Author's Notes: Hello people, here's the next chapter please review and stuff... Hope you enjoy it.
The Fourth Member of The Six Nighthunters
We ran out of the Mines of Moria and down the mountain side into the grassy dale filled with lush kneehigh grass and a small stream.
It was in this dale where sadness befell on us. Pippin, Sam and Merry cried and whimpered on the ground. Frodo stood alone looking at the ground. Gimli paced around too and through, unsure what to do and say. Boromir comforted the Hobbits with quiet words. Legolas stood wearing a face of puzzlement, it had been long since he had seen someone's death.
I sat down with my back to the group and my hood over my head. No way would I let my tears be seen by their eyes. I bowed my head and stroked my hand down Horus's breast. His feathers were as soft as silk. His blue eyes had clouded over and water was gathering at the rim of his eyes. A tear drop fell from his eyes and on to the ground.
"Ï paîse ou thæ, Haidės. Lešh hym passë ite peacem" (I pry to thee, Mandos. Let him pass in peace) I whispered in Castdeian. A drop of saltly water fell from my eyes and ran down my cheek. I wiped it away and put my head on my knees.
A swift wind blew across the dale and a cold shiver ran down my back. I heard members of the Fellowship talking though I did not listen. I looked out on to the forest ahead with trees of golden green leaves. It was the hidden forest of Lorien where Galadriel and Celeborn resided with their secretive people of the wood.
I murmured more prayers of peaceful passings and bright life like dreams for the lost soul of Gandalf. The voice of Horus spoke my prayers with me never falling out of pace.
"Now what on earth is the Darkling, doing?" The voice of Gimli spoke. His sadness must have brought back his Dwarfish pride.
I carried on my prayer. "Eaëv hym dans enloss dormlecem" (Leave him in endless dreams) A lump sat in my throat at I choked the last sentence of my prayer out. I only hoped that Haibés (Mandos) took note of Gandalf's good deeds.
"What's that mean, eh? Not everyone can understand your tongue." The Dwarf said as he drew closer hiding his sadness behind his camouflage of pride and arrogance.
I sighed and looked back at the mountain. Smoke had gathered at its rafters. I wondered what had caused this distribution but my thought was cut if by Gimli and his pride once more. He was mumbling to himself about me being rude and spoilt. Both of which I wanted to protest as lies.
"Shut up, Gimli. She was praying to the Valar and nothing more." It was Legolas who had defended me murmuring to myself in the language of Castdeia.
A grumbling Gimli stomped off into the grass and looked at the mountain. His eyes contained hate and despite. He shouted curses at the top of his lungs at the mountain. The ground rocked slightly and the water of the dale gurgled.
Aragorn turned Gimli around by force. "I know how you feel, Gimli but we must not give up and let Orcs hear our cries of hurt and pain." Aragorn spoke with his hand on Gimli's shoulders. His wise words calmed the Dwarf into a placidness that would last until his violence and his grudges was needed, but none could quench his foulness to most Immortals that he did not know.
The three Hobbits got to their feet with eyes that could no longer let any water seep from them. Their were bloodshot from both tiredness and dryness.
"We must make haste this dale will be full of Orc by sunset." Aragorn spoke. "Too the forest, quickly" He then looked to Frodo who stood on his lonesome. "Frodo, we must move on!" He called to the young Hobbit.
Frodo turned his head. A tear streamed down his left cheek. Slowly he walked to us and said a quite "coming" to Aragorn. He slowly walked to Aragorn's side and looked up, hopelessly at Aragorn. Sorrow had delved it's way in all our hearts no matter how hard we tried to hide it.
I got to my feet and looked at the group. The Fellowship had fallen to nine people and by my guess more were to go astray away from chosen paths. I cast my thoughts aside and avoided making eye contact with anyone minus Horus, of course.
"We cannot be here when the sun sets. Into the woods, we must go. Our tracks must be stale by the time the moonlight falls" Aragorn said as his grey eyes looked out onto the woodland strip of Lorien.
Upon noticing the sun descending from the sky we began to run to the safely of the woods. I kept my strides short so the Hobbits could keep up. Into the forest we ran until we halted under the canopied of green and golden leaves.
The only sound in this sector of the forest was sound of a Thrush and a Blue Tit singing their peaceful songs. This woodland had not been desecrated by evil doings. The very ground we walked was pure and natural. The air under the canopies smelt of wild flowers. On the ground their was splashes colour in the forms of mushroom with no mould or rotting taking place and in the forms of fair purple flowers that grew amongst the yellow, swaying grass.
