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FANFICTION

LORD OF THE RING : THE DESIRE SERIES, FIRST BOOK, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

CHAPTER XIII : Scorched Rose

[Malrin knows that she is bound, in some way, to the One Ring of Power that could bring back Sauron. The Fellowship of the Ring goes through Moria because of Saruman's spies. Malrin realizes that she doesn't just have visions caused by the Ring – but also glimpses of the future. Chased by the orcs that have settled in Moria, they run away only to be attacked by a Balrog. They manage to escape Moria but at a heavy price: Gandalf has fallen and Legolas hurt. Malrin thinks herself and the Fellowship safe in Lothlórien, when she sees that her back is covered in the writings of the One Ring.]

I whined, the pain so intense that I couldn't feel it any more. Upon seeing these terrible, terrifying marks in my back, most definitely not natural, I had tried to get rid off the writing. When I had touched the fiery letters, it had burnt and stung, but I had kept scratching until the skin reddened under my nails. If anything, the dark sentence had only shone brighter on my back. Desperate, I started scratching until the skin was ripped off, struggling and crying, panic rising in my throat.

"No, no, no…" I murmured feverishly, tempted to go and try to get my dagger.

Suddenly, I heard a gasp, followed by the sound of a basket falling on the ground. I spun around quickly, eyes wide in fear of who might have seen me. There was the elleth from earlier, watching me with big, fearful eyes, staring at my back. I quickly covered myself with my bathing dress, but it was obvious she had seen the blood and, mostly, the cursed markings.

Afraid of what she might do, we stared at each other from a distance for a long moment, until she stepped back, hissing in terror.

"'Ksher…" She breathed, making my breath stop.

Evil One.

I swallowed before advancing towards her slowly. She tried to back away, but I quickly lifted up my hands, showing that I didn't have any weapon.

"No – please, I-I won't do a thing, I swear…" I murmured in elvish.

She shook her head slightly, before suddenly turning around and running away from me.

"Wait! No!" I screamed, running after her.

If she shared it with anyone, if anyone learned about these markings on my back, what would happen to me? It was complicated enough to know that I was bound to the Ring and Sauron. If anyone, especially in the Fellowship, learned that I had the markings of the Ring shining on my back, it would be terrible.

I ran after the elleth, catching up to her quickly.

"Tua! TUA!" She shouted, trying to escape me.

"Stop! Please!" I screamed, my hand reaching for her.

Upon hearing the panicked screams of terror calling for help, several guards ran right when I caught the girl and we both fell on the ground. They froze in their tracks, watching us without understanding what was happening.

"Help! Help!" She kept screaming, trying to wriggle away from me while I tried to keep her to remain silent.

She looked away from me, terrified tears streaming down her face.

"She is evil! She is evil!" She shouted.

Before I could try to say something, two guards grabbed my arms and pulled me away from the elleth who retreated away, shaking in terror. I was shaking as well, but it wasn't in fear any more, only anger at myself for having been so careless.

"What is it? What happened?!" An elf asked, coming forward and looking between the elleth and I.

"I can explain! I swear!" I exclaimed, voice tight.

"She is evil!" The elleth shouted pointing a finger at me, "She has brought evil upon our woods! She is carrying the mark of the Dark One!"

"No! No! Wait! I-it's not like that at all!" I shouted, trying to get away from the guards, but their hands on me only tightened terribly, making me gasp in pain.

"She is evil!" The elleth screamed another time, a sob almost strangling her.

The elf, who seemed to be high-ranked, frowned down at me, then glanced at the panicked elleth.

"What mark?" He asked suspiciously.

"In her back! It's on her back! She was trying to erase it but I saw it before she could hide it!"

"N-no, I-I was trying to… to…! I-I'm not evil, I wasn't trying to…!"

"If you aren't evil, why did you try to stop her from revealing your true nature?" The elf asked, his eyes icy.

"I…"

I didn't want anyone to find out I was even darker than we all thought at first. But before I could say anything else, the high-ranked elf turned towards a guard.

"Look at this mark of hers," he ordered.

