A/N: Sindarin will be in Italics.
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"Evil is a fact not to be explained away, but to be
accepted; and accepted not to be endured, but to be conquered. It is
a challenge neither to our reason nor to our patience, but to our
courage."
-- John Andrew Holmes, Jr.
Beginning of the End
Lord Elrond was in his study when a breathless Elurin ran in - breathless and having forgotten to knock. Though the Lord of Imladris acknowledged Elurin's somewhat unorthodox entrance with "the look," all was forgotten when he delivered his message.
"They are back, my Lord!"
The two elder elves ran like undisciplined elflings to the front door and Elrond had just reached the bottom of the steps when the first horse came through the gate. His three sons and Legolas rode in followed closely by the four Guards and even though he at first did not see Anayah, there was no missing her stallion. Finally he saw that the big Captain was holding her cloak wrapped body in front of him on his own horse. As they all stopped, Elladan quickly dismounted and took his sister as Rahan handed her down to him.
Elrond greeted each of them then turned to his eldest.
"How is she?"
"She is exhausted and keeps complaining that she needs to bathe. The only physical wound she received was a stab wound in her back by her waist It has been treated and is looking better all the time."
"Physical wound? Is there more, my son?" Elrond's stomach turned over when he thought of what the other possibilities could be.
Not surprisingly, to Elrond at least, it was Legolas who answered.
"We do not know the extent of the emotional wounds she may have suffered for she has not yet spoken of them."
The Noldor Lord looked closely at Legolas for confirmation of his own fears for he knew exactly what it was the Prince was referring to. When the blonde elf did not continue, Elrond nodded his head in understanding and turned to enter the house. As the others preceded him, and Elladan was taking Anayah to her chambers, Elrond stayed back and lightly touched the Mirkwood elf's arm.
"Legolas, I would have a word with you."
"Yes, Lord Elrond."
Linking his arm in the Prince's, he walked slowly toward the doors, pausing just before them.
"Legolas, if you should perchance see an opportunity, perhaps you might be willing to lend and understanding ear to my daughter."
Legolas knew what Lord Elrond was talking about and nodded his head.
"I will watch her closely Lord Elrond, and if I see that she suffers any aftereffects from her ordeal I will offer my counsel. I well understand what Anayah has gone through and it angers me that such a tender heart should have been treated in such a fashion. I also understand the need for discretion, for if she did suffer something more at the hands of her captors than has yet been spoken of, there would be no hole in all of Middle Earth that those five could find to hide in that would save them from the wrath of her brothers - or myself."
"Thank you Legolas. I can ask for no more."
The two elves nodded to each other in mute understanding then turned and entered the house.
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It was well past the midnight hour when the first rumblings were felt in the Last Homely House. Most of the sleeping elves, who were awakened by the disturbances, attributed the strange sounds as well as the vibrations to their own dreams and turned over in their beds and returned to the land of elven dreams. However, there was one inhabitant who knew what the sounds actually were. Her dark eyes opened wide and remained that way, darting around her darkened room looking for the one who had caused the disturbances.
Amrún had recognized his presence the instant she had opened her eyes though she could not yet physically see him. Then, as she looked closely into the darkest corner of her room, barely visible, there appeared a shadow, a dark, pulsing shadow that began to grow as it thrust its way slowly into the girl's room – and her reality.
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.
Amrún closed her eyes, her lips moving soundlessly and a barrier, like milky water, began to form between the two. Then, ever so slowly, the barrier began to push the creature backwards, away from both her and the door, until finally, the girl was able to open the door of her room and escape.
Her feet carried her swiftly down the darkened hallway while behind her the door to her room began first to bulge outwards then burst, as the creature finally came through it. It pursued its intended victim down the stairs to the lower level of the house. As the two passed, doorways to sleeping chambers began to open as awakened elves sleepily emerged from their rooms to see what was going on.
Anayah poked her head out of her bedroom just as a semi-corporeal tail slid by at eye level. She froze at the sight, then stepped quickly back into her rooms where she quietly closed the door then leaned her forehead against it for a moment, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, the terror of her own recent experience with the creature preventing her from going to the girl's aid. Then, after taking a deep calming breath, she opened her door and ran out, following the path taken by both the girl and the thing that pursued her. She ran past her brothers and Legolas just as they emerged from their own rooms.
"Elladan, Aragorn, keep everybody as far back and away from this thing as you can."
"What is it?" Elrohir grabbed at her arm as she ran by him.
