Disclaimer: I own the giant flake eating fiend … the fish, a feline ranger, a black panther, and a female sentinel.
A/N: 'This is thoughts'
""This is mind to mind Far Speak ""
This is mind to mind communication between Fire and Briar that only they can hear
'This is visions'
If you want to read a good story, Black Lace101 has a good one called "To heal a wounded Eleth". I really have enjoyed it so far!
To my Lovely Readers: THANK YOU!
To My Wonderful Reviewers:
Morwen12: Glad you liked the story and my twisted sense of humor. Secrets are revealed and Fire gets ready to hunt! Enjoy!
Scoobygang-Alumni: Your quite welcome! You are now the proud owner of an Elf for the duration of a year! You are my 100th reviewer! CONGO RATS! Yea a persistent elf is fun to watch. Throw in a rival, and things get weird and wacky! Leggy is not taking NO for answer but Fire won't say yes without a fight! She is very stubborn. I see their courtship as what we all should aspire to: fun, friendship, trust, sacrifice of pride –well not all of it, caring and, of course love. The love can not last if the first three are missing! Romance today is way too quick, and I see elves being more like the earlier day: 1930's and 1940's where proper courting was done and most waited to bind first before they co-habituated. The beginning mystery will be explained later, but what Galadriel did NOT see is the true answer to the riddle! LOL!
Black Lace101: Yes a determined elf can be great fun to watch! Especially when said prey refuses to give him the time of day and continues to return his gifts lol. With him having to out maneuver Haldir it will get to be slightly tricky and more then a bit sneaky!
ShopGirl 1:Welcome Back! Glad computer working again! Galadriel IS going to tell her all about what she saw and what she fears will happen in the next chapter. Haldir IS going to crash the picnic but gets more then he bargained for! Leggy has found that annoying Fire helps to wear down her resistance and he can't help loving the fact she goes to sooooo much trouble to return his gifts! Will his fourth picnic try work? A black cat has crossed his path! Talking about black cats, yes that is the same cat in the vision, but romance with Haldir ? Well Haldir is not so thrilled with felines at the moment, but with my twisted mind that could change. Oh is the black cat a she? Guess we will have to wait and see! HEHE!
Captain Jade Sparrow: Welcome back! Well you get not one but two Elves for the week! You are right about Briar, the black cat sleeping on Haldir and the relationship of both my characters. Yes its nice to see Legolas figuring out Fire and out maneuvering her too. This chapter shows what happens Before and After she gives his gifts back. Hope this chapter is worth the wait!Enojy!
Ephona: Welcome back! Ok I am jealous, I love horses! I am so glad I made your night with my last chapters. Fire shows Galadriel a new trick. Briar sees the aftermath of Legolas/Fire's daily rituals.
Flame of Knowledge
Fire was livid! Galadriel had broken into her mind four times and the persistent Spawn of Hades, refused to go away. Her reunion with Briar kept getting interrupted so badly, that Briar had thrown her out the door to search for the Lady. Why the damn Elf Witch could not seem to stay out of her mind and her business, Fire did not know, but it was way to early. Fire had already told Galadriel to go to Mordor last night and refused her summons. Only because Briar insisted, did she answer the summons now. Following her instincts, Fire circled her way through the gardens and down a flight of stairs. There stood Galadriel, revered Lady of the Golden Woods and the bane of the ranger's very existence.
Storming over to the waiting Lady, Fire let her anger boil over. "Do you never just come to someone's door and knock? I was in a private conversation and I do NOT appreciate your interference. From now on, make an appointment! This is the last time I will answer a mind summons!", the ranger growled at the calm and collected elleth before her. The fact she looked unruffled in the face of the ranger's indignant rampage, irked Fire even more.
"Child are you quite done now?", came the calm tone from the Lady. At Fire's nod, Galadriel continued, "I asked you here because I know who and what you are. I have seen disturbing things within your mind and I wish to speak about them, with you. I wish you to look into my mirror, for I have foreseen a great deal of strife and it concerns you. Will you look?"
