"Mae." Saeleth whispered painfully, she couldn't bear to watch her sister in so much pain. She looked so lost, so broken. Saeleth flinched when her sister suddenly released a roar of agony and pain, dropping to her knees and looking to the sky with a pleading look in her tearful eyes. Saeleth's fists clenched as she struggled with her own tears, her own pain, ignoring them both to rush to her sister's side and bring her into her arms.
"He'll be alright. He will. Mae. He will." Saeleth said, she refused to believe Aragorn was destined to die. She would not accept it! Elle glanced to Legolas and Gimli as they neared her sobbing sister, both wearing expressions of equal pain and grief.
"I should have known. I should have remembered." Maethien cried, leaning heavily onto her sister. "I don't.. I don't know if his fate has changed. I- I-"
"Shh. Mae, you did all you could." Legolas murmured as he lowered himself onto Maethien's other side, setting a hand on his friend's quivering shoulder.
"No." Maethien shook her head and pushed away from her sister, remaining in their grasp but no longer leaning on either of them as she shook her head vehemently. "I should have done better. I should have!"
"Lass, he may yet be alive." Gimli, thank the Valar, said to Maethien encouragingly, standing before her with hope in his gaze. "Come on lass, what can you do for him now? Think!" The urgent shout made Maethien react, wiping the tears from her eyes, she pushed herself onto her feet and searched all around for something, anything she could do to help Aragorn. But there was nothing. Only the rushing water far below them.
That's when it hit her.
"Of course!" Maethien broke free from her sister and Legolas and raced to the edge of the cliff.
"Don't jump!" Gimli yelped after her. Theoden's arm shot out and pulled her back, Maethien immediately struggled, looking back to meet her sister's gaze.
"The water! Elle! The water!" Saeleth blinked, confused for nly a second before a smile broke free on her lips and she rushed after her sister. Both elleth's standing by the edge of the cliff and looking down at the water.
"The water can help him, Elle. I know it." Saeleth looked at the hope in her sister' eyes and immediately nodded her agreement. Looking out onto the water, the sisters joined hands, pulling their power together, and faced the rushing river with strength and hope. Praying to the Valar for their help and guidance.
Nin o Anduin,
Lasto beth nin,
Echuio nin i Anduin
Len iallon! Natho nin!
Natho den! Berio den!
[Waters of the Anduin,
Hear my voice,
Wake up waters of the Anduin,
I beg of you! Help me!
Help him! Protect him!]
Maethien cried out to the river. She was responded immediately, a form emerging from the waters and rising high from the surface to face Maethien. The form was that of a woman, crystal clear water forever flowing to create the cascade of hair and the ever changing beauty of the figure's face. She bowed her head to the sisters, who also bowed to her respectfully.
"Please." Maethien said, her heart racing with hope. "I beg of you to protect the man in your care. He is crucial to our world and he is dear to us. Dear to me." Maethien spoke softly to the water figure, her eyes intent on the woman's crystal face.
"Please, save him."
There was a moment of silence. Then she responded with a silky voice.
"It shall be done." The breath Maethien had been unaware she was holding in escaped her and she smiled in relief and gratitude as the figure collapsed back into the water, and flowed away. Her flowing her still seen in the current of the river.
Maethien nearly collapsed from the relief as she turned to face her friends and her sister.
"She will do what she can to aid him." Maethien breathed with a soft smile, though the fear in her still brought the tears to her eyes, Mae was incredibly relieved. She had faith in the river, she knew that she would do everything in her power to help Aragorn. Still... she knew that her heart would not stop thundering until she could look into Aragorn's eyes and touch him. Until then... the fear would be constant inside her.
She must have looked a mess. For suddenly Gimli placed his short arms around her waist and rested his head on her stomach, while Legolas set a firm hand on her shoulder. Surprised by their displays of affection, Mae looked to her sister and met a smiling face, teary eyes sparkling with affection.
"He will be alright, lass. That man has more luck than a dwarf that has fallen into a cavern of gold." Maethien squeezed an arm around the dwarf hugging her and breathed a weak laugh.
"How do you know that?" She asked, looking down to meet her dear friends eyes. What he said next brought a wave of warmth to her and a new wave of tears to her eyes.
