The Protector in the Shadow
*Ahh. This chapter I've been waiting to write forever, I've been so looking forward to this part. Mostly because it's going to be depressing to write, and also because it's going to bring forth a new twist, I'm writing it a bit differently so hold on okay? Enjoy my friends. - Ze*
Disclaimer: Must I keep saying? We all know I don't own LOTR! But I do own Fëa (and any other character I might add)
*Fate*
*Normal*
Chapter Eleven: Dead Silent Story
Her eyes blazed a fire she could not control. She would kill Boromir, just slit his throat now. The idiot, what had he been thinking? Commanding her to shift when she knew she could not! The fates had other plans for her! But why was she faced with them now? Why did she stand, snarling like a rabid beast at Boromir? Well honestly who wouldn't? He was annoying as sin! Pestering her master and her friends like no tomorrow; it almost made her wish he was balled up again instead of snapping at everyone. She would put him in his place if it were the last thing she did.
"Fëa, Calm down. You know you do not wish to harm Boromir." Frodo spoke quietly attempting to ease the anger from the tortured wolf.
"Oh but I do Master Baggins." She snarled through closed lips and teeth, though she opened her mouth to allow blood to drip from her lips, though it was hardly even enough for anyone to notice, though to her dismay the scent of the blood had caught Legolas's attention. It was Gandalf who brought his staff to smack the back of her head with a stern look, mumbling something that she could not discern. She huffed in defeat with a glare in the direction of Boromir, whose expression looked like a spoiled child who had won an argument. "I'll go patrol. Keep away from him Frodo; I want no reason to slit his throat." She warned her master with a light growl. Boromir started chuckling with devious grin or that was until Fëa's blood soaked teeth came within inches from his face. She watched in satisfaction as he stumbled backwards and fell onto his backside.
She shrunk away into the shadows of Moria without another word, and before anyone knew what had happened. They had only ever seen the careful, good side of Lyavain. Now they were getting a peek at what the snarling, hate filled and dangerous Ava held in her bones. She was only being moody now, four days of eating yourself and feeling your other half turn against you drove you into a corner of fear one could not escape. She was pinned in that corner now by so many things.
A stone was kicked behind her, causing her to spin about and raise her lip in a snarl, only stopping once she realized who it was. Legolas, he was one of the only creatures who recognized the sudden change in Ava as a bad thing. He had figured out a lot about her that no one else more than likely ever would. The Elf would not have kicked the stone if he hadn't wanted her to notice his presence. She calmed instantly at his appearance, she hadn't wanted to go off alone, but it was for the protection of her friends that she had done such. She sighed quietly turning to start walking. "You're injured?" He questioned referring to the blood he had scented to be hers only seconds before.
"It's no concern of yours, Elf." She breathed as she continued on, hoping the Elf took the hint, which he had not. He only trudged forward fallowing after her further away from the camp and further into the deepness of the cave as they circled the perimeter making sure no enemies were near.
"It is my concern. I saw the blood fall. If you are injured you'll bring weakness to the camp." He almost growled jogging to keep up with her. She almost snarled knowing he was right, but she wouldn't let him feel he had won. She had allowed Boromir to feel like that, and she was tired of them taking advantage of her being a wolf. Because she did not speak, they spoke about and for her. Because she did not have hands, they did things for her. She had not lived with such idiocy for years, she wasn't an imbecile, she knew how to act, she showed only earlier that month that she could protect them in ways they could not protect themselves.
"And so what if I am? Will you kill me in the darkness and return to your kin? Making a story of how I died so valiantly when in truth I was slaughtered by an Elf." Her tone was back to being guarded, she was thinking of how she would react if Legolas admitted to such an accusation. How would she feel if someone she trusted so would willingly admit he would sooner slit her throat than watch out for her in battle? She snarled and took to loping back towards camp, so annoyed with herself and with the Elf she could not even think straight. She felt Legolas grab the necklace on her neck, almost breaking it. Her head turned without warning and her fangs snapped close to his hand.
Legolas seemed shocked at her sudden outburst, but not nearly as shocked as Lyavain. "No, Fëa you know better than anyone that I would never do such a thing," He started, gently reaching to pat between her ears with a smile, "but that I would help you; I would try to find out what was wrong so that you would not be injured any further." He finished with an expression that darkened, he was angered that she would even assume such a thing from him, the Crown Prince of his realm and she assumed him to be a traitor.
"I am far beyond help great Prince. I need something that I cannot achieve here." She said with a grim expression on her jet black face. She was in so much pain, yet she couldn't bring herself to shift, there was a large chance after she finally was able to that it would be days, if not weeks before she would be able to shift again. After being ordered not to, the chances of her shifting was even slimmer than before. She was trapped in a never ending cycle.
Legolas let her return to camp after that confusing statement, nothing was said between the two for hours, not a single glance exchanged.
She knew they were almost out of Moria; she was starting to scent different more earthy smells. Though they were still deep within the mines, but she also knew that it wasn't long now, though time was confusion and a blur between the never ending stairs and the large dark always winding higher and higher to the ceiling of the place.
