Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, J.R.RTolkien does!
A/N: This chapter has a few point of view changes, swapping between Aranel and Legolas to get both sides of the story.
A/N: Oh and thanks to TheLoneShe-Elf and rougelovelegolas for reviewing!
Chapter 3: Questions in the dark.
Aranel's slow climb back into consciousness was a difficult one. She was only slightly aware of her surroundings and extremely uncomfortable, so waking up wasn't really something she was in a hurry to do. When she did finally wake she wished she hadn't. Opening her eyes, she became highly confused as to what was happening, as everything looked exactly the same as when her eyes were shut. It was pitch black, and she felt like someone had squashed her into a tiny, very hard bath and left the tap to drip on her.
It was only after a few minutes that her eyes adjusted and she could make out a faint orange glow through a bared door. A cell? This sent her into even more confusion as she tried to remember how on Earth she had managed to get there, and sat up quickly, only to lie down again as her head throbbed painfully. I need some Panadol! She thought as she automatically reached for her bag. Where is…? It was then she realised she was missing a lot of things other than her bag. Her jewellery and jacket had also gone. What is going on! She thought wildly as she shut her eyes again, both to try and ease her head and remember. I went for a walk… it was night…I was trying to find…..oh. The pieces all fell back into place as her little adventure came flooding back to her and she rubbed the back of her heard where she now assumed someone had hit her. But why did they want me? She wondered, as her head continued to feel like someone was madly hammering inside it and she desperately tried to figure out how she was going to get out of this.
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Legolas sat between his father, King Thranduil, and Gandalf, and listened as Gandalf told his account of what had happened earlier in the forest. The contents of the girls bag and the other objects she had been carrying had been laid out on the table in front of them. As he listened he looked around at everyone in the room. His fathers most trusted advisers, all of which were listening intently, the elves that had accompanied them, and two servants, both of which were also listening intently and trying to look as if they weren't.
"She did not directly attack though, and I do not know why. She was under more threat than when she met Legolas in the woods and yet she did nothing." Gandalf said, shaking his head and falling into silence.
"Perhaps she could not take all of you on at once. You say she is quite young, perhaps her powers have not fully developed. Could that not be the case?" The King asked Gandalf, who looked to be deep in thought.
"Perhaps…though it still puzzles me. For anyone to have such power, and be able to control it as you said she could, Legolas, she must have been trained. Unless we are dealing with something we have completely over looked."
"You say she must have trained with the Istari, but she had no staff when we found her and yet she was still able to produce light. And I cannot recall seeing her with a staff when I first encounted her in the forest. How can this be, Gandalf, if she is indeed an Istari." There were murmurs of agreement to Legolas's comment from the rest of the room.
"And what of this Gandalf? She carries the one ring!" The King said, they had been through every thing that Aranel had on her, coming down to her replica of the one ring and deciding that this, if anything, proved her to be trouble.
Gandalf shook his head, looking at his hands, "I don't know," he said quietly, the room falling silent to hear his response. After a moment of thought he continued, "There is something though, something I hadn't thought worth checking it seemed such an impossibility…." Gandalf trailed off, lost in thought again.
"Go on" Thranduil prompted. The room was watching Gandalf intensely.
"I will need more time, I do not wish to go into to much detail now. It is a long shot and I doubt anything will come of it but….I will need to question her, Thranduil, so if you could hold off with any plans you had for her it would be much appreciated."
Thranduil nodded his agreement adding "As long as you have taken the precautions needed to keep her detained, if she is indeed as powerful as you seem to believe I cannot have her escaping and seeking revenge or something of the like." There were more murmurs of agreement from the Kings advisers at this.
"I don't think she would," Legolas said, followed by a stunned silence.
"Pardon." Thranduil looked at his son, clearly sunned by his disagreement, "She attacked you without reason, how can you defend her now?"
"Because she was terrified, father. She was absolutely terrified of us and she was afraid of me at first as well. I do not think she wants anything to do with us, so why would she seek revenge and draw even more attention to herself?"
"She attacked you Legolas, using higher powers than have been seen in these parts for centuries. I will protect these lands from such things and you will support me in it." Thranduil was speaking directly to Legolas now, without a thought for whom ever else was in the room.
"I do support you father, as I always have, but I do not see the point in keeping a terrified girl held in our dungeons. Why not grant her freedom? I think you will find we shall hear no more of her-"
"Legolas if I set her free on your pure instinct that she will not return and she does, with more of…..what ever she is, what will my people, your people think? It is our duty to protect them!" The King was standing now leaning over Legolas so he had to look up at him.
The room was completely still, no one dared even breathe to loudly the tension was so thick.
After a moment Legolas stood as well, "Fine. Keep her looked up then, but if Gandalf finds nothing she will be set free, I will see to it."
And it was with that the council ended, Gandalf leaving to question Aranel, and the rest of the council leaving Legolas to sit and contemplate why this girl intrigued him so.
