𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ➵︎ [ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 ]

56| the mirror

"I don't think he wishes to kill me." That was true. "He's had plenty of chances to do so already, and he hasn't, if that makes you feel any better."

"It does not." Legolas replied with an exaggerated sigh. "Do you even hear yourself right now? On multiple occasions, he has almost killed me and you!"

"Way to rub salt in my wounds..." I mumbled, folding my arms over my chest and pursing my lips.

"Sorry, but if you go alone, you will not return." Legolas shot back matter-of-factly.

"Fine, okay?" I threw my hands in the air in surrender. "I'll wait. But there's only so much time until his 'messages'-"

I paused, my eyes meeting theirs in a glare.  "-become deadly."

There was a moment of silence as I let my words sink in, but it was broken by the arrival of the same guard who left not so long ago.

"M'lord Aragorn and Legolas..." His complexion was pale, "King Theoden has summoned you."

My brows furrowed. He only just left, what could be so urgent?  His next few words provided a grave answer to my question.

"A body has been found, stripped of his guard's attire."

"What?"

The pit in the bottom of my stomach deepened at the implication of his words. Swallowing, I stood to my feet, my voice void of emotion.

"I guess they already have."

With those words, I turned and walked away until I reached the stone staircase. Quickly glancing at my surroundings, I slowly unfolded the crumpled sheet of paper in my hands before taking in the entire message.

Gwannas lû and, muin nín Elle.
(It's been too long, my dear Elle)

I hope your dreams of late have been...sweet. Mine certainly have.

On another note, look in the elf prince's bed. I have sent you and him a gift. Think of it as sort of an...apology for sinking an arrow into his flesh and spilling his blood all over the cold hard stone.

I won't do it again. I think.

I clenched my jaw, my mind flashing back to that terrifying moment as I continued to read.

If you wish to return the gift, you can find me where Snowbourn meets the Entwash. But only you. Not your hound, not the elf prince, just you. I imagine we have some things to discuss. I'm sure you seek answers.

Harthon cened le ennas,
(I hope to see you there,)

Maeglor.

My fingers clenched into fists, crumpling the paper in my hand. I knew he was only trying to get under my skin, but it was working.

As my heart continued to pound relentlessly against my ribcage, I hastily descended the staircase, my pace speeding up into a jog as I noticed the open door to our sleeping quarters.

Rushing into the room, I was met with quiet. An almost unsettling quiet. Glancing behind my shoulder to ensure no one was following, I slowly approached Legolas' unslept-in bed.

Crouching down, I gripped the end of the blanket. I swallowed, before pulling it back in one fluid motion.

Nothing.

A sense of relief flooded my body at the thought that, perhaps, Maeglor was just bluffing.

But the sense of reassurance was short-lived when I noticed something sticking out from beneath the pillow. Something familiar. Painfully familiar.

I lifted the pillow, and my eyes widened.

There on the bed was an arrow. The same one I had pulled from Legolas' abdomen as he lay bleeding on the floor of Helms Deep. I knew it was the same one because the white feathers of the tail were still stained with dried blood.

With trembling hands, I picked up the arrow, my vision swirling as the implication became very clear.

No matter where I ran, Maeglor would always be able to get to me.

I would never be safe.

Except now, it wasn't just about me.

The arrow in the bed was him sending a message that he knew my weakness, and he would not be afraid to exploit it. He was a shadow, who could slip in and out as he pleased, and he wanted me to know that no guard or wall could ever stop him from hurting the ones I cared about.

A sound caught my attention. A strange low buzzing sound. Slowly, I turned to face where it was coming from. A mirror hung from the wall beside me. I tentatively approached it, each step only increasing the apprehension in my heart, the buzzing only intensifying in my eardrums.

As I stood before the mirror, I gazed at my reflection, with still no explanation for the source of the buzzing. Tired, dull green irises stared back at me, dark circles decorating the underside of her eyes as my reflection stared back at me. The arrow was clutched in her fingers.

And then she smiled.

My heart leapt to my throat.

Piece by piece, her skin seemed to melt away into discoloured, decomposing flesh and bone, until there, in the mirror, shrouded in the shadows of the room, stood the rotting woman, her flesh just as decayed, the grey of her one eye just as soulless as last time I saw her in the inescapable wintery hellscape.

My mouth went dry. I couldn't move. I was paralysed, unable to look behind me to see if there was actually anything behind me, unable to tear my eyes away from the world behind the mirror. All I could do was continue to gaze at the reflection.

And then my eyes fell upon what was behind her.

Lifeless bodies piled over each other, the buzzing of the flies that swarmed the pile consuming my hearing. I watched as every single person I ever loved lay dead on the floor. It was an image I had seen time and time again, and yet it never grew less gut-wrenching to see.

I felt a single tear roll down my cheek, my fists clenched so hard I was sure it would draw blood as the reflection continued to pull me in.

I could make out one of the bodies moving. They weakly lifted their head, revealing soft blue eyes.

Legolas.

Suddenly, standing before me was my own reflection once again. In her hand was a bow. My bow.

I watched, unable to move as she drew back the bowstring. My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a scream as I watched my own reflection fire an arrow towards Legolas. I squeezed my eyes shut just before impact.

Opening them back up, I watched as the elf's body grew limp, becoming just another body on a pile full of corpses.

I couldn't take it anymore. Wrenching myself free from whatever grip constrained me, I grabbed the mirror before tearing it off the wall with all my strength.

The sound of shattering glass pierced through the stifling haze of silence as shards of the mirror hurtled across the floor. Slivers of light flashed against the wall as the mirror frame skidded to a halt. With that, the room was plunged into silence once again, save for the sound of my heavy breaths.

But I knew she would never be truly gone.

As I stood in the centre of the chaos, a slow sense of resolution began to take hold.

I needed to end this. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me.