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━━━━ »•» act three. age of anguish

31. to catch a night terror «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 3019

𓇻 rohan; eastfold

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SHE WAS UTTERLY ALONE IN A SEA OF DARKNESS. The shadows seemed to be moving in on her. Like a living creature it swirled and trapped her in this void. A shiver crawled down her spine as she frantically looked around. A hopeless attempt to find something, anything to hold on to.

Her thoughts were racing to figure out where she was but the suffocating darkness was making it impossible to think clearly. Elgarain wrapped her arms around herself, as if that would somehow protect her. But once she realized she was alone, truly alone, a sob fell from her lips. There wasn't even so much as a distant star to be found.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "Is anybody there?"

The ground felt smooth and steady beneath her feet as she carefully moved forward. Encouraged by the feeling, Elgarain picked up her pace, desperate to escape the darkness.

"I thought I taught you better than that."

The voice was far away and yet Elgarain recognized it instantly.

"Gyda?" She turned to look around but there was no sign of the Elleth.

"Never announce your presence to your enemy," her voice came echoing out of the darkness once again. It held that familiar sternness Gyda used during their training lessons back in Imladris. The tone was both comforting and foreign, belonging to a life she no longer knew.

Far in the distance a light shimmered and Elgarain hurried towards it. "Gyda? What's going on?"

As she got closer, Gyda's voice grew in strength. "Remember your lessons, Aranel. How do you get your bearings?"

She frowned. The voice was unmistakably Gyda's but it had been so long since she'd been called by her former title that she couldn't help but hesitate. Despite her doubts though, her lessons came floating to the surface of her memories instantly, like an instinct. To figure out where she was, she needed light. Carefully she took another step forward and as she approached the light slowly revealed a figure waiting for her.

It was Gyda and yet it wasn't.

At first glance, everything about her looked the same. From her brown hair, to her father's sword strapped to her side. But as Elgarain approached she could see one clear difference. She looked impatient, torn between annoyance and amusement. The trust she'd allowed herself to show towards Elgarain since their time in Rivendell was missing completely from her gaze.

It was Gyda, but the Gyda from years ago.

"Good, you found me," Gyda spoke again.

"I-" she took a trembling breath. "Of course, you taught me how."

Gyda nodded, folding her hands on her back. "And what else did I teach you?"

Elgarain rolled her eyes, feeling herself slip back into old habits as easily as breathing. "Do you really expect me to name it all?"

"Only the things important right now," Gyda snapped with a sudden sense of urgency that startled her. "Tell me what you remember."

"Why does it matter?"

"Because you still don't know where you are, do you?"

Taking a deep breath Elgarain shook her head, feeling like that young and impatient Elfling once again. But, as always, Gyda's sharp voice got her thoughts turning. So, what did she remember? She closed her eyes but as she tried to search her memory, a sharp pain in her chest made her recoil.

"What if I don't want to remember?" she muttered.

Gyda took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have to, even if it scares you. You have a brave heart, El. You'll be okay."

She nodded, clenched her fists and closed her eyes once again. Flashes of green and red blurred before her eyes, screams and snarls echoed through her head followed closely by the sound of a horn and then; that painful stab into her heart. She shook her head, wanting to stop the assault on her senses but it was too late. She remembered everything.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "This is a dream, isn't it? The Orcs took me captive and I blacked out."

The younger version of Gyda nodded solemnly. "What else?"

She clenched her jaw and remained silent. For she did not have the strength to say the words out loud. She still held some foolish hope that this was all some bad dream. Maybe if she opened her eyes everything would be alright. He would be alright.

"You have to say it, Aranel."

She felt an old, yet familiar, flame of stubbornness ignited within her chest. "Saying it will make it real." It was a childish thing to say and yet she also knew it was the truth.

"Exactly," Gyda whispered.

Tears burned in her eyes and she closed them to stop the drops from falling. "He's dead," she forced herself to whisper. "Boromir is dead."

With a trembling breath she opened her eyes but Gyda was gone, but she was dreaming still. She was seated upon a hill, surrounded by a bright forest. A warm amber sun hovered above the horizon, not yet completely gone beneath the earth. A warm breeze caressed her cheek, feeling strangely real. It felt like she'd been here before though she knew she hadn't.

But no matter how beautiful the view was, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Boromir was dead.

She pulled her knees up towards her chest and leaned her head upon them. Sobs rattled her very bones. Even in her dreams her grief was persistent, like the bleeding of an unstitched wound.