The elf obeyed immediately. I tried to stop them, to get away from their grip but the guard pulled down my bathing dress quickly, revealing the half-dried blood from my nails and the dark writings. I sobbed, letting my head drop in humiliation and fear as I heard the elves gasp in shock and terror.

"I can explain…" I whispered but my voice barely reached out.

It took a moment for the high-ranked elf to react, turning back towards me. His icy eyes were now filled with panic and fear.

"You will explain yourself! To Lady Galadriel!" He hissed, "You will not survive long in these woods, 'Ksher!" He spatted.

"W-wait, I am travelling with the Fellowship and–"

"Keep your lies, demon!" He hissed. "Lock her up! I will warn Lord Haldir of the situation."

My heart missed a beat, Lord Haldir? He hasn't shown any sort of kindness towards me, despite saving my life. He had done it solely for Legolas.

I opened my mouth to speak up but the two guards forced me up, dragging me away from the high-ranked elf. Despite the aching of my back, and my barely-covered body, I tried to turn around, screaming desperately to someone, anyone who would listen to me.

"I can explain! I didn't do anything!" I shouted.

But the two guards beside me only forced me to move faster, their fingers digging into my flesh painfully. Many elves had heard the chaos I had provoked and were watching me, a mix of shock and confusion on their faces as I was dragged by guards, wearing only a bathing dress.

"Malrin?"

I turned around, my heart accelerating as I saw Aragorn and Boromir, standing a little away from the gathering crowd. They stared at me with wide, stunned eyes. I sobbed, wanting to call for them, but I couldn't pronounce a word. They must have noticed the blood staining my bathing dress just as the Hobbits, Legolas and Gimli arrived, running, and looked on, shocked.

I didn't have the strength to fight back any more and upon seeing the Fellowship, I realized that by being associated with me, they were in danger. What if the elves of Lothlórien decided to lock them up as well? To interrogate them? Just because we had travelled together?

I noticed Frodo's shocked expression turning sour, which confused me despite my panicked state. Then, his hand clenched on his shirt, where the Ring was and I looked away from him. Why did he have such an expression? W-what was happening…?

"Malrin? What's happening?!" Aragorn reacted suddenly, running towards the guards dragging me upwards into some stairs.

He had run to us, followed closely by the rest of the Fellowship. The guards didn't answer him, and I tried to look away from Isildur's heir, but it was hard. I was so scared of what the elves would do to me, of what was happening to me because… why did these markings appear suddenly?!

"I demand that you answer me! If you are taking away one of my friends, I want to know why!" He hissed, trying to keep up with us.

I glanced up at him fearfully and finally noticed Legolas, silent but looking deadly, just behind Aragorn. Suddenly, I was thrown forward, on my knees and I realized we had arrived in a courtship similar to the one where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel had welcomed us. I was forced on my knees by the two guards, Aragorn and Legolas trying to get answers from them, standing not far from me.

"What is this disarray?!"

I looked up and saw Lord Haldir, coming quickly to us, accompanied by the elf of before. I swallowed, fear seeping into my veins. Haldir looked at me, brows furrowed, not understanding what was happening.

"This elleth had attacked one of us," the high-ranked elf said.

"What?!" Aragorn hissed, looking back at me furiously.

"No! I didn't!" I shouted back.

"She was running after the elleth to stop her from revealing her secret. The guards stopped her before she could do anything against the elleth." The guard continued, explaining thoroughly.

"What secret? Malrin has no secret to hide from anyone, she is a member of the Fellowship!" Legolas said, looking terrifying, "Whatever you are accusing her of, you are making a mistake!"

I swallowed thickly, and Lord Haldir looked between Legolas, the elf of Lothlórien, and I.

"Look at her back, you will see markings – markings of evil!" The elf said, glaring at Legolas.

Legolas frowned even more and took a step forward but Aragorn stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"I want to see these markings," he said.

Haldir nodded at the brown-haired man before giving a nod of order at one of his guards. As before, my bathing dress was pulled away from my back just enough to show the markings and the blood. Legolas' eyes widened, and his face was stunned before his expression turned cold, leaving no emotion. Aragorn had the same reactions, before frowning at me, more confused than angry.

