Author's Note: All right, now my main plot is about to kick in. Brace yourselves, we're going for a ride! The rating applies for violence in this chapter and few of those which will follow it.
Chapter Twenty
Hate
Mirlaic's eyes widened and she took in a sharp intake of breath, her face losing its rosy color.
"Mirlaic!" I asked in alarm, reaching out to take her hand. "What's wrong?"
She stared at me with her eyes slightly glazed over, "What did you say his name was?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Caden." I replied hesitantly.
She shuddered as I said that name, and a tight knot formed in my chest, my nervousness intensifying. "Mirlaic, what is wrong?" I asked again, squeezing her hand to attract her attention, to bring her back to me. The look of fear and sorrow in her eyes frightened me, and with anything in my power I wanted it to disappear. "God dammit! What's wrong?" I shouted, she seemed not to notice, turning to me slowly.
"Victoria, this Caden...he came to this village once before."
"Yes...so what of it?"
"The day before we heard of the battle. The day before I found out about Tatharion. A stranger came to the village, a stranger dressed all in green..."
His cloak was mud-splattered. He carried a long, gnarled staff and a long, grey beard fell from his wizened face down to his chest. But it was his eyes that frightened me the most. Ancient and all-knowing. Like looking into the depths of the sea... He was not like any of the other mortals who had visited our village before. I stopped and stared, my sister, Ana, followed my example. He was shouting outside the village inn, most of the people mainly ignored him.
"There has been a great battle!" He said, "You must send out patrols to retrieve your wounded!"
He was attracting a large crowd of elves, all clamoring to hear what he had to say.
"Who are you old man? What business do you have here in Gilloth?" Said one elf.
"My name is Caden, and I have come to give tidings in this dark hour. Quickly! Many will die...few will survive without help."
I thought of Tatharion and I shuddered.
"Mirlaic, come, we should go." Ana whispered to me, tugging at my arm. But I could not obey my younger sister's pleas.
"He speaks of our armies." I said to her in reply, resisting her frantic wish to leave. Then the old man...Caden...turned to me. His depthless eyes locking onto mine and all fell silent. "He will not survive if he does not receive aid." He said slowly to me, my heart began to beat faster against my chest. "He will not come home unless he is attended to."
Who! My mind screamed, no words would come out.
"Until who gets help?" Asked Ana from beside me.
No, don't answer...please... "Tatharion." Caden replied calmly, that was all I heard. For after that, I passed out.
"...he was gone the next morning. Shaken and unnerved by the traveler's claim, many elves set out for the borders for signs of battle... to see if his claim had been true. It had. Everything had been true, all the curses and commands. Many warriors had been wounded, many more were killed. When they brought home Tatharion so ill...I didn't know what to do." She finished in a shaking voice. She looked into my face, searching my brown eyes. "What did he tell you?"
I met her gaze with an unwavering one of my own. I didn't want to tell her, there was no need. Shame welled up in my chest, replaced by anger, and then fear. My eyes darkened and I turned away. "Nothing...he told me nothing."
I did not see Caden again after that strange occurrence. I was afraid now...mortally afraid if he had anything else to tell me. If Faerlain ever left for Valinor...I would not be able to go with him. It was a safe haven only for the Elves. Only for the immortal. And I was mortal. I was human. I was everything that Faerlain didn't and shouldn't have...and yet he did. I loved him and he loved me. What good could ever come of this?
Mirlaic looked unwell for a long time after I told her of the Istari, as he called himself. Yet now I wasn't sure if he even existed. I mean, people have had worse dreams right? But deep in my heart I knew that no matter how hard I tried... I knew he was real. And no matter how many times I tried to convince myself...that he was probably still waiting for me.
I do not know what made me ride along the old highway once more nearly two weeks later. Whether it was some sort of foolish bravado or a test...I do not know. All that I do know is this, that as I listened to Talorta's hooves hitting the ground as we continued...I felt like I was knocking at death's door. I was terrified of what Caden would tell me if I saw him again. What news he would give me...if he had any at all. And mostly I was afraid of seeing the image of my brother again. For seeing Zach again would only be a reminder that I was mortal and that I too...would someday die as well. I rode out far from the village this time. Wishing and dreading to see Caden once more.
"I knew you would come back."
The all too familiar voice made me quake as I stopped Talorta and turned him around to look at him. Caden was seated astride a bay horse, who stood as still as its master while Caden looked on at us. He seemed...sad.
"If you have something you wish to tell me, speak it and be gone. I wish not for you to haunt me any more." I said loudly, my voice shaking slight as I hoped my tone would increase my bravery...
It did not.
"Do not fear child." Caden said wearily, not taking his gaze off of me.
"Do you have a message?"
"Yes."
"Then speak it." I said far more sharply then I had intended, my hand trembling as then gripped Talorta's flaxen mane.
Caden caught my eyes and sighed. "It is always the same." He said, sounding suddenly very old and tired.
"What is?"
"The War of the Ring goes poorly with the men of the west. Sauron's armies mass across the lands of the world with only a few to stop them. The battle on your borders is not least of all."
"What are you telling me?" I demanded, my voice shaking worse still and a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.
"Only this, that the soldiers on your eastern borders have been attacked, they need reinforcements."
"From where!" I demanded. "All the young elves have already gone from the village...there is no one left."
