Estateillio

the Dream

• Over the next days a routine started too form. They would break camp early in the morn and walk until early evening with only a small lunch break and the hobbits, especially Merry and Pippin, would talk or demand stories or songs from the others, who indulged them with quiet voices, for though it was relatively safe on this side of the Hithaeglir, being too loud could still attract danger.

• Sometimes Estateillio would slip away and return with a hare or other small spoils that she had spotted and Sam would prove how good hobbits could cook, even with limited resources.

• Once the halflings got used to the slightly harsher pace of the big folk, they picked up the training lessons regularly again, and so it became common sight for the tall and proud man of Gondor to spar with the little Took and Brandybuck hobbits.

• They made quick progress and did not meet any orcs and it did not rain and it was cool, though not chilly, but comfortable after the summer heat.

• And that worried Estateillio. It was going too well, things were going entirely too well for her liking, something was bound to happen soon. She did not speak her thoughts though, lest she jinx it.

• (It had happened before. The battle had gone well and she had commented on it, full of hope for victory, only to have the Easterling that had fought next to her for some time now turn on her and attack her and almost kill her had it not been for Vélkénien rearing in surprise and being hit instead and they fell and then there was death and darkness and fire and pain and-)

• It was Hráven, who had brought up the memory and bid them stay silent, and Ráven hissed and reminded them of the torment and Estamíriel expressed her concern for the fellowship and thus Halieth kept their suspicions to themselves, choosing stealth and the destruction of the Ring instead of revenge and finding whatever was lurking in the shadows and waiting for them.

• Their silent concern only grew with the dream. It came on the eighth night and claimed her so suddenly that she was glad not to be the one on watch.

• As in all dreams she could see, properly, as she had not been able to do in millennia, but now could, for it was a creation of her mind only and thus did not require anything of the flesh.

• She was in a forest, fog swirling around her ankles and a overgrown path beneath her feet and in misty hands she held her dagger and and her hunting knife and the familiar fabric of her hunting attire clung to her form, though it was not really solid and more gaseous like the mist around her and she blended into her surroundings.

• Not knowing what else to do she followed the thin path, ever vigilant, though her guard dropped when the trees to her left opened up and the sunlight shone onto green grass and none of the blades seemed to throw a shadow and at the edge stood Estateillio, still in the forest, still in the shadows, still in the fog, still misty and she wondered for a second what might happen if she stepped onto the clearing, into the golden rays.

• And then the sound of battle reached her sensitive ears and with but a little hesitation she turned from the light and disappeared into the shady forest and followed the path again towards the sound of fighting and dying.

• Suddenly the greens and browns of nature faded into black and grey and red and a mountain loomed on the horizon, spitting black ash into the sky, and an orc lifted his sword to deal the last blow to an injured Númenórean and the elleth jumped and sunk the dagger that had once been a gift from Tyelperinquar into its neck and beheaded it and black blood stained the ground even more.

• She was in Mordor, a battle raging around her and soon she found herself slaying orcs, though she had to be careful, for she wore no armour and the two small blades did not offer much protection.

• One of the soldiers crashed to the ground in front of her, forcing her to jump back, and she looked around to find the reason for the soldier's cruel death and spotted a large figure, clad in dark suit of armour and swinging a large mace and Estateillio recognized him, of course she did, for was it not the one that she had spent years uncounted fighting?

• It was Sauron and she was aware of what would happen next, for it was a memory mostly now. Ereinion Gil-Galad, last high king of the Noldor, emerged from the fray of men and elves and orcs and Aeglos shimmered in the dim light as he attacked the fallen maia and two men, Elendil and his son Isildur, joined him.

• And Estateillio ran over the dusty ground, not bothering with the orcs, because she knew what would happen next, she knew what Sauron would do and she slashed at his back, trying to push the blades between two plates of black steel.

• What happened next was not what she had expected. She had thought that maybe, Gorthaur would turn his attention to her, angry amour the injury, or that the pain of the wounds would at least be enough to create an opening for her valiant cousin or a thousand other things. Instead, nothing happened. She was ignored, the fight continued as if she wasn't even there and the blades dissolved.

• But she was visible still and Ereinion had seen her and was distracted for a split second at the sight of her surprise and Sauron threw him down and kicked aside the Númenóreans and lifted his mace for the deathblow and Estateillio screamed "NO!" and slipped between the two to protect her cousin with her own life and the mace passed through her and her body dissolved into mist and Gil-Galad died.

• She jolted awake, clawing at her arms and feeling her warm flesh under her fingers calmed her, assuring her that it was just a dream that she was alive and still had a body, and she extended her senses in her disorientation and felt for her surroundings and quickly she remembered that she was with the fellowship, accompanying Frodo to Mordor, so that he could destroy the Ring.

• For the rest of the night she did not rest at all, simply sitting there quietly and contemplating the dream and calming her nerves while waiting for the sun to rise and their journey to continue.

[《◇》]
I owe you an apology for the late chapter. I was away till Sunday and didn't have good internet (namely none at all!) and when I returned I got hooked on a very long fanfiction and didn't really get any writing done.
Still hope you enjoyed!
AT