A/N: The Fight or Flight instinct is an instinct that everybody has and is one that scientists say has been with us since the existence of earliest man. Even today, this instinct saves us, telling us to flee from what our bodies and minds sense as being dangerous and what might prove fatal if we didn't.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
When you face your fear, most of
the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat
after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful
motivation -- it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our
dreams.
Les Brown
Reflections
Anayah was going to the one place where she felt safe, a place where she knew she would be able to sort out all the negativity she was feeling in her heart. She stopped for a moment, leaning wearily against a tree and holding both hands to her temples. Her head was almost blinding her with its pain, her collar bone, shoulder and wrist were aching unmercifully and her knee kept trying to give out on her. She could feel the warm blood as it trickled down the small of her back from knife wound Hedrig had made when he stabbed her, and to add to her misery, she could feel the beginning of a fever. Still she pressed on, trying desperately to get to where she was going before she collapsed.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
The nine riders rode as fast as the tired horses and the surrounding terrain would let them go. The sun was beginning to set, and they were all worried, for the blood they were finding here and there along the path they were taking told them that the she-elf's wound was still actively bleeding. They all sent a silent prayer to the Valar and Ilúvatar himself that they would find Anayah before the loss of blood killed her or before some night predator came upon her when she was unable to defend herself.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Anayah stumbled into the small clearing just as the first rays of the sun touched the clearing's green grass. She could feel herself weakening as more time went by and had come to the conclusion that she would never make it back to either Imladris or Lórien before her time on Middle Earth had ended.
She could not reach the dagger wound in her back and so could not tend it like she should have. It was still, upon occasion, bleeding freely and she was sure that it had other contaminants in it that she had picked up on her journey. Her fever was fogging up her mind, making it difficult for her to keep touch with the real world and make healthy decisions for herself and was letting her know that she was at the end of her strength and could go no farther.
Stumbling to the stone monument that the elves had placed there in her mother's memory Anayah slowly and carefully brushed away the dead leaves and climbing vines that were obscuring it from her view. After this task was completed, she sank to her knees in front of the statue and bowed her head. Then, placing one hand on the Tengwar letters that represented her mother's name, she began to speak to it, just like she had all those years ago when she had escaped the horrors of her life and had found her way back to this spot.
"Hello, Nana. I am sorry that it has been so long since I was here last but I have been kind of busy, although you probably already know all that."
She knelt for a moment, her forehead pressed to the monument and letting the coolness of the stone tablet ease the pain in her head.
"Nana, I have a real family now. There is Aragorn and he is my real brother and then there are Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen and Ada – well you know them – they are your sister's husband and children. I live with them now, in a real house and I must say that it is a lot nicer going to sleep on a soft mattress than it ever was going to sleep on the hard ground. I also have four Thurin Tirith Guards. Grandmother and Grandfather got them for me – I think – they are wonderful guardians as well as companions – I quite like having them around as they have the same love for fighting and weaponry that I do."
Anayah sighed, wondering how much longer she would be able to stay alert and conscious.
"Is there anyone special in my life? Yes, Nana, there is someone special, although I know that there can never be anything more, for my heart can only belong to the crown and he who wears it – nobody else – the elves saw to that. I am sorry, Nana. I guess that I will always be a little bit bitter about this whole predestiny thing because until I make my final journey, it will always be there to keep me from having a normal life."
She sighed again and for a moment put a hand behind her feeling the wound in her back and when she looked at her hand once more she saw the blood.
"I do not think that I have a lot of time left so I must try and get as much of our visit in as I can before I have to leave, for I made a mistake in battle, you see, I turned my back on an enemy, and that mistake is going to cost me my life. But enough of that – what is done is done. There are so many things that I wish I could have talked to you about, like what is love, what is hate, why was I born female, why can't we see air? You know – things like that."
Chuckling at her own joke, she became painfully aware that this action only increased the pounding in her head. Turning around so that her back was to the stone tablet, she slid down until she was sitting on the ground.
"I am so sorry, Nana. I am sorry I was not a better daughter and I am sorry I was not a better elf. I am just so sorry for everything."
She sighed and slowly slid sideways until she was lying on the ground.
"I am just so tired." She whispered quietly.
With a sigh, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
The nine riders were drawing near the clearing. Their worst fear was that some predator would attack the wounded elf in her weakened condition and though they had happened across more than one wolf, the animals had both been dead though how this came to be would always remain a mystery. When their horses finally entered the clearing and they saw the she-elf lying on the ground, their hearts were first glad, then fearful, as each of them wondered if they had arrived too late.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
The sound of horses' hooves woke her from her sleep and her own natural adrenaline did the rest. She raised her head from where it had been laying and looked at the figures that were slowly approaching her and though there was no way for her to tell if the figures were her kidnappers or not, she was not going to stay around to find out. Jumping to her feet, she ignored the different pains in her body that were screaming at her as well as the debilitating weakness was threatening to drag her down into darkness one more time.
All but one of the figures stopped, but still nervous, the wounded and delirious elf continued to back away. The figure closest to her was saying something but the words were lost somewhere in the haze of the delirium that now held her close. Then finally deciding not to take any more chances with this group she turned and fled, not knowing where her feet were getting the strength to move at all.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
"Fan out and move swiftly!" Haldir, ever the leader, shouted at the others as he began to run after the fleeing elf. "She is normally extremely swift however, I fear she will not get far in the condition she is in at this moment."
The other eight did as they had been told then moved as quickly as they could through the underbrush of the surrounding forest.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Anayah did not know where she was running to, only what she was running from and she also did not realize that the adrenaline produced by her fear was making her heart pump faster giving her the energy to run but also making her bleed more. Her movements began to slow and soon all she could manage was to lean wearily against a nearby tree as the sound of running feet came closer.
