Avaleina felt the other elven rulers coming forward, felt the power of their rings bouncing off the ground. But crouched in the tree as she was, the same place she had been for the past ten or hours, they did not see or sense her.
They practically walked right underneath the tree she and her patrol were spread out through. But Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond just kept on walking, unknowingly. Directly toward Dol Guldur.
King Thranduil had ordered them to get as close to Dol Guldur as they dared, for as long as they dared to see if they could investigate why Mithrandir had gone to the fortress himself. Without so much as a whisper to the 'ally' kingdom that was directly beside it.
Why he had sent the dwarves one way, while he went another. The idea that Mithrandir had somehow turned against them was naustating, yet Ava could not shake the feeling that was exactly what was happening.
Why else send the dwarves as a distraction, while he slipped into the fortress without being noticed? Why else would Mithrandir come here immediately after returning from the High Fells?
So far, it all added up to produce a very terrifying picture indeed.
How Avaleina hoped this wasn't one of the worst ways she could possibly find out that somehow all the other powers of Arda had joined the one that ruled this evil fortress. How she forced herself not to hope that perhaps instead, no matter how unlikely it seemed, that somebody else was going to do something.
Somebody else was going to help them in this endless fight, so that they would not be standing alone surrounded by so many powerful enemies.
At this point, Avaleina would have been grateful for any assistance, even if it was only because one of the White Council's own was suddenly affected by this plaguing darkness. She wasn't gong to be particular about under what circumstances they received help, as long as they got it.
But still, she could not let herself hope. She couldn't.
Avaleina and two other scouts crawled through the branches of the tree's and closer to the fortress themselves. Leaving the bulk of their small party behind, while they themselves tried to see if they could catch a glimpse or a clue of what might be transpiring above them.
They were still waiting in the branches when a glowing ball of malevolent energy hurdled across the sky, knocking them down from the branches with the strongest physical touch they had ever felt.
Around them, dried branches crashed to the ground and rocks slid down any sort of slope. Any natural creature that was unfortunate enough to be nearby went scattering in every single direction there was.
Everything was rocked solidly in its foundation form the strength of the rippling force. As some of the hatred that had floated from above them lifted once more, Avaleina caught herself daring to hope.
Hope that things were going to get better. Things were going to change.
But then they felt the other powerful beings leaving even faster than they had arrived, not even glancing back at the forest as the forces of evil erupted into a rapid frenzy of anger and devastation. Foaming at the mouth with the toxic burning need for revenge.
The elves could feel the orcs staggering with the choking realization that for the very first time since perhaps they were created, all the choices for these creatures of evil were their own to make. There were no rules to this game anymore, just the one that had been bred into their DNA.
Kill the elves. Kill the good. Snuff out the light. Cleanse the world of their glowing light with their burning one.
It was as Avaleina realized that the White Council was fleeing back to their safe havens, seemingly caring nothing for the repercussions or effects of any of their actions, that the she decided they got all of their light by leaving other places darker.
Ava whispered a curse after them, quite enough that her own ears hadn't even heard them, but it was out in the universe no less that if it had been screamed. She had let part of herself hope that things might get better, she should have expected they would be left worse off.
Then she and her patrol started running as fast as they physically could away from this rabid hate, and then just a little bit faster than that.
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This was written for part of the 'Avaleina and Tauriel' meet story that i'm writing, but i haven't decided if it's staying in there or not. But i really liked the passage soooooo This might be a sneak peak, this might not be. Nobody knows.
