Narcissis gasped as she raised her hands into the air. The group found themselves surrounded by elves. Several of them. Legolas had his bow aimed back at them and he looked over to the gargoyle. She had a half dozen elves standing around her, their bows aimed right at her and ready for anything that she might do.
"Don't even think about moving," one told her in Elvish.
She gulped as she complied with what they were saying. She nodded her head as she leaned her back against the tree.
"Alright, I will not move," she replied in Elvish.
"Do not even speak," another told her.
"What is going on here?" Boromir had to ask as he stepped forward.
One of theh elves spoke in Elvish and Legolas had to sigh, knowing the Lothlorien elves would think that way.
"It's Narcissis. It is because she is a gargoyle. They know that they are a dangerous race so they are being prepared for any actions that she may do. They are expecting anything," Legolas replied as another elf walked up to the group. "They don't know that she will not do anything."
The elf who recently arrived was surprised by the scene but he should have figured that would be how his fellow elves would react to her.
"What is going here?" Haldir demanded to know as he looked around at everyone.
"Haldir! So nice to see you again!" Narcissis told him but she received a smack to the face.
The group watched as she was forced to kneel in front of Haldir. The look on his face was not a happy one.
"What is going on here?" Pippin demanded to know.
"Yes," agreed Merry. "There are so many questions that we have and no one is willing to answer them!"
Legolas helplessly watched as he realized what he was going on.
"It's because she is a gargoyle. They are considered to be a dangerous race," Legolas quietly said as he lowered his bow.
Narcissis looked up at the elf she was kneeling before. She looked at Haldir to see the unhappy look on his face as he looked at the other elves, who still had their bows aimed at her.
"So what is going to happen to me Haldir?" she asked him with a sigh. "Am I going to die?"
He didn't answer her as he stepped around her and stood in between her and the other elves, an angry stare on his face.
"No one is to harm her," Haldir said, surprising everyone there.
"She is a gargoyle! You cannot be serious!" protested one as they lowered their bows somewhat.
"Lower your bows now! While she is here, and any other time, no one is to threaten this gargoyle's life. If anyone does, they will have to deal with me," Haldir replied in a stern voice.
The elves were greatly surprised by this as they lowered their bows completely.
"Haldir! She is a dangerous creature!" another said.
"Maybe other gargoyles are but she is not," Haldir replied. "Remember what I said. No one is to harm her in any way, whether it be physical or emotionally. If anyone does, they will have to deal with me. Is that understood?"
The elves gulped and nodded. Somewhat satisfied, he turned and knelt in front of the gargoyle, who had her arms around herself.
"Narcissis, can you hear me?" Haldir asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Aragorn was confused as he watched the scene. He glanced over at Legolas before leaning in towards the elf, being confused by the scene.
"Why is Haldir so protective of Narcissis?" he wondered.
"I will explain later. Actually, it will probably be Haldir who will explain it to you if you ask him," Legolas managed to say.
"Narcissis, can you hear me?" Haldir repeated, the other elves still plainly nervous and confused by his actions.
Narcissis was shivering yet the gargoyle's eyes wandered to her brother and Haldir followed her stare to see that Legolas was almost to the point of collapsing.
"Legolas!" Haldir cried as he hurried over to the elf.
Almost immediately after Haldir reached him, Legolas' legs gave out from under him. Aragorn and Haldir both managed to catch him before he fell to the ground.
"What happened? Who did this to him?" Haldir demanded to know, facing Aragorn.
"Shentree attacked us," replied Aragorn.
"Shentree. Who's that? The name sounds so familiar. Where have heard it before?" Haldir said as he looked over at Narcissis, who was still on her knees.
"She's a friend of Banside," she told him with a glint of anger in her voice.
"Banside. I should have known it was another one like him," Haldir muttered.
"There's a third but you really don't have to worry about him as much. His name is Sathed. He is more harmless than his friends," Aragorn explained.
