Well here is the seventh chapter :) Thanks to MajoraDreemurr52 for all the corrections ! I hope you will like it ^^
Laew was excited. Finally, after seven months, she had been reunited with Strider. The man had accompanied Mithrandil on a mission, again. Apparently, there was still some hopes about finding this Gollum before the enemy.
She would have gladly come with him, but she could not take the risk of being seen by Mithrandil. She had met more than once the wizard before and knew how much power he held. He would have probably recognized her the second he saw her.
They were now heading toward a small village, one that held no prejudices against neither the mercenaries nor the rangers. They had talked on the road in details about these past few months, their respective missions and adventures. Now they were walking in a comfortable silence, until Aragorn broke it.
"I wanted to ask you for some time now, how many people know about your true identity?" the man sounded really curious.
"Well, there is you, obviously," Laew was smirking lightly at this, enjoying the frustrated look on her companion's face: "Then you have Darius, Methos and his wife, and finally Glorfindel."
"How..."
"Methos' wife, Garona, is an Isil elf. She was a guard under my grandfather's reign from what I have understood. She deserted when her sister and brother were killed on a mission. She was almost immediately spotted and recruited by the guild. That's where she met Methos."
"When Garona saw me, I guess she recognized me. Or at least my lineage. Then she probably told it to Methos who repeated it to Darius. Well, I think Darius already had suspicions anyway. He always seems to know everything." she smiled slightly at the last part.
"Do you think they know about the prophecy?"
"I don't think so. I was not born when Garona left, so she cannot be aware. That means Methos does not know, meaning Darius is probably not private to this knowledge. But you have to understand, when we officially enter the Guild, it is considered as a rebirth of sort. Most of us chose another name and buried the past behind. We respect each other secrets and shadows and we only rarely talk about who we were before."
"But how can you trust someone you don't know?" Laew almost laughed at the disbelief written all over the man's face.
"We know each other. At least we know the essential." Upon seeing the confusion in the ranger's eyes, she continued. "I know that Methos is a wonderful diplomat, as well as the greatest second in command I could ever dream of. I know he has been offered the post of Captain more than once, but always declined, and is madly in love with Garona. I know the idiot would die for me, as I would for him. And while he would hear my command to leave me behind, it would be to only come back with more reinforces.
"I know that Garona is a fierce warrior, but an excellent healer as well, one of the few I would trust beside you. I know she told me some of her past to get even with me, because she is fair and does not like cheating. She does not take bullshit of any kind and like to go straight to the point. She follows orders very well and is quite a tactician. I know she does not like diplomacy and politics,
letting Methos and I play our 'mind games', as she calls it. I know she would fade if something was to happen to Methos, but would not blame anyone for it, as they both know the risks when they accept a mission.
"And as for Darius, I know he lost his wife years ago, and will never be able to love again. I know he wish he could save every lost soul on this earth and sees most of us as his children. I know I owe him my life and my sanity. I know I would follow him to the end of this world if I had to, in the fire of the Mordor itself if he asked me. I know he is the father I never had...
"As for the other way around, well, they know I am younger that I like to pretend. They know I can be vicious and manipulative when needed, but I also can be far too damn sensible in some other occasions. They know most of the time I am calm and collected, but that some subjects can set me off pretty easily. They know I have claustrophobia, and that fire is not my best friend. Finally, they know I would rather die than let anything happen to someone under my command, and that I will always do everything in my power to bring them home."
Aragorn thought about all this for some time. He could understand most of what she had been talking about, but yet could not imagine working with or placing your life in the hands of someone you barely knew. Maybe it was just him being superficial and immature. But then again, Laew had always had a great empathy, knowing the true self of someone almost instantly, maybe even before the person himself.
At first, the ranger had though it was from her powers or from her elfin heritage. But now he knew it was just something from herself. When they were travelling together they would eat mostly grains and fruits, for she did not like hunt and kill innocent animals when they could avoid it. That is why unfair situations would anger her so much. Because she could instantly place herself in the victim place and feel either the fear, the despair or the pain they were experiencing.
Before understanding this, Aragorn had been shocked at seeing her looking the other way around when a situation like this would happened. At first, he had though that it was cowardice. Now he knew better. He knew that sometime a problem cannot have a solution, and that looking the other way was her only option to avoid an unnecessary pain. But still, it left him with a question without an answer.
"And what about Glorfindel?"
