Almarëa

Perception

"It was a fortune that Elrond's son was with you when it happened and somehow managed to anchor you to reality long enough for me to get there. I had never seen the son of Elrond so afraid in my long life."

The sole mention of Elladan made her heart ache because of his absence, longing to run to him, to ease his worry and fear for her. The words of the King felt shocking to her. She had never realized how badly things could have gone. She had never seen the danger, the reasons why Elladan seemed to worry so much about the attacks. She had not known anything about them, and the truth seemed to be bitterer than she had expected.

"Is he all right?" She asked immediately. She could still feel his worry through their bond, but wanted to hear from the King that nothing had happened to him.

"Pardon me?"

"Elladan, I mean." She specified, not entirely understanding the look in the King's eyes at her question.

"Ah, so that one was Elladan." His eyes studied her carefully, holding an expression she had never seen in them, wary and suspicious, narrowing slightly as he spoke Elladan's name. It only lasted a fragment of a second before the strange sparkle disappeared form his eyes.

"He seemed to know what was happening to you, so I take it this is not the first time you suffer an attack like this one, is it?"

"No." She did not know if she really produced a sound or simply moved her lips. "It has happened before."

An alarmed expression took hold of the Elvenking's clear blue eyes, suddenly looking more serious than ever.

"Did Elrond know of this?" he hissed, his tone now cold, stained with worry and accusation. "Did he let it happen?"

"Yes, he knew, but he would stop it, he would push me out of it almost instantly." The hard expression in the King's eyes relaxed at her words, the coldness and sudden anger seeming to dissipate.

"Good." He said flatly in return.

The King looked away for a moment, his face hard, completely composed, and she simply stared at him. She felt dazed, as if everything around her was surreal, as if his words had merely been a dream...and she wished them to be. Still everything seemed so unclear...

"I...I still do not understand." She said finally, her voice sounding shakier than she had wanted. "How did you know what was happening to me? How do you know about the ring?"

Ice blue eyes turned around to face her, the hard and fiery gleam once again gone. His eyes were gentle now, expanding like infinite waves of a calmed sea, so vast, and tender, drowning in a rain of melancholic sorrow.

"I know of the ring the same way as you do." His voice was once again barely audible, so plain and transparent, lacking all of its cold authority and power. She did not say anything, and he continued to explain.

"I have heard them. I have sensed them, even felt their powers extending over the lands of Arda. It is merely a faint glimpse of power what I can perceive, a nearly deceiving presence of unnatural power that seems to blend with the living forms in such a magnificent way. I know where the three elven rings are kept, for I have felt them while in the presence of their bearers. Elrond ignores that I know he bears one of the three."

"You on the other hand..." He trailed off, lowering his eyes while shaking his head slightly.

"Almarëa," he started again "I do not think you understand the seriousness of the powers you hold at hand. Your spirit is far much more sensitive than mine. It is as if it lacked a solidity of essence, that firmness that compacts it as a whole and separates us as strangers, as individual selves, from the rest of the living forces."