A curt nod was all the answer Galadriel received. Moving to the mirror, Fire stared at the empty pedestal bath in front of her. She saw the Lady of the Woods gather water from a small pool fed by a tiny waterfall. Smirking, Fire looked down into the pedestal and conjured up a picture of a roaring flame dancing in the wind. She raised her hand slowly over the empty basin and pushed with her mind. At once a flame, the color of deep forest green, exploded in the basin's center blazing brightly. Tilting her head to one side, Fire gazed at the flame a moment, then turned to a shocked and dismayed Galadriel who still held the jug of water.
A tense smile graced the ranger's lips at the pleasant sight of Galadriel's shock. "You see, My Lady, why I chose to keep the name Hellfire. I wade through the very flames of death unscathed. Fire is my element to control, though sadly, I am grievously out of practice. I have remembered much of my old life and the one prior to that. When I was unconscious for those four days, the blessed Valar showed me what had been, what I had need to know about myself and what is, possibly, to come to pass. I am not that which I was, nor am I, yet, what I will become. You wish to know all you can about my role in this great War of the Rings, so please step forward and gaze upon the flame of knowledge.", Fire said with a seductive, yet fierce tone.
Reluctantly, Galadriel set the water pitcher back beside the tiny waterfall. Moving slowly closer to the flame, she began to see shifting shapes and could hear fell voices. As she stopped at the basin's edge, the picture came into focus.
'Screams rent the air. Bodies torn to shreds. Growls of fury wafted upon the stale, fetid air. Claws and teeth flashed in furious abandon. Gore coated the walls of the castle, as the Destroyers came in waves of hatred. Up on a lone rampart, stood three figures. One was exceedingly tall. He stood, half man / half cat, with his black fur slicked with blood and gore.
A look of pure hatred was rippling across his dark face as he spoke to the silver furred male in front of him. "You will be the end of the Great Deceivers, Tygerian of Anorak! With your death the blood line of the royal house and all its power will fail. Know how much I will enjoy feasting upon the flesh of you and yours!" At a sharp nod, King Tygerian, ruler of the Forgotten Ones and last of the Royal House of Anorak, felt a blade swipe across his furred throat with a sharp bite of pain.
Though the King was dead and saddened that his people were lost, King Tygerian went to the Halls of Mandos with a glad heart. All was not lost, the Royal Cats of Anorak still lived thanks to his daughter's mate, Gandalf the Grey. The hidden prophecy would be fulfilled, as was told in ancient times, and all of Arda would hang in the balance; for the actions taken by The Moonlight and The Shadow would turn the tide of battle.
Once of Silver, Twice of Gold
Only they knew what Arda will hold
The darkness closed around the dead. Victory growls were heard across the land as the last of the Forgotten Ones fell."
Both Fire and Galadriel staggered, as the vision faded and the bright green flames instantly vanished. Breathing heavily, Fire slid gracelessly onto the grass covered ground, as Galadriel grabbed for the basin. "See ye now, Great Lady of the Elves, how my people perished. There will come a day, when the returned Royal House of Anorak will revenge the death of its beloved subjects and King. I will come again to see what you have to show me, but for now I need to clear my head of this horror.", Fire said softly to the Lady. At Galadriel's agreement, they made arrangements to meet again the next night, for Fire's turn to look in the mirror.
With a slightly goofy smile, Fire stood and faced Galadriel. "Well, My Lady, I am overly late and I have a scavenger hunt to go on, courtesy of an idiot elf. If nothing else, that Elf is persistent as Hell.", the ranger's voice tinged with wonder and bemusement. Galadriel's twinkling laugh made Fire stop and turn back to the Elf Lady, with an eyebrow raised in question. The ranger's mouth dropped open, just before peals of laughter rang into the glade courtesy of the Lady. "Well? Will you again throw him in the river or surprise him with your company? I must admit, I find this game you play both, fascinating and highly amusing. Aragorn, Gimli, and even my dear Celeborn are placing wagers on the success of Legolas' wooing or the successful avoidance of his attentions from your stubborn refusal to be wooed. I think you like the ellon much more then you will admit and I believe you love the challenge he brings to your life. Be gone now, young one, but leave him at least a piece of fruit this time!", Galadriel's laughter choked voice said, as Fire turned and went in search of the elf's surprise.
