A/N: In which Eirian's power is revealed, Sirius inadvertently siriusly (I really must stop doing that) upsets Legolas and prophecies are heard, with at least one sneaky King Arthur reference. There is also some spectacular swearing. The first part is also something of a breather, considering the drama to come, and establishes Eirian as a character in her own right.
Also, if anyone catches the reference back to the very first chapter in one of the prophecies, I will award them a cookie. Also, the basic ideas for 'From Out of the Shadows' are laid out and planned. It will be coming this Summer, as this one ends. This should be the penultimate chapter. In the next, we meet Maglor, and discover a little more about the gates between Middle Earth and Harry's world.
RandomReader: I aim to please.
JSawyer: *snickers* Oh dear. Back in your hole laddie. If you're going to bitch about my fic, at least say what you didn't like about it. And don't cop out and say 'everything'. Constructive criticism I enjoy. Non constructive criticism is… boring.
To say the party was exuberant would be an understatement. For one thing, despite Hermione's best efforts, Sirius got to the drinks, transfiguring them into something that everyone later agreed felt like it involved gold bricks and lemons. Consequently, the party had quickly gone from cultured celebration to near diplomatic fiasco as Elladan and Elrohir attempted to drunkenly flirt with Eowyn, who, being used to flirty drunks, pushed them away with sweet words and rolled eyes, then cuddled up to her slightly jealous looking soon-to-be-husband as they passed out.
Aragorn gave Sirius a series of utterly murderous looks as he attempted damage limitation, to which the former Marauder's response was merely to grin and raise a tankard in salute. Thankfully most people fell asleep quite quickly, or started singing. In Emry's case however, he ended up floating in mid-air, glowing and drunkenly giggling after one tankard and Miriel, who was for want of a better word his girlfriend, amused herself by tugging him along by his ankle, like some oversized balloon, much to his sister's amused exasperation.
The elves mostly just sat and looked amused, except for Glorfindel and Legolas, who Gimli had manipulated into a drinking contest. The two had downed ten tankards of Gargle Blaster each so far and showed no sign of slowing down, as a betting pool formed among those still sober.
"My Lord, I am so sorry…" Aragorn said, before Elrond cut him off.
"It is nothing, Estel. We all know who's responsible," Elrond said, directing a disapproving glare at an utterly unrepentant Sirius, "and most were unconscious before they could cause any trouble. Besides, they deserve a celebration. They have been the shield of the west for over a thousand years. I think we can afford to let them have a little fun."
Aragorn bowed his head in thanks, before organising the various guards into removing the various unconscious people to their rooms as a loud thump and a cheer heralded Glorfindel's victory in the drinking contest, and Sirius and Gimli's evil expressions boded ill for the comatose Legolas. This was borne out when Sirius muttered something and all of Legolas' hair fell out.
Glorfindel nearly fell over laughing as Sirius lazily vanished the hair and levitated the blissfully ignorant Legolas back towards his room, sniggering all the while.
Aragorn just sighed. "If Legolas murders them tomorrow morning, I do not plan to try and stop him."
"Of course, my love. We have more important things to do, anyway," Arwen said, kissing him lightly,
Aragorn barely restrained himself from breaking out into a wide grin, and bade the various elves good night.
"They look happy," Elrond said quietly, as the new couple left, Harry and Ginny already having left, probably to celebrate their newly engaged status passionately and in private.
"Let them be. They face great trials in the years to come. Trials that will come before we leave Middle Earth, I believe. It will be a time of great turmoil, a time in which the Moristar will be tested, along with those who stand beside him," Celeborn counselled him, his wife looking off to the west with a slightly surprised expression on her face.
Elrond cocked his head at his mother in law, who merely smiled and said nothing, before sighing nodding his acceptance.
The next morning, Legolas was indeed apoplectically angry, attempting to chase down Sirius and Gimli whilst screaming obscenities in Sindarin, and the two used the advantage of apparition to stay a safe distance, along with Glorfindel, who was more than able to keep out of Legolas' way under his own steam.
Harry poked his head sleepily out the window to see a bald Legolas madly chasing Glorfindel, who was laughing his head off, around the citadel courtyard.