"What's the meaning of this, Malrin?" He asked in a low, but dangerous voice.

"You didn't know?" Haldir asked the Fellowship.

Everyone shook their heads, looking confused and shocked as I was covered again. Only Frodo remained still, staring with wide, frightened eyes at the writings even after it had been covered.

"We had no idea such… a marking was there. Malrin, why didn't you tell us? What is this?" Aragorn asked me.

His voice was so gentle considering the situation, that it took me a moment to understand his question, and find my voice again.

"I… I didn't know… I-I saw these markings after going out of the streams and… and…"

My voice broke, and Aragorn's jaw tightened slightly, staring at me intensely, with an unreadable expression.

"The scratching… Were you the one to do it to yourself?"

I looked down as an answer, a heavy silence settling. The high-ranked elf from before was the one to break it:

"She scratched her skin to try to hide it, she wanted to remain unnoticed, so that the Dark Lord would infiltrate us even more – through her!"

"No!" I exclaimed but no one listened to me.

"She would never hurt herself for such a pitiful reason," Legolas spat, angrily. "She is not evil, and she is not working for the Dark Lord. She saved my life, and Boromir's, and Frodo's, and probably the rest of the Fellowship."

"Only to charm you more to believe she has a good heart! She's a witch! A traitor!" The elf exclaimed.

"Watch your tongue, ascarer! Do you know who you are speaking to?!" Legolas hissed, taking a threatening step forward despite Aragorn trying to hold him back.

The elf looked confused, but the elf of Mirkwood quickly continued:

"I am Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of the Woodland Realm!"

The elf paled so fast I was shocked he didn't collapsed. But before anyone could add anything, several elves gasped and moved at once, bowing towards someone. I looked up and saw, in astonishment, Lady Galadriel. She looked down at all of us calmly, but her eyes were stormy and I quickly looked down.

"What is happening?" She asked, climbing down the stairs calmly.

"My Lady, this elleth had attacked one of ours," Haldir started, "She also has strange markings that are as evil as the One Ring of Power."

Galadriel didn't say a thing, only stared at me firmly. I wriggled, uneasily, knowing she was trying to read my mind again, but without her powers. Just with my reactions.

After a long while, during which she remained completely silent, I finally looked up, more in defeat than anything. Her blue-grey eyes met mine, and I swallowed. She turned towards Haldir, everyone holding their breath.

"Let her go," she said.

Even I was too shocked to react. Haldir blinked in confusion, and the guards glanced at each other, not knowing what to do: listen to their Lady of Light or keeping down a possible threat?

"My Lady?" Lord Haldir said, tilting his head on a side.

"Let her go, she isn't evil nor dangerous."

The guards hesitantly let go of my arms and I fell forward, holding up on my trembling arms. At once, Legolas was kneeling next to me, covering me with a cape he had found somewhere.

"Are you all right?" He asked me in a whisper.

I hesitated before nodding slightly. He opened his lips and started to move, before freezing and helping me up, avoiding my gaze. I wanted to know why he had acted so strange, but I had something else on my mind for the moment. I looked up at Lady Galadriel, who observed me with some sort of strange curiosity, as if she couldn't quite determine what she was seeing.

"M-my Lady… T-thank you…" I said, hesitantly.

She smiled at me gently before waving her hand at the guards. They stepped away from me quickly.

"Not to worry, my dear. Please forgive the reaction of the elves of my land, with the growing threat of Mordor, fear is numbing their minds."

I didn't know what to answer, so I remained silent.

"You have nothing to fear, you are under my protection as long as you remain in Lothlórien."

She looked back at the Fellowship of the Ring with a soft smile.

"All of you," he added with a short nod.

"Thank you… My Lady…" Aragorn said with a bow of respect.

"You shall rest for now, you need it more than ever," the Lady of Light said, gently. "I will order that none of the guards bother you for anything. You are all to be spared, and if you need anything, you just have to ask for it."

Aragorn bowed again, and we were about to leave when Galadriel spoke up again.

"Malrin," she called me.

I turned around, nervously, and we all looked back at the beautiful elf-lady who was smiling at me gently.

