The Unexpected | LotR Fanfiction

Chapter 29

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Night fell and the man had decided we would stop for the night. Although to my disagreement (and the hobbits') we would have no fire. Who cares if a pack of orcs catch sight of us?! Maybe they would do me a favor and kill all my miserable companions—with the exception of Lumornel, of course.

I glanced over to the strange elleth who had taken up a spot away from all of us. Lumornel lay beside her, the man's cloak being used as a pillow and the elleth's cloak being used as a blanket. She hasn't awakened from the wave of black that had consumed her a week ago. Worry began to creep its way into me. If she didn't awake soon, we wouldn't be able to leave before we get to Rohan. We wouldn't be able to go to Mordor. Of course, I could always leave without her, but... I'd have a greater chance of making it if I had Lumornel to blast our foes into oblivion.

So, I'd wait a little bit longer.

The day Lumornel had fallen 'ill' the wizard had stated a dark spell had been put over her. She would not wake until whoever had done the evil deed relinquishes their hold over her. No matter what the wizard tried to do, the spell still held.

I had a suspicion of who had her under his spell and I didn't know whether that was a comforting thought or not.

I looked away from the snow-white hair, away from the crimson stained tunic, and looked towards my company. The man and dwarf slept, the dwarf's thundering snores hurting my ears. The wizard smoked on his pipe while keeping watch on myself and the elleth and on our surroundings.

Mithrandir—

A gasp escaped my mouth as a knife plunged into my mind. My hand flew up to my temple and I winced as I tried to soothe the pulsating pain by rubbing.

The wizard shuffled to his feet, a glance thrown my way, and woke the man to take over his watch. They shared a few rushed whispers and more than a few glances at me.

I bit my tongue, the urge to saunter over there and incapacitate them overwhelming. No, I can save that for later. When they aren't needed anymore.

Reaching for my knives and whetstone—my fingers only grasped empty air. Letting out an irritated sigh, I rose to my feet.

If I'm not given the free will to sharpen my weapons then I'll have to do something to keep my rising anger at bay.

I rise to my feet, feeling the grass under my scarred palms as I push myself up, my unbound hair falling around my shoulders as I did so.

That old part of me—the part of me that is almost gone—forced me to tilt my head up to look at the brilliant artwork in the sky. To the stars.

To that constant hope.

I shook my head in a desperate attempt to loosen the hold the diminishing old side of me had. I refused to answer its pleas to look at Lumornel.

To where the stars—hope—resides in a bodily form.

I stalked off into the nearby forest. No. Stop this madness.

My chest rose up and down, more and more rapidly as the seconds passed on. Be gone! I urged.

But still, that young wood-elf that was once me persisted, his fists pounding against the mental shields I had locked him away in to wither away. This morning he was nearly just a husk, how had he gathered the strength to pester me?

"Legolas—"

I didn't bother to turn to the ranger. "I will be back before long," I announced curtly.