Harry Potter – Emissary or Exile by Tansy 1354
Summary: Take one man who has finally accepted and fulfilled his destiny, then take one fifteen year old boy who has just found out about his, add a bit of very old magic and a new journey will begin for both. (HP/LOTR XOVER)
Part 5. Spirits and Oaths
The sun was high in the sky when the King of Gondor and Arnor finally awoke, feeling a little foggy in the head.
At first all he could register was that he was nestled in someone's arms. Immediately thinking those arms belonged to his beloved Arwen, he snuggled closer and sighed in contentment before saying sleepily, "Good morning my love. What did you do to me last night?"
"Well good morning to you too, my friend, just kidnapped you from Minas Tirith." The definitely male voice was shaking with suppressed laughter as the said king's eyes shot open to behold a blue eyed, blond haired elf who was struggling to contain his mirth.
"I would also suggest you stay still, lest you fall off Shadowfax and we are delayed in our journey."
"Legolas! Wha…What are you talking about and exactly where are you taking me? Where is Arwen?" Aragorn answered somewhat confused.
When Legolas didn't reply immediately the king forced himself to try and think back to what was now obviously several hours ago. As the memory started to come back so did a sense of foreboding.
"The last thing I remember was drinking a cup of tea Arwen made for me after my conversation with Gandalf."
With a sudden look of disbelief arriving on his face he asked hesitantly, "Please tell me she didn't succeed in getting me to take a sleeping draught without me realising."
Legolas just grinned back, "Well now that you mention it, Gandalf did say something to that effect when he arrived in my room just after midnight to enlist my help in his plan to get you out of the city."
"Why don't you settle back and get some more rest and I'll explain everything as we go." Legolas was now quite serious as he knew his friend had not been sleeping well for weeks now.
So as the pair rode on towards Lorien, Legolas began to explain, from how Gandalf had come to him and asked him to take their companion to Lorien, to the excuse he had come up with for the King's absence. Although Legolas had been reluctant at first, he had agreed that indeed the excuse of his own serious illness would be one that no one would question.
Aragorn, for his part, just seemed intrigued at the trouble they had gone to in order to effect his flight from the city. He was relieved when he was told that his wife would be following on at dawn with Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship, so would be with him in Lorien in a couple of days.
"Legolas, I know I owe you an explanation for all of this but since it is complicated can you wait till we get to Lorien and I only have to explain once?"
"Aragorn, we have known each other a long time now and I trust that whatever has sent you to Lorien is urgent. You know I would not push you to tell me until you were ready." Legolas smiled at his friend reassuringly.
Aragorn smiled back relieved, "What I will tell you is that if my journey to Lorien is successful then I will be returning to Minas Tirith with a new and wanted role to play. Although I do feel conscience-stricken at the timing of my absence since we were due to return to Edoras for the burial of King Theoden. I cannot imagine how Eomer and Eowyn will judge me." He finished regretfully.
Legolas shook his head in dismay, "Aragorn surely you don't think they would grudge you the reason of trying to save a friend's life. I believe they would understand that the living must take precedence over the dead in this case. Besides they have also noticed how you have not been quite yourself of late and have been asking after your health quite often.
Now stop worrying about it and try and get some more sleep, we should be arriving in Lorien in about three hours." He had noticed his friend yawning despite himself. So the elf began to hum a lilting tune of Rivendell which he was pleased to note sent the ex-ranger back to sleep almost immediately.
Soon enough however, Legolas had stopped Shadowfax and woken the sleeping Aragorn, "Aragorn it is time for us to change places and cloaks so that we can keep up the façade until we are behind closed doors." The elf slipped gracefully down to the ground, then turned to help the King.
It was then that Aragorn noticed they were in a small stand of trees a little distance from the road they were now following. The trees were thick enough for them to make the change without being seen and they were soon on their way again with Legolas now nestled in his friend's arms.
As they entered the tree line, Aragorn was surprised to see Lady Galadriel herself waiting for them. "Come, Elessar, I have already seen the one you are here for and he is running out of time. We must act quickly if we are to save him." Strangely she was not looking at Legolas but at Aragorn when she said this.
She turned to Legolas and placed her finger to her lips indicating he should remain silent. The Prince of Mirkwood was more than happy to comply. "I have prepared a place where we can be alone to work out what is to be done. I have also let it be known that Legolas was coming here because of a vision which involved you, Elessar, one which also caused his mysterious illness. We have decided to keep the Prince in isolation for the next few days until we can discern how to treat him."
There was a barely audible sigh of resignation from within the folds of the blond archer's cloak.
Once they were safely in the secluded flet high in the trees, Aragorn and Legolas took of their cloaks and sat down.
"I hope that you will make this the final time I will have to be carried in your name, Aragorn, as I fear I am beginning to enjoy the attention." Legolas remarked with a theatrical sigh, as he took his seat.
Aragorn smiled despite his anxiousness, "I will keep that in mind, my friend and I also thank you for your patience in receiving your explanation for why we are here."
