Chapter 6: All Reveals
What ever happened to happy endings? Or a happy beginning? For Isabella, It doesn't feel that anything could every be happy for her.
A soft gentle hand was placed upon her forehead, stroking her fringe back. Warming words were heard from the bedside. "Lle naa vanima… Sut? For your gift does not match your looks. Such mysteries, I do not understand" Haldir's voice was mournful. Isabella was lying there, stiff as stone. Just as Haldir was about to give up and leave Isabella to rest, there was a slight tap at the door. He looked up at the white door that creaked open. There stood the person that he was not expecting. Gandalf the White!
"Gandalf! But I thought that you were…." Haldir's words were cut off by a wave of Gandalf's hand. "shh… there's no time to discuss my comings and goings" Gandalf's voice was smooth and peaceful. "I'm hear for Her" His head turned to the barely alive girl, resting serenely in her bed. "Haldir, my friend, we have to talk…" Haldir barely looked Gandalf in the eyes, but he nodded and took a seat in the corner of the room along with Gandalf.
"I can see that her presence is bothering you, but I hope that you know that her time is nearly up" the old man said calmly. Haldir looked up, "bothering me? But… why would you think that, Gandalf?"
"I can see it in your eyes, Haldir. And I also see that she troubles you. But that's not the whole story is it?" His eyes stern but surprisingly gentle.
"I suppose it is true. She has grown on me, but as far as I know she has touched a lot of the folk around here, not just me" Haldir turned his eyes towards Isabella, and gave a small sigh. "I think I care for her more than I think." Gandalf nodded. Haldir turned back to Gandalf, and looked confused, "you are agreeing with me? But you have not been around here?"
"I don't have to see you together to know that you have feelings for her, Haldir" The Wizard's voice was getting softer. "I can see it in your eyes, and how much it is hurting you to see her like this. Haldir, I too don't like seeing her like this. But I am afraid that her health will not improve" Gandalf went silent and stared thoughtfully at Isabella.
"Do you mean that…." Haldir stared at Gandalf stunned. "Yes… she will pass" Gandalf replied after awhile. Haldir took another small sigh and hung his head.
Neither one of them spoke or even looked at each other, but both were thinking about her. After a time Gandalf said, "Let me tell you something, Haldir" Haldir nodded at made an effort to look at the old man, there was just too much pain in his heart to reply to him.
"I found Isabella, when she was a child. No less than 3 years in the age of Men. For awhile I didn't know what she was or even why she had came to me. I did however realise that I wasn't in a position to look after a girl. But something took hold of me and I raised her as my own. When she was at least six, she started to grow and I took into consideration that she did not look like a normal human girl. But in fact looked rather a lot like a Hobbit of the Shire. Slight differences of course, she had very straight dark hair and strange pale-blue eyes, not to mention the curly hair that formed on her feet" Gandalf gave a little chuckle then went on. "I asked all around the Shire, questioning Hobbits as I went, asking them about a missing child that had been found. I had no reply from any of the Shire folk. So I adopted her. I had already taken care of her for 3 years, so I decided that I would look after her and give her an education, teach her how to use magic to defend herself and gave her a home to live in for the rest of her life"
"Although, I did have to go to my superiors and ask for guidance, and they excepted me to look after her. I also asked what she was, I could see that she wasn't an ordinary human, nor an ordinary Hobbit. But it took some while until they returned to me with the answer. I found out that she is an extremely special Being" Gandalf looked at Haldir, and he looked Gandalf in the eyes. "I am afraid that I do not understand you, Gandalf" He looked concerned. "Yes, let me explain" Gandalf continued.
"Isabella is a rare Being, half Elf and half Hobbit and not to mention her ability to use magic. I had no idea that she had a gift to use magic, I thought that she was a fast learner" Gandalf gave another small chuckle, but then said in a rather serious voice, "To my knowledge and from all the research I had done, I found no evidence that her race still existed. I'm afraid that she is the only Mith'quessirin, The Silver Elf in the whole of Middle Earth" Gandalf paused.
"I have heard of Them, but only in the fables that we tell to our children. I didn't think that Isabella was one of them" Haldir became amazed, never in his life had he thought that he would be able to meet a Silver Elf! "Did you ever find her parents?"
"No… So I got to keep her and not a day goes by that I regret taking her in. But she will not stay alive for much longer, I'm afraid. And she doesn't have much more time. That Orc blade that stabbed her has poisoned her until death. And if it wasn't for Cavanthir's potion, she would have died before I could talk to you and explain some things and also for me to say my partings with her. Do you know that she was here for a reason?" asked Gandalf.
Haldir shook his head. "I found her, in the rebel Orc settlement. I didn't think that it was planned" he said confused.
"oh no, that wasn't planned, but she was meant to find you. You see, it's her destiny to help you, but not only you, help anyone who came across her path. Sometimes she found them and other times they found her. I do not know what she does to help but I do know that every time I've been teaching her, her missions have been successful. I know that it has only been a short while Isabella has been here, but has she helped you?" Gandalf's voice sounded curious. How had Isabella helped Haldir? He just shook his head and replied, "… Gandalf, I am not sure if she has. How can you tell when she has been poisoned. To me it seems that I have been helping her. Not the other way around…"
"Well you may be right. Only she can tell you if anything has happened. But Haldir… just because nothing has happened it doesn't mean that you can feel it happen" the old man slowly got up and arched his backwards. "ah… I think I am starting to feel my age creeping up on me" he said with a smile, then walked out of the room.
Haldir was left there with Isabella. He got up and quietly walked beside her bed, and bent down. He said nothing, just looked at her, deep in thought. He stroked her fringe out of her eyes again then walked out of the room, after the White Wizard.