She hadn't realized she had been out of it, not until the large clanging and horrific ringing of noise falling deep down a well and into the unknown abyss came. Not until the drums could be heard deep inside of the mines, she only just realized what was happening, a large bustle of motions caught her off guard, Had her daze really taken up that much of her mind? She needed to get into gear, and her mind needed to clear right then. She could hear the calls of the goblins; their high pitched flutter of screams reminded her of the death and decay of a butter fly. Her body moved to start helping the Fellowship, as they barricaded the rotting doors with almost as rotten wood. As they used axes as additional support on top of anything else they could find. Boromir, who had the sickest sense of humor, sounding slightly amused when he commented foully "They have a cave troll." For and for the 10th time in her life Lyavain was thinking death would be better.
Though why would she even wish? Death was about to be handed to her on a golden platter, and she wanted nothing to do with it. She was the thing standing in front of the hobbits, the line of men and wizards the only thing between her and countless goblins. She stayed silent, not wanting to provoke the already death happy goblins coming to take their lives, she knew the second the door would open, that a river of creatures who sought out their slaughter would over run their keep. They would have to rely on each other to protect, and to kill those who needed dealt with.
All gears cut off in her brain when the doors came bursting open, she didn't even wait for them to come to her, a roar more fierce then anything ever echoed in the deep was allowed from her mouth as she charged, she would go gallantly or she wouldn't go at all. The act scared the goblins, anyone who hadn't ever seen such a creature was lucky, they were small, but hideous. Their skin color unnatural and the shade of green or yellow depended on the particular creature. Most of them had eyes the shade of shadows, not really able to see the real color behind the outer lid.
She connected with her fist victim who was still slightly shocked from her call; she was soon joined by the entirety of the fellowship. They slaughtered opponents by the dozens, not stopping until they knew each was dead. She had a moment to breath, only a moment before she heard the heavy steps she had been dreading since she had heard the Steward's son exclaim in t what seemed like hours ago. She had only noticed the creature only after she had heard the hobbit's let out a bit of a yell. Her quiet eyes inspected the situation. Her mind wasn't as clear as she would have liked but her body was working on its own not even hesitating in situations she normally would have thought out. She bounded towards the creature she crept up the arm of it as it was distracted with someone else, her teeth only just penetrating through the skin, but still doing damage.
Nothing made sense, the last thing she remembered was the ground the gore below of disheveled body parts, blood everywhere, and she felt nothing, only seconds of ringing in her ears. Her body was loose, like a rag doll as she whipped through the air. Apparently moments were only seconds and she realized that all too late when her large body hit into the rock walls with a loud thud. She fell limp at the bottom, no one noticed, only Frodo, who was preoccupied with scrambling away from the creature. Lyavain watched Aragorn be tossed to the side, though more gentle. She took a step forward but winced at the pain that enhanced the already existing pain.
Her legs pulled her toward the beast all but too late. She watched as the spear the creature had stolen from the knocked out human pushed it into the hobbits. She staggered some shaking the pain out of her head, full force she charged. The only thing she could do is kill the creature that had taken her Frodo away from her she stunned the creature by leaping in front of it her fore paws hitting straight into its chest, it staggered backwards Merry and Pippin took advantage of its confusion and jumped atop its back stabbing wildly at it. They were as blood thirsty as Ava was, they wanted it dead, and they would stop at nothing to make such a wish come true. Soon enough the Elven prince was on the hunt to take it down too. When the time came and the creature was down Lyavain made sure it would never move again, her canines dug into the creatures' throat and pulled violently only stopping when a gasp of horror escaped the group.
She was merciless, and she loved being such. She didn't want to be kind to the creatures who were taking her family from her. They didn't deserve to live at all.
All was in vein, she stared at Frodo who was insisting to the group he was alright, moving to show the shirt Bilbo Baggins had insisted he take, thank Eru, thank The Valar, thank any creature who was looking over them that day. She moved quickly, running to him, gently touching her face to his cheek. She was sniffing for anything hurt or anything broken. Her noise moving from his face, ruffling his hair, down his neck and to his chest where she saw it pierce before finally stepping back with a light breathy whine. She couldn't hear, which was an inconvionce, she could only see the fellowship running towards the exit. Her heart sunk as they ran through the large hall they once had been as she heard them coming from all sides. There was nothing more in her heart that she wanted to be out of Moria more then she wanted to be released from her forms. They were so close she could almost taste it; tasting wasn't good enough but skidding to a stop and staring into the eyes of goblins was even worse.
She thought they were dead, and for a wolf to think such a thing you knew it was serious. She was certain that nothing could get worse. That was until she heard the noise she had only heard once in her life. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Gandalf, not paying attention to the goblins that scrambled away like mice from a cat. She was terrified "Gan…dalf." She croaked looking up at him. He looked down at her lovingly before up to where the noise came echoing from the deep. "Balrog?" She could only get the one word out. It sounded like she was scoffing, but actually she was coughing lightly.
"Yes Fëa that is a Balrog— a demon of the ancient world." Gandalf whispered grimly, looking to the orange coloration of the room. Her heart was now caught in her chest. "This foe is far beyond any of you," he mused suddenly turning pointing his staff in the direction of a room filled with light, "run!"
And we did, we ran into the darkness…
*I know it's sort of late for this chapter! R&R Sorry it took so long, I ended up taking my mare Mari for a ride. It was such a wonderful winter's day I couldn't resist! Though my story was abused because of this and for that I am saddened. But my horses need to run, and I need my horses so I figured my story could manage for a single day. I'm sorry it seems rushed, and a bit lacking! Also I said there would only be three, well I lied! Four chapters than a secret! hehehe - Ze*