The Protector in the Shadow
*Hey kittens! I'm starting a new LOTR fic soon, once I get a bit further with this one! Be looking for it, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm writing about. It's going to be more based in Rohan, and deals with the Fellowship much later. Enjoy this chapter; it's making up for lost time! - Ze*
Disclaimer: why must I repeat this over and over again…I don't own LOTRs locations or characters. Only Ava and any other character I choose to add
*Past*
*Present*
"Child of the moon, once fallen to shadow, I offer you a hope," the woman said with a small gasp of air as she stood moving back from the wolf, she did not want to do this, "and I offer you relief. Lyavain, daughter of the Beast. I release you from your binds." The words were soft, spoken quick, but they were like knifes in Ava's side. Her body seemed to tremble, it seemed to quake like the earth around Mount Doom, and Mordor. She seemed to be whining, she was begging not to feel this pain. She did not want to betray her friends. She would much rather die.
But she could not die. Frodo needed her.
Chapter Fourteen: Bare Skin
It hit her with a shock when she started to veer backwards from her laying position, her growling was the only thing she could focus on, it seemed to numb the pain and take away the feeling of regret. But her eyes landed on the confused Fellowship; there was nothing she could do to explain, nothing she could do to let on with her situation. Lord Elrond had suggested not telling them, and until this moment she hadn't even dreamed of telling them. Her eyes locked with Aragorn's, and her entire heart broke. She wanted to tell him, she actually had planned on doing so before her command. Her eyes translated her feeling of fear before her grandmother stepped closer to her. "Do not put it off." Her voice was commanding now, she would not see Lyavain die again. Once was more than enough.
Aragorn stepped forward with a frightened expression, "What is happening to her?" He questioned with a wide eyed expression.
"Show them what you really are." That was all her mind could take her eyes widened as her breath sputtered more blood dripping, she couldn't put it off anymore, she felt the pressure she hated so much, her growls turned to whines and her body bucked, she was trembling, seizing violently. Her eyes rolled back into her skull as the first noise of breaking hit her ears small snaps and pops at first the fellowship could only hear her groans, but as her back started to arch she pawed wildly at the ground she ended up only rolling on her stomach.
She stood somehow, attempting to stagger off but only being greeted with the loud crack! Of her shoulder snapping out of place, she roared in pain thrashing about. The pain that coursed through her body pushed her to move, her body moved toward Frodo, asking for relief from the pain. But the bending feeling in her spine stopped her, she didn't make it far. There was no escaping the pain. She roared again as it finally snapped, than the breaking just flowed, she fell limply as she trembled.
"Lyavain, does it hurt to change forms?" Haldir asked cautiously with a small confused expression his mind not fully grasping what he had witnessed. The sun shone over the small meadow they stood in, though not often she came here. When she wanted to escape, when she wanted the peace and quiet. Galadriel always asked Haldir to fallow her, just to be safe. The forests were safe, but she knew of her Indyo and her history of running off. "Not really, just feels like pins and needles I guess. It depends how long I've been in a form, if I'm in the wolf form for months, or years. It normally hurts, but never as bad as when I'm commanded to shift." She said while staring thoughtfully at an animal nearby her Azure eyes shone like a blue flame, or the oceans of her world. She loved the outdoors even more so when she came to live with the Elves in Lothlórien.
The sound of her own breaking bones caused her to become nauseous, she was lucky she didn't pass out. Having the bones break wasn't the worst part. It was the remending and the shrinking that hurt the most. Just envision being the size of a glorious equine, and having the graceful bone structure of a wolf, where does it all go? It found locations; it cut, severed, and pushed its way into a new location almost every time.
She was silent, but the gurgling sound echoed from her throat before her vocal cords severed. She lay silent, though her body still seized violently, and the breaking could still be heard her paw reached out toward Frodo but nothing more could be done. The twitching in her paw increased snapping occurred as her paw outstretched and small delicate fingers started to form out of the claws and paws. Growling and whining started to turn into almost human cries of pain, begging for help and release. There was still a demonic sound to her unused vocal cords. But soon she felt all pain die, only for a second. The hair started to change on her body.
The soft light changing on her fingers could be seen as they transformed to bare skin. He fingers moved as her breathing stopped, she was twitching, as the onyx gave into pale moon beams, her pale skin almost started to shine as the blackness vanished, the shadow was slowly fading from her skin, she was sobbing her heart was broken, and her body burned like the fires of hell. Greif, self hatred, loathing, and heartbreak was all she could think of, her body was trembling still, her back towards the fellowship, with the exception of Frodo Baggins, who took his small cloak off and ran to her quickly, he knelt down beside her, covering her before she was completely naked before the men.
"Lyavain?" He questioned with softness in his voice that the fellowship had not yet heard before. She was covered in bruises from when she had hit into the wall, and scratched that she had caused herself from not changing. She honestly looked like hell, her heart was barely beating and her eyes were mostly closed. "Can you not help her? She's been in so much pain!" He asked looking to the woman before him, his mind was sporadic.
