DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything referring to the LotR, I only own Kaye and the Star of Narulin—that's it though! . . . Except for my own original stories which I want to publish one day . . .
A/N: okey dokey, after this chapter there will either be one really long chapter left, or a couple short ones . . . I'll have to think about it, but hopefully I'll decide soon : )
Oh, and I'm open for any ideas for TTT: The Music of the Night . . . I have the first few chapters in mind, and a basic scheme for later on, but I still need ideas! And I want to know what direction you guys want me to go with (keep in mind, though, I might not use some of them, but I'd be delighted to listen to your suggestions and I'll try to direct the story using those guidelines : )
Well, after that little segment, I'll continue on with 'Narulin'!!
Enjoy!!!
:: The Mirror of Galadriel::
"Frodo!"
The hobbit turned and started in surprise as Kaye made her way towards them. The half-elf smiled sweetly as she walked beneath the golden leaves.
"Kaye!"
Frodo grinned and went to meet her. The three other hobbits followed behind.
She knelt and hugged the ring bearer. In turn, she embraced Sam, Merry and Pippin too.
"But, Miss Kaye!" Sam started, "Why aren't you back in Rivendell?"
"—Not like we're not happy to see you!" Pippin added quickly.
Kaye laughed softly and hugged them all again. The hobbits then saw tears in her eyes . . . not tears of sorrow or pain, but tears of joy as she looked upon her friends once more.
"The Lord Elrond sent me," she replied, "He decided that it would be best if I were to travel with the rest of the Fellowship . . ." she suddenly smiled brightly, "But tell me: how has Lorien treated you so far?"
"Ah! Have you yet seen the river Nimrodel, Miss Kaye?" Samwise asked, "Such a river as that should be known through more songs! Though, I do believe Legolas knew of one . . ." he added absently.
So the girl listened and smiled serenely as the hobbits one by one told their short tales of the wonders of Lorien. Pippin and Merry especially enjoyed the abundance of food and pipe-weed. Sam had found that the elfin ballads perked a certain interest with him.
"What about you, Frodo?" Kaye asked, turning to her friend.
The ring bearer grinned feebly, "Just the wood itself is enough to satisfy me."
Kaye smiled and nodded, "Aye, Lorien is gorgeous even in the winter months . . . not a single leaf falls to the ground until the green leaves of spring bloom forth . . ." she sighed and closed her eyes as if listening to the wind, "Enjoy the serenity while you can, my friends . . ."
----------
Kaye made her way carefully through the mallorn trees as the afternoon light began to fade away slowly. The golden leaves shimmered entrancingly and danced in the evening breeze. In the distance, laughter could be heard along with the fain singing of the elves.
She gazed to the flets and houses built among the trees, and then to the canopies along the ground.
The half-elf started, however, when she saw a single figure gliding across the earth. The elfin maiden had a mane of gold and her brow was lined with gems so fair. A snowy white gown was draped over her shoulders elegantly.
Hastily, Kaye bowed and clasped her hands in front of her, "My Lady Galadriel," she murmured.
The Lady smiled and gestured for the girl to rise, "You have gone through much toil, Kaye . . . Elrond has told me much of what you've been through in the past . . . what burdens you've had to bear alone and even now it is yours to carry . . ."
Kaye lifted her hand from the folds of her gown and watched the pearl-white ring dazzle in the sunlight. She nodded slowly and her gaze grew distant, ". . . Do you feel it, Galadriel? Do you feel as though Nenya is holding you back from something?" she asked softly.
The maiden smiled sadly and bowed her head gently, "Nenya and all the other rings of power have been weighed down by a force . . ."
"But Narulin isn't a ring of power, is it?" Kaye inquired quietly.
Galadriel was silent for a moment before gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kaye . . . even the elves cannot create a ring strong enough to resist the Dark Lord . . . even if we wish it to be so . . ." she wordlessly gestured for the girl to follow.
The pair walked in silence beneath the golden trees and passed beneath the evening glow. The Lady led Kaye through a series of groves and up flights of stairs that twirled gracefully around the tree trunks. She stopped then, on a single flet in what seemed to be the center of Lorien.
The Lady drifted towards the edge of the platform, "Tell me, what you see below us?"
Kaye stepped beside her and peered over the edge. Several canopies lined the trunk of the tree and a single fountain bubbled next to it. A small smile crept onto her face as she noticed the friendly faces of the Fellowship moving about.