"We should get these two to Lothlorien so they can be tended to. Follow me. I will have to take you to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel," Haldir replied as he headed towards Narcissis.
He gently helped her up and began to aid her as Aragorn and another elf helped Legolas towards the Elven city.
00000
Haldir led the group through the woods. He was worried about the gargoyle and Legolas. He was taking them to Galadriel and Celeborn first since he knew they would want to know who was there.
He looked over at Narcissis to see that she was apparently feeling better.
"Are you able to walk now on your own?" he quietly asked her.
She nodded as she moved away from him and began to walk on her own. With a slight limp, he noticed, but still on her own.
He led the group inside. Haldir sighed for he knew that they were receiving many stares and most of them would probably be in anger because of the gargoyle with them. Haldir looked over at Legolas, who was more alert after the incident in the forest. He, too, was walking on his own again.
"Will you be alright?" Aragorn quietly asked him.
Legolas nodded as they continued to head further inside. He watched as they came to a set of stairs. His stare soon came to two figures descending the steps. The two walked to them and everyone looked over the two elves.
Galadriel's stare looked over each of the visitors. Her sight soon came to the gargoyle, who was trying to hide behind Haldir. She didn't appear to be too happy as she stepped toward the gargoyle, who then took a few steps away.
"I cannot believe that you would come into my realm like this!" she quietly told her, keeping her anger in check. "I have to request that you segregate yourself from everyone else here. I cannot alarm my people even further with your presence. You know where to go."
Narcissis gulped at the words, watching as Galadriel turned her stare towards Haldir.
"Haldir! Please escort her away. She knows where to go," Galadriel told him.
He nodded as he led her away from the group. Legolas watched them with worry in his eyes as they walk away. Celeborn soon began to talk.
"Eight are here yet nine left from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? I have desired to talk to him for some time," Celeborn told them. "I cannot wait any longer to speak with him. I have watched enough from afar."
Galadirel's gaze went over each and every one of them. The look on her face turned to one of great worry.
"He has fallen," Galadirel suddenly stated, her anger almost completely gone.
Her husband looked at her, the look on his face not a happy one.
"Be warned for this quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of everyone," Galadriel told them as she slowly looked over them. "And there is more to different events and people than than meets the eye. Questions that lay on different people's hearts will be explained in time."
Her eyes came to Boromir and she could tell that he was upset. She soon came to Frodo and looked over him. She could also tell that he was as well. But she had sensed some confusion within him long before he stepped in front of her.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled," she told them. "Go now and rest. You are protected within these borders from those who pose any of you harm."
She glanced over at Frodo almost as she finished speaking.
'Everything will be explained, Frodo of the Shire. The one who has seen the eye!' Galadriel told him in his mind.
00000
Haldir became nervous as he escorted Narcissis down the hallway. He noticed where they were heading.
"Narcissis, do I dare ask...?" he started.
"I know where I am going," she replied as she stopped and leaned against the wall.
"You are not well. What is the matter?" asked the elf. "I would like to know where you are going."
"Haldir, I..." she started.
"Please tell me the truth," Haldir told her in a stern voice.
She placed a hand over his eyes, wondering how she should tell him.
"All I know about you is what you told me when I first met you. Ever since you have saved my life several months ago in Mirkwood, I have been trying to find you and repay you. Now that I can help you, I need to know things so I can help you," Haldir explained.
She gave a small snicker as she turned her face away from him.
"You always had a chance to repay me, as you wanted. All you had to do was ask," she quietly said.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, not completely understanding.
"You do not understand. I have always been in Mirkwood. I tried to tell you after you were found but I became scared. When you asked about my injury, I... I didn't tell you the truth," Narcissis replied.
Haldir narrowed his eyes, not believing what he was hearing.
"Na... Nanaylia?" he said as he grasped her shoulders.
She nodded her head slightly and she looked at him. Haldir smiled at her.
