AN: And we are onto the Two Towers, woohoo!
I'm sorry I haven't updated as fast as I said I would. Life was a huge pain lately for me. I don't know where the last six months went, I was so overwhelmed with work and everything. Also I lost some of this chapter and I cried and lost motivation :,) Writing block is a real pain.
I'm sorry I'm not gonna reply to the reviews today, but I promise I read every single one of them!
Thank you all for the follows, faves and reviews! I want to give you all a big big thank you :)
If you don't remember what the last chapter was about, which is very understandable..., here is a brief summary:
Gandalf is back!
"The great Gwaihir has brought Mithrandir on his back from the cruel peak of Zirakzigil, and he is alive! He has been brought back by the Valar." The ellon gave her a small smile. "I must go and inform the others. Namarie!"
And he left, leaving Alysae standing like a fool on her doorstep, a million thoughts running through her head, and her stomach churning.
She stumbled and gripped the door tightly.
Mithrandir was not dead."
. . .Chapter 25- Mr. WHITE. . .
.~.
"But when you're a kid, it isn't chaos. It's just a heartbeat. Your house isn't floating through space, it sits on the ground. Once you get old enough you start to see that color is just paint and doors are just wood. Then, at some point, that feeling of home vanishes entirely. And… that's what I fear. That nothing will ever make me feel like I'm safe again. That once you leave home, you never get it back."
― Ryan Galloway, Biome
.~.
Alysae couldn't remember a time when she had run as fast as she did now. She'd thrown on a dress, not caring that it was slightly crumpled and wrinkled, barely managing to tighten the knots at the back. Her hair had been pulled into a chignon, a few wild strands escaping it.
Her slippers slapped the floor as she ran.
She slid at a turn, nearly colliding with a wall.
She made her way up, towards Caladwen's work room, knowing that the elleth might have information for her. Unluckily for her (although perhaps not too unexpectedly), she ran into someone.
That someone was not very happy about it. Her blue eyes glared coldly as she pushed herself to her feet, her usually neat fair hair messed up. She brushed her dress up. Miriel. "You should watch where you're going," she hissed. "I find it hard to imagine you are a princess with two left feet and such disgraceful manner. I cannot stand to be in your presence." The elleth stomped away with another icy look in her direction.
Alysae felt like such an idiot. The words had stung her, even though she tried to disregard them and push them away. There were more important matters after all! Mithrandir was said to be alive and she needed to find out if it was true.
She rightened herself, and continued to walk, albeit this time a little slower. She didn't want a repeat of that dreadful disaster. It seemed she had the worst luck!
There was a distinct change in the air; she could smell it. Like the crackling, metallic scent before a storm, or the scent of earth and life and sweet flowers that suddenly came one winter morning that spoke of the beginning of spring. Mithradir was alive.
She could hardly believe it. There was a small spark of hope growing in her chest without her consent. It threatened to burn bright and consume her, but she feared it would be squashed flat without a moment's notice.
Either way, her feet seemed to move of their own accord, hurrying without her notice.
"Please, Caladwen, are you in there?" she called out when she arrived at the elleth's workroom.
There was a breath, two, and the door opened. Caladwen stood on the treshold with a glint in her eyes. "Alysae! Do you fare well?"
Alysae stumbled a bit forward, her heart hammering. "Yes. Yes! I, uh," she paused, bit her lip and continued hesitantly, "have you heard anything about Mithrandir?"
Caladwen gave her a gentle smile. "Yes I have. Mithrandir was brought in by Lord Gwaihir and now rests under the watchful eyes of the Lady. I have heard whispers that he has been brought back by the Valar." She gave Alysae a knowing look. "Now go, and run along to your friend. I am sure you are overly excited to see him."
"Thank you, Caladwen!" Alysae said, giving her a quick embrace. The elleth smiled and waved at her when she left.
As she walked, Alysae tried to imagine what she would tell Mithrandir. Would he be wounded, bleeding and broken? Would he be half dead, unresponsive, or worse, dying?
Her hands shook slightly as she walked. She could not think like that. She would not.
Still, as she pulled at her skirt, she could not help but wonder, Would he be able to do something to help her?
-xxx-
Eventually, Alysae found her way to the healing halls. One of the room had the door ajar and Alysae stepped closer to it. A fast asleep ellon had his arm in a sling, lying on a bed. Further to the left, an elf had his all entire chest bound with bandages.
All those wounded elves reminded Alysae of Greenwood - Mirkwood - of the every day heavy amount of injured warriors. It was not a pleasant memory, and worse was the fact she knew it must be happening still as she walked.
This way...
She heard the Lady's soft voice in her head. It still came as a bit of surprise, although she had gotten (kind of) used to it. She followed the pull of the lady, down the corridor, passing through an arch, to a secluded room. There, Alysae hesitated. She was afraid of what she would find.
With a breath, she entered the room. Lying on a bed in the middle of the room was a long figure. His hair was long and white and his beard well trimmed. His eyes were closed and the wrinkles on his face seemed to be smoothed away in his sleep.
Mithrandir?
Sitting next to the wizard was Lady Galadriel, her soft hand on his. She looked up as Alysae entered and gave her a silent smile.
"He will awaken soon," she said, turning back to Mithrandir.
Soon? though Alysae. When is soon? But she did not dare voice it out loud.
Her eyes landed on a second chair, on the opposite side of the lady. She made her way to it with silent feet. She folded her hands on her knees as she sat down and let out a sigh.
-xxx-
Wake up, child. It is time.
