Did I surprise you all by posting this chapter so early? I am pleased to see that the previous chapter got over 100 visitors in a 24 hour time-span. Hopefully this chapter meets or exceeds that amount. I am going to warn you all now that this chapter is put at a very high T rating, almost M, due to a sensitive scene. Part of me doesn't want to change this story to the M rating. So I will be holding back on the describing the battle scenes and other things.
So here we are, off to Lothlorien. This should be exciting.
Khuzdul. Sindarin. Ojibwe.
Disclaimer: I don' own the Hobbit or the LOTR.
It has been almost two days since they escaped Moria, and Inara is still unconscious. Legolas, Tauriel, Boromir, and Aragorn have taken turns carrying Inara's prone form over and through the last of the Misty Mountains. The sunlight is already starting its slow descend towards the horizon, and all are weary from the traveling.
With Aragorn ahead of them, the rest are slowing down from their fast pace walking. Legolas is the one currently carrying Inara, and he has noticed that deep inside of the stone pendant there is barely a flicker of light.
"We are almost there." Aragorn calls to his traveling companions. Down in the valley, Aragorn can see the woods of Lothlorien.
They rest at the foothills of the Misty Mountains when the sunlight fades and nighttime arrives. In the early morning light, the group continues on their way to Lothlorien with Tauriel carrying Inara. Everyone is in a hurry as they know that Orcs and Goblins could be right on their tail. Or worse yet, the servants of Saruman.
They run through a grassy plain for most of the day, till they reach the forests edge. Only then do they all slowdown from run to a walk. The trees groan and the leaves dance as the wind blows in the forest. Aragorn leads them further into the woods as they keep walking.
"Stay close, young Hobbits." Gimli whispers as he turns to address them. "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."
"Gimli." Kili groans out to his cousin, who is walking behind him. "She is not a sorceress. Just very observant."
"Who is?" Kelda asks from next to Kili.
"Lady Galadriel." Tauriel says softly to Kelda. Kili and Kelda had taken it upon themselves to act as a body guard to Tauriel since she is carrying Inara.
What the others don't realize is that Frodo has heard a voice whisper his name. However, he is too afraid to say anything for fear of being thought of as crazy. So he stops walking as he tries not to panic as the voice continues to speak to him.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asks from behind since he is following Frodo.
"It's nothing, Sam." Frodo says after taking a few quick breaths. He begins walking again and he can hear Gimli mumbling somethin about a fox and a hawk. However, Frodo is startled as he sees an elf pointing an arrow at the dwarf.
The Fellowship comes to a stop as they quickly discover that they are surrounded by a group of well-armed elves.
"The Dwarves breath so loudly we could have shot them in the dark." A familiar blonde elf says as he looks towards Aragorn. "Take them." He commands to his fellow elves while gesturing towards the rest of the Fellowship.
The Fellowship follows Aragorn's lead and stays calm and cooperative as they are lead away, deeper into the forest.
Night has fallen by the time they reach the outpost that the blonde elf and his group are taking care off. He has them wait on a platform, high above the forest floor, till he returns from some unknown place. The elf greets Legolas with much respect, after being reminded that Legolas was Thranduil's son. Then the elf also greets Aragorn in a similar fashion as well.
"So much for the courtesy. Speak in words that we all can understand." Gimli says as he loses his patience. He doesn't like the idea of not knowing what the elf is saying to Aragorn or Legolas.
"Gimli!" Kili hisses at his cousin before stomping on Gimli's foot. "Show some patience or we may find ourselves locked away in a dungeon because of you."
Gimli's words had caught the elf's attention. So he turns towards the small commotion that the two dwarves are causing. He addresses the Dwarves, mostly Gimli, as he looks down at them.
"We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." The elf says, trying to goad Gimli and Kili.
"And do you know what this Dwarf says to that." Gimli retorts back at the elf. Then he speaks an insult in Khuzdul, which causes Kili to smack Gimli in the back of the head.
"I apologize for my cousins' lack of courtesy." Kili says to the elf. "And I do know that Lothlorien has had dealings with Dwarves in the past. After the Dark Days."
The elf gives Kili a slightly confused look, and that is when Tauriel steps out from behind Boromir with Inara still slung over her shoulder. This causes the elf to look at elleth with wide eyes.
"Tauriel of the Greenwood. I did not think to see you here." The elf says to Tauriel. "The Lady speaks very fondly of you."
Tauriel nods her head to the elf before speaking. "We are in need of her assistance. As you can see, our companion here is injured and the injury will not heal. My traveling companions and I also need to seek shelter for a short time as well."
"You have tried everything you can to heal the injury?" The elf asks Tauriel. He is intrigued as to what caused the injury to begin with.
"Yes." Tauriel replies.
The elf doesn't speak to Tauriel, but gives her a nod of his head. Then he moves towards the Hobbits and his eyes narrow in on Frodo.
"You bring great evil with you." The elf says looking at Frodo behind turning to look back at Aragorn. "You can go no further."
As quickly as possible, the elf walks away with Aragorn chasing after him. They speak in harsh tones only a few feet away from the rest; and if one listens, it sounds as if they are arguing with each other. However, there is one who is becoming frustrated with the elf's attitude.
Kelda, who is also behind Boromir, hears just bits and pieces of the argument between Aragorn and the elf. This causes Kelda's blood to boil. Moving from her place, she marches over towards where Aragorn and the elf are at.
Legolas, who is standing with Kelda's parents, sees her heading straight towards the arguing pair. Not sure as to what Kelda's intentions are, he follows after her to make sure she doesn't do something rash.
"Since when have you ever been afraid of a fight?" Kelda says towards the elf as she steps close to him so that their chests almost touch.
