I stared at the man in front of me as he gently stroked my cheek, whispering something soothing in Elvish. He was beautiful, his blue eyes like the sea before a storm. He stepped back from me, his eyes apologetic.
"Do not worry, melamin," he said, as he drew his sword. "This will only hurt for a minute."
Then he plunged it deep into my stomach...
"Silly. Silly, wake up. Celaena!"
"Uhhhh...." I groaned, more asleep than awake and not wanting to be woken. I had been sleeping on my back again, and when my eyes finally allowed themselves to open, I was staring face-to-face with my too-close-for-comfort nursemaid, Morwenna. In my left hand I tightly clutched a stake during my sleep, and raised it to her, as threateningly as I could in my half-sleep.
"Don't point that stake at me, little girl. Silly, I'm telling you, you must wake immediately. Lauxely want to see you. You're being called into duty."
With my other hand, I reached up to my face and wiped the remaining night crust out of my eyes. I squinted at my nursemaid until they came into focus. "I'm always on duty." I groaned again, and sat up. "Tell me. When am I not?"
Morwenna sighed. "Special mission. All peoples throughout Middle Earth are being called in. Elves, dwarves, wizards--"
"Lucky me." I set my stake on my nightside table. "All peoples of Middle Earth? Does that include banished female warriors and her grumpy old watcher?"
Morwenna rolled her eyes. "I don't know anything about it, you silly goose. Now get up and go that meeting! I'm curious to hear what this new mission is. Hurry up, Silly! I want to hear all about it when you get back."
"Yes, uh, thank you, Morwenna." The old woman hurried out of the room. I shook my head, and sat fully up, and slapped myself once or twice. The second time, I hit too hard, and stung my own cheek. I groaned. Waking up was a bad idea. Worse because I didn't know my own strength at times.
I swung my legs around and stood up off the tiny cot. My blanket, which had been tightly clutched in my arms moments ago, had left them now, and I shivered. For my entire life, this cold, deserted castle had been my home. Once a hideout for nobles and royals, it has long since been abandoned, and embraced by the slayer circle. We hated it. My watcher, Lauxely especially.
Sighing, I stood up and began to dress, getting ready for my meeting.
"New mission..."
Got that part.
"Ring of power..."
Heard of those...
"Sauron..."
Big nasty fellow.
"Little hobbits, you know...halflings..."
Shirelings?
I was still in a daze. I had never completely woken up, my dream still plauging me, and now my loving yet irritating and older-than-dirt watcher, Lauxely, was vainly attempting to brief me on my new mission.
"Saruman turned evil..."
That's news.
"Big meeting in Rivendell..."
I suppose that's where I'm headed.
"Lots of important representatives of Middle Earth..."
Am I included in that?
"Steward of Gondor..."
Denethor? Not a pleasant man.
"Prince of Mirkwood..."
Spawn of Thranduil? Haven't met him yet.
"A ranger...Strider, he is called...You know of whom it is I speak, Silly..."
That last name caught my attention. "Strider?" I asked, shivering slightly.
"Yes." Lauxely looked at me knowingly. "The bearer of many names, the most well-known of them being--"
"Aragorn. Son of Arathorn." I sighed. "Heir to the throne of Gondor."
He eyed me. "You realize that the line has not been broken, then."
"Of course not."
Lauxely's eyes suddenly glazed over with anger. "It was the first Steward of Gondor, Mardil, after the line was supposedly broken...who cast the slayers out of the White City in the first place. Out of their home."
I groaned. "I know, I know. Stewards always disapproved of the slayers, and Mardil felt that they were drawing in the vampires."
"Do you believe this, Celaena?"
"It's all in the books. It was one hundred eighty years before I was born." This was getting boring. "Why did you even bother to bring up? It was years and years and years ago. What kind of warrior would want to settle? I prefer a ranger's life myself."
"I am no warrior," he told me. "You are the only warrior here, Celaena, apart from the potentials. My advisors and I are somewhat different. We are pompous, arrogant bastards who would like to be a little warm in the winter, or a enjoy nice, hot meal every once in a while, or a fireplace to read by..."
"I get it," I said, laughing. "But what does any of this have to do with Aragorn?"
"Well," said Locksley, "if he were to be reinstated as king...he could restore our home in Gondor. Before Mardil, the kings were always very gracious to have the slayers and watchers residing in their halls. If you could only convince him to return to Gondor..."
I narrowed my eyes. "We tried this once before. A hundred years ago or more. I refuse to put myself in that position again."
There was evident disappointment in my watcher's eyes, and it made me sigh. "I don't want to hurt you...please, don't be unhappy, but...It is very unlikely that Aragorn will return and take his place as king. Besides, Denethor is the most unpleasant man I've ever met, and he will not give up the throne so quickly."
"So there's no way you could convince him?"
"I wouldn't even dare try," I responded. I sighed. "So tell me about this mission. And I'd appreciate the nutshell version."
"Sauron's ring of power was found," said Lauxely. "It was in the possession of a Shireling. Sauron has now risen, and is after this ring. Four of the Shirelings and the ranger Strider are journeying to the Rivendell for a special meeting. The ring must be destroyed, and it will be decided then who is to destroy it."
Something about this story rang a tiny, familiar little bell inside my head. "I've heard of this ring," I mused. "Pretty gold thing, powerful, hidden writing? Unholy. Holy creatures, the right hand of the Valar--or, well, me--cannot touch it. Right?"
"Correct."
"Well, then, what is my purpose? To destroy it would mean to touch it. I cannot touch it." I paused to think. "And what of my other duties? Vampire slaying and all that."
"All of this is still extremely vague," said Lauxely. "We don't know much about it...Only that you need to head for Rivendell at dawn."
"Dawn?!" I said, surprised. What in Valar...I dashed to the window, and threw back the drapes--surprised to find that it was still dark outside. "What time is it now?"
"A few hours before sunrise," said Lauxley. "I thought you would like time to pack."
I rolled her eyes. "Sure. You give me four bloody hours to pack my things, but not even one extra for a nap. Thanks, Lauxely."
"It's what I'm here for," he replied cheerily.