Here's the next chapter guys. Thanks for reading.
recap
My leg jerked violently, startling me into consciousness. I rolled over in bed toward the window. The visions and words of my dream ran through my mind at a blinding speed. Nothing made sense any more. I rapped myself up in my bed sheet and got slowly out of bed. Looking around for some clothing, I made my way to the small armoire. I opened the top draw, its contents were neatly folded, I shuffled through them. Finally I pulled out what looked to be a loose-fitting pair of pants and shirt. I dropped the sheet and began to slowly pull on the clothing. I needed to talk to someone about this . . . and that someone was Gandalf.
I slowly opened my bedroom door, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. I quietly stepped out and closed the door behind me. I looked down the vacant torch lit corridor. It was just after sun down; I assumed everyone must've all been at dinner. The only question was where exactly is the dining room.
I wandered slowly down the hall, while using one hand to support myself against the wall. I passed door after oh so numerous door until I finally came to the point were the corridor split and turned in to . . . more rooms.
" This might take awhile." I whispered as I continued my way down the corridor one slow step after another.
It wasn't long until the rooms began to disappear and I happened upon a narrow deck that lead outside and into a small garden. As I stepped out onto the deck and looked across the way and saw the place I'd been looking for. There just across the garden was an open sided hall filled with long tables and a dance floor. Soft music floated on the wind, its melodic notes springy and lite.
I walked slowly over the dew-covered grass under the night sky; barely believing that I'd some how found my way to this peaceful place and more thankful for it than I'd ever been about anything else. This place was so different from my world. It was so peaceful here. Everything seemed just a little different. The trees seemed greener, the waters bluer, even the air seemed untainted. This place, this Rivendale, was truly magical.
I stopped just outside the hall and rested against the wall. My legs burned from their effort to make it here. I couldn't believe I was in such a weak state. I took a deep breath and calmed my shaking limbs. All I had to do was walk in and find Gandalf, so little to do, I could do it . . . It just wasn't going to be easy.
I tuned around and faced the dining hall. Elves filled the room, all of them chatting amongst themselves. Others were floating around the dance floor in brightly colored pairs. I looked down at myself and laughed. Apparently I was slightly under dressed for this . . . occasion. I stepped into the very edge of the hall and looked over the crowd of people. I finally found Gandalf on the complete opposite side of the hall talking with a group of people whom, of course I didn't recognize. I grabbed onto the railing at my side and shakily began to make my way down the few stairs that were before me. The three stairs I made it down were probably one of the hardest things I'd ever down in my life. I hated being so weak. I was about to attempt my fourth step when a hand fell up on the small of my back and another underneath my arm for support. I turned my head and found my gaze connecting with none other than Lord Elrond himself. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I couldn't help but smile lightly.
He spoke, " If you were hungry food could have easily been brought to your room."
" You are very kind my lord, but it is not necessary. I wished to speak to Gandalf and came to seek him out. There is something I wish to discuss with him."
He gave me an odd look but none the less, nodded and led me toward Gandalf. Our going was slow and made all the more difficult by the looks I was receiving as I made my way through the crowd. The peoples curious glances made my skin crawl and a shiver shoot up my spin.
" Are you quite all right?" Lord Elrond asked. I nodded in conformation but said nothing. It wasn't long before we found ourselves next to Gandalf and his group of happily chatting men.
" Excuse me," Lord Elrond added a small clearing of the throat. All the men turned toward us and I realized I did recognize one of them. I would recognize the blond hair and blue eyes anywhere.
" My Lords," I said quietly. " I'm sorry for the interruption, but I must speak with Gandalf I have matters of the ut most importance."
Gandalf gave me an odd look, " The only important matter right now Lady Adriana is getting you to a chair. You look like you're about ready to collapse."
Before I could protest Legolas slipped next to me and placed my arm over his shoulders as he helped me to a seat.
" You shouldn't be out of bed so soon." He whispered harshly in my ear. I glared at the side of his blonde head.
" That is not your decision to make." I hissed back with equal harshness. He turned his head to look at me. His blue eyes glared into my brown ones. I couldn't figure out why this elf was so concerned about my health.
" Someone needs to make them, seeming as you are incapable of making them correctly." I glared more sharply at him as his comment made a small blush creep onto my tanned cheeks.