"Rossloth." The elf says in astonishment. He wasn't expecting her to be with the Fellowship. 'She should be in Rivendell where it is safe.' He thinks to himself while letting a smile grace his lips.
"Haldir. We have an injured person who needs the care of a healer, and all you can do is worry about some stupid Ring. Have you no compassion towards the injured?" Kelda shouts out while trying to look very intimidating. She feels someone take hold of her arm and soon finds herself being pulled away. Turning her head slightly, Kelda sees that it is Legolas who has pulled her away.
Haldir watches with curiosity and trepidation as Legolas steps between Kelda and himself. He is not surprised by Legolas's protectiveness towards Kelda, and it intrigues him to see that Kelda is glaring at the back of Legolas's head. This display by Legolas has Haldir wondering just what is between the two.
"Legolas. I believe Rossloth doesn't need your interference to get her way." Haldir watches as Legolas gives him a very serious look, but Haldir dismisses it. Looking past Legolas, Haldir makes eye contact with Kelda. "I shall do as the Lady asks." Haldir says to Kelda before turning to address the Fellowship. "You will follow me, in the morning."
The Fellowship is shown a place to rest for the night. For in the morning they will be traveling on foot to the heart of this elven realm.
Haldir watches Kelda from a distance as she lays down her bed roll between Tauriel and the dark haired dwarf archer. From what Haldir can figure out, this dwarf archer must be Kelda's Adar. During his study of Kelda, Haldir doesn't notice that Legolas is watching him from where he is seated near Aragorn.
In the early morning light, the Fellowship is roused from their rest by an elf that Haldir sent. They make short work of putting away their bedrolls and packing up their belongings. Once everyone is ready to leave, Haldir joins them.
"You will follow me." Haldir says to the group before walking along a path.
By mid-day, they reach a hill top and Haldir has them stop for a moment. Aragorn, Legolas, and Kelda all come to stand near Haldir to catch a glimpse of why they have stopped.
"Caras Galadhon. The heart of Elvendom on Earth." Haldir says with great respect. "The Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."
Haldir turns his head just slightly to see what Kelda's reaction might be to this kingdom that Haldir is a part of. He notices that Kelda's reaction isn't what he was hoping for. There is no emotion on her face, and this somehow irritates Haldir.
"We should reach the edges of Caras Galadhon by evening. Then your presence will be announced to the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel." Haldir says to the Fellowship. He begins to walk along the path, and by the sound of the footsteps, he knows that they are following him.
True to his word, Haldir and the Fellowship enter the city as the sun begins to set that evening. There are elves looking down at the group from atop structures in the trees and from the many staircases that wrap around the bigger trees.
Haldir leads them to some stairs that look like they wrap around a large tree before crossing over to another tree close by. They all stick together as they begin to climb the stars as the dark of night begins to fall. The glowing lights from the surrounding structures, and on the roof of the stairs catches everyone's eyes.
"It is beautiful." Kelda says softly as she walks in front of Tauriel.
"Yes. It is." Tauriel says stiffly. She is still carrying Inara's body over her shoulder, and is starting to worry about her friends' health. Over the past couple of days, Tauriel has only been able to get Inara to take some water. But with Inara's lack of response and not waking up, Tauriel fears that Inara may be dying.
They finally reach a small deck-like area and stand there waiting. Haldir slips off to the right to wait for his Lord and Lady's arrival. Yet he watches Kelda out of the corner of his eyes as he waits. After a few moments, Haldir sees that the Lord and Lady have arrived.
The Fellowship watch as two figures cloaked in bright, white light stand at the top of the stairs before them. Very slowly the two figures make their way down the steps and out of the light. At the bottom of the steps, there is a male elf and a beautiful female elf standing before the Fellowship.
"The enemy knows that you have entered here." Celeborn says in a stern voice. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Twelve are here, yet thirteen were there set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."
"Gandalf the Grey did not cross the borders of this land. He has fallen into Shadow." Galadriel says with deep emotion. This causes Celeborn to look over at Galadriel with a flicker of sad emotions before schooling his face into a serious look.
Legolas takes a step forward and speaks. "He was taken by both Shadow and Flame. We have one with us who was harmed by the two as well. Inara is the Queen of Erebor, and she is in need of help."
Tauriel steps forward so that Galadriel and Celeborn see the prone form of Inara. Being as gentle as possible, and with Legolas and Kili's help, Tauriel removes Inara from her shoulder. Placing Inara down, stomach on the floor, Kili removes Kelda's cloak to show the two elves the extent of Inara's injuries.
Galadriel gasps lightly as she sees, not only the injury on Inara's back, but also feels the dark magic coming from the wound. However, Galadriel also feels another's magic and catches sight of Inara's pendant.
"Galla," Celeborn says to one of the royal guards at the top of the stairs. "Boe enni nestron."
The female elf comes down from her spot and speaks to Tauriel. "Aphado nin."
Tauriel gently lifts Inara with Kili's help, and the two follow the female elf to where the healers reside.
"How did Queen Inara suffer from such an injury?" Haldir asks from where he is standing. He hadn't realized that the injured one was of royalty.
"A Balrog of Morgoth is how Gandalf died and Inara became injured. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." Legolas says with sadness.
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf's life." Galadriel says in comfort. "We do not yet know his full purpose. Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin. For the world has grown full of perils and in all lands love is now mingled with grief."
Galadriel looks at each member of the Fellowship, and some hear her speaking to them in their minds. For some this is a shock, for others it allows them to feel the weight of her unspoken words.
"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asks with a solemn voice. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."
"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife." Galadriel says seriously to them. "Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all."
"I will not allow it to fail." Kelda growls out as she steps forward to stand before the Lord and Lady. "I will carry Frodo across the wilderness if I must. But it will not fail."
