Elven_Princess_2005
Chapter 12
Thanks to:
Lenecia Lewis: You'll have to read this chapter to find out.
Lintered: I dont' think it's lucky...we have to make everyday we miss up. Thank you
PsycoPixie: Thanks
Princess Tari Greenleaf: Here's the next chapter.
Jupiter's Light: Thank you. Here's more for you.
Legolaslover: I've been having trouble with my HTML program and it refused to put the site up, but I have fixed the problem and the site will be at the end of the chapter.
Nelo: I've hurried.
Copper Hayden-Greenleaf: Thank you.
Jack-Sparrow-Lover: Another fine review. I'm glad you like my style of writing.
Lady Love: I'm glad you do. You'll have to continue to read and find out if she saves Boromir and/or her father. I'll try to let them live, but sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.
Lady Light: He has no suspicions about her relation to him whatsoever.
nikki: Thank you. It is kinda sad.
Lady Idril Celebrindal: Think of it this way, your anticipation is over.
Hecath: Thank you. Is it really that good?
elven wood: Thank you and here's the update.
LOTR Chic: In this chapter.
I had spent a little over a week at the Lothlórien Boarders. It was tough, and I wouldn't even think about doing it under normal circumstances. But then again when had my life been normal. These past few months sure haven't.
I woke up and I knew I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. I grabbed my sword and walked past the Lórien Boarders. I stopped several hours later. I knew my way back; it was like second nature. I just needed time alone. I sat down on a tree that had fallen over and sighed. Part of me wanted to tell Haldir everything and ask if I could stay in Lothlórien, but I was still needed.
The other part of me, the logical part, told me to stay silent. I would cause him nothing but more heartache. "You have strayed far from the boarders. It's not safe" I looked up to see Haldir.
The one person I would like to avoid for the rest of my life. "I'm not some little child. I can take care of myself," I told him.
"I have no doubt you can, but against a group of orcs? No offense Lady Katherine, but they would tear you apart"
"Let them try. I don't fear their ways. I don't fear them. Besides they wouldn't get me without a fight"
"Come back to Lothlórien, my lady. I would feel much better if you were safe within the boarders" Haldir said.
"I just need some time to think. I need some air. I'll be careful. I know these woods just as well as you do," I told him.
"As true as that is, it's very dangerous out here" he pointed out.
When did he figure this out? Everyone knows that! I thought. I stayed where I was. "I need to know something," I said.
"And what would that be?" he asked.
"Why have you taken so much interest in me?" I questioned.
"Regardless of the fighting you have to do, you're still innocent and young. Someone like yourself shouldn't have to suffer like you have in the past few weeks " Haldir said.
"Until Sauron is destroyed, every living being will suffer. It's not a choice in life right now. Families are being torn apart and destroyed by him, when he has no right to do so. That's why I have to fight. I never got to know my parents and because if him I might ever not. I fight for the innocent children who shouldn't have to suffer like I did. They don't deserve it," I told him.
"You fight more for your own reasons then for the reasons of others. Although I believe everyone is entitled for a little revenge" Haldir said. "Come on, let's go back. You need sleep before your shift"
I stood up from the tree log and walked over to Haldir. We walked back to the borders. I fell into my makeshift bed and sighed. I wasn't going to sleep; I knew that. I sat there, with my knees tucked in under my chin my arms around them, trying to figure out when my life had suddenly spun out of control. I thought I was in control of my life. Then I landed in Middle Earth, not knowing anything except what was going to transpire. I didn't expect to fall in love, I didn't expect to find the family I never knew about, I didn't expect to find acceptance. Acceptance was something I had never experienced except for a few of my friends.
I really didn't pay any attention to the time. All I knew was when I looked up; Rúmil was standing in the front of my talan. I stood up, knowing that it was time to go onto shift. I groaned mentally. Shift was the last thing I needed to do. We relieved 2nd shift and I took my spot in the trees. It was uneventful for which I was grateful. We made it back to camp. I ate a little and went to my favorite tree and climbed up. It was hours later that I climbed down. The shift that relieved mine came back. Haldir came back injured. He had a gash in his right arm and one on his forehead. A scratch on his shoulder from where an arrow had grazed his skin. I went to the medical talon. I saw my father in one of the corners, cleaning his wounds. I walked over to him. "You need someone else to do that. You can't do it properly by yourself" I said.
He looked up and almost glared at me. I took the rag from his hands and dipped it in some warm water. I wiped away the blood on his forehead and arm. He would need stitches on his arm and I wasn't qualified to do that. A healer took over for me. He stitched up Haldir's arm and put some sort of emulsion on his head.
I wrapped his shoulder. I left to clean up and when I got back he was gone. I went looking for him. He was discussing strategies with Orophin. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but Haldir may I have a word with you?" I asked.