Briar bound down the stairs and almost over an unsuspecting Haldir. The March warden quickly grasped her arms to steady her, as she politely apologized for nearly running him over. He laughed softly, and told her that no apology was needed, before making his way down the path after Legolas. Shaking her head ruefully, Briar continued on to her meeting with Fire. She had seen a hilarious and slightly disturbing sight on Fire's balcony this morning. A ripe piece of fruit and a beautiful golden Hydra flower lay side by side on the railing. Peering off the balcony, Briar came to the conclusion that Fire was right; the Prince of Mirkwood was an idiotic and slightly insane elf!
She had been shocked when Fire had told her the crazy ellon had been leaving the gifts on her balcony for the last week. The only way to reach her balcony was to climb up the Mallorn tree and jump a good distance from a branch that dangled precariously. How the Elven Prince managed to get back off the balcony was still a mystery to both her and Fire. As soon Fire was roused out of bed by Briar's excited exclamations, she stormed into the bathing chamber and threw on the clothes she had dropped there the night before. Grumbling under breathe about the idiocy of the Elven male mind, Fire grabbed the apple and then reverently scooped up the Hydra flower, stopping for only a moment to take in its delicate scent with a pleased smile. The fleeting smile disappeared and Fire took off out the door grumbling once more about persistent, empty headed males that can not take 'GO AWAY' for an answer.
Her curiosity peaked, Briar could not help but follow the still grumbling elleth out the door, across three bridges, down two flights of stairs, across another two bridges and finally up four more sets of stairs. Observing the ranger forcefully slamming open the door to Lord Aragorn and Prince Legolas' private talan, Briar cringed waiting for the explosion to happen. One did not just walk into someone else's talan, especially a royal lord who happened to be the guest of the Lady herself. Quickly running to get closer in case Fire should need rescuing, Briar was treated to an unusual demonstration of tenacity and pure stubbornness.
Fire had stalked to the fruit bowl in the kitchen area. Placing the apple back with the others, the ranger glared at Legolas, then walked past a grinning Aragorn and a pleased looking Elf Prince, towards a vase full of Hydra flowers with shimmering gold petals. Gently placing the flower into the vase with seven others, and checking to make sure they had enough water, Fire turned to the elf again. Rolling her eyes, the ranger stated in an exasperated voice, "Idiot Elf!", before heading for the door again.
Just as she was going to pass through the door, Legolas called to her and when she turned, threw a parchment at her with a cheeky grin. "Happy hunting Fire. I still have hopes we can share the bounty, this time, but if not there is always another day." And with that the bedraggled ranger stormed out the door, past the stunned female sentinel and back down four flights of stairs, over two bridges, up two flights of stairs, across three more bridges and into the safe haven of her cozy talan, as thoughts of Legolas' cheeky grin stayed on her mind and aroused a matching grin. She could not wait to get started on the hunt!
Fire realized she had to speak awhile with Briar, but the pleased grin never left her face, as she marched purposely into the bathing chamber to wash up, nor when she got dressed nor when she started breakfast. Briar just sat back at the table and watched in fascination, as Fire walked around the talan looking like a very happy and extremely content cat that had just swallowed the preverbal canary in one bite.' So it finally has happened to her! Prince Legolas has gotten past her defenses and sneaked into her very heart! I wonder how long it will before Fire actually admits she is deeply in love with him? Knowing her it is a good thing Elves are immortal, because he is in for a long, long wait; unless the Valar take pity on the Prince and intervene in his behalf.', Briar thought in amusement as she began trying to eat the semi edible breakfast the ranger had cooked.