"Sorry, but this story is quite long, and probably better reserved for another time."
While anyone would have backed off at her cutting tone, the ranger knew it was simply to hide how uncomfortable she was with this subject. Well, if the slight blush on her cheeks was anything to go by. Aragorn was about to push his investigation a little farther when a chilling cry split the silence.
They moved carefully until they were on the border of a little opening. The scene displaying in the center was vaguely familiar. There were men, too poor to be slaver, but not common villagers either. They were probably lowly thieves or brigands. Two of them were dragging a teenager between them while the others were laughing loudly.
There was no more than five of them so Laew and Strider were sure enough to end on the winning side. Now the only problem was residing in protecting the girl while fighting. Quickly, both companions decided to try a plan which had work many times before. Their minds made, they swiftly went on separated ways. Strider waited few minutes for Laew to take place and then stepped in the opening. His face and strides were confident when he spoke quite loudly.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. May I inquire about your business with this young woman?"
"This is not of your concern, ranger. Leave now and I will let you live."
He was, with one of his acolytes, the closer from the girl. That is why they were the two firsts to fall, an arrow piercing their hearts. Then it was olny a matter of seconds before the mercenary and Strider sealed the fate of the others, the man with his sword and the mercenary with a final shot.
Once she was sure she all the brigands were dead, Laew went to the teen. She was obviously terrified, but other than that she seemed to be fine. However, as she moved closer and closer, the elf could tell that she was the one the villager was afraid of.
"Stay away from me!"
"Don't be stupid child, I've just saved your life."
Thinking her point made, Laew took another step and grabbed the girl's arms. She was definitely not in the mood to play nice and was pissed off that stupid prejudices would stop the girl from accepting help from her or Strider.
The mercenary never saw the knife.
One moment she was helping the young woman to her feet, and the next Aragorn was between them, his back turned on Laew and the weapon deeply embedded in his abdomen. The elleth did not even have the time to catch him before he hit the ground, limp like a rag doll.
Something snapped in the Isil elf at this moment. A sudden and imposing wave of anger, fury, and hatred hit her at full strength. It spread a fire through her veins, like nothing she experienced before. Her every nerve was alight with the desire to hurt and destroy. She wanted the girl to suffer, to… to burn.
The mercenary could feel the power within her, reacting to her emotions. It began to swirl around her, almost as if it was enjoying such freedom. Soon a black cloud formed itself, engulfing her in a dark and strangely comforting embrace.
Distantly, a muffled voice in the back of her mind seemed to be trying to warn her against something. But the look of utter terror on the pathetic human's face, now on her knees in front of her, silenced the whispers.
During Laew's time as mercenary, she had felt more than once the excitation when she would get the better of an adversary, when she was about to kill someone in order to protect herself or one of her allies. But never before had she felt this satisfaction, this delight, at being the only one deciding between the life and death of another being.
It was intoxicating.
But soon she remembered why she wanted to kill the girl, and cold rage washed over her. This insignificant thing had dared to stab Strider. To attack her best friend. Such an affront had to be punished, the perpetrator needed to die. As soon as the elleth's mind was made, her magic lashed out.
Only after some time the Isil elf magic calmed down, as her emotions. Her magic slowly stilled, before taking refuge in her body once again. When Laew finally opened her eyes, and she did not even remember closing them, what she saw left her speechless.
The body in front of her was unrecognizable. It was an informed pile of burned and scarred flesh. Bones and muscles seemed to have been melt, while skin and organs presented clear signs of being cut open.
Clearly, it had been a very long and agonizing death. Maybe that is why Laew had heard screams, but back then it had been like music to her ears. Anyway, she could not care any longer for the stupid girl. Her friend needed her. Without a second thought, she turned around and walked toward the prone form of Strider.
Fortunately, the knife had not move too much, so it was, in fact, slowing the blood loss, which could have been fatal by now. The Guild was only a few miles away on the South and Laew knew Strider could not wait any longer. The Isil elf suspected she would be punished for showing the emplacement of the Guild to an outsider, but her mind was made.
She tucked one of the ranger's arms around her shoulders and placed one of her own around his waist, supporting almost all his weight. Then she began what she knew would be a race against time, determined to save the Heir of Isildur.
And during all that time, she didn't spend even a single instant pondering on, just why she could not feel neither guilt or remorse.
I hope you liked it ! Please r&r and give me your opinion :) It's very important to me !