Alysae slowly came back to awareness. There were voices around her, one deep and old, and the other ageless and light. White sheets were pillowed under face and she lifted her head with some confusion. It seemed she had fallen asleep in her chair and had fallen forward onto the bed. Blinking back sleep, she was met with a sight she thought she'd never see for a long time; Mithrandir was up and sitting, talking to Galadriel.
He had been so still and silent, like cold, hard rock. But now it was hard to imagine that as he seemed as free and able-bodied as he'd been before.
His hair and beard seemed whiter though.
"Mithrandir?" she called out hesitantly.
The wizard turned towards her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Alysae." His voice was a deep rumble as unchanged as before and very familiar. His keen blue eyes still regarded her with their old glint, but there was something different about him, although she could not place her finger on what exactly. It was like leaving your room and coming back later only to know, very keenly, that someone had come in and disrupted something, albeit it be small. Perhaps a book had been shifted slightly on a nightstand. Or maybe it was a pencil on the floor.
Either way it felt wrong.
"How," she paused, searching for her words, "how do you fare?"
Gandalf frowned for a moment before his brow smoothed once again. "I feel as though I've been sent to the Halls of Mandos by a Balrog of Morgoth! And how do you fare, my dear?"
Alysae felt a smile come up on her face. "Mithrandir, how I feared for you! I am glad to know that your awful sense of humour is not gone, old man! Do you still speak in riddles? Ah, do not answer, you will say something cryptic again!"
The wizard shook his head slowly, his whiskers twitching. He turned towards the Lady. "I am eternally grateful to Lady Galadriel," he murmured. "Without her I fear I would not be here now." And he seemed to grow small and there was a certain fragility in the way his shoulders sagged together.
Alysae roused herself, blinking. It was so odd and strange to see the wizard look so vulnerable. "I shall take my leave while you rest, Mithrandir." She rose and kissed his brow, and smiled at the lady and left the room.
For the first time in a while, there was a bounce to her steps.
-xxx-
Alysae sat on her bed with her legs crossed. In her hands glinted the butterfly brooch that Arwen had given her, right before she'd left Imladris. It felt so long ago to her now.
She could hardly recall a time when things had been so easy and she had been carefree and happy. She missed her home. She realized it had been months since she'd left. It was the longest from home she'd ever been. And the farthest.
A sigh left her and she turned the brooch over in her hand. The tiny jewels set in the gold of the wings caught the light as she rubbed her thumb over the ridges.
There was one thing on her mind, and it was the hardest decision of all. Alysae knew that Mithrandir was going to leave, soon perhaps, and rejoin with the Fellowship and help with the war. There was no doubt to her anymore: war was well on the way, and no matter how much her father had said that the evil from Mordor was gone, she knew she could not pretend any longer.
The Nine Wraiths were back, Orcs roamed the lands freely, the One Ring was even back by Elbereth ! Saruman was a traitor, working with the enemy, Greenwood was dying, a Balrog managed to kill Gandalf…
It was war and it was time to do something about it.
She was so very sick of staying, cooped up inside, wiltering like some dead flower. People seemed to treat her so very delicately as though she would break like fine glass. It was suffocating really.
No, she wanted to do something. Something to help.
Her only two options were either to stay in Lothlorien and wait for her death to come like the coming of tide, or to go with Gandalf and help in the War. It would mean she would be out of Galadriel's reach, out of her protection. It would mean there would be nothing to keep her safe anymore.
Elrond's leaves would do nothing to help her, she knew it. It was just a fool's hope.
She rubbed her hands over her face, dropping the brooch.
Legolas would be so furious with her.
-xxx-
"Mithrandir!" she shouted. "Mithrandir, I want to come with you!"
She struggled with her dress as she ran, her breaths coming in pants. Ahead of her, in the dimly lit corridor, Gandalf has been walking in a hurry, his staff held tight in his hand. It had been obvious he was leaving as he was carrying a satchel and his steps had been quick and light. It seemed impossible than only yesterday he had been in the Healing Ward.
Presently the wizard turned towards her. He waited for her to catch up to him. "Alysae," he said, his eyes very grave, "I must ask you this question once and only once. Are you sure?" He leaned on his staff.
"Yes, Mithrandir," Alysae said firmly. "I have been made aware of how little time I have left to live, and although that might be mistaken for recklessness, it is not. I would much rather do something to help than stay here and wallow in self pity. Perhaps I could become a Healer, or use my sword-fighting skills. Either way, it will be better than not doing anything." Her fingers curled around her necklace and her eyes shone as she spoke.
Gandalf looked thoughtful, his whiskers twitching. "I suspect we might need every hand we can spare to ward off this evil," he told her, eyes piercing. "But you must know this: as soon as you will step foot out of Lothlorien, you shall no longer be protected by the Lady's powers. She was the one to slow the fading. Without it, I am afraid your time will be reduced significantly. Choose wisely, dear."
It was suddenly a bit hard for Alysae to breathe.
She'd have even less time to live?
She'd expected that she would be out of the lady's power, but she hadn't realized how much the lady was doing for her already. She'd noticed she hadn't had one of her episodes since that night where she'd accidentally touched the Ring, but hadn't thought much about it.
Her eyes clenched shut as she tired to control her breathing. Her Adar, Legolas, the Fellowship... they were all going to die should the War not be won by them. Whether she'd get a month or two extra of living would not make a difference she realised. But she could. She could make a difference. She could save lives and help and be the reason her loved ones made it alive.
She took a breath and opened her eyes.
"Yes. Yes I'm sure."
-xxx-
So, were you expecting it? I've been waiting to write that since the beginning :) Lmk what you think
I can't promise when the next chapter will be, and I'm so terribly sorry for that. I'm trying my best I promise.