Galadriel gives Kelda a smile as she realizes now whose child stands before her. She recognizes the tenacity and kindness of Kelda's mother, and the ferocity and recklessness that comes from the father. 'A perfect blend of the two races.' Galadriel thinks to herself.
"Yet hope remains," Galadriel says while still looking at Kelda. "while the company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace."
"Haldir. Show our guests to where they will be resting for the night." Celeborn says. He noticed Haldir flinch when Kelda moved to stand before them, and this has the Lord wondering about what happened in Rivendell a few years ago.
Haldir nods to his lord's request, and starts to move towards Kelda, but Legolas steps up to her first. Taking a gentle hold of Kelda's arm, Legolas pulls her towards him in what some might call a comforting gesture. However, Haldir receives a glare from Legolas and turns to look at Aragorn instead.
"If you will follow me." Haldir says to Aragorn before showing the Fellowship where to go for the night.
This leaves Galadriel and Celeborn watching the interactions with great interest.
"We must keep an eye on Haldir." Celeborn says to Galadriel as they watch the last of the Fellowship leave. "He seems troubled by the familiarity between the young female and Thranduil's son."
"It is not them, which we should be worried about. The Queen of Erebor has been marked with dark magic. Almost as dark as the magic that the Ring has. Yet, the queen's pendant is barely keeping that dark magic at bay. With Gandalf's death, much of his magic has left this world. But Radagast's magic alone is not strong enough to keep the queen safe. I will go see what help I can give to bring the queen back from the hold of the dark magic." Galadriel says to Celeborn before leaving his side.
Galadriel makes her way down to the healers. As she makes her way into the healers area, one of the healers exits a room and quickly bows to her.
"Cyyrelas." Galadriel says the male healer. "What news of the Queen of Erebor?"
"There is dark magic in her wound, my Lady. Athelas will not work on this type of injury." The healer says with worry in his voice.
"I will see to her wound then." Galadriel says to the healer before entering the room.
Lying on the single person bed is Inara. Her back is fully exposed, and there is only a sheet covering the lower part of her body. Other than that, the queen of Erebor is bare. Tauriel is gently trying to cleanse the burn wound with a wet, cool cloth. Kili is seated on the other side of the bed, and is gently wiping away the beads of sweat from Inara's face.
Slowly walking towards the bed, Galadriel is amazed that this is the woman to whom Gandalf spoke so highly of. The wizard had told her, after Erebor had been reclaimed, about Inara and her abilities. And it is Inara's abilities that has Galadriel so intrigued.
"Lady." Tauriel says as she notices the Lady of Light coming towards Inara's bed.
"Tauriel. Kili." Galadriel says softly to the two before looking upon Inara once more. "How is the Queen of Erebor?"
"She is hot with fever, but doesn't speak." Kili says with worry. "The healer says that there is nothing he can do for her. Mahal, Thorin is going to kill me if Inara dies."
"Do not worry, Kili, son of Vrili. I will tend to her injury, for it is dark magic that plagues her." Galadriel says before moving to stand next to Tauriel. Being very careful, Galadriel places a hand upon Inara's back and another to Inara's forehead. She closes her eyes and allows herself to be pulled into Inara's mind.
Inside of Inara's mind...
Inara has been inside of this hell for who knows how long. She is tied down to a table with only rags covering certain parts of her body. Her wrists are tied together at the top of this table by chains, while each of her ankles are chained as well, but spread apart. Her dark hair is snarled and greasy instead of clean and nicely braided.
The room itself is full of shadows, but Inara make out the outlines of bookshelves along the walls. Only a few feet away from the head of the table, is a black ball sitting upon a short pillar.
'Have you given up yet?' a man's voice says from the shadows.
Inara begins to hyperventilate as she knows who it is that has put her into this mental prison.
'You'll have to kill me before I give up. And even then, I would haunt you till justice is done.' Inara replies back harshly.
Saruman moves out of the shadows and comes to stand beside the table. He reaches out to try and caress Inara's cheek. But when she turns to look away from him, he moves the hand away and presses a finger against her belly. This causes Inara to scream out in agony.
'Interesting isn't it, that here in your mind, I can cause you such pain.' He says with a gleeful look upon his face. He removes his finger and watches as Inara takes shuddering breaths. 'Just think of what I could do if you were here physically with me. I do wish you would accept my offer.'
'Never would I allow myself to procreate with filth.' Inara growls out. 'Thorin is the only one I would bear children for, not some power hungry psychopath."
'It is a shame that you have wasted your life away with that Dwarf. Your half-breed children will be shown no mercy upon the battlefields. Neither will your Dwarf kingdom. Sauron and I know that your body is in Lothlorien. It will only be a matter of time before it too will come to me. Then we will become one.' Saruman replies as he moves down to the end of the table where Inara's ankles are chained.
Climbing up onto the table, Saruman hovers over Inara's body and stares down at her face. He moves his face so that it is next to Inara's ear. 'You will bear the body that will house Sauron's spirit. Just think of it. Half-wizard, half-spiritwalker. That is right, Inara. I know of your power. You can call forth the spirits of the dead, and you even have the power to call the Valar into possessing your body. Sauron will look forward to inheriting that power from you.'
Inara gives Saruman a deadly look before he forces himself on her. Even in the spiritual realm, or in ones' own mind, a rape is just as painful to go through as a physical one. Inara tries hard not to cry out in pain, but the screams leave her lips as Saruman becomes forceful with his movements. Because she is locked in this realm, Inara has no way to escape the pain of this attack. It was bad enough the first time he did this to her; but now she is starting to wonder if she really will ever escape this hold that he has on her mind. All she can do is suffer through this and hope that Saruman makes it quick.
It feels like forever but once Saruman has finished with his task, he leaves Inara lying on the table as usual. He looks at his handy work till he fades away, back to the physical world.
