A/N: YAYYY! Reviews galore! Thank you, thank you, thank you soooooo much to those that reviewed! Thank you TigressQueen. stubs1101, as always you are my faithful reviewer and I thank you. jada951, its always nice to get a new reviewer and I really enjoyed reading yours so thank you. Last but not least Guest reviewer, whomever you may be, I would love to dedicate a chapter to you for your enthusiasm alone, thank you so much for reviewing, it made my day! Sorry for this chapter not being quite as long as some of the others. Please continue to read and review, and (hopefully) enjoy!
~Part Two~
Galadriel's eyes widen, she had sensed something dormant within the girl but never imagined this. "You are a child of the valar, as well as a child of the elves, blessed with gifts from both races, though cursed to live without them. Cursed to an unending cycle of life."
Rosa took an uncertain step back, "But...how do I break the curse?"
An emotion flashed briefly in Galadriel's eyes, too quick for Rosa to discern it. Rosa stepped back again.
"The answers lay within the book," she reached her hand towards Rosa, "bring it to me."
Rosa felt the cold chill caress her body, shivering she stepped backwards, away from Galadriel and further into the forest. Rosa shook her head.
"No...no this isn't right."
The gentle tone of Galadriel's voice changed to a dark voice filled with hatred, "Merilwen," and the person Rosa thought was Galadriel faded into a man cloaked in shadow. Melkor.
"My name is Rosa," she said defiantly as her eyes locked with his, unwavering. His eyes were ageless and cold, much like the rest of him, they were filled with cruelty as they glared daggers at her.
Great evil will follow you wherever you go. You cannot run from this...Merilwen.
Oh but run she did, without a destination and not a second thought. She turned and ran further and further into the forest, letting her aching feet travel as far as they could.
~Present~
You cannot run from me, Merilwen.
"I can try," Rosa said through a groan as she hauled herself to her feet. She had no idea where she was now but she couldn't turn back. She wished she had thought first before she took off running. Rosa had no clue which way was the way back to the real Galadriel or to her friends, so she set off in another direction at a slow pace, regretting the minimal sleep she had gotten the night before.
After a good long while of walking the stars started to fade and Rosa thought she would collapse of exhaustion right there, she couldn't find her way through the trees. In her eyes each one looked almost exactly like the other. She was growing frustrated with her horrible sense of direction and her motivation to find the others was dwindling to an all-time low. Rosa leaned on a tree for support, her labored breathing slowing as she regained her composure. As she rested her head against the trunk she let her feet slide out from under her, slowly brining her to rest on the ground.
I can't stop, Rosa told herself, he'll find me...he'll find the book. Her eyes fluttered in attempt to keep her awake but her body demanded the rest that her mind could not find.
...
Melkor stood over Rosa, watching each breath fall. She was so vulnerable, he could easily crush her. His fingers drifted close to her but just before he touched her a spark crackled, creating a shock that shot through his arm. No matter how hard Melkor tried he could not go any further. The longer he tried the stronger the shock grew, burning at his skin. He clenched his fist, pulling it away and looked up to the stars, narrowing his eyes, "Gurtha a' lle" (Death to you.)
The sound of leaves crunching under foot brought his head down with a sharp snap. In the distance Melkor could see an elf approaching. With a poisonous glance back towards Rosa, he turned and left, fading into the shadows.
Haldir approached the figure warily, he had been scouting the perimeter of their forest when he heard the sounds of running. It was far off in the distance but he knew with the growing dangers that threatened to encompass Middle Earth any enemy must be dealt with swiftly. When his eyes fell upon Rosa, he was startled to say the least. She was far outside the boundaries of their territory and sleeping no less. With growing apprehension he scooped her up into his arms, the only sign that she was in fact sleeping and not dead was her slow coming breaths.
When he brought her to her companions, they rose with a quickness, but one in particular seemed far more concerned than the rest. Haldir watched with interest as they fussed over the woman. He shifted slightly as their attention was then directed towards him.
"What happened? Where did you find her?" Boromir badgered.
Aragorn placed a hand on Boromir's shoulder, squeezing it as a warning. In response Boromir stepped back, watching over Rosa with a careful eye.
"Diola lle, mellonamin." (Thank you, my friend.)
"Ta nae n'uma rashwe," (It was no trouble) Haldir said, giving a reassuring nod before his expression grew grim, "amin utue he e' tel' eruumea taure, ette i' vara." (I found her in the outer forest, outside the protection) he said, stressing his last words.
Aragorn could feel Boromir's gaze on his back, "What is he saying?"
Haldir turned his attention towards the stranger as Aragorn said, "He found her outside the protection of their forest. What she was doing there I cannot fathom."