"I never knew what to expect. I vaguely remember overhearing that you had a gargoyle form but I thought you were another race of gargoyle once I met you," Haldir told her. "I do not blame you for being scared though."Thank you for understanding," she said before heading towards the door.
"I suppose you do not want everyone coming into your room," Haldir wondered, believing he already knew the answer.
"No, I do not. My brother, Aragorn, you, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, please, to be the only ones," she replied before heading into the room.
He stared at the door and sighed before starting to walk away from the door before he ehard it open again.
"Haldir, could you do one small thing for me please?" came her voice.
The elf turned around and smiled, now recognizing the voice of Thranduil's only daughter.
"What is it that I can do for you?" he replied.
00000
Legolas held a jug in his hands as he walked a few steps. He heard singing in the air and stopped, turning a bit. His face was one of slight sorrow. Aragorn could tell that there were many things on the elf's mind.
"It is a lament to Gandalf," he said as Aragorn watched from afar.
"What do they say about him?" asked Merry, looking towards the elf.
"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near," Legolas replied, placing his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose.
Aragorn carefully watched the elf's actions and he became more worried than ever. He noticed the elf's strange behaviour since the mines. The elf was acting almost - how should he put it? - rude towards him and Nanaylia. Aragorn noticed how determined the elf was to do this quest without the aide of his sister.
'The elf has not been himself lately. What is going on here?' he asked himself as he stood up.
He walked over to the elf, placing a hand on his shoulder as the elf continued to appear unwell.
"Legolas, what is wrong?" he quietly asked.
"Nothing is wrong!" the elf snapped as Haldir walked out to them.
Haldir was a bit surprised with what he heard. He had known the Mirkwood elf for centuries and had never known him to act like that before.
"Greetings," Haldir told them as he looked over at Aragorn.
He saw the curious look on the man's face. It took the elf a moment to realize what it was for.
"I suppose you are wondering about what type of relationship I have with the gargoyle," Haldir told him, lowering his head slightly.
Aragorn nodded, intently listening to what Haldir had to say.
"She... she saved my life several months ago in Mirkwood from a gargoyle named Banside," Haldir explained. "I believe you might have heard of him already, judging by your earlier actions."
"Oh, I've more than heard of him. I met him," Aragorn replied, unable to hide the look of surprise on his face.
Aragorn couldn't believe what he just heard. He was surprised for he didn't know where the gargoyles had ended up after the incident 15 years before, after the elf they had followed for centuries died by the hands of Legolas.
'So two of them are still alive. That is interesting,' Aragorn thought to himself. 'What more can I expect from the gargoyles? Guess I'll never know until it happens. I wonder if Sathed is still alive?'
"Legolas?" the Lothlorien elf questioned.
"Haldir?" Legolas said, looking at his elf friend. "What is it now?"
Haldir leaned in closer so that only Aragorn and Legolas could hear him. Something was wrong.
"Your sister requests to see you," Haldir told him.
Legolas was a bit surprised by this but he ran as quickly as he could towards his sister's room. His ribs began to hurt along the way and he was trying to ignore it. The group watched him leave. Boromir glanced over at Haldir and Aragorn before walking over to them.
"What is the matter with him?" Boromir demanded to know.
Aragorn stared at him, neither of them answering. The two glanced at each other, wondering who should say anything first.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we want some answers. Where did that gargoyle come from? And why are you and Legolas so friendly with her? The two of you have been since the first time we laid eyes on her!" Boromir almost yelled out.
"I can't tell you," Aragorn replied.
"And why can't you tell us anything?" wondered Sam.
"Because it's not my place to tell you," replied Aragorn, remembering what he was first told the story when he was questioned about Legolas' sister.
"It's not your place? And how come it isn't your place?" asked Merry.
"You're asking me about something I do know things about but I feel you're asking the wrong person about this. Legolas is the one you should be asking," Aragorn replied, wondering if he would regret saying that.
Boromir was slightly surprised by this answer.
'So he does know something? Why would he lie to me?' Boromir asked himself as he looked in the direction that the elf went into.