Inara allows tears of anger to flow down her cheeks and doesn't even bother to try to keep them from falling. She is losing hope for any kind of a rescue from this prison in her mind. However, what Inara doesn't know is that back in the physical world, the Fellowship has reached Lothlorien. And there is one who is now helping her break free from this hell.
'Oh lass.' Comes a familiar voice all of a sudden.
This causes Inara to startle and turn her head to see where the voice came from. A mist is standing by the table to Inara's left and is beginning to take form. That form is one that Inara is very familiar with.
'Balin.' She gasps through her tears.
'You cannot give up yet, lass. What would Thorin say about it?' Balin says to her with a sad smile on his face.
'How?' Inara asks before another mist begins to appear just to the right of Balin.
'You have to fight, Inara.' The mist says before turning into Dis. 'Thorin would not want you to give up or give in.'
'Dis? How can you both be here?' Inara asks in shock.
'You have friends in very high places.' Another mists says as it turns into Ori. Next to Ori the figures of Oin and Thrain appear.
'What?' Inara says speechless at the appearance of those who have left this world. But she is unprepared for what she hears next.
'My little Sacheem.' A voice that Inara hasn't heard in a very long time says from the right side of the table.
Turning her head, Inara sees her grandparents, parents, all four of her brothers, and many of her cousins. Seeing her family causes Inara to weep even more than she already is. Inara can't help but feel guilt and remorse for not thinking of the family she left behind in her former world.
'You can break free from here.' Inara's grandfather says as he gently places a hand against her cheek. 'And we are here to help you accomplish that. With the help from a very powerful Lady in the physical realm.'
'How? How can I escape?' Inara asks through her tears.
'We will keep Saruman at bay, but it is up to you to find that which you hold most dear. That love will be enough to set you free.' Her grandmother says to Inara. "Now you must go. And quickly."
Balin and Ori move quickly to remove the chains that have bound Inara's wrists and ankles to the table. Oin helps Inara off of the table and once her feet hits the ground, Saruman's voice rings out.
'You will not escape me!'
The whole room shakes violently for a small bit before falling still again.
'You need to leave now, lass.' Balin says as he tugs Inara so that the others are surrounding her in a protective circle. 'Follow the light. She will lead you back, since Gandalf can't. Tell Dwalin that we will be waiting for him. Now go!'
The room shakes even more as Saruman's mind attempts to keep its hold on Inara's. During the shuttering of the room, Inara notices her pendant start to light up with a bright, white light. Then a voice calls into the room.
'You have no power here!' the strong female voice echoes through the room.
'Go now, Inara.' Thrain shouts to her. 'Follow the light back to Thorin.'
Inara feels a power flowing out from the light of her pendant, and with both hands, presses the stone against her chest. 'Let me return.' She says just before her mental prison shatters away and light surrounds her.
Back in a healer's room...
Inara takes a gasping breath and her eyes fly open. She is lying on her stomach while there is a feeling of fire coursing down her back. With her mind still in terror from what all happened in her mind, Inara tries to get up but finds herself being pushed back down onto a bed.
"Easy Inara." Kili says as he hold Inara down onto the bed. He is holding her shoulders down to allow Galadriel to finish wiping away the healing water that Celeborn had brought.
"Let me go! Please, let me go!" Inara screams as she starts crying out in a panic from being held down. Her mind is still trying to process that she is no longer being held captive.
Celeborn, hears the fear in Inara's screams and moves so that he may look at the woman's face. "You must relax. The Lady is almost done caring for your wound."
Inara tries hard not to make eye contact with the elf out of fear. Not from him, but from her experience in her mind. She doesn't want anyone to know what all has happened to her. A wrangled sob escapes from her throat as she turns her face into the pillow.
"Almost done." Kili whispers into Inara's right ear as he fights back tears. He has never heard Inara sound so scared before, and it causes him to shudder at the thought of Inara being in pain.
The healing process takes all night and into the early morning sunlight.
Standing together on the left side of the bed is Galadriel, Tauriel, and Cyyrelas are all whispering elvish healing spells as they clean Inara's wound and repair the damage done to her back. Tauriel is the first one to step away from Inara's bedside. She carefully, but slowly, walks over to a nearby chair to sit down. Celeborn moves away from Inara and heads over to check on Tauriel.
Since the male elf has left Inara's side, Kili tries whisper words of comfort to Inara as the other two elves finish up with Inara's back. He keeps brushing Inara's hair out of her eyes once he is able to get her to turn her face out of the pillow.
Once the two elves are done putting a white paste upon what is left of the burn marks, Galadriel places a large, dry towel over Inara's back. "You must let the paste dry before you will be able to get up and move around." The Lady of Light then places a soft kiss into Inara's hair before leaving the room with Celeborn.
"I would recommend staying here with your queen, dwarf. Make sure she follows the lady's advice or the burn marks will leave horrible scars on the back." Cyyrelas says to Kili before leaving the room.
The said dwarf had let go of Inara's shoulders after the towel was placed on her back, and was now sitting at the edge of her bed. Kili looks over to see a dozing Tauriel in a chair near the far corner of the room. He is grateful to his yâsith for helping with Inara's healing. However, there is something that is bothering the sleep deprived dwarf.
"Kili."
Looking down at the side of Inara's tired looking face, Kili slides off of the bed so that he can look at her face. He notices that Inara's eyes are blood-shot with dark circles underneath, and Inara's face is now starting to get back its color.
"Yes." Kili whispers to Inara as he places one of his hands over her right hand.
"Why?" Inara's voice whispers to him. She is very tired, but afraid to fall asleep.
Kili swallows a lump that had taken form in his throat at her question. He isn't sure how to answer it, but tries to anyways. "The burn on your back needed tending." He hopes that this is enough of an answer for her.