"Elgarain!"

Far in the distance someone called her name but she couldn't bring herself to react.

"Elgarain it's me!"

Someone knelt down in front of her. Shaking hands cupped her head but her view was blurred by her relentless tears.

"Elgarain?"

Those same hands tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and held her just a little bit tighter. But it felt as though the darkness Elgarain had just been walking through now had made itself at home within her. She was trapped once again, trapped within her grief.

"Wake up!"

A startled gasp escaped her lips at the sudden harsh tone and she wiped her tears away, clearing her view. Gyda was seated in front of her. Not Gyda from the past, her Gyda. And before she knew it, words fell from her lips.

"I couldn't save him," she whispered. "He's dead because I couldn't save him."

Gyda's gaze softened with sympathy. "No Elgarain. You did what you could."

She shook her head. She had to say this, Gyda had to know, even if the only time she would ever get to say it was within her dreams... "I failed him. And now I've failed you too."

Gyda's lips trembled as she reached for Elgarains hands. "Neither could I protect you," she murmured regretfully. "I'm so sorry Elgarain. So sorry."

"I'm sorry too, nésa," Elgarain whispered as she leaned her forehead against Gyda's. A sob escaped her without warning and Gyda wrapped her arms around her, burying her head in the crook of her neck.

"I will find you. I promise. Wherever you are Elgarain. I will never stop."

The words felt so real, not like the blurry jumble usually spoken in dreams. And so, what choice was she left with than to answer with real words as well?

"You shouldn't have to give up your entire life for me. But I'm thankful you did." She hesitated for a moment but forced herself to continue. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Never," Gyda denied. "And I wouldn't change a thing given the chance." She straightened back up again. "I'm not searching for you because I must, I'm coming for you because you are my sister."

Elgarain smiled through her tears, realizing with a glowing heart that this was the very first time Gyda had ever called her sister as well. "Thank you."

A crow cawed in the distance and the two of them searched for the source of the sound at the exact same time.

"Wait...how?" Gyda muttered, frowning. "If this is a dream, why does this feel so real?"

She opened her mouth, only to close it again. Hadn't she just been thinking the exact same thing? How did this entire place feel so unbelievably real? Without the blurry veil of a dream landscape?

"We..." she muttered, searching for words, "I am dreaming, right? This is a dream, right?"

A silver light drew their attention and the two of them looked down to where Vilya was shining brightly on Elgarains finger. Neither one of them could explain it and yet, in that moment, they both knew with absolute burning certainty that this was not a dream. But they clearly weren't awake either.

"I-I thought so at first, but this," Gyda points at her heart, "this tells me something else is happening...something strange."

She had barely finished speaking when the wind picked up, howling like a wolf weary of the night.

"I know," Elgarain whispered, feeling the steady beat of her heart telling her the exact same thing. "I feel it too but...How?"

"I do not yet know," Gyda whispered, "but it has to mean something." Suddenly, she looked alert. "Something is wrong."

Elgarain looked around but couldn't hear or see anything. "What are you talking about?"

"Can you not hear it?" Gyda pushed herself up on her feet.

Elgarain followed. "Hear what?"

"Orcs," Gyda said through gritted teeth, but when she turned to look at Elgarain again her eyes widened with fear.

A sudden pain scorched her arm, making her wince. Reality was bleeding through, leaking into their peaceful forest. Carefully she cradled her arm. "It's broken," Elgarain whispered, memories of the battle came rushing back to her, threatening to drown her.

"You have to get away," Gyda said, panic rising in her voice. "Wherever we are now, it is not real...not really."

"Gyda, what-" she fell silent when she finally heard it too. Heavy footfalls and monstrous growls...

She swayed on her feet, feeling suddenly lightheaded. "No, I don't want to go." She couldn't tell if she was saying those words to herself or to her friend.

"Elgarain, you have to," Gyda pressed. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"I don't want to wake up without you," Elgarain whispered, moving to take a step toward her, but reality finally caught up with her and she stumbled.

Gyda reached out to catch her and gently laid her on the ground. "You can't stay here, nésa," she mumbled, leaning over her. Her hair cascaded around their faces, shielding them from the outside world as it grew smaller and smaller. Darkness pulled at the edges of their little amber forest.

Elgarain clasped Gyda's hand, feeling her heart starting to race with fear. "Please."

But Gyda looked truly desperate now. "Wake up Elgarain. Please, for me. You have to fight."

Tears were streaming down both their faces. They knew Elgarain couldn't stay for a moment longer.

