"Elrond hides very well that powerful jewel he wields"
The words hung coldly in the still air, floating with a ghostly air in the complete silence. She felt her heart stop beating in her chest, her body freezing in place like a statue of cold stone as the King's piercing blue eyes stared directly at hers. They were so deep, so powerful, penetrating hers like iced daggers, and suddenly she had the feeling that he knew everything.
She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. It felt as if her voice had completely abandoned her. She did not know what had made the Elvenking suddenly tell her this kind of information, but was not planning on ruining the moment.
"You thought I did not know about the ring?" She could not tell if it was a question or a statement, but she neither denied nor confirmed it. Instead she forced her eyes to remain locked in place, fixed on his powerful ice blue ones.
The King lowered his eyes with a sigh, slowly rising from the bed and walking towards one of the tall windows obscured by the closed ivory curtains. She followed him with her eyes, waiting in silence for long minutes. She considered walking to him, but her legs felt weak to her, and she knew they would not carry her for long.
"I cannot think anything if I do not know anything to base my thoughts on, My Lord." Her voice was low, but loud enough for him to hear. The Elvenking did not turn to face her this time, and she regretted her words for a moment, wondering if her diplomatic answer had somehow hurt him because of its formality.
"You choose your words carefully." Was the answer she received, the words holding an odd mixture of pride and sorrow.
The King of Mirkwood turned around to face her, slowly returning to sit by her side on the bed. Something in his face looked different now, softer, the strong power in his eyes replaced by a melancholic sorrow and kind tenderness as he stared into hers, making her entirely regret her cold words. He smiled softy at her, but the smile never reached his eyes, one slender hand brushing her cheek gently before falling to his lap.
"I never wanted you to carry this burden"
His voice had dropped to a whisper, so honest and transparent, the powerful authoritative tone of a King now entirely forgotten. She did not say anything, not trusting her voice, and he continued speaking.
"You are powerful, Almarëa. More than I wish you were…more than I thought you to be."
He paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate where to continue, transparent eyes swallowing hers into their infinities.
"You scared me today. I ignored how deeply the ring of air has penetrated into you. I ignored the level of sensitivity to such forces your spirit possesses. They reach you, or you reach them, so…easily. It is an unimaginable power…but it can be an unimaginable weakness as well."
She felt her body freeze again, every word seeming to dance inside her head, downing into her as a heavy weight, eyes fixed on his now entirely open ice blue ones. She wanted to know what he was telling her more than anything, but now felt scared to hear it.
"I did not know how deep into your mind or spirit had the attacker penetrated. I could not tell if I would be able to call you back, to break the connection, or if it was already too imbedded into you for it to leave permanent damage. I…I really thought I would loose you for a moment. I feared you would be too far dragged into darkness to be able to come back."
His voice was barely audible as he spoke, and she could see the fear in his eyes, the pain and worry as the seriousness of his words sank into her head.
"It was a fortune that Elrond's son was with you when it happened and somehow managed to anchor you to reality long enough for me to get there. I had never seen the son of Elrond so afraid in my long life."
The sole mention of Elladan made her heart ache because of his absence, longing to run to him, to ease his worry and fear for her. The words of the King felt shocking to her. She had never realized how badly things could have gone. She had never seen the danger, the reasons why Elladan seemed to worry so much about the attacks. She had not known anything about them, and the truth seemed to be bitterer than she had expected.
"Is he all right?" She asked immediately. She could still feel his worry through their bond, but wanted to hear from the King that nothing had happened to him.
"Pardon me?"
"Elladan, I mean." She specified, not entirely understanding the look in the King's eyes at her question.
"Ah, so that one was Elladan." His eyes studied her carefully, holding an expression she had never seen in them, wary and suspicious, narrowing slightly as he spoke Elladan's name. It only lasted a fragment of a second before the strange sparkle disappeared form his eyes.
"He seemed to know what was happening to you, so I take it this is not the first time you suffer an attack like this one, is it?"
"No." She did not know if she really produced a sound or simply moved her lips. "It has happened before."
An alarmed expression took hold of the Elvenking's clear blue eyes, suddenly looking more serious than ever.
"Did Elrond know of this?" he hissed, his tone now cold, stained with worry and accusation. "Did he let it happen?"
"Yes, he knew, but he would stop it, he would push me out of it almost instantly." The hard expression in the King's eyes relaxed at her words, the coldness and sudden anger seeming to dissipate.
"Good." He said flatly in return.
The King looked away for a moment, his face hard, completely composed, and she simply stared at him. She felt dazed, as if everything around her was surreal, as if his words had merely been a dream…and she wished them to be. Still everything seemed so unclear…
"I…I still do not understand." She said finally, her voice sounding shakier than she had wanted. "How did you know what was happening to me? How do you know about the ring?"
Ice blue eyes turned around to face her, the hard and fiery gleam once again gone. His eyes were gentle now, expanding like infinite waves of a calmed sea, so vast, and tender, drowning in a rain of melancholic sorrow.
