NOTE: As you can see, I changed my pen name from Lady Sakura Light to Wolf Sapphire since there are WAY too many fanfic authors with the name Sakura, but don't worry! You guys can still call me Sakura if you like. ^-^
Wow.. *blinkblink* I didn't think you guys would like it that much…Anyway, I've fully recovered from my sugar rush.. *starts singing one of the Sugar Ray songs crazily*..well maybe not fully recovered..
Before I begin the chapter, I just want to say a BIG thank you to those who reviewed. Now, most of you are wondering who Shadow is and some even gave me their guesses to who it might be, but, sadly, only a few managed to correctly guess who Shadow is. I won't say the reviewers' names for the fact that I want to surprise you guys to whom Shadow's character is. Anyway on with the fic and pls. don't forget to read and review (Flames are most likely accepted)! ^-^
Warning: Spoilers for the second book of LOTR!! (Also there'll be some hints of OCCness in the characters)
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR and SM (I'm getting tired of always writing these…)
The Heir of The Golden Hall
Chapter one: Revelations
"So where are you all from? I can see that you're not from around here," asked Shadow, icy sapphire blue eyes (which are the only feature visible on her hidden face) fixed on Gandalf and the others.
"That you are right my good lady," replied Gandalf. "We are from outside of Rohan. Mere strangers in your homeland."
Shadow's eyes widen slightly. "How do you guess that I'm a female?" she asked the magician. Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn too were shocked at the revelation for they were sure that I was a male person hidden inside the hooded cloak that was tied securely, but very loosely around the body.
"It was your voice," replied Gandalf. "I noticed that when you spoke, your voice seemed to be forcibly lowered. I admit that if you hadn't spoken, I would never have guessed that you'd be a woman with you wearing that black hooded-cloak."
Shadow chuckled. "You're the first person to see through my disguise in a long time. You're right. I do forcibly lower my voice to make it sound like a man's."
"But why do you do it? Why do you have to make your voice sound like a man's?" asked Legolas.
Shadow glanced at the blonde-haired Elf, "For an elf, you sure can be quite intellectually challenged but I'll reconsider that remark for your people's ways might be different from mine's. You see, women from my clan aren't allowed to fight or hunt. We aren't even allowed to leave our rooms without a female escort, much less outside. This rule especially applies to the female royalty. For that reason, I must keep my female identity a secret. Only a specific few know my secret and all of them swore to let it remain a secret."
Shadow looked down at Gandalf's ragged cloak and said, "Anyways, you must have traveled far to have your clothes looked like this…." She was suddenly interrupted by a large, growling noise.
"Ahem," coughed Gimli, his face turning crimson. It was his empty stomach that made the growling noise.
Shadow gave Gimli an amused smile before she turned to face Gandalf and said, "And I guess you're all hungry right? Come'on then, let us all camp here for the night and don't worry about anything harming you. Demon Star and Swift will watch over you all while I hunt for something to fill your bellies."
Gimli face brightened. "Well, now that you mentioned it…"
"We're very sorry Miss, but however tempted we are, we have to get going," interrupted Aragorn, giving Gimli a warning glare.
Gimli returned the favor with a sour frown on his crinkly face.
Legolas nodded his blonde head. "Yes, we have an important quest to finish."
Shadow turned to face the tall blonde elf. "But surely, you all must be hungry and tired…"
Gandalf shook his head in dismay. "Our quest is more important than food or sleep,"
Shadow sighed. "Alright, I can't force you to what you don't want to do…but at least let me accompany you for a short while. You did say that you don't know the way of the land did you not?"
A series of nodded heads answered her. "Thank you milady. We surely could use someone who knows the way around here," said Gimli.
"It's no trouble and call me Shadow, I hate formalities," replied Shadow.
Shadow then lifted two fingers of her right hand up to her mouth and blew a piercing sound. As if on cue, a midnight blue mare galloped into the clearing. Its silver-grey hooves sounded like thunder as it moved gracefully towards the group, its silver-grey mane and tail flowing freely with the wind. A white falcon with strips of blue-black over its wings and a golden beak that had the tip curved downward flew swiftly above the mare. Its golden eyes gleamed with wisdom and inner strength.
The mare stopped before Shadow and gave a soft neigh of content as the young woman gently stroked the mare's muzzle.
"This is Demon Star, my loyal and unbeatable steed," said Shadow, a proud smile on her lips.