What ever happened to happy endings? Or a happy beginning? For Isabella, It doesn't feel that anything could every be happy for her.
A soft gentle hand was placed upon her forehead, stroking her fringe back. Warming words were heard from the bedside. "Lle naa vanima… Sut? For your gift does not match your looks. Such mysteries, I do not understand" Haldir's voice was mournful. Isabella was lying there, stiff as stone. Just as Haldir was about to give up and leave Isabella to rest, there was a slight tap at the door. He looked up at the white door that creaked open. There stood the person that he was not expecting. Gandalf the White!
"Gandalf! But I thought that you were…." Haldir's words were cut off by a wave of Gandalf's hand. "shh… there's no time to discuss my comings and goings" Gandalf's voice was smooth and peaceful. "I'm hear for Her" His head turned to the barely alive girl, resting serenely in her bed. "Haldir, my friend, we have to talk…" Haldir barely looked Gandalf in the eyes, but he nodded and took a seat in the corner of the room along with Gandalf.
"I can see that her presence is bothering you, but I hope that you know that her time is nearly up" the old man said calmly. Haldir looked up, "bothering me? But… why would you think that, Gandalf?"
"I can see it in your eyes, Haldir. And I also see that she troubles you. But that's not the whole story is it?" His eyes stern but surprisingly gentle.
"I suppose it is true. She has grown on me, but as far as I know she has touched a lot of the folk around here, not just me" Haldir turned his eyes towards Isabella, and gave a small sigh. "I think I care for her more than I think." Gandalf nodded. Haldir turned back to Gandalf, and looked confused, "you are agreeing with me? But you have not been around here?"
"I don't have to see you together to know that you have feelings for her, Haldir" The Wizard's voice was getting softer. "I can see it in your eyes, and how much it is hurting you to see her like this. Haldir, I too don't like seeing her like this. But I am afraid that her health will not improve" Gandalf went silent and stared thoughtfully at Isabella.
"Do you mean that…." Haldir stared at Gandalf stunned. "Yes… she will pass" Gandalf replied after awhile. Haldir took another small sigh and hung his head.
Neither one of them spoke or even looked at each other, but both were thinking about her. After a time Gandalf said, "Let me tell you something, Haldir" Haldir nodded at made an effort to look at the old man, there was just too much pain in his heart to reply to him.
"I found Isabella, when she was a child. No less than 3 years in the age of Men. For awhile I didn't know what she was or even why she had came to me. I did however realise that I wasn't in a position to look after a girl. But something took hold of me and I raised her as my own. When she was at least six, she started to grow and I took into consideration that she did not look like a normal human girl. But in fact looked rather a lot like a Hobbit of the Shire. Slight differences of course, she had very straight dark hair and strange pale-blue eyes, not to mention the curly hair that formed on her feet" Gandalf gave a little chuckle then went on. "I asked all around the Shire, questioning Hobbits as I went, asking them about a missing child that had been found. I had no reply from any of the Shire folk. So I adopted her. I had already taken care of her for 3 years, so I decided that I would look after her and give her an education, teach her how to use magic to defend herself and gave her a home to live in for the rest of her life"
"Although, I did have to go to my superiors and ask for guidance, and they excepted me to look after her. I also asked what she was, I could see that she wasn't an ordinary human, nor an ordinary Hobbit. But it took some while until they returned to me with the answer. I found out that she is an extremely special Being" Gandalf looked at Haldir, and he looked Gandalf in the eyes. "I am afraid that I do not understand you, Gandalf" He looked concerned. "Yes, let me explain" Gandalf continued.
"Isabella is a rare Being, half Elf and half Hobbit and not to mention her ability to use magic. I had no idea that she had a gift to use magic, I thought that she was a fast learner" Gandalf gave another small chuckle, but then said in a rather serious voice, "To my knowledge and from all the research I had done, I found no evidence that her race still existed. I'm afraid that she is the only Mith'quessirin, The Silver Elf in the whole of Middle Earth" Gandalf paused.
"I have heard of Them, but only in the fables that we tell to our children. I didn't think that Isabella was one of them" Haldir became amazed, never in his life had he thought that he would be able to meet a Silver Elf! "Did you ever find her parents?"
"No… So I got to keep her and not a day goes by that I regret taking her in. But she will not stay alive for much longer, I'm afraid. And she doesn't have much more time. That Orc blade that stabbed her has poisoned her until death. And if it wasn't for Cavanthir's potion, she would have died before I could talk to you and explain some things and also for me to say my partings with her. Do you know that she was here for a reason?" asked Gandalf.
Haldir shook his head. "I found her, in the rebel Orc settlement. I didn't think that it was planned" he said confused.
"oh no, that wasn't planned, but she was meant to find you. You see, it's her destiny to help you, but not only you, help anyone who came across her path. Sometimes she found them and other times they found her. I do not know what she does to help but I do know that every time I've been teaching her, her missions have been successful. I know that it has only been a short while Isabella has been here, but has she helped you?" Gandalf's voice sounded curious. How had Isabella helped Haldir? He just shook his head and replied, "… Gandalf, I am not sure if she has. How can you tell when she has been poisoned. To me it seems that I have been helping her. Not the other way around…"
"Well you may be right. Only she can tell you if anything has happened. But Haldir… just because nothing has happened it doesn't mean that you can feel it happen" the old man slowly got up and arched his backwards. "ah… I think I am starting to feel my age creeping up on me" he said with a smile, then walked out of the room.
Haldir was left there with Isabella. He got up and quietly walked beside her bed, and bent down. He said nothing, just looked at her, deep in thought. He stroked her fringe out of her eyes again then walked out of the room, after the White Wizard.