"What is it Harry?" Ginny asked blearily, still half asleep.
"Legolas is bald for some reason. And he's chasing after and screaming at Glorfindel," Harry said, sleepily puzzled.
"Come back to bed then," Ginny said sleepily, rolling back over. Harry grinned and did just that.
Since Aragorn and Arwen had effectively been married there and then at the coronation, aside from the terrible hangovers and Harry and Ginny's engagement, no one really thought much of that night. Even a bald elf screaming swear words in Sindarin while his friends practically died laughing was not considered to be worth much comment in the city of Minas Tirith. Not after the Black Wizard and the Marauder took up residence.
The Hobbits woke up, and after eating several breakfasts, they wandered down to see a bald Legolas sulking under the White Tree, which was starting to put forth blossoms. Eirian was sitting next to him and patting him whilst trying to hold back giggles.
"Go on. Laugh. It's all anyone's done since I got up this morning, save Eirian," Legolas said dully. The Hobbits noted with surprise that he seemed near to tears, for once not calm and collected. Without looking up, he suddenly said, "It's not so much the hair, it's… the last person to do my hair was my mother. Ever since she died, I looked after it myself, and did it just the way she did it, as a way to remind myself of her. Now, my hair's gone and…" Legolas began to cry softly as his voice trailed off into incoherence.
The Hobbits were stunned. They'd seen Harry cry, they'd seen Boromir on the edge of despair, heard about Aragorn being driven to tears from a gleeful Elladan and Elrohir, they'd seen everyone weep for Harry. Save Legolas. He felt grief and sorrow as much, if not more so, than most, he just wasn't the crying sort. Until now, it seemed. Eirian hugged him as her eyes suddenly smouldered with the same fury that many had seen in her brother's eyes, usually right before they felt the cold embrace of death. Merry and Pippin edged away slowly, recognising the building sense of power that they had felt before Emrys had gone full on avenging angel at the Morannon.
Astonishingly, however, she began to sing in her mother tongue, a soft lullaby infused with power that fell over Legolas' head like a mantle. Then, very slowly, golden fuzz appeared on Legolas' head, quickly sprouting into a full head of hair that was at its original length in less than two minutes.
Merry and Pippin's jaws dropped, Frodo raised a solitary eyebrow, and Sam said dryly, "Do you think it works on plants?"
Frodo tapped him and pointed upwards. "I rather think it does."
Because the White Tree of Gondor was in full bloom, flowers opening all over in a sign of the life that was returning to Gondor.
Eirian rose, blushing as Legolas thanked her effusively, then stalked off to Sirius an earbashing he was guaranteed never to forget.
So began the days of the King.
"… DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU HURT HIM DOING THAT? HE WAS CRYING WHEN I FOUND HIM. CRYING! HE WAS SITTING UNDER THE WHITE TREE AND CRYING, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TRYING TO HIDE IT, DID YOU KNOW THAT? HIS MOTHER USED TO DO HIS HAIR THE WAY HE DOES IT NOW, AND HE DOES IT SO HE WILL NEVER FORGET HER. THEN YOU REMOVED IT ALL. ALL! HOW COULD YOU DENY HIM THAT COMFORT? THEN YOU LAUGHED AT HIM FOR IT! HOW COULD HURT A FRIEND LIKE THAT? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED SIRIUS BLACK, ASHAMED, I TELL YOU!"
Harry was wandering through the citadel, and was greeted with the sound of Eirian in full fury in the courtyard below and the sight of Emrys sitting with his fingers determinedly stuffed in his ears. Harry looked at him enquiringly, and Emrys rolled his eyes and mouthed 'Don't ask'.
The shouting temporarily stopped, and Emrys cautiously unplugged his ears and said, "Eirian doesn't get angry often, but when she does, it's fairly spectacular. A violent temper runs in the family."
"Unfortunately Sirius's is just as bad. And he's always been fairly rash," Harry said, looking out the window and seeing Sirius go steadily purple.
