Chapter 5
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*** Outside the Borders of Lorien ***
"We will rest here for the night before continuing our journey," said Legolas to his company. "Gather firewood and place the horse near that tree. It will be dark soon."
The group was busy setting up their resting area when movement from a nearby bush caught their attention. "Legolas, did you hear that?" asked Lundil.
Legolas nodded. "There is something out there. You are up in the tree, what can you see?"
"Orcs! About two dozens of them," whispered Lundil.
"Spread out, but be careful. We do not know if there are more nearby. Take them out as quietly as you can," ordered Legolas before he disappeared to take his position.
It was a brutal battle, the Orcs were nothing compared to the elves. Accurate and precise with their arrows, they killed the Orcs with much ease. They were busy retrieving arrows when they were greeted by Lorien elves.
"Rumil! It is nice to see you and your company. Why are you out patrolling this far from Lorien?" asked Legolas, slightly confused.
"It is nice to see you too, Greenleaf," said Rumil, smirking. "For the past two days, there were reports of Orcs near the borders. Haldir ordered us to scout further and it seems your company came across a small group of Orcs. You took them all out before I could reach you."
"We were lucky that their numbers were small. Where do you think they came from?"
"My guess is as good as yours. I would think they came from Moria; they have been using it as a hiding place for some time now. After all, it is after nightfall and they have to hunt for food. Your horses were their target," said Rumil, gesturing at the horses. "We best ride back to Lorien immediately. The woods is not safe. We are not that far from Lorien and with our companies combined, we will be able to face any ambush."
"Alright then," said Legolas, nodding, "We are riding in tonight and it is not safe for any of us to be here anyway. Lundil, gather everyone and let us hope for a smooth journey to Lorien."
"Legolas, I have sent one of my guards to ride back to alert Haldir on the sudden change of plan," said Rumil as he glanced over at the horses. "We must leave now. The horses are getting restless."
The two companies rode hard for Lorien, not knowing that their scents were picked up by some 50 Orcs hunting nearby. Sensing something was amiss, Legolas leapt from his horse and motioned the rest to do the same. They spread themselves out, hiding behind bushes and in trees. Rumil saw Orcs coming in from the South, surrounding them from all sides. He signaled Legolas, informing him of the situation. They were ready with arrows notched to their bows.
The battle was fierce and merciless. Arrows were everywhere, hitting their target with ease. The Orcs were easily killed.
Lundil called for the horses. "Let us hope there will not be anymore disruptions."
"I agree with you, my friend," said Legolas as he studied their surroundings.
"It will be very late when we get to Lorien. I only hope my brother will not be alarmed with the situation. He does have a lot in mind lately," said Rumil.
"What is it that has been keeping him away from his usual duties?" asked Legolas, curious.
"Have you not heard, Greenleaf? My brother has a daughter and she has been keeping him rather busy lately after some minor accident."
"Haldir has a daughter? Since when? He certainly did not share this with me," said Legolas, bemused by the fact.
"About two millennia ago, he and I were out patrolling the perimeter when we heard a cry that to this day still haunts me. Middle-Earth was dark at that time and Orcs were roaming freely. An elven couple was making their way home when Orcs chose to attack them, leaving them with barely enough time to hide their child. By the time we arrived, it was too late. We were shocked by the brutality in front of us; their bodies were beyond recognition. We were about to leave when we heard a cry coming from the nearby bushes. We approached it with much anticipation. Haldir brushed the bush part and to our surprise, we found a child. She could not have been more than three days old. We brought her back to Lorien. No one, not even the Lady herself, knew of the true origins of the child. Haldir took pity on her and sought the Lady's permission to raise her as his own. I do not know why he kept this secret from you," said Rumil, shaking his head.
"Interesting fact. Thank you for sharing, for I am impressed that the Guardian would agree to carry such a responsibility as raising a child," said Legolas, shocked over what he had just heard.