He looked at me and nodded. He excused himself and we walked along a path. "What do you need, Katherine?" his voice sounded terse and strained.
"You need to rest. You just got back from a shift and you're injured on top of that. You're going to drive yourself to the brink of exhaustion if you don't take care of yourself" I said.
"Don't be foolish" He waved me off.
"Why are you acting like this?" I demanded.
"Acting like what?" Haldir questioned.
"Acting like you don't care what happens to you. You act as if you have nothing left in the world to hold on to," I said.
"Because I don't. I have no family anything, save my two brothers. Orcs murdered my wife and I had no choice in the matter of sending my daughter away. It was for her safety. She would have died if she had stayed. Besides what do you know about not having anything to hold onto?"
"I know exactly what it's like to have nothing to hold onto. I know what it's like to give up on life and everything around you. I've been there. I was there for weeks before I found Legolas. I tried to do anything to get rid of my problems by any means I could find. I was almost to the point to killing myself it was so bad. So, yeah, I know what it's like to have nothing to hold onto," I snapped, angrily.
"You don't know what it's like to send away your child, never knowing what she'll turn into. I never got to see her grow up or fall in love. And I never will."
"I know more than you think I do. I know what it's like to be alone"
"You have no idea what it's like to be alone" he sneered.
"Maybe if you gave me the chance to live here instead of making the hasty decision of sending me away, maybe you wouldn't have had to go years alone!" I shouted without thinking.
"What?"
"oops" I whispered.
"What did you say?" Haldir asked.
"Oh boy"
"I won't ask you again"
"I said maybe if you gave me the chance to live here instead of making the nasty decision of sending me away, maybe you wouldn't have had to go years alone" I said, calmer.
"Palanwen?"
"If that's the name you and atara gave me, then yes"
"How did you get back?" Haldir asked.
"Galadriel. I don't know how she did it, but she brought be back to Middle Earth"
Haldir was silent. "I'm leaving"
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Back to the Fellowship"
I ran off and grabbed my bad out of my talon and took off for Caras Galadhon. I didn't look back nor did Haldir call my name. We both needed time to think.
The next two weeks past and if I wasn't in my talan then I was in a tree, all the way at the top, sitting on the highest branch I could reach. Sometimes I would sit there from sun up to sun down. I never really wanted to be around people.
I only had a few more days until we left and I knew I would have to confront Haldir, but I never really wanted to see him. I never really needed him. I didn't in the past and I didn't now. Or was I just fooling myself into thinking I could take care of myself without help? I didn't know. It wouldn't be long before we would reach Amon Hen after we left Lothlórien. Around ten days if my memory served me right.
At the time I was sitting in my talan. I heard footsteps. "Miss Katherine?" It was Sam.
"Yes, Samwise"
"Strider is looking for you" Sam said.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Training grounds miss"
"Thank you" I said.
I stood up, and walked out of my talan down some stairs, across a few bridges, and down some more stairs before I finally made it to the training area. It was on the ground, thank god. I looked around but didn't see Aragorn anywhere. I didn't hear him either. I silently took out my blade and gripped the hilt. I placed the blade in the ground and went to put my hair up. His mistake was that he moved. I saw the white feathers of a quiver of arrows. Which mean Haldir or one of his Sentinels. I followed his movement through the trees nonchalantly. I picked up my sword and turned, making sure not to let him out of my eyesight. "Why are you hiding?" I shouted to the trees. "What are you afraid of?"
Taunts always work. Even with Elves. Legolas had proven that the first time we fought; then again it could have been just him. No one answered or came down. Just Legolas.I thought wryly.
Someone dropped down from the trees. He landed, silently on the ground. It was Haldir. "What do you want?" I asked.
"I merely wanted to speak with you"
I eyed him. Besides his quiver and bow strapped to his back, he held no other weapons. I shielded my sword and folded my arms across my chest. "What?" I asked, impatiently.
"Are you really Palanwen?" he asked.
My face softened. "Yes"
"Why didn't you tell me after I got you safely in the boards of Lothlórien?" he asked.
"I couldn't have gone up to you and say 'I'm the daughter that you sent away all those years ago', now could I?"
"It would have been better than hiding it"
"But you don't know why I hid it" I whispered.
"Why don't you enlighten me"
"If I never made it out alive from this quest, you would have never known. You're heart wouldn't have broken for the second time in your life. I didn't want to cause you any pain. You looked like you were doing fine without me. I didn't want to interrupt anything"
"I would much rather get to know you now, then never get to know you at all"
"Even if I die? There's no guarantee that I'll survive the next few weeks!"
"Then stay here in Lothlórien. The Lady and Lord would not mind"
"If I stay then I have the guilt of an innocent man dying when I could have helped prevent it"
"You know what is to come?"