"YE GOD'S WOMAN! YOU'RE WORSE THAN MOLLY WEASLEY! IT'S LIKE HAVING MY OWN PERSONAL HOWLER FOLLOWING ME AROUND! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT LEGOLAS' BLOODY MOTHER BRAIDED HIS HAIR. I MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT TWICE IF I HAD. UNFORTUNATELY, OH SELF RIGHTEOUS ONE, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING," Sirius roared, matching the Dunlending girl's temper blood pressure point for blood pressure point.
"HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE REMOVED SOMETHING THAT REMINDED YOU OF YOUR MOTHER? HMM?"
"SINCE I HATED THE SPITEFUL OLD BITCH, I WOULD GET DOWN ON MY KNEES AND THANK THEM FOR FREEING ME OF THE MEMORY OF HER UNREMITTING HATE AND BILE, SO MAYBE I'M NOT THE BEST PERSON TO ASK. IN FACT, SINCE MY ENTIRE FAMILY HATED ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I WAS THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD AND HATE EVERYONE 'LESSER' JUST BECAUSE OF MY HIDEBOUND AND MURDEROUS ANCESTORS GRANTED ME WITH THEIR BLOOD AND THE NAME OF BLACK, AND DISOWNED ME, I'M PROBABLY THE WORST PERSON TO ASK! SO LAY THE FUCK OFF!"
Blocking his ears with one arm, Harry wrote in the air with letters of fire, using a trick he'd picked up after the Chamber of Secrets, 'I think the screaming match is coming to an end. They'll be sulking now. I'll take Sirius, you take your sister'. Emrys nodded reluctantly, looking out the window. Indeed both participants had wandered off to sulk.
When Harry found Sirius, he was sitting on a bench outside the Houses of Healing and sulking spectacularly.
"Hey Sirius," Harry said.
"Hey Harry," was the sighed reply. "I take it you heard our argument?"
Harry fixed him with an incredulous look as he sat down beside him.
Sirius chuckled. "I guess you did."
"Sirius, half the city probably heard it. If you'd shouted just a little louder, they would have heard you in Osgiliath," Harry said dryly.
Sirius eyed him and said, "You've grown up with a vengeance, haven't you?"
"Yes. You should probably apologise to Legolas," Harry said.
"I didn't mean to hurt him. She didn't even give me a chance to explain before starting in on me," Sirius whined, sounding about 5 years old.
"The faster you apologise, the faster he forgives and the faster Eirian forgives you. You have nothing to lose," Harry said firmly.
"Except my balls when Legolas sees me."
"So put him in a full body bind, then apologise to him," Harry suggested, getting up to leave, then pausing as Sirius nodded his reluctant acceptance.
"So, did you pull any other pranks?" he asked, and was immediately suspicious when Sirius looked shifty and started whistling innocently. As he did there was loud and indignant squawk from what sounded like a giant canary. Harry smacked the heel of his hand against his forehead and asked in a long suffering tone, "Who?"
"Eomer," Sirius said smugly.
"Sirius, remind me. How old are you?"
"Um, technically 44, but it didn't feel like time passed in Saruman's dungeon, so more like 36. Mind, that could have been how mind numbingly boring it was, torture excepted," Sirius said thoughtfully.
Indeed, Harry noticed, he barely had any grey hair, and aside from the still slight gauntness in his face, could have passed for 28 or so quite easily.
Harry shoved the thought aside, and said, "Then why are you acting like you're five?"
"Because I know something Voldemort didn't," Sirius said cryptically.
"What?"
"Getting old is inevitable. Growing up, however, is optional," Sirius said firmly, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry sighed and walked away, shaking his head and smiling slightly, disappearing with a crack.
As he left, Sirius grinned, then turned to stare as Aragorn raced past in a flat out sprint, promptly followed by a small but steadily multiplying flock of rabbits, Arwen's musical laughter clearly audible. Sirius just sat and stared as he witnessed Harry's revenge on Aragorn, then grinned. The boy was a true Marauder.
"Ah, Sirius, I was hoping to find you. Harry says you are ready to apologise, which is always good," Gandalf said, sitting down beside Sirius. "What I also wanted to know was this: are you responsible for Prince Eomer's current…"
Gandalf was at once at a loss for words, so Sirius supplied, "condition?"
