AN:Well,I don't knowif I like this chapter so I might change it in the near future... please tell me if you didn't like it and tell me what you don't like about it, pleeease! I'd love for some feed back. Anyhoo, on with the story!
To Become a Ranger
Chapter 10
Grey Child
Alyssa silently trampled through the forest cursing the twins to the seventh hell and back again for putting her up to this. It was wet and muggy and the black flys where eating her alive.
It had been a hell of a two weeks she had been given to be fully trained and man, oh man had the twins been the ever insistent slave drivers. Her schedule was, get up before the sun, run for an hour or more if she could, have breakfast in the Hall with all the other elves, go for geography class with Erestor to learn about the different place and people of Middle Earth and there customs and history, go to Language class with Lord Elrond and Gandalf (which ever one was free at the time) have lunch then train for the rest of the day before having dinner the time after that was for studying and what ever else she could cram into her busy days.
The last three days had been absolute hell for her as it was 'Exam' time. The first day was with Erestor in the morning, which was both oral and written exam she believed she did ok on that, the labeling of the map was by far the easiest thing she had ever done even for the exams back home.
The afternoon was dedicated to Gandalf and Lord Elrond where she had to hold a full conversation with them, from each of the languages of Middle Earth. Lets just say she failed horribly at that one, yes she knew the basics in most of the languages excluding the Elvish languages which where like a second language to her since she had been living in a Elven society where most elves don't know how to speak the common tongue so she knew that they weren't to pleased with her.
The next day was dedicated to the individual weaponry tests. The first one that morning was Archery which she did alright in, the next was throwing knives which she excelled in (the twins still couldn't figure out why she was great in throwing knives yet still so shoddy in archery) the rest she did alright in she still needed a lot of practice but there was nothing (besides broad sword, she hated that one) that she couldn't do better in. Her absolute favorite test that day was with the glaive which was just a large staff with a straight knife coming out the top and two small curved ones coming out the sides at the bottom so you could still walk with it with out ruining the blades.
The third day was a surprise for her she was told nothing about it, though it was clear that every one in a fifty mile radius knew about it she was just told to come in her battle or ranger gear with three weapons her throwing knives only counting as one. And so she did, she came to the front of the forest in full ranger gear with only her Elven sword, throwing knives and glaive as her weapons and found that the entire population of Rivendale had come to see her off on some god forsaken adventure that the twins had set up for her.
Lord Elrond came out to the front of the crowd and stared to explain to her what was to happen in her final test.
"Alyssa Howald, guest of Rivendale, you have been summoned here for your final test. You are the first woman and second human to pass through the forest of dreams to see if you are worthy to become an Elven warrior. The forest will judged you and only those of the true warrior blood will come out alive. It will test your knowledge, your skill and the will to protect those who can not fight back. Are you willing to sacrifice your life for this?"
This was it, this was the big question the big test to see if she would become a ranger or not. "I am." She said steadily.
She raised her head high and walked down the path leading to the forest looking every one in the eye as she walked passed them and reading there emotions. Arwen was worried they had become close friends over the few weeks they had spent together each saving each other form mental breakdowns on several occasions, Elladan and Elohir both had the same expression on there faces, worry and pride, she had been there first apprentice and this test showed their father if they where ready or not to become full time instructors, Elrond's face was as always unreadable, Gandalf was smiling slightly at her an infernal twinkle in his eyes like he knew something she didn't, she scowled at him for that, yet he only smiled wider. When she got to the edge of the forest she turned around and searched for the man she had missed. She found him standing a bit off from the crowd his face blank but his grey eyes full of emotion that was too fast to decipher. Alyssa nodded at him and he nodded back. She then turned around and plunged into the forest not looking back.
Nothing happened the first half hour she was in the forest she knew that she had to go north, then east then south before she hit the finish line. She knew this because someone had left a little note on her dresser during the night. At first it was confusing but now that she knew what was going on she understood that it was directions and that who ever had put it on her dresser was risking a lot by doing it.
And now she was back to the begining cursing those twins.
Out of the blue there was a snap behind her and she stopped and stood still listening as hard as he could for any indication as to what was out there. Suddenly there was a hiss above her and she looked up right into eight hungry eyes of a giant spider. She reacted quickly and stabbed it in the eye with her glaive and ran, that was the only thing she could do really until she either found some help or it caught up to her and ate her.