"I know of the ring the same way as you do." His voice was once again barely audible, so plain and transparent, lacking all of its cold authority and power. She did not say anything, and he continued to explain.
"I have heard them. I have sensed them, even felt their powers extending over the lands of Arda. It is merely a faint glimpse of power what I can perceive, a nearly deceiving presence of unnatural power that seems to blend with the living forms in such a magnificent way. I know where the three elven rings are kept, for I have felt them while in the presence of their bearers. Elrond ignores that I know he bears one of the three."
"You on the other hand…" He trailed off, lowering his eyes while shaking his head slightly.
"Almarëa," he started again "I do not think you understand the seriousness of the powers you hold at hand. Your spirit is far much more sensitive than mine. It is as if it lacked a solidity of essence, that firmness that compacts it as a whole and separates us as strangers, as individual selves, from the rest of the living forces."
"But…are not all elves sensitive to living beings?"
"Yes, but your sensitivity is different. You do not only perceive nature around you and interact with it as two separate beings. You can reach their very essence, their spirit I could say, as if it were your own. They can reach you so easily, penetrate deeper into you than in any other elf. The stronger the force, the easier it will pull you towards it. I felt the ring while I tried to call you back. It was nearly impossible to separate it from you, as if you were the same being. It intertwines with you so easily and deeply that you can wield its powers. It becomes you and you become it. I am sure it will be no different with the other rings."
She found herself speechless, the words dancing disorderly inside her head. She tried to catch all of them, but they seemed to escape her, to float away before she could fully comprehend them, her thoughts growing foggy and unclear.
She remembered the ring, the fascinating blue stone glowing dimly upon Lord Elrond's finger, whispering softly to her, so attractive, like a magnet pulling her in, calling her name. She remembered its cries ringing in her ears, bouncing inside her head; remembered the feeling of an exterior power rushing through her veins, invading her own body like a burning fire, and it felt so natural.
"It is a double edged sword, my child. You can learn to use this forces, to let them in and bond with them, working in partnership. They will all answer to you, but you need to learn to control it. Otherwise, they can drag you to them, imbedded so deeply into you that it is they who control you, and it will consume you. You need to learn how to stop these connections when they get dangerous."
"Can you also wield the ring?" She asked, her voice cautious.
"No" He answered almost immediately, eyes widening at her question. "I cannot. And I would not dare to. I can perceive it, and it can perceive me, but nothing more. It reads me as a separate being, strange to it. On the other hand, it recognizes you as part of it, as another spirit it can attach to. And not only the rings, Almarëa but nature as well. The forest, the wind, the river, they all respond to you as an extension of their selves, only that it is harder for you to notice for their power is much lesser than that of ring and therefore less obvious."
"Since you were not a baby, your mother and I noticed that you responded to things that were not physical, not visible to all. I suspected that you too could hear the forest, for you reacted whenever I could hear it, but I could not be entirely sure. Still, I did not imagine the level of sensitivity you have demonstrated to posses."
"I do not believe the attack you suffered today was destined for you, or was on purpose. Darkness spreads through these lands. Mordor grows stronger each day, its number of allies increasing by the minute. Whatever it was that attacked you did not mean to find you. You were simply pulled into it as a reaction, the dark force sensing your spirit immediately. You need to learn how to create barriers, strengthen your spirit and your mind to be able to pull back."
She felt her heart drumming in her throat, her body suddenly feeling cold as the words slowly downed into her. The King's infinite eyes stared gently into hers, ice blue irises stressing the seriousness of his words, but she could see an unmistakable gleam of pain in them.
Suddenly she felt scared, weaker than she had ever felt in her life. She wanted to brace herself, to at least pretend that some sort of protection surrounded her, but her arms would not move. She tried to mask her fear from showing on her face, but to now avail. She knew her eyes were completely transparent now.
"Is that how you knew I was being attacked?" She phrased it as a question, but it was more of a statement, her voice coming out so shaky and faint she did not even recognize it. "You were also pulled towards the darkness."
She did not know from where she got that conclusion, but the serious expression on the King's fair face as his eyes pierced through hers once more only made the statement feel truer.
"Yes." He said at last, the seriousness in his eyes turning once again into vast seas of sorrow and pain.
She tried to stay calmed, to take even breaths, but was largely failing. She could feel her fear starting to rise inside of her, rising at the possibility of another unexpected attack happening in any second. She felt her chest constricting painfully and her throat starting to close, preventing air from flowing to her lungs. Panic started to rise inside of her, and she tried to suppress it, but was failing miserably. She did not want this, did not want another attack, did not want to hear Vilya whispering to her, did not want to hear the trees singing a melody only her ears, and the King's apparently, could hear.
"I do not want it to happen." She said, feeling that each second less air flowed successfully to her already constricted lungs. "I do not want another attack. I do not want to be pulled, not able to escape…"
She had to stop, feeling cut off of air. She was shaking, struggling to breath and keep her composure but her body seemed to be acting on its own. The Elvenking immediately pulled closer to her, strong arms encircling her trembling body. She did not pull away, trying to regain her breath as her cheek came in contact with the rich fabric of his formal robes.