"More than you know" I said, bitterly. "And you know something, I hate myself for it. I hate knowing what is in store for the Fellowship. Especially Frodo. He's such a young Hobbit. He doesn't deserve what fate is dealing him"
"No one deserves the fate they are dealt with. But the Valor knows what he's doing"
"How can you have so much faith?"
"How can you have so little?" He asked.
"I've always been a person of little faith. Whether it's the Valor or God up there, they must not like me very much. They've taken everything from me and haven't even begun to give any of it back"
"So what do you call Legolas?"
"A miracle" I stated simply. "He's the only reason I'm stand here right now and for more than one reason"
"What happened?"
"The first day I came to Middle Earth, I was injured and lost. I had no idea of where I was going. Legolas found me and took me back to his camp. Elladan and Elrohir weren't too pleased, but they got over it. He took care of my wound and I went with him to Rivendell. I was totally lost. The circumstances surrounding my arrival here weren't at all pleasing. I didn't know what to do. I had closed myself to everyone; even those who wished to help me. Legolas noticed it. Somehow he managed to pull me back out"
"I own him my gratitude" Haldir said.
"Why?"
"He saved my only daughter"
"Yeah, and if I hadn't opened my big mouth you'd still be in the dark"
"Do you regret your decision?" He asked.
"You just don't understand, Haldir, I wasn't exactly planning on making it out alive. Horrible events will occur. I need to stop them. In the process, my own life could be snuffed out!"
"Then I demand you to stay here"
"Where in the hell do you get the audacity to demand me to do anything? You may very well be my father, but that doesn't give you the slightest bit of power over me. I am going to see this mission to the end and no one is going to stop me!"
I turned to walk away. "Palanwen stop!"
I kept walking. "Palanwen!" Haldir came after me.
I turned on a dime, obviously startling my father. "My name isn't Palanwen. It's Katherine"
"NO!" He shouted. Now it was his turn to startle me. "You can tell me any name you wish to be called, but no matter what, you will always be my daughter by blood, and you will always be known as Palanwen to me!"
"Call me what you will, but know this, I will only respond to Katherine or Katie. Nothing else" I warned my father.
"I refuse to call you Katherine. That isn't your name," He said.
"Yes it is," I said, leaving the area.
I walked around for several hours, missing lunch and dinner. I went back to the campsite to find Boromir sitting around a fire. I knew The Ring was getting to him, but I didn't think it was affecting him that badly. "Where have you been?" He asked.
"Around" I said vaguely. "I just needed some air and some time to think"
"What is troubling your mind Katherine?" he asked.
"Too many things on it I suppose. I've got a lot to worry about before and after we leave the safe borders of Lothlórien. They are weighing heavily on my mind as well as my heart"
"Like what?"
"I…I can't tell you. It's important though. I just need to work through it on my own" I said.
"Don't you trust me?" he asked.
"Trusting you was never an issue Boromir so don't ask me if I do or not. You know damn well where my loyalties lie," I scolded.
"Forgive me, my lady, I meant no offense"
I smiled at him. "Don't worry there is none taken"
We sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke up. "It's not going to go away is it?" he asked.
"What's not going to go away?" I asked, confused.
"The Ring's voice" his voice was barely above a whisper.
I hesitated before answering. "It won't go away completely; not until The Ring is destroyed. All I can tell you is that it'll get better. The voice will dissipate soon. But this entire war will get worse before it gets better"
"Will we win?" he asked.
"Only time will tell" I lied. "No one can see that end, not even Galadriel herself"
"But you know" he said suddenly.
My head shot up and I looked at Boromir in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to cover my tracks.
"I am not blind, Katherine. I see the way you avoid questions. I see the way you speak about things that are to come. You're very sullen, but you're eyes betray you. You know more than you let on"
"I know no more than you do Boromir. I only feel things that are around me" I lied again.
"You don't lie very well, but I can tell you don't want to speak about this. I understand, and I won't push the subject anymore unless you're willing to speak about it" The young Steward said.
I smiled. I was grateful for his consideration. I just wished that I could sit down and tell him the truth.
Elvish Translations:
Atara - Mother
Author's Note: Well, the long awaited chapter where Katie tell her father who she is is out. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter should be relatively long. I'll be covering from where they leave Lothlórien and through the battle of Amon Hen, or I could be a bit evil and save the battle for chapter 14. I don't know yet. In any event you'll have to keep reading to see if Katie saves Boromir. I don't know when Chapter 13 will be out. I'm hoping it'll be out within the next three weeks. I know it's a long time, but school work seems to be getting harder and harder. I do apologize, but teachers seem to think we have no life beyond school, which isn't true, but anyway. As I said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
To see the site where I get my Elvish translations, you have to see my bio.