"I believe you should come with me. I will give you a proper place to rest, safe and away from prying eyes or… suspicious guards." She said, throwing a quick glance at the elf, who had shut up since Legolas had revealed his identity.

The poor elf looked down even more, his pointy ears red in shame.

"I-t's too much my Lady…" I murmured hesitantly, unease at the idea of staying away from my friends once again.

"I have decided so," she said with a firm voice that didn't leave any option, "And… you want answers, do you not?"

My head snapped up at her so fast, it could have break. I stared at her with wide eyes as she smiled. The others hesitated, obviously not wanting to leave me alone in Lothlórien again.

"She will be safe with me, I can assure you," she told the Fellowship.

Legolas stared at me with wide eyes, as if silently telling me to not follow her. I sighed and Aragorn must have understood my decision because he bowed to the Lady of Light before putting a firm hand on the elf's shoulder.

"Come, Legolas. And… once again, thank you, My Lady," he said.

"Legolas," I called in a low voice, "Lanta kaima…" I whispered, my fingers brushing the back of his hand quickly.

He opened his lips to answer but his eyes started dropping, my spell working effectively considering his exhausted state. It was a miracle he was still standing after fighting in Moria, getting a poisoned arrow in his shoulder, being captured by orcs, and being so terribly stubborn all along.

"You should hurry," I told Aragorn as he glanced at his elf-friend worriedly.

He nodded before half-pulling, half-dragging Legolas who was trying hard not to fall asleep on spot, leaning heavily on Aragorn, his head falling forward as his eyes were slowly closing.

I turned around and saw the Lady of Light staring at me with a soft, amused smile. I flushed lightly, knowing she was looking at me like that because of what I had just done for Legolas. She turned around elegantly and I followed her. My mind was too fuzzy to figure out where we were going exactly, but we climbed until we arrived into a hall caved into the white wood. I looked around in awe at the architecture, so different from Imladris and Moria.

"You shall rest here, for as long as you need," Galadriel told me as we arrived in a bedroom.

Everything was white and delicately carved. I was about to ask questions to the lady but she pushed me gently on the bed. The covers were so soft I had to fight to not turn around on the bed.

"Rest, and once you will have your strengths back, we shall discuss for you have many questions."

I wanted to argue but she pushed me down on the bed, putting her hand on my forehead in a tender and motherly gesture.

"Rest your mind, and your body. You are safe and sound…" She murmured.

I felt my forehead tickle, understanding she was using a spell but before I knew it, I had fallen deeply asleep.

I haven't rested for so long and so well in such a long time that when I opened my eyes, I wasn't sure whether I was still asleep or not. Perhaps I had dreamed it all, this whole story about Sauron, the Ring and the Fellowship. Legolas' face flashed behind my eyes and I felt my heart tighten at the thought he might have been a figment of my imagination… I looked around me and recognized the same bedroom as yesterday night. Everything was white: the wood of the architecture and furniture, the fabric, the clothes, the lights… I noticed that the sun was setting down outside the window and I sat up.

I winced at the pain in my back, stinging and sharp… My hand came up on my shoulder, trying weakly to reach my back but I knew what had caused this pain. I could still feel the biting sensation of the fiery letters in my flesh, and the marks my nails had left…

Looking up sadly, I wondered where and what the others were doing. Legolas wasn't part of my imagination – I could never imagine someone as sweet, brave and kind as he was… What might they be thinking? They had seen me dragged around in Lothlórien, about to be locked up for the sole crime of being bound to the Ring with no explanation about where I was taken or what had truly happened to me – not that I knew any more than them. The situation was already complicated, but because of me, they must feel so much more confused…

I noticed a trail of food on a table next to the bed and my stomach growled. I blushed in embarrassment at the sound, even though no one had been here to hear it. I guessed that after the lack of food during the quest and the time I had slept, my body couldn't take it any more and needed sustenance. I ate, but the food tasted like ash in my mouth and after only a few mouthful, I wasn't hungry anymore… There was also a beautiful white dress, in a soft fabric. I hesitated a short moment, wondering if such a beautiful dress truly was for me but… there was no one else…

I put it on, realizing it fit me perfectly. It was white and long, light and refreshing to be wearing proper clothes, rather than my fighting gear. It was cinctured under my beasts with a delicate silvery braided belt.