"Wake up!"

A cold gust of wind carried her back to a dark and cruel reality.

She woke up laying on her back, a starless sky above her. Her wrists, legs and ankles were tied with a rope, putting her broken arm in an awful position that brought tears to her eyes. She knew she had to set the bone soon, or else it would never properly heal but she feared the Orcs wouldn't care much for her injuries. The foul creatures were everywhere, seated in a wide circle, surrounding her. The very grass itself seemed to die upon their touch.

Evening was coming fast, the sky above her growing dim. A sudden longing for the warmth of her golden dream landscape rushed through her, or had it been real after all? Now that she was truly awake it was even harder to tell. Yet there was no logic in the world to explain what her heart was feeling: It was real. She had talked to Gyda for real.

A roar of raw laughter tore her from her thoughts. Careful not to move her arm, Elgarain turned on her side to look at what had humored the Orcs. Her eyes widened once she caught sight of the two Hobbits. She was separated from them by three of the enormous Orcs, which was obviously done on purpose.

Merry lay awfully still. He had a nasty looking gash on his forehead. Whatever medicine their captors had been giving him, it clearly wasn't making him feel much better.

Pippin had awoken from a nightmare only to find that waking wasn't much of an improvement. He struggled with his bound hands to find a more comfortable position, causing the Orcs to laugh once again.

"Rest while you can, little fool!" one of the monsters spat. The Common Speech sounded strange and hideous when he used it. "We'll find a use for your legs before long. You'll wish you had got none before we get home."

"If I had my way, you'd wish you were dead now," said another. "I'd make you squeak, you miserable rat." Suddenly he stood up, snapping his yellow teeth at Pippin's face. "Lie quiet or I'll tickle you with this! Don't draw attention to yourself or I may forget my orders. Curse the Isengarders!" He continued rambling in his own language as he made his way back to where he'd been sitting.

Now that the Orc was no longer blocking his view, Pippin finally caught sight of Elgarain.

She tried to offer him a reassuring smile but knew it would look forced.

Still, the Hobbit seemed to cheer up the tiniest bit and smiled at her in return. Then one of the Orcs shifted and he was once again taken out of sight.

With nothing else to do Elgarain listened to the grumbling, hateful speech of the orcs. She was surprised to hear many of them speak in the Common Tongue. As it turned out the pack consisted of two or three different tribes and they could not understand each other's orc-speech. Which was fortunate because it might just get her the answers she needed. After all, she still had no idea why exactly she was taken...

"There's no time to kill them properly," said one of the orcs. "No time for play on this trip."

"That can't be helped," said another. "But why not kill them quick, kill them now? They're a cursed nuisance, and we're in a hurry. Evening's coming on and we ought to get a move on."

"Orders," barked a deep third voice. "'Kill all but not the Halflings and the Elven Queen. They are to be brought back alive as quickly as possible.' That's my orders."

She held her breath and listened intently for the reply. Why were the Orcs ordered to capture her? It was the one piece of the puzzle she just couldn't figure out. Saruman was aware the One Ring was carried by a Halfling. It was mere luck he didn't know which Halfling, causing him to capture the wrong one. Though the thought of what fate awaited them when the White Wizard would discover his mistake made her heart tremble with fear. But what did he want with her?

"What are they wanted for?" asked the voice of the first Orc who'd spoken. "Why alive? Do they give good sport?"

"No! I heard that they has got something, something that's wanted for the War, some Elvish plot or other. Anyway, they'll all be questioned."

That was it, the reason she was here. Her ring.

It made sense, of course it did. The three Elven rings were the only ones that remained uncorrupted by Sauron. If he wanted to use their power, he needed one of the Eldar to do so for him.

But how?

How did Saruman know she was Vilya's keeper? The ring was only visible to those she wanted it to see. And even if the White Wizard had somehow managed to break that spell, how would he have known where to look? It wasn't exactly a well-known fact that she'd taken one of the three along on their quest.

"Is that all you know?" spat one of the orcs, just as unsatisfied with the answer as she was. "Why don't we search them and find out? We might find something that we could use ourselves."

"That is a very interesting remark," sneered another voice, softer than the others but with a malicious edge. "I may have to report that. The prisoners are not to be searched or plundered. Those are my orders."

"Not our orders!" cried one of them. "We have come all the way from the Mines to kill and avenge our folk. I wish to kill and then go back north."

