbed Alda and hoisted her onto the wagon back. Lilly knew keeping quite was a hard thing of Rain, and she knew as well that Pippin had a temper on him. As others awoke to the new light, the wagon pulled away from The Shire. For many hours none spoke. For some, they were to excited, and for others, they were too dreary to even care. Robin stayed by Merry, doping him up on medication after medication between meals and whispering his favorite songs to him. Pippin sat at the back of the wagon, watching the trail the horses had already taken. Rain and Lilly sat up front, just sitting and whispering sometimes. Lilly was to excited to talk; afraid that she would tell her own plan to her best friend in which she was trying to help. When Lilly did speak she tried to steer the topics away from Pippin but somehow failed each time. After tea and the children had laid down for a nap, Lilly decided that there was no use trying to escape the facts and walked to Rain. "What's wrong? How did it begin?" Rain looked away and sighed. In a shaky voice she began. "It started after Belle's last birthday. Pippin became sullen and wasn't around as much as he once was. It seemed as if I barley layed my eyes on him. Then I found that I did not see him at all. He was gone from the house before I awoke and when he was at home he locked himself in the study or our room. He got irritable and started yelling if I did not have dinner or supper on the table exactly on time. I automatically yelled back." She stopped to wipe away a few tears before continuing. "My mother and father got a separation when I was 18. I have not seen my father since then. You know this. Why should Pippin and I not do the same?"
* * *
Lilly had lost her appetite and was awake for the most part of the night. The loss of sleep seemed to finally be catching up with her. Her face was pale, her eyes were dull and she didn't speak too much of anyone for almost a day. The second day of their journey was very, very long for Lilly for she was lost in her own time and thought. There wasn't any doubt that she dozed, for she remembered waking from restless sleep from time to time. 'How could Rain and Pippin want a separation? They had been so loving to one another for all those years and suddenly they fight once and it is all over?' Lilly's head buzzing with thoughts. 'Still, Time changes things, people as well, but why had they not told Frodo or herself? They were related after all. Did Robin and Merry know? Why had Rain and Pippin this a secret for so long?'
* * *
Robin sighed. Merry was not getting any better. The hot food and fresh air seemed to be doing nothing. The medicine put him into a sleep-like coma for several hours having him miss many meals. She hated seeing him like this. Sometime he would cry out for her in his sleep, other times he would refuse to take the medicine and fight her. Only a little of his energy returned each day. Robin had decided not tell him about the Took's quite yet. In his state of illness it would not have been the best idea. Again the sun reached high in the sky and the silence in the wagon was heavy and long. When it didn't lighten quickly, Robin kissed Merry's cheek and went to the front of the wagon to take in the scenery.
* * *
The children sat on the edge of the wagon, dangling their feet off the edge and trying to figure out what was going on. Sikando patted Essa, who trotted fairly beside the wagon, deep in thought. "Kan, have you thought of anything yet?" Alda asked. Kan was what Sikando had called himself when he was very small. He now shook his head to his cousin's question.
Belle took Endrile in her arms. "I know why we are going to the Elf place" she whispered suddenly. "My Mommy and Daddy have been fighting a lot lately." She hugged Endrile closer and plunged into story after story about what went on inside her hobbit-hole each day. These were secrets she had dared tell no one. Family secrets were repected in The Shire, as they were anywhere, and as her cousins gasped at her tales, she felt as thought she was betraying her family.
* * *
On the fourth morning of the trip, Lilly woke up screaming. Outside the wagon, the stars were beginning to loose their twinkle and the sun was taking over the sky. The clop-clop-clop of the horses' hooves reminded Lilly where she was.
Her dreams had been peaceful until her brain had flashed a vision of her sister, Linda, sitting on the rock by her grave. The wind had caught Linda's hair and her flesh seemed almost real. The smile on her face had made Lilly smile too. Then Linda had turned, saw Lilly and her face became dark. "DO NOT GO TO MIRKWOOD, OR YOU, MY SISTER, WILL SUFFER A FATE ALIKE MINE." Linda disappeared and Lilly had woken up. 'What did that mean? What could it mean?' Lilly wondered. They had already traveled 4 days, Lilly knew for sure that they were not going to turn around now. Besides, nothing could harm them once inside the Gates of Mirkwood. "Why did I have this dream?" she mused out loud.
