The Passing

Young wisdom

Well I sat down next to a photograph

Tried my best almost made her laugh

She was my toughest crowd

There in the way was a mountain up in the clouds

Well I can't sleep and I'm not in love

I can't speak without messing up

Eye's tell of what's behind

And hers showed the way to a long and lonely climb

But through failure I'll proceed

And she'll see how far I've come

Nickelcreek (album- this side/ track 3- speak)

If Kohana could have screamed- she would have.

She felt the naked breeze shoot through her as her bald head filled with goose bumps. Her slithering movements were erupted by aching pain in her joints and dry skin.

A longing for the ring pained her thoughts, and all she could hear was the same voice filling her head.

My precious

My precious

Come to me

You will be mine

Strong arms surrounded her small frail body by torchlight.

"Daro, ulunn!"

She lay in captivity when all desires pointed to a ring far way from reach. She screamed from the fear, loneliness, most mostly from the anguish for her precious.

Legolas held the girl as she thrashed from her dream. The nightmare had come in the dead of night.

Legolas had been keeping watch. He had stood, back against the wall of the outpost, pleased to be out of bed - and listening for any signs of danger from below. Kohana had begun to thrash in her cot, silently at first, but slowly her screams filled the air.

Legolas had rushed to her side, not knowing how to calm her, but eventually stuck to his elvish gift of song.

Kohana awoke gasping. Her eyes focused on those of the Prince's hovering over her.

"Are you alright, Lady?"

Kohana nodded gasping as she began to turn beet red in her cheeks.

"Yeah . . .uh huh . . ."

She sat up and quickly sprinted to the other side of the outpost.

Legolas looked down at his hands and then up to her. The Lady looked upset, and he didn't want to offend her- however his concern got the best of him.

"May I ask what troubles you so?"

Kohana wiped the tears from her eyes. She had been in the mind of Gollum.

And it hadn't been fun.

"Thank you for your concern, My Lord, but I can not tell you of what I saw in my dream", she turned and smiled, "not because I do not wish to, but for your own safety. It could impair your future."

Legolas nodded.

Both begun to start their day in comfortable silence, in their own thoughts.

Three days later- give or take –

Legolas and Kohana made their way through the Mirkwood forest amidst the chilling wind and falling snow.

Kohana thought that maybe the snow would have turned the scary forest into a winter wonderland.

Ummmm- she was wrong. It had a strange resemblance to the evil forest that surrounded the beast's castle in that Disney favorite- 'Beauty and the Beast'. No warm fuzziness, just barren trees covered with snow and ice in a bleak sky. Every now and then she would hear a howl or eerie moan of some kind, and would tighten her grip on Legolas's waist.

Legolas gripped his quiver at the sound of evil creatures that still roamed the forest in winter. Luckily, the giant spiders were hibernating in there caves, but graver things threatened their journey. Legolas would usually not be worried of such things, for he had roamed the forest for ages, in sun and in snow, but never recovering from an injury- and with a girl to protect as well.

He felt Kohana physically tense behind him as they rode through the drifts.

"We will reach the Palace by nightfall."

Kohana nodded and continued to burrow herself in her elven cloak. The wind picked up, and her eyes squinted at the flurries that made the landscape hard to see around her.

The two continued to travel well into the afternoon, and Kohana felt the dreary bleakness of the forest change slightly. The trees now held life in them, and sun begun to shine through the canopy above the path.

Soon she began to see fresh wagon, horse, and foot prints in the roads.

Legolas grinned. The royal guards were following them from above.

"We have arrived." He whispered.

Legolas smiled as the two rode toward an outpost ahead of them. Suddenly elves started jumping out of trees surrounding them.

Kohana watched in amusement as these elves begin to banter back and forth in their elven tongue.

"It took you long enough, Prince."

Legolas nodded playfully.

"Ahh, it is good to see you too, Fingon."

"I see you bring a young maiden with you."

"Aye."

"I will send messengers ahead to notify the King."

"Mae athollen, hir."

"Hannon le."

Fingon wondered were the rest of the Princes' men were, but it would be inappropriate to ask. He would find out soon enough anyway, he thought.

Legolas and Kohana continued down the road, now followed by the royal guard on foot. Passing treetop dwellings and trading outposts, Legolas started to narrate to the girl.

"This is the farming community. Bartering takes place in those outposts over there. These dwellings are protected by outposts of guards, of course."

Slowly, the party exited the forest, and before them were the rolling hills of more farm country, and the golden Palace chiseled into the mountainside above, overseeing the kingdom. Villagers bowed in respect as the royal party pasted, leaving Kohana to wrap herself more in her cloak, leaving only her eyes visible.

The party passed through the farming lands, to enter the marketplace which lay near the Palace walls. Streets of shops, open aired markets and crowds of bartering villagers mixed with the nobility that decided to exit the Palace grounds to buy goods.

As the Prince and his royal guard moved through the main road to the Palace, the crowd seemed to part like the waters of Moses.

Elven maidens threw flowers, and sighed as the Prince passed. Kohana giggled.

"Doesn't the swooning maiden thing get annoying?"

"You have no idea, young one."

Before them stood the great stone wall of Mirkwood. The outposts that surrounded the towers held perched elves guarding the lands below.

