Back again! Thanks as always to my beta Tina and to all the reviewers! You guys really make my day! Enjoy the new chapter!
Ever After - Chapter 7
Legolas stood in the hall of records, highly frustrated. He had not found any way of getting to the information he needed. He could see the books he wanted, he just couldn't touch them. "There must be a way!" He thought. Yet if there was, he couldn't think of it.
Several hours passed and he still had not come upon a solution. His frustration had increased to the point of anger. He glared at the book and cried out.
"Oh damnit all to Mordor! Just move, you blasted book!" Shaking his head, he turned away.
A moment later, a loud 'thump' made him look back. What he saw made his jaw drop. The book was lying on the floor, directly below the shelf. He stared at the leather-bound volume in disbelief. "How did that happen?" He thought, shocked. "Did I somehow move it?" A memory suddenly came to mind of being scared as a child by older elflings, who told him that ghosts came into his room at night and moved things around. They had then crept into his room when he was sleeping and moved several items. He had been terrified for weeks, until his father caught the elflings and reassured him that there was no such thing as ghosts. Legolas grinned, how wrong Thranduil had been! Though he doubted the elflings had known that they actually spoke the truth! His grin widened as he was struck by a sudden urge to seek out the now-grown elves and take his revenge. For if he could move things my, how he could scare them! He laughed softly and shook his head. He had no time for such things; He was here to help Estel. Besides, he had to make sure that it hadn't been a fluke.
He spent the next three hours practising moving objects. Light items, like the pages of a book were not a problem, but anything larger required a significant amount of energy and concentration. He quickly realised that this was not something he could use lightly, just moving a book drained him considerably. The blackness that encroached at the edge of his vision proved that he could lose control over his spirit if he exerted himself too much. It was frustrating; he would not have thought a ghost would suffer those kinds of limitations.
When he felt suitably rested, he moved the book to a quiet corner and placed it on a table. Out of habit, he tried to sit down, but to his great annoyance, he found that he could not remain on the chair, he kept going through it. He soon gave up and instead floated cross-legged in front of the table. Then he finally began to read.
What he found disturbed him greatly. Great increases in the amount of violent occurrences in and around the city, starting with his own death and going right up to Arwen's capture and subsequent torture. His shook his head. The increases of trouble were obvious, but it was equally as obvious that nothing had been done about it. "How could Estel not have noticed?" He murmured. "What could have clouded his judgement so badly?" Realising that those answers were not to be found in the book, he returned the great volume to the shelf and left the room. The book had helped, now he had to see to those that the events had affected.
He walked along the familiar halls, letting his mind ponder what he had discovered, while his feet made their own way to Aragorn's rooms.
He was so lost in thought, that he almost didn't see the dark from materialising in front of him. He looked up just in time. "Ai, Valar!" He thought, jumping back. He didn't know if it could affect him, but he had no desire to find out. It was clear to him that this was something to do with the evil he'd been sensing.
As he watched, the form took roughly the shape of a man. There was a head, arms and legs, but no features could be discerned. It began to walk in long strides, manoeuvring its dark, smoky form along the passageway.
Legolas followed at a discreet distance, watching closely. Suddenly it let out a noise that sounded like a laugh and quickened its pace. Alarmed, Legolas followed it round the corner. What he saw sent fear running through him. Walking slowly along the hall, oblivious to everything, was Gimli.
Under other circumstances, Legolas would have been delighted to see the dwarf, now however, he feared for his friend's life. He wanted to cry out, but it would have been useless. Gimli would not hear him; there was nothing he could do. Besides, he could not risk this strange being discovering him. He watched the dark form move, all the while praying to Ilutivar for his friend's safety.
The dark form enveloped the small being, covering him completely. Legolas forced back the cry that threatened to come out. Then it backed off, and opened a portal in front of it. It shimmered with dark light as it stepped through and vanished. "Gimli!" Legolas cried and dashed forward. The Dwarf was standing very still and looked dazed. There was a fading black shadow hanging around him, the evil creature's mark. Legolas would have given anything at that moment to be able to talk to his friend, but the sad truth was, he had nothing left to give. Not knowing what else to do, Legolas waited until the shadow faded. Then Gimli shook himself and came back to the world. He blinked and realised where he was.
"That was odd." He muttered. "Must have fallen asleep." Shaking his head, he continued towards his room. Legolas groaned. Leave it to the dwarf not to notice the unusual.
"Even dead I've got more brains than you!" The elf silently fumed. Still, he followed the dwarf; worried about the effect the creature might have had on him.