She then felt something wiz past her so she turned to look and stopped dead in her tracks. It was a flacon that had come to her rescue and it was distracting the spider by poking it in the eyes and scratching it. She had half a mind to turn and keep on running but by the looks of how thing where going the spider was going to get the upper hand at any minute and she couldn't let the falcon die, in her books it was either none or all.
"Hey you big bully!" she called out trying to distract the spider. It worked much to her amusement, she guessed that the falcon was nothing but a fly to the elephant sized thing.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" and apparently the spider could understand her too, damn.
Alyssa crouched low and got into a starting position her glaive at the ready. she watched as the spider started charging towards her and sprung out of the way at the last second throwing the spider off balance giving her enough time to go into a offensive attack.
She hit it a few times with the glaive but when it was clear that the glaive wasn't going to do the job she took a risk and threw it away drawing her sword in the process. It gleamed in the dim light of the forest like a green fire matching the fire in her eyes making the spider hesitate for a split second. That split second was enough time for Alyssa to spring forward to slice off four of it's legs in one swipe rendering the spider helpless before plunging the sword deep into the spider's brain.
Alyssa stepped back and took a few deep breaths before wiping off the blood on the sword on a few dry leaves then sliding it into its sheath. She then started to look around for her glaive which she had thrown away during the fight and found it beside an old tree with the falcon perched on top of it.
"Hello, there little one," she said while stroking the birds neck, it was golden brown and was smaller then the average falcon probably not fully grown. It cooed at the attention and rubbed its feathery head against her hand.
Alyssa then felt a cool breeze rush threw the forest making the leaves on the trees flutter and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end; she was not alone.
Alyssa looked around her self searching for the watching eyes. To her left she saw some pedals from a flower blow around in the wind. They where white and shiny, and they where spinning in circles faster and faster until they came together and formed a small little person she that she was tempted to call a fairy.
"Yes we are fairies young one," It said in a surprisingly strong musical voice.
"We are the keepers of the forest and judges of this test."
Alyssa frowned at it; it was defiantly female seeing at the very little cloths it was wearing and had little white wings fluttering about to keep it afloat so it could look her in the eye.
"I am Ge'vairla, high princess of the fairies," said the princess regally giving a little bow. "And you are Alyssa Howald the prophesized one."
Alyssa nodded her head in respect, "Yes, I am, but I am guessing this is not a social call. I take it you usually do not meet with those who come through this forest."
The little fairy smiled. "No we do not, only those who have caught the attention of the High Queen and whom are found worthy may get a visit from us, and let me say, you caught her attention since the day you where born. But come, we must not keep her waiting." Ge'vairla then took Alyssa's sleeve and popped her away; by fairy magic.
They landed lightly in a giant chamber both the same size now. Alyssa the looked over the Princess more carefully, she was wearing something that a Native American would wear but in a silky white material and lots of jewelry that she guessed signified that she was a princess.
Gi'vairla then led Alyssa up a case of winding marble stairs and into a comfortable looking tea room looked like the middle of a tree. The place was brightly lit and has bright colored cushions laying all round, and a few low lying coffee tables.
Gi'vairla led Alyssa to a back corner and there they found a woman who looked as ageless as lord Elrond and as wise as Gandalf. The lady stood up and fluttered her wings a bit. Alyssa saw Gi'vairla out of the corner of her eye curtsy and Alyssa clumsily bowed after her. She stopped mid-way though when she heard a slight chuckle come out of the High Queen and felt her take her chin in one hand and raised her up to eye level.
"Do not bow to me young one, it is I who should be bowing to you if you are to become Queen yourself."
Alyssa stared, she had no idea what the lady was talking about. The lady just smiled and turned away to take a seat. She was similarly dressed to Gi'veria the only thing different is that she had a star shaped jewel in the middle of her forehead.
"That is all, my daughter." The Queen said. Gi'vairla then bowed and left the room closing the door behind her.
After a few moments of silence and fidgeting on Alyssa's part she finally started the conversation.
"You probably wonder why I have brought you here, correct," it was more of a statement then a question.