"It was a surprise to everyone. My brother really fell in love with her. There is something special about her. She holds a special place in my heart too. Wait 'til you meet her, Legolas. You will be impress," said Rumil, grinning. "We had better not linger, we do not know how many more are out there. Moreover, we are low on arrows, as most were damaged in the last ambush."
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*** Back in Lorien ***
"Why not start with your dream, Aurwen? What was it about?" asked Haldir.
"It was rather vague. All I remembered was seeing Legolas somewhere in the woods. I woke up after that," I ended.
"All right. Are you sure that was all?" questioned Haldir further.
"Yes, Adar. What are you not telling me?" I asked, gazing deeply into his eyes, hoping for an answer.
Cupping my face with his hands, he said, "I have always known you were special. After agreeing to raise you as my own, Galadriel showed me everything she had seen of you in the mirror. I saw everything and was frightened, but Galadriel assured me that everything would be all right. Ever since , we have been waiting for the changes to take place and I believe you are experiencing them now. You have the gift of 'sight', Aurwen."
"This is not possible. I am but an ordinary elf." Shocked and confused by what I was hearing, I collapsed on my bed.
"I guess the Valar has plans for you. Because of the fact that you inherited it, you have no choice but to accept it," said Haldir, as he took a seat next to me. "I know you are afraid but Galadriel and I have promised to guide you through this."
"Is that a promise, Adar, because I do not think I can go through it alone. You have witnessed the pressure that I am dealing with and it is taking a toll on me," I said, grabbing hold of his hands for support.
"Even if I am not around, you have Galadriel to guide you. You will learn of your gift and with practice, you will be able to understand the use of it," replied Haldir while gently squeezing both my hands.
"I am scared of this gift, Adar."
"You will do fine, I promise you that. Also, your begetting day is coming. You will turn two thousand soon," said Haldir, his eyes twinkling. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Now, what was the other thing that is bothering you?"
"Well, did Elrohir talk to you at all after our meeting in the gardens?" I asked in a neutral tone.
"Nay, Aurwen," answered Haldir with confusion in his eyes. "Why, is there something that I need to know?"
"Not really. It is just that Elladan acted really strange tonight. I hope it meant nothing," I answered with a sigh.
"Aurwen, if it did mean something, would not that be great? He has everything and I would be happy if it is he that you wish to be with," Haldir answered with in his voice.
"Nay, Adar. Elladan is old and I really treat him more like a brother. Please, keep this to yourself. Reason I touched on this issue was because Elrohir has someone in mind to pair me up with and after tonight, I thought it might be Elladan."
"If Elladan is the one, accept him, Aurwen. I will be more than happy knowing that it is him and not some other elf," Haldir said, squeezing his daughter's hand.
"I am keeping my options open. However, I have a favour to ask of you," I asked, my head hanging low.
"What is it, my daughter?" Haldir urged.
"Can you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep]?" I said in a low voice.
"That I can do, Aurwen, and you will sleep good tonight. Before you fall into slumber, I would like to have a look at your arm," said Haldir as he unwrapped the bandages and was happy to see the swelling had subsided. "Looks like you will be able to have full use of it by tomorrow. It will be a long day," Haldir said, dressing my arm in new bandages. "Sleep well, my daughter and sweet dream."
As I lay down, I spooned myself towards my father, like a child in a fetal position. It was nice to feel my father's body next to me as it gave me the comfort and security I needed to fall asleep. Father planted a kiss on the back of my head. It did not take me long to fall asleep. It had been a long, wonderful and tiring day and I could not wait to see what tomorrow will[would] bring.
Just then, the guard that Rumil sent arrived in Lorien. "I must see the Guardian immediately. I have news from his brother."
"The Guardian is in his daughter's chamber. You may find him there," answered the other guard.
He then bowed and made his way up to the chamber. Upon his arrival, he noticed that there were no signs of light coming from beneath the door. He approached with much silence and gave two soft raps on the door.