"No." Inara whispers. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Kili is confused at first by Inara's question till something deep down nags at him. "Tell you what?"
"That Saruman is after me." Inara hiccups out while trying hard not to breakdown into tears.
"How did you..."
"He told me, Kili." Inara gasps out as tears form in her eyes. "He held me captive in my mind and he told me. He... He..."
Kili lets out a growl as Inara states that Saruman held her captive. However, seeing Inara's hesitation Kili wonders what all happened in her mind. "What else did he say, Inara." Kili's hand tightens while holding Inara's hand.
"Sauron wants a body, powerful one. So Saruman, he... he..." Inara's eyes release the tears that had formed in them.
"He wants you to bear this body." Kili growls out in a low voice. "What else?"
"While trapped in that hell, Saruman, he forced himself on me. In my mind, but it felt so real." Inara whimpers out softly. Not out of shame, but out of fear of what Kili would tell Thorin. She knows that Thorin is very protective of her.
Kili's eyes darken as he realizes what Inara has just said. Even though it wasn't a physical rape, Kili starts to feel anger and rage building within him. 'How dare he touch her.' Kili thinks to himself.
"Kili?"
Hearing Inara's pitiful voice, Kili tries to tuck away his anger deep inside. He plans on sending a raven to Thorin once Inara falls asleep. Then, he plans on avenging Inara's honor.
"You need to rest. It is still early in the day for you to try to gain some strength back." Kili says to Inara. "I will not leave your side till Tauriel wakes."
Inara gives Kili a watery smile before letting her tired eyes to fall shut. However, as she falls into a dreamless sleep, Kili leaves her side in search of a raven. 'I have to tell Thorin about this.'
Late Evening...
After the evening meal, most members of the Fellowship find themselves together as the elves of Lothlorien sing a sorrowful song of mourning for Gandalf's passing. Their lodgings are at the base of a large tree, with small tents at the entrances. A water well, or fountain if you will, sits near the stairs that lead up into this realm.
As the Fellowship prepare themselves for their night rest, Kelda sits a small distance away from them. She is seated on a bench with her knees to her chest and her back facing the others. In one of her hands is a small trinket that is the cause of her thoughtfulness and seeking solitude.
'Why has he given me this? I have not led him to believe I care for him. Or have I? I don't know what to do.' These are the thoughts that are running through Kelda's mind since earlier this afternoon. She had been practicing in the training grounds when Haldir had come upon her. They had spoken about the quest, but then something happened. Haldir had given her this small dagger as token of his admiration of her. Then, after he had tied the sheath of the dagger to her waist, he had placed a kiss upon her cheek before leaving to go out on patrol.
As Kelda continues to sit in her solitude, Legolas carries a pitcher in his hands that he had just refilled with water from the well. He is wearing a white colored, long robe that Celeborn had given him earlier in the day since Legolas's traveling clothes were still being mended.
"A lament for Gandalf." Legolas says as his recognizes the words that are being sung.
"What do they say about him?" Merry asks as he leans out of a large opening where he and the other hobbits will be sleeping tonight.
"I have not the heart to tell you." Legolas replies as the words being sung cause him to remember all the different times Gandalf had entered his life. Turning his head to look at Merry, Legolas speaks to the hobbit. "For me, the grief is still too near."
"It is near for all of us." A familiar voice echoes among the group.
"Inara." Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin says in surprise to see her.
Inara is wearing a long, champagne colored sleeping dress with a white colored robe covering it. She is barefoot; her hair is clean and left loose to dry. Next to her is Tauriel, who is keeping a close eye on Inara.
"Are you alright?" Merry asks as he watches Inara and Tauriel slowly make their way over to where Kili is sleeping in a separate lodging from the hobbits'.
"For the most part. By tomorrow, I should be ready to leave with you all." Inara says while giving Merry a smile. "My back is fully healed with only minor scarring. The muscles may be sore, but I am fit enough to continue on this quest with you all."
"Are you sure that you will be up for it?" Aragorn asks as he scrapes a wet-stone against his sword.
"I am sure." Inara says as she and Tauriel continue making their way over to where Kili is sleeping and their bedrolls await.
As the others go to bed or talk among themselves, Legolas notices that Kelda has yet to speak and has been quiet nearly the whole evening. This has him worried, for he knows that she is usually lively and energetic, not silent and brooding. Making up his mind, Legolas makes his way over to where she is.
Getting closer to Kelda, Legolas notices a small dagger in her hand. One that he has never seen on her person before. This has him wondering where she got such an item.
"What is that?" Legolas asks as he moves to try to sit next to Kelda.
Kelda, who is startled out of her musings, quickly stashes the little dagger away. She hadn't expected someone to come talk to her.
"It's nothing." She says in a hurry as she places it back into its sheath.
"Where did you get it?" Legolas asks as he sits down.
"None of your business." Kelda retorts as she realizes that it is Legolas who has come to speak with her. "Besides, I don't have to explain myself to you."
"I apologize. I did not mean to cause you distress." Legolas says sincerely. Though, he is still curious about the dagger. "I just wanted to make sure that you are alright."
Kelda lets out a sigh before speaking again. "Apology accepted. I am sorry to have snapped at you." Out of the corner of her eyes, Kelda can see that Legolas is looking at her intently. "And I am as well as can be expected."
"Yet something is troubling you."
"How would you know?"
"You are not usually this quiet or brooding, Kelda."
Again Kelda lets out a sigh. Just like her parents, Legolas somehow knows when something is bothering her. This makes Kelda wonder if the others have noticed as well. Mustering up her courage, Kelda decides to talk.
"It was a gift."
Legolas's eyes open wide with surprise at Kelda's information concerning the dagger. Now he is wondering just who gave it to her.
