A/N- I have changed the name of Ayiana, the elf maiden in chapter three who is Blythe's friend, to Melyanna. My beta suggested that I use real Elven names. It's a hassle to look up the elements of names, but I like the outcome better. So remember, if you see Melyanna, that is Ayiana from before.
Chapter Four- Hope Through the Storm
Blythe awoke the next morning sitting in the large chair next to her window. A cold shiver forced her to go back to her bed and wrap up in the warm blankets. She drifted in and out of sleep for another thirty minutes before she finally surrendered and got out of bed. She straightened the covers and put on the clothes she had set out last night before falling asleep.
She suddenly remembered that she had promised to meet Aragorn for breakfast today. Blythe quickly changed into a nicer red dress that accented her auburn hair and bright green eyes. She did not understand it, but there was something about the man that drew her to him. Something deep inside told her there was more to the man than what he showed. As she walked to the door she brushed her hair and threw the brush back on her bed. She hurried to the Dining Hall. Before she went in she stopped and straightened a wrinkle out of her dress.
"Good morning," Melyanna said when she saw Blythe coming in.
"Good morning to you also," she replied.
She glanced around the large room for Aragorn. The man was no where in sight. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. A deep disappointment flashed across her face before she could stop it. 'Odd,' she thought to herself.
"What is the hour, Melyanna?"
"The nineth, three hours after dawn." The elf maiden replied.
"Blythe," The girl turned hopefully but was met by the friendly face of Gandalf.
"Gandalf! Good Morning. How are you? Have you seen Aragorn?" Blythe rambled.
"I'm fine. No, I haven't seen him since last night.What is your haste?"
"No hurry." She said glancing behind her.
"Blythe, what's wrong with you today?"
"Nothing," she began. "Well, actually, Aragorn said he would meet me for breakfast. No one has seen him!"
"Strange," the wizard said with concern. "I'm sorry, dear. Would you like to join me instead?"
"I would be honored." She said sitting in the chair he had just pulled out for her. She was still somewhat disheartened.
"Did you enjoy yourself last night?"
"Yes, sir. The Elves are very interesting. Their songs, their poetry, it is so beautiful. It moves a person in unfathomable ways."
"I know. The Elves are very wise. Even I learn new things from them when I care to stop and listen. I am old and I still have much to learn. You would be wise to heed the advice of Lord Elrond."
"He is very kind. He has been patient with me this past year, teaching me in the ways of medicine and his language. He has even continued my practice with weapons."
"Are you skilled with a blade?"
"I have been training since I was very young, as every citizen does in the kingdom of Rohan. I am fairly adept with a sword. I would not boast that I could beat a man, but I could hold my own, for a while at least."
"I'm sorry to interrupt our conversation, but I am to meet with Lord Elrond soon. I will see you later and I hope we can continue."
"Of course. Goodbye."
Blythe watched the wizard walk outside before she also got up and left. She stood outside in the sun thinking of what she would do next. She wondered where Aragorn could be and decided to go to his room and see if he was there.
The room was empty. The bed had not been made and a few books lay sprawled across the surface. The maps that had been in the corner were gone. With a quick search, she found that everything, including the sword were gone. She sat on the bed with a sigh. 'This is so strange.' She thought. This wasn't anything like the man she had come to know over the past few days. Even though it hadn't been very long, she knew that from the time she had spent with him that this was completely uncharacteristic. Gandalf's own reaction had proven that.
To clear her mind Blythe went to the stables. The horses, however not the same as the Rohirrim, seemed to ease her troubled spirit. Horses freely grazed in the open pasture behind the stable. Velez was not in the group but when she called for him, he ran straight to her.
"Are you alone too, boy?" She asked wrapping her arms around his long neck. The horse whinnied and gently bit her shoulder. "Yeah, me too."
The horse dropped his head to pull some green grass from the earth. Blythe had brought a brush with her and now began to brush his coat. The horse's jet black hair shone silvery in the sunlight. After she finished brushing him she gave him a sweet apple she had smuggled from the Dining Hall.
"How about a run?" Blythe said mounting the horse. Velez shifted his feet in anticipation. She wrapped her hands gently in his mane and pressed her heels into his side. The horse took off immediately with his swift, steady gallop. Blythe felt the horse's eagerness and she too wanted to let go of restraint. She freed the horse and let him run flat out. In that moment she forgot her troubles and was filled with pure freedom.
Velez ran for two miles before he slowed to a walk. Velez breathed heavily and Blythe dismounted. The horse drank from a small pool. Blythe took the last sip and the hole was empty. She layed down on the ground looking up at the sky above her.
