Author's note: Finally, another chapter! It's about time, but with the holidays work's been rough. Don't ever work in retail when it's Christmas time.
And what can I say about The Two Towers? I was blown away by the whole thing! Legolas was wonderful, and the fun being poked at Gimli was hilarious! I was so mad that they killed Haldir! How dare they! I seem to have a habit of liking the characters that die. *sigh* Anyway, Gollum actually turned out well.
But enough with my ramblings! On with the fic!
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER NINE
Winter had set in across the land, bringing forth harsh, chilling winds and the occasional snowstorm, slowing Rhiannon's progress southward. She found shelter where she could, always keeping her guard up as to avoid attracting any unwanted company. But as she passed near the boundaries of another elven land, she was discovered by someone she had not seen in a very long time as she had had little reason to travel to the fair land of Lorien.
She was passing through the outskirts of the forest when she came across tracks left by a light-footed individual, tracks which she followed for a time out of curiosity. Soon she lost track of them, and knew then that whoever she was tracking knew she was doing it and had hid from her. It was then she looked up to see the sharp point of an arrow trained upon her, and the elf who aimed it wore an amused expression upon his handsome face.
"It has been some time since your presence has graced these woods, Elenariel," he said, a hint of laughter in his eyes.
She rose from her crouched position to face him squarely. "Do you greet everyone you meet like this, Haldir?" she asked, fighting the smile that twitched at the corners of her mouth.
He withdrew his arrow and placed it back inside his quiver, but he kept his bow at his side. "You were tracking me," he pointed out.
"You were deliberately leading me into the forest, and you know it," she shot back. "I know you well enough to know you wouldn't be this careless as to leave tracks a novice could follow."
This time he allowed a smile to spread across his features. "You have found me out then," he said. "I have been watching you for some time now."
"No wonder it felt as if someone was watching me," she sighed. "Someone was." Then she reached out to clasp forearms with him in a gesture of friendship. "It is good to see you again, Haldir," she said warmly.
He gazed steadfastly into her eyes, seeing the weariness in them and amazed at her willingness to press on. "The trees of Lorien have missed your presence, although it is the Lady herself who wishes to speak with you."
She quieted somewhat as she knew without a doubt of what she wished to speak with her about. Somehow Galadriel always knew of everything that passed in the world, and Rhiannon knew that she would talk with her about her feelings concerning Aragorn. "Then I suppose you will have to lead me to her," she said, moving a little ahead of him then turning back to appraise him. "Unless, of course, you do not wish to do so?"
His smile returned as he joined with her on their path towards Caras Galadon, home of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. They said very little to each other as she enjoyed the company of the trees around her, seeing within them the vaguely indistinguishable shapes of elven archers. The sight troubled her somewhat. "Haldir, have matters gotten so bad that these forests need guardians?"
A troubled light came into his eyes then. "We have increased our watch upon the dark fortress that resides in Mirkwood, for we fear that evil still lives there and will one day be unleashed upon us and our cousins to the north. The Lady has felt the stirring of evil in the land, an evil which has grown stronger over the years and seeks to destroy all."
A shiver raced through her as she remembered Gandalf's words and that of her own promise to protect Gondor at all costs, and her steps quickened suddenly so that Haldir was forced to quicken his own to keep up. Nothing more was said, and soon they were climbing up the steps towards the house of the Lord and Lady of Lorien, following the ethereal light which suffused it as night fell upon them.
The last time she had stood in front of them, she had thought that she had strayed into a dream, a completely different world in which time did not matter since the turn of seasons seemed not to affect this fair wood. This time was no different, and she was once again reminded of the timeless beauty of the Lady that stood before her. She bowed her head slightly and touched her fingers to her forehead in silent greeting.
"Lorien welcomes you, child of Rhovanion," Galadriel spoke, her voice calm and peaceful. "Long have I known of your presence at our borders, and tomorrow I will speak with you of the task you have appointed upon yourself. Tonight you will rest amongst us so that the weariness of your journey will seem less heavy, if you will have it."
"I accept the Lady's gracious offer," Rhiannon said. "My heart is heavy and my path unclear to me."
"Then I hope you find what you seek," she replied with a smile. "I will see you when the sun's light graces the trees."
With that, Rhiannon left and immediately sought a place to bathe and ease her hunger before finding a place to take her rest for the night.
