CHAPTER FIVE: Revelation

Both Ellie and Jamie woke up before dawn (as they were wont to do) and found Legolas taking the last watch. With a big smile on his face, Jamie bounded to where the Elf sat. Legolas greeted the boy warmly, but his eyes never left the girl who slowly approached.

"I need a few minutes of privacy," she said by way of greeting. The Elf nodded and Ellie walked into the forest. He knew she would not flee and leave the boy behind.

By the time she had returned, Gandalf and the two men were also awake. Ellie knew that she could no longer avoid their questions. She had given herself away the previous night when she had healed Legolas. Muttering a quick prayer to the Valar that her companions would feel compassion toward her instead of suspicion and loathing, she sat down beside Jamie and waited.

Not surprisingly, Gandalf spoke up first. "That is quite a talent you possess, Ellie, healing with the touch of your hands…Who are you and where do you come from?"

Ellie raised her head proudly. "I am the Lady Elanae of Ravenskeep, and this is"—as she took hold of Jamie's hand—"Errol James, son of King Ruellen, and heir to the throne of Ravenwood."

Shock rippled through the listeners at her declaration. For it was known to them that, several months before, the remote northern Kingdom of Ravenwood and its capital city of Ravenskeep, had been completely destroyed, and its people brutally slain, by forces allied with the Dark Lord Sauron. Until now, there had been no known survivors.

"How is it that you still live?" asked Aragorn in wonder, for it was he who had brought the news of the destruction of Ravenwood to the Council of Elrond. "And are you not…Ilissan?" he added, in a half-whisper.

Jamie started, suddenly afraid for Ellie, but the girl squeezed his hand reassuringly, and faced the man.

"And if I am?" she challenged.

"You have nothing to fear from us, Lady Elanae," replied Gandalf gently, and Ellie instantly knew this to be true. These people would never hurt her. She relaxed visibly, and gave the old wizard a grateful smile.

By now, the others had awakened and gathered around to listen, as Ellie began her story. "You are right, Aragorn, I am Ilissan, but where my mother came from I do not know. Nor do I know who sired me, for although I have my suspicions, Ilissan mothers never reveal such things to their daughters. All I know is that my mother, heavy with child, arrived in Ravenwood and was welcomed by one of Jamie's forefathers, for she used her healing gift to save the life of his only son and heir. He decreed that henceforth she and her descendants would always find safe haven in his kingdom. My mother was given the title of Lady and housed in the Royal Palace of Ravenskeep, and it was there that I was born—285 years ago." That revelation drew some audible gasps. She must have Elven blood then, thought Legolas, and was surprised by how absurdly pleased he felt to know it.

"We lived there, my mother and I, for many happy years, practicing our healing arts without fear and serving Jamie's family—until she passed away of old age. For even though she had an exceptionally long life, she was a mortal woman, after all."

"I continued in my service to the Royal Family and the people of Ravenskeep as head of the Houses of Healing. And when Jamie was born 9 years ago, he was placed in my care. For he was a colicky baby," said Ellie, as she smiled fondly at the boy sitting beside her, "and only my voice and my touch could sooth him. We have belonged to each other ever since…"

A quiet voice interrupted her, "And in all those long years, did you not have daughters of your own, Lady Elanae?"

"Call me Ellie, please. No I did not, Legolas," and she looked at him straight in the eye, "for I did not wish to leave the sanctuary Ravenwood offered in order to seek a mate, and it would have been…unwise…to have joined with a local man. Ilissans do not marry, nor do we maintain relationships with those who father our daughters." The Elf narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

Ellie shrugged and looked away, returning to her story. "In recent years we began to hear rumors that the Dark Lord Sauron was re-building his forces and that once again he held sway over all evil things in Middle-Earth. And indeed, the Orcs became increasingly bold in their attacks against Ravenwood. Not only were their raids more frequent, but they were deeper inside our territory. And then about a year ago, we discovered they had joined with some of the wild mountain tribes beyond our borderlands. King Ruellen had to order all outlying settlements abandoned, for our soldiers could no longer defend them. And six months ago, he bade all the people to seek refuge within the walls of Ravenskeep."

"As the attacks worsened, we prepared for a long siege—and war. Seeking allies, King Ruellen dispatched messengers to the nearest kingdoms, including Mirkwood," and she raised questioning eyes to the Elf, "but no help ever came."

"No message was ever received," said Legolas quietly. Ellie nodded, as if confirming her suspicions. "We feared as much when our messengers did not return and no help arrived."

Ellie continued, "Throughout the summer the men worked hard to fortify the city and to forge weapons, while the women prepared foodstuffs that would keep for long periods of time. I did what I could, with Jamie more often than not in tow, to see that the Houses of Healing were well stocked with surgical supplies and medicinal herbs. For even though I am a touch-healer, there is no way I alone could heal every injury and every illness in the city, particularly in a time of war."

"The summer was unbearably hot and humid, and the city was filled to overflowing with three times the number of its usual inhabitants. It was difficult—nay, impossible—for Jamie and me to remain within its walls. And so, even though the women and children were not allowed to leave the city, I still managed to venture out unobserved almost every day, sometimes alone, sometimes with Jamie. I believe the King suspected, but he trusted me wholeheartedly with his son and never said anything. And, in truth, up until the time of the attack, the fields and forests immediately surrounding Ravenskeep were quite safe, for they were regularly patrolled by our troops and no raids had yet taken place there."

"On the afternoon of the attack Jamie and I slipped away to a secluded spring, about a league away, to gather some athelas plants, and also to swim. I had no sense of approaching danger—no sense of impending doom," Ellie said in a bewildered voice. And then she explained to Gandalf, "You see, the Sight is not something I can turn on at will—it just happens—and even though I often can perceive danger before it arrives, on that horrible day I sensed nothing. The Sight failed me utterly."