"My friends," she replied, "Elessar, Boromir, Gimli, Legolas . . . Frodo and the other hobbits . . ."
"Do you care about them?" Galadriel inquired gently.
She nodded, "With all my heart; I would do anything for them."
The Lady said nothing but stared over the edge. Her eyes fell on each one of the Fellowship until they stopped on a single person, ". . . Do you love Legolas, Kaye?"
It was her turn to be silent as she watched the elf move among the canopies. She did love him, didn't she? She cared more about him than anyone else . . . maybe even Frodo. But something was holding her back from giver her entire heart away . . .
Kaye shook her head and rubbed her arm gingerly, "I cannot say, milady . . . my heart tells me that he's the one . . . but something keeps me from truly giving away my love . . ."
"Kaye . . . you asked me before if Narulin was a ring of power . . ." Galadriel said softly, "And I told you that not even and elfin-made ring would be strong enough to resist Sauron's pull . . . The Dark Lord has always been searching for Narulin . . . just as he's been searching for the One. He is a sly one that he is; he has ways of getting closer to you than you know . . .
"Now that you are traveling with the Fellowship, Sauron will have his ways of sneaking into your protective circle," she continued darkly, "He has already come to you in the form of another, hasn't he? Boromir . . . I believe it was," she said without waiting for a response, "He will continue this scheme until he receives what he wants . . ."
Galadriel now turned to face the half-elf, "I come bearing no council, Kaye, but I do warn you: even those who you believe are your friends can deceive you . . .
"Beware, Kaye, for the Eye has many spies and watches you and Fellowship every moment . . . don't let your guard down even for a second . . ." -----------
Frodo woke with a start. The hobbit's eyes darted around the camp where the rest of the Fellowship slept peacefully. Pippin mumbled something in his sleep about more pipe-weed while the other two hobbits remained still. Aragorn and Boromir rested on either end of the camp and Gimli slept with his axe crossed over his chest. Frodo then noticed that Kaye had fallen asleep in Legolas's arms in the base of a tree trunk.
But it wasn't Pippin's constant babbling that woke him . . . it had been something else . . .
Then, Frodo saw the single white-clad maiden gliding across the earth. The hobbit watched in silent awe as the Lady Galadriel motionlessly beckoned to him with her very presence.
He stood cautiously and followed. The Lady led the hobbit through the twilight dancing through trees and down the hills of Caras Galladhon. Their path led them through the mallorn trees to an enclosed garden open to the starry night sky. A stream trickled steadily into a small pool and a pedestal had been placed in the center.
Galadriel took a silver pitcher from the pedestal and dipped it into the stream wordlessly.
She turned as Frodo approached, "Will you look into the mirror, Frodo Baggins? For before you now is the Mirror of Galadriel . . ."
"Do you advise me to look?" the hobbit asked warily.
"I am not here to counsel you this way or that . . . but I do believe that you have enough courage and wisdom to decide to look for yourself." Galadriel replied.
Frodo stared at the silver basin curiously.
The Lady smiled sadly and poured the clear liquid into the pool, "The mirror shows many things . . . things that were, things that are . . . and some things that have not yet come to pass . . . but what it wishes to see, even the wisest cannot tell," she said and let the last drop of water fall, "Do you still wish to look?"
He stared at the crystalline water and looked into its depths. The hobbit stepped onto the foot of the pedestal and peered into the basin. Almost immediately, the water cleared and faded into a scene. It was a series of pictures involving each member of the Fellowship. Pippin and Merry, Sam . . . then there was a scene with Kaye and Legolas embracing one another.
The pool rippled and a gray, smoky sky appeared in the distance. But before the hobbit, stood a single figure clad in a deep blue with their curly brown hair billowing in the wind. They raised their hand into the air and a blinding flash enveloped the basin. When it cleared, Frodo was staring into the placid eyes of a maiden. Her eyes were glazed over eerily and the shattered remnants pearly-white jewel lay before her.
This too faded into a new scene. It was the Shire . . . only now the sky had been painted a fiery red and the calm homes of the hobbits were up in flames. Frodo stared in horror as orcs patrolled the peaceful lands with their weapons and torches. Hobbits were lined along the sides of the roads as the orcs watched them with their malicious eyes.
The Shire melted away and the hobbit nearly cried out as a single fiery eye devoured the pool. The hobbit trembled as the Eye seemed to call to him from beyond, "Suddenly, it felt as if the Ring around his neck grew heavier and heavier until it seemed that he was being drawn towards the basin.
