A/N; OK, you have 1 sentence and the thank yous to guess what this chapter
will be about..
THANK YOUS-
kirsten, NO!!! O_O *looks mortified* you CAN'T die!!! *writes with more speed than necessary*.
Nefertare, You're welcome, you're welcome and. you're welcome. Though, I guess that's pretty ironic in the thank you section. n_n And thank you for wishing me a happy birthday n_n
I'm not giving away any plotlines yet mes amies! Only three people know the twists in this and two of them are myself.
The road that stretched ahead of the two wanderers was long, but clearer than the clouded path of the fellowship of nine. As they walked they chatted a little but mostly focused on the coming task. Arwen was amazed at the prowess of the eleven year-old boy beside her. So greatly intelligent was he that she found him a good conversational companion and fun to be around.
"How long have you known Leiya Tanner?" She asked him
"Sometimes I think a little too long," Wraith smiled ruefully "but sometimes I wish I had known her longer. She is an intriguing and inspiring woman. Five years, to answer your question directly, since I was but six years old. She has been with me almost ever since I can remember, although I suppose it would only be five weeks, truly. She is, however, and extension of my mother." At this he went pale, his hand flew to his mouth and his eyes glistened with the sad dew of tears. He imagined and felt his heart constricting at the same time and he stopped breathing for fear that if he continued, his mother's death would lay heavier upon his shoulders than ever it had done before.
He still blamed himself. If he had just had the intuition to go to Rivendell earlier, if he hadn't waited until AFTER his mother had died, AFTER his sister had fallen ill. How he hated after and all the cruel tricks it and time had played on him, how he loathed it yet loved it for reasons he himself could not find. He looked to the legend standing at his right. Legend, daughter of Legend, and so the chain linked.
"Wraith?" Spoke the Legendary Arwen Halfelven, Evenstar of her people "I will save your sister from this disease"
"I do not doubt it" answered Wraith. /But can you save me from my own plague?/ he wondered silently in his mind. Not surprisingly, the Legend gave no reply. And so they continued in silence.
"How is it?" Wraith asked suddenly after a time of brooding "How is it to be the daughter of Elrond Halfelven?" He watched silently as Arwen's face darkened, watched her contemplate and formulate an answer in her mind.
"The shadow of my father's name falls both before me and behind me." She answered eventually "Before me it shows me great things that I cannot hope to achieve, things that my father has done and will do. And behind me it forces me unwillingly into them. Like a matchmaker into a pair of shoes three sizes to small, so I can achieve the ideals of others" Wraith nodded.
" I understand more than you could know, for I have the opposite problem, I face the challenge that Leiya faced" Arwen arched her delicate eyebrows, indicating that he should continue. Instead, he asked another question. "Tell me, Undómiel, how many women have you in the great army of Rivendell?" A light of dawning understanding crossed Arwen's face.
"We have but one," she replied, though no answer was required "And it is often hard to remember that she is a woman, for she has the ferocity and cunning battle skills of a man.
"And how many children have you?" The word children came out as an unintentional sneer, which put his point across without more words being required. Arwen nodded solemnly at this, and was about to form a reply with her lips when her head shot up and she broke her steady pace.
"Now would be a good time for you to prove your skills as a warrior," she murmured to him "We have company."
"Grey, foul-smelling, ugly company" Wraith agreed. And so when the band of seven charging Orcs ran from the woods shrieking and yelling and crying and attempting to initiate their version of a surprise attack, four of them were dead before the others had a chance to finish their yells.
Everywhere on the formerly quiet path echoed the sound of metal on metal, Orcs screaming to the night air in agony, Elves in frustration and in victory. Black Orc blood was thrown freely into the coolness of black and clear night air. Hot ran into cold, light into darkness until at last after a millennium which lasted but fifteen minutes, the remaining three Orcs lay dead and Arwen approached Wraith again.