"Its that blasted creature, Elrohir. He is back and he is after Amrún!"
Then she was gone, down the stairs and in to the Hall of Fire, where she stopped just inside of the doorway.
Amrún was in the middle of the Hall, on her knees, both hands held palms forward in front of her, holding a translucent, milky barrier firmly against the creature, which towered over her. It was a standoff, with neither the creature nor the young girl having the advantage. However, that soon changed as the girl began to tire. Ever so slowly the creature advanced, straining against the barrier, flexing his taloned hands and lashing what looked like the beginning of a corporeal tail back and forth, knocking over tables, chairs and glow lamps as it made a mighty effort to move forward. It was evident that it would not be long before the girl would be overcome.
Looking behind her at the elves that were beginning to gather she yelled at them.
"What ever you do, you must stay back. Do NOT try and approach this thing for it could kill you with a thought!"
Then making a quick decision, Anayah entered the Hall and ran toward Amrún. Falling to her knees behind the girl, she wrapped her left arm around the girl and whispered in her ear.
"Together, Amrún. Together we will make him leave."
Then Anayah raised her right hand, palm outward and placed it next to Amrún's.
"Naur an edraith ammen!" (Fire be for the saving of us.)
Amrún's water shield began to glow from the fire shield that was reinforcing it and after a few moments, as both shields began to expand, they pushed powerfully against the creature, causing the beast to retreat for a distance until the thing came to a standstill once more. A mighty battle was being waged between the creature and the two females before it.
Then the tide of the battle changed once again in favor of the invader as, ever so slowly, the creature began to move forward. As the thing pushed against the fire/water barrier pressing against its form, its ethereal muscles bulging from the tremendous effort, the two females found themselves starting to slide backwards on the floor. Anayah felt the stitches in her back tear loose, then felt the warmth of her blood as it began to flow from the reopened wound. Though their shields were, for the moment, keeping the creature at bay, the two females were still being physically pushed backwards. It was time to call for reinforcements and so Anayah turned her head to the doorway behind her and yelled as loudly as she was able.
"ADA!"
Elrond, who had been in his study talking with Glorfindel, had felt the house shake but had passed the event off as being part of the craziness that had been happening around Imladris for the past week. He had no problem, however, hearing his foster daughter yell, for there was no mistaking or ignoring the clarion call that now came, petitioning his aid. Without another thought, the Lord and protector of Imladris and all of its inhabitants, ran from the room with Glorfindel close on his heels.
The first thing Elrond saw when he reached the location the call had come from, were his sons, Legolas, as well as the four Guards, standing outside the Hall of Fire with their arms spread wide, keeping the other elves from getting close to the room where the combat was taking place. The walls seemed to be breathing, expanding then contracting, as they responded to what was happening inside. Moving around the assembled elves and stepping through the doorway, the two elf Lords stopped in their tracks when they saw the battle being waged in the middle of the Hall by both the females as well as the creature. Sensing that her father had entered the room, Anayah spoke to him.
"Ada, we need your help! We will not be able to restrain him for much longer. Please help us."
Vilya had already started pulsing to life as Elrond entered the room, ready for a call to action by its bearer, and as the Noldor Lord strode forward, raising his hand, a blue bolt of energy shot out of the ring, striking the evil creature in the middle of its chest. It raised its eyes and for a moment locked eyes with Vilya's bearer then, recognizing the superior force, it raised its head towards the skies, after the thing shrieked once, it flew towards the ceiling and disappeared through it. As it departed, every window in the Hall exploded outwards, the walls bowed and it was only the grace of Eru that kept them from coming down altogether – such was the force of the creature's exit.
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Together Glorfindel and Elrond ran to where Amrún and Anayah still knelt together on the floor, and helped the two exhausted young ones to their feet. Amrún was beginning to turn pale and tremble as shock and fatigue replaced the adrenaline of battle and could barely keep on her feet, much less walk. Seeing this, Glorfindel quickly scooped her up into his arms then walked quickly towards the Healing Wing where she could get the appropriate treatment. Elrond, who had been walking on Anayah's right side with his left arm wrapped securely around her waist, felt something warm on his hand and when he looked at it, saw the blood. The Healer inside of him sprang to life and he quickly stepped behind his exhausted and hurting foster daughter and examined her back. After seeing the torn stitches and reopened wound he looked at his her reprovingly. Anayah met his gaze, a chagrined look on her face.
"Oops?"
Her foster father favored her with one of his patented looks before ushering her to her room.
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Anayah batted at Elrond's hands as he felt her forehead.