Gimli entered his room and dropped his axe into its stand. He sighed heavily and walked over to the table. He ran his hand lightly over the items the lay there. "I wish you were here." He muttered. "We're so lost without your guidance." Then his hand drifted away and he moved to the window.
Legolas moved to see what was on the table. He gasped in surprise. There, lying on a velvet cushion were -
"My knives!" Legolas looked at Gimli in astonishment. Had he kept them all these years? He found himself feeling glad that the friendship they'd shared had not waned, even in death. "I am here Gimli. I wish I could tell you, my friend."
He stayed a while longer, but Gimli did nothing more than stare out of the window. Legolas watched him carefully, but he could see no lingering effects from the dark creature. Deciding that there was nothing more he could do at the present time, Legolas left his friend to his thoughts.
He also needed to think, about what he'd just seen and how he could find out what it wanted, before it did anymore harm.
Tears fell down Elrond's face. His fears had been realised; he'd failed again. He held Arwen's hand in his own, not speaking, not knowing what to say. Estel was next to him, pale and unmoving. Glorfindel stood in the corner, offering silent support. This would be hard on the family he knew, but he would be there to offer whatever help he could.
The Balrog-slayer feared for Elrond. He did not know how much more tragedy the elf-lord could take. That his heart hadn't broken already was nothing short of a miracle. He watched as Elrond softly spoke to his daughter.
"Arwen?" She mumbled something in response and tried to look at her father. But the eyes she turned on him were blank and unseeing, as they would now always be. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to undo the damage to Arwen's eyes. He had finally given up that morning. Now he had to break the news to his only daughter.
Glorfindel stepped quietly out of the room. The family needed some time alone to come to terms with this. He found himself glad that the twins were not here. They had wanted to come and were furious at being precluded, but Elrond had insisted that they stay behind and watch over Imladaris. Glorfindel knew though, that he had wanted to spare his sons this new nightmare. Though Aragorn's message had been vague, Glorfindel couldn't help but wonder if Elrond had known somehow. "Well." He thought. "Whatever his reasons, It was the right decision. They do not need another nightmare tormenting their souls."
That Elladan and Elrohir would eventually hear of their sister's condition was something he couldn't prevent forever, but he hoped that by that time, Arwen would be in a better state than she was now. Glorfindel, like Elrond, would spare the twins any and all unnecessary pain.
"Ada." Arwen's voice was soft, a sign of her weakness. Elrond gripped her hand, steeling himself for the task to come.
"Arwen. My beautiful daughter. I do not know how best to tell you this, my child. I - have done all I could, but the damage to your eyes, it was too much." His voice broke and tears rolled down his face. "Your sight is gone, my daughter. I have failed you."
Arwen sucked in a sharp breath. "No." She whispered. She had been sure her father and Estel would cure her. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself while she came to terms with the truth. She was blind. She would never more see the stars or the sun. She would never see the beauty of this world. She would never see Estel's face again. Tears began to roll down her face. She shook from her sobs.
Then warm arms engulfed her and she sank back against her husband's chest.
"Shhh, Love." He soothed. "I'm here. We'll get through this somehow love, I swear it." Moving one arm, he reached out and pulled his father closer. "All of us."
Legolas glided into the gardens and made his way to his favourite tree. From here he could see the palace in all its glory. Yet the glory he saw was not what it had once been. The evil in the city had long been eating away at the light that Gondor gave. The ghostly prince frowned. The library had yielded no answers, the oldest texts being younger than him. He needed an elven library, but the closest was in Rivendell and he dare not leave Gondor. He tried to think, but worry for Aragorn and his other friend's was almost all consuming, leaving little room for anything else.
He decided to head back to Aragorn's chambers, perhaps answers would come easier in the presence of his friend.
As he moved away, he saw another figure enter the garden. He easily recognised the fair being as Lord Glorfindel. The ancient elf had an expression of utter sorrow on his face. Legolas came closer as he walked past, knowing why the other elf was so sad. He gave Glorfindel a sympathetic look. He knew how he felt.
The Prince moved to the side, but at that moment Glorfindel also turned. Before Legolas had a chance to react, Glorfindel walked straight through him.
He gasped as he felt the disruption to his form. It was unlike passing trough a tree or an inanimate object; the feeling of two souls crossing paths was intense and disorientating. He stood still, trying to bring his focus back to the present. He was unprepared for what happened next.
Glorfindel froze. Something had passed through him. Something impossibly familiar. "Can it be?" he thought. He knew better than most of the strange ways of the Valar. With a voice barely louder than a whisper, he spoke a single questioning word.
"Legolas?"