Early the next morning, Galadriel spoke with her, but only of matters regarding her safety as she warned her to be careful in her course of action. Whether she knew of Rhiannon's feelings regarding Aragorn or not, she said nothing but the ranger could see something that looked like a shadow of approval in her timeless gaze.
Haldir stood nearby but still far enough away in respect of her conversation with the Lady of the Wood, drawing near when he saw Galadriel step away from her. "I bid you to be careful on your journey, Elenariel," he said softly. "And to please accept this gift from me as you will doubtlessly need it."
She was touched that he would give her anything, and she looked down when she felt the weight of a dagger pressed into her hands. Unsheathing it, she saw it had a slightly curved blade that was etched in a fluid elven design along with a white handle that made it easy to wield. Setting it back into its sheath, she looked up into his eyes to see them filled with concern. "I don't know what to say," she breathed. "You need not give me this."
"It has protected me well in times past," he replied. "I am sure it will do the same for you."
Unable to say anymore, she embraced him tightly, only holding on long enough to say her farewell to him before releasing him and stepping over to mount her horse. She met his gaze one last time before wheeling her horse around and starting off towards her intended destination, leaving the fair land of Lorien behind her with a renewed strength and determination.
Months passed before she even saw the borders of Ithilien again. During her journey, she had had to make several detours to avoid trouble, trouble that came in the form of orcs that ravaged small villages in their paths. At times, she would fight them but most times she tried to steer clear of them since she was only one person and couldn't face them alone.
The sun was setting on a warm day in June when she neared the crossroads that would take her west to Osgiliath or east past Minas Morgul and into Mordor. She caught an evil scent in the air, and decided to check it out, heading from the forests and going up into where the mountains began their ascent. Keeping away from the road, she didn't go very far before she crested a hill and saw below her a winding road that led from Minas Morgul, and what she saw upon it sent chills down her spine.
It was a small army, made mostly of orcs from Mordor, but amongst them rode an even greater danger in the form of black riders on black horses.
Upon seeing them, she spurred herself into action and rode her horse as fast as she could towards Osgiliath to warn them of imminent danger. But as she thundered into the ruins, she wondered why no one guarded it, but thought nothing more as she sped across the bridge spanning the Anduin and onto the road leading towards Minas Tirith. She stopped at the towers guarding the road where the Rammas Echor surrounded the city, and had no trouble finding someone as her arrival caused enough commotion.
"What business brings you here at this time of night?" a guard demanded.
She dismounted from her horse, alarmed at his heaving breaths but proud that he had done so well. "I bring you warning that an army of orcs is about to attack soon. I saw them depart from Minas Morgul not long ago."
He looked at her with an untrusting eye, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"
Her patience had reached its limit at this point. "Look, you idiot!" she raged, gesturing to her lathered horse. "Do you think I would've ran my horse near to death just to tell you falsely of an imminent attack?"
"What is going on here?" demanded a different voice, strong and vibrant with command. The guard snapped to attention just as the owner of the voice appeared, the flickering flame of the torch he grasped sending shadows upon his features. "What business have you here, lady?" he asked.
She sighed as she tried to keep her temper in check. "Is it Gondor's policy to stand around asking questions when battle looms not far away? Indeed it is knocking on your very door!"
He turned questioning eyes towards the guard. "She has brought warning of an army marching from Minas Morgul, Captain Boromir. I was questioning her motives when you arrived."
Boromir assessed the situation, taking note of her exhausted mount and of the urgent light in her eyes, touched with a bit of steely resolve. He had to admit he admired the strength and courage she presented herself with, and wondered who she was and where she had come from. But that had to wait until later for now there was a battle to come that required his full attention.
"I have no reason to doubt her intentions," he said in his smooth voice, turning his gaze back to the guard. "Sound the alarm. I will go warn my father. And please see that her horse is taken care of. If you would please follow me, my lady, you may borrow one of the horses here."
Her courage faltered a bit as she had heard that the Steward was very shrewd, and she wondered if he would guess who she was by looking at her. Worse yet, what if he didn't believe her and reacted just as Gandalf warned her? Then she would appear a fool, but when the attack came then would they be the fools for not heeding her warning.
Grabbing the reins of one of their horses, she swung up onto its back just as Boromir did his own, and together they raced towards the White City of Minas Tirith, harbingers of a doom that was dangerously near to them.
*****************
Man, was this a long chapter or what? I promised you all that Boromir would be in this chapter, and he was! Even if it was just a little part.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Thanks for reading!
