Author's Note: So I have finally decided to update. I've written up to chapter ten, but I don't update often and I haven't been writing this story lately. But since I just finished The Silmarillon, I have really gotten back into Middle Earth. I think I will start writing more. Or at least I hope.
Meltintalle: I am so grateful for your review. I checked my email and when it said Review Alert!, I got very excited and wanted to update. You have been rewarded for your review, so keep reading and reviewing!!! I did mean for the message in the book to be cut off, it will have an effect later in the story. At least I think so. I haven't gotten that far yet. And I will review your story Sanity soon, so keep writing it. And The Key and Poisoned Turquoise.
Disclaimer: Anything related to Tolkien's fantastic works are not mine. But everything else came from this somewhat crazy brain.
Chapter 6
Vitralth lay near the tree, his horse by his side. He thought of the Vegolphon bird and the myth. His hope lay with Tinfea, that she would be the one. But then again his heart tugged at the thought. If she was the one, she would have to go into danger, perhaps killing herself in the process.
At midnight, Vitralth moved into a few bushes nearby. He singled for his horse to go somewhere; he didn't know the importance of the moment that was to come. Mithril followed, understanding the single. Vitralth lay down and gazed up at the stars.
Tinfea sat, alert for any movement in the sky above her. The sun was just beginning to rise. If the Vegolphon bird came, it would come now. Up in the dark sky, she heard a screech. A silver bird flew across the land. It back winged and perched on Tinfea's knee. She breathed softly, not wanting to disturb the bird. It pushed its head underneath her hand, then turned so she could see its back. At first glance, Tinfea just saw red lines. Suddenly, as if by magic, they all made sense.
Your quest will be great, my friend. Since the dawn of time, this day has been ready to come. Now that it is here, are you ready to rise up to the challenge? These shadow creatures come in many degrees of power. The lesser ones can be defeated with a blow by sword or arrow. The superior ones can only be killed by a slice of the great golden plant, esiltrith. Their leader's power is great, though she is not as she appears. She resides in the last home of one considered a traitor during the War of the Rings. You will face her to the death, only one can survive. Your inner spirit will help along this quest. Do not forget that you are who you are and nobody can change that. Remember to trust those nearest to you, that trust will not diminish along this adventure if you do not lose hope. Relay this message only to those who need to know.
Tinfea sat back, deep in thought. I can't believe it's me. The bird pinched her skin in its violet beak, and then took off, spiraling into the air. Vitralth watched from the bushes. He walked out once the bird was out of sight.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worried at the look on her face.
Tinfea blinked at him, his words not registering. "Yes, fine," she replied vaguely. He sat down next to her, his eyes never leaving hers.
"What did it say?"
"Do you need to know?" she snapped.
He flinched backwards, surprised at the ferocity in her words. "I had hoped that you would trust me enough to tell me."
Tinfea composed herself and put a hand on his arm, remembering the words about trust. "Of course, but the bird told me to only tell those who need to know. And I was slightly on edge from learning I would carry this great power. I really didn't mean anything by it."
"I understand. Couldn't you just tell me a little?" he covered her hand with his, eyes questioning.
"Well, some of the things said were confusing. My quest will be great. I need to trust those nearest to me and keep my inner spirit glowing. The leader is powerful, but she isn't as she appears. Only one of us will survive the battle. The stronger shadows can only be killed by a slice of esiltrith," she recited, staring straight ahead and moving her hand away.
"None of that seems to tell any good news. You inner spirit will never diminish by force, but nobody knows how horrible this could be to mental health." He also wanted to add that if she was the one not to survive, he didn't think he could either.
Tinfea turned her dazed eyes away from his intense gray ones. She got up and whistled for Mithril. The horse trotted to the stream, took a sip, and nudged her mistress. Tinfea leaped up onto her horse, who pranced in place, wanting to gallop through the morning mists.
"You should talk to the King and call another Council," Tinfea said from her perch.
Vitralth pushed himself up and called for Fiamma. "You are the one with the powers, not me. The King will listen if you talk to him."