"Do not touch the water . . ." Galadriel said softly.
And it seemed as if her voice had broken the spell and the Eye faded. In the same motion, the pull was broken and Frodo was flung backwards to the ground. He gasped and clutched his shirt as steam hissed from the pool.
"Do no fear what you have seen; Frodo of the Shire . . . For it is also in my mind . . ." Galadriel murmured softly, "But do not think that the woods of Lorien are enough to defend against the Dark Lord's prying eyes . . ." She hooded her eyes, "He will never stop hunting you . . ."
Frodo looked down at the Ring and placed it carefully in his palm.
"Your coming is to us as the footsteps of Doom . . ." the Lady continued, "If you were to fail, so would all who reside in Middle Earth . . . The Ring must be destroyed by you and you alone."
The hobbit fingered the golden band warily and felt his heart being tugged by the evil within. He shuddered and let the moonlight dance along the golden sheen. He remembered reluctantly what Sam had said earlier about the quest not being a job for hobbits . . .
Maybe he was right . . .
"If you ask it of me . . . I will give you the One Ring," Frodo whispered and held out his palm, "It is too great a task for me . . ."
The Lady stared wide-eyed at the Ring and cautiously stepped forward towards him, "You give it to me freely . . . I do not deny that I have much desired the One—," her voice suddenly deepened, "But in place of a Dark Lord you shall have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the Sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth!"
She lifted up her hand and her ring issued forth a light that illuminated only her. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. She let her hand fall to her side and the light faded. Before him now, the Lady stood shrunken; a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
"I pass the test . . ." she murmured, "I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel . . ."
Frodo watched her for but a moment before shaking his head and closing his fist around the Ring, "I cannot do this alone."
The Lady smiled sadly and lowered her eyes, "You are a ring bearer, Frodo; to bear a ring of power is to be alone . . ." she knelt in front of him and gently clasped his hand; her smile fading, "But this is your task; if you shall not succeed . . .
"No one will."
----------
A/N: yay!! Alrighty then, well I'll try and update as soon as possible, but for the time being, please send me your ideas on how you want TTT: The Music of the Night to go . . .
So please review!!!
Ja'ne!!
A/N: okey dokey, after this chapter there will either be one really long chapter left, or a couple short ones . . . I'll have to think about it, but hopefully I'll decide soon : )
Oh, and I'm open for any ideas for TTT: The Music of the Night . . . I have the first few chapters in mind, and a basic scheme for later on, but I still need ideas! And I want to know what direction you guys want me to go with (keep in mind, though, I might not use some of them, but I'd be delighted to listen to your suggestions and I'll try to direct the story using those guidelines : )
Well, after that little segment, I'll continue on with 'Narulin'!!
Enjoy!!!
:: The Mirror of Galadriel::
"Frodo!"
The hobbit turned and started in surprise as Kaye made her way towards them. The half-elf smiled sweetly as she walked beneath the golden leaves.
"Kaye!"
Frodo grinned and went to meet her. The three other hobbits followed behind.
She knelt and hugged the ring bearer. In turn, she embraced Sam, Merry and Pippin too.
"But, Miss Kaye!" Sam started, "Why aren't you back in Rivendell?"
"—Not like we're not happy to see you!" Pippin added quickly.
Kaye laughed softly and hugged them all again. The hobbits then saw tears in her eyes . . . not tears of sorrow or pain, but tears of joy as she looked upon her friends once more.
"The Lord Elrond sent me," she replied, "He decided that it would be best if I were to travel with the rest of the Fellowship . . ." she suddenly smiled brightly, "But tell me: how has Lorien treated you so far?"
"Ah! Have you yet seen the river Nimrodel, Miss Kaye?" Samwise asked, "Such a river as that should be known through more songs! Though, I do believe Legolas knew of one . . ." he added absently.
So the girl listened and smiled serenely as the hobbits one by one told their short tales of the wonders of Lorien. Pippin and Merry especially enjoyed the abundance of food and pipe-weed. Sam had found that the elfin ballads perked a certain interest with him.
"What about you, Frodo?" Kaye asked, turning to her friend.
The ring bearer grinned feebly, "Just the wood itself is enough to satisfy me."