"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell and are never seen again." Gimli said as he looked around like a hawk. The Hobbits moved closer to the Dwarf with worried looks.
I turned my head to a very skittish Sam and smirked. He was truly believing everything that passed Gimli's beard. Sam passed me a questioning look. I laughed then mouthed the word "Myth" to him
Those of this word should never call Galadriel a Elf-witch and if they do they will take back what they said quickly once they meet her. I had met her on numerous occasions, some of which I cannot recall because I was too young.
"Tara? Go see how far it is to the to river." Aragorn said as he looked up at a tall tree with thin but strong branches. "I can't see as far as you and your the lightest on your feet" He spoke as he notice my look of 'do it yourself'. I looked at Legolas only to get the answer from Aragorn. "Legolas would be too heavy."
I huffed then put all my weapons into Aragorn's open arms. I nodded to Horus. "Horus could fly up, you know" I said looking at Horus who was set upon Legolas's shoulder. Aragorn shook his head and looked to at the canopy. It was thick and the wide wingspan of Horus could not move easily through the maze of branches and leaves. "Ok. I'll do it." I spoke as I tucked my hair under my cloak and behind my ears.
I climbed up taking care not to lose my footing. I was only half way up when I heard Aragorn shouting for me to come back down. I huffed then jumped onto the branch bellow. There I crouched looking at the new company of Elves all with pale hair and clear skin as white as marble stones. Their bows were drawn back, holding sharp tipped arrows. Horus was startled by these new visitors and flew on to my shoulder.
At the front of the elven company was Haldir with golden hair and sharp eyes. "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark" he spoke with a smirk. He looked down at Gimli then turned away after receiving a growl of discontent. He then turned his attention to Legolas then greeted his fellow kinsman. "Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion." (Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil.)
Legolas bowed his head to the elf and place his hand over his chest.
Haldir glanced at Aragorn and grinned. "A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen." (Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us.) His green eyes then looked up the tree I crouched in and stopped moving once they reached my face.
"Suil, Haldir." (Greetings, Haldir.) I spoke in Elvish as I say myself on the branch, swinging my legs back and fourth. 'Do not fear, Horus. These are friends and not foes. We are in their land, now.' I said to Horus as I felt the uncertainty in his mind.
"Eri ci gwalin tu cose dwen" (Are you going to come down?) Haldir said looking questionably at my swinging feet and the Phoenix sat upon my shoulder. I shrugged my shoulders, Horus flew down onto a lower branch and I jumped off the branch I once sat on. I landed in a crouch and stood up straight looking at one Elf who seemed to be glaring at me with a smug smile on his face.
His eyes were blue and his hair was as brown as the bark of an old tree. "Coren?" I blurted out. He scratched the back of his neck. A band of green fabric was wrapped around his left wrist and a band of blue fabric was wrapped round his right wrist. These were the bands of the Six Nighthunters. I still had mine wrapped round my wrists like the rest of the members. He was dressed differently to the rest of the elven company. Instead of being clad in the colour of storm clouds, Coren was clad in the colour of autumn's fallen leaves.
"Tara" Nothing had changed since we last met. His hair was still went just below his jaw and still had two longer pieces of hair at each side of his middle parting that he pulled back and joined with gold thread. Most of Fellowship and half of the Elves glared at Coren once he had said my name. I smiled calming their glares into nothingness.
Gimli grumbled something which he then made louder when the elven eyes fell upon him. "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand"
"We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." Haldir said as he calmingly smiled down at Gimli but the way he said 'Dwarves' could not hide that fact he was not fond of them.
Gimli puffed up his chest and strode up to Haldir, standing upon his tiptoes. "And you know what this Dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" (I spit upon your grave!)
Haldir's face twisted with disgust and calmed after Coren placed his hand upon his shoulder and spoke of peace in his ear. That was one thing about Coren that had always puzzled me. Coren was always the one to dive into any sort of fight head's first and sometimes weaponless out of all The Six Nighthunters even the twins could not match his speed when running into a fight against Orcs. Yet, he would always be the one to bring peace into any quarrels of foolish words and pride.
Aragorn pulled Gimli backwards and whispered "That was not so courteous." into the Dwarf's large ear. The Dwarf looked at the ground shamefully, he like many of us had not fully recovered from the loss of Gandalf.
I looked around at the wood. Night had come and day had passed on, into the Western lands. Almost everything pale looked silver under the light of the stars and moon.
A horrid screech filled the air.