"Who gave it to you?" He asks cautiously.
"Someone who I called friend, but I am not sure what to call him now." Kelda doesn't say much more than that.
Sensing that Kelda refuses to speak anymore, Legolas decides to just sit beside her till sleep calls them to rest.
In the middle of the quiet night, the Fellowship sleeps soundly in their bedrolls. Something walks through the grass and the middle of their place of rest. Yet only two of them are wakened by the sense of something moving.
Frodo wakes first from his sleep, in a small panicked state. Looking over his left shoulder, he is startled to see the Lady Galadriel walking past. Quietly, Frodo gets up from his bedroll and out of sheer curiosity makes to follow the Lady of Light.
The second one to be awakened, is Inara. Since she was sleeping on her stomach, with her head facing the yard, she sees Galadriel walk by. Frodo isn't far behind as he follows Galadriel. Worried about Frodo, Inara slowly gets up and out of her bedroll while trying hard not to wake up Kili, Tauriel, or Kelda.
Slowly, and on quiet feet, Inara follows Frodo and Galadriel from a safe distance. They go down several earth-made stairs, and along the bases of several large trees till Galadriel stops before a four foot column. As Frodo moves to join Galadriel, Inara ducks down and slowly crab-walks around the base of a tree all Pocahontas-like. It is hear that Inara over hears what is being said between the two.
"Will you look into the mirror?" Galadriel asks Frodo.
"What will I see?" Frodo asks back.
Inara can't see where Frodo is, but she can see Galadriel. The Lady of Light briefly makes eye contact with Inara before looking directly at Frodo.
"Even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things." Galadriel says as she walks over to the bowl on the column with a pitcher in her hands. As she pours the water into the mirror, Galadriel speaks again. "Things that were... Things that are... And some things that have not yet come to pass."
By this time, Galadriel has finished pouring the water into the bowl and is now backing away from it. This has Inara wondering about what is going to happen next. However, the top of Frodo's head comes into Inara's line of vision as he moves towards the bowl.
After only a few moments, Inara hears Frodo's gasps and this causes her to move out from where she was hiding. Hurrying down the stone steps Inara moves towards Frodo, unaware that he is being shown devastation. Just as Inara reaches him, Frodo stumbles back and away from the bowl.
"I got you, Frodo." Inara says as he catches the hobbit before he can fall to the ground.
"Thank you." Frodo gasps out as he gets himself back onto his feet. Then he turns to look at Galadriel, as does Inara.
"I know what it is you saw," Galadriel says to Frodo. "for it is also in my mind." Whatever else Galadriel says now is spoken between her and Frodo's mind.
Inara watches the two of them very carefully as she keeps a hand on Frodo's shoulder. She isn't sure what is going on, but is concerned about Frodo's well-being. However, the movement from Frodo's hand causes Inara to gasp as she sees him offer Galadriel the Ring.
"No. Frodo." Inara whispers as the stone on her pendant begins to blink with its pale pink light.
"You offer it to me freely." Galadriel says in amazement. However, she also notices Inara's stone pendant light up as well. Moving towards Frodo, Galadriel reaches out for the Ring. "I will not deny that my heart has greatly desired this."
When Galadriel gets close enough, she startles Frodo and Inara by announcing herself as their queen. Galadriel becomes bright as she shows her true form to them both. Frodo gasps in fright, but Inara moves to place herself in front of Frodo. At this point, Inara's pendant shines brightly just as Galadriel defeats the temptation of the ring on her own.
"Put it away Frodo." Inara hisses at Frodo as she keeps her eyes on Galadriel.
"I passed the test." Galadriel says in astonishment. "I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel." Feeling the pale pink light upon her cheek, Galadriel looks at Inara in wonder.
"Not until this war is over." Comes a multi-collective, male and female voices from Inara's lips.
"Yes." Galadriel replies in shock from hearing these voices speak as one. Often Gandalf had told her about this ability of Inara's, but she had yet to see or experience it for herself. Now that she has, she knows now just how important Inara truly is to Middle Earth.
Frodo, however, is still a bit scared over what he has witnessed tonight. Wanting an answer to his one question, Frodo moves to stand beside Inara once again. "I cannot do this alone." He says to Galadriel, he hadn't been paying attention to what has happened between the two females.
"You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo." Galadriel says after schooling her face to address the young hobbit. "To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone."
Seeing the fear in Frodo's eyes, Galadriel shows him her ring. "This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its keeper. This tasks was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will."
"Then I know what I must do." Frodo says as he finally realizes what it is he has to do. "It's just, I'm afraid to do it."
"Even the smallest person," Galadriel says as she moves to stand before Frodo and beds down to look at him. "can change the course of the future."
Frodo nods his head in understanding before walking away from Galadriel and Inara. His head is full of thoughts that he knows will not allow him to rest peacefully for the remainder of the night.
Inara watches as Frodo leaves the area to head back to their lodgings.
"Inara." Galadriel says as she looks at Inara. "That goes for you as well. Your presence here has already caused several futures to change."
Inara looks at Galadriel with a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
"You know, deep down, what I speak of." Galadriel says before gesturing towards the bowl, still filled with water. "Look and see for yourself."
Inara slowly moves towards the bowl and peers into the water. The water ripples for a moment before flashes of images appear in the water. The first one is of Inara's short previous life in Middle Earth. The second is of her grandparents' farm during a family gathering in her original world. The third is the closed casket funerals of her two brothers. The fourth is of her rape by Aliena's biological father. The fourth is the beating her and Aliena took from him. The fifth image, however, is of her and Aliena's funeral. Followed by a sixth image of Thorin, Fili, and Kili's deaths at Ravenhill and of their joint funeral.