"Yes, condition is the right word. Are you?"
"Maybe," Sirius said.
"I am not looking to punish you for it, Sirius," Gandalf said calmly, then leaned in and said out of the corner of his mouth, "in fact, I was hoping you could teach me the recipe."
Sirius laughed out loud and nodded. His day was already looking up.
The ensuing months passed without great incident. Eomer was cured, Sirius apologised to Legolas and Eirian, both of whom forgave him on realising that no harm was meant, though Legolas always kept half an eye on Sirius thereafter.
The rabbits following Aragorn were vanished, but only after they had cornered him in the throne room and multiplied to such an extent that they were hip deep, each rabbit standing on top of another and Arwen had been rendered helpless by laughter. Harry and Ginny were married to great public joy and approval, the love between the couple obvious to even the most oblivious observer, shining like a beacon across the stars. Indeed, the mass 'Aww', that followed the exchanging of the mithril rings (everyone, particularly Frodo, was still rather jumpy around simple gold rings), the vows and the ensuing kiss, had to be heard to be believed. The reception was somewhat marred by all the guests finding that the starters had been replaced with canary creams, only Sirius and Gandalf remaining in smugly non-canary form. Eomer sourly remarked afterwards that he was spending more time as a canary than as a human, and that next time they might as well make him stay that way permanently. Princess Lothiriel, seeing the gleam in Sirius' eyes, grabbed his arm protectively and loudly said that if someone changed Eomer permanently into a bird, they would be castrated. With a hammer and chisel. Sirius, taking the point, bowed politely, then hid behind Eirian, jokily beseeching her to protect him from the hordes of scary women all over the place.
Spontaneous canarification aside, little else happened, until Théoden declared that he could wait no longer and had to return to rebuild his nation. Emrys and Eirian elected to return as well, deciding to act as mediators in a peace process between the Dunlendings and the Rohirrim, and the rest of the Fellowship and extended friends and family decided to come along, the Witches and Wizards, the Elves, Hobbits, Gimli and Legolas because it was on the way home and also in the case of Gimli and Legolas, on the way to both the Caves of Aglarond beneath Helm's Deep and Fangorn Forest, and everyone else because, as Harry caustically reminded them, long distance travel wasn't exactly a problem.
But the chief reason was that there was a dark wizard and his minion to deal with, and it was better that they were dealt with sooner, rather than later. Emrys called dibs on the execution of Wormtongue, and the look in his eye meant that no one was particularly inclined to challenge him on that, if they had had any incentive in the first place.
When both criminals were taken out of their grimy cell, Grima cowered and grovelled, to no effect. Saruman, however, looked up at them, and for once there was no malice in his eyes, no hatred. Just a tired wisdom that hadn't been present for many years.
"I know you wish my death Moristar, for all that I have done, but I would have thee hear my last warning," he said quietly. Harry looked at him for several long moments, then nodded slowly.
"Thank you. Listen to me now Wizard, for this is your destiny:
Wizard of another world,
Bearer of an elder blade and descendant of its maker,
Your power shall soon be unfurled,
But beware, in the battles to come you must be faster,
You will be either the brightest light,
Or herald of the darkest night,
Of this new Age.
Your power is great,
And you have vanquished many a mighty foe,
But those that are still to come are even greater,
And they will bring much woe,
So I beseech thee, look for falling star,
Not all who fall are evil or beyond redemption,
Three who have and will fall shall serve the light and travel afar,
From one you shall have to find it in you to withhold condemnation
And beware the bright gem,
Beware night's doors,
Trust your friends, cleave to them,
Or a fate of shadows and darkness shall be yours,
Your only hope of salvation,
Is in your friends and their legendary relation."
Harry looked at him very carefully, but Saruman was not finished. He turned to Eirian and Emrys.
"Hail to thee, scions of mighty sorcerer
And mightier Ainur,
Your power is great, and shall one day be that of legend,
But have a care that such tales do not have a grievous end.