"I am sorry. I am so very sorry. Nothing will happen to you" He whispered instantly, holding her tightly against him. "I will not let any harm come to you, Almarëa."
She tried to concentrate on his words, wanting to believe them, but it felt as if part of her believed that not even the powerful King of Mirkwood was capable of such thing. She closed her eyes tightly, focusing her thoughts on trying to calm herself, chocking for air. The King's embrace felt so strange and comforting at the same time, her body seeming to remember the touch although her mind could not. Suddenly, in that moment, he did not feel like the powerful King of an elven realm.
"I will not let anything happen to you." He repeated, one hand softly stroking her hair at the back of her head. "Now breathe and try to relax."
She concentrated on her breathing again, his close presence helping somewhat to ease her constricted throat, allowing air to slowly flow back into her lungs. She gripped his robes tighter, keeping her eyes closed as her trembling started to lessen.
He kept stroking her hair, his presence feeling so serene and pacifying. Slowly, she was able to breathe calmly again, her tensed and shaking body relaxing entirely, suddenly feeling weaker and more tired than she had before.
"Are you feeling better?" His voice was soft and calmed as he spoke, still cradling her in his strong arms.
She nodded her head as a response, not trusting her voice to answer. In fact, she was not even sure she had a voice at that moment. Carefully, he lowered back onto the pillows, into a semi-sitting position. One slender hand travelled to her cheek, forcing her eyes to focus on his infinite pair of ice blue ones.
"I will not let any harm come to you from this, do you understand?" His eyes seemed to speak louder than his voice and words, staring so deeply into her that she could not pull away. She nodded her head again, the movement so faint she was not sure he caught it.
"I will teach you how to control yourself and limit your powers; how to strengthen your mind and spirit to resist these forces, as well as how to use them. It will not be easy, but I know you can do it."
She nodded her head silently again, unable to look away from the power of his infinitely expanding eyes. A small smile grew on his fair face, illuminating a faint gleam in his eyes. Then, without saying anything else, he rose from the bed and gracefully walked towards the small table in one corner of the room.
She followed him with her eyes as he carefully lifted the tray of untouched food in his hands carrying it back towards the bed. He placed it gently over the covers next to her before sitting back down on his previous spot.
"Try to eat something. You missed lunch and it is already past dinner."
Her eyes widened in surprise at his words. She had not realized for how long she had slept, and the most shocking of all was that she did not feel entirely well rested. Her head no longer ached, true, but she still felt slightly disoriented and extremely weak. She gazed down at the assortment of fruits and breads on the tray, her stomach feeling sick only by the sight of it.
"Try if only one bite. It will help you feel better." He added, able to read her thoughts easily through her eyes.
She took a tiny piece of lembas to her mouth almost reluctantly, eating very slowly and taking only small pieces at a time. The food somehow made her feel better, even though she merely nibbled at it. She only took three or four bites of the bread before letting the tray aside, not able to swallow anything more.
The Elvenking said something in elvish, his voice cold and serene, holding a confidence and authority no creature in Arda would dare to question. She saw the door open in response and a fair looking maid she had never seen walked quickly into the room. The King said something else, motioning to the tray on the bed with a graceful motion of a hand, and the maid immediately picked it up, carrying out of the room in silence.
"Try to rest now. Tomorrow you will feel stronger." His hand started to softly stroke her hair once more making her eyelids feel even heavier.
She felt tired, exhausted even. The powerful words of the Elvenking still rang in her ears, dancing in her head like haunted ghosts. Some things were clearer now, and yet there so many other things she had not yet asked, so many things she still did not understand. Her mind wanted to ask, to find out as much as she could, and yet her body was too tired to obey her.
"Has this ever happened to you?" She asked as her mind slowly started to drift off. She did not know why she was asking. She guessed she wanted to feel reassured that she was not the only one who had gone through this. "An attack like this one I mean"
Her eyes fell closed, her eyelids too heavy for her to keep them open any longer.
"Many times" She heard him answer, the gentle voice sounding distant now, the feeling of the hand softly stroking her hair slowly disappearing as she submerged into a restful sleep for the remaining of the night…
Here is chapter 6! Sorry for the long wait! I have been out of town and had no Internet access….Let me know what you think of it! And I hope it makes up for the long wait! Next chapter will come sooner than this one!
Again, I cannot say thank you enough times to my reviewers: jibril, Anastasia, Mj, LalaithElerrina, Shue Yun, ILoveEomer3, Paperlanterns86, Martine9295, KrystylSky, luckyponygirl, wonderpanda10, Coco99, dandapanda, Elf sister, booklover1598, The Grimreaper PT, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, AmazingWriter123, and CeffylGwyn. Thank you for your patience, I know it was a long wait!
Jibril: Sorry that it took so long! I was not really going to upload the chapter until tomorrow because of the workload I have, but saw your review and decided against it! So here is the chapter!