Rosa opened her eyes to see herself, she was in a room full of mirrors but each mirror held a different Rosa.
In one mirror Rosa stood tall and proud, her dark hair cascading down her neck and shoulders in an elaborate style and her face caked with makeup. Her clothing was from the Victorian era. Rosa stepped forward, placing her hand against the mirror, her reflection following.
"Be true," her reflection whispered.
In another mirror she wasted away, with dirt covering her body and chains around her wrists. Her hair barely hung past her ears and she wore the ragged clothing of an Egyptian slave. Her reflection looked up at her, tears brimming her eyes, "Be free."
The last mirror held a warrior, her hair was pulled back into multiple braids, armor covered her sun kissed skin and black eyeliner surrounded her eyes. Her weapon laid shattered beside her as she knelt on the ground, a blade against her throat, "Be strong."
Rosa turned looking at each woman in the mirrors. They watched her with sadness in their eyes. Her mind was spinning and her thoughts couldn't be contained. Rosa sank to the floor, shaking. She pulled her legs in tight and covered her face, willing herself to wake up.
"Rosa," a gentle voice called, it was familiar and soothing.
Rosa looked up from her arms. Before her stood two women, the woman she thought was her mother when she was a child, and the woman who birthed her. Both had a familiar face but to her, they were strangers. She looked between the two and reached towards Varda, she had a longing to know her but as her hand touched Varda's, she disappeared and Rosa was left alone in a dark room.
Suddenly Rosa was in a familiar place, the only familiar place she had seen in months. But this place did not bring a sense of safety to her...quite the opposite. The sounds of gunfire filled the air. Rosa spun in a circle seeing the flipped jeep, feeling the emergency kit in her hand. She dropped to the ground as she felt the bullet graze her arm. She scrambled her way forward, stopping by Stevens' side.
"Italy, you better hurry it up, they're right on our asses!"
She put pressure on the wound and tied the cloth around it as tightly as she could.
"Stevens, you're gonna be fine. I need you to be brave. This is going to hurt but if you don't wanna lose your leg, or your life, then you have to work through the pain okay? Can you do that for us?"
Stevens nodded. "D'Ambrosio, I don't think I like Afghanistan much." He choked out a laugh and Rosa gave him a sad smile.
"Mills, Booker, get your asses over here and help Stevens back to the M99 and don't get shot in the process."
Rosa tried to wipe the blood from her hands but it wouldn't come off. Suddenly she was standing in a pool of blood. She could see the dead eyes of Stevens and Ace looking up at her and the lifeless bodies of her parents beside them.
"It's your fault. You killed us...You'll be the death of everyone who gets close to you."
Rosa awoke with a start, covered in sweat as she panted, squeezing the blanket in her fists. Slowly Rosa calmed herself, sitting up into a more comfortable position. She was surprised to find that she was not slumped against the tree that she had fallen asleep on, but instead she was sleeping in her bedroll next to the rest of the fellowship. As she looked around morning light was just barely peeking through the trees.
Rosa stretched and groaned, her eyes settling on Boromir, who sat a few feet from her, "How long was I asleep?"
She figured it had only been a few hours since she had collapsed, since the sun was just rising but the look on Boromir's face told her otherwise. He looked furious.
"...Boromir?"
He stepped closer, "What were you doing so far outside the boundaries?!" he yelled at her, "Does Aragorn's trouble of convincing the elves to let us stay here, stay safe, mean so little to you? Why would you run off ALONE?!"
"I-
"You WHAT?! You could have been killed, you foolish...foolish girl!"
His eyes swept over her, barely registering the turmoil of emotions in her eyes, before he stormed off. Rosa turned to see Gimli nodding in agreement, "Aye, Lassy, it was right foolish of you."
"But..." she turned to look for Aragorn or Legolas for support but Aragorn was nowhere to be seen and Legolas merely turned away from her, shaking his head.
Rosa pulled her legs against her chest, resting her forehead on her knees. She felt her eyes prickle with tears but refused to let them fall. She had never seen anyone so mad at her before. Rosa's mind sped through the events of the previous night, she felt exhausted, unsure of how much more she could take. She sat there in silence, ignoring the rumbling of her stomach, she didn't want to move.
"You slept the day away and did not even wake when nightfall came," Rosa looked up to see Haldir, "he was worried...the angry one...Boromir?"
Rosa nodded numbly, "Wait…I slept an entire day AND night?!"
Haldir nodded. Rosa jumped to her feet and ran to her bag, searching for the book. She threw her clothes out and dug through until her fingers felt the leather of the book's cover. She slumped forward in relief, "Thank goodness."
Rosa heard him clear his throat and she lifted her head from her lap.
"Mani marte? Lle tyava guel?" (What happened? Do you feel well?)
She glanced down and realized just how crazy she must have seemed as she frantically searched for the book, "I-I'm fine, just making sure I still had something."
Rosa shifted uncomfortably in the silence and put her things back in the bag, when she looked up Rosa noticed he had the slightest smile.
"What?"
"Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie?" (You understand elvish?)
Rosa was startled, she hadn't realized he was speaking elvish, "I...uma, ai." (yes, some.)
His smiled widened when she replied in kind, "Lle ooma quel." (Your accent is good.)
"Diola lle." (Thank you.)
"You must be hungry," he said, genuine concern in his tone. Haldir left for a moment, returning nearly as quickly as he was gone. He handed her a plate of food and she ate it with unladylike speed, only looking up when she heard him chuckle, "What?"
"Nothing," he coughed, "I just have never seen a lady consume with that speed that is all."
Rosa looked down at her nearly empty plate and back up at Haldir, she shrugged and finished off the food, too hungry to care. Rosa set the plate down beside her and turned towards Haldir, "Thank you."
"Lle creoso." (You're welcome.)
Rosa looked around to see the hobbits still fast asleep, Gimli was off to the side smoking a pipe and Legolas could be seen in the distance speaking with other elves. Suddenly she found herself wondering if the elves would ever accept her...would anyone if they knew the truth?
"Where's Aragorn?"
"He is speaking with Celeborn and Galadriel."
"Oh...so what's the plan?"
"The plan," Aragorn said, strolling out from a seemingly random part of the forest, "is to rest. I do not begin to presume that I know what goes through your mind, or any woman's mind for that matter but whatever thought it was that encouraged you to travel so far from the others...DO NOT think it again."
Rosa lowered her head, after the yelling she received from Boromir, she didn't have the energy to try and explain what happened. Rosa wasn't even sure that she knew what had happened herself. God only knows how they'll react if they knew what happened...
"While we stay here, we will be resuming your training."
He stood in front of her with a hand held outstretched. Rosa took it and he pulled her up, she stood with her eye level to where his neck met his chest, feeling short she took a large step back.
"You handled yourself well in Moria, but there is still much you must learn."
Rosa felt no pride in the compliment, only a growing eagerness to distract herself with training, "So what will you be teaching me today?"
"I will be doing nothing of the sort, I still have other matters to attend to. Legolas will continue your training with the bow and Boromir will help you in my stead."
Rosa glanced at Boromir, he hadn't said anything to her since that morning. She sighed, "Okay…"
A few moments after Aragorn had started walking away he turned back to her, "And do not go running off alone again."
"Keep your arm raised up, good… Don't hold your breath."
Rosa tried to keep her breathing steady and calm as she threaded the needle. They had been at it for hours and her fingers and arms began to ache. She released her breath and the arrow and watched it fly towards the target. It landed with a thunk on the outer ring but Rosa was just excited that she hit it at all.
"You're improving," was all Legolas said as he picked up the arrows and took the bow from her, "But you are distracted."
She nodded in acknowledgment of his statement. She hadn't been able to clear her mind so her focus was far from the target, "Is that all for today?"
"All that I shall teach you," when the words left his mouth she noticed Boromir walk up and groaned aloud.
Startled by her actions she hoped that he hadn't heard her, she didn't need to give him another reason to be upset with her. If she could just explain what had occurred, she was sure that he wouldn't be so furious but Rosa had no idea how she would even begin to explain it to him. If she did manage to tell him, how would he treat me if he knew the truth? The thought scared her more than she'd care to admit. She liked to think that they were becoming friends, something she didn't want to jeopardize, especially not now.
If Boromir heard her groan he didn't show it, instead he tossed her a wooden practice sword.
"No daggers?"
He shook his head, "No."
Okay then...
Boromir watched Rosa grip the sword, she looked thoroughly unsure of herself as she stood there, eyeing him with suspicion.
"What am I doing wrong?"
"Stand up straight. Feet apart. Don't hold it like you're holding a stick, hold it like a weapon."
After drilling her on the proper stance and way to hold a weapon he proceeded to spend the next hour knocking it out of her hands or knocking her off her feet.
"Damn it," she groaned as she landing on the ground for the hundredth time, "I suck at this," she grumbled not bothering to stand, but instead collapsing in the grass.
"We can't go any further until you learn this properly, you need to be able to ground yourself, or enemies will do just as I have done and more...they will cut you down."
Rosa sighed, "Thanks for the pep talk, Obi-Wan."
Bringing herself to her feet she readied herself for another attack.
Boromir was relentless in her training and he never said anything to her unless it was to teach her something new or berate her for doing it wrong. Never a single word of encouragement as she improved and he would avoid her as soon as their practice was done. This went on for weeks and Rosa found herself looking forward to spending time with anyone but Boromir. She mainly found herself in the company of the hobbits and Haldir, who had resumed the task that Vala had started; teaching Rosa to speak elvish.
...
"Tanya farnuva," (That will suffice.)
"Amin merna quen ner," (I wish to speak more.) Rosa said scooting closer.
Haldir chuckled, "Lle anta est." (You need to rest.)
"Fine, queldu, Haldir." (Goodnight.)
"Queldu." (Goodnight.)
He was beginning to understand the way she acted more and more, Haldir thought as he walked further from her. She was guarded, as many who had been hurt were, but he could tell that she strived to be a light in people's lives. He saw it in the way she treated the hobbits as equals, helping them without condescension and in the way she would always smile when she knew someone was looking. He often found himself seeking out her company, he enjoyed her sense of humor, and most elves did not share it. Haldir had met many humans in his lifetime, most that he did not like, but there was something different about her, as though she didn't belong to a single race, it was curious.
Rosa was surprised to find that she felt comfortable around Haldir. He reminded her of one of her squad mates; Tommy Stevens. TomTom, she had called him. He was always kind to her but he could seem cold, standoffish even, to those that he didn't know or like. Rosa slumped her head, Stevens had died alongside Ace. She didn't save them.
You could have, the little voice piped.
Rosa groaned, pulling the blanket tight around herself.
...
Boromir rubbed his temples as he leaned back on his bedroll. He hadn't been able to find any rest since the night they came here, though Aragorn had said that was their purpose. After learning that Rosa was found so far outside the boundary he had lost it and he was beside himself when she did not wake. He was furious, but only because he was concerned. The seconds after yelling at her, when his eyes found hers he could see the emotions in her eyes, anger, sadness, confusion, hurt, he instantly regretted yelling. He couldn't bring himself to stay in her presence after the harm he had caused, he wasn't certain he even wanted to be near her.
When he was near her everything was sharp, in focus, yet he seemed to not be able to focus on anything or anyone but her...something far too dangerous to occur with the task that the fellowship set out to achieve. It had been so long since someone had elicited such a strong emotion response from him as she had. He didn't want to think about what that meant.
Boromir turned his head to see Rosa sleeping soundly just feet from him. He shifted onto his side and watched as she curled further into a ball, smiling at how innocent and child-like she looked. He felt the urge to reach out and brush the falling hair behind her ears. Startled by this feeling he rolled onto his other side, focusing on anything but her. His eyes swept the forest, there was no doubt that it was beautiful. The tall trees held a majestic look that no other forest had, but Boromir would never feel at home anywhere but within the walls of his white city.
Before sleep consumed him, Boromir was filled with thoughts of home. He thought mostly of his younger brother, Faramir, wondering if he was safe, if he would ever see him again. Boromir shifted again, this time onto his back. He stared up at the stars, they looked brighter than they ever had before and it was oddly comforting.
When morning came Rosa and Boromir rose, neither too happy about it. It had been nearly a month and they were to leave Lothlórien the next morning. When Rosa passed by Boromir she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing; sleep riddled his every feature. He stood tall, blinking the sleep from his eyes, his hair in a floppy mess.
"Good morning Sunshine," Rosa said with a playful tone, ignoring the fact that Boromir wasn't likely to respond with the way he had been behaving the past weeks. She heard him grumble his 'distaste' for the mornings but was too far away to quite hear the rest of what he said. Chuckling to herself, she slipped away to the river.
Haldir had been the one to show it to her, it was out of the way of where the others were so as the only woman she would get more privacy. She had been nearly ecstatic when she saw it, jumping up and hugging Haldir, who was confounded by the display of affection. He slowly, albeit stiffly, returned the hug.
Rosa placed her dry clothes off to the side before tugging herself out of her now well-worn travelling clothing. When she put her foot in the river she shivered, pulling her foot away.
God I wish I had a hot shower right now, she thought as she emerged herself in the river. Her body's reaction was immediate, goosebumps ghosting her skin, nipples hardening from the cold. Gathering her courage Rosa dove beneath the surface to let her body get used to the chill. The water rippled out, settling as Boromir wandered out, still groggy from waking. He leaned forward, pulling the back of his shirt over his head. Boromir's hands were fumbling with his belt as Rosa breached the surface, flipping her hair back and out of her face.
Rosa looked up to see a shirtless Boromir. She gasped, both surprised and captivated by the man before her. He glanced up at the sound and their eyes met for what was to be the longest moment shared between them in nearly a month.
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