Chapter 12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Chapter:
Soon they broke out into the light, the dark of Moria left behind. The moment they hit outside, Sam, Pippin and Merry were nervous wrecks, wracked with sobs and tears.
Legolas had walked ahead, whereas Alejandra had fallen to her feet, the pain of her injuries, plus Gandalf's fall was too much to bear, even though she knew he would come back. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Legolas' face. She felt her heart pain when she saw his expression. It was full of grief and despair and he seemed utterly lost and Alejandra knew she could have prevented it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ailish, having the guilt weighing more on her shoulders, was the only one who felt double pain in her heart. For she was the last to speak to him and wasn't able to help him, even though she knew they needed him as the White. But even so, Ailish held back the tears and sobs. She had her last teardrop three years ago, she would not cry now, nor never.
"Legolas!" Aragorn shouted, as he cleaned his sword. "Get them up!" Legolas looked at him, seemingly very lost.
Alejandra doubled over with pain, the full impact of her injuries kicking in. She winced and kneeled over further down, her head nearly touching the ground now.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir cried, as he tried to calm Pippin and Merry down.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs!" Ailish yelled, standing up.
Aragorn looked at her briefly, nodding. "We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come Boromir. Legolas! Get them up!" Aragorn said, sheathing his sword.
Legolas nodded and Aragorn walked over to Sam, pulling him to his feet. "On your feet, Sam." The hobbit nodded, pulling his pack onto his shoulders.
Aragorn looked up and saw Frodo, far ahead of the group, "Frodo. Frodo!" he cried.
Frodo turned around, tears glistening down his cheek, face in a expression of deep pain. Ailish looked over to Alejandra clutching her stomach in pain.
Legolas looked over to Alejandra, finally noticing her state. "My lady!" He walked behind her and pulled her into his arms. He frowned at the blood on his tunic, and on her hands. "This is not my blood, nor Orc blood..."
He noticed her hand, and removed it from her stomach and his eyes widened at the puncture in her stomach. He pulled up her shirt, making her wince as the dried blood pulled off.
"Aragorn!" Legolas cried. Aragorn was immediately by Alejandra's side, his eyes widen at her wound.
He studied it, before taking out athlelas and bandages. Alejandra grimaced as he cleaned her wound, but Legolas held her hand and she gratefully squeezed it, before closing her eyes. Saul, Alejandro, and Ailish also walked over to them.
Alejandro, who saw his cousin's eyes closing, shook her slightly. "Don't! Don't you even fall asleep. Please," his voice was commanding. "Do not fall asleep. You might not ever wake up again.. Please.. For me.." Alejandro's voice was pleading and Alejandra struggled to stay awake.
"I'll stay awake... "She managed to get out. "For you..." She repeated his words.
Legolas lifted Alejandra up onto his shoulders when Aragorn had bandaged her stomach wound, and her shoulder and side wound. They were soon off.
"You may sleep now," Legolas said quietly, adjusting her weight on his back. Alejandra sighed in relief.
She leaned her head against Legolas' back. Saul stood close to Legolas and Alejandra, as Ailish and Alejandro took the rear.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A few hours later--
The group crossed a small running river, heading into the woods, Legolas, and Ailish looking around for any danger around. They than started walking only when they were more in the woods.
"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf- witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again."Ailish, who somehow ended up walking next to the Hobbits and Gimli, saw the expression of fear on all four Hobbits. Ailish hit Gimli on the shoulder. He turned to glare at her.
"You're scaring the Hobbits!" She said, pointing to Pippin, who clung on to her, looking around.
Alejandra grinned weakly at Gimli's words, lifting her head painfully off Legolas' back, she shifted slightly, causing Legolas to look at her.
"You are awake now." He said softly, as she nodded.
"Put me down, please." Alejandra said weakly.
He shook his head. "You are still weak." He said in concern.
Alejandra shook her head in disapproval. "Legolas, I'm never weak for anything, understand?" she said in a exasperated tone.
He hesitated, before setting her down, but not letting her out of his grip. He kept his arm around her waist. She was glad for it, for she was still wobbly on her feet.