With one final effort she turned to run again and ran headfirst into a man who was standing in front of a white stallion. Smiling, the being reached down and helped her to her feet then winked at her and spoke just before he turned and walked away into the surrounding shadows.
"We will talk later."
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Haldir paused and held up his hand, signaling the others to stand down. He was not more than 30 feet from Anayah and though she had noticed their approach, she had not fled but had continued to stand and lean weakly against a nearby tree. Slowly and quietly he approached her, trying not to make any moves that would frighten her into flight once more.
"Anayah?"
When the young she-elf made no reply, he tried again.
"Anayah, do you know who I am?"
He saw her frown, as if she was considering his question but otherwise made neither reply nor other sound.
"Anayah, it is me, Haldir. Please stay. Do not run from us for we only wish to help you."
When he saw her begin to back away, Haldir stopped walking and sat down on his heels keeping himself as still as possible. She stopped her backward movements yet still swayed unsteadily and even from where he was sitting, Haldir could see the fever glaze in her eyes. Her usually neat and tidy hair was partially out of its braid and her clothing was torn in many places. Her arm was held across her chest as if it was hurting her – probably something that had not completely healed, he thought.
Then a thought occurred to him and he began to do something that he had done all those years ago when he had found her in this place after she had escaped her kidnappers. He began to hum softly, never dropping his eyes from hers and was rewarded for his efforts when he saw her starting to lose the stiff "flight or fight" posture she had when they had first found her.
Slowly, she took a hesitant step toward him, then another until she was no more than five feet away from where the Lórien Captain was sitting, then lowered herself slowly until she was sitting on her heels in front of him, looking into his eyes. It grieved his heart to think of what she must have gone through to be driven to this point and unknowingly, a single tear began to roll down his cheek. With a shaking hand, she reached out to him, and touched the tear but when he reached out to her, she jerked away, although this time she did not run. Then, he got another idea.
"Aragorn, come to me as slowly and as quietly as you can."
The young man complied and soon he was kneeling beside the Lórien Captain with his sister in front of both of them, and staring at him intently. Slowly but deliberately Haldir placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder.
"Baby girl, you remember Aragorn, don't you?"
He had deliberately used his old pet name for her, hoping it would trigger her memories and was rewarded for his efforts as she raised a hand toward her brother and spoke.
"Aragorn?"
Her brother smiled then reached out to catch her as she finally gave in to her exhaustion and weakness and passed out.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
It was not until full dark was on them that Anayah again opened her eyes. She sighed, for it was the first time in a long while that she had woken without being either in horrendous pain or in mortal fear for her life. When she finally managed to focus on her surroundings, she saw worried grey eyes watching her and smiled.
"Rahan, what are you looking so glum about?"
Her Captain smiled at her as he leaned over and checked her bandages then felt her forehead with the back of his hand.
"I was worried about you, young one."
"Why? You know I always land on my feet."
He smiled then adjusted her blankets.
"Close your eyes now and get all the rest you can for we will be here when you again wake up."
She smiled at her friend as her eyes slipped shut in a healing sleep.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
"You are not going to wait on me, Haldir! I can get my own water and see to my own horse my own self."
The sounds of the argument woke every one of the sleepers in the camp, causing them to sit up and look around themselves groggily. When their eyes finally managed to focus on the two elves that had woken them, they smiled as they saw an overly patient Haldir escorting and overly protesting young elf back to her bedroll.
"Maybe tomorrow, young elf, but not on this day. You have got to give yourself at least one day to heal!"
Lórien's Captain rolled his eyes as he walked by the other elves who knew Anayah well enough that they could only smile and shake their heads.
Aragorn felt eyes watching him and turned to see Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas watching him closely, all with big grins on their faces.
"What!" He asked them although he already knew what they were going to say.
It was Legolas who answered.
"She takes after you, my friend!"
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Not too much later the camp was dismantled and the nine elves and the young human were getting ready for the return trip to Lórien. After getting their sister to drink a pain relieving tea, the twins carefully and gently helped Anayah rise from where she had been sitting, arms folded across her chest and shooting live daggers from her eyes at all of them because they would not let her do her part to help pack and ready the horses for the return trip.
After they had handed her up into the waiting arms of Haldir who sat on the broad back of the black stallion, the ten of them began the return journey to Lórien. Anayah slept deeply and peacefully almost the whole distance, waking up only when they stopped to let Haldir off.
Arm in arm the two friends walked a ways off from the others.
"I am going to miss you Haldir. It is always much too long between our visits!"
The Lórien Captain turned to face Anayah and smiled.
"Anayah, I want you to start being good to yourself. Will you do this for me? Please?"
She frowned, puzzled by her mentor's words.
"What do you mean, Haldir?"
"There are many strange things happening in these day and you seem to be finding your way into the middle of most of them." He took her arm and walked a little further into the Golden Woods. "Do not let what you perceive to be your duty close the doors of your heart completely. Think carefully on my words, young one and in time you will understand exactly what I mean."
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.
"You saved my soul again, my friend and it is a debt I will never, in my lifetime be able to repay."
Just before he turned to walk away, Anayah gave him one last hug.
"You know that you will always be my hero!"
He touched foreheads with her.
"And you will always be my Baby Girl. Besides, who else is going to be around to embarrass me in front of important people?"
No more was said as each elf turned without another and walked off in opposite directions.
TBC
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
COMING NEXT: Beginning of the End: Throwing back the covers of her bed, the young girl darted towards the door and almost had it opened when a taloned hand slammed it shut before she could make good her escape. Amrún looked at the thing that belonged to the hand and saw the creature leer at her as it brought the hand closer to her body.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Soccer-Bitch: Thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
DesolateAznVamp: Thanks for the review. The story may be winding down, but the action is heating up.