Tinfea shook her head, "No, you are his nephew and one of Royal blood. If you ask him to call a Council, he surely will."
Vitralth mounted his horse. "Tinfea," he turned his gaze to her, "You will be the one to save Middle Earth. The King will recognize that and listen to you. Besides, he already knows and favors you. The Council will also believe, for how could they not with the One standing before them?"
Tinfea's eyes faltered. She felt as if she had been acting like a young child, scared to talk to her elders about something. "You make me sound "all powerful"," she muttered, but changed her views when she saw the disapproving look in his eyes, "Very well, I will talk to him. But you must come with." She nudged Mithril down the path.
Tinfea left her horse at the castle gate. Mithril felt her distress and pushed her forward, nickering encouragement. Vitralth smiled softly at this, the bond between person and animal. Tinfea walked with confidence she didn't have to the King's chambers.
"You are welcome to come in," the King called after the knock on his door. Tinfea slowly opened the door and peeked in. She didn't move until Vitralth pushed her through. He closed it behind them.
"Uncle, my friend has something to say," Vitralth put his hand on Tinfea's shoulder and gave her an encouraging squeeze.
"Greetings, Tinfea. And you have seen the stars and had the dream?" the King asked.
"Yes, and now the Vegolphon bird has come to me," Tinfea answered.
The King nodded. "And what did this rare bird have written on his back?"
"No disrespect Your Majesty, but I would rather tell the whole story in front of a Council."
"I will call for one to meet after lunch is served. I hope your information is valuable."
"I also hope for that," Tinfea curtsied in respect and turned around.
"Thank you, Uncle," Vitralth nodded his head and followed Tinfea out.
They sat in the library, talking about what was to come. Vitralth saw the worry in her eyes.
"What are you worried about, that the Council will not believe?"
"Unfortunately, no. I am worried about the future. What if I cannot defeat this threat? What if, because of my cowardice, all of Middle Earth is doomed to fall? I cannot bear this burden," Tinfea's worry increased, the look in her eyes becoming troubled.
"I believe in you. Your spirit is greater than you know, greater than anyone knows. You would not have been chosen to keep this power if you had not the strength to hold it," Vitralth said gently, his eyes searching hers for hope against this new enemy.
Tinfea smiled, "Thank you, your belief in me will help keep up hope that I am to succeed." Vitralth opened his lips to say something else, when Legolas' brother, Quithno, came in. Quithno was almost as fair as Legolas. His hair was a light blonde and fell perfectly down his back. His eyes were a piercing green, the color of spring leaves. Vitralth turned his gaze from Tinfea reluctantly.
"Hello, what brings you here?" he asked his cousin.
Quithno was staring at Tinfea oddly. Vitralth looked at her and saw her smile.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness," she said and stood up to curtsy.
"Do not bother, you will just have to sit again," Quithno told her. He sat down in a chair across from them. "And to answer your question, Vitralth, do I need a reason to see my cousin and his friend?"
"Well, I guess not. Did you hear from your father about everything?" Vitralth wanted to direct Quithno's attention from Tinfea, whom his eyes were still on.
Quithno looked at Vitralth. "Yes. Who is your friend, by the way?"
"I am Tinfea, Your Highness," she answered formally, not very well acquainted with the other Prince, who since taking on the duties of the heir wasn't at Mirkwood much.
"Please, call me Quithno. Do you live here?"
"Yes, almost my whole life, which has been 553 years."
"And we have never met? I suppose my cousin here never introduced us, trying to keep all the pretty elf-maidens to himself," here he looked at Vitralth.
"Actually, we have met. Though I am not surprised you cannot remember the meeting, considering it was hundreds of years ago and the number of "pretty elf-maidens" you meet each year must be considerably high," Tinfea answered, recovering her wit. The Prince gave her a surprised, slightly shocked look, causing Tinfea to smirk.
Vitralth tried to contain his chuckle. "Excuse my friend here, Quithno, she has no idea how to act around royalty."