"It appears that I was wrong to ever doubt your skill," She admitted, respect showing in her voice "Every Orc you have slain displays the impressive level of your expertise and I will try to convince my father to allow you to join the army of Rivendell"
"If you please, Undómiel, I would rather be a part of the army of Mirkwood, besides, you have slain two of these Orcs yourself." He replied fearfully. Arwen smiled at him
"Ah yes," She laughed "please refrain from telling my father about that, he is still quite caught up in the notion that I am but an ordinary, female, brainless elf." At this Wraith laughed
"But Undómiel, Elrond has been with you for over two millennia! I have barely been with you for two hours and already I can tell that you have a strong and fiery spirit in you"
"True, but my father is blind to me, to my wants, my needs, and.." She paused "My loves" Wraith watched the turmoil on her face and felt sorry for this perfect woman. She was the Undómiel, she was the Evenstar, but she was in love without freedom, only more conflict to accompany her already conflicted heart. She was continuing, Wraith noticed suddenly, she was continuing and he was lost in his own world of her sorrow. So he listened
"As for your playing a part in the army of Mirkwood" He heard but did not hear "That is sealed, doubtless at least five days of this quest will be spent with Leiya bragging your skills to the patient Elvish prince. With Leiya, a ranking officer (At least she will be when she returns from this trip), Arwen Undómiel, Elrond Halfelven (I can doubtless persuade him) and Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood himself pleading your case, I am certain that King Thranduil will be appeased with the acclaim. You forget the power of your friends, young Elf." Wraith broke into a smile, but it would certainly have been wider if the news had come at an earlier time. For inside he wept for Arwen still. For a love that could never be and for a father's love so smothering that it hurt those even who were around it. And so the two wanderers looked onwards as the road stretched ahead of them, a long, clear yet dusty pool of brown and grey. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
the Spell Checker thought Arwen was ARLEEN!! ARLEEN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *ahem* I don't care whether or not you review *nose grows* OK so maybe I lied. REVIEW!!
Also, I have to plug Irulan by Darma_Druid. It is so GREAT!!! I seriously cannot express how BRILLIANT it is. Then after that, go and read IrulanII. And review! Trust me, it's way better than this fic. Way, WAY better. (Not that it takes much but..)
OH! And. Kirsten, I think I now have premature arthritis *gives two very painful thumbs-up*
THANK YOUS-
kirsten, NO!!! O_O *looks mortified* you CAN'T die!!! *writes with more speed than necessary*.
Nefertare, You're welcome, you're welcome and. you're welcome. Though, I guess that's pretty ironic in the thank you section. n_n And thank you for wishing me a happy birthday n_n
I'm not giving away any plotlines yet mes amies! Only three people know the twists in this and two of them are myself.
The road that stretched ahead of the two wanderers was long, but clearer than the clouded path of the fellowship of nine. As they walked they chatted a little but mostly focused on the coming task. Arwen was amazed at the prowess of the eleven year-old boy beside her. So greatly intelligent was he that she found him a good conversational companion and fun to be around.
"How long have you known Leiya Tanner?" She asked him
"Sometimes I think a little too long," Wraith smiled ruefully "but sometimes I wish I had known her longer. She is an intriguing and inspiring woman. Five years, to answer your question directly, since I was but six years old. She has been with me almost ever since I can remember, although I suppose it would only be five weeks, truly. She is, however, and extension of my mother." At this he went pale, his hand flew to his mouth and his eyes glistened with the sad dew of tears. He imagined and felt his heart constricting at the same time and he stopped breathing for fear that if he continued, his mother's death would lay heavier upon his shoulders than ever it had done before.
He still blamed himself. If he had just had the intuition to go to Rivendell earlier, if he hadn't waited until AFTER his mother had died, AFTER his sister had fallen ill. How he hated after and all the cruel tricks it and time had played on him, how he loathed it yet loved it for reasons he himself could not find. He looked to the legend standing at his right. Legend, daughter of Legend, and so the chain linked.
"Wraith?" Spoke the Legendary Arwen Halfelven, Evenstar of her people "I will save your sister from this disease"
"I do not doubt it" answered Wraith. /But can you save me from my own plague?/ he wondered silently in his mind. Not surprisingly, the Legend gave no reply. And so they continued in silence.