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Aranel, who had fallen into an uneasy sleep, was startled awake by three loud thumps and a strange whisper from the cell door. She sat up slowly, the thumping in her head had reduced itself to a slight ache, so she stood up and headed for the back of the cell, pressing herself up against the hard stone.
Light was bobbing up and down out side the door, evidently someone had come to see her and as the door opened she recognised the silhouette of the man who stood there. He swung his torch into the darkness that was her cell and both mirrored each other as they put their hands up to shield their eyes from the light.
Gandalf followed the light in, closing the door behind him. Aranel heard the jingle of keys and the snap of the lock as someone outside locked it after him.
"Well then child, you have managed to cause a little chaos haven't you." Gandalf said, spotting her pressed against the opposite wall.
"Why don't you come and sit down so we can talk." He sat on the hard stone ledge on one wall that apparently was meant to be a bed.
Aranel remained silent, though she moved away from the wall and came nearer Gandalf, if only for the slight warmth his torch gave.
"There now," Gandalf continued, "there's no need to fear me, indeed, if you are indeed what I think it should probably be the other way round."
"You know about…."Aranel started, then stopped herself, the idea that someone could possibly know why she was able to do what she could was to good to be true and she didn't want to go admitting anything to a stranger.
"Yes, I know what you are capable of, that's why I am here. I've come to ask you a few questions." Gandalf smiled warmly at her, indicating to her to sit down.
Aranel, though still cautious, sat down on the ledge and looked at Gandalf. After all, it is him, she thought, out of everyone here he is probably the one to talk to.
"Good, now, first off, I was wondering what your name is." Gandalf said simply.
This took Aranel by surprise, and she couldn't help smile, it had just occurred to her that she knew all about the people here but they didn't have a clue who she was.
"Aranel Sewell" she replied, still watching Gandalf.
"Aranel…" he said looking more closely at her, "that's interesting…"
"Why?" Aranel asked immediately.
"Nothing to concern yourself with," Gandalf replied with a smile that said otherwise, "How old are you?"
"17." Aranel replied, she could deal with these questions; she hoped they'd all be like that.
"And were do you live, Aranel?" Gandalf asked.
Aranel hesitate at this, Do I say I'm from another world or this one? She wondered.
"Er…Australia…" she replied slowly, watching Gandalf's reaction. He didn't seem too worried though and just nodded.
"And do you know where you are now?"
"Yes…I think….Mirkwood?" Aranel asked. She had assumed this was Mirkwood but really she could be anywhere.
"Yes, It is indeed Mirkwood." Gandalf answered her before continuing.
"And do you know how you managed to get here?"
So he did know about me not being from here, happy that she had told the truth after all. "No, I have no idea." She replied, feeling a lot more comfortable now.
Gandalf was silent for a moment before asking, "What were you doing before you came here?"
"Walking, in the bush near my home." She replied.
"I see," he fell silent again. "And why did you attack Prince Legolas?"
It was Aranel's turn to be silent now. She sat, suddenly very interested in her feet and didn't answer Gandalf.
"Aranel, you need not be afraid, I will not hurt you-"
"I didn't." Aranel cut in, that was the only answer she was going to supply.
"Ah, but we both know something happened, I am sure he didn't knock himself out. Perhaps it was an accident?" Gandalf prompted.
All Aranel could do was nod. She had lost her ability to speak, she hated talking about this and now she was looked in a cell and being forced to.
"Were you afraid, Aranel?" Gandalf asked gently.
"No," she replied after a moment's reflection. "I was angry, annoyed. He kept demanding me to answer questions and I'd had a really bad day."
"I see, and what about when we found you in the clearing, were you angry then?"
Aranel could feel the annoyance rising in her again as she listened to Gandalf, she felt like a two year old caught with her hand in the cookie jar and her mother saying something like 'Now, do you think that was the right thing to do?' in a very patronising voice.
"No, I wasn't angry then, my first reaction when I'm attacked by a group of men isn't usually anger, it's more something like being bloody terrified." She replied sarcastically, being fed up with being treated like a child.
Gandalf just raised his eyebrows at this but said nothing.
He sat thinking for a while again before saying "Well then. I think that might be enough for one day don't you?"
"Whatever you recon Gandalf." Aranel replied highly annoyed as she lay down on the hard bench as Gandalf got up and headed to the door.
"Oh, and one last thing," Gandalf said, turning as the door was opened for him, "That ring you were wearing….where did you-"
"It's a replica, kinda like a reminder of the….war." Aranel replied, she had almost said story but didn't know how well that would go down.
"I thought it might be something like that." Gandalf said as he headed out the door, "oh and be careful," he added, just before the door closed, "I have to put an enchantment on this door to prevent you from escaping." He chuckled at this as if it was humorous that she had to be lock in cell that she apparently now had no chance of leaving.
"Right, Whatever." Aranel murmured as the door shut and locked, she heard Gandalf murmuring what she now assumed to be a spell and she was left in darkness again.
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Sorry this chapter wasn't particularly exciting, I had to get it out of the way to set some stuff up.
Anyway, please read and review! And no flames Thanks!