" I can take care of myself." He looked me over and went to speak however I interrupted him before he got the chance to make a comment he'd regret. " You have no idea what I went through. Don't even, not for a second, think that what happened to me was a product of my own incompetence." The comment seemed to promptly shut him up. He looked at me sadly.
" That wasn't what I intend . . . "
" I don't want to hear it right now. I have business to attend to." To Gandalf, " I would prefer to discuss this in private."
He nodded solemnly and Legolas moved to help me up again. I waved him off and grabbed Gandalf's afford arm. Legolas seemed at first surprised by my action but even with his face of resentment; I managed to hold true to my actions. Gandalf led me away from the group. I'm sure we looked like quite the pair as we made our way outside, back into the garden. An old gnarled man with a walking stick leading a young bruised and broken woman.
Outside the hall, Gandalf seated me on a small garden bench. I sat down shakily with his aid.
" Legolas was right you know, you should not be out of so soon." I shook my head,
" You don't understand, I needed to speak to you, you see . . . I had a dream." He looked at me oddly, " But I don't think it was a dream . . . I think it was a memory. A memory from long ago. From a time that I shouldn't have remembered at all."
" What was this memory of?" He asked curiously.
" It was of my birth but there were some things said that I don't exactly understand." I looked away and up at the stars that twinkled merrily above my head. I huffed out a breath and continued. " Right after I was born, my village elder came into the birthing lodge. He took me from my mothers' arms and turned me on my back. He found what I'd known to be there." I looked at Gandalf. " I have a rather large birth mark on my back in the shape of a hawk, my mother told me several times that she'd never seen anything like it." I noticed Gandalf's look of surprise.
" What was said Adriana?" He asked urgently. I was slightly surprised by this but none the less I continued.
" He said that I was the 'chosen one' he said I was meant for 'greatness'. My mother said that she would raise me as her own as if I wasn't her child in the first place. I don't understand what they were talking about."
Gandalf took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
" What does it mean?" I asked " What do you know?"
" There is a legend of man, a very old legend that was nearly forgotten by all; myself included until recently, that was first told during the First War of The Ring that arose from the mysterious gathering of four different kingdoms, thought to have disappeared, at the exact moment the final battle began. No one knew where they'd come from or who had told them to come, but they were none the less thankful to whomever had sent word to them. It wasn't until after the battle when Isildur had cut the Ring from Sauron's hand did anyone question the reasons behind their coming. It was here that the legend began, for three of the four men who'd led their armies to the field said that they'd been visited during their sleep. That a hawk had come down from the sky in their dreams and given them a message tied in red silk. They said that when they'd open the message they'd found the page to be blank. Instead a beautiful voice filled their ears telling them of the coming battle, that the fait of Middle Earth would be determined and that without them Middle Earth would fall to ruin." He paused there and took a deep breath as I let the information sink in.
" What about the fourth man?" I asked. He looked back at me and smiled.
" The fourth man if far more interesting than the other three. He claimed that a woman more enchanting than the Valar themselves had come to him months before the war. Telling him tails of a different world; one far more advanced then this one. Of a world where wars were fought with machines that could kill thousands in a single strike. Where buildings mingled with the clouds and people flew to the stars." Gandalf looked up into the heavens his eyes twinkling in wonder. "It is said that they fell in love with one another and that eight days before the battle was to take place she vanished. He said it was as if she had simply taken flight. Leaving behind a single letter tied in red silk, and feather next to her pillow . . . Similar occurrences have happened throughout the centuries. Men being warned of battles by hawks and a single dark-haired woman. There was only that single time that spoke of the woman loving the one she was to warn . . . The rest I would imagine you can put together." I nodded.
" So I'm this Lady Hawk." I stated more as a fact than a question.
" So it would appear." He whispered in a far of voice.
He got up and knelt before me. " May I see it?" he whispered softly. I nodded and turned around. I lifted the bottom of my tunic. I felt his fingers slowly trace the out line. "Remarkable."
" What will happen to me now?"
" We were already aware of the coming darkness. The one ring has been found and with it all the evil of Middle Earth. There will be a council held on the 25th I wish for you to attend it. There you will learn more about what is to be done." I nodded in acceptance before I asked a question that was nagging at my brain.
" What is the one ring?" He looked at me seriously before speaking.
" Come with me, there are many things we should discuss. I will lead you back to your rooms and we will speak of them on the way."