"Well, he found you, didn't he?"
Frodo and Sam's blindfolds were removed harshly and they immediately set out to find Anoreth, their wide eyes searching the room. They found her sitting up slowly on the heaps of hay that she had been set on by Faramir.
"Miss Ann!" Sam and Frodo rushed to her sides, Ann smiled warmly at them.
"I'm alright, boys." She assured them, sitting up on the hay and taking a breath. She felt much better now that she had rested, she no longer weak and dizzy. How she loved her powers, but they seemed to ask a price from her when she called to them. Sighing, Ann looked around the dark room, tensing when she remembered exactly how dire their situation was.
"What happened?' She asked. "After I fell unconscious?"
"We wouldn't know." Sam mumbled, then turned a glare ar Faramir, who was striding toward them calmly, a sharpness in his eyes.
"My men tell me that you are orc spies." He said coolly, Ann's eyes narrowed with indignation.
"Do I look like a bloody Orc to you?" She snapped, glaring at the insufferable man who glared right back at her. "Valar help you, your all dumber than I imagined." Not the nicest, or smartest, thing she could have said... but Ann had a nasty habit of speaking before really thinking her words through at times. Especially times where she was angry.
"Well if you're not spies then who are you?" Faramir asked, struggling greatly with his temper as he sat down before them, his hard eyes on the woman glaring holes into his head. "Speak." He was surprised to see the flames in her eyes grow at his order, though he did not let that show.
"We are hobbits of the Shire," It was Frodo that spoke, prompting the glaring contest between Ann and Faramir to stop, though he could still see the fire in their eyes when they turned to look at him. "Frodo Baggins is my name, this is Samwise Gamgee." Frodo gestured to Sam, then made to introduce Anoreth, but Faramir interrupted, sarcasm in his tone.
"Your body guard?" He asked.
"No, that would be me." Ann snarled, she tried not to feel too insulted when Faramir looked at her again. She swore she could see amusement in his eyes.
"And where is your skulking friend?" Now that made Ann tilt her head, confused. Who was he-
"That gangrel creature. He had an ill-favored look." Faramir explained. Anoreth tried not tense when she realized who he was referring to. She hoped they wouldn't find him.
"There was no other." Frodo spoke, Ann said nothing as she glowered at Faramir. "We set out from Rivendell with twelve companions. One we lost in Moria. Two were my kin. A Dwarf there was also, four elves and two men, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor." Anoreth grimaced when Faramir froze, she was waiting for that to happen.
"You are... a friend of Boromir's." Anoreth wanted to stop the talk of Boromir right then and there, her mind had become unclouded, for the moment anyway, and she knew very well what Faramir was going to say next. She hoped against all hope that he would surprise her with good news.
There was no such luck.
"It would grieve you then to learn that he is dead." Faramir responded to Frodo's question, rising from his seat to pace about the room tensely. Anoreth could see that he was struggling with his tears, with his sadness and anger.
"D
ead? How? When?" Ann lifted a hand to set it comfortingly on Frodo's shoulder, coaxing him into a calmness just by touching him.
"As one of his companions, I hoped you could tell me." Faramir told him curtly, Ann tried not to bristle at his tone and instead focused on the pain and sorrow that radiated from him in waves. Though she had a rather fiery personality, she was still the Healer and she had the uncanny ability to sense the pain of others. Physical, emotional, and mental... and Faramir was feeling a lot of pain for the loss of his brother in every way possible. Anoreth had to remember that she was the Healer, the light when times were dark and, though it often cost her a part of herself, it was her duty to help those in pain and shadows. And she took her duty seriously, for she loved it dearly.
"He was your brother, Faramir." Anoreth said softly, meeting his sharp eyes tenderly. "I am sorry." Rising from where she sat, she drifted closer to him slowly. "Boromir died protecting Frodo's kin and my own sisters, against dozen of Uruk-Hai." Ann did not look away from the man, wanting him to see the honest sincerity in her gaze.
"He went down fighting fiercely, Faramir, you needn't worry about his honor."