At this point, Inara has tears flowing down her cheeks at seeing how her loved ones were ruthlessly killed in battle. A tear falls from Inara's jawline and splashes into the bowl of water. Then the images change yet again. The first of these new images is of Thorin, in full battle gear, charging into a massive hoard of orcs before the gates of Erebor. Inara watches as Thorin is killed and the rest of her family, here in Middle Earth, is killed as well. The image changes to one where she is abused, tortured, and raped by an unseen person. The next image shows Inara giving birth to a child, and then she is given to a group of orcs for their own amusement. The next image is of her death at the hands of a full-body Sauron.
As Inara watches her death, the stone of her pendant touches the water and it begins to glow softly. As ripples move across the water, another set of images appear before Inara's eyes.
The dwarves of Erebor are prosperous; Fili and Sigrid's son, Balder, marries Runila; Frerin is being crowned king; Durin is being crowned king; Rìka marries Kilian; Vân receives the title of General of Erebor's army. The very last image is of Fili play-wrestling with a dark haired, blue eyed, boy dwarfling as another dwarfling, a girl with golden brown hair and dark brown eyes, rushes to join the wrestling match. Then the two young dwarflings look directly at Inara and smile. Something inside of Inara blossoms in recognition and part of her wants to hold these two children in her arms.
"Inara?"
At the sound of Galadriel's voice, the images disappear from the water. Inara looks away from the water to see the Lady of Light looking at her.
"Who are they? Those two dwarflings that I saw?" Inara asks anxiously.
"What you saw were images of your past, and what was supposed to happen to the heirs of Durin. The other set of images were of possible futures for you and your family." Galadriel says to Inara in a comforting voice.
"But those two dwarflings that I saw, I feel like I know them somehow." Inara says to Galadriel.
"That is a future that hangs in the balance, and their lives are tied to the One Ring." Galadriel replies in an even toned voice.
"But who do they belong to?"
Galadriel gives Inara a smile in response before walking towards the stone stairs that will lead her away from the mirror. This forces Inara to stare in silence at the now empty bowl as she contemplates what it is that she just witnessed.
Morning...
The Fellowship stand at the docks of the river that runs alongside the Lothlorien forests. Most of them are rested up rather well, save for two. Both Frodo and Inara had spent most of their night attempting to fall back asleep after their encounter with Galadriel. However, for Inara sleep had remained elusive for the rest of the night. While for Frodo, sleep came only two hours before the sun began to rise. It was in the early morning light, that the Fellowship prepared to leave, to continue their quest to Mordor.
Standing before the Fellowship is a line of elves, who are placing traveling cloaks upon them. The traveling clothes of all but one of the Fellowship have been cleaned and repaired. Yet Inara, whose clothes were damaged beyond saving, was given a cream colored blouse; a deep green and gold trimmed, mid-thigh length tank vest to go over the blouse; brown pants; and soft brown boots to wear. At Inara's waist, keeping the over-vest tied at the waist, is a brown leather belt which holds her two tomahawks and several small throwing knives.
"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people." Celeborn says to the Fellowship as he watches the elves put finishing touches to the traveling cloaks. "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes."
From there, the Fellowship begins to pack up the small row boats with supplies from Lothlorien. Once the supplies are in the boats, the Fellowship climb into boats to leave.
In the first boat is Gimli, Legolas, Kelda, and Inara. The second boat has the four hobbits and Aragorn. While the last boat has Boromir, Kili, and Tauriel in it. As they paddle down the river, each member of the Fellowship remembers the parting gifts that Galadriel gave them.
"My gift for you, Legolas and Tauriel, is a bow of the Galadhrim, worthy of the skill of our woodland kin." Galadriel had told Legolas and Tauriel.
"This is a sword given to us by your ancestor. May it protect one of the heirs to the line of Durin." Galadriel handed the mithril made sword to Kili.
"These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war." Galadriel had told Merry and Pippin.
"And for you, Samwise Gamgee, Elven rope made of hithlain." Galadriel had smiled at Sam when he asked about daggers.
"Kelda, my gift for you is the armor from our realm. May it help keep you safe on this perilous journey." Galadriel gave Kelda a knowing smile, as if she knew what Haldir had given Kelda the day before.
"And what gift would a dwarf ask of the Elves?" Galadriel had asked Gimli.
"Nothing. Except to look upon the lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth." Gimli said in awe before feeling embarrassed by his words. "Actually, uh, there was one thing. No, no, no, no, I'm talking nonsense. It's quite impossible, stupid to ask."
"I have no gift to give than the gift you already bear." Galadriel said to Aragorn. The two had spoken in Sindarin for a time before Galadriel moved on to another member of the Fellowship.
"Inara. What gift does a queen give to another queen? I give to you a promise. That when you are in need, I shall send aid to help you." Galadriel placed a kiss upon Inara's forehead while speaking to Inara in her mind. 'And should you need my assistance again, I shall come to you.'
Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give to you the light of Erendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you in dark places when all other lights go out."
As the Fellowship leaves the Lothlorien forests, Inara can't help feel that something sinister is coming. And that the worst is yet to fall upon the Fellowship.
Back in Erebor...
Fili is pacing back and forth in the King's Office. He had received a raven from Kili early this morning, and now was faced with a difficult situation. He would be the one having to tell the others what the message said. So here he is, waiting for Dwalin to bring what remains of the company to his office.
A knock at his door causes Fili to jump as his nerves cause his stomach to twist and turn.
"Fili?" Thorin's voice calls from the other side of the door. Thorin and the others who had visited Bilbo, had come back three weeks ago, and were all anxious to learn why the other five hadn't come home yet.
"Come in." Fili says in a shaky voice. Thorin is the last person Fili wants to speak to at this moment.