Smacking his harshly, Tinfea started to retort, but his hand went over her mouth, again.
"Do you see my point, cousin? I am somewhat royalty, yet she persists in hitting me. Are your subjects supposed to act like this?"
Quithno glanced oddly at the strange elves, one grinning wickedly, the other trying to release herself from a strong hold. "Personally, I think both of you are crazy."
Vitralth quickly freed Tinfea. "Me, crazy? You have the wrong elf, cousin. Wasn't it just the other day I saw you…" his words were cut off by a sharp kick."
"Now if you two will stop bickering, maybe we can talk about this power coming up to destroy our home?" Tinfea asked, regaining her composure.
Vitralth smiled at her. "Of course, we now know who will stop this power, let's try to understand it."
"Who has the power of nature?" Quithno asked, obviously needing to be caught up.
Vitralth nodded at Tinfea, "She does."
Quithno raised his eyebrows. "A fair elf-maiden needed to go into danger? How unlikely."
Tinfea stuck up her chin proudly. "Yes, an elf-maiden has the power to overthrow this new threat. Is it that hard to believe? Do you really think that only males have the power to defeat others? Are you so…"
Vitralth quickly put a hand over her lips. "Don't worry, Quithno just doesn't know how strong you are," he whispered into her ear. He put a hand on her shoulder, brushing the bare skin of her neck while restraining her from saying more that she might regret. She felt a shiver hit her spine at his warm touch, causing it to stiffen. A very faint blue light came from her necklace.
Quithno looked curiously at them for a moment. "I did not mean to be insulting, but it seems odd that someone who looks as delicate as you would hold such a great power." Tinfea tensed up under Vitralth's hand. He squeezed her shoulder warningly, knowing how she felt towards those who feel that a woman has no place in battle.
"It's fine. I understand how you feel," Tinfea said coldly.
"Good, and I understand how you feel," Quithno smiled at her.
Vitralth looked out the window at the sun. "It is almost noon, shall we go for lunch?"
"I'll have someone bring lunch up," Quithno said. He walked towards the entrance of the library.
Vitralth put his arm fully around Tinfea's shoulders. "You might not want to speak that way to the Prince," he advised gently.
Tinfea moved away, the blue light fading. "He insulted me; I hate it when people treat me as if I am made of glass."
"I know, but he is the heir to the throne. It is easy to accept him as one to get annoyed with, but it would be best to be polite with him." He tried to put an arm around her again and this time she accepted it. They sat there for a while, neither one moving.
Quithno came back in, carrying a tray. Tinfea quickly pushed herself away from Vitralth, feeling a faint blush on her cheeks. They ate lunch in silence, waiting for the call from the Council. A messenger ran in.
"Could you please meet in the Council Room?" he gazed at all of them, especially Tinfea, "Each of you."
Tinfea smiled grimly and followed Vitralth and Quithno to the room. She felt a bit nervous at talking in front of all of these great people, but recalled what Vitralth had said. Her heart fluttered at the remembrance of his words, but she soon forgot when she reached the room.
There were almost 20 people sitting around the table. Each one held surprise on his face as he saw Tinfea enter. She turned her eyes from their gaze and sat down next to Vitralth. He patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"Great friends, we have found the one with this power. Rise please and tell us of what the Vegolphon bird said," the King said.
Tinfea stood up and told everyone what she read. There eyes changed from surprise to respect as she relayed the news calmly and confidently. When she was finished, she sat down again, her hand trembling. Vitralth noticed and took it in his, stopping the small shaking.
"So the leader is in the former home of a traitor. Who could that be?" the King asked, gazing around the room.
"Don't you think it could be Saurman, he was a traitor during the War of the Rings," Quithno said. Everyone looked at him and nodded. Isengard would be a great place to set up a base for evil.
"We will send people to tell others of this information and how we have found the one with the power." As he said these words, Tinfea saw a flash of light and a vision. It was of Rivendell, where here parents lived. She felt as if she was walking through the building, until finally she came to the library. In a far corner sat a book illuminated in a faint glow. Suddenly, the vision faded and she saw the Council again, spots of light flying everywhere. Vitralth had seen her go limp and was looking at her with worried eyes. Tinfea blinked and smiled softly at him.
