Synopsis:
In the time before the War of the Ring, a loved one
was lost. Now, in the peace that follows, Valraen, the King's own cousin
has been found. But her past is covered in darkness and Valraen has no
memory of herself or the Elf she loved. As the forces of darkness that
separated them gather once more, can Legolas bridge the distance between them
and reclaim the one he lost?
Thank you guys so much for
reviewing. It's the juice that makes my
motor run… ;). Here is chapter 6. Hope you enjoy it. Please let me know if you think the story is going too quickly/
slowly, there are loop holes, mix-ups or any other shenanigans. I've tried to keep the characters fairly
true to the performances you would be familiar with from the movies. All reviews welcome as long as they are constructive. (No flaming please!)
Legal Stuff – All characters (except Valraen/ Arienel; The Master and Fidelian)
belong to Tokien The Great. None to me (more's the pity). I am but a
trespasser on his glory.
Chapter 6: The long way home
If you would love me evermore
In Ithilien, Legolas sat in the branches of his favourite tree reading a red book. The rays of the afternoon sun shimmered intermittently through the leaves onto the words written there, rendering them alternately gold and black.
Then like an eagle I would soar
He traced the prose with his fingers, feeling the pain in his heart sharpen and float to the front of his consciousness.
I'd dance upon an open shore
Closing his eyes he whispered the words to himself almost meditatively, feeling them focus the pain behind his eyes and slow down his breathing.
If you would love me evermore
If you would love me evermore…
"Fast asleep in the middle of the day?" came a great vociferous cry. "Are you a princeling or a lout?"
Waking violently from his reverie, Legolas jumped. As he grabbed onto a nearby branch to stop himself from falling clumsily to the ground, he closed the book in his hand and looked down.
"Gimli," he glowered irritably. "I should have known."
"And I'm very pleased to see you too lad," Gimli grinned. "Are you coming down or do I have to force you? I didn't come all the way from the Glittering Caves to climb trees you know."
"Forgive me Gimli," Legolas said as he dropped gracefully next to him. "I'm afraid I'm not good company at present."
"I can see that," the dwarf said. "I've come to put a stop to it."
Legolas paused and looked searchingly at his friend. "Aragorn," he said finally with a frown. "He should not have bothered you. I am sorry he brought you out so far needlessly."
He turned and began to walk away.
"Oh no you don't laddy," the dwarf cried.
Running resolutely behind the Elf, he came around and stopped in front of him. "This is me you're talking to. We dwarves are smarter than that." Stopped in his tracks, Legolas sighed and looked down at the book in his hands.
"Aragorn is worried about you," Gimli said slowly. "We all are. The others may have let you wallow in your misery, but I know you better than that."
Looking up determinedly at the Elf, he placed a hand on his arm.
"You've hidden yourself away so that they don't see you grieving," Gimli continued. "But you're made of flesh not stone."
Legolas looked at his friend as the painful grip that had held onto his heart for so many days began to loosen.
"Your lass… she's alive. She may be a bit soft in the head but she's alive nonetheless. So… stop mourning and go save the woman you love… otherwise…" he growled threateningly, "I'll be forced to do it myself and it's entirely possible she'll fall in love with me instead."
Legolas felt a reluctant grin tugging at his mouth. "Gimli," he said quietly. "You are a wonder of Dwarvish psychology. What would I do without you?"
"Probably be very Elvish and fade away to nothing," Gimli said with relief. "Lucky for you I've learnt to love your pointy-eared ways."
"Yes…" Legolas agreed as he smiled for the first time in days. "Very lucky…"
**
"Arienel… you're sure?"
Aragorn turned from his pacing and sat down opposite his wife.
"Oh yes," Arwen said taking his hands lovingly in hers. "Very sure. Did she not tell you?"
"She may have," Aragorn admitted. "I was too concerned about getting her back onto her bed to listen to the name she gave me."
He looked hopefully into his wife's beautiful eyes. "If that is the case, then it changes everything," he said. "If she is using her pet name, then perhaps she will in time remember who she is."
Arwen looked down at her husbands hands without responding.
"What is it?" he asked tensely. "What do you see?"
She breathed in and looked up hesitantly.
"Huine," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "Tumba huine... ta naa n'sanya."
Aragorn looked at her without understanding. "What do you mean?"
Arwen looked at him sadly. "I do not believe Valraen has lost her memory," she said. "I believe that it was taken. All but what little seems to have remained in the furthest corners of her mind."
Aragorn stared at her in shock. "Taken! How? By whom?"
"I do not know," she admitted. "If my father was here or my grandmother, perhaps they would know but my skill is too poor for such things."
She sighed as she folded his hands in hers more tightly. "What I do know Aragorn is that the hate I see in her eyes when she looks at me, is not Valraen's. And if we do not discover whose it is, I am afraid that we will lose her forever."
**
"You… you wanted to see me my Lord?"
A tall dark shadow towering in the corner turned towards the small figure teetering uncertainly in the doorway. His eyes glittered strangely in the candlelight.
"Yes Fidelian… I did."
He moved towards the warlock, his steps menacingly slow. Stopping uncomfortably close to him, he placed a thin hand on Fidelian's shoulder. The small Easterling snivelled weakly at the unwelcome touch.
"The Captain," he said quietly. "Is missing."
Fidelian shifted uncomfortably. "Missing Master?" he said. "No. She cannot be miss…"
He whinced painfully as sharp nails bit into his shoulder.
"And yet Fidelian," the Master said. "She is. I cannot connect with her."
He leant his head in closer until his lips almost touched the small magician's dirty ear. Stringy blonde hair fell darkly across his face. "You will find her for me," he said. "Unless you want to lose this ear also."
Releasing him, the Master turned back towards the candlelit table in the corner.
Fidelian moaned nervously as he shuffled from foot to foot, uncertain whether to move or stay.
"Go," the Master said over his shoulder as he lent down to his work. "Find me Arienel."
**
Elvish translation c/- The Grey Company (www.grey-company.com)
Huine = Darkness
Tumba huine = Deep darkness
Ta naa n'sanya = It is not normal