LotR - Rise to War {LegoRomance}

III The silences inside Imladris

「The Lord of the Rings」

「The First Journey」

「BOOK ∅」

Imladris, 3018 TA, October 1

The cloudy night softened the vibrant colours of day to soft pastel hues, the kind that awoke the soul and let it stay in serene comfort. Wands of rising branches became dancing silhouettes in the moonlight. The softness called body and brain to awake and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Her eyes greeted the night rays, her heart and lungs expanded. The wooden floor was a chorus of browns; they sang together against the moonlight. It took her a long moment to be fully awake, a long moment to recall that she was alive and breathing.

There are times that she felt cursed to live over and over; even though she had died, there she was alive. It was not the wounds to her flesh that were her most significant concern but the unbelievable truth that she was alive again and active in an unknown world. She was confused because she needed to gain a greater perspective, to take a step back and see the wide-angle version. There was a lot more to see; little wonder she couldn't figure things out.

Death was supposed to be a transition of matter and soul, as there is no creation or destruction of energy, both become recycled and returned to whence they came. After she died all the temporary problems vanished and the permanent ones stayed with her. These wrongdoings were always weighed heavily on her. When Gabrielle was around, Xena had calmed down. There were times she would forget about her darker times, and sometimes she would even forgive herself.

However, Gabrielle was not with her. She was left behind alive in her old world, and while there were times missed her and the days they spent together, she realised that she was much better without her. From time to time she questioned what she was doing, but it faded as time went on. Because Xena did not know precisely how long she was dead. Indeed when she died her next recollection was this forsaken place, but what had transpired in the meanwhile she was not aware.

This time Xena did not want to be protected. She hadn't wanted to be rescued. She felt that she owed too much to simply live a normal and peaceful life. Gabrielle needed her to forgive herself, to keep living without facing the consequences. That was not possible. After everything she had done, she did not deserve to be forgiven.

It ached her heart to bring such sorrow upon Gabrielle, but it was time for their paths to part. Gabrielle had her own path to take, and Xena trusted her and knew she could manage it on her own. Xena needed to take her own path, which she always believed was death. However, the gods or someone else had other plans for her.

The pain of her broken leg increased as she became conscious. She took a deep breath before steadying her breathing and slowly awakening from dullness and despair. However, she could sense a weariness; perhaps she was poisoned. She appeared she was alone inside the chamber. It was hot and comfortable under the thick covers.

Xena pushed up herself to sit leaning against the wooden arm of the enormous bed she was lying on. Through the bedroom window came the darkness of the night shine, that boldness that lifted her spirit. Through the glass was the ever-changing art of the sky, the clouds that brought infinite images of beauty. The cloud forest comes as another form of night, trees of every hue cloaked in black velvet.

Her dark eyes wandered around the bed-chamber finding the design noteworthy and breathtaking. It seemed as if the whole structure had a way of belonging to the earth it graced. Of greys and browns were its walls of, the kind of stone that reflected the moonlight. The fireplace upon wintry night glowed with the radiant gold flame that kept the room warm. The chamber held the same grace and wooden design, blending perfectly with its surroundings.