The Secret Chapter 12: In a Waking Moment, a lord of the rings fanfic

~*~A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers!! I am glad you like the story so far and I hope you continue to read! I have no idea when this is going to end… but hopefully soon! Keep reading everyone and enjoy!! *hugs* elenya~*~

A rustling noise awakened Elrond and Arwen from their reverie. They had been waiting for over two days for Lina to rise. Every half an hour Elrond would return to the room and chant softly in Elvish, chanting all of the most powerful spells he knew. The rustling sound was the first heard from the silent room in that time. Quickly getting up, Arwen and Elrond hurried into the room.

"Lina?" Arwen called, hopefully.

A mumbling noise responded. "Ar… Arwen?"

The other two Elves sprang quickly to her side.

"Elenya, dear… How are you feeling?" Elrond asked.

"Uncle…" Lina's breaths came rasps. "What happened?" Then in a moment the events of the days flashed in her memory. "Farin," she called. "Where is Farin? Where is he? Is he okay? Am I okay? What happened? Farin… Where is he?"

A shocked look came upon Elrond's face. He glanced at Arwen who stared back, frightened.

"What is wrong?" Lina questioned dubiously.

"Nothing, dear cousin, nothing. We are happy that you are alright. Perhaps you should regain your strength. Then we will discuss all that has happened," Arwen replied uneasily.

"What?" Lina protested, but Arwen shushed her. Fortunately Elrond had moved Farin's body into the next room so Lina could not see him.

"You are wounded deeply, Lina. You should rest. A morgul blade is contaminated with many harsh poisons," Elrond told her.

Lina glanced down at the throbbing parts on her stomach and arm. The gashes were closed, though they were still tinted red. They hurt, but she could live. "Can I bathe?" she asked.

"Yes, you may, for I think the rest of the healing will come to pass in due time. Does it hurt much?" Elrond asked.

After Lina replied no, Arwen took her to bathe and dress. She came out dressed in a lilac coloured, satin dress. She was somewhat struggling to walk, but she regained her composure as she walked across the lawns back to the Healers' Cottage.

"Uncle?" she called out.

"In here, my dear," came the response. Lina followed the voice to the balcony where Elrond was seated. He looked up at her grimly.

"Uncle? Where is Farin? You rescued him as well, did you not? How is he? Is he---?" her voice faded.

"Lina, I am sorry. But…" He led her to the room where Farin lay.

He uncovered the sheet covering him.

Lina's shrill scream pierced through the night.

"Farin!" she collapsed on the ground in a fit of tears. "Farin… Farin… I told you not to follow me… I told you I would meet you again… I told you that we would be… Farin… Why? This is my fault! Now I will never see you again!"

She crept towards the bed and lay her head next to her lover's body.

Elrond looked on, surprised. He had wondered why she was so keen on finding out how Farin was. She loved him… And he, Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, had never known. He left the room for he could not bear to see his niece, falling to pieces.

Arwen caught him outside the Healers' Cottage. She had heard Lina's scream and realised that Elrond had revealed to her the fate of her lover. Suddenly she remembered that he had not known of Lina's love for Farin.

"Father! Is she…?" Arwen asked.

"She is in a terrible state," Elrond replied, somewhat emotionlessly. "I… I… I never knew. She loved him… She loved him…"

Arwen threw her arms around her father. She had not seen him so upset since her mother had passed.

"Father, it is okay. She will be alright. But I do not know how long it may take for she – she loved him very much," Arwen said softly.

"Then why did she never tell me? That young Man has been coming and going from here for some time now, perhaps five years. Why had she not spoken of it?"

"What would you have done? Would you have had them married?" Arwen asked.

"I ---," Elrond could not find words to reply to his daughter's words.

"See, Father? You would not have; you could not have. It is not what you would have done. You would have punished her, and perhaps even banned Farin from coming to Rivendell ever again! No, do not say anything," she said as Elrond tried to interject, "You know I am speaking the truth, Father. That is your way! She was forced to hide her love from you. You would never permit her to marry a Man!"

"But Arwen, haven't I allowed you to love Aragorn? He is also a Man. I am not cold-hearted!" Elrond spoke quietly, yet firmly.

"I know, Father, and I have not accused you for being so. But isn't it true that you will only allow me to marry Aragorn because he is of high blood? Heir to the throne of Gondor? If this war is over, he will be King, and I a queen! You yourself raised Aragorn, and know him. But Farin --- He is merely a mortal with no high standing. He is not heir to a throne! You have not known him but five years. Would you have trusted him with Lina? Your niece?"

Hearing his daughter's point, Elrond replied, sighing, "You are right, daughter. I would not have permitted Lina to love him or marry him. It was a mistake on my part to ever judge this way, for perhaps Lina would have opened up."

"Father, it would not have wavered the events of these few days. Farin still would have gone with Lina, still would have passed…"

The two became silent. Quiet sobs could still be heard from the Healers' Cottage. Father and daughter walked to where Lina was lying, weeping hysterically.

"Elenya. Come with me, my niece."

"Uncle, I cannot. I cannot leave him! I love him!" Lina cried.

"Lina, do not be foolish. If we are to give him a proper burial, we must take him now," Arwen said, sympathetically.

"But Arwen, you do not see! Either way, I will die without him! I cannot live on with only his memory."

"Lina, you must understand! Your life will go on! If you do not go on, Farin will not live at all! With your memory of him always near your heart, you can live and keep a part of him alive, too. He would not want you to die!" Arwen cried.

Elrond stood, helplessly watching the two cousins. Then he slowly entered the room.

"Lina, my dear. Your cousin is right. And if you pass, I do not think I would have the will to live. You are as close to me as Arwen is, and the thought of losing you is unbearable. Please…" Elrond's usually strong voice broke.

Lina looked up with a tear-stained face. Her green eyes welled up once more and tears trickled down. In a swift motion she stood up. She looked from her uncle's face to her cousin's. Sighing, still weeping, she left the room. Lina ran to her tree, which she climbed deftly up. She curled her legs under her chin and sobbed.

"Why? Farin, you did not deserve this. I wish you were here!" For hours she wept on like this.

Later that evening, a burial was arranged for Farin. Since he had no family, it was a small gathering of only Elrond, Arwen, and Lina. As soon as Farin had been buried, Lina ran off, this time to her own room. She gazed out of her window at the waterfall. Suddenly she felt faint. It must have been the affect of the morgul poison and the fatigue this day of her waking had caused her. She stumbled across her room to her bed and fell onto its soft covers…

~*~

Lina jerked awake. She sat up, thoughts clouding her mind. The dream came back to her, and fresh tears began falling down her fair face once more. She swept a tendril of her raven hair away from her face. She had come to a conclusion to the question she had asked herself earlier. No, I cannot forget my past. I can live like this on… I have been content for this year, so I do not see why it must be different any other year. I can live without my love as long as I keep remembering him. I will never forget him. And with those thoughts, she jumped down from her position on the tree.

It was late, and all lights in the House of Elrond were unlit. Everyone must be asleep, Lina thought to herself. All the better; I will not be bothered with questions. She tip-toed into the House, and made her way up the stairs, hoping not to wake anyone. But an Elf can be extremely quiet when they wish. No one, not even another Elf, heard her shut her bedroom door and undress for bed. She put on a light chemise and crawled under the covers of her bed. She felt a certain feeling of safety, though a thought, she didn't know what, was still troubling her.

~*~Whew! Finished another chapter! Yay! Finally! But oh my… I have to do my homework now! I have been neglecting it… oops. Anyway, you CAN leave a REVIEW for me!! No flames, please, but constructive criticism is okay! :-D Thanks a lot everyone!~*~