I tell thee, beauteous singer, Mistress of the golden melody,
Love conquers all,
And I tell thee, mighty warrior, Master of the fiery sword
There are worse things in this world than death.
And for all of you, this final message for the depths of your heart
Alone you are strong, but together you are more than the sum of each part."
Finally, Saruman turned to Frodo, and said, "Ringbearer. I bear you no malice, but I tell you, your wounds are too great for you to find a lasting peace here. I talk not only of your physical wounds, for the Moristar's ancestor healed many of those, but the wounds of the heart take longer still to heal, and may not heal here."
As the company digested these words, no hint of lies or trickery about them, Saruman said wearily, "There. I am finished. Bring an end to it, Darkness Slayer for my time is up, and I wish for rest."
"Thank you Saruman, for your warning. It may undo some of the evil you have wrought, and it has earned you a clean death. Avada Kedavra!" Harry said, the green light striking Saruman and rendering him instantly dead. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Sirius, Elrond and Aragorn, all recognising the darkness of the spell, raised eyebrows or looked surprised, but said nothing, too busy digesting the last prophecies of Saruman the White.
Then they all turned to Grima, who was cowering in abject terror. Emrys unsheathed one of his swords, hefting the blade, before he was interrupted.
"Brother, wait!"
"Eirian you cannot be thinking of letting him go," Emrys said, shocked at his sister's interruption. He lowered his voice and said, "remember what he did to you. What he and his master have done to our friends. Sirius tortured, Harry nearly murdered, Theodred poisoned, Théoden enslaved, Eowyn harassed and you raped."
Eirian fixed him with a cool look and said tartly, "I have not forgotten, dear brother, but I have devised a punishment of my own for him. One longer lasting than the sweet release of death."
Emrys cocked an eyebrow, then shrugged and stepped back. Eirian went down on her haunches and grabbed Grima's face, forcing him to look at her.
"Look at me, Wormtongue. You violated me, you tortured my friends, you sought to destroy everything good in this world. All your master wanted was power. For all his atrocities he had nothing personal against any of us, and in the end he sought to do good, and went to his death with dignity," she said, pausing and looking him up and down contemptuously, noting the stench of urine that denoted that Wormtongue had lost control of his bowels. "Which is more than I can say for you."
"So kill me, and have done with it," Grima said sullenly, avoiding her eyes.
"No. That would be too easy. Your punishment shall be thrice," Eirian said, her voice so cold that frost could have formed in mid-air without it being out of place, and it took on a mesmerising, lilting tone, obvious power coalescing in her very being.
"Punishment the first: You shall always have a crippling fear of the blades and power of these seven, whom you have each wronged personally. They shall appear your every nightmare, whether waking or sleeping, garbed in the raiment of their battle fury: My brother, the Avenger. Harry, the Darkness Slayer. Sirius, the Marauder. Théoden, the Defender. Theodred, the Green Knight. Eowyn, the Wraith Killer. And I, the Doom Singer. And it is your doom I sing now. Punishment the second. You shall bear these three marks," she sang softly, touching both cheeks lightly with index and forefinger, then his forehead, leaving one ugly silver mark in each place her fingertips touched.
"By each of these eternal and impossible to hide marks, all shall instinctively know that you are a traitor, a rapist, and a coward, and shun you as the monster you are. Finally, you shall age, but until you achieve redemption for your sins, you shall not die. Even if you are struck with many mortal wounds, you shall hurt but still live. You shall have no peace while you still live. Now go. Run, little mortal, and remember your folly in antagonising the children of Merlin," Eirian finished coldly as she finished weaving her spell, standing straight, silvery light playing around her hair and flecking her eyes.
Grima obligingly screamed and ran as if the seven he now feared above all were hunting him. As he disappeared into the distance, Eirian turned around and smiled sunnily at the rest, who all stared at her with a mixture of fear and awe. "Now. Who wants lunch?"
No one said anything for a long moment, then Harry turned to Emrys and said, "Tell me. When did your sister get unbelievably scary?"
Enjoy? I thought the punishment was somewhat poetic, myself (not one, but three marks of Cain, as it were). Please click the box below and tell me what liked, what disliked, what you loved and what you hated.