Legolas halted their steed, and jumped of with cat like grace. He held out his hand for Kohana, and hesitantly, she dismounted the horse and lowered her hood to get a better look of the rising palace before her.

Followed by the royal guard, Legolas and Kohana walked through the grand archway which let to the grand hall of the Palace.

Standing before them was whom Kohana assumed was King Thandruil. Next to him was Amroth, and many other important looking elves she did not recognize. She could see Legolas's joy to see his family.

The King looked deep into Kohana's eyes as she approached him with Legolas at her side.

She saw strictness there. And coldness toward her.

"My Son! There will be much rejoicing due to your safe return!" King Thandruil spoke to Legolas, but with his booming voice and expressive jesters, she could see it was more for the crowd's entertainment.

The King nodded to the royal guard.

"Let us retire."

The crowd departed, the royalty departed, and Legolas, Amroth, and Kohana followed the King to his study in tow by various counsel men.

Entering the chamber, Kohana nervously stood near the corner as Legolas and Amroth stood before their father. Legolas was the spitting image of his Dad, Kohana thought. They both had the silvery hair, the pale eyes, and the same bone structure.

The King spoke first, which as customary.

"Legolas, where is the rest of my army?"

Legolas winced while grasping his arms behind his back.

"We were attacked a fortnight ago by Nazgul just inside the Mirkwood border. Only the girl and I survived."

The King nodded.

He called something in elvish, and suddenly counsel men approached him with parchment and pen.

"You- Send a search party to the area designated by the Prince to bring back discarded supplies, and bodies of those fallen in the Nazgul attack."

"Legolas, Amroth, stay. The rest of you, out." The King turned to Kohana.

"Come here, girl."

Kohana walked to were Amroth and Legolas stood, hands folded and eyes down.

Legolas's Dad was SCARY . . .

The King walked to his desk and retrieved a parchment. With a grave face he walked over to Legolas, put the parchment in his hands, and turned his attention back to the human girl.

"I was informed of your situation recently, Lady Kohana."

Both Legolas and the girl looked at King Thandruil in shock.

What?

Legolas skimmed the letter;

King Thandruil,

Greeting from Gandalf the Grey.

I have decided to tell you in more detail the origin of your future charge, the she witch.

The girl is however, not actually a sorceress but rather a human girl that, out of her own control, knows the future. Her placement in your kingdom is paramount for the safety of Middle Earth's as well as your own.

Her name is Kohana.

Tell your Kingdom she is a cousin of Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

This should abate any confusion.

Namarie.

Legolas looked to his father.

'Well, this should clear everything up.'

Kohana was shown to her chambers in the far west wing of the palace.

Why had Gandalf sent that message? It was great that she would not, once again, be treated with hatred by her keepers- but what was going on?

Something wasn't right.

Her tired body laid in a steaming bath created by a natural bedrock spring.

'So, I'm a Shieldmaiden from Rohan now.'

She ran the warm water over her head and sighed.

At least I'm not a witch anymore.

Her eyes glanced around her new home. The chamber was carved into the rock of the mountain, but the harshness of the cave effect was cancelled out by various placed tunnels pouring light into the room. Ornate carvings of forests, gardens, and colorful tapestries decorated the rich stone on every wall.

A large window etched into an elegant arch and carved crawling ivy and delicate flowers framed the covered the bleak light, for the winter winds were blowing, leaving a frost on the glass that covered it. Kohana's bed was more of a giant pallet with pillows and blankets covering it, and a frame of carved wood above dangling silk. The whole room held a Middle Eastern feel to her- like she was in a giant genie bottle.

Legolas stood near the window of his chambers as Amroth entered. The Princes' quiver and arrows, traveling cloak, and boots had been discarded.

Legolas's room was very different to that of Kohana's. Carved forests surrounded by valiant elves fighting an intense war etched the walls. Rich green clothe covered his king size poster bed, and engulfed the hanging tapestries. Various swords and quivers hung on display, all bordering the main attraction, the Prince's royal crown of golden leaves.

It was a warrior's room. (No flowers, please.)

"Brother- it is good to see you. Much has happened in your absence."

Legolas started to shed his tunic with a huff.

"So I have noticed."

Amroth noticed the fresh scar on his abdomen.

"What happened to you?"

Legolas looked down to where his brother directed his question. His hands went to his wound.

It had healed nicely, although it still kept the Prince in discomfort sometimes.

"The Witch King and I had a dual. I guess you could say that I lost." Shedding the rest of his clothing and tying a towel to his waist, Legolas looked to his brother again.

"Kohana rescued me. The two of us fled to my old playhouse- you know- the abandoned outpost I loved dearly in my youth. The girl took care of me there."

Amroth observed his brother. He had said the last sentence with much softness.

"So- this Kohana is not evil after all."

Legolas grinned.

"Far from it, I'm sure."

Kohana lay between the soft sheets and pillows that cradled her.

'Ummmmm . . .nice. . .'

A maid had arrived, laid out a shift-looking nightgown for her to sleep in, as well as brushed her hair and brought her hot tea and yummy pastries.

Kohana now rested in what would be the most comfortable bed she had laid in.

'Yup- I'm liking Mirkwood.'

With that, she fell into the deepest sleep she had had in ages.

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