Velez strayed as he grazed but never too far from Blythe. She was still on the ground thinking. 'What could have happened to Aragorn? Where was he? Would he be back soon? Was he hurt?'
The midday sun beat down on the girl and she was soon forced to find shade. Only about a hundred meters away was the forest. She sat under one of the large shadey trees and fell asleep. Velez stood watch over his young master.
She dreamed about running across the plains of Rohan. Velez whinnied loudly in the wind. Above her a red hawk flew over searching for his next meal. It was beautiful and free to do anything it pleased.
Suddenly, she was jerked from her sleep by the loud whinnying of her horse. Something was clearly bothering him.
"Quiet. What's wrong?" She asked gently massaging his neck.
The horse's ears flattened against his head. Now she knew something was definitely wrong. He stomped his feet impatiently. Blythe heard a rustle a few yards away. It came from deeper within the woods. A figure she guessed was a man by his height and his broad shoulders landed gracefully on the ground after jumping from a low branch. When he settled, he pulled a dark cloak around him again. The man kept the hood covering his face the whole time.
"Who are you?" She asked nervously.
"That is not important, Blythe." The man said in her own native language.
"How do you know my name?"
"Just because you don't know mine, doesn't mean I can't know yours. I know more about than you would believe, Sorceress."
"What did you just call me?"
"You see. It seems I may know more about you than you do. Lord Elrond won't tell you because he is afraid."
"Afraid of what? What do you mean?"
From far off she could hear a galloping horse and someone shouting her name. When she turned back to the man, he was gone.
"Wait," she yelled. No reply came. Blythe mounted Velez and rode to meet the rider.
"Lord Elrond noticied that you were not at lunch. He was worried."
"I have been here all day."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes, I am very hungry."
"Melyanna has saved you a plate. I am her brother, Otharra."
Blythe rode back to the stables with Otharra. As he had said Melyanna was waiting for her in the Dining Hall with food. She ate it hungrily and thanked her.
"Are you feeling okay, Blythe? You didn't seem yourself this morning or even now." Her friend said.
"I'm fine. I just need to clear my head."
"I am lucky. The Elves are blessed with the ability to find peace where ever we are."
Blythe laughed and said,"I could have used that a lot lately."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Melyanna asked with concern for her friend.
"I don't know. I think I need to work this out on my own."
"I understand," the elf replied and stood up. "I'll see you later."
"Bye."
Melyanna left to tend to her own business. Blythe finished soon after. She sat for a long time thinking about what to do. Elven children played nearby, tearing her from her thoughts. She decided to go to her room. When she got there the door was slightly open. She quietly entered the room. A quick glance revealed the room to be vacant. Some drawers had been shuffled through and her closet was open, but she didn't think anything had been taken.
'Could it have been the mysterious man from earlier?' She wondered. 'What would he have been looking for and what had he meant when he had called her Feanor which in Elvish means, Spirit of Fire?'
She decided to go see if Elrond could provide any answers. Rounding the corner near his study, Blythe heard raised voices. They didn't sound like they were angry but they were arguing about something. When she got closer she realized it was Elrond and Gandalf. Had Gandalf been in here since breakfast?
"Elrond, you have to tell her."
"She is not ready."
"She needs to know. She is suffering. You sent him away and now they are both hurting."
"I had no choice! I did what I thought was right."
'Elrond had sent Aragorn away? When, last night? Was Aragorn the rider I saw early this morning riding away?'Blythe thoughts were coming quicker than she could process.
"If you don't tell Blythe soon, I will!" Gandalf said as he tried to calm himself.
"Absolutely not! She is not to be told!"
"She is in danger if she doesn't know!"
"No one can harm her while she is here."
"It is harming her that she is left in the dark. In the prophesy it says she must know by her eighteenth birthday....
'Prophesy? Wait, my eighteenth birthday is in a few days!'
"You are playing with fate Elrond. You must be very cautious!" Blythe heard the scraping of a chair against the floor. Someone had gotten up and was now walking to the door! Gandalf's back appeared through the door.
"Don't do anything you will regret," Elrond said.
Gandalf turned and walked out of the study. Next to the door was a statue of a golden horse. He could have sworn that it had been across the hall when he first came in.
When Blythe saw Gandalf turning around she closed her eyes hoping by some chance she would be looked over. She felt a strange warm flood wash over her body. She felt the air move as Gandalf walked past her and heard his retreating footsteps get quieter as he walked further away. He hadn't seen her. How? She opened her eyes and in front of her was a golden statue of a horse. She jumped back hitting the wall behind her. That definitely hadn't been there a second ago!