00000
Legolas quickly headed up to the room that his sister stayed in while they were in Lothlorien. He knocked on the door and he heard a cry of pain. He opened up the door to see the room in slight disarray. He noticed that the blanket was missing from the bed. He began to look around the room and saw his sister huddled in a ball on the other side of the bed, the blanket covering her body. He almost missed her since she was close to it.
"Nanaylia, what is the matter?" he asked her.
"It hurts so much," came her quiet voice. "I hope what Elrond said..."
"What did Elrond say?" wondered Legolas as he placed a hand on her cheek and moved her head enough so that they made eye contact.
"He felt the child would be in danger if I stayed in gargoyle form for too long. I just hope I wasn't too late," she explained. "I feel that has been the cause of my pain."
"Listen to me! You are going to have that child! Somehow, I can sense it," he sternly told her, placing his other hand on her shoulder.
She nodded, believing what he was saying. She watched as Legolas hurried towards the closet to get her some clothes. He retrieved a dress and handed it to her. He looked over her and saw that she was nearly an elf again. Only a part of her wings remained.
'Well, the wings are nearly gone. That is a good sign,' Legolas thought to himself and watched as they disappeared completely.
He turned around so that she could get dressed. Once she was, he turned to face her to see she was completely elf again.
"Nanaylia, I still want to know why you risked yourself in order to stop Shentree from attacking us," Legolas told her.
"Legolas! I did it to help you! You had no idea that she was following you! You might be seriously injured right now! Maybe even worse!" she protested, not believing what she was hearing.
"We could have dealt with her ourselves! You never did like the gargoyles. Are you certain that this was not an act of revenge?" Legolas asked as he began to circle her.
"You are not making any sense. What is wrong with you? You have never acted like this before, questioning my actions," Nanaylia asked him as she wacthed him. "It was not an act of revenge. Yes, they did terrible things to me during my stay in the forest but I am not like that! And if I remember correctly, I know of a certain brother of mine that also does not like the gargoyles for what they did to him as well. They hurt you physically and emotionally 15 years ago and I detest the fact that I was part of it."
"I am making sense. You had no right in following us," Legolas simply replied as he leaned in towards her.
The female elf could believe what she was hearing as she stared at her brother.
"What has happened to you?" she quietly asked herself.
Legolas walked over to the door and stood in front of it.
"Nothing has happened to me Nanaylia," he told her without looking around.
"While we are still talking, there is something else I should tell you brother," Nanaylia replied, anger obvious in her voice.
"And what is that now?" sighed Legolas as he turned around to face his sister.
"You already know that I am with Elladan's child. You should also know that we intend to do something special together after the ring is destroyed," Nanaylia told him in a stern voice.
"What? How could you do this to me?" Legolas demanded to know as he stepped towards his sister.
"We are doing this because we love each other! Why can't you see this? I wouldn't be carrying his child if I didn't care for him," Nanaylia replied, her temper being pushed towards its limits.
Legolas' temper was also being pushed and they could tell what the other was feeling.
"Why can't you see how I feel about Elladan?" Nanaylia demanded to know.
"Why couldn't you stay put in Imladris?" Legolas retorted.
Nanaylia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes read anger as she stormed towards the door yet Legolas grabbed her arm just before she reached it.
"Where do you think you're going?" he wanted to know.
"I am not going to stay here and listen to this. Either you go to the healers for help or I am going to get Aragorn and Haldir to drag you there. I might have to do that for I doubt you will go on your own," Nanaylia replied as she tried to move her arm from his grasp.
Legolas reacted to the movement and raised a hand. It connected with Nanaylia's face and her head snapped to one side.She placed her hand on her cheek, tears in her eyes.
"Legolas, there is something wrong. You've never hit me before," she quietly said, trying to head towards the door.
Her brother again stopped her. She struggled in his grasp and it wasn't too long until fists were flying and they were in an all-out brawl.
TBC...