Hearing her speak the name of the Black Foe of the World had shaken him greatly. What had she meant? Was Galadriel's illness somehow related to the evil Ainur. How could that be? He had been bound with the chain Angainor and trust into the timeless void, ages past. Was the Door of Night somehow threatened? The sheer magnitude that thought brought him, made his head spin.
"Valar, help us."
He knew deep within his being he couldn't take such a crucial matter lightly, not after having his vision during his reverie. This strange elleth had to survive and he needed answers at all cost. Cradling her unconscious form in his arms, the elven ruler made a decision.
"Faervel, bring Isha's belongings to my dwelling. She will be under my strict watch from now on. Inform me if there are any changes with Galadriel."
The master healer nodded and left.
His thoughts in turmoil and his heart heavy, Legolas carried her in silence through the woods until they reached his dwelling.
The wooden structure was simple yet elegant. Carved into the thick trunk of an ancient oak, it was as one with the natural forest surrounding it. The interior was kept dim to better reflect the wild wood, with large windows to peer out from.
A light scent of freshly boiled herbs greeted him and filled the room. It helped to clear his head and ease his weariness. Faervel had already brought the few belongings. He let her down on his bed, gently covering her with a soft woven blanket. Taking a seat next to her, he brushed her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. His thumb caressed her cool cheek as he gazed at her features.
"Where in Arda did you come from?" he wondered aloud.
He watched her steady breathing.
Was it a coincidence that they had met? Or was it part of some greater design? What if this was a trick? Perhaps a new enemy had sent her to do harm to him and his people. His eyes swept over her form. She certainly dressed unlike any of her kin, that much was certain. She also held a strange power he didn't understand.
His mind raced.
Did he make the right decision in bringing her here? What else could he have done? Left her to plunge to her death? No, not when it was within his power to save her life.
There was one way he could find out for certain. His father had taught him a technique to enter the mind. It had proved useful for questioning stubborn prisoners and foes. Legolas had always looked down on it, as it violated and breached the person's mind.
Would he do it to her? Uncertainty welled up in him. He meant her no harm but the situation was dire.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Valar, forgive my actions."
Despite his apprehension, he reached out to touch her.
Lowering himself next to her on the bed, he gently placed his palm on her head. He closed his eyes and entered her mind; engulfed in the feeling of connecting directly with her fea.
At first he saw nothing. It was like a dark void had consumed her consciousness. He strained to see deeper into her thoughts. Slowly images began to form, sound became audible. It was as if he was immersed within her very mind.
He stood in a large sterile room, that was sparsely decorated and bright. Isha was laying on a white bed while many were tending to her. He came closer. Strange devices were connected to her. A female elf, her long hair tied in a ponytail on her head, was tapping at a screen on one of the devices. She wore a long white coat.
"Her vital signs are stabilizing," the woman said with a heavy accent, relief visible on her face. "But the scars will remain for as long as she'll live."
"That's terrible." another female elf said.
"The greenkeepers risk their lives for us every day. We must be grateful for their sacrifice."
Concern filled Legolas as he approached. Isha stirred drowsily while someone touched her with strange instruments. Her eyes fluttered open and she woke.
"Wha... what happened?" she asked groggily. She looked at her bandaged torso with some confusion. "I... I was sorting the plants and..."
"Shhh. Save your strength," one of the healers said.
She looked around, a wave of fear washed over her features. "I... I remember seeing someone come up to me and... then nothing..."
"You're in the healing ward of Nova Era hospital,"
"You were attacked by a terran."
Her eyes widened with fear. "The terran, is it...?"
"Dead." One of the healers nodded. "You should count yourself lucky that you're still alive."
She groaned in pain as she sat up.
"Was I… harvested?"
"They took your kidney and right lung. One of the border patrols received the aid signal and came to help. If it wasn't for him, they would have harvested you completely."
"They always go straight for the organs," one of the healers said. "Elvan ones sell for a lot on the black market."
"How... how long was I out?" Isha asked.
"Two days," the lead healer said. "You were very lucky, thanks to the patrolman you're alive and not a pile of ash."
Isha's eyes widened with terror, she looked at her bandaged torso once more.
Legolas could sense her fear and it left him nauseated. A wave of images assaulted his senses. A deformed monster faced him and shot him with a weapon, he instinctively knew it was the terran and he fell, paralyzed and vulnerable as the deformed monster tore through his skin to harvest his vital organs. The pain was unbearable and he shrieked.