Upon hearing the soft knocks, I stirred a little. "It is nothing, Aurwen, go back to sleep. I will attend to it," whispered Haldir. He then eased himself off the bed and made his way to the door and headed out.
"Pardon me, my lord. I carry an urgent message from your brother," said the guard.
"What news do you have from Rumil?" asked Haldir, with much enthusiasm.
"We were out scouting away from the borders, when we ran into a band of Orcs. We were tracking them but, fortunately for us, they ran into a company of elves from Mirkwood. The Orcs were easily killed. Rumil and the company from Mirkwood are riding into Lorien as we speak," finished the guard.
"Very well then. Have people and the stables ready to greet them and their horses. I will be there to greet them personally," said Haldir, smiling.
"Yes, my lord. I will have them execute your orders," answered the guard before he bowed and left.
Haldir then headed back into the room, checking on Aurwen before leaving again. Not long after, Rumil, Legolas and the rest of the company arrived.
"Welcome to Lorien, my brothers from Mirkwood," greeted Haldir as they dismounted from their horses.
"It is nice to see you again, Haldir of Lorien," answered Legolas with a big hug. Tearing himself away, he continued, "I am sure you remember Lundil, my trusted friend and hunting companion?"
"Indeed, I do. It is nice to have all of you here in Lorien. Your chambers are all ready and my people will lead you there. Rest well and we will talk in the morning."
"It has been a long night. We have much to talk about tomorrow," answered Legolas.
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All the anxiety did not help. The sun was not at its usual height when I decided to leave the bed and get dressed. I had my bow and quiver full of arrows with me as I headed down to the kitchen to grab some food. The sun was rising high behind the mountain by the time I was done eating and I decided to do some warming up at my favourite spot before meeting up with Elladan and Elrohir.
It was a beautiful day, birds sang and trees danced to the morning breeze. This was why I chose this spot as my personal practice ground. Well shaded from the sun stood a big old mallorn, its roots deep within the ground. This tree and I shared many wonderful memories. Dunhirion also knew of this place as we had spent many afternoons here. Whenever I am distressed, I come here to seek inner peace.
I retrieved an arrow from my quiver and notched it to the bow. I took aim and gingerly drew the bow back and released. That was not too bad. My arm feels great so far. Just then I heard rustles from behind the bush.
tbc...
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A/N: Wow! 30 reviews, never would I imagine to hit that mark. Thanks to those you like the story. I hope to keep up with it. Thanks to my beta, Cheysuli for doing such a wonderful job. I hope to keep up with the personal notes from this chapter onwards.
princess of mirkwood: Thank you for your kind and wonderful words. Everyone loves Haldir, even me, that is why I put him in a fatherly role.
Iluvenis: You want to know about the dreams eh? Is it what you've expected? More mystery for you.
B-Elanna: You have supported me all these time, thank you. You know what is going to happen, but promise to keep it to yourself girl. I hope to see you updating your fic soon. Talk to you soon.
Rachel: Thanks for the review. I hope you like the mystery so far.
Nolaiel the Half-Elven: Thank you for your kind words. Glad that you like the fic. I hope, I can live up, to your expectation as I go along.
Blue Eyes at Night: Right back at you, sweety.
urylia: It is ok about not reviewing sooner but it is better late than never. I try to make the words flow better, but it will be hard, as I do write differently. Anyhow, I hope that you will read on, even though there is some differences. About Elladan's feeling towards Aurwen, you will find out, soon.
Lady of Legolas: You are funny. Thank you for the support you have given me, so far. As for Aurwen, she is old, and not finding love can really make a she-elf 'crazy'.
Meldavane: Hehe..did you enjoy skating on it? LOL.
Sharm: Thank you for your review. Glad you like the fiction, so far.