Boromir was the first of the fellowship to speak; his eyes expressed how disgusted he was, and a severe distaste for the creature that now lay half dead before him. "What is this devilry?" He exclaimed looking around for anyone else to agree with him. Not even Gimli made a comment on the creature. All much too shocked to offer a word.
"The beast child of Gondolin." For an Elf she was covered in scars and the chains which still lay on her ankle made him shiver, "I had heard rumors of an elf that could walk between the forms of a beast and Elf, but I never believed them true." Legolas seemed more upset that he had not guessed sooner, that he was unable to identify the creature that was before them. He kicked himself more than once on the subject. He looked up to the leader of the Elves that took side next to the child. He was equally shocked and hurt that he hadn't been told by the creature.
"We should rid the world of this abomination." Boromir was still only set on killing the creature, but it was Aragorn who stopped him from unsheathing his sword. The Ranger looked displeased with the choice of words which came from the other man. His expression was severe, as if daring Boromir to touch her in anyway, let alone to harm her. The protectiveness Aragorn had always had for the wolf still remained, even if she was not fully elf no one should have a say in what creature exists and what creature does not. More than once had she protected them from danger. It was now there turn to do the same.
The ranger's expression turned cold very quickly as he moved his glance to Frodo. "How long have you known?" It was more of a statement than a question, and he could tell by how Frodo had stiffened that it was to be answered or else.
"Since the beginning, I could not tell you, it was against her wishes. She didn't want you to feel betrayed." Frodo said quietly as an Elf came to take her he stood over her as if a wolf and a pack would do. He had known that in the situation "Fëa" would have done the same had he been the one down.
"Frodo…" Ava's voice came weak out of her throat, it was hoarse and broken, but it was still there, that gentle bell like tone deep yet soft and airy. Her words were graceful in every way as they danced off of her tongue. Even as she lay unmoving, her eyes closed she still knew what was happening. "Let them take me…I cannot move on my own." She whispered quietly not moving her face to look at the fellowship before she moved, her long moon like hair was sprawled around her. She had exerted so much energy to turn away so much energy to make the change as soundless as possible. She just needed to sleep.
When Frodo allowed Haldir to pick up her bare form he insisted that his cloak not come off of her body. Lyavain's face rested lightly on her childhood friend's chest, the cloak hid it from the word and it hid her innocent body from the sights of others. She was carried up the stairs as gently as possible before she disappeared into the light. Merry and Pippin looked heartbroken, but Gimli and Boromir looked outraged, so unused to change and difference they commented back and forth while Aragorn did not know if he should be joyous, or feel betrayed at the action. Frodo looked horrified, he had even asked the Lady of the Wood if he could join the Elven child, but she had said it would be better if he waited it out a moment longer.
(Aragorn)
He couldn't grasp the situation, still not completely understanding yet understanding all at the same time. Legolas had suspected, and he had expressed to him how he felt. But never had he expected such a dark shadowy creature could actually be one of light herself. He was shocked, so amazed, and yet so horrified. He wasn't expecting it to be true. Nor was he expecting the silence in the meadow that came after that. He sat smoking thoughtfully underneath the lily shaped lamp.
Frodo paced back and forth with an anxious expression on his face, he hadn't been away from Ava since before the village of Bree. The three hobbits were worried and asking Frodo what was going on, but Frodo never replied with more than a shrug. Boromir was grumbling about how a creature like her shouldn't be in existence. Going on about how he thought she should die. He was about to say something, and he could tell Frodo was about to bark, but it was Samwise who spoke first. "Boromir, we have no right to decide who lives and who dies. Only the gods do. Fëa has protected us on more than one occasion, and I know she came to your aid even though you threatened her life." His voice was calm, as to not start a fight. Boromir looked shocked at first hiding the anger on his face he bit back a snide comment as a voice penetrated their ears.
Thank you Samwise that was most kind of you," The bell like voice cooed gently through the trees just as a breeze came floating through the air, "I am sorry to have deceived you." The voice concluded with a soft sigh, they turned toward the stair, the stair they had not noticed until that moment to see a woman standing with a green cloak, it contrasted lightly with the bright sea colored blue dress the creature wore. Her slender scratched hands were bandaged, but they were crossed gently in front of her, as if she were being shy. Those hands rose to pull the hood from her head and rest it quietly behind her.
Frodo was gone before anyone could stop him, he ran straight into the arms of the woman who knelt down to catch him. They embraced for a few moments before the girl started the smile lightly. "Long has it been since we have spoken aloud Frodo Baggins. I have missed this." It was then that they realized this was their wolf… Unsure how to react to the sudden notion that the breathe thanking woman before them was at one time a wolf. It was like they were finding out she wasn't what she said she was once again.
This was their "Fëa"… And they hadn't a clue how to react.
* I'm very sorry about not updating. My grandmother fell last night, and she broke her hip. It took us from 8PM to 1AM to get a room alone. I had this chapter half way finished and everything ready. I had planned to update, but well. My grandmother just got out of surgery, and I haven't really been home much. I'm updating this as fast as possible. - Ze*