END CHAPTER 7
*In a ghostly voice* Review! Reviewwwww!
Ever After - Chapter 7
Legolas stood in the hall of records, highly frustrated. He had not found any way of getting to the information he needed. He could see the books he wanted, he just couldn't touch them. "There must be a way!" He thought. Yet if there was, he couldn't think of it.
Several hours passed and he still had not come upon a solution. His frustration had increased to the point of anger. He glared at the book and cried out.
"Oh damnit all to Mordor! Just move, you blasted book!" Shaking his head, he turned away.
A moment later, a loud 'thump' made him look back. What he saw made his jaw drop. The book was lying on the floor, directly below the shelf. He stared at the leather-bound volume in disbelief. "How did that happen?" He thought, shocked. "Did I somehow move it?" A memory suddenly came to mind of being scared as a child by older elflings, who told him that ghosts came into his room at night and moved things around. They had then crept into his room when he was sleeping and moved several items. He had been terrified for weeks, until his father caught the elflings and reassured him that there was no such thing as ghosts. Legolas grinned, how wrong Thranduil had been! Though he doubted the elflings had known that they actually spoke the truth! His grin widened as he was struck by a sudden urge to seek out the now-grown elves and take his revenge. For if he could move things my, how he could scare them! He laughed softly and shook his head. He had no time for such things; He was here to help Estel. Besides, he had to make sure that it hadn't been a fluke.
He spent the next three hours practising moving objects. Light items, like the pages of a book were not a problem, but anything larger required a significant amount of energy and concentration. He quickly realised that this was not something he could use lightly, just moving a book drained him considerably. The blackness that encroached at the edge of his vision proved that he could lose control over his spirit if he exerted himself too much. It was frustrating; he would not have thought a ghost would suffer those kinds of limitations.
When he felt suitably rested, he moved the book to a quiet corner and placed it on a table. Out of habit, he tried to sit down, but to his great annoyance, he found that he could not remain on the chair, he kept going through it. He soon gave up and instead floated cross-legged in front of the table. Then he finally began to read.
What he found disturbed him greatly. Great increases in the amount of violent occurrences in and around the city, starting with his own death and going right up to Arwen's capture and subsequent torture. His shook his head. The increases of trouble were obvious, but it was equally as obvious that nothing had been done about it. "How could Estel not have noticed?" He murmured. "What could have clouded his judgement so badly?" Realising that those answers were not to be found in the book, he returned the great volume to the shelf and left the room. The book had helped, now he had to see to those that the events had affected.
He walked along the familiar halls, letting his mind ponder what he had discovered, while his feet made their own way to Aragorn's rooms.
He was so lost in thought, that he almost didn't see the dark from materialising in front of him. He looked up just in time. "Ai, Valar!" He thought, jumping back. He didn't know if it could affect him, but he had no desire to find out. It was clear to him that this was something to do with the evil he'd been sensing.
As he watched, the form took roughly the shape of a man. There was a head, arms and legs, but no features could be discerned. It began to walk in long strides, manoeuvring its dark, smoky form along the passageway.
Legolas followed at a discreet distance, watching closely. Suddenly it let out a noise that sounded like a laugh and quickened its pace. Alarmed, Legolas followed it round the corner. What he saw sent fear running through him. Walking slowly along the hall, oblivious to everything, was Gimli.
Under other circumstances, Legolas would have been delighted to see the dwarf, now however, he feared for his friend's life. He wanted to cry out, but it would have been useless. Gimli would not hear him; there was nothing he could do. Besides, he could not risk this strange being discovering him. He watched the dark form move, all the while praying to Ilutivar for his friend's safety.
The dark form enveloped the small being, covering him completely. Legolas forced back the cry that threatened to come out. Then it backed off, and opened a portal in front of it. It shimmered with dark light as it stepped through and vanished. "Gimli!" Legolas cried and dashed forward. The Dwarf was standing very still and looked dazed. There was a fading black shadow hanging around him, the evil creature's mark. Legolas would have given anything at that moment to be able to talk to his friend, but the sad truth was, he had nothing left to give. Not knowing what else to do, Legolas waited until the shadow faded. Then Gimli shook himself and came back to the world. He blinked and realised where he was.
"That was odd." He muttered. "Must have fallen asleep." Shaking his head, he continued towards his room. Legolas groaned. Leave it to the dwarf not to notice the unusual.
"Even dead I've got more brains than you!" The elf silently fumed. Still, he followed the dwarf; worried about the effect the creature might have had on him.
