A/N: Sorry that it's been awhile. I hope everyone has had a good holiday. I apologize in advance for the spelling and grammatical errors, I still suck at that. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to REVIEW!
Amara's Unknown Plight
She let the letter fall from her hands and her pale blue eyes trailed from the piece of parchment that threatened her future to the one who delivered it. Anger white and hot coarsed through her. The garden she stood in was to be hers, the forest was to be hers, and all of Mirkwood in fact was to be hers with some time. Now that dream was gone.
"Phona, is everything alright?" Andir stood in the slightly darkened garden watching the distraught maiden. He had never much cared for her, finding her domineering and materialistic. Though seeing her so saddened made him feel sorry for her.
"Was the letter all that he sent?" Phona brushed her blonde hair behind her ears and tried to keep her anger at bay.
Andir shook his head. "I am truly sorry." He was not truly sorry, but sorry nonetheless. He felt elated that his best friend had found the right person to fall in love with and Phona was definitely with him for the wrong reasons. It just felt wrong, though he did not know why.
"Leave me."
Andir did not hesitate in doing so. There was fury in her voice as she spoke; as she spat her words out, harshly slicing through the night's air. She turned away from him as he walked towards the palace doors. Once she was sure he was gone and out of earshot, she let out an enraged scream.
"There has to be a way," she whispered after her scream. "This can not be the end." He could not leave her in such a way. She could not loose her future to some unknown faceless person just because Legolas thought he was in love with her. No, she knew that he still had to harbor some feelings for her and quickly and idea was forming in her head.
"The end for me is coming," Amara whispered. She gazed at the night sky, the stars seemingly unaltered by the events unfolding.
The fellowship were well on their way to their destination, though not at all with ease. The pass to Caradhras was beginning to be ridden with snow. It had begun to fall an hour ago and Gandalf had decided it was best to wait until light broke before continuing on. Luckily, the snow was not falling too much, but the flakes were nicely sized. Currently the fellowship was asleep, all tucked in their bed rolls, save for Aragorn and Legolas who were talking quietly by the fire.
There were too many thoughts plaguing Amara for her to just drift off to sleep. Being nestled in the warmth of her sleeping roll nor feeling large snowflakes melt as they hit her face distracted her from the morbid thoughts going through her.
"Just as I begin I'm going to end," she whispered. With her right hand she took her glasses from her eyes and with her left arm she propped her head up. The stars she was looking at were now bright blurry balls. Stars though were not concerning her. The events that were to happen were what distressed her. She knew of Gandalf's death and how it was for the greater good. She knew of Boromir's falling, Merry and Pippin's capturing and how Frodo and Sam would stray from the fellowship to take the ring to Mordor themselves.
Amara remembered herself as a small girl spending hours flipping through the pages of her copy of The Lord of the Rings, engulfing every word on the many pages. She wished she never read those books.
Aule had told her that she must never reveal what knowledge she had of the future. Even though it sounded simple enough, it was not and it was eating her apart.
Finally deciding that she couldn't sleep, she put on her glasses and rose from her sleeping roll. Without her cloak, her over sized clothing gave her the warmth that she needed, but soon that would not be the case. Amara carefully stepped over Pippin whom she had been lying next to and made her way away from the camp. The mountain she knew was dangerous and steep but she needed to be by herself for awhile, just to clear her head.
Unknowingly to the empath, she had caught the attention of her brother and the elven prince.
"Amara," Aragorn shouted but she did not turn towards him as she disappeared from sight.
He made to get up from his spot by the fire but Legolas held up his hand. Aragorn looked at him as if he was insane and Legolas grinned. "Do not look at me in such a way Aragorn. I know quite well how protective you have become over Amara but this my friend, is something you can not protect her from."
Aragorn held a look of confusion on his face. "What can I not protect her from?"
"She needs some time," was all the elf would say on the subject, even when Aragorn tried to prod him for more. The two fell silent and all that could be heard was the cracking of the fire and the loud snores of Gimli.
Amara bit her lip as she looked down. They were so far away from the ground and it jumbled her nerves a bit. She was not cut out for this type of thing but yet she had to prove to everyone that she could rough it out with the best. Amara felt crappy for feeling the way she did. She was not the only one in the fellowship who was not used to traveling around with their very lives on the line, yet she felt that she was acting like she was.
Out of nerves she slid her top retainer in and out of her mouth. The words Aule had advised her with floating around in her head, constantly reminding her. She could not alter the events to come, but how was she not already? There was supposed to be a fellowship of nine not ten. Why did that not change anything?
Everything was happening exactly how it was suppose to and Amara thought that to be wrong.
'Maybe things haven't changed yet,' she thought. She shook her head, not making sense of things at all. She was supposed to be smart. In school she had made straight A's, yet in life she was failing miserably.