"The first inkling I got that something was terribly wrong was when the hearts of four soldiers stopped beating inside of mine. I had seen these same soldiers go out on patrol earlier." Ellie paused. "There is something I need to explain to you," and her eyes briefly sought out Legolas'. "Whenever I use my hands to heal someone, a connection is made between that person and myself. My life force joins with theirs for however long the healing lasts. And henceforth, an awareness of their being remains within me. For as long as they live, wherever they may be, I can feel their heart beat inside of my own heart." Legolas could not hide his look of surprise. His heart was now beating inside of hers.

As if reading his thoughts, Ellie nodded to affirm it, then turned back to Gandalf, "At one time or another, throughout my life, I touch-healed many a man, woman, and child within the realm of Ravenwood. That afternoon there were thousands of hearts beating inside of me, Gandalf. Thousands…" And the wizard's eyes filled with sympathy, as if guessing what was to come.

Jamie wrapped his arms tightly around Ellie as her beautiful eyes welled up with tears. "When I felt the hearts of those soldiers stop, my first reaction was to get Jamie and myself back to the city as soon as possible. But then more hearts began to stop—six here, ten there, more and more and more in ever-increasing numbers. And not just soldiers, but other men…and women…and children too. My mind did not want to accept it, but once we saw the plumes of smoke rising from the direction of the city, I knew for certain that only Death awaited us there. So I grabbed Jamie's hand and ran in the opposite direction, away from Ravenskeep. Deep into the forest we ran, farther and farther away from our home, but I could not outrun the horror—the pain—of all those hearts being snuffed out." The tears were streaming down Ellie's face, her voice now but a whisper. "All night long, the hearts continued to stop—until there came a time, just after dawn, when only Jamie's heartbeat was left inside of me. So much loss…" Ellie screwed her eyes shut for a moment, remembering that awful night. She knew that if had not been for Jamie, she would have gone stark, raving mad from the grief of it. "But Jamie gave me a reason to live, to fight for survival," she finally said, tenderly kissing the top of the boy's head.

For a while, no one spoke. Then Boromir asked, with a hint of admiration, "But how did you manage to survive these past months alone in the wilderness?"

Ellie gave him a small smile as she wiped her face. "That part was not as difficult, Boromir, as you might think. Jamie and I have always felt at home in the forest and are quite capable of surviving in the wilderness. Indeed, I have a great affinity for trees, and the truth is…I have been known to talk to them a time or two," she added a little sheepishly.

Legolas smiled and thought, You are not the only one, Ellie.

"So, we kept to the forests and avoided all roads and human settlements," the girl continued. "We traveled by day and nested high in the trees at night, to protect ourselves from Orcs and other vile creatures. Food was plentiful at first, as you can imagine, for fall was upon us and the forests were teeming with fruits and berries and nuts, and I fashioned a fishing pole of sorts for Jamie. It wasn't until recently, with the approach of winter, that food became more scarce, and even so we managed to get by."

Then Gandalf spoke up. "You two have traveled far from Ravenwood. Where were you headed?"

Ellie hesitated, but Jamie blurted out, "The woods of Lothlorien. We are going to live among the Elves!"

Ellie nodded. "Just before she passed away, my mother told me that if I ever found myself alone and in trouble that I should make my way to Lothlorien—that the Elves there would welcome me."

"You are half-Elven then…," said Legolas.

"I do not know, for my mother never told me. But…I suspect that I may be, although l do not look it. I certainly don't look anything like you!"

Legolas chuckled. "And yet, you seem to have much in common with us."

Jamie was delighted. "Ellie, you're an Elf!"

Over breakfast, Gandalf asked Ellie about the previous morning. "What did you see, Ellie? Why were you so frightened?"

"I saw Sauron's Eye," she stated baldly. "I saw his Eye staring out of that evil Ring that Frodo carries. And he stared straight at me, beckoning to me. You must understand, Gandalf, Sauron has ever wanted to control the Ilissans—to control our power—for we literally hold Life and Death in our hands."

Gandalf nodded. "And are you not even a little tempted to possess the Ring, Ellie?" he asked softly, his eyes intent on her face.

"No!" she denied vehemently. "The Ring terrifies me. I am a child of the Light and could never be swayed by the forces of Evil. But I do not want to see that Eye again." She turned to Frodo and smiled, "And I have now shielded myself as best as I can against that." If only I could do the same for you, she thought sadly. Then to Gandalf she said, "Sauron is responsible for the destruction of Ravenwood—and the Ilissans. He is my enemy as much as he is yours."

The old wizard stared intently into Ellie's earnest face, and nodded again, satisfied that she had given truthful answers. The girl posed no threat to the Fellowship, and, with her healing skills, might well prove to be an asset.

Afterwards, Ellie and Jamie were told about the Fellowship's mission to destroy Sauron's Ring. Their eyes grew huge when they learned that the group was headed to Mordor itself.

"Surely you can't be serious?!" the girl exclaimed in shocked disbelief. "But that would be suicide!"

"There is no other way," Gandalf countered. Boromir snorted and Ellie raised an eyebrow in surprise as she realized that there was dissension within the Fellowship. Yet she honestly couldn't blame the young man from Gondor for having doubts. She had them herself.

"But you need not worry, Ellie. We will be passing near Lothlorien, and will see that you and Jamie get there safely," Aragorn reassured her.

Ellie should have felt reassured—and she did, for Jamie and herself—but her heart remained strangely troubled. She did not believe the Fellowship could succeed in their mission. And the thought of Legolas' strong heartbeat falling silent within her heart suddenly became unbearable…