Now that I am done with my thank you, please be so kind and write me some reviews. They are my 'fuel' to write better. Thank you all again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** Outside the Borders of Lorien ***
"We will rest here for the night before continuing our journey," said Legolas to his company. "Gather firewood and place the horse near that tree. It will be dark soon."
The group was busy setting up their resting area when movement from a nearby bush caught their attention. "Legolas, did you hear that?" asked Lundil.
Legolas nodded. "There is something out there. You are up in the tree, what can you see?"
"Orcs! About two dozens of them," whispered Lundil.
"Spread out, but be careful. We do not know if there are more nearby. Take them out as quietly as you can," ordered Legolas before he disappeared to take his position.
It was a brutal battle, the Orcs were nothing compared to the elves. Accurate and precise with their arrows, they killed the Orcs with much ease. They were busy retrieving arrows when they were greeted by Lorien elves.
"Rumil! It is nice to see you and your company. Why are you out patrolling this far from Lorien?" asked Legolas, slightly confused.
"It is nice to see you too, Greenleaf," said Rumil, smirking. "For the past two days, there were reports of Orcs near the borders. Haldir ordered us to scout further and it seems your company came across a small group of Orcs. You took them all out before I could reach you."
"We were lucky that their numbers were small. Where do you think they came from?"
"My guess is as good as yours. I would think they came from Moria; they have been using it as a hiding place for some time now. After all, it is after nightfall and they have to hunt for food. Your horses were their target," said Rumil, gesturing at the horses. "We best ride back to Lorien immediately. The woods is not safe. We are not that far from Lorien and with our companies combined, we will be able to face any ambush."
"Alright then," said Legolas, nodding, "We are riding in tonight and it is not safe for any of us to be here anyway. Lundil, gather everyone and let us hope for a smooth journey to Lorien."
"Legolas, I have sent one of my guards to ride back to alert Haldir on the sudden change of plan," said Rumil as he glanced over at the horses. "We must leave now. The horses are getting restless."
The two companies rode hard for Lorien, not knowing that their scents were picked up by some 50 Orcs hunting nearby. Sensing something was amiss, Legolas leapt from his horse and motioned the rest to do the same. They spread themselves out, hiding behind bushes and in trees. Rumil saw Orcs coming in from the South, surrounding them from all sides. He signaled Legolas, informing him of the situation. They were ready with arrows notched to their bows.
The battle was fierce and merciless. Arrows were everywhere, hitting their target with ease. The Orcs were easily killed.
Lundil called for the horses. "Let us hope there will not be anymore disruptions."
"I agree with you, my friend," said Legolas as he studied their surroundings.
"It will be very late when we get to Lorien. I only hope my brother will not be alarmed with the situation. He does have a lot in mind lately," said Rumil.
"What is it that has been keeping him away from his usual duties?" asked Legolas, curious.
"Have you not heard, Greenleaf? My brother has a daughter and she has been keeping him rather busy lately after some minor accident."
"Haldir has a daughter? Since when? He certainly did not share this with me," said Legolas, bemused by the fact.
"About two millennia ago, he and I were out patrolling the perimeter when we heard a cry that to this day still haunts me. Middle-Earth was dark at that time and Orcs were roaming freely. An elven couple was making their way home when Orcs chose to attack them, leaving them with barely enough time to hide their child. By the time we arrived, it was too late. We were shocked by the brutality in front of us; their bodies were beyond recognition. We were about to leave when we heard a cry coming from the nearby bushes. We approached it with much anticipation. Haldir brushed the bush part and to our surprise, we found a child. She could not have been more than three days old. We brought her back to Lorien. No one, not even the Lady herself, knew of the true origins of the child. Haldir took pity on her and sought the Lady's permission to raise her as his own. I do not know why he kept this secret from you," said Rumil, shaking his head.
"Interesting fact. Thank you for sharing, for I am impressed that the Guardian would agree to carry such a responsibility as raising a child," said Legolas, shocked over what he had just heard.