"You are running a fever!"
"Ada, it is not a fever, I promise you. Every time I use the fire spell, my body runs a little hot for a while - that is all it is. Gandalf was going to teach me something that would prevent my body temperature from rising, but neither of us has had the time to sit down and say more than two words to each other that have nothing to do with demons, orcs, doom and gloom, or the ending of all things as we know them! I promise you that I am fine!"
"Are you fine – or are you fine, fine?"
The heads of both Anayah and Elrond turned toward the door as seven worried elves and a worried human entered the room.
"I am fine, Aragorn. I just tore the stitches in my back but I promise you that I will be much improved by tomorrow."
There was a cough from the back of the group of visitors which, strangely enough, sounded almost like the word 'right' but when they all looked at Legolas, the Prince just returned their looks with an innocent, wide-eyed expression.
Elurin politely knocked on the door then entered bearing a tray with an assortment of pastries, tea and a glass of Anayah's favorite squeezed, fruit juice.
It wasn't long after the refreshments had been consumed that the pillows started flying and not long after, that the air in the room was filled with feathers.
Elrond and his daughter just rolled their eyes at each other as they watched the antics of all those in the room, understanding that it was good for them to expend some of the accumulation of frightened and nervous energy in the playful antics of a pillow fight. Finally, after about an hour, and after the feathers had been cleared away and the pillows replaced, Elrond ordered everybody to leave, and he followed shortly after.
"Get some rest." He admonished before the door clicked shut.
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A moment later there was a knock and when she invited the guest in, she saw that it was Rahan. He pulled a chair next to the bed then sat in it while propping his long legs up on her bed.
"So, young one. Do you want to talk about tonight?"
She sighed.
"You know that this thing has got to end, Rahan."
The big elf nodded silently in acknowledgment.
"That horrid creature has come back here, to this house, so many times now that I have lost track. He has hurt beings, killed beings, has destroyed the peace of mind of everyone who lives in Imladris, and now he has destroyed the Hall of Fire. The lands between here and Mordor has three new volcanoes; there have been unseasonably hot temperatures in the mountain passes and snows at the base of the mountains in the hot weather. People are being killed by landslides that should not be happening; dead bodies are being found, drowned, on dry land; and starving animals are being found in knee deep grass. Lives have been turned upside down and inside out. This creature has got to be stopped – that is all there is to it!"
She looked into the grey eyes of her Captain and saw sadness there.
"You know, don't you?" She asked quietly.
"Yes, Lady Anayah, I know that in order to capture this thing in the amulet, you will have to die, but what I do not understand is why."
The two sat silently for a time, both thinking about the inevitable final confrontation that was before her.
"Why?" He asked again.
She looked up at her Captain and friend and sighed.
"The reason is fairly simple, Rahan. The creature, as you know, can body jump, so when I touch him with the amulet and he is caught inside of it, I have to then take away his only avenue of escape – me. When he comes in the front door, I have to slam the door in his face then lock it so he cannot get back out."
The big elf nodded took his legs off the bed and looked at her seriously.
"But why you? Why were you given this task? Is there not someone else who could do this thing?"
Anayah placed her hands over her own eyes for a moment, trying to quell the mounting nervousness in her stomach.
"It's a matter of bloodlines, Rahan, for only one who has the purest strain of the blood of Númenor running through their veins will be able to do this thing – someone who has the power to go to the edge of death together with the strength to return. There are two of us who fit those qualifications and I really do not think that the future King of Men should be expected to risk himself in the effort."
"How will you come back?"
She chuckled at his question and patted his arm.
"I must have the strength and the will to want to return. If I have both of those things and do not lose my way on the path leading home, then I should be able to come back. If I stumble..."
The Captain looked at her thoughtfully for a moment then rose to his feet and walked to the door.
"Then you must rest yourself and come back to full strength and health. I will leave you now so that you may begin to do both."
With a final smile and a small bow, the Captain turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
TBC
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COMING NEXT: Seeing the Sunset: "You must be very frightened Anayah, knowing how many beings are depending on your ability to do this and I am positive that knowing the responsibility is yours alone, can seem overwhelming. But I know that you can do this thing, for I truly know your heart, and I know that it will never give up until the job is done. You are a strong elf, my young friend and I am positive that you will get through this."
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Soccer-Bitch: First Place? WAY TO GO!!!!! I am so proud of you! Keep up the good work. Here is the next chapter for you – enjoy. And keep me posted about how soccer goes.