Faramir did not move for a moment, blue eyes meeting blue, allowing himself, even if just for a moment, to open himself to the truth in her gaze. The truth hurt, however, and Faramir abruptly pulled away from her, the walls around him rising back into place.
Anoreth was startled awake by Gollum's screams.
"Stop it!" Ann shouted as she ran toward his screeches, descending upon the two men hurting the poor creature like a golden avenger. She punched both men in the face, breaking their noses, which apparently had grown to become her specialty, and shoved them away from the cowering creature.
"Leave him alone, you cowards!" She spat at them angrily, her voice resonating with the fiery power she held within her. It was then that Faramir truly realized that there was so much power and strength hidden within the ardent elf, even his men backed away, feeling that heat of her words as if she'd spoken with fire.
"Hush now, it's alright." Anoreth rushed to Smeagol's side. "They won't hurt you anymore, Smeagol." She whispered to him kindly as he cried, clutching his face in his quivering hands. Ann felt her heart break, there had been a time that she had inched away from Smeagol because of what she knew he was, but watching him then... Anoreth could care less. He was suffering. Suddenly angry again, Anoreth whirled on Faramir, her glower returning full force, a fire burning in her blue eyes.
"What is wrong with you?!" She demanded. "He's done nothing to harm you. He's scared and hurt!" Anoreth made a sound of disgust then turned back to touch her hand to Smeagol's shoulder, healing the bruises and cuts the men had made on his pale body. Whispering insult after insult about the men and Faramir as she worked on his quivering body.
"Smea...gol..." Ann froze. "Why does it cry, Smeagol?" She drew in a sad breath, lowering her hands to her lap... Gollum had returned.
"Cruel men hurts us. Master tricksed us." Ann shook her head but said nothing, biting her lip as she watched the creature argue with himself.
"Of course he did. I told you he was tricksy. I told you he was false."
"Master is our friend... our friend." He wept and Ann whimpered softly, unsure what to do now. Should she reach out to him? But he was no longer Smeagol, he wouldn't trust her. Would he?
"Master betrayed us!"
"No! Not its business. Leave us alone!"
"Filthy hobbitses. They stole it from us!" Gollum pummeled his fist against the ground, Anoreth shook her head vehemently, o longer able to hold her words back.
"No! No they didn't, Smeagol." Ann whispered gently, though not yet touching him. "Come, Smeagol. We are your friends. I am your friend!"
"What did they steal?" Faramir asked over Anoreth. Gollum turned slowly around to face the man and bared his teeth at him.
"My... PRECIOUS! AAARRGGHHH!" Anoreth grimaced and stepped away from Gollum, rising to her feat and looked to Faramir as realization dawned in his face.
"No!" Anoreth suddenly turned to Faramir, knowing very well what he would do with this information now. "Faramir you can't! Don't do it!" Faramir ignored her pleas and walked away from her, going to the hobbits no doubt. "No! You'll destroy us all! Faramir!" Ann lunged for the Captain, but someone caught her around the waist and hoisted her back.
"NO! STOP! PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM! FARAMIR!" Anoreth screamed and struggled against the men, even when a palm slapped her across the face she kept on screaming and fighting with all of her might to get to the hobbits. She had to get to them, she had to protect them!
Frodo and Sam hurtled around the corner, having heard their friends screams they came running to Anoreth's aid, but Faramir flung them back and drew his sword.
"So. This is the answer to all the riddles." Faramir advanced toward Frodo, determination in his eyes. "Here in the wild I have you. Two halflings and a host of men a my call. The Ring of power within my grasp." The tip of Faramir's blade touched Frodo's chest, curling around the chain that held the Ring. "A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality." A ghostly smile formed on Faramir's lips as he gazed dreamily at the ring. He pulled the chain around Frodo's neck forward with his blade, to get a closer look at the gleaming golden Ring, gazing at it longingly. Frodo's eyes hazed with desire as his hand slowly creeped up to touch the Ring that Faramir held between them, his eyes closing as he fought the urge to use the Ring's power.
Anoreth's piercing scream shot through him with the strength of a blade. Returning the hobbit to his senses.
"NO!" He bellowed and ran back from Faramir, shoving the man away with as much strength as he could muster.