Ailish saw an expression on Frodo's face, a perturbed and confused expression. She knew that the Lady was talking to him.
'You four know too much. Yet you still play the role. You all do not belong here in Middle Earth. You bring great danger.' A voice in the four adult's head said.
They each looked at each other, knowing that, that was Lady Galadriel who just spoke to them.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked concerned, as Frodo stopped walking.
Frodo looked at Sam, than continued going forward, not knowing if he was just hearing things.
Ailish suddenly heard a slight movement to the left. She slowly edged out one of her scimitar, as she pushed. 'Something is near.' Ailish pushed Pippin off of her, and looked around.
"Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox--" Gimli was cut off, as an arrow appeared in front of his face.Legolas jerked out his bow, aiming it around. Elves had surrounded them.
But unfortunately for them, Ailish had anticipated this ambush. She was already moving, swirling around them and then stopped, her scimitar poised a millimeter away from, who she assumed was the leader of the elves, throat.
"A fast one," he commented, looking her over. "But a mortal.. a strange one at that..."
Aragorn stepped forward. "Haldir of Lorien. We come here for help. We need your protection." He said, bowing slightly.
Ailish grinned slightly and noted that Haldir had not moved a muscle, probably because her scimitar was very, very close to his throat.
He gave her an amused look. "Do you even know how to use that?"
Ailish glared at him, a grim expression upon her face. She slightly pushed her scimitar a little closer, making him gulp nervously. "What do you think?"
"Ailish." Everyone warned, telling her to back off.
Ailish arched an eyebrow, shrugging a bit. She quickly sheathed her scimitar and walked from behind Haldir, who finally got a full view of her.
"Follow me."
Haldir led the Company deep into the woods, away from prying eyes and ears.
By nightfall, they soon reached a platform high above the trees, lanterns the only light source available.
Haldir walked in front of Legolas, speaking in elvish. "Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil."
Legolas bows, "(in Elvish) our Fellowship stands in your debt."
Haldir than looks at Aragorn and takes a step forward, also speaking elvish. "Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us."
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can all understand!" Gimli said, rudely.
Haldir looked past Aragorn's shoulder to the extremely short Gimli. "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." Haldir said with disdain.
"And you know what this Dwarf says to that?" Gimli said, hand on his axe handle.
He then rattled something off in Dwarvish, which sounded crude and harsh next to Haldir's Elvish. Haldir's lip curled and he was about to advanced but Aragorn made a face and slammed a hand on Gimli's shoulder.
"That was not so courteous." Aragorn said through his teeth.
Haldir looked sharply at Aragorn and seemed to metaphorically shake off Gimli's insult and scan the rest of our Fellowship. His gaze stopped on Frodo, who stood behind them all, surrounded by the other three Hobbits.
"You bring great evil with you." Haldir said, severely. "You can go no further." He turned back to Aragorn, who seemed crest-fallen.
Frodo's shoulder drooped significantly, as the rest of the Hobbits look at him.
Haldir and Aragorn walk to the side, and argue in elvish. Everyone is silence, anxious and nervous of what Haldir would do. Boromir than looks at Frodo.
"Gandalf's death was not in vain. Nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead." Frodo looks thoughtful at Boromir for a moment.
Alejandra closed her eyes as her head swam, than dropping to the ground. Saul and Alejandro quickly kneeled down, as Ailish sat on her knees and put Alejandra's head on her lap.
Aragorn and Haldir stopped arguing and rushed over to the group around Alejandra.
"She's cold!" Ailish took off her coat and put it on top of Alejandra.
Haldir looked at Ailish in amused, surprise, and wonder, as all her weapons were now in full view. He shook his head and looked back to Alejandra and kneeled down.
"She is fading fast." Haldir said quietly, placing a warm hand on her forehead.
"Her wounds were quite serious. I only wish she would've told us earlier." Aragorn said in concern.
"If we would have told you earlier, you guys wouldn't have made it out of Moria." Ailish retorted, watching Alejandra wince as Aragorn check her stomach.
"You mean, you knew!? And didn't say anything!" Legolas almost yelled.