"Just great, I'm just book smart," she whispered with a small smirk.
'Well use your book smarts and apply it to life,' a voice in her head said.
Amara thought on it, and laughed. "That would make sense."
'It makes perfect sense.'
"Of course it makes perfect sense and now I'm talking to myself."
Amara plopped down on the cold ground and listened to the silence. Being alone felt good for a change. The cold air began to get even colder but she took no notice of it. She would just have to be tight lipped about things and suck up that feeling of regret when something bad was playing out. No one knew that she had knowledge of what was to happen but Gandalf and Legolas and they said nothing on the subject.
Amara took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "Be lucky that you're still here," she told herself. It was then that she decided to turn over a new leaf and face whatever was to come her way with a fierceness that would make even the mightiest cringe. It was then, as she sat on the ground looking at the sky that she finally and permanently shed her skin and became a new person. Aule had trusted in her his power and she was going to surpass even his greatest expectations.
"Aragorn is worried about you."
Startled, Amara jumped to her feet and faced Legolas.
"Geez, try to give me a heart attack why don't ya?"
"I apologize," Legolas said stepping closer to Amara. "Though you should really talk to your brother. He has been rattling me about you."
The snow began to fall more heavier but the two of them did not take any notice.
"Why," Amara asked with an unnoticeable smile.
"He says that I've known you longer than he has and therefore know your nature better."
"He doesn't have anything to worry about," said Amara.
"That is something that needs to be explained, perhaps to the both of us."
Amara blew out a breath and shook her head. She knew this was to happen. Aragorn worried of her too much when he should have been worrying of someone of a greater importance like Frodo.
"I'm cool, really and I'll tell him later. Right now I've just been clearing stuff from my head."
"Clearing what sort of thoughts from your head?" Legolas was now standing by her side looking down at her.
Amara pushed her snow ridden hair away from her face and shrugged. "There some things I need to get out of the way." She looked up into his incredible blue eyes and remembered that he had been giving her time, time to decide if she were going to return his feelings. She mentally kicked herself for almost letting such a thing slip her mind. A part of her thought that the whole thing had been a sham.
"Legolas, I should talk to you about something."
The elf remained silent, Amara remembering that was his way of telling her that she should go on.
"Remember when you said that you would give me time?"
Legolas studied her face and could tell that there was something wrong. "Yes."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that my time here is coming to a stop."
Legolas wrinkled his brow trying to understand Amara. "What do you mean by your time here is coming to a stop?"
"It means," Amara said not taking her eyes away from Legolas. "It means that soon I am going to die."
"Do not utter such words." There was harshness in Legolas' tone that almost frightened Amara. She took a moment to breathe and continued what she wanted to say.
"The probability for me is like thirty billion to one, the numbers they- they don't match up, they don't calculate right. Bottom line is that I am not going to last through this whole thing and I know it. I feel it."
Silence met the air. Neither one of them could say anything for a while. Legolas turned away from Amara. At that moment he knew not what to feel or say. Amara felt the bitter coldness begin to sting at her skin. The snow was falling heavier and heavier with a steady pace.
"Before I do die-"
"You are not going to die," Legolas said turning around to face her once more. "The words you are speaking are ludicrous. There are those who still have faith in your abilities and who would sacrifice their own lives to save your own."
Amara shook her head. "No one is sacrificing their life for mine. I will not see that happen. I am to make sure that everyone is safe. It's my job to steer the fellowship clear of evil."
"That is where you are mistaken. It is not just your job, it is everyone's. You are to aid not control. The fellowship is not made of just one person."
'He's right listen to him.' That small voice in her head nagged again.
"Shut up," she seethed.
"What," Legolas asked.
"Nothing. You may be...right, but it doesn't change my feeling that I'm going to die. So in the case that I do die which probably and most certainly will happen, I want to tell you yes."
Legolas had never been more confused now in his whole life. "Yes?"
"Yes, I do love you."
Amara noticed that Legolas was unbothered by the cold weather but she felt as if her fingers would fall off. Even as she told him how she felt, she felt no warmth only cold. Legolas held no expression on his face and she wondered is he had changed his mind about how he felt about her. She knew that she had made a mistaken in telling him that. She felt that she should have never opened her mouth.
Just as she was about to walk past him, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Never speak of your death again."
There was a dead seriousness in his eyes and Amara could only nod. He continued to look into her eyes for a moment as if they were having a staring contest. After awhile Legolas smiled. Gone from his eyes was the seriousness and it was replaced by joy.
"It will not happen."
Again Amara could only nod. The last time she had seen Legolas so serious was when he was about to murder Brad.
Legolas looked at Amara's reddened cheeks and held them in both hands. The empath was amazed by the fact that Legolas' hands were quite warm despite the fact that the temperature had to be below twenty degrees.
