Disclaimer: I own nothing! Yeah! J.R.R. Tolkien owns everything! I own Isilya, Silme and Amrûn and Vala and Nwalme and – well you get the idea!
The ProphesyJessieRose: I am thankful that you are still following my story! Thank you so much for reviewing! Thank you for having my name added onto your Favorite authors list! I feel loved!
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Now I would like to thank all my reviewers till date! Thank you for your support and I promise you I shall not disappoint you.
- Anarya of Lorien.
Chapter 5 (The Starlight appears)
"It is time we left to find the minion."
The queen looked at Gandalf as he spoke. "Yes. Of course! You must leave now for if you delay, he shall take the child to his mistress. Then, I believe you will find it harder than ever! But-" she looked at Legolas who was about to drink from his goblet. He caught her eye and instantaneously coughed on his wine. Gimli started at this and turned to glare at Legolas who had lowered his goblet to look properly at the queen. She smiled at him and spoke to Gandalf though her eyes stayed set on the elf.
"- I believe there are certain things we shall leave it to the umbar (fate) to decide! Certain events have to take place for the betterment of the world. Yes they have to."
Legolas felt his eyes involuntarily lower at this. Would he be playing a part more than what he thought for? For the sake of the Valar, what did she mean by that? He started out of his thoughts as the queen spoke again.
"And here is our contribution for your mission. We present to you our most valiant warrior and the heir of our throne! Silme starlight!"
Legolas looked up to meet the unusual dark brown eyes of an elleth who stood to the right of Vala. She had brown eyes, which was rare for an elf, a race that was blessed with blue or gray eyes. Her hair was brown, which looked almost black. There were prominent white locks here and there and that gave her the look of a wanderer. Her attire was even more unusual. She was wearing dull gray armor, which bore the same star as the staff of Vala. Her mid back hair was tied back in elven fashion. She wore a black shirt underneath her armor that reached her wrists thought her wrists held gauntlets of dull gray. She also wore a skirt which looked like the shortest skirt he had ever seen on any woman, elf or not! It reached just above her knees and her legs were adorned with thick black boots. She had a black quiver strapped behind her full of arrows that had gray-feathered arrows.
She turned to see Legolas stare at her and sent a death glare in his direction. He met her gaze and averted his at once. There was a snort next to him and Legolas turned to see Gimli controlling his laughter. Legolas glared at his dwarf friend and turned to look at the elleth whose name he now knew was Silme. She was talking to Vala.
"May it please my queen to know that I shall serve her till the last breath leaves my body and even after!"
Her voice sounded like that of a maiden with a beautiful voice. But here she was a warrior sent to meet the Torment. The irony was painful. Vala smiled at her foster child.
"You mother, she who died fighting your enemy, shall be proud of your valour when you are through this mission my child! Remember your mother and her sister the greatest warriors Edona has ever seen! Until then, Namárië!" she then kissed Silme on the forehead and moved slowly back. Silme turned towards Gandalf and smiled,
"My mother told me of the Istari of the west! Though we considered it a legend more than anything else! Welcome Mithrandir!"
Gandalf embraced the elleth and as he drew back sighed and said, "alas we wish now that legends would have remained so! Then-"
"I understand." Silme smiled. She then turned to the others. They bowed before her and she did the same. As she straightened, her eyes caught those of Aragorn.
"Your worries will be gone in the near future my lord! I beg of you to have more patience and trust our people. We offer you little but that is all we have left!"
Aragorn stared at her surprised. Could she read his mind? For he was thinking of his daughter and his own uselessness at that precise moment! He nodded and smiled a little. She then turned to Legolas, he stiffened involuntarily as she smiled a little, if she was going to look at him mysteriously like her queen, he was going to lose his sanity. But she merely bowed and said,
"Silme, daughter of Sulé, is pleased to be at the acquaintance of the prince of Mirkwood."
She straightened up and with what Legolas could have sworn was a smirk, turned to face Gimli. But as she introduced herself as a friend to Gimli, Legolas was left to ponder as to what that smirk had meant.
The next day the four warriors for the west along with Silme were to leave further east. Just then Legolas noticed her coming out of the palace halls out to the roads that was flanked on both sides by elves from the entire city. She seemed famous among her people. They threw flowers at the travelers wishing them luck but deep within their hearts laid dread of what was to happen of the future and of Silme. Would she make it? But Silme seemed happy and sad at the same time. As she caught up with Gandalf who was leading Shadowfax out of the city by foot, she was completely sad. He seemed to notice this change as he called out to nobody in particular,
"The light of the stars is dim!"
Silme looked up and smiled a little. She then turned back once to wave back a final wave. She then looked back into Gandalf's face and said,
"My mother went out to meet Nwalme with her sister, in the same way as I do now! And I stood here at the edge of the city, with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She stopped and kissed my forehead. Little did I know that it would be our final meeting." Tiny rivulets flowed down her cheeks. She hurriedly brushed them away. She then turned to Gandalf and said,
"I must call Amrûn Mithrandir! I can't walk all the way!" she then whistled shrilly. Legolas stopped his horse suddenly. This caused Gimli to almost fall do as he was sleeping behind his friend.