I left the bedroom and walked around but there wasn't anyone. By the time I found someone, it was a guard and the night had fallen. I hesitated, not wanting to approach a guard after what had happened last time. I stared at him from afar but he must have heard me because he turned around and saw me.

"Lady Malrin," he called, giving me a rigid bow that was more because of his duty than any respect.

"I… I'm sorry but I…"

Sensing my worry, the guard spoke up, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and… something close to kindness.

"Lady Galadriel has requested that upon your waking, you should be taken to her," he said.

Before I could answer, he turned around, his cape flowing behind him with glory. I guessed I didn't have a choice, then…

I followed him down many stairs and hallways, getting lost rapidly. I was surprised when we reached the ground. I glanced around, hoping to see some of the members of the Fellowship but there wasn't anyone other than elves. Most were staring at me curiously, and with fascination. They tried to hide it, or ignore it, but I saw the fear lingering in their eyes…

The guard guided me in a pergola illuminated with these white lights. The pergola was made of white wood, with creeping Virginia and white light curtains flying around beautifully. The guard announced my arrival and a moment later, I was walking through the curtains.

My breath was cut short when I saw Lady Galadriel turning slowly and beautifully towards me. She was glowing with an intense light, and as the first time, I needed some time to adjust at her impressive beauty and presence.

"Malrin, you look refreshed. Do you feel any better?" She asked with a gentle smile.

"Y-yes, My Lady," I said, bowing quickly. "I thank you, once again, for everything you have done, for the Fellowship, and for me…"

"But?" She said with a little smile, sensing that I needed to add something.

I could tell that she knew exactly what I was about to say. I hesitated a moment, pondering on the words, before my emotions took the best of me and I spoke up without thinking:

"Upon our arrival, in Lothlórien, when we met you for the first time… You talked to me, in my mind and you said… you said that it had been many years since I have been here… in Lothlórien…"

Her expression remained blank, not revealing anything. I sighed, taking a brave step forward, clenching my hands together to hide their trembling.

"D-do you know me? Do you know who I am? Or what I am? How… what happened to me? Before I woke up near Imladris? D-do you know anything…?" I asked her with a weak voice.

I was scared of her answers, but most of all, I was scared she wouldn't have anything to tell me. After all the hopes, and fears, I had felt growing within me, I didn't think I could handle being shrouded in mystery for much longer…

"I do not know much," she started and upon hearing these words, my shoulders fell and my heart broke, "but you know. You know who you are, and what happened to you. You just need to remember…"

"You know who you are, you just need to remember." Mithrandir had told me…

I stopped breathing. It was exactly what the wizard had told me in Moria before… before falling…

"Follow me," Galadriel said with a smile.

She went out of her gazebo and walked, bare-foot, like me, between the roots, toes tickled by grass. We walked for some time before she climbed down some stairs and we arrived in front of a silver basin, protected by the height of the roots around us. It was in the open air, and yet, very private. Lady Galadriel walked towards a fountain that was chanting lightly, and she filled an ewer with the clear water.

"This is my Mirror, will you look into it?" She asked me quietly.

I glanced, slightly worried, at the silver basin and stepped forward before hesitating.

"What will I see?" I asked her, brushing nervously the scars on my forearms – another mystery about me, ever since I had woken up.

She smiled at me, amusement in her eyes as if she knew something I didn't.

"Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things." She said, starting to pour the water from the ewer into the basin. "Things that were, things that are and some things…"

Her ewer was emptied and her eyes looked up directly at me, but I felt as if she was looking into my soul rather than me.

"That have not yet come to pass…" She finished.

She stared at me intensely as I watched the Mirror from afar. I swallowed, trembling slightly. I have wished for answers for seven decades. And now, whether I wanted them or not… I needed them. For the Fellowship, for my friends, for all of Middle Earth…

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, climbing onto a single stair before looking into the Mirror of Galadriel.

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Yours Truly,

May