"Your skin is cold," the elven prince observed.
Feeling like her tongue had fallen asleep in her mouth, she just took to nodding.
Legolas' lips descended on her own and he quickly pulled back. "So are your lips."
His inspection only gained another slight nod from Amara. She felt her heart thunder in her chest as he leaned down to kiss her again, this time he did not pull back. His lips massaged warmth into her own and she melted into his touch, closing her eyes and wrapping her arm around him. Before the kiss deepened Amara pulled away though not by choice.
The familiar chill went through her chest and a wave of nausea hit her like a tone of bricks. Her face twisted with discomfort and she held her stomach.
"Amara..." Legolas looked at her with worry as he held onto her arm.
"We need to go. All of us. There is an evil coming."
Saruman made his way to the top of Orthanc. After his spies had reported he knew exactly what to do to gain the ring of power. Seemingly, the fellowship had a secret weapon of their own, an empath. One who could sense emotions of others was a great gift that he knew the Valar had bestowed to them. Now he desired not only the ring of power but the empath the fellowship had possession of.
Whether this empath was dead or alive he wanted her in some way so the fellowship could not have the upper hand. As long as an empath walked amongst them he knew that he was doomed. Saruman had sent out notices to his army to watch for any member of the fellowship who would show qualities of an empathic nature. Of course for orcs he had to dim his words down but in the end they got the message.
Making it to the center of the top of his black tower he stood in the direction of the pass of Caradhras. With evil determination he began to chant his curse, his curse to bring down the mountain and stop the fellowship in their tracks.
The fellowship had quickly gathered together their things as Amara warned them. The sky still holding a certain darkness to it and it slowed them down along with the element of snow. It was now deeper than it had been before, reaching almost to their waists. The hobbits all quickly threw on their cloaks and tried as best they could to march through the heavy fallen snow. Boromir hoisted Merry and Pippin onto his back and hastily followed Gandalf.
Sam held onto Bill and Aragorn was looking after both Sam and Frodo. He shot looks of concern towards Amara who looked a bit green. Seemingly Legolas had not forgotten their agreement and was holding onto Amara as the fellowship began to move forward.
Amara felt bad for not being able to help the hobbits but her stomach kept turning and her chest was filled with a burning desire to kill. They were not her desires she kept reminding herself over and over. She felt the need to puke and pushed Legolas away so that she could fight it by breathing in deeper than she had been.
"Amara we need to move on," Legolas shouted over the wind.
Amara shook her head and fought back the deathly urge. She looked at Legolas and put a finger to her lips. Legolas shook his head in confusion and then he heard it. A deep voice was being carried by the wind. He turned from Amara and walked ahead of the fellowship with ease.
He searched the sky for the voice in hopes of hearing more clearly.
"There is a fell voice on the air."
Gandalf reached where Legolas was and instantly knew who it was. "It's Saruman!"
Aragorn held onto the two hobbits more tightly, trying to keep them both warm and safe. "He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf we must turn back!" He was thinking of the safety of the hobbits. Already they could not make it through weather such as this.
Turning back was not an option for Gandalf. Turning back would mean that he would have to face his greatest fears.
"No!" Gandalf began to chant a counter curse, hoping with every ounce of his being that it would be enough to stop the wicked wizard. "Losto Caradhrass, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!"
A bolt of lightening struck the mountain and brought down snow and rocks, engulfing the fellowship in its wraith. Everything was deathly silent as any sign of life was buried. Legolas emerged from the snow mess first and shook the white stuff from his hair. Slowly but surely the rest of the fellowship emerged too, wet, cold and angered by what had happened. Amara surprised herself by digging from the snow with some ease but she found herself in a sneezing fit when she reached the top of the snow.
The burn had left her and her stomach was settled only to be replaced by a stuffy nose and many sneezes. Legolas asked her if she was alright and she managed a yes.
"We must get off the mountain! make for the Gap of Rohan! Or take the west road to my city!"
Boromir felt Merry shutter and could not take anymore thinking from the wizard. They would all die if they stayed on the path they were heading.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," said Aragorn, fighting back the cold.
"We can not pass over a mountain. Let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria," said Gimili eagerly to everyone.
Gandalf had a look of dread on his face that no one saw. Amara felt his nervousness, his uncertainty and the thing that scared her most was the wizard's fear.
"Let the ring bearer decide," he chocked out. "Frodo?"
Frodo again was reminded of the weight that was on his shoulders and his alone. The fellowship's lives were in his hands and he had to make a quick decision.
"We will go through the mines."
Gimili smiled widely despite being covered in snow.
"So be it," Gandalf said. Now it was his time to face both shadow and flame.
If you didn't get what the titled had to do with the story here's the 411. It's an unknown dilemma because Amara doesn't know that Saruman is out to get her. Thanks to all those out there who reviewed:
