When Tracey got back outside she didn't see Artemis though a quick look around fund Legolas firing arrows at a target. Tracey knew better than to sneak up on Legolas, an exceptional archer and fighter, and he did have amazing hearing so she figured he might have already heard her approach. Beating her wings and slowing her descent until she was hovering over the ground, Tracey didn't immediately call out to him to get his attention. Instead, she looked at Legolas as he took his stance and poised to let loose another arrow at the target. Tracey studied him for a time, memorizing each and every line on his features, his sparkling blue eyes, smooth skin, and physic, loving how the sunlight illuminated his form and the wind picked up his golden blonde hair as he aimed his arrow and judged the distance before letting it go. The arrow sped away like an angry hornet, buzzing through the air before it thudded into the middle of the bull's eye.
"You never cease to amaze me with your skills Legolas." Tracey said with a quiet smile and crossed her arms over her chest, her wings rhythmic beating keeping her suspended off the ground. "You're the greatest archer alive."
He turned and looked at her his eyes lighting up at the sight of her then going wary as he unstrung the bow. "You… aren't Adessa…"
His comment and observation hurt her more than she thought it would and she blinked in surprise, but she shook her head and let out a tired sigh. She should have expected this, especially from him and all his kin, the Elves had always been observant and had insight to almost all of what went on in Middle Earth.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you..." Tracey replied, her heart aching a little more. "It couldn't be helped..."
He set the bow and quiver aside then approached her. His blue eyes seemed to take all of her in and he held out a hand. "I told you nothing would change our Bond. That there had to be a little of Tracey in Adessa. I believe that is still true. Will you allow me to get to know you as Tracey?"
"I would love nothing more than to show you the true Tracey." She said, taking his hand with a smile. "The pleasure would still be mine, my Lord Legolas." She could still feel the Bond that they shared and that was promising and uplifting.
He tugged her towards him one hand lifting to caress the side of her face as he looked into her eyes. He smiled gently as they just looked into each other's eyes allowing the connection to build between them, his fingers were warm and a little rough against her skin from the calluses built over years of practice with the bow. Tracey blinked her hazel eyes slowly, her heartbeat quickened with the touch of his fingers on her skin. She was happy that Legolas would give them a try, even though in a way Adessa was Tracey, just another side of her. Wings ceased their beating and she touched down onto the ground, the bare earth shifting between her toes. The opened and closed behind her as she looked deep into his eyes and after a moment their hearts beat as one again.
"I'm sorry that my talk with Lady Galadriel took as long as it did." She started, touching his hand on her cheek. "I didn't realize it had gotten late in the afternoon. Will you walk with me?"
He laced his fingers through hers and smiled. "Of course. We're near the orchards, they're beautiful this time of day." He led her towards the orchard his hand warm against hers.
As they passed one of the low wooden buildings Tracey thought she heard something but Legolas was leading her away before she could place the sound and they were into the orchard with its towering fruit trees.
Tracey looked back over she shoulder as she was lead away, but pushed it from her mind as she was led away. She smiled when the warm sunlight heated her skin and the fresh air blew back her hair. Legolas was right, the orchards of various fruits were vast and stood twice as tall as she was. She started humming to herself and occasionally looked to her side at Legolas to make sure he was still enjoying himself. He was smiling and that comforted her.
"The air is sweet with the scent of the fruit... I can say I have dreamed of this moment for a long time, but never thought it would ever come true in anything but my dreams and the stories I would write."
They walked the rows and rows of fruit trees talking, relearning each other. It was close to the evening meal time when they made their way back to the main cluster of trees and found Artemis sitting at a table and writing in a leather bound book. She was humming softly while she wrote and looked up to see them approaching a small smile curving her lips. "You two have a knack of getting lost for a day and only coming back for meals."
A slow smile spread over her own lips, and Tracey shook her head. She looked back at Legolas and laughed softly.
"You're not wrong my little firefly, but it's not our fault that we have a deep connection to the earth."
Artemis propped her chin in her hand and considered them for a minute. "You know it sounds really weird for you to call me firefly Tracey. The intonation is all wrong and you never did smile like that as Adessa."