Gimli entered his room and dropped his axe into its stand. He sighed heavily and walked over to the table. He ran his hand lightly over the items the lay there. "I wish you were here." He muttered. "We're so lost without your guidance." Then his hand drifted away and he moved to the window.
Legolas moved to see what was on the table. He gasped in surprise. There, lying on a velvet cushion were -
"My knives!" Legolas looked at Gimli in astonishment. Had he kept them all these years? He found himself feeling glad that the friendship they'd shared had not waned, even in death. "I am here Gimli. I wish I could tell you, my friend."
He stayed a while longer, but Gimli did nothing more than stare out of the window. Legolas watched him carefully, but he could see no lingering effects from the dark creature. Deciding that there was nothing more he could do at the present time, Legolas left his friend to his thoughts.
He also needed to think, about what he'd just seen and how he could find out what it wanted, before it did anymore harm.
Tears fell down Elrond's face. His fears had been realised; he'd failed again. He held Arwen's hand in his own, not speaking, not knowing what to say. Estel was next to him, pale and unmoving. Glorfindel stood in the corner, offering silent support. This would be hard on the family he knew, but he would be there to offer whatever help he could.
The Balrog-slayer feared for Elrond. He did not know how much more tragedy the elf-lord could take. That his heart hadn't broken already was nothing short of a miracle. He watched as Elrond softly spoke to his daughter.
"Arwen?" She mumbled something in response and tried to look at her father. But the eyes she turned on him were blank and unseeing, as they would now always be. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to undo the damage to Arwen's eyes. He had finally given up that morning. Now he had to break the news to his only daughter.
Glorfindel stepped quietly out of the room. The family needed some time alone to come to terms with this. He found himself glad that the twins were not here. They had wanted to come and were furious at being precluded, but Elrond had insisted that they stay behind and watch over Imladaris. Glorfindel knew though, that he had wanted to spare his sons this new nightmare. Though Aragorn's message had been vague, Glorfindel couldn't help but wonder if Elrond had known somehow. "Well." He thought. "Whatever his reasons, It was the right decision. They do not need another nightmare tormenting their souls."
That Elladan and Elrohir would eventually hear of their sister's condition was something he couldn't prevent forever, but he hoped that by that time, Arwen would be in a better state than she was now. Glorfindel, like Elrond, would spare the twins any and all unnecessary pain.
"Ada." Arwen's voice was soft, a sign of her weakness. Elrond gripped her hand, steeling himself for the task to come.
"Arwen. My beautiful daughter. I do not know how best to tell you this, my child. I - have done all I could, but the damage to your eyes, it was too much." His voice broke and tears rolled down his face. "Your sight is gone, my daughter. I have failed you."
Arwen sucked in a sharp breath. "No." She whispered. She had been sure her father and Estel would cure her. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself while she came to terms with the truth. She was blind. She would never more see the stars or the sun. She would never see the beauty of this world. She would never see Estel's face again. Tears began to roll down her face. She shook from her sobs.
Then warm arms engulfed her and she sank back against her husband's chest.
"Shhh, Love." He soothed. "I'm here. We'll get through this somehow love, I swear it." Moving one arm, he reached out and pulled his father closer. "All of us."
Legolas glided into the gardens and made his way to his favourite tree. From here he could see the palace in all its glory. Yet the glory he saw was not what it had once been. The evil in the city had long been eating away at the light that Gondor gave. The ghostly prince frowned. The library had yielded no answers, the oldest texts being younger than him. He needed an elven library, but the closest was in Rivendell and he dare not leave Gondor. He tried to think, but worry for Aragorn and his other friend's was almost all consuming, leaving little room for anything else.
He decided to head back to Aragorn's chambers, perhaps answers would come easier in the presence of his friend.
As he moved away, he saw another figure enter the garden. He easily recognised the fair being as Lord Glorfindel. The ancient elf had an expression of utter sorrow on his face. Legolas came closer as he walked past, knowing why the other elf was so sad. He gave Glorfindel a sympathetic look. He knew how he felt.
The Prince moved to the side, but at that moment Glorfindel also turned. Before Legolas had a chance to react, Glorfindel walked straight through him.
He gasped as he felt the disruption to his form. It was unlike passing trough a tree or an inanimate object; the feeling of two souls crossing paths was intense and disorientating. He stood still, trying to bring his focus back to the present. He was unprepared for what happened next.
Glorfindel froze. Something had passed through him. Something impossibly familiar. "Can it be?" he thought. He knew better than most of the strange ways of the Valar. With a voice barely louder than a whisper, he spoke a single questioning word.
"Legolas?"
END CHAPTER 7
*In a ghostly voice* Review! Reviewwwww!