"I am fine, don't worry. But I saw a strange vision. It was of Rivendell and an old book in its library."
"We will send you there with Elrohir, Quithno, and a band. Once you get there, remember to send somebody to the Hobbits. Vitralth, you will go down to Rohan and Gondor, with a company. Elladan, you will go back to your home. Nimoroth, you will travel to the land of the dwarves," the King ordered. Everyone nodded their head. "Good, this Council is adjourned."
Tinfea and Vitralth walked to their clearing in silence. Why can't Vitralth be going to Rivendell with me, not Quithno? She thought, then shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts. She sat near a tree and Vitralth followed suit.
"When will we be leaving?" Tinfea asked.
"Tomorrow night."
Tinfea sighed, "Oh."
Vitralth turned to look at her, "Fea," he said softly.
Tinfea jumped up quickly; remembering something. "I have a gift for you," she said and darted through the trees.
Vitralth looked after her, "Amin mela lle (I love you)," he finished quietly. He stood up and leaped to a low branch on the tree behind him. Vitralth climbed up and up. He gazed over the forest, seeing Tinfea running to the city. A strange smile played at his lips, wondering what her gift can be.
Broken out of his revive by the sound of footsteps, Vitralth looked beneath him. She was standing there, beckoning him to come down. A silver thing was flashing in her hand. Vitralth hurried down to her, his eyes curious. Once he had landed on the ground, Tinfea held up the thing in her hand. It was a ring, the thick band made of mithril, a blue-green gem sitting in the middle. Vitralth took it in amazement, then held her pendant in his hand, comparing the two.
"These are of the same gems, are they not?" he asked.
Tinfea took hers from his hand. "Yes."
Vitralth nodded his head, then slipped the ring onto his finger. The inner blue light illuminated faintly and Tinfea looked tenderly at him. He embraced her tightly. Tinfea tensed up and he immediately let her go, his eyes unreadable to everyone but her, who saw the pain.
Tinfea turned her head away from his hurt eyes. Why do I feel this way? Vitralth and I used to be closer than we are now; a hug here and there, his arm around me, holding hands. How come it is such a big deal now? While she was pondering these thoughts, Vitralth just stood there, gazing out over her head.
Tinfea looked back at him and smiled. She lightly touched his chin and forced him to turn his questioning eyes to her. "Sorry, I- wasn't expecting that."
Vitralth shook his head, "No need to apologize." He was about to go on but Tinfea hugged him tightly. She felt his warm breath on her cheek, causing pleasant shivers across her body.
Vitralth wondered about her sudden change, one moment turning away the next hugging him. She should have expected him to embrace her, and if not she shouldn't have reacted that way. But at least she wasn't running away, of that he was glad.
Tinfea moved away to look at him. "We won't be seeing each other for a while," she said. Vitralth thought he heard a hint of sorrow in her voice, but dismissed it. He looked lovingly at her, but she didn't notice, she was fumbling with her necklace.
Tinfea stopped playing with her necklace in time to see Vitralth's smile. "What's so funny?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
He laughed almost forcefully. "Nothing, nothing."
"I suppose I should finish readying myself and get some rest," Tinfea whispered. Vitralth took her into his arms, both of them silent. Tinfea felt her heart tugging and beating rapidly, but ignored it as best she could. At least they were parting on good terms.
Finally, both drew away. "Good……….." Tinfea started.
Vitralth put a finger to her lips. "This isn't goodbye, it never will be," he said softly. Before she could move off, Vitralth, in a bold moment, brought her face to his and gently brushed his lips against hers. Stumbling back, Tinfea stared at him, touched her lips, and took off.
*Sigh*
The action filled battle scenes will start soon, hopefully. Tinfea will go on a quest thing and Vitralth will fight. But I don't want to ruin any surprises, so I'll shut up.
Always read and review!!!!!