* * *
Finally, at sunset on the seventh day, the wagon pulled into Mirkwood. The horses trotted fairly on the well kept-path, lined with trees on both sides. The forests of The Shire were never that thick, even in the hot months. The silence was deafening. The darkness closed in around them and an ice ball formed in the visitor's chest. "Why is it so dark in here?" Robin asked, breaking the stillness. "This is where all the Evil that once lived in Mirkwood made their last attempts to fight the Mirkwoodian Elves. The fair ones have kept this part of the path dark in honor of those elves that had lost loved ones in the battle." Lilly recalled Icira's words almost perfectly. The path circled downward and took many sharp turns. At times the dirt was uneven and the air was thin and stale. Suddenly they emerged into a clearing. The light from the setting sun cast golden of ribbons on the ground. The air was clean and velvety now, a worm feeling spread thourghout the company. At the beginning of the path, no houses had been seen, no voices were heard. Now the rows within rows of earthy-colored cubicles lined the edges of the path and from every direction Elven children ran and laughed, chasing each other. The Hobbits laughed at the jumble of activity going on but only their laughter could be heard now. The wind blew dried leaves across the path, having them scratch eerily. A feminine figure stepped onto the path and walked with graceful steps to the wagon. She had a long dark green dress with lighter leaves splattered on top. The dress reached her ankles and was lined with golden trim. Over the dress was an even longer white cape that flared out and dragged behind her. Her shoes that looked air were sandals embedded with green moss. Her hair that reached her waist was the perfect shade of brown and today was tied in a braid down her back. Atop her head was a golden crown with 3 sparkling emeralds at each pike. Her skin was the color of cream and her lips had a tinge to pink. Her eyes were a honey-gold and on her cheeks silver speckles danced in the hiding sun. "Is that Icira Greenleaf?" Rain asked, who had come to the front of the wagon. "Yes, this is Icira. If you would like you may also call her Ice." Frodo answered. Smiling up at her guests, Icira extended a hand to help them off the wagon. "Welcome to Mirkwood, my home."
* * *
"You do not have grapes in The Shire?" Icira asked, shocked. They just sat down to a dinner that Myha, the cook, had whipped up in a flash. "Or much sugar!" Sikando smiled, reaching greedily for the bowl. Lilly slapped his hand away. "You did not ask for any, Sikando Baggins, and politely for that matter and so you shall not have any!" Sikando lowered his eyes and returned to his supper.
* * *
Rain's first day in Mirkwood was the most relaxed day she could recall. She didn't have to lift a finger. She could have stayed in bed all day but soon she got an urge to go explore the castle. Plus, the castle was big and she didn't have to talk to Pippin if she did not desire to. She found her children playing in a bathtub that was so large it could have fit her whole Family Tree inside. As she watched her kids playing, she loped into a dreamy state.
* * *
That evening Lilly stood alone on the balcony. Today had been wonderful, carefree and lazy, but whenever she was in Mirkwood that was usually how she felt at the end at each day.
Soon thoughts of Rain and Pippin came trailing back to her mind. Her brain felt clouded and used. She moved closer to the railing, resting her head on it. "Confusion, why must it feel so heavy?"
* * *
Annauailrea Greenleaf darted though the trees. To her right she saw Star who was walking aimlessly about looking for her. The children were playing Seek. Analia, everyone called her that now; it was only a shorter version of her name, raced into the open field. Star caught a glimpse of her and rushed after her. "I'll get you Analia!" she shouted. Analia laughed. Suddenly she stopped. Star crashed into her almost knocking the Elf off her feet. "Faorie!" she called. A young boy dropped from a tree and rushed to his sister's side. "Lindon!" she commanded in Elven. (Listen). "I can feel something drawing nearer." Faorie gasped. "Can you tell- " the boy asked. (Can you tell-) Analia shook her head. "No whatever it is." she paused. "It is not that far off."