With that he helped me up and made our slow journey back to my rooms all the while Gandalf's words engraved themselves further into my brain. I silently began to wonder that if I was here, in person, as the woman of the legend did but only once. Did that mean I was to fall in love with another?
I spent the next day resting in bed. The night before had worn me down and I'd ended up sleeping until noon anyway. Gandalf and Lord Elrond were the only two that came to visit, Lord Elrond had of course been informed about Gandalf's and my little discovery. He took the hole thing in stride and asked a few questions before inquiring to my health before they both finally left me so I could rest.
I slept straight through the night after they'd left only to be awoken by loud yelling coming from outside. I hopped out of bed and to the balcony. There was a rider coming through the gates yelling at the top of his lungs for Lord Elrond while caring what looked to be a small gravely injured child with rather large hairy feet. Curiosity got the best of me, so I went back into my room and got dressed as fast as I could before I finally left my room. I walked down the same hall way I had to get to dinner and ended up in the garden right below my balcony. Elves went rushing past me as I slowly made my way out front. The elves were carrying the little being off on a make shift stretcher. Followed quickly by Lord Elrond and Gandalf. I listened to all the hustle and bustle going on around me and caught words such as: " nazgul blade", "stabbed", "poisoned", and "the one ring." I came to the conclusion that the poor fellow was carrying the one ring and had been stabbed by a poisoned nazgul blade. Gandalf had briefly described the nazgul when he'd explained about the one ring. Even from the little amount of information I had I knew that it wasn't good.
" Why are you out of bed again?" I turned around to face my questioner. I wasn't surprised to see that it was Legolas.
" I came to see what all of the commotion was about and now that I've seen it I think I might go for a short walk."
" Would you mind if I joined you, I have something I wish to say." I looked at him oddly, I simply wanted to be left alone couldn't he see that. I sighed.
" If you wish." With that I began to walk away in a random direction. Hoping it at least seemed like I knew where I was going.
We walked in silence for what seemed like forever but I didn't mind it. I simply ignored him and soaked in the beauty of the places around me. I memorized everything, from the way the wind hit my face, to the feel of the soft leaves beneath my fingers, even the way the ground felt soft beneath my feet. All the things I'd never noticed seemed to become so evident and obvious, it was as if my senses had gone hay wire. Every thing seemed so new, and I found my self actually enjoying what I was doing. This simple act of being outside again was invigorating.
" It so different here." I whispered as I touched the smooth bark of a large green tree. The bark was smooth and somewhat soft beneath my fingers.
" It is very beautiful here, my lady." I was at first startled by his voice, I'd almost forgotten he was there.
" What did you wish to talk about, my lord?" I sat down at the base of the tree I'd been touching earlier. Nestling back into the tree I awaited his answer.
" I would like to apologize for my actions. As you mentioned I had no right to question your actions, as they are your own. I did not mean to offend you that night. I was simply concerned for your well being." He looked directly into my eyes and I could tell that he was sincere even if his facial expression never seemed to differ from his hard set, stony, look.
" You do not need to concern your self with me."
" ...I cannot help it."
" You cannot save me from the past Legolas. What happened to me, happened, it's in the past. There's nothing I can do now except for heal and move on."
" I do not see how you can be so forgiving the man that did this to you."
I stood up in an attempt to end this conversation that had begun to go farther than I'd wanted it too.
" There's no one left to punish for it Legolas. I killed the man who did this to me and you can be sure the rest of them are too far away to do anything more."
" I don't understand how you can simply move on and pretend like it didn't happen." I walked up to him and put my hands on his shoulders.
" What else is there to do?" I began to walk away in the direction we'd come.
" The night I found you, I honestly didn't think you'd make it through the night." I stopped in my tracks and listened as he continued on. " I've seen elleths fade away from lessor acts then those that were committed on you. You are far stronger than I gave you credit for, I see that now, and will always remember it. Thank you for your time my lady."
I bowed my head, " You are welcome my lord . . . and thank you." I began to walk back to my room again.
" For what?" His voice was so soft I could barely hear it from where I was standing.
" ...for saving me . . . " I whispered with that I left him standing alone in the garden with only the trees for company.
well that's the end of this chapter. I hope to have the next one up this weekend. Thanks for reading. I would like to thank midnight-flurry, scruffybunny, and beautifulsoul09 for reading my story and being my first reviews. I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to do so. Thanks guys!