Galadriel also smiled at the banter between the two in front of her. She, like most of the elves, had a soft spot for both of these warriors. Legolas having been one of the last full elves born had always been considered special. Aragorn, now Elessar, having been brought up among the elves also held a place of honour among her kin.
"Elessar, please explain how all this started so that we may find a way to help the one you have really come here to rescue." Galadriel commanded firmly.
Well it all started the night of Faramir's birthday, I had been sitting in my private studying trying to get my head around a particular report that I would be discussing with my counsel the next morning.
Indeed Faramir would not take the afternoon and evening off unless I promised to study this particular report. So I promised because I really wanted him to have a break and spend some time with Lady Eowyn.
Anyway while I had my head down, I felt a warm gentle breeze brush across my face and a young woman's voice call softly, "Are you Aragorn, son of Arathorn, now King Elessar Telcontar?"
I looked up to see a beautiful young woman with dark red hair and sparkling green eyes. She looked around the same age as the Lady Eowyn and was wearing clothing in a style I had never seen before. Of course the other thing I noticed immediately about her was the fact she was just floating in front of my desk like a spirit. I felt no fear as I answered, "I am, may I ask who you are my Lady?"
The lady smiled back and her green eyes glistened, "Then you can see me, for I can only be seen by the one I have been searching for."
Curious now I replied, "Why have you sought me out, you are not familiar to me?"
"I have been searching through many generations, ever since my spirit was released, and I was told that was the way I would recognize you. You see I come to you in the name of the bond of blood." She was looking at me hopefully now.
"You are of my blood, but how is that possible? I am only newly married and have no offspring as yet that I know about." You can imagine my confusion.
"My name is Lily Evans Potter and I am a direct blood descendant of yours, from many generations into the future. I come to you on behalf of my son, Harry, who needs your protection and care, for his mind and, in fact, his very life is in danger"
The young woman continued, " When he was no more than fifteen months old I died to save him from a great evil that is still sweeping our world. Then, a mere three weeks ago, his godfather died to save him from this same evil. He is only fifteen and yet he is destined to destroy the man who is the source of this evil so he has the fate of a whole world on his small shoulders. But he has no one who will love him and prepare him for what is to come."
The lady spoke now trying to hold back her sorrow, "His father, James, died trying to protect us and he was the last of his own family, the others having been systematically destroyed by this evil man. What is left of my own family are hopeless."
"You have my deepest admiration, Lily Evans Potter, but how can I possibly help your son when there is obviously many millennia between us?"
With that the spirit produced two small spheres both glowing gold, inside was what looked like blood. "If you hold one of these in each of your hands you will absorb my blood and Harry's blood directly into you. The golden glow represents our magic which will also be absorbed. By doing this we will be sure of the bond and give you a way to bring Harry here, by means of our magic and knowledge of its uses."
I looked at her amazed for I could not imagine myself using magic, but how could I not accept this stripling of barely fifteen summers whose life seemed to have had so many similarities to my own, apart from the fact he was my blood kin.
So I took the two spheres from her and was taken aback to discover they were warm to the touch. "Is there anything special I need to say?" I asked in anxious anticipation.
"I think you already know that you only have to speak from your heart," she replied smiling despite the tears that were now starting to fall.
"I, Aragorn son of Arathorn, accept as my own son, Harry James Potter, son of Lily Evans Potter. To protect him, love him and provide a home for him here, where his mother's blood resides." With that I squeezed the spheres and I was awash with so much love and longing it made me dizzy. Suddenly I felt a new understanding for the power of magic.
The Lady's relief was painful to see, "From the bottom of my heart I thank you. I could tell you were a man of honour who would not deny his own kin. I can rest now knowing that Harry will finally be happy and safe. Farewell and pleasant dreams." Then she just faded away in front of me.
"As she disappeared I was filled with an undeniable urge to sleep and yet had a feeling that someone was summoning me. Quickly I called to my squire, Danir, to take a message to Arwen. Then I returned to my study and locked the door.
I had no time even to lie on the couch, but slumped to the floor in the middle of the room. That's when I first entered Harry's dreams. His spirit was indeed deeply troubled, and I feared that his grief would drive him mad or he would withdraw from the world completely.
In fact, when I arrived he was in the middle of a dream where Harry was being blamed by his godfather for causing his death, The man then went onto declare that he was sorry he had ever agreed to be the boy's godfather and that Harry's stupidity always got people killed. It was at that point that I made myself known to Harry, reassuring him I was there to help him in whatever capacity I could. I sang him a song of Rivendell and his dream changed to the beauty of my father's realm.
I have been sharing his dreams ever since and my visits seem to have improved his state of mind and even his physical health. But something has been causing a drain on his magic. I thought it might be the amount of power he is using to summon me, especially as I had begun taking sleeping herbs to allow me to fulfill my regal duties and allay everyone's fears over my own state of health."
Finally Aragorn ceased his tale and reached for the goblet of water that magically appeared in front of him, apparently from out of nowhere.