𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ➵︎ [ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 ]

29| before the storm

 This chapter is dedicated to elliestephensx!

thank you for supporting my book from the very first chapter all the way to now, this update is for you! enjoy!

────── ༻♛༺ ──────

I confronted the wind, my hair like a river of black ink behind me, tousled wildly and frantically by the cold grasp of the wind.

Lost. That was how I felt.

But I shook my head. I couldn't afford to be emotionally vulnerable. Not in a time like this. Any vulnerabilities were a weakness.

There was never anything between Legolas and I. It meant nothing, and it always will.

That was what I told myself repeatedly as I chose to ignore the throbbing in my heart. Doing what I did best, I pushed all thoughts about him aside.

Gingerly, I traced my fingers over my wounds, shutting my eyes. Aside from the torn flesh, I could sense no other injuries. That's why I was alive. For now.

I didn't know why Maeglor didn't just kill me. Valar knows how his twisted mind worked.

Holding out my hand, I examined Amarya beneath the bleak afternoon sun, silently thanking the powers above that Maeglor did not take it. If he knew what it was, it would have been the first thing he went for.

I thought back to Gandalf's words when he had told me it gave the wearer heightened healing abilities. I guess now was the time to put these abilities to the test.

Shutting my eyes, I hovered my hand over the wound, beginning the process as I was used to. I slowed my breath, collapsing my awareness inwards as all other sounds faded into a murmur, with the exception of my heartbeats, the rhythmic thudding reverberating in my mind. 

Suddenly, I became aware of every torn strand of flesh and every broken blood vessel. And as Amarya pulsed and glowed on my finger, I felt a rushing sense of warmth within me.

Only, unlike before, it felt much, much stronger. Like I could sense the flowing of the energy itself coursing through every cell in my body.

My fëa.

But I didn't just feel more aware. I felt like I could...guide and direct the ebb and flow of the energy. It felt strange to be so connected to what I knew was essentially my spirit.

Directing all my focus towards my neck, a warm glow infused my hand as it sat over my neck wound. I felt the flesh beneath my hands react accordingly, as golden strands of light began to radiate from the jagged cut, threading its way through the torn flesh. The sharp and biting pain on my neck began to fade.

I was observing, first-hand, the power of the connection between my fëa and hröa.

Strand by strand, I directed the flow of energy within me to mend the flesh torn by Maeglor's cruel blade, as if my body was working in response to revert back to it's unharmed state.

After a few moments, the pain subsided entirely. Satisfied, I let the glow in my veins diminish, feeling the warmth in my palms dissipate as I let the natural flow of energy take hold once again. As the world around me faded back into reality, I opened my eyes.

I was taken aback.

Everything was...normal. No dizziness, no nausea; nothing. In fact, I felt...invigorated. It was such a different experience compared to last time. Where previously, there would have been a scar, now, there was nothing but smooth skin on my neck.