He willed himself away from reliving this memory.
Shadows swirled around him as he descended into the abyss. Thoughts and memories twisted and morphed around him, threatening to consume him. He focused on the task at hand.
Pushing past her thoughts, he soon found what he was looking for.
He saw a deserted, desolate land. The sky clouded with poison. Endless rows of barren trees, not a hint of life anywhere; a seemingly endless desert extending as far as the eye could see reminiscent of Mordor.
He saw her standing there, amongst a shrivelled and poisonous flora. He instinctively knew it was Isha. She was covered with a protective armor, she called an enviro-suit keeping her alive and protected from the poisoned land.
She was much thinner than he last remembered, even her enviro-suit seemed to strain against her frame. The task at hand seemed to be taking its toll on her. She held a sensor device in her hand, moving it around as she searched for plant life activity.
Isha sighed as she looked at the screen on her device. There was nothing she could do. Not even bacteria survived on this planet. It had been like this ever since the Great Collapse. Holographic windows appeared and danced from all around her, she did her best but there was nothing to be saved. Her head lowered in grief.
Her despair and sadness overwhelmed him. He tried to reach out to her, but he was instead propelled into another memory.
He saw her standing in a large hall, the architecture was beautiful. Lights danced across the walls, illuminating frescoes and paintings. She wore an elaborate gown, beautiful jewels draped across her. Two other elves were with her on either side, all wearing extravagant clothing. They seemed to be waiting for someone.
He saw a figure approach her, clad in majestic robes.
"Mother..." Isha knelt down reverently.
"Isha, my daughter." her mother replied, a serious expression upon her face, "You have been judged... and you are ready."
"You have endured the holy rites. You have shown fortitude and courage throughout your training. Now you will be able to show the same courage and strength for your people."
"I will serve with honour."
"Stand proudly, Greenkeeper Isha Nolar."
Isha bowed her head in reverence to her mother and stood up.
"We must keep the balance of life and death, of plant and animal. The terran threat is great and we are few. But we will endure."
"We will endure!" Isha and her companions echoed solemnly.
Her mother kissed her on the forehead and left, a robed attendant closing the door behind her. Isha and her companions turned to each other, sadness, fear, and anxiety written across their faces. Legolas watched from afar.
"What now?" she asked her companions.
"Now we are Greenkeepers of Aiur." one said.
"The world is dying, what can we do?" she asked hopelessly.
"We carry on the legacy. We preserve the world with all our might," he replied gravely.
She nodded, the four of them clasping hands.
"For Aiur."
"For Aiur."
Legolas found himself floating in a void once more. Shadows swirled around him, twisting and contorting in a maddening fashion. He willed himself to calm down, focusing on the task at hand.
He saw the swirling mass of corruption as it streamed across the void, engulfing everything in its wake. Something dark. He felt his mind go numb, the shadows ripping through him relentlessly. He could sense them as they writhed beneath, trying to rip him open and devour him whole. The void was filled with an unholy screeching and roaring, and howls of creatures from beyond this world.
He found himself in the poisoned wastelands, once more. He saw the land stretching before him, a barren and desolate place. The sky above it was a sickly yellow, almost disgusting in appearance. There was no wildlife to be seen anywhere, no plants or trees anywhere to be seen. This was once a vast jungle, but now it was dead; killed by the poisons that run through the earth and air.
A lone figure walked across the land. She wore her thick and heavy enviro-suit, transparent facemask attached. She scanned the area.
"This place was once so full of life..." she said downtrodden. "Everything's so still."
She looked to the holographic scans once more searching for anything that was still alive. She found nothing; only corpses of trees and dead bushes.
"It'll be dark soon... I'd better get out before then..." she said slowly.
Legolas watched, his mind was filled with emotion. He could sense no malevolence within her. Just pain and sadness. He understood why; she had seen so much death and destruction. His heart reached out to her and he stood nearby.
Suddenly there was a slight sound. A pulse of life under the radioactive dirt.
For the first time Legolas felt hope within Isha's being. He knelt down at her level as she frantically dug through the dirt.
"Please..." she pleaded.
She found a small root, no bigger than a finger. It was black, and at the end of it was something small and withered. It was sickly and weak, but it was alive. The bright pings coming from her technology showed her she was right and she wept with joy and relief.