Demon Star neigh a sign of greeting but then pounded the forest floor with one of its hoof and glared with blazing crimson eyes at the four males.
"You'll have to excuse Demon Star," said Shadow. "She doesn't take kindly to strangers and, being overly protective of me, naturally doesn't like you, but don't worry," she added. She'll learn to trust you all after a while,"
"And this," continued Shadow, lifting her free arm up for the falcon to land on. "Is Swift, the fastest and most keen-eyed falcon that ever lives."
Swift cocked his head on one side as he stared at the four with curious golden eyes. Then suddenly, the bird narrowed his eyes when it turned to stare at Gandalf more closely.
The three (excluding Shadow) noticed that Gandalf seemed to cringed when Swift fixed those golden eyes on him and wondered if somehow the two know each other. They reminded themselves to mention this to Gandalf when Shadow is out of ear-shot.
Shadow mounted up on Demon Star and looked down at the four. "Where are your horses? Surely no one can travel this far without a horse to ride on,"
Gandalf spoke before any of the others had a chance to. "I shall summon them now if you like. But we have to come outside this forest if they are to hear us."
Shadow nodded her head. "Alright."
With one graceful movement, Shadow got off Demon Star. "Here, climb on up my horse Sir Gandalf. I can move much faster than you on feet and I think you need the rest since you looked tired,"
She turned to glanced at Gimli, "You may also ride Demon Star Sir Gimli if you want to that is,"
Gimli stared up at the midnight-blue mare and gulped at the horse's sudden tallness. "Thank you for the invitation Lad… Shadow, but I think I'll walk if you don't mind."
Shadow shrugged. "If you wish," she told him.
And so, the four began the walk (ride in Gandalf's part) leading outside of Fangorn using the path that Shadow used when she entered the forest earlier.
()==[]========
Once they were outside of the forest, Gandalf got off Demon Star and whistled a long piercing sound. A loud whinny carried by the Eastern wind answered and soon enough, the sounds of hoofs can be heard, though a faint one. Aragorn got down and pressed his ear against the ground.
"There is more than one horse I hear," he stated as he stood up, not even caring to dust his clothes off.
"Certainly," Gandalf replied. "Three of us are too great a burden for one horse,"
"There are three of them," said Legolas, gazing over the plain with his keen eyes. "See how they run, there is your ride, Hasufel, Aragorn and my dear friend Arod. But I see one horse striding ahead of them. I've never seen such a great horse, aside from Shadow's that is." He added, glancing at Demon Star who held her majestic head high, ears perking with alertness. Her dark crimson eyes seemed to cloud with memory of a long ago past before she shook her head and pounded the ground with one of her silver-grey hoofs.
Beside Demon Star, Shadow stood and stroked the horse's neck with comfort as the horse gave a neigh as quiet as a whisper.
'Do you think it's him, Demon Star?' she asked the horse, using her gift to exchange thoughts with animals.
'No, it couldn't be him. They said that he died…'
'His body was never found Demon Star, It could be him for all you know,'
Demon Star looked up to see Swift swooping down to perch on her back. She turned her head semi-sideward at Swift.
'Could be, thought I highly doubted it that much.'
Shadow smiled. 'Well, here they come now. Let's see whose right shall we?'
Sure enough, even as they were speaking (AN: err… rather thinking), a great horse came striding up the slope towards them, his coat glistened and his mane flowed in the wind. Two other horses followed, now far behind. As soon as the horse saw Gandalf, it checked his pace and whinnied loudly before it trotted towards the old man and caressed Gandalf's neck with his great, big nostrils.
"You've come a long way from Rivendell Shadowfax, my friend." He said. "For that, I am most grateful. Now, let us ride together and part not in this world again!"
Shadowfax whinnied before he lifted his great, big head high from the man's neck and stared at Demon Star, with his dark eyes.
Demon Star returned the stare, surprised crimson eyes against clam dark ones.
Shadowfax moved away from Gandalf and towards Demon Star, not breaking the stare at the same time.
Demon Star stood still as the other horse came closer, at the same time, the other two horses have already arrived, standing still as if awaiting their orders, though their eyes followed Demon Star and Shadowfax.
Shadowfax came to a stop right in front of Demon Star and quite unexpectatedly to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, hugged her in a horse-like manner. (AN: Horses hugged by semi-wrapping their heads against the other horse's neck.)
