Disclaimer: I still do not own anything associated with LOTR (alas...). But, Alina is still mine.
Any elvish will be translated at the end of the chapter.
Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter - fanfic was down the first time I tried to update. Soccerbitch - Thanks! Much more to come! Meadowsweet1363 - Your answer lies in this chapter... Thanks bunches! R&R, please!
Chapter 3
The rain poured down from the sky as though never to stop, to wash away everything there was and begin anew. Lightning flashed, followed almost immediately by a roar of thunder. She could hear them coming again, and shook with fear. For three weeks they had held her there, starving her, torturing her. She had given up wondering why they didn't just kill her. Their footsteps were just outside her cell now, the hinges on the door protesting as they swung open.
"On your feet!" Rough hands gripped her, pulling her up from her crouched position on the floor. She groaned, her body aching, and was answered with a sharp slap across her face. The cut on her lip opened again, and she tasted blood.
"I'm not sure she'll last much longer." One of the goblins said to the other.
"Well, let's not waste what little time we have left!" The other chuckled. "I wanna see her guts before the night is through!"
She struggled within herself to fight them, but was too weak to even speak, much less fend off their assault again. They hit her, cursed her, and tied her hands together with a rope, raising them using another rope that they had attached to a chain on the wall. She knew what was coming, tried to pull away, but to no avail. The whip cracked down; ripping at her shirt, white hot pain searing her skin. She screamed, and her assailants laughed with delight.
"'Ere, give me a try." The taller of the two goblins said, taking the whip and getting ready to fling the end back at her. She cringed, waiting for the blow. This one struck her on her left side, and she felt it cut her, down and then around to her side. Her cry was drowned out by another loud clap of thunder. The goblins continued to laugh, enjoying their game. The whip cracked again...
Alina cried out, waking from her tormented sleep, tears streaming down her face. She sat, her mind going back to those days nine long years ago. She had fought many of the goblins off, killing half of the group that had surrounded her while she slept. One unanticipated blow, however, and she had been knocked unconscious, only to awake in a dank, dirty cell. There was no light, no window for fresh air. She had been sure that would be her end. The last night, when they were whipping her, she had found a surge of strength, twisting to avoid the slashing weapon. The goblins had come at her then with knives, and she managed to maneuver so that the dagger had cut through the rope holding her to the wall, and then somehow got the other one's knife and slit his throat. She cut through her bonds, and went after the second goblin, killing him as well. Escaping from her prison had been bloody and very hard, but she had managed it, forcing herself to abide the blinding pain and go further into Rohan, where Eomer had found her.
She turned over, closing her eyes and trying to will herself back to sleep, to clear the unwanted memories from her mind. Another, very recent one came to her instead. "Nae, nin gwador, gar al dambeth seidia. Nin agar uin edhellim a uin echillim. Sen pan isto."1 They had looked at her in such surprise, and rightfully so. She had simply walked away then, not looking back, angry with herself for having given that much away. She was pretty sure that Gandalf had figured it out, but they all knew now. She sighed in the darkness, sleep overtaking her again.
............
Alina woke early and went outside. The sun was just starting to come up over the mountains to the east. She stood, contemplating the consequences of her actions the day before. She scolded herself again for having let her mouth run away with her. Truthfully, she had thought she'd forgotten that language long ago. 'But then,' she thought, 'the looks on their faces were priceless.' She remembered how Legolas had looked surprised – not the same type of surprise as the others. No, his expression was that of concern.
She walked around the balcony, breathing in the morning air. Her vision suddenly clouded, and she saw an image of Eomer, riding with his loyal Rohirrim, somewhere far away. She saw him suddenly call a halt, and look around as though feeling her presence. His eyes looked haunted for an instant, and he whispered, "Alina?"
Alina gasped, stumbling backward, and the vision was gone. It was then that she realized that Aragorn had caught her as she started to fall to the stone balcony.
............
Miles away, Eomer looked about himself again, his men watching him with questioning eyes."My Lord?" one of them asked.
Eomer shook his head, "Never mind, it's nothing. Keep moving!" he said, urging his horse on, his thoughts racing wildly. What had just happened?
.............
"Excuse me, my lord," Alina said, pulling away from Aragorn, then turning and running back into the keep. She passed Legolas and Gimli, who were in one of their usual heated debates about something or another. They stopped, staring after her as she rushed by. As she neared her room, she ran into Gamling.
"Alina, what's the matter?" he asked, sounding very much like a concerned father, ready to hunt down whoever or whatever had caused her this grief.
"It's nothing." Her words echoed those of Eomer's. "I was just startled by a bat."
"Alina, that's not the truth, you and I both know it."