"Orcs. Follow me. Our outpost is near to where we stand" Haldir said after nodding to his comrades. We followed with haste into the darkness.
The group came to stop when we reached a stone platform with pillars holding up a hemisphere shaped roof that had the gold flowers of the the hydrangea anomala plant, growing up the stone pillars.
But suddenly Haldir turned to Frodo. His eyes shone with bright, blazing fear and shock. "You bring great evil with you. You can go no further." Haldir grabbed Aragorn by the sleeve and pulled him to the other side of the sheltered platform. It was there where they began to argue.
"Where's Tyson and Rilin? I thought they came traveling with you too." I asked Coren knowing it was not an arguments that I was to join in, at any moment.
"They are out sending messages for Celeborn to lands far and wide. The message they bare is one of a warning of the goings on in the South." His voice remained quiet. A glare came from Pippin and Merry aimed at Coren. He smiled at them then added: "My lady"
"Coren, though you may receive glares from Merry and Pippin does not mean you cannot call me by my name. You have known it for long enough and we have been friends for many centuries. Or would you wish me to call you, Lord Coren every time I finish a sentence, Lord Coren?" I said with a chirp of laughter.
Coren cringed at me calling him by his title. That had been the rule in the Six Nighthunters, everyone was equal whether you were a Lord, a knights son or in my case, a princess or young Queen. "No, don't call me that. You make it seem like I am my father."
I laughed. Coren was in appearance, a clone of his father, Lord Brennam. Only, Lord Brennam's hair was poker straight and not wavy which was more like his mother's hair. "So why are you here then, if Tyson and Rilian are out messaging? Surly you'd want to go with them?"
Coren looked at Haldir and Aragorn arguing then rubbed the back of his neck. "Err, Celeborn asked if I would be the Ranger for the dale between Moria and Lorien. I said yes. I usually stick with Haldir here with his group for a few days then go into the dale for a couple of weeks with Finchi (his horses name)." He wasn't tell the whole truth. He was always the worst person to lie for you if you wanted to get out of something. I folded my arms and looked at him directly in the eyes.
"Fine. I only agreed so I could stay close to Uthiel...She's Haldir's younger sister. Three years younger than you, in fact. I tell you she's like a burning star, never fading in my heart." His voice was quiet but not enough for Haldir not to smirk, upon hearing Coren profess his love for his young sister, Uthiel.
Just by the mention of her, Coren had become more happy and merry. His eyes had got brighter and was unable to hide his love for her. "And your going to tell her that. These dark days need some light." I said as looked at a very glum Frodo. I passed him a smile and walked over with Coren walking at my heels.
The small face of Frodo looked up. His eyes were red and watery. "Frodo this is Lord Coren. He is a very close friend of mine and the son's of Elrond. Coren, this is Frodo Baggins of the Shire." I spoke with care, being careful with my wording. Frodo bowed his head to Coren who grinned brightly and bowed to Frodo who seemed surprised by this act.
"Can I please just have some time alone?" Frodo asked quietly.
I nodded and went to sit on a wall. Coren leaned up against the wall with his right foot against the stone. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions." He said with a smirk that looked dangerously similar to a smirk of either Elladan or Elrohir when they were thinking of mischief. "Punched the Dwarf yet? Or are you saving your punch for a special occasion?" He said glaring at Gimli with a mocking face. Luckily, Gimli did not spot this mockery or Coren might have ended up getting cut by Gimli's axe.
I held in what laughs I wanted to vocal and then remembered what memories still sat behind what things I wanted to never recall.
A lump formed in my throat. I looked to Horus then at the Fellowship. One crucial person was still missing. That crucial part of this dangerous board game was the Grey Wizard, Gandalf.
All I could picture was Gandalf slipping over the edge and falling into the abyss. I shivered and cast those thoughts away, back to the darkest parts of my mind.
"Tara? Are you alright? You look like you've seen the dead." Coren said quickly. He looked around and stopped when he noticed Legolas was sat on a stone bench with his head looking down at the floor and Sam looking into the forest with watery eyes. "Oh. The Grey Wizard is he..."
I cut him off with a grave nod. Coren had only met Gandalf on a few occasions but he was still dear to him and the all other Immortals in Middle Earth.
Coren suddenly got to his feet and went to Haldir and Aragorn who were still disputing. He quickly spoke the grave words of Gandalf's death to Haldir. After hearing this Haldir looked to Aragorn for reassurance who nodded and cast his eyes to the floor in respect.
"Follow me." Haldir ordered.