"How is it?" Wraith asked suddenly after a time of brooding "How is it to be the daughter of Elrond Halfelven?" He watched silently as Arwen's face darkened, watched her contemplate and formulate an answer in her mind.
"The shadow of my father's name falls both before me and behind me." She answered eventually "Before me it shows me great things that I cannot hope to achieve, things that my father has done and will do. And behind me it forces me unwillingly into them. Like a matchmaker into a pair of shoes three sizes to small, so I can achieve the ideals of others" Wraith nodded.
" I understand more than you could know, for I have the opposite problem, I face the challenge that Leiya faced" Arwen arched her delicate eyebrows, indicating that he should continue. Instead, he asked another question. "Tell me, Undómiel, how many women have you in the great army of Rivendell?" A light of dawning understanding crossed Arwen's face.
"We have but one," she replied, though no answer was required "And it is often hard to remember that she is a woman, for she has the ferocity and cunning battle skills of a man.
"And how many children have you?" The word children came out as an unintentional sneer, which put his point across without more words being required. Arwen nodded solemnly at this, and was about to form a reply with her lips when her head shot up and she broke her steady pace.
"Now would be a good time for you to prove your skills as a warrior," she murmured to him "We have company."
"Grey, foul-smelling, ugly company" Wraith agreed. And so when the band of seven charging Orcs ran from the woods shrieking and yelling and crying and attempting to initiate their version of a surprise attack, four of them were dead before the others had a chance to finish their yells.
Everywhere on the formerly quiet path echoed the sound of metal on metal, Orcs screaming to the night air in agony, Elves in frustration and in victory. Black Orc blood was thrown freely into the coolness of black and clear night air. Hot ran into cold, light into darkness until at last after a millennium which lasted but fifteen minutes, the remaining three Orcs lay dead and Arwen approached Wraith again.
"It appears that I was wrong to ever doubt your skill," She admitted, respect showing in her voice "Every Orc you have slain displays the impressive level of your expertise and I will try to convince my father to allow you to join the army of Rivendell"
"If you please, Undómiel, I would rather be a part of the army of Mirkwood, besides, you have slain two of these Orcs yourself." He replied fearfully. Arwen smiled at him
"Ah yes," She laughed "please refrain from telling my father about that, he is still quite caught up in the notion that I am but an ordinary, female, brainless elf." At this Wraith laughed
"But Undómiel, Elrond has been with you for over two millennia! I have barely been with you for two hours and already I can tell that you have a strong and fiery spirit in you"
"True, but my father is blind to me, to my wants, my needs, and.." She paused "My loves" Wraith watched the turmoil on her face and felt sorry for this perfect woman. She was the Undómiel, she was the Evenstar, but she was in love without freedom, only more conflict to accompany her already conflicted heart. She was continuing, Wraith noticed suddenly, she was continuing and he was lost in his own world of her sorrow. So he listened
"As for your playing a part in the army of Mirkwood" He heard but did not hear "That is sealed, doubtless at least five days of this quest will be spent with Leiya bragging your skills to the patient Elvish prince. With Leiya, a ranking officer (At least she will be when she returns from this trip), Arwen Undómiel, Elrond Halfelven (I can doubtless persuade him) and Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood himself pleading your case, I am certain that King Thranduil will be appeased with the acclaim. You forget the power of your friends, young Elf." Wraith broke into a smile, but it would certainly have been wider if the news had come at an earlier time. For inside he wept for Arwen still. For a love that could never be and for a father's love so smothering that it hurt those even who were around it. And so the two wanderers looked onwards as the road stretched ahead of them, a long, clear yet dusty pool of brown and grey. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
the Spell Checker thought Arwen was ARLEEN!! ARLEEN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *ahem* I don't care whether or not you review *nose grows* OK so maybe I lied. REVIEW!!
Also, I have to plug Irulan by Darma_Druid. It is so GREAT!!! I seriously cannot express how BRILLIANT it is. Then after that, go and read IrulanII. And review! Trust me, it's way better than this fic. Way, WAY better. (Not that it takes much but..)
OH! And. Kirsten, I think I now have premature arthritis *gives two very painful thumbs-up*