"Yes, what did Gi'vairla mean that you have had your eyes on me since I was born."
"Hmm, she said that did, she, well it is true I guess because I was assigned by the Elders and lords of the Grey Havens when I was very young to look out for a young woman who would take the place of the prophesized one called the Grey Child, not a very interesting name, I know but it is a good description of the prophesized one."
"Let me guess, I'm the prophesized one," stated Alyssa in a dull tone. It must be the same prophesy that every ones been telling her about.'
"Oh, it is," said the lady reading her thoughts.
"It's not the full prophesy."
Alyssa frowned at that, "then what is the full prophesy."
"Then what is the full one?" Alyssa asked.
The Queen just smiled slightly and leanded back in her seat sipping on her tea or whatever fairies drink.
"You'll learn in time child you'll learn in time."
Alyssa sighed dejectedly but did not push. "Well I guess you could go on with your story."
"Ah yes, where was I? well after about a thousand years of searching I finally gave up and went back to the elders for a little bit of help in my task. Well, they gave me a special scrying stone that would look through out the past, present and future of this world and the world you came from, Earth. No you might think it was easy after that but I can tell you it wasn't, it took you years and years to find you but finally I found you exactly 25 years to this day and I have been keeping tabs on you my dear, no I haven't been stocking you I have just been keeping track of big thing you do like your education, boyfriends, parties and what you do in your spare time."
"You're the one who got me hear weren't you?" asked Alyssa stricken.
The lady looked down at her hands. "Yes, I was the one who brought you here, and I was the one who set the cougars on you."
"Well that wasn't just pure coincidence then."
"No, the elders had wanted me to take you when you where just an infant and raise you as my own but I felt that it just wasn't time. You and the carefree personality just wouldn't have been the same and your parents wouldn't have survived it you had died."
"But why now why not when I was 15, when I went through that depression stage."
"Because you weren't ready then, no matter how much you wanted to off your self you just weren't ready, all you needed was a little bit of attention and you had so much going for you a year after that, a scholarship in dance and band and a small business up and running. And why now, because you where starting to settle down you had done every thing and now all you had left to do was start a family and pay lots bills and yet you couldn't settle down with anyone because you couldn't love them and you couldn't keep a steady good paying job; because you felt like you didn't belong any more you where no longer welcome on earth and so that was my signal to pull you through."
Alyssa sat back into her cushions and looked at her hands blinking back a few tears. "I can't go back can I; I can't say good bye to mum and dad and tell Shannon I'll be alright and to not loose faith."
The Lady shook her head sadly.
Alyssa nodded and sat up straight and gulped back the large lump in her throat.
"What do you wish me to do, what is my quest here on middle earth?" she said eyes burning in a quiet but steely fire.
The lady smiled sadly and stood up taking Alyssa's hands into hers pulling her up with her.
"Become a ranger, become who you where born to be, my queen, my daughter."
The lady then took her in to a huge hug and whispered before letting go. "And on the way you will find a little bit of love, just give him time." She then pulled back and gave Alyssa one last smile and popped her back to the spot in which she had disappeared from.
Alyssa landed on her butt with a quiet thud and looked around her self. It was starting to get dark out and she could hear the crickets chirping in the distance. She looked around for the silver winged falcon but found it no where to be seen.
She got up a brushed her self down before picking up her glaive and digging around for the directions. She knew that she still had a ways to go but couldn't figure which way to go.
"Damn" she muttered when she couldn't find it. She sighed, her best bet was to climb a tree and see where bouts she was. And so she hulled her self up into a tree and looked around. Well if she went to her right she could climb up a bit of a cliff and get onto the road that led to Rivendale.
She looked around again; yeah that was her best bet. And so she jumped out of the tree and started to hike towards the road. After about an hour she came to the cliff wall and sighed. She would have to ditch her glaive, pity really it was a beauty but you cant climb with them. So she leaned it up beside a tree and rolled up her sleeves making sure all her other weapons where attached properly and weren't in danger of falling. She then rubbed her hands together and started climb. It took her nearly 30 minutes of non stop climbing and when she got to the top she was drenched in sweat and felt like she was going to throw up.