Her blood froze in her veins at the startling realization that the Orcs of Moria had apparently still been on their trail, even after most of them had been slaughtered in Lorien. All this time they had more enemies after them than any of them were aware of.

"Then you can wish again," said the growling voice. "I am Uglúk. I command the Uruk-Hai. I return to Isengard by the shortest road."

"Is Saruman the master of the Great Eye?" said the soft voice. "We should go back at once to Lugbúrz."

"If we could cross the Great River, we might," another voice joined in. "But there are not enough of us to venture down to the bridges."

"I came across," said the soft voice. "A winged Nazgûl awaits us northward on the east-bank."

And then the puzzle was finally complete. The night of the attack on the water came rushing back to her. How they had narrowly managed the poisoned arrows of the orcs. How everything then became quiet as a shadow attacked them. And how Vilya had protected them with silver light against the dark powers of the Ringwraith.

She herself was the reason Saruman had come to know of Vilya's location. She'd basically put up a sign in the sky telling everyone one of the three Elven rings was in her possession. With gritted teeth she softly hit the grass with the back of her head.

If only there was someone who could have taught her how to use the powers of her ring...

"Maybe, maybe! Then you'll fly off with our prisoners, and get all the pay and praise in Lugbúrz, and leave us to foot it as best we can through the Horse-country. No, we must stick together. These lands are dangerous: full of foul rebels and brigands."

"Aye, we must stick together," growled Uglúk. "I don't trust you little swine. You've got no guts outside your own lands. But for us you'd all have run away. We are the fighting Uruk-Hai! We slew the great warrior. We took the prisoners. We are the servants of Saruman the Wise, the White Hand. We came out of Isengard and led you here and we shall lead you back by the way we choose!"

Elgarian closed her eyes to try and stop her tears from falling. The mere mention of Boromir made her body heavy with grief once again. Hearing those beasts speak of him made her sick to her stomach. She wished for the strength to push herself up and fight them. To slay them all. She wished for the strength of a warrior, the courage she'd seen within Gyda so many times during battle. But she was wounded, broken and alone and so she did nothing.

"Swine, is it?" the orc spat. "How do you folk like being called swine by the muck-rakers of a dirty little wizard?"

Many loud yells in orc-speech answered him and the clinging of weapons being drawn followed. Uglúk shouted, and a number of other Orcs of nearly his own size ran up. Then suddenly Uglúk sprang forwards, and with two swift strokes swept the heads off two of his opponents. The others gave way but Uglúk's followers went after them and cut down another with their broad-bladed swords. It was the yellow-fanged guard. His body fell right on top of Pippin, still clutching its long saw-edged knife.

But while the Orcs fought, Elgarain's sharp Elf ears caught the soft and careful movements of a Hobbit. She wouldn't even have recognized the sounds if she hadn't spent so long on the road with the Halflings. Gandalf once said that Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. And he was proven right once again. For none of the Orcs noticed the Hobbit as he crawled over towards where the yellow-fanged guard was laying on the ground.

Pippin reached for the knife attached to the orcs' belt. As silently as he possibly could, he started cutting the ropes around his feet. Elgarain didn't know what to think, or what Pippin was thinking at that moment but she couldn't move or scream without notifying the Orcs about what was happening.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Pippin managed to get to his feet.

With wide eyes she watched as he sprinted away into the dark. At long last the Orcs realized what was going on and caught sight of him.

"After him!" Uglúk shouted.

For the moment, the orcs let their quarrel slide and headed after the Hobbit.

Her heart was hammering in her throat with fear as she watched one of their captors pull out a whip and lash out. The harsh leather curled around his legs and Pippin let out a stifled cry. The Orc picked him up, threw him over his shoulder and carried him back towards the others.

"Enough!" Uglúk shouted. "He's still got to run a long way yet. Just use the whip as a reminder. But that's not all." He turned to Pippin as the Hobbit was put back on the ground again. "I shan't forget. Payment is only put off."

But what the beast failed to see was the brooch missing from his cloak. And despite her pain and fear, Elgarain felt a genuine smile appear on her face. It had never been his intention to escape. Instead, he used the chaos to send a signal to the others. Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall.

°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

The first chapter of act three has arrived!

Chloe and I have so many exciting things planned and we can't wait to share them with you all! A little reveal to the mysterious happenings this act has already been given this chapter. Because what the hell is up with Gyda and El sharing weird dreams? Can't wait to hear your theories!

As always, please don't hesitate to leave some comments and let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you guys!

xx Nelly

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:

Aranel ― Princess

Nésa ― Sister