Kaye smiled and nodded, "Aye, Lorien is gorgeous even in the winter months . . . not a single leaf falls to the ground until the green leaves of spring bloom forth . . ." she sighed and closed her eyes as if listening to the wind, "Enjoy the serenity while you can, my friends . . ."
----------
Kaye made her way carefully through the mallorn trees as the afternoon light began to fade away slowly. The golden leaves shimmered entrancingly and danced in the evening breeze. In the distance, laughter could be heard along with the fain singing of the elves.
She gazed to the flets and houses built among the trees, and then to the canopies along the ground.
The half-elf started, however, when she saw a single figure gliding across the earth. The elfin maiden had a mane of gold and her brow was lined with gems so fair. A snowy white gown was draped over her shoulders elegantly.
Hastily, Kaye bowed and clasped her hands in front of her, "My Lady Galadriel," she murmured.
The Lady smiled and gestured for the girl to rise, "You have gone through much toil, Kaye . . . Elrond has told me much of what you've been through in the past . . . what burdens you've had to bear alone and even now it is yours to carry . . ."
Kaye lifted her hand from the folds of her gown and watched the pearl-white ring dazzle in the sunlight. She nodded slowly and her gaze grew distant, ". . . Do you feel it, Galadriel? Do you feel as though Nenya is holding you back from something?" she asked softly.
The maiden smiled sadly and bowed her head gently, "Nenya and all the other rings of power have been weighed down by a force . . ."
"But Narulin isn't a ring of power, is it?" Kaye inquired quietly.
Galadriel was silent for a moment before gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kaye . . . even the elves cannot create a ring strong enough to resist the Dark Lord . . . even if we wish it to be so . . ." she wordlessly gestured for the girl to follow.
The pair walked in silence beneath the golden trees and passed beneath the evening glow. The Lady led Kaye through a series of groves and up flights of stairs that twirled gracefully around the tree trunks. She stopped then, on a single flet in what seemed to be the center of Lorien.
The Lady drifted towards the edge of the platform, "Tell me, what you see below us?"
Kaye stepped beside her and peered over the edge. Several canopies lined the trunk of the tree and a single fountain bubbled next to it. A small smile crept onto her face as she noticed the friendly faces of the Fellowship moving about.
"My friends," she replied, "Elessar, Boromir, Gimli, Legolas . . . Frodo and the other hobbits . . ."
"Do you care about them?" Galadriel inquired gently.
She nodded, "With all my heart; I would do anything for them."
The Lady said nothing but stared over the edge. Her eyes fell on each one of the Fellowship until they stopped on a single person, ". . . Do you love Legolas, Kaye?"
It was her turn to be silent as she watched the elf move among the canopies. She did love him, didn't she? She cared more about him than anyone else . . . maybe even Frodo. But something was holding her back from giver her entire heart away . . .
Kaye shook her head and rubbed her arm gingerly, "I cannot say, milady . . . my heart tells me that he's the one . . . but something keeps me from truly giving away my love . . ."
"Kaye . . . you asked me before if Narulin was a ring of power . . ." Galadriel said softly, "And I told you that not even and elfin-made ring would be strong enough to resist Sauron's pull . . . The Dark Lord has always been searching for Narulin . . . just as he's been searching for the One. He is a sly one that he is; he has ways of getting closer to you than you know . . .
"Now that you are traveling with the Fellowship, Sauron will have his ways of sneaking into your protective circle," she continued darkly, "He has already come to you in the form of another, hasn't he? Boromir . . . I believe it was," she said without waiting for a response, "He will continue this scheme until he receives what he wants . . ."
Galadriel now turned to face the half-elf, "I come bearing no council, Kaye, but I do warn you: even those who you believe are your friends can deceive you . . .
"Beware, Kaye, for the Eye has many spies and watches you and Fellowship every moment . . . don't let your guard down even for a second . . ." -----------
Frodo woke with a start. The hobbit's eyes darted around the camp where the rest of the Fellowship slept peacefully. Pippin mumbled something in his sleep about more pipe-weed while the other two hobbits remained still. Aragorn and Boromir rested on either end of the camp and Gimli slept with his axe crossed over his chest. Frodo then noticed that Kaye had fallen asleep in Legolas's arms in the base of a tree trunk.
But it wasn't Pippin's constant babbling that woke him . . . it had been something else . . .
Then, Frodo saw the single white-clad maiden gliding across the earth. The hobbit watched in silent awe as the Lady Galadriel motionlessly beckoned to him with her very presence.