"Adessa is now another part of me and as for firefly, I think it's a fitting name for your hot headed self Artemis." She replied, drawing closer to her chair and putting her hands on both of the chair arms, looking right into Artemis's beautiful brown eyes. "If you ever freeze Legolas again, I will light your butt up like a friggin' christmas tree... magic or no."
She had to laugh at her playful threat and plucked some bread from the plate in front of Artemis.
"That's all mine."
Artemis flicked a finger and the bread squirmed and jumped out of her hand scampering away. "Well as long as he doesn't point arrows at me again we'll be fine. You guys ok?"
"Legolas and I have been getting reaquainted and I believe this experience has made us stronger with our Bond." Tracey replied, turning her attention away from Artemis and instead looked at the bread with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me, I was eating that and the day I let you take food from my mouth will be the day I decide to stop breathing."
She flicked her own hand out to the bread and beckoned it back to her, making it soar through the air and onto her plate which she held out to it.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food? Or more importantly still, MY food?"
Tracey sliced some cheese, laid it upon the bread and consumed happily. Levitating the teapot, she made flowing motions with her hands and wrists, causing the hot brew to pour itself into her cup and then poured one for Legolas. She had been practicing with her air abilities all afternoon, figuring that she might be able to control the elements again, but like Artemis had said, she'd never know until she tried and saw if something stuck with her.
"How are you doing?"
Artemis closed the journal and leaned back in her chair crossing her legs. "I'm doing alright. I was worried about you but since you seem to be doing fine I'll turn my attentions to other matters. After you've eaten we need to go see Galadriel and Gandalf."
She looked over at Legolas her eyes searching and he raised a pale eyebrow at her. She smiled a little and inclined her head to one side before standing. "Don't take too long you two. This is important." She turned holding her journal and headed towards Galadriel's private library.
Legolas watched her go a puzzled frown on his face. She makes less sense the longer I know her." He commented.
"That is Artemis for you. She has vast knowledge but it takes time to understand her and gain the ability to read between the lines." Tracey replied, giving Legolas's hand a soft squeeze before her attention was turned to her own food. "I wonder what would need to be discussed now... and I do hope Lady Galadriel is feeling rested, it did take a toll on her to bring back all my memories."
When they made their way up to the library Artemis was flipping through a book that she stuck back in its place when Tracey and Legolas arrived. Gandalf was talking quietly to Galadriel who looked rested. Artemis smiled then sobered when the door was closed. "I know why we were brought here." She announced and sat down. "Thorin, Kili and Fili are alive. Brought back to life by an outside force."
Tracey nearly tripped over her own feet as she and Legolas walked to the center of the room and she shook her head in disbelief. Her wings beat several times to help her right herself and a look of utter confusion passed over her facial features.
"That's next to impossible! What force could possibly bring them back?!" She questioned, her look passing between Gandalf, Lady Galadriel and Artemis again. "Why were they brought back?"
Artemis picked at the hem of her shirt while she spoke, a gesture Tracey knew meant she was anxious or unsure. "I think they were brought back to alter the course of the future here on Middle Earth. You had a nightmare last night, a dream of two Forces battling in a place that looked a lot like hell. I think one of those Forces brought the dwarves back for reasons I really don't understand but it could unleash chaos here on Middle Earth." She looked at Galadriel who inclined her head silently telling her to go on so Artemis hurried on. "Think about it, if Thorin recovers, and he will since I used my own life force to stabilize him until a decision can be reached, he will want to take over the rule of Erebor and everything that we," She motioned at herself and Tracey. "Know will come to pass will change. Maybe only a little but it could be enough to let certain forces prevail. If Torin doesn't recover then Kili or Fili will and they'll want to take their rightful place as ruler of Erebor and we're in the same situation. It's such a small change that it almost wouldn't be noticed by anyone but us."
"So what would you have us do?" Legolas asked sitting beside Tracey holding her hand. "We cannot kill them, such a foul deed is unthinkable."
"And we cannot hold them captive here." Galadriel added.