"We thought she could at least make it to the woods. And she did, now she needs proper healing."
"We do not have a healer out here. He is in the city." Haldir said sorrowfully.
"Please!" Ailish yelled, getting everyone's attention. "Let us pass! She will not live soon, if she doesn't have proper healing!" Ailish looked up at Haldir, concern and fear in her eyes. "She is like a sister to me. I will kill myself if she dies."
Alejandra now feels the darkness start to take her over and struggles to stay awake, but is useless.
"Alejandra, stay awake, please!" Ailish pleaded quietly.
"We, too, will die! She is our cousin, and we won't lose her." Alejandro looked sharply at Haldir, as Saul glared at him.
Haldir hesitated, looking at Alejandra fighting to stay awake, than to Ailish, who was pleading him. "You will follow me." He said curtly, spinning on his heel, with his posse escorting them.
Saul picked Alejandra up, and tired to keep up with Haldir's steps. Haldir pointed to the bed.
"Set her down, and try to keep her warm. We leave at dusk."
The adults stayed in that platform for the night, neither one of them able to sleep. At dusk, they started out, walking deeper into the woods. By mid afternoon, the company was halted to take upon the beautiful landscape around them. Nothing but fairly large tress around them. Surrounding and hiding that is the companies destination.
"Caras Galadhon. The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light." said Haldir, proudly.
They continued to walk further up to the hill. Around late afternoon, the company walked into a gorgeous city, a city built into and around the trees. Great winding staircases, glittering with small lamps, circled around the wide tree trunks, leading to platforms upon platforms. They began to climb an intricately carved staircase with Haldir in the lead. Before going any further, Haldir turned to the girl in Saul's arms.
"Only one of you may go with your friend." An elf came up to Saul, taking Alejandra from his arms.
Saul and Ailish turned to Alejandro. "You're closes to Alejandra. You stay with her."
Alejandro hugged the both of them. "Thank you." Than he followed the elf to the healing room.
They continued to follow Haldir once more, taking them further upwards. The company than stopped on a wide platform, placed at the bottom of another tall staircase. Arches bent gracefully over the stairs, festooned with glittering lamps, hanging over Elf-sentries that surrounded the stairs. Saul and Ailish walked over next to Haldir in the side, staying out of sight from both Elf Lords.
A white light than blinded them, as two figures glided down the stairs. It was, no doubt, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. They held hands as they walked down to greet them, tunic and gown lightly brushing the ground, but never tripping them. They reached where they stood and all the members of the Fellowships bent their heads. Some out of respect and others out of awe and fear. At last, Celeborn spoke.
"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." Celeborn paused for a moment, looking at each of them. "Eight there are here, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar." Celeborn said, looking at each of them in turn for an answer.
The Lady at his side seemed to transport to another world as she spoke. "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow." Each of them shuddered at being reminded, Ailish turning her head, trying to clam herself.
Legolas than speaks up, his eyes never wavering from Galadriel's. "He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." His voice seemed to quiver at the thought.
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose." Galadriel than looks at Gimli, who had his head bowed. "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin. For the world has grown full of peril and in all lands love is now mingled with grief." She said, her tone darker.
Boromir began to quake under her gaze and he turned away quickly.
"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost." Celeborn said.
Galadriel swept her gaze back to the whole of the Fellowship. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." Then she softened and looked over to Sam, Merry, and Pippin, smiling.
"Yet hope remains while the company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep well."
'Welcome Frodo of the Shire. The one who has seen the EYE!'
Frodo swallowed nervously, as he heard the lady in his head.
Galadriel than turned to Ailish and Saul, who have been quiet the whole time, smiling. "I know you are waiting for my permission to see your friend or cousin. But I suggest you wait a day or two."
Everyone turned to the two adults next to Haldir, and Celeborn, seeing them for the first time, was shocked and surprised to see them there.
Saul was going to say something but Ailish took his upper arm. "Very well. But may we talk in private? It is the only reason for our presence here or we would be outside of the room with my friend."
A/N: How was it? Good I hoped. Please review!!!