Legolas stood. His keen elven eyesight noticed thick black clouds rolling in from the east, the wind had picked up and a storm was approaching.
"Isha, the sky!" he cried, pointing at the cloud. It wasn't just any regular storm, he sensed something terrible coming.
Falling on deaf ears, she carefully put the small plant in her bag and stood up. It took a few moments before finally noticing something was off with her world. Alerts pinged withing her helmet and the pressure of the wind against her intensified almost pushing her over.
She was about to leave when two figures appeared on the horizon. Legolas with his keen eyesight instantly recognized Mirthrandir carrying the limp body of Lady Galadriel.
The scene in front of him seemed to stretch on for miles. Isha's horror was felt strongly by Legolas. He could see it all happening as the wind picked up and the sky grew deathly dark from the unnatural storm cloud. He saw was a bolt of lightning striking the ground not far from where Isha desperately tried to save her plant. Finally, she noticed the old wizard limping heavily and struggling. For an instant she hesitated, wondering if they were terran, but her heart sent her running to their aid.
Legolas was helplessly watching as she struggled to get them upon a holographic platform. They were too many for the platform and she had to sacrifice her protective suit to lend the platform the extra power it needed to carry them. She was almost blown away from the harsh poisonous winds when Mirthrandir caught hold of her wrist and pulled her to safety.
Legolas fell to his knees, his head spinning. He watched as the platform sped away. He remained there, alone, feeling the monstrous winds pummeling his body. The black clouds towered above him now, and he felt like he was about to be engulfed by the darkness. He couldn't breathe. His lungs burned and his body ached as a terrible tiredness overcame him.
With one last burst of willpower, he forced himself to stand and he ran. He ran and ran. He couldn't see anything, there was only darkness all around him. He stumbled across the barren landscape as the void engulfed him. He was falling... falling...
And then his eyes shot open.
He was back in his dwelling in Ithilien. He had fallen to the floor, panting. He took a deep breath, gripping his chest. He looked out the window and saw that night had fallen. He looked around, trying to get his bearing. He felt sick to the stomach and weak all over. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the images from his mind but it was all so vivid.
He could faintly hear the sound of dying embers in the hearth of the fireplace. He slowly pulled himself to his feet and saw the still form of Isha still fast asleep in his bed.
He walked over to her and knelt beside her for a moment. He hesitated to wake her, he didn't know what to say or do. Part of him wanted to shake her awake but his mind still raced and the pain in his chest was profound, so he decided to sit down in front of the fire, resting his head on his hands.
"The storm... the void... the darkness... it almost had me..." he shuddered. The whole situation was too much for him to handle. His heart ached as he thought about Isha. Just looking at her laying on the bed in front of him. He had travelled through her memories, seen only glimpses of her life and he could barely function.
He stayed by the fire until the morning light broke through the clouds.
It was a new day. Feeling more whole and collected since entering Isha's mind, Legolas quickly changed out of his travel clothes. He then went to fetch a basin of water to let her wash up when she woke.
She stirred as he placed the basin on a small table next to the bed. He gave her a moment before he spoke.
"Good morning, Isha," He said in a soothing tone. She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Where am I?"
"You're safe in my dwelling, in South Ithilien." he responded. "You have been through much. Here, drink some water."
She did as told and sat up clutching the blanket to her chest. She looked at him for a moment then averted his eyes as she drank water from the carved goblet.
"Did... did I fall asleep?" she asked, her voice thick with tiredness.
He nodded. "You did."
She groaned, "I-I want to apologize..."
"There's no need, Isha. Truly," He said reassuringly.
She didn't look convinced so he continued.
"You've endured much in the short time I've known you, you've carried this burden alone for far too long."
She looked at him with tired eyes but he could see understanding in them. She saw that he understood her pain and didn't need anything else from her.
The elleth was silent for a moment as she took in what he said.
She slowly laid back down, he could tell that she was feeling tired again.
"Thank you, for everything. I... feel better. Knowing I can talk to someone..." she yawned.
He gave her a reassuring smile and tucked the blankets around her. He was about to leave her to sleep as he went to fetch something to eat for both of them but she grabbed his hand as he turned to go.
The elleth looked him in the eyes, "I know you want to help me, but I need time. I know what I have to do. I just... need time.
"Very well, I shall leave you to your rest."
He gave her small hand a squeeze before releasing it as he walked out of the room, leaving her to sleep.