And what can I say about The Two Towers? I was blown away by the whole thing! Legolas was wonderful, and the fun being poked at Gimli was hilarious! I was so mad that they killed Haldir! How dare they! I seem to have a habit of liking the characters that die. *sigh* Anyway, Gollum actually turned out well.
But enough with my ramblings! On with the fic!
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER NINE
Winter had set in across the land, bringing forth harsh, chilling winds and the occasional snowstorm, slowing Rhiannon's progress southward. She found shelter where she could, always keeping her guard up as to avoid attracting any unwanted company. But as she passed near the boundaries of another elven land, she was discovered by someone she had not seen in a very long time as she had had little reason to travel to the fair land of Lorien.
She was passing through the outskirts of the forest when she came across tracks left by a light-footed individual, tracks which she followed for a time out of curiosity. Soon she lost track of them, and knew then that whoever she was tracking knew she was doing it and had hid from her. It was then she looked up to see the sharp point of an arrow trained upon her, and the elf who aimed it wore an amused expression upon his handsome face.
"It has been some time since your presence has graced these woods, Elenariel," he said, a hint of laughter in his eyes.
She rose from her crouched position to face him squarely. "Do you greet everyone you meet like this, Haldir?" she asked, fighting the smile that twitched at the corners of her mouth.
He withdrew his arrow and placed it back inside his quiver, but he kept his bow at his side. "You were tracking me," he pointed out.
"You were deliberately leading me into the forest, and you know it," she shot back. "I know you well enough to know you wouldn't be this careless as to leave tracks a novice could follow."
This time he allowed a smile to spread across his features. "You have found me out then," he said. "I have been watching you for some time now."
"No wonder it felt as if someone was watching me," she sighed. "Someone was." Then she reached out to clasp forearms with him in a gesture of friendship. "It is good to see you again, Haldir," she said warmly.
He gazed steadfastly into her eyes, seeing the weariness in them and amazed at her willingness to press on. "The trees of Lorien have missed your presence, although it is the Lady herself who wishes to speak with you."
She quieted somewhat as she knew without a doubt of what she wished to speak with her about. Somehow Galadriel always knew of everything that passed in the world, and Rhiannon knew that she would talk with her about her feelings concerning Aragorn. "Then I suppose you will have to lead me to her," she said, moving a little ahead of him then turning back to appraise him. "Unless, of course, you do not wish to do so?"
His smile returned as he joined with her on their path towards Caras Galadon, home of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. They said very little to each other as she enjoyed the company of the trees around her, seeing within them the vaguely indistinguishable shapes of elven archers. The sight troubled her somewhat. "Haldir, have matters gotten so bad that these forests need guardians?"
A troubled light came into his eyes then. "We have increased our watch upon the dark fortress that resides in Mirkwood, for we fear that evil still lives there and will one day be unleashed upon us and our cousins to the north. The Lady has felt the stirring of evil in the land, an evil which has grown stronger over the years and seeks to destroy all."
A shiver raced through her as she remembered Gandalf's words and that of her own promise to protect Gondor at all costs, and her steps quickened suddenly so that Haldir was forced to quicken his own to keep up. Nothing more was said, and soon they were climbing up the steps towards the house of the Lord and Lady of Lorien, following the ethereal light which suffused it as night fell upon them.
The last time she had stood in front of them, she had thought that she had strayed into a dream, a completely different world in which time did not matter since the turn of seasons seemed not to affect this fair wood. This time was no different, and she was once again reminded of the timeless beauty of the Lady that stood before her. She bowed her head slightly and touched her fingers to her forehead in silent greeting.
"Lorien welcomes you, child of Rhovanion," Galadriel spoke, her voice calm and peaceful. "Long have I known of your presence at our borders, and tomorrow I will speak with you of the task you have appointed upon yourself. Tonight you will rest amongst us so that the weariness of your journey will seem less heavy, if you will have it."
"I accept the Lady's gracious offer," Rhiannon said. "My heart is heavy and my path unclear to me."
"Then I hope you find what you seek," she replied with a smile. "I will see you when the sun's light graces the trees."
With that, Rhiannon left and immediately sought a place to bathe and ease her hunger before finding a place to take her rest for the night.