"Gamling, please, I'd rather not discuss it." Her eyes pleaded with him, threatening to spill over. She brushed at them, forcing herself to calm down for the moment.
Gamling reached out, placing a hand on hers. "If there is anything I can do, any way I can help, let me know."
"I will, thank you." She went to her room and closed the door behind her. She began pacing back and forth, putting on her weapons as she did so. It had been a long time since she had had a vision, a very long time. She only had one before, and it hadn't been nice. In her first vision, she saw flashes of things, a hideous beast marked with white paint, an explosion in the dark, fire and screaming. She had been young by the standards of her elf blood when it had come to her. Why had the visions stopped, waiting these last thirty years before returning? Since she had not been raised with the elves, or in any kind of contact with them, she had no idea if these were normal to be having this early in her life. She was still pacing when there was a knock at her door.
"Enter." She said, turning to see who it was.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Alina," Legolas said as he came into the room, "You seemed very distressed when you passed me earlier. Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you, I am much better." She looked away, seeing the concern in his eyes.
"You are sure?" He questioned, not wanting to press the issue, but needing to make sure she was really okay.
"Positive." She said, forcing herself to smile.
"Good." He seemed unwilling to accept her answer, but he had other business for being there. "I also came to tell you that King Theoden has ordered that the city empty. We make for Helm's Deep by noon."
"Helm's Deep?" Alina asked, her mind going back to her old vision. "Why?"
"There have been attacks on nearby villages. Wild men are sweeping across the land in masses, destroying everything in their path. Edoras is not safe."
Alina looked out the window. "I shall be ready."
...........
An hour later, Alina was walking with Eowyn down the main road of Edoras, fleeing the city she had grown to love as her home with the closest thing to family she had ever known. Gandalf had left quickly earlier in the day, she had felt his departure. Aragorn, and Legolas were riding behind Eowyn and herself, watching to be sure that no one got too far behind. The caravan traveled for hours, the pace agonizingly slow for Alina's liking. She heard hoof beats from behind, and turned her head to see Legolas and Aragorn riding up towards them. Aragorn continued to the head of the line to speak with the king, and Legolas slowed his horse to keep pace with Eowyn and Alina, who were now leading Eowyn's horse, Freyja, who in turn was carrying Gimli.
When they stopped for the night, Alina went off a little from the rest of the group, sitting on the ground. She pulled out a piece of waybread from her pack, and began to eat. A shadow fell over her, and she looked up. The sun behind him blinded her, and she couldn't see Legolas' face. He sat next to her, offering her a piece of Lambas bread. She looked at it, curious, and accepted the bit of elven food. He smiled as she took a small nibble, trying to decide if she liked it.
"Thank you." She said, finishing the rest of the piece he had handed her. She began wrapping her own piece of bread back with the others – she was already surprisingly full.
"You're welcome." He was still watching her.
"What was that?"
"Lambas bread. The Lady Galadriel of Lorien made sure that we all had some for our journey."
Alina looked at him with awe. "You have seen her, then? But I thought..."
"Most of what humans believe of the elves is not true. When the old alliance was broken, many rumors started, and ill feelings accompanied them. It is a shame, really, that some things are not as they once were." He said sadly.
Alina laid back on the grass, staring into the evening sky, which was changing shades of blue, yellow, and orange as the sun set. Her eyes were growing heavy. "Legolas?"
"Yes?" He answered, shifting to look at her again.
"Tell me about the elves; about Mirkwood and Rivendell, and of Lothlorien." She turned her head slightly, waiting for his response.
"Alright," he began, settling back a little, "Mirkwood, my home, is far to the north and west of here. My people live in the forest, high in the trees, much like the elves of Lothlorien..." he continued on, telling her of the city of Rivendell, the beauty of the waterfalls in the deep valley that housed the house of Lord Elrond, and of Lothlorien, where the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn lived. He heard her sigh softly, and when he looked, she had fallen asleep, a small smile of contentment on her lips. He took a small blanket out from her pack, and gently spread it over her.
"I olen nan milui, bain pen."2 He whispered to her. He rose and went to the small fire where Aragorn and Gimli were sitting, watching him with amused expressions.
Gimli opened his mouth to speak, a teasing comment ready to fly from his lips.
"Not one word, dwarf!" Legolas said, his ice blue eyes flashing.
"She looks very comfortable." Was all Aragorn said, chuckling softly.
Legolas sighed, looking back at Alina's sleeping form.
2 "May your dreams be kind, beautiful one." This is a very rough translation, as I have not gotten far enough in my studies of the languages to get it any closer.]
For anyone who is involved with the Tolkien Society or studies the elven languages of Tolkien's world, I apologize for any grammatical errors or misuses of words. I will gladly accept anyone's corrections as I wish to get the language as accurate as possible. ]]]]