The Power of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of J.R.R. Tolkiens.

Author's note: Hi everyone! Thanks for all of your reviews. This is my second story. The first one was a flop...... So be patient.

ShadowedWolf13: Now if I told you that, it would ruin the story. ;) Oh and please don't sick Slifer on Me!!!!!!!!!!!

RiRiana: I'm glad you like it!! I will try to update A.s.a.p.

Chapter 2: The beginning or the end?

Dream

Araviniel was sitting on a bench by a serene pool. She didn't feel any of the terror that had gripped her just a few hours ago. She smiled and picked a rose off the bush next to her. It smelled like a rose, yet somehow it was sweeter. She looked at her reflection in the pool. The water was calm.

Suddenly a slight breeze disturbed the water, causing ripples. She watched the water for a few more minutes. Then it swirled and turned to blood. There were faces in the water. They were people she knew, her mother and her brother. There were faces she didn't know and they all had expressions of pain and anguish. They were dead. She cried out and put a hand to her mouth. The water swirled again and new faces appeared. Then it happened, with all the other faces one appeared in the right hand corner. It was Tatharion.

Fear gripped her heart and her stomach turned. This was a forewarning, a premonition. The only one she loved was dead and she was powerless to stop it. The view of him widened to the whole pool. She could see his whole body. He was surrounded in his own blood and she was by his side, crying.

She jumped up from the bench and screamed, "Tatharion!" She fell to her knees and began to cry. "No!" she desperately tried to splash the water in order to get rid of the picture but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get it to go away. She lifted her hand, it was covered in blood. The image of Tatharion in the pool swirled and she saw him being shot numerous times. "NO! Please no" she cried and fell down next to the pool, where she found herself drenched in her love's own blood.

End Dream

Araviniel was sweating. Her hair was tangled around her and she cried out in her sleep. Tatharion moved closer to her a swept away the strands of hair from her face saying, "Araviniel? Wake up!" He shook her gently and tried to get a response, "Araviniel?" No answer. "Please" he pleaded. She sat up suddenly and cried "NO! Please no."

She looked pitiful, like she had seen a ghost. She whimpered and a few tears slid down her weary face. He came closer to her and said soothingly, "Shh, its ok now." He moved her hair behind her and kissed her cheek. She responded with a question, "Where am I?"

He smiled and said, "Your home, my home." She looked at him and then down at the bed, which she just noticed was not her own. She shook her head, still not understanding. He just smiled and said, "I brought you back here." then his smile faded and he said, "I wasn't about to let you go home." She nodded but refused to look at his face.

He noticed something wasn't right and so he asked her, "What is it?" She shook her head and smiled but he knew it was forced, "Nothing, I'm fine." He sighed and said, "What is it Araviniel? You can not hide from me. What did you see?" She shook her head and said, "Nothing, it was just a dream." She could see he was hurt that she wouldn't tell him but she knew she couldn't.

He nodded and got up saying, "I'll get you a drink." He began to walk away. She jumped up from the bed and grabbed his arm saying, "Please don't be angry with me" He smiled and caressed her cheek saying, "I'm not angry with you." Then he looked her up and down and said, "You should get dressed. There is a dress for you on the chair" then he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Araviniel looked at herself in the full length mirror across the room. She had on her slip from under her red dress that she noticed was also on the chair across the room. She blushed slightly when she realized that Tatharion must have taken it off while she was sleeping. Her hair was down unlike it had been at the celebration last night. He must have taken it down also last night.

Her thoughts drifted to what had happened the night before and she shudder at the memory. She tried to erase the memory from her mind by thinking of the male elf that had restrained CĂșdir that night. He had long blond hair and shocking blue eyes. They were void of all emotion. She was not a weak person and normally she would have stood up to her father. She loved him and she knew he was hurt, just like her and didn't want anything to happen to him but if that meant her getting hit for his sake she would not stand for it..

She sighed and walked over to the chair, lifting up her red dress to find another one beneath it. It was green, very green. She smiled and thought that Tatharion must have been the one to pick it out. It matched her eyes exactly. She slid off the slip and pulled the dress over her head.

It was long and the sleeves opened at her elbows, leading in a trail down to her knees. The front of the dress was V shaped and came low but not to low so as to be uncomfortable. There were cords of red silk that wound down the sleeves and tied at the elbow. It was beautiful.

She looked around the room as she tied the green ribbon belt around her waist. The ceiling was a light sand color and the floor was a light colored wood. A large light yellow carpet sat under the bed. The bed covers were light yellow to match and so were the pillow cases. The chair in the corner was solid wood and the large dresser was of the same. The curtains above the two windows were a yellow-sand tone.

Altogether it was a peaceful place. The room wasn't small but it wasn't very large either. Hanging on one wall was a rack with knifes, bows, and a sword on it and there was a picture of the sea behind the bed.

She smiled and took a deep breath; she could smell his scent in the room. He smelled like a forest after a storm. She loved how when she was feeling bad he would come along and cheer her up, like a fresh breeze.

Shaking her head she walked across the room and sat on the bed. She ran her hands over the silky sheets and laid her head down on the pillow. Her thoughts drove her back to the dream she had just had. Was it a "forewarning" like she had thought or was it just a nightmare?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tatharion's voice called out from behind the door and asked, "Can I come in? Or are you sleeping again?" She smiled and got up from the bed. She walked over to the door and opened it. Then she bowed and said in a mock royal voice, "You may come in Milord. Make yourself at home." He smiled and said playfully, "After all it is your bedroom, I don't want to intrude." She tapped her lips with her finger and then said in the same playful tone, "Yes, well then you better leave. I don't want you intruding."