"It was a surprise to everyone. My brother really fell in love with her. There is something special about her. She holds a special place in my heart too. Wait 'til you meet her, Legolas. You will be impress," said Rumil, grinning. "We had better not linger, we do not know how many more are out there. Moreover, we are low on arrows, as most were damaged in the last ambush."
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*** Back in Lorien ***
"Why not start with your dream, Aurwen? What was it about?" asked Haldir.
"It was rather vague. All I remembered was seeing Legolas somewhere in the woods. I woke up after that," I ended.
"All right. Are you sure that was all?" questioned Haldir further.
"Yes, Adar. What are you not telling me?" I asked, gazing deeply into his eyes, hoping for an answer.
Cupping my face with his hands, he said, "I have always known you were special. After agreeing to raise you as my own, Galadriel showed me everything she had seen of you in the mirror. I saw everything and was frightened, but Galadriel assured me that everything would be all right. Ever since , we have been waiting for the changes to take place and I believe you are experiencing them now. You have the gift of 'sight', Aurwen."
"This is not possible. I am but an ordinary elf." Shocked and confused by what I was hearing, I collapsed on my bed.
"I guess the Valar has plans for you. Because of the fact that you inherited it, you have no choice but to accept it," said Haldir, as he took a seat next to me. "I know you are afraid but Galadriel and I have promised to guide you through this."
"Is that a promise, Adar, because I do not think I can go through it alone. You have witnessed the pressure that I am dealing with and it is taking a toll on me," I said, grabbing hold of his hands for support.
"Even if I am not around, you have Galadriel to guide you. You will learn of your gift and with practice, you will be able to understand the use of it," replied Haldir while gently squeezing both my hands.
"I am scared of this gift, Adar."
"You will do fine, I promise you that. Also, your begetting day is coming. You will turn two thousand soon," said Haldir, his eyes twinkling. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Now, what was the other thing that is bothering you?"
"Well, did Elrohir talk to you at all after our meeting in the gardens?" I asked in a neutral tone.
"Nay, Aurwen," answered Haldir with confusion in his eyes. "Why, is there something that I need to know?"
"Not really. It is just that Elladan acted really strange tonight. I hope it meant nothing," I answered with a sigh.
"Aurwen, if it did mean something, would not that be great? He has everything and I would be happy if it is he that you wish to be with," Haldir answered with in his voice.
"Nay, Adar. Elladan is old and I really treat him more like a brother. Please, keep this to yourself. Reason I touched on this issue was because Elrohir has someone in mind to pair me up with and after tonight, I thought it might be Elladan."
"If Elladan is the one, accept him, Aurwen. I will be more than happy knowing that it is him and not some other elf," Haldir said, squeezing his daughter's hand.
"I am keeping my options open. However, I have a favour to ask of you," I asked, my head hanging low.
"What is it, my daughter?" Haldir urged.
"Can you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep]?" I said in a low voice.
"That I can do, Aurwen, and you will sleep good tonight. Before you fall into slumber, I would like to have a look at your arm," said Haldir as he unwrapped the bandages and was happy to see the swelling had subsided. "Looks like you will be able to have full use of it by tomorrow. It will be a long day," Haldir said, dressing my arm in new bandages. "Sleep well, my daughter and sweet dream."
As I lay down, I spooned myself towards my father, like a child in a fetal position. It was nice to feel my father's body next to me as it gave me the comfort and security I needed to fall asleep. Father planted a kiss on the back of my head. It did not take me long to fall asleep. It had been a long, wonderful and tiring day and I could not wait to see what tomorrow will[would] bring.
Just then, the guard that Rumil sent arrived in Lorien. "I must see the Guardian immediately. I have news from his brother."
"The Guardian is in his daughter's chamber. You may find him there," answered the other guard.
He then bowed and made his way up to the chamber. Upon his arrival, he noticed that there were no signs of light coming from beneath the door. He approached with much silence and gave two soft raps on the door.
