Weaving a Song

Chapter 16

c. 2065 TA

Legolas let go of his sister as she launched herself towards her mother. Thranduil turned as well, but Legolas fell to his knees clutching his abdomen before he could move. Thranduil fell to his knees then but only after gathering the strength to move to his wife.

Oiolairë sat holding her hand over her stomach where a small silver handle protruded. Thranduil sat there in shock not knowing quite what to do.

"Legolas! Legolas, you must get the Healers!" He finally yelled. Legolas had enough sense of mind to do as he was told and he sprinted back through the Palace. Almiel was clutching her mother's hand and Thranduil could feel that she was using the power she had been gifted with to save her mother. He, however, wondered if it would be enough.

*

Haldir made his way as quickly as possible to the flet of the Lady. When he reached it, Galadriel was waiting for him. "My Lady," he said inclining his head with his hand over his heart.

"Why did you wish to see me?" She asked.

"My Lady, I fear the household of Thranduil is endangered." She narrowed her eyes slightly while her husband glanced at her.

"Why do you fear this is so?"

"I have seen it Lady, in a vision while I was resting."

"Strange that I have not seen it. Are you sure?"

"Positive, My Lady." He felt her use her power to read his mind. Galadriel knew from this that he was not lying, he felt sure of what he saw. However, since she had seen nothing of the event he described, she was not sure it actually happened.

"Thank you Haldir, now you shall return to your post. Don't fear, for I shall investigate, though I believe it to be a trick of the mind." Galadriel started to turn to leave, but Haldir called out to her again.

"My Lady! I did not say this just for an investigation. If it has not already happened, then it is happening soon. I wish to be allowed to go to Thranduil's Palace myself." Celeborn looked at him partly in shock. Hardly anyone was ever so bold to his wife. Galadriel seemed to think so too, for he felt slight shock in her as well.

Galadriel turned to face Haldir again, whose eyes showed he was determined. "No, young Marchwarden. Your skill is needed here. You saw your friends less than two years ago. I will investigate, and if needed, will send whom I deem to be appropriate."

"My Lady, it is not for pleasure that I wish to go. I heard a woman scream, and Thranduil cry out to her. If it is the Princess that is hurt, and I do not mean to be arrogant, I may be the only option to send forth." Galadriel's eyes hardened.

"If it was a woman's cry, then it was not the Princess who was hurt. You are dismissed, and you would do well to remember your place."

"Then, forgive me My Lady, why did you not see it? Legolas and I explained to you before the nature of my bond with the Princess. It could be my bond allowed me to see what you were blinded to."

"And who, pray tell, blinded me? None have the power to do so."

"Almiel herself did. You could not see her thoughts when I could. Will you not see even now the reasoning behind my wish to leave?"

Celeborn stared openly shocked at the young Marchwarden's apparent boldness with Galadriel. She seemed caught off guard by this as well, for usually none dared to be so stubborn. "You may not go, I have spoken and you will listen." Haldir's eyes grew cold.

"As you wish, My Lady, but I will say this: If any die of his household because of this, I am told that Thranduil's anger is quite a loathsome thing to deal with." Haldir inclined his head again and turned quickly on his heel before striding away in anger. Perhaps he should have been born in Mirkwood. Celeborn thought. For that was dangerous, but rather not as wise.

Galadriel was holding in just as much anger as Haldir had displayed. She turned and immediately went to her mirror. After a few minutes of looking, but finding nothing she went up to her private room and immersed herself into the power of her ring. She spent hours searching for a hint of something that had or would happen to the life of Thranduil's household, but everything was disguised behind some veil she could not see past. Finally she gave up. She strode out of the room and down the path. Worried, Celeborn followed her.

"What did you see?"

"Nothing, Nothing has happened to Elvenking." She found Haldir at the archery range shooting arrow after arrow. All of them hit the center of the target.

"Haldir." She said abruptly and rather bitterly. Haldir turned, bow still in hand, to face her. Celeborn was surprised to see that his eyes were not as angry as they werefearful?

"My Lady?" He asked, his voice still edged with slight anger.

"You have nothing to worry about. I have spent the entire day since searching for what you have told me and found nothing liken to your vision. You will be on patrol for the next two weeks because of your apparent disrespect for your sworn leader." Celeborn noted Haldir's knuckles whiten on his bow. "Will you admit you were wrong?"

A strange gleam came into Haldir's eyes. "When you do, My Lady." Without waiting to be dismissed, he walked away from the two of them and went back to his house. Celeborn flinched at the emotions coming from his wife for they threatened to overpower him. It would be a long time before she got over this one.

*

Haldir paced angrily in his bedroom wondering what he should do. He finally settled down enough to meditate and he found his bond with Almiel. He went deeper into it and searched it for something out of place. He did not notice anything, at first. Then he realized something was out of place. There was that part of her that pulsed golden light, the place he had discovered a couple years before. It always pulsed because she was almost always using her power, so he did not think anything of it. But this time, it was pulsing more. Way more than normal. It was not stopping either. The flow continued at this high rate for as long as Haldir watched it. It gave out a huge amount of energy that was not replenishing itself either.

He emerged from their bond more sure than ever that something was wrong, but what was wrong, he knew not. And his Lady would not let him find out.

*

The healers had come quickly and had carried Oiolairë to a private healing ward. Almiel never let go of her mother's hand the entire time. Thranduil walked silently beside her. Legolas walked behind the small procession with quite a blank mind.

As soon as they got Oiolairë to the ward they immediately began working. However, they slowly took the dagger out and were about ready to cauterize the wound when they stopped. Both looked at the wound confusedly. Then they watched and their heads slightly cocked as the wound healed itself. Thranduil's eyes widened and he glanced at his daughter who looked slightly paler than usual. Legolas looked just as confused.

The healers kept looking the Queen over, and though there was no physical damage anymore, something was still wrong. Daddy? Almiel asked. Thranduil looked at her.

What is it?

Mama… there's something extremely wrong. Something I can't fix. I-I think it has something to do with what happened to her before the rest of us woke up. Thranduil paled slightly.

"What else is wrong?" he asked the healers.

"We don't know. Maybe poison, it is hard to tell. We… we think… something happened to her mind. Your Majesty," they started rather hesitant, "We are competent healers but… this is some darkness we have not the experience to deal with..." Thranduil ignored them and used his own bond to explore Oiolairë's mind. Everything was normal except for a shadow on her mind. No… he had seen this sort of thing before. The same thing had happened to other kinfolk of his and they had never recovered from the pain of meeting the shadow.

There was only one person that might be able to help his wife.