Thorin enters the room followed by Dwalin, Gloin, Nori, and Dori.
"Have you heard from Kili?" Thorin asks Fili, getting right to the point.
"I have." Fili says, hoping that this would pacify Thorin till the others arrive.
"And?" Thorin says expectedly. He is worried about Inara, and wants to know what hair-brained scheme she has got herself, Kili, Tauriel, and Gimli into.
Fili lets out a sigh; he knows that Thorin will not wait to hear the news. So Fili gestures for the five of them to sit down in chairs while he moves to stand in front of his desk. 'Best get this over with.' Fili thinks to himself.
"Kili has sent word that he, Inara, Gimli, Tauriel, and Kelda are part of a Fellowship to see Frodo safely to Mordor. It seems that Bilbo had the One Ring and passed the Ring to Frodo." Fili says to them.
"Well I'll be damned." Nori says in surprise.
The others were surprised to hear of this news well. But the worst of the news had yet been told. So Fili pushes onwards.
"While they traveled, they were forced to go through Moria." At this point Fili, takes a shallow but shaky breath.
"So they are with Balin then, in Moria." Dwalin says with some joy at hearing that contact with Moria has now been established.
"No." Fili says before taking a deep breath. "Moria has been overrun by orcs and goblins. They discovered Balin's tomb. As well as Ori's body and several others."
The room goes dead quiet before Dwalin looks at Fili with a dead serious look upon his face. "Was Kili sure? Did he see it for himself?"
"Aye. He did." Fili says carefully, not sure as to how Dwalin would take the news of Balin's death.
Dwalin takes a few shaky breaths before bellowing out a loud curse word in Khuzdul. Everyone in the room flinches at the word and watch as Dwalin walk over to the wall to give it a punch.
Thorin gives Fili a look before walking over to Dwalin. He tries to settle his close friend down, and makes promises to Dwalin that Balin will be avenged.
Nori and Dori are both in tears at hearing that their little nadadith is dead. However, Nori cries for the pain this will cause Yuri, once she hears of her adad's death.
"There is more." Fili says after giving them time to process what has been told.
"What else is there?" Gloin growls out. Even though he isn't shedding any tears, the raw pain of learning that Oin is gone is still there.
"Gandalf sacrificed his life to protect the Fellowship. Especially Inara." Fili looks towards Thorin and notices his uncle go stiff at the mentioning of Inara.
"What happened to her?" Thorin asks as he turns away from Dwalin to face Fili.
"She was attacked by a Balrog that was residing deep in the mines. From what Kili said, once they had escaped Moria, the Fellowship made their way to Lothlorien. That is where Inara was healed." Fili looks away from Thorin and stares at the floor of his office. He really doesn't want to tell Thorin what else had happened to Inara.
"You're hiding something. What else happened, Fili?" Thorin growls out as he marches to take hold of Fili by his collar. Seeing his sister-son look away with pain in his eyes, has Thorin wanting to know what Fili is hiding from him. "What else?"
"Thorin!" Nori and Gloin shout as they see Thorin man-handle their king.
"Saruman got to her!" Fili shouts at Thorin.
This causes Thorin to let go of Fili in shock. "How?"
"Her mind." Fili says as he fights back his tears. He really wishes that Kili had sent the damn raven to Thorin instead. "He held her captive in her mind and tortured her."
Thorin backs away from Fili. The tears in Fili's eyes were enough to let Thorin know that it was worse than torture. Making fists with both hands, Thorin lets out a low growl which causes those in the room to take notice.
Another knock on the door causes everyone, but Thorin to jump in surprise. As the door opens, the rest of the old company enters the room. However, they all pause as they feel the tension in the room.
"Did we miss somethin'?" Bofur asks cautiously.
"I received word from Kili. Moria is lost. Balin, Ori, Oin, and several others are gone." Dwalin growls out to newcomers. "Inara has also been harmed."
Again, everyone falls silent for a time before Fili speaks.
"I will be issuing a feast of mourning for the loss of our kin in Moria." Fili says somberly. "Bombur, can you make sure that the kitchen staff know."
"Aye." The rotund dwarf says solemnly.
"We will tell Yuri after we leave here." Dori says as he dabs at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Tonight, I will ask for volunteers to go with me to avenge our kin and bring Inara home." Thorin growls out to the group.
"I'm with ya." Dwalin says as he moves away from the wall and stands next to Thorin.
"No." Fili says in a hurry. "You are needed here, Dwalin. Kili says that Sauron's forces are building and that Saruman has joined with him. If that is true, then Sauron will be looking to for allies. Which means, Erebor, Dale, Laketown, and the Woodland Realm are now targets from his Eastern and Northern allies. Erebor must prepare for an attack. Uncle, you may ask for volunteers, but there has to be enough left to help defend Erebor from attack."
"Very well." Thorin replies.
"I go." Bifur growls out as he moves to stand near Thorin.
"I will help here. Aliena won't be wantin' me ta leave." Bofur says.
"I'll go with you, Thorin." Dori says as he stands up. "Nori will stay here to keep an eye on Yuri."
"Thank you." Thorin says to Dori.
"You know, the heirs will be wanting to go with you." Fili says to Thorin. "And they are of age to fight in battle. If they should volunteer to go with you, they will have my blessing as their king."
Thorin nods his head in agreement with Fili. He knows that Frerin and Durin have been itching to prove themselves on the battlefield. "We leave at dawn."
Oh my. This chapter took me a while to get done. I hope you all like it. I had to add the bit from Erebor, because I needed to give you all something that will help tie-in with the LOTR events. Besides, I couldn't leave you all wondering if Thorin and the others made it back safely or not.
Also, big thanks to Firefoxxe who helped make up two elvish names and helped me get past a writers block.
Reviews are well-loved and cherished.
Selene