Upon hearing the soft knocks, I stirred a little. "It is nothing, Aurwen, go back to sleep. I will attend to it," whispered Haldir. He then eased himself off the bed and made his way to the door and headed out.
"Pardon me, my lord. I carry an urgent message from your brother," said the guard.
"What news do you have from Rumil?" asked Haldir, with much enthusiasm.
"We were out scouting away from the borders, when we ran into a band of Orcs. We were tracking them but, fortunately for us, they ran into a company of elves from Mirkwood. The Orcs were easily killed. Rumil and the company from Mirkwood are riding into Lorien as we speak," finished the guard.
"Very well then. Have people and the stables ready to greet them and their horses. I will be there to greet them personally," said Haldir, smiling.
"Yes, my lord. I will have them execute your orders," answered the guard before he bowed and left.
Haldir then headed back into the room, checking on Aurwen before leaving again. Not long after, Rumil, Legolas and the rest of the company arrived.
"Welcome to Lorien, my brothers from Mirkwood," greeted Haldir as they dismounted from their horses.
"It is nice to see you again, Haldir of Lorien," answered Legolas with a big hug. Tearing himself away, he continued, "I am sure you remember Lundil, my trusted friend and hunting companion?"
"Indeed, I do. It is nice to have all of you here in Lorien. Your chambers are all ready and my people will lead you there. Rest well and we will talk in the morning."
"It has been a long night. We have much to talk about tomorrow," answered Legolas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the anxiety did not help. The sun was not at its usual height when I decided to leave the bed and get dressed. I had my bow and quiver full of arrows with me as I headed down to the kitchen to grab some food. The sun was rising high behind the mountain by the time I was done eating and I decided to do some warming up at my favourite spot before meeting up with Elladan and Elrohir.
It was a beautiful day, birds sang and trees danced to the morning breeze. This was why I chose this spot as my personal practice ground. Well shaded from the sun stood a big old mallorn, its roots deep within the ground. This tree and I shared many wonderful memories. Dunhirion also knew of this place as we had spent many afternoons here. Whenever I am distressed, I come here to seek inner peace.
I retrieved an arrow from my quiver and notched it to the bow. I took aim and gingerly drew the bow back and released. That was not too bad. My arm feels great so far. Just then I heard rustles from behind the bush.
tbc...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Wow! 30 reviews, never would I imagine to hit that mark. Thanks to those you like the story. I hope to keep up with it. Thanks to my beta, Cheysuli for doing such a wonderful job. I hope to keep up with the personal notes from this chapter onwards.
princess of mirkwood: Thank you for your kind and wonderful words. Everyone loves Haldir, even me, that is why I put him in a fatherly role.
Iluvenis: You want to know about the dreams eh? Is it what you've expected? More mystery for you.
B-Elanna: You have supported me all these time, thank you. You know what is going to happen, but promise to keep it to yourself girl. I hope to see you updating your fic soon. Talk to you soon.
Rachel: Thanks for the review. I hope you like the mystery so far.
Nolaiel the Half-Elven: Thank you for your kind words. Glad that you like the fic. I hope, I can live up, to your expectation as I go along.
Blue Eyes at Night: Right back at you, sweety.
urylia: It is ok about not reviewing sooner but it is better late than never. I try to make the words flow better, but it will be hard, as I do write differently. Anyhow, I hope that you will read on, even though there is some differences. About Elladan's feeling towards Aurwen, you will find out, soon.
Lady of Legolas: You are funny. Thank you for the support you have given me, so far. As for Aurwen, she is old, and not finding love can really make a she-elf 'crazy'.
Meldavane: Hehe..did you enjoy skating on it? LOL.
Sharm: Thank you for your review. Glad you like the fiction, so far.
Now that I am done with my thank you, please be so kind and write me some reviews. They are my 'fuel' to write better. Thank you all again.