"Stop it!" Dear Sam, brave Sam, threw himself in front of Frodo protectively. "Leave him alone! Don't you understand? He's got to destroy it. That's where we're going. Into Mordor. To the mountain of fire." Faramir stared at the hobbits, the decision in his eyes not waning for a second, but he was forced to look away when a soldier walked to his side.
"Osgiliath is under attack. They call for reinforcements." He whispered into his ear.
"Please." Sam begged. "It's such a burden. Will you not help him?"
"Captain?"
"Prepare to leave. The Ring will go to Gondor." He turned on his heel, ignoring Sam's calls and returned to the room where Anoreth continued to fight for her honor. Men pinned her arms to the ground, but her legs continued to kick wildly, her teeth sinking into a man's hand when he tried to cover her scream. He bellowed in pain as Faramir charged into the room, kicking his own men aside with a raging force, disgusted.
"Away with you!" He ordered darkly, bending down and lifting Anoreth to her feet. The elleth pulled away from him roughly and slapped the Captain across the face with all her might. She would likely regret the action later, but at the moment, Anoreth did not care that she'd left her mark on the man's cheek.
"You have doomed us all to death!" She snarled then pushed past him to rush to the hobbits.
Smeagol watched as the pretty mistress kneeled before the hobbits to check for wounds... Out of everyone in that room, it was Smeagol who understood true pain when he saw it. Only he who truly understood what the pretty elf felt. In that moment, watching the sparkly mistress touching the hobbitses cuts with soft pretty hands, Smeagol felt something he had never truly felt before. Compassion. He slowly moved to Anoreth and gingerly placed a cold hand on hers, hesitant. Surprised, Anoreth turned to look at Smeagol, not even a brief look of disgust crossing her face as she looked at the wide eyed creature.
"Mistress likes us. Yessss. Yes. Mistress is nice and kind to us." He whispered to himself, nodding his head as he gazed up into the pretty blue eyes of the elf. Anoreth, though still surprised, smiled at the pale creature and patted his hand gently.
"Thank you, Smeagol." She said with a soft, pretty smile.
The waiting was driving Maethien mad.
From the moment Maethien had arrived in Helm's Deep she had thrown herself into Saeleth's arms and c
ried in secret, not minding it when Eowyn found them and assisted Elle in comforting the suffering elleth. Maethien cried until she felt she would dehydrate herself, until the overwhelming emotions inside her calmed enough... Until the pain she felt had been quelled.
Then, when she was ready, she helped them with everything, whether it was carrying food into the caves or binding wounds. She had helped Eaothain and Freda find their frantic mother, smiling softly at the comforting sight of love and everlasting joy as a mother held her children close to her heart. Such a beautiful sight. A sight that made Mae's heart clench. Turning away she threw herself into more work, helping the men to cart supplies into the keep. She was becoming impatient to know if Aragorn was safe of not. She needed to know. She needed to! And the only way she could think to keep herself sane while she waited was to focus her entire being into doing something useful.
As she walked the distance to the wagons, Maethien began to feel the tears returning and quickly tried to blink them away before anyone could see. Shaking her head she whirled around to grab a large case of potatoes and marched her way toward the caves.
"Watch out!" Maethien was so focused on stopping her tears that she did not see the young man running toward her, barging right through her. Maethien released a string of curses as her hand slipped and she let go of one of the handles... but a hand reached out and snagged it, pulling it upright.
Maethien was frozen, her breath had caught, and she could have sworn her heart stopped for a moment there. She stared at the familiar boots for a long moment, then her eyes slowly trailed up the tall and battered frame until her green eyes locked with the gleaming blue eyes she yearned to see most, beautiful, bright, and honest eyes.
"Aragorn..." She breathed, the emotion making her voice crack. The man smiled at her, it was that smile that she loved so much that made Maethien react. She moved fast, taking the crate from his hands and dropping it beside her, not caring that the potatoes tumbled and rolled at their feet.
Aragorn, surprised, made to say something but Mae didn't give him a chance to say anything; she was suddenly throwing her arms around him, throwing him off balance slightly, but he caught her all the same, chuckling as he held her tightly. Both hearts thundering with emotion as the warriors held onto one another tightly.
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