Early the next morning, Galadriel spoke with her, but only of matters regarding her safety as she warned her to be careful in her course of action. Whether she knew of Rhiannon's feelings regarding Aragorn or not, she said nothing but the ranger could see something that looked like a shadow of approval in her timeless gaze.
Haldir stood nearby but still far enough away in respect of her conversation with the Lady of the Wood, drawing near when he saw Galadriel step away from her. "I bid you to be careful on your journey, Elenariel," he said softly. "And to please accept this gift from me as you will doubtlessly need it."
She was touched that he would give her anything, and she looked down when she felt the weight of a dagger pressed into her hands. Unsheathing it, she saw it had a slightly curved blade that was etched in a fluid elven design along with a white handle that made it easy to wield. Setting it back into its sheath, she looked up into his eyes to see them filled with concern. "I don't know what to say," she breathed. "You need not give me this."
"It has protected me well in times past," he replied. "I am sure it will do the same for you."
Unable to say anymore, she embraced him tightly, only holding on long enough to say her farewell to him before releasing him and stepping over to mount her horse. She met his gaze one last time before wheeling her horse around and starting off towards her intended destination, leaving the fair land of Lorien behind her with a renewed strength and determination.
Months passed before she even saw the borders of Ithilien again. During her journey, she had had to make several detours to avoid trouble, trouble that came in the form of orcs that ravaged small villages in their paths. At times, she would fight them but most times she tried to steer clear of them since she was only one person and couldn't face them alone.
The sun was setting on a warm day in June when she neared the crossroads that would take her west to Osgiliath or east past Minas Morgul and into Mordor. She caught an evil scent in the air, and decided to check it out, heading from the forests and going up into where the mountains began their ascent. Keeping away from the road, she didn't go very far before she crested a hill and saw below her a winding road that led from Minas Morgul, and what she saw upon it sent chills down her spine.
It was a small army, made mostly of orcs from Mordor, but amongst them rode an even greater danger in the form of black riders on black horses.
Upon seeing them, she spurred herself into action and rode her horse as fast as she could towards Osgiliath to warn them of imminent danger. But as she thundered into the ruins, she wondered why no one guarded it, but thought nothing more as she sped across the bridge spanning the Anduin and onto the road leading towards Minas Tirith. She stopped at the towers guarding the road where the Rammas Echor surrounded the city, and had no trouble finding someone as her arrival caused enough commotion.
"What business brings you here at this time of night?" a guard demanded.
She dismounted from her horse, alarmed at his heaving breaths but proud that he had done so well. "I bring you warning that an army of orcs is about to attack soon. I saw them depart from Minas Morgul not long ago."
He looked at her with an untrusting eye, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"
Her patience had reached its limit at this point. "Look, you idiot!" she raged, gesturing to her lathered horse. "Do you think I would've ran my horse near to death just to tell you falsely of an imminent attack?"
"What is going on here?" demanded a different voice, strong and vibrant with command. The guard snapped to attention just as the owner of the voice appeared, the flickering flame of the torch he grasped sending shadows upon his features. "What business have you here, lady?" he asked.
She sighed as she tried to keep her temper in check. "Is it Gondor's policy to stand around asking questions when battle looms not far away? Indeed it is knocking on your very door!"
He turned questioning eyes towards the guard. "She has brought warning of an army marching from Minas Morgul, Captain Boromir. I was questioning her motives when you arrived."
Boromir assessed the situation, taking note of her exhausted mount and of the urgent light in her eyes, touched with a bit of steely resolve. He had to admit he admired the strength and courage she presented herself with, and wondered who she was and where she had come from. But that had to wait until later for now there was a battle to come that required his full attention.
"I have no reason to doubt her intentions," he said in his smooth voice, turning his gaze back to the guard. "Sound the alarm. I will go warn my father. And please see that her horse is taken care of. If you would please follow me, my lady, you may borrow one of the horses here."
Her courage faltered a bit as she had heard that the Steward was very shrewd, and she wondered if he would guess who she was by looking at her. Worse yet, what if he didn't believe her and reacted just as Gandalf warned her? Then she would appear a fool, but when the attack came then would they be the fools for not heeding her warning.
Grabbing the reins of one of their horses, she swung up onto its back just as Boromir did his own, and together they raced towards the White City of Minas Tirith, harbingers of a doom that was dangerously near to them.
*****************
Man, was this a long chapter or what? I promised you all that Boromir would be in this chapter, and he was! Even if it was just a little part.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Thanks for reading!