"Huh? Wha- what happened?"
"Look now for Amrûn comes!" Legolas whispered. Gimli blearily opened his eyes and stared stupidly at the horizon. But the next moment, his eyes were fully open and there he saw,
"Amrûn, the orient! What specialties does this horse have that Vala was so eloquent about?"
Gimli scoffed for there stood a magnificent black steed whose coat glowed in the sunlight. But the next moment as though to answer his question, two gleaming black wings arose from the shoulders of the horse and he flew towards them. Legolas looked amusedly at Gimli who was staring at the flying beast with a gaping mouth. He shut his friend's mouth non-chalantly and turned to face the horse which now landed beside Silme. It had pearly white eyes, which seemed to make it both terrible and beautiful to behold. Amrûn was bridled with a grey and black bridle and a black saddle awaited his mistress whom he was more than ready to bear by the way he neighed as she spoke to him,
"are you ready to meet the Torment Amrûn? Are you ready for revenge?" the horse reared and unmistakably nodded his head. Gandalf laughed and said,
"now here is an extraordinary steed! One of the Maereas?"
Silme shook her head as she placed her black bow behind her just like Legolas and took the reins,
" he belongs to the race that carried the Valar during a time forgotten! None remember those times now! Except our clan!"
"even before Valinor was built?" Legolas interrupted. Silme turned to meet his gaze. She slowly nodded her head,
"One of the few treasures that was almost lost when the island where the Valar resided was destroyed by Morgoth."
"it is ancient then! May I then ask you age my lady?"
Silme raised her eyebrows at this but then she slowly smiled and said, "Oh but I am merely fifteen centuries old! Younger than you Lord Greenleaf!"
Legolas felt himself blush at this and he stopped any further questions. She then turned to Gandalf who was riding with her in the front with Aragorn and Legolas bring up the rear.
" and so we begin our journey with hope and smiles! Let us pray it remains this way. Let us pray that my mother guide my path, Mithrandir!"
Gandalf slowly smiled and patted the young elleth on the shoulder.
"that she will my child! That she will!"
and so they rode into the distance.
The cloaked figure crouched before the throne.
"I await further orders from the Mistress." It said in clipped tones as though it would have been glad to be anywhere but there in front of the filth that sat on that throne. Nwalme must have been out of her mind to trust one of these! Its own kinsman for sure! But still…
"you seem to be immersed in your thoughts my dear Mila! What is it? Is it too much of a burden carrying out orders?"
"No."
the figure on the throne laughed.
"I hear, Silme is approaching us even as we speak to seek revenge for the death of Sulé!"
the cloaked figure shuddered.
" you must know the prowess of Silme! She is not to be taken easily like this."
The figure stiffened. "I know what I have to do! You dare to advice me? Common filth!" she raised one hand and the hood of the cloak covering the crouched figure fell. A woman once beautiful scowled at the throne. Her face was almost withered as though she had been decaying under water. But it was the curse! The day she betrayed her sister, she had become one like the ones she had helped. Her niece Silme was approaching them and what did this pitiful creature before her know?
"Nwalme wouldn't want you to be so arrogant Wenya! I know Silme! I knew her mother! I knew my sister and her pitiful family! They are strong and brave! Silme is more like her mother and look what my dear sister did to me?"
she threw down her cloak to reveal a thin body clothed in a sweeping robe. But still the clammy skin made her look more dead and decayed than live and healthy. The figure on the throne got up and slowly walked down. A woman with long black hair, her light gray eyes bore into Mila. She placed her hand into her long black sleeves and drew out a slender bottle. It contained a black oily liquid. She placed it into the thin hands of the elleth before her.
"Nwalme must really like you Mila! For she has this antidote for you! You shall regain you old self, but only as long as you are truthful to her! So beware! She will know the instant you switch sides!"
"I never do that!"
Wenya smirked. "Now is that so? Who was it that betrayed Sulé? Who was it that switched sides then?"
Mila scowled at Wenya. "I did it for Nwalme!"
"and you shall do it again! Go kill Silme on the way. Let them never reach this tower. I shall take the child to Nwalme and there she shall remain till death claims her forever!"
Wenya's laughter echoed in the empty halls.
Somewhere in the far west, Arwen started awake,
"My daughter!" but all she saw was darkness. She turned to her right. "Aragorn our child! She's gone. Aragorn! Ara-" only then did she remember that her husband had left to bring their child back. Arwen Undomiel fell back onto her bed crying bitterly.
So, the plot thickens! I know that the first born of Aragorn was Eldarion and it was a 'he' but that shall be taken care as well! You shall know of it in the ending chapters. So until then I cant give you much info onto that! Sorry!
But anyway, please read and review!
- Anarya of Lorien.