He smiled and carried in a tray with food and water on it and set it on the dresser. She shut the door behind him and walked over to the tray. "That looks good." He smiled and walked behind her, then came around on the other side, "You look beautiful." She smiled and turned around to face him saying, "Do you really think so?" He nodded and replied, "Yes." She smiled and said, "Thank you."

The smile left his face and he looked at her arm saying "Let me see that." She glanced down at her arm and saw a mark that she hadn't noticed before. It must have been from her father. She turned slightly so that he couldn't see her arm and said in a firm tone, "It is nothing to worry about."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, clearly frustrated, "Please Araviniel..." She looked at him a then put her hand on his cheek and said gently but firmly, "No. I'm fine." He shook his head and said roughly, "You weren't fine last night Araviniel. I have seen the extent of his hand. Why do you love him? How could you love him? One day you're going to come to my door half dead. What would you like me to do then?"

She looked away from him and to the floor. He knew he had gone too far this time. He shook his head and walked over to her. He pulled her hair over her left shoulder and bent over so his mouth was by her right ear and said sorrowfully, "Forgive me." She nodded and said in a low voice, "I know what you must think. He isn't like that. I've seen him for the way he is inside. He loves me." Tatharion shook his head and said, "If he loved you, Araviniel, then he wouldn't do this to you." He put a hand on her arm where the mark was.

She leaned back against him as his warm breath tickled her skin. She reached her hand over her shoulder and put it behind his head. The she turned her head and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her in return and then broke away. She turned around and looked at him. His eyes spoke for him and she smiled saying, "Not now, my love." He smiled and nodded. Then he motioned to the tray with his head and said, "You have to eat."

She looked at the food and made a face but quickly covered it and said, "Right." She walked over to the tray and said, "Could you do me a favor and get me some wine. I'm not in the mood for water." He nodded and left the room.

She looked over her shoulder, to make sure he was gone, before she took the food off the tray and neatly dumped it out the window. Smiling, she then sat on the bed and waited for him to return. She wasn't hungry and she knew he would make her eat it. "He worries too much".

Tatharion opened the door and walked over to tray. He looked down at it before placing the glass of wine down on the dresser and turning toward Araviniel saying, "You ate that all?" She shook her head and smiled, "Uh huh." He smiled back at her and handed her the glass of wine, "Drink this. Then we can go for a walk." She took the glass and drank the wine slowly.

When she was done she looked out the window. Then she jumped off the bed and put a hand to her mouth saying, "It must be a least noon! I have to get home!" He looked at her oddly for a few seconds and then said firmly, "No. You're staying here." She looked at him angrily and said quickly, "I'm going home. I have things to do. Father will be mad. I stayed too long."

She started for the door when Tatharion grabbed her arm and pulled her sharply back toward him, causing a surprised yelp from Araviniel. He then took hold off her other arm and turned her toward him, "No. You are staying with me." She pulled and finally twisted out of his grip saying, "Who are you to tell me what to do? I have to go home, you just don't understand. It will be so much worse if I run away." He looked at her and then coldness seeped into his face. He nodded and walked toward her saying in a hard voice, "You don't know what's good for you. I will not stand by and see you killed."

Then her took her by the elbow and led her to the bed. He pushed her down on it and asked, "Have you seen yourself? You have marks that tell away your lies. He does not love you. You aren't even his daughter." She straitened her back in anger and yelled, "Get away from me!" Tears threatened to fall as she rose from the bed.

She pushed past him and ran out the bedroom door. She brushed away her tears and headed out of the tree talon. She climbed earnestly down the rope ladder until her feet touched the forest floor. Then she ran. She ran like she had never run before. Not towards home but deep into the forest.

Trees passed by her as she ran. Suddenly she tripped over a large protruding root and fell on her stomach. A sharp pain flew up her arm and she cried out. She pulled her knees up to her chest and began to sob. Thoughts spun around in her head like a whirl wind. 'How did he know? He doesn't understand!'

She didn't here the footsteps approaching. She couldn't hear the soft whisper. The world was spinning. Her head ached and her arm was on fire with pain. She just sobbed. She felt a hand on her brow and she gasped. If it was a foe she was unprepared and powerless to stop any attack. The hand wandered down her arm and she felt a cooling sensation replace the pain she had felt only moments before.

Then she herd a voice, it was not calm and peaceful like she would have thought. The feeling in her arm had indicated healing but the one who did it was not so kind. "Well, well, well, a she-elf. Hey boys! Come take a look at this." She tilted her head toward the speaker and her eyes met with evil. He was a man not an elf and there was lust in his eyes.

He leaned over her and rolled her on her back. She struggled and let out a scream but it was soon muffled by a hand. He laughed at her attempts to free herself. Soon there were five men standing above her, all waiting for their turn. Her eyes widened in fear and all that could be heard of her cries were small whimpers. Fresh tears slid down her eyes and she closed them tightly in a prayer.

One of the men grabbed hold of her wrists and tied them securely behind her. The one who had found her stood up and smiled at her. She tried to kick free but her legs were also soon restrained with ropes. "Hurry and put her on the horse. We don't have much time." He whistled and in a few minutes five horses pranced out of the trees, each one was black and there were curved swords hanging from there saddles.

She struggled as he lifted her up and carried her over his shoulder, "NO! Let me go! Release me! Please." One of the men behind him slapped her on the face and then forced a rag over her mouth, "Shut Up!" She tried in vain to yell but her cries were muffled by the cloth. All she could do now was hope. Hope that these men would free her, hope that some one heard her, hope that some how she would make it out of this...alive and untouched. But that didn't seem very possible.

Authors note: Sorry this thing took so long. I don't write fast. Hope you like.-P.J.