Holding onto Legolas's hand in return, Tracey's look of confusion turned to one of deep thought and for a few minutes there was silence. Her head bobbed in one direction and then in another, a motion she made whenever she was considering the pros and cons of the thoughts that ran through her head. Several ideas came to mind, but each one seemed a little more farfetched than the last.
"After bringing them back, it would be stupid to dispatch them now. But you're both right, we won't even consider killing them and holding them captive is out of the question, but I wonder if taking their memories be just as troublesome as they are putting them back?" She asked rhetorically. "We can't have them returning to Erebor, that would put everyone there into a panic... too much confusion and too many questions would be asked... What if we brought them to the Gray Havens? Put them on a ship to cross the oceans with the Elves again?"
In theory it was a good plan. By sending them away only a few details would be altered, but the rest would remain the same and then the Fellowship could start their travels to help the ring-bearer on his journey. That would surely be something to witness the beginnings of that quest.
Galadriel shook her head. "They must consent to the voyage and Thorin would never do such a thing."
Artemis picked at her hem until a thread came loose and she started worrying at it. "I don't know what to do yet but this has to be why we were brought here. We have a few weeks at least before Thorin, Kili and Fili are anywhere near strong enough to go anywhere. It might be best to contact Elrond and get his opinion, maybe Saruman's as well. There's too much at stake here to take foolish risks."
She looked at Tracey and Tracey suddenly saw the signs of strain and worry on Artemis's face. It occurred to her that no other adventure they'd had to date had such high risks. An entire world was in the balance and the strain of it was showing on Artemis's face and in her nervous unraveling of her hem. This was quite a situation they had found themselves in and Tracey was sure it would be their most difficult task yet. She had yet to figure out any loopholes that they could wiggle through to make this easier and at the moment she was stumped. A sudden thought occurred to her and she looked to the window and made a noise under her breath and shook her head. The noises that she had heard from the low building she and Legolas passed on their walk to the orchard was where the Dwarves were being housed.
"I think we should consider Lord Elrond's counsel and see what he has to say. In the meantime we'll tend to the Dwarves as best we can and hopefully they will see reason... save us from the stubbornness of Dwarves." Tracey answered, tapping her chin thoughtfully with her fingers. 'We should avoid Saruman at all costs, he's a traitor to all.'
Artemis shot her a meaningful look and it occurred to Tracey that Artemis had suggested Saruman to maintain the timeline. Gandalf was watching them his eyes narrowed in thought and Artemis smoothed her fingers over the hem making a conscious effort to stop fidgeting. Galadriel watched both Tracey and Artemis before she spoke. "I will send our fastest messenger to Lord Elrond and seek his opinion. In the meantime the Solstice festival will begin the day after tomorrow. It is our honor to welcome you all for the celebration."
"It will be our honor to accept." Tracey said happily, clapping her hands and smiling. "Until we receive word from Lord Elrond or come up with something ourselves, we might as well take this opportunity to enjoy the upcoming festivities at our leisure."
She stood up and fluttered her wings out a bit to make sure they didn't wrinkle and stretched upward. Looking at Artemis she nodded in understanding and wouldn't say anything more that might upset the timeline and smoothed her hair back behind her pointed ears.
"I'm going to meet the Dwarves and bring them some dinner... their bandages should probably be changed too so if anyone needs me I will be with them for a time. Lady Galadriel if there is anything that Artemis and I can do to help with the preparations for the festival than you have but to ask of us and it shall be done."
"Hey! Don't volunteer me!" Artemis yelped and bounced up poking Tracey with a finger and grinning. "And the dwarves don't have bandages to change, you just want to get a chance to meet them." She turned and gave Galadriel a small bow. "I'll take her to meet the dwarves, this should be fun, meeting someone who can out stubborn her." She hooked a thumb at Tracey and grinned again.
Galadriel looked a little surprised at the energy they both seemed to exude as Artemis nudged her friend out the door leaving Legolas and Gandalf watching after them. Gandalf was smiling slightly but Legolas looked thoughtful. Galadriel mused privately that it was no easy thing to have to learn your beloved all over again. Gandalf chuckled and lit his pipe. "I've always found the race of Man to be a resilient and delightful people. The Solstice Festival is sure to be unusual this year."