As soon as she caught her breath and the nauseous feeling had left she got up and took a sip of her canteen and started jogging east towards Rivendale following the winding road into the little valley that the Elven city sat nestled tightly into.
She looked up at the North Star shining brightly in the sky and smiled, at least one thing was the same in the crazy world of make believe that she now belonged to. 'I bet…, that if I wrote about my journey here and sent it back home to be published that it would be classified as Fiction.' she then stopped dead in her tracks, 'JRR Tolkein's The Lord of The Rings.'
She could hear the Queens soft laugh ring threw her head and smiled ironically to her self.
"Fuck." Was all she said before she continued running a small smile on her lips.
Alyssa silently walked through the gates of Rivendale just as the dawn came. She was surprised when she found no guards on duty yet as soon as she got to the middle of the town she was extremely afraid. It was like a ghost town nothing stirred not a sight, or sound was made the only thing moving was the fog hanging around her ankles. She started running not really knowing where she was going just following her feet while a million different thoughts swirled through her mind. She suddenly came to a stop at the top of an overhang looking out towards the gardens where the dead where buried.
The looked up towards the rising sun letting her lose hair fly about her in the early morning wind while a few tears of sorrow slid down her face.
"Why do you cry, my lady?" asked a very familiar voice behind her.
She gasped and turned and found Aragorn standing there his own tears of joy sliding down his face. She then lunged and hugged him tightly.
"I thought you had all left me." She whispered.
"And I thought you had died." She whispered into her hair.
Alyssa pulled back slightly. "Why?"
"Do you not know how long you have been gone?" he asked.
"No."
"Two days, Alyssa two days every one thought you had died in the forest as it is known for taking many lives."
"Two day?" she asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, the reason I'm up hear is because I had to-" he cut himself off turning his face away.
She took his chin and turned his face back. "Had to what?"
"I couldn't listen to the memorial they had for you I-I just had to get away." He said very quietly.
Alyssa smiled at that and leaned in and captured his lips in a kiss. It wasn't heated as before just a comforting soft kiss.
He moaned and broke it off, "we should probably tell the others."
Alyssa sighed and let go of him. "Yeah."
They then turned around and started to head down the small little path carved into the cliff side. Alyssa suddenly got an idea and smiled evilly.
"What?" Aragorn asked looking at her warily.
"How many people do you think actually get to walk in on there own funeral?" that was all she said before she took off towards the gardens in search of her own grave with all of the city standing around it.
It didn't take her long to find her grave; it was fairly close to the front of the gardens.
When she crept up on them every ones backs where to them and she could hear Lord Elrond's voice speaking in the background. Every on was silent except or the birds in the trees who where singing merrily amongst themselves.
She then smiled evilly before plunging into the crowd.
"Excuse me"
"Pardon me"
"Sorry bout that"
"Sorry, gotta get threw here," she called out as she noisily making her way through the crowd jostling as many people as she could. She knew this wasn't nice but did that stop her, noooo. She finally made it to the front and stood up properly to face a sea of shocked and confused faces. (a/n) beta reader falls out of her chair laughing.
Alyssa turned around when she hear a soft deep chuckling and turned to face the only person not shocked to see her. Alyssa smiled a Gandalf and said cheerily.
"So what did I miss?"
He came over to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"I told you Lord Elrond, I told you that she wasn't dead." He then turned to face her.
"It is good to have you back Grey Child." He winked at her and tuned and walked away further into the gardens humming merrily to himself.
Alyssa then felt someone slam into her and hug her fiercely. "I thought I had lost you." She heard Arwen cry into her shoulder. She smiled and hugged Arwen back just as fiercely, "I'm back now, I'm back." Alyssa then heard the twins cry out in joy and started yelling at the top of there lungs, "She's back! She's back!" and all the other Elves of Rivendale laughing and crying of joy and relief.
Alyssa looked around herself it felt almost surreal every one was happy because she was back she was home. She made eye contact with Aragorn who was standing off beside his father Lord Elrond with a wide smile on his face and emotions of joy and something else something better running through his eyes.
So this was is what it was like to belong, to finally have someplace to be fully welcomed at with no strings attached. Alyssa found she liked it she like it a lot.
AN: Yeah, so review! Please! And thanks to my beta reader and all those people who reviewed last time!