Blythe's breath raced. She worked her way out from behind the statue and ran back to her room as fast as she could. When she got there she ran around straightening up the mess. A few moments later she heard a knock at the door.
Blythe took a deep breath and called,"Come in!"
Gandalf walked calmly through the door. "There is something I need to speak to you about."
"Please sit." She said pointing to the chair by the window.
"I've just had an argument with Elrond, so forgive me if I am too harsh." The wizard sat patting the girl's hand. Blythe sat in front of him in another chair. "I have great reason to believe that you are the one that was prophesied by Elves long ago. In short, they said that in the time before the storm, one from the land of the horse lords would come bearing a great gift. There was a time long ago when the Rohirrim saved a large company of Elves. They were promised one that would help them in the time of Middle Earth's greatest needs. We didn't know if the one would be a male or a female, but we knew that this person would have spirit of fire. Their spirit would not be a literal fire, but they would have something inside that enabled them to do unbelieveable and extraordinary things. Great wizards or Elves like Elrond can feel a power all around you when they are in your presence. It feels like the air is burning or tingling. It isn't strong enough for others to feel it yet. The air doesn't not sit around you like it does others. It is uneasy; it never stills. We believe that you are the one. It also means that something terrible and powerful is going to be revealed against Middle Earth. This is also why Elrond sent Aragorn away. He thought that you both would be distracted from your tasks if you were invovled with each other. Are you okay?"
Blythe sat in shock. Her eyes searched the face of the wizard in front of her. It showed concern, sympathy, and anticipation. Anticipation about the fulfillment of the prophesy and about what would soon be exposed. Suddenly, Elrond rushed into the room.
"What have you done?"
"I told her."
"Everything?"
"Yes."
"After I forbid you."
"Do not talk this way in front of her."
Blythe's shaky voice interrupted," I already heard part of your conversation. I didn't mean to over hear, but I was walking by. I heard raised voices. I'm sorry."
"It is not your fault, child." Gandalf said. "Wait, did you move the statue?"
"I think so."
"You see Elrond. She has already tapped into the power without knowing it. What if something had happened? What if she couldn't control it? I have to teach her to use her gift, to gain control over it."
"Do what you like. I obviously can't stop you!" Elrond turned and quickly left the room.
"I think I will leave you alone now. It has been along day. Stay safe and be careful. I will begin tomorrow with your training." Gandalf said gently and then he too left the room.
Blythe felt more alone and confused than she had in a long time. Before she knew what she was doing she was mounting Velez and galloping for her secret spot. The wind felt good on her face again but not as it had this morning. Had it really been that morning that she had ridden to the woods and met the stranger? It seemed like days had passed since then. When she reached the hollow tree she dismounted and sat against the trunk. Suddenly the weight of all that had happened that day hit her. She felt like she had been trampled by a herd of horses.
Velez reached down and rubbed his muzzle on her shoulder. Tears began tumbling down face before she could stop them. Soon she was crying like she had when she remembered that her entire family was gone. Sobs overcame her and tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She looked up at Velez as she tried to control her crying. She held her breath to keep herself from hyperventilating. Slowly, she got her emotion under control. It wasn't often that she lost herself the way she had a moment ago.
Suddenly, she felt a large drop of water hit her arm... her foot...her head. Soon, the rain was falling all around her. She pulled herself up by a branch and called Velez to her. He had walked to the stream for water. When she mounted, she saw a reflection of light from inside the hollow trunk. She leaned over and saw that it was a beautiful knife stuck into the wood. It was holding a piece of paper to the tree. She pulled them both out of the tree.
She could easily see that the knife was Elven made by the fine workmanship. Its blade was six inches long and perfectly centered into the hilt. The knife must have been newly made, for it was in perfect condition. On the blade next to the hilt was something engraved in Elvish. She was almost certain it said, Until We Meet Again. She put the letter and the knife in her saddle bag and rode to the stables.
When she got back to her room she was completely soaked through and shivering. She layed the knife on the bed along with the letter. She was dying to know what it said and who it was from. However, she was starving and hunger won over curiosity this time. She changed into dry clothes and picked up the knife and the letter. She put them under her pillow just in case the person who had gone through her room earlier came back. Satisfied, she left to join Gandalf and Melyanna for dinner. She still had a lingering hope that Aragorn would be waiting for her there.
Meaning of Names:
Melyanna- 'Dear gift'
Ohtarra- 'Great warrior'
I only included this because names are important to my characters. I put alot of thought and effort into naming characters.
Please leave me a review! Did you like it? I want to know!!! Sorceress of Rohan