Caden froze, his eyes glazing over and his face growing pallid. I gaped in horror as his head rolled back. Then, after what seemed like hours he sat up again, his face alert and fearful. He spurred the black horse forward.
"You must leave...all of you." He said, his voice rising. "This village is no longer safe."
"We have others to protect us." I retorted, surely fighting would not be our only way out? But...way out...the way out from what? Why did we have to leave? What was wrong?
"There will be no time for others to come. The nearest village is ten miles away from here. There are enemies coming, you must leave now or it will be too late."
"Too late...too late for what?"
"I must go warn the other villages. Take my message back to Gilloth. Alert everyone that they must leave...now."
"Caden that is..."
"Unless you all want to die I see no other choice." He said icily. "Enemies will reach you with a week, there is no time to spare. You have no warriors, your own are fighting a failing battle. You will find strength and courage in numbers, make for the other village, go quickly."
"Caden I-"
But he had gone, his horse galloping down the highway and disappearing under the curtain of trees.
I rode back quickly to Gilloth...still unsure of whether or not to believe Caden's message to be true. My heart had begun to pick up its pace and the air and a stillness that blanketed the forest in a sort of dread that was making me nervous. I pushed Talorta into a gallop until we reached the village.
Everything was fine. The streets bore the usual bustle of the village, I could see Ana and her friends romping around, giggling and laughing as all children should. There were no young warriors, all who had been old enough had left for the war long ago. The small shops scattered here and there were crowded with buyers, the inn filled with those fond of drink. Most of the men were already in the fields.
And everything was so calm that I felt my mood darken as I thought of my nervousness and anxiety. But then there was a cry from the woods and a small elfling came running into the square. It was a young boy, not more then 10 by mortal standards. I watched as he ran into the village from the forest, he was screaming.
'THEY'VE TAKEN HIM! THEY ARE COMING!' He shouted, tears streaking his face. A matronly elf ran over to him, her dark hair pulled into a dark braid which ran down her back.
'Nírorn? What foolishness is this? Where is your brother Tathar?' She asked concernedly in Sindarin.
"They've taken him.' He sobbed,'It is all my fault.'
'What has happened? Tell me what has happened Nírorn!" Demanded the elf, now looking anxious.
'Tathar and I went into the forest to climb the trees. We heard noises down below on the forest floor and I dared him to see what it was. We were frightened, but he took my dare. He climbed down the tree and then he did not come back. I was too scared to call his name, so I waited for him to return.'
'You two left before dawn, surely he had come back...?'
'He did not Mama. I waited for hours. I crept down to the floor and I could not find him...but...but...'
'But what?' She demanded, shaking the boy's shoulders and attracting a crowd.
'I found ears on the forest floor. Pointed ears. They were all bloody, so I did not recognize them at first, there were deep footprints in the earth, heading for the neighboring village.' The elfling sobbed harder, burying his face in the woman's skirts. 'They were Tathar's ears Mama, I just know it! It is all my fault..."
A cry of alarm ran up from the villagers, the butcher, innkeeper, and several of the older male elves gathered around the group of worried women who were looking anxiously around for their husbands.
'You say you saw ears Nírorn?' Asked one, the elfling nodded through his sobs, now unable to speak.
'This is impossible!' Said one.
'No one could attack us so close to the palace, they would have to come through our lines...' Said another.
My face blanched and I let out a gasp. The mother of the elfling looked up at me, her gazed followed by several of the other elf women.
"...the soldiers on our eastern borders have been attacked, they need reinforcements."
I did not stop to listen, I ran the rest of the way home.
"Mirlaic, I saw him! I saw Caden!" I shouted as I banged through the front door into the main room of the flet.
Mirlaic hurried out, her creamy skin pale and drawn.
"He said that our warriors have been attacked, that their lines we're broken. They need reinforcements!"
"He said these things to you?" Mirlaic asked in astonishment.
I nodded, "There's more. A elf boy just came back from the deep forest, he says there are intruders coming from the south, they are on their way to the closest village to us."
"Surely...surely this cannot be true?" Mirlaic said, her voice low now, her eyes wide.
I had no words to say to her, I could say or do nothing.
"Caden has never lied before." Mirlaic said slowly. I could feel the pain written in her face and evident in her words. Drawing her cloak from a hook on the door she turned to me, "Quickly, we must tell the others!"
This is impossible. There is no way. How could the enemy be so close?
Those were most of the reactions we received from the surrounding villagers. They did not believe me. I shouted until I was hoarse the words Caden had spoken to me, I had reminded them of Mirlaic tale, of his last visit to Gilloth. Some hurried home to prepare there things to leave this place. And the others...they laughed. The said I was crazy, said to go home. Told me that I should have never listened to Caden.
Nírorn's family left immediately to gather their things. They were going to the palace, their example was followed by a few of the other villagers, but the rest stayed behind. Sealing their fates. No defense was erected, none of the men armed. There would be no reinforcements for the warriors on the front lines, and there would be no safety for the elves of the village.
Mirlaic and I returned to the flet, but Mirlaic walked slowly, barely keeping up to my pace when normally she could have easily out-paced me. She did not meet my gaze when I asked her if she was all right. She did not answer as I asked her what we should do. And I somehow deep in my heart as a terrible ache consumed me that Mirlaic had made a decision as well...
She was not leaving Gilloth.
TO BE CONTINUED...