He stood cautiously and followed. The Lady led the hobbit through the twilight dancing through trees and down the hills of Caras Galladhon. Their path led them through the mallorn trees to an enclosed garden open to the starry night sky. A stream trickled steadily into a small pool and a pedestal had been placed in the center.
Galadriel took a silver pitcher from the pedestal and dipped it into the stream wordlessly.
She turned as Frodo approached, "Will you look into the mirror, Frodo Baggins? For before you now is the Mirror of Galadriel . . ."
"Do you advise me to look?" the hobbit asked warily.
"I am not here to counsel you this way or that . . . but I do believe that you have enough courage and wisdom to decide to look for yourself." Galadriel replied.
Frodo stared at the silver basin curiously.
The Lady smiled sadly and poured the clear liquid into the pool, "The mirror shows many things . . . things that were, things that are . . . and some things that have not yet come to pass . . . but what it wishes to see, even the wisest cannot tell," she said and let the last drop of water fall, "Do you still wish to look?"
He stared at the crystalline water and looked into its depths. The hobbit stepped onto the foot of the pedestal and peered into the basin. Almost immediately, the water cleared and faded into a scene. It was a series of pictures involving each member of the Fellowship. Pippin and Merry, Sam . . . then there was a scene with Kaye and Legolas embracing one another.
The pool rippled and a gray, smoky sky appeared in the distance. But before the hobbit, stood a single figure clad in a deep blue with their curly brown hair billowing in the wind. They raised their hand into the air and a blinding flash enveloped the basin. When it cleared, Frodo was staring into the placid eyes of a maiden. Her eyes were glazed over eerily and the shattered remnants pearly-white jewel lay before her.
This too faded into a new scene. It was the Shire . . . only now the sky had been painted a fiery red and the calm homes of the hobbits were up in flames. Frodo stared in horror as orcs patrolled the peaceful lands with their weapons and torches. Hobbits were lined along the sides of the roads as the orcs watched them with their malicious eyes.
The Shire melted away and the hobbit nearly cried out as a single fiery eye devoured the pool. The hobbit trembled as the Eye seemed to call to him from beyond, "Suddenly, it felt as if the Ring around his neck grew heavier and heavier until it seemed that he was being drawn towards the basin.
"Do not touch the water . . ." Galadriel said softly.
And it seemed as if her voice had broken the spell and the Eye faded. In the same motion, the pull was broken and Frodo was flung backwards to the ground. He gasped and clutched his shirt as steam hissed from the pool.
"Do no fear what you have seen; Frodo of the Shire . . . For it is also in my mind . . ." Galadriel murmured softly, "But do not think that the woods of Lorien are enough to defend against the Dark Lord's prying eyes . . ." She hooded her eyes, "He will never stop hunting you . . ."
Frodo looked down at the Ring and placed it carefully in his palm.
"Your coming is to us as the footsteps of Doom . . ." the Lady continued, "If you were to fail, so would all who reside in Middle Earth . . . The Ring must be destroyed by you and you alone."
The hobbit fingered the golden band warily and felt his heart being tugged by the evil within. He shuddered and let the moonlight dance along the golden sheen. He remembered reluctantly what Sam had said earlier about the quest not being a job for hobbits . . .
Maybe he was right . . .
"If you ask it of me . . . I will give you the One Ring," Frodo whispered and held out his palm, "It is too great a task for me . . ."
The Lady stared wide-eyed at the Ring and cautiously stepped forward towards him, "You give it to me freely . . . I do not deny that I have much desired the One—," her voice suddenly deepened, "But in place of a Dark Lord you shall have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the Sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth!"
She lifted up her hand and her ring issued forth a light that illuminated only her. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. She let her hand fall to her side and the light faded. Before him now, the Lady stood shrunken; a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
"I pass the test . . ." she murmured, "I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel . . ."
Frodo watched her for but a moment before shaking his head and closing his fist around the Ring, "I cannot do this alone."
The Lady smiled sadly and lowered her eyes, "You are a ring bearer, Frodo; to bear a ring of power is to be alone . . ." she knelt in front of him and gently clasped his hand; her smile fading, "But this is your task; if you shall not succeed . . .
"No one will."
----------
A/N: yay!! Alrighty then, well I'll try and update as soon as possible, but for the time being, please send me your ideas on how you want TTT: The Music of the Night to go . . .
So please review!!!
Ja'ne!!