Demon Star didn't returned the gesture, instead she pulled away and whinnied angrily, her front hoofs high in the air as she kicked and her silver-grey mane whirled wildly in the wind, dark crimson eyes blazing with fury.
"Heel Demon Star, heel girl!" called out Shadow as she tried to clam down the furious horse.
Demon Star stopped kicking and clamed down, although her eyes still blazed with anger.
Suddenly, an arrow shot out of nowhere and into the ground only a few paces away where Shadow stood.
Shadow's icy sapphire blue eyes widened slightly with disbelief as she reached down and plucked up the arrow to inspect it. It was carved out of wood and painted in black with a white blue-tinted feather at its end. She gently touched the tip of the arrow with her finger and winced at its sharpness.
"No doubt about it. This is the same arrow that…"
Shadow, however, never got to finish her sentence when suddenly, a loud yell erupted from the distance and the thundering sound of hooves can be heard coming from that same distance and seemed to be heading nearer and nearer towards them.
"Everyone, draw out your weapons." said Legolas, equipping his bow with an arrow. His face suddenly turned serious.
Aragorn drew his sword out of its sheath while Gimli raised his axe and got into a fighting stance. Gandalf remained where he is, though his eyes gleamed with alert. Shadow on the other hand, dropped the arrow and placed her hand on Demon Star's neck and hurriedly, but silently, led the horse behind the shadow of the trees that leads to the entrance of Fangorn with Swift following suit.
Shadow watched behind the protection of the trees as, sure enough, a group of riders which she'd been hiding from so long emerged into view, urging their horses to run faster towards Gandalf and the others.
'Hmm… that's strange. They usually grouped by eighteen but I only see seventeen.' thought Shadow, slightly puzzled.
Suddenly, Shadow's ears perked up at the sound of a twig being snapped. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
'Unless…'
Shadow whirled around only to have something, or rather someone, lunged at her with full force, wrapping its arms around her.
Shadow kicked and struggled but it just made what held her wrapped its arms more tightly.
'Darn it….I won't go down so easily,' she thought, her icy sapphire blue eyes suddenly changed into the wild amethyst with amber tints eyes of the legendary Shadow Rider.
Shadow wrenched herself free from what grasped her and, with one swift move, took out Eagle Light from its sheath hidden in her cloak and strike at one of the thing's arms.
It winced in pain as dark blood out of its wound, but it kept advancing towards Shadow.
"I'm sorry about this but…"
Shadow growled. She was about to strike again when suddenly, she felt a sharp blow on her head and then everything went black…..
()==[]========
"Is this her guys?" announced a young man limping out of the shadow of the trees and into the light. Unlike his companions, the man's white-blonde hair was cut short near the neck and his piercing bright blue eyes were nearly covered by his bangs that curled at the end. (AN: Think of Amiboshi's (FY) hairstyle.) He was tall, fair-skinned, slightly muscular and had a lithe body. His right arm was wrapped around Shadow's limp body, her cloak was freed from its ties but its hood was still in place, hiding her face from view. His other arm reached up to grasped the girl's arm over his shoulder for support. Demon Star and Swift, distressed that their mistress is caught, followed slowly behind the two.
"Looks like you hit her good, Yue. She's unconscious," muttered one of Yue's companions, a burly man with a short beard.
"Uggh…Where am I?" asked Shadow groggily, blinking her eyes, which now had changed back into icy sapphire blue.
"Are you alright Shadow?" asked Aragorn gently, striding concerning towards the girl.
"She'll be fine Strider," replied Yue for Shadow, his handsome face brightened as he smiled. "In fact, she put up quite a fight."
Shadow scowled and tried to wiggle free from Yue's grasp, which only resulted in her hood finally falling down from her head.
The men gasped as long silver hair that seemed to glitter like moonbeams fell loose from its entrapment and framed Shadow's face.
Shadow lifted her chin up and Yue's eyes widen with disbelief.
"Serenity!?"
~ Sakura ~ Hehehe… I'm soo evil aren't I? *grins widely* Well, now that you now know whose Shadow is, I guess fewer of you guys will continue to read this fic since it's obviously NOT Rei nor neither or the other scouts.
Sorry if this chapter stinks, I was in a hurry to finish it you see. It's nearly my curfew time. Stupid curfew -_-…. Anyway, please don't forget to read and review. Sayanora Minna! Flames are most likely accepted! ^_^