Chapter 6

"I will need somewhere private to prepare." Spoke Raeya as Gandalf looked on. He inclined his head,

"Yes of course."

He led her to a small library at the end of the palace.

"Do you have everything you need? Can I fetch you anything?"

"No I am equipped; I have stones and salts enough to see clearly. Now I must have some time."

Gandalf nodded and walked out of the room closing the door as he left. Raeya locked it swiftly and set out her stones on a circle on the floor. She sat in the centre of the circle and cleared her thoughts. Soon images were forming in her mind.

Faces of friends and foes, places. a battle, a huge battle raging around as far as the eye can see. Death and destruction everywhere. She saw a large turret ahead, something large smashed into it. It creaked and moaned before it toppled to the ground as rubble. The air was thick with dust that burned the eyes, but then a light, a shining great light that burned with intensity and gave all a new hope. Then suddenly it was extinguished, and all that was good ceased to be as Middle Earth was plunged into darkness. Then suddenly the turret. Again creaking again moaning as it toppled to the ground. And there again the dust that clung to the lungs and scarred the eyes, yet there the light again. It bathed the final battle with warmth and the good was restored. The light, the light. but what was it?It was the one thing that this fate revolves around. If the light goes out then all shall perish in the shadows, but if the light shines on then it is victory for the people of Middle Earth. Raeya opened her eyes.

So she knew. During the great battle something will happen that will determine this fate. The turret will fall, and the light MUST shine on. But what could the light be? She contemplated for a while and then left the library to find Gandalf.

"So a turret will fall and then the event which will determine the fight shall happen." Gandalf looked at her, "I had hoped for slightly more detail than that."

"I understand that you are disappointed Gandalf, but so great is the power of the eye that it can interfere with what I see. There is nothing I can do about it."

"I understand. I was hoping for something that we could use as an advantage."

"I'm sorry." Said Raeya forlornly, "I failed." She walked away from Gandalf back to the library; she gathered up her things and began to make ready to leave.

It was while she was saddling her horse (that Theoden had given her) that Legolas caught up with her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"My purpose here is done, I am returning to the mountains."

"No!" he looked troubled, "You must not leave. We need you here. We need all the help we can get. You are a strong fighter, you can help us please!"

She looked deep inside of him, there was something there. a desperation that she had never seen before. And something else. a spark, a flitter of something so blissful that it burned with intensity. She recognised it instantly. Legolas searched deep into her eyes and found a maze sensation. Pain, loss, guilt, fear, but most of all isolation all whirling around in her mind. There was a great fear of forever being alone it was like a great abyss in her mind. But still there was hope, like a small crumbling bridge over a precipice, there was longing here too and a once forgotten feeling of love.

He drew closer to her and said, "We still need you. and."

He paused, "I need you."

Electric crackled in his eyes as he spoke the words. A wild untamed feeling of lust flowed from him to her and back again. She drew closer to him, their faces almost touching and said,

"Then I shall stay."

She turned her face up to his, as he bent his neck to meet her lips in an undying kiss.

She could feel his breath soft against her skin, their lips almost touching now and her whole body was on fire. Soon their lips would meet and the whole world would be blown away.

"What's going on here than laddie!" cried Gimli as he came striding over to meet the two elves who were still locked in their near kiss embrace. Raeya turned her face away from Legolas' and quickly moved to tighten a buckle on the horse's saddle.

Legolas looked flustered and turned to Gimli. "I was just convincing Raeya to stay and fight with us."

"And. did she agree?" asked Gimli

"I did, master dwarf." Raeya replied.

"Grand! I shall look forward to your company on the journey. Though it be a perilous time to make new acquaintances I am anxious to learn more about your people. And how they lived in the mountains."

"Of course master dwarf, I would be delighted."

"Good, then may I accompany you back to the palace. We are to have a great banquet there tonight. Last meal before we fight and all." Gimli offered Raeya his arm and she took it. She glanced only briefly back at Legolas as she passed him, he looked lost for a moment, then straightened up and led the horse back to the stables.