Of Elves and Fey: Where Treasures Lie
Author: KimmyLynn
Disclaimer: The members of the fellowship do not belong to me, and I am using them without permission. Shalidar, the fey, and Katherine are mine. I am making no profit, please do not sue.
Rating: PG
Summary: Boromir regrets the decision to stay in Shalidar, and Katherine must find a way to change that.
Spoilers: None
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Boromir wandered into the kitchen, looking around curiously. He was bored, and had been wandering the halls of Castle Guinevere for hours. Legolas and Katherine were off somewhere where they wouldn't be found; no doubt exploring the wonders of each other. He knew they loved each other; he had known that from the moment that they looked at each other. And although he was happy for his elven friend, there were times when he just wanted to hear about something else. And Merry was almost as bad, hell Merry was worse. Rahne and Merry didn't have to hide their affair; and didn't bother to try. They were, as usual, holed up in Merry's room, playing with their food. And Pippin had wandered off in search of Meaghan, hoping to win her over with his persistance. Boromir had no doubt that he would, he had seen the way that she looked at Pip, and he knew she was just enjoying the chase. And Aragorn was god only knew where, he was always off by himself; never offering any explanation for his abscence. That left Boromir alone and bored, and hungry too.

The kitchen was huge, and always filled with wonderful smells. He spent a lot of time there, had become the unofficial food taster. There seemed to be something about him that caused a soft spot in the cooks; a mothering instinct to feed him. Too bad they were all old enough to be his grandmother. He stood in the doorway, eyes closed, breathing in the smell of roasted lamb and rosemary.

"Excuse me sir, but you are...in my way.", a soft voice said from behind him.

"I'm sorry.", he said, moving out of the way, to allow the young woman to pass through the door.

She smiled at him, a sweetly innocent smile that melted his heart.

"Thank you sir. Forgive me for speaking; but you did not seeme inclined to move.", she said; giving him a small bow. Boromir smiled at her, noting that she was obviously a gypsy, a servant, and thus below him in the eyes of the court. He didn't think that he would ever get used to all that, to all the rules of court. It made no sense to him, and never would.

"Don't worry about it. I can never keep all of that straight anyway. What's your name?"

"Ashley.", she said, moving to set a large basket of eggs on one of the tables.

"I'm Boromir.", he said; offering her his hand.

"I know who you are. Everyone in Shalidar knows who you are.", she said; timidly taking his hand.

In a moment of pure spontaneaty, he kissed the top of her hand, smiling at the blush that crept across her cheeks.

He watched her move across the large kitchen, talking to the other women and smiling. She was extremely pretty, with long chestnut hair and velvet brown eyes. She turned to look back at him, and a smile crept across her full lips. His mind wandered back to Katherine's statement about what pleased them, and the need for discretion. He could be discreet, for the chance to get to know this woman better. His mind was flooded with images of her, distracting him so that he didn't notice that she had come back to him.

"Sir?", her whisper soft voice broke through his reverie.

"What? Oh, umm call me Boromir."

"If that pleases you. You looked like you were hungry.", she said; holding out a plate to him.

"Famished.", he said; sitting down on the top of one of the tables.

"We do have chairs Boromir.", she said; smiling.

"I know. But this is better, you should try it.", he answered; patting the spot next to him.

She looked around warily for a moment, then hopped onto the table next to him.

"See?"

"Yes.", she whispered; smiling sweetly at him.

Boromir looked down at his plate, suddenly feeling shy. She sat silently beside him, her feet slowly swishing back and forth. The room suddenly seemed very warm, and Boromir was sure that it had nothing at all to do with the fire blazing in the hearth.

"Umm, are you from here?", he asked; cringing at the cheesy cliche.

"Shalidar? No, I am from your world. Well, I was."

"How long have you been here?"

"I don't really know. Time passes very slowly here, or so they say. But I do know that I was born in your word in the year 514 of the First Age.", she answered.

"514?", Boromir asked; stunned.

"Yes. Was that a very long time ago?"

"Well...yes."

"I thought so.", she whispered.

"Do you miss your family? Or, did you miss them?"

"I had no family. Coming here was a blessing for me. But you...Do you miss your family?"

"Yes, a lot.", he admitted.

"Why did you stay?"

"Everyone else seemed so sure that it was the right thing to do. And I love them, and they seemed so happy. So, I went along wth them."

"Are you sorry?", Ashley asked quietly.

"Yes."



******************************************



Lady Katherine stood at the window, her gaze wandering over the empty courtyard. As was often the case of late, she was concerned about her new friends, Boromir in particular.

"And he told you this Ashley?"

"Yes m'lady, in the kitchen this morning."

"I warned them all.", she sighed; hating this new found emotion that Legolas called regret. "And now I fear that it is too late."

"Yes, I know. But I thought that you would want to know that he was..."

"Yes, of course. I am glad that you came to me with this. I often worry about him, he seems so distant. And Aragorn, I do not know what has come over him of late. I fear that I have allowed them to make a terrible mistake Ashley, one that now can not be undone. They were young and naive, and I used that to my advantage in this 'game'. I showed them the beauty of this world, while hiding the dangers. The fault is mine."

"M'lady, you warned them of the danger; they chose to stay. You followed your heart, and they followed theirs. No one is to blame."

"Oh Ashley, tell me truthfully, is it supposed to hurt so much. Is love supposed to be so hard, so painful? And yet, be so joyful; so pure?", Katherine sighed; turning to look at the young gypsy.

"Yes, I'm afraid that it is. If it were simple Lady Katherine, there would be no point.

Katherine looked at her for a moment, and Ashley knew that she was not really looking at her at all. Her silver gaze seemed to cut right through the gypsy, to be able to see right through her as if she were made of glass. Suddenly a smile spread across the faery's face, and a dark glimmer shadowed her eyes. She turned and hurried to the large closet; determination in her stride.

"Go to the stables Ashley, tell Rourke to saddle nine horses.", Katherine called over her shoulder.

"M'lady?"

"Go Ashley, and hurry. We are going on a quest."

"We?"

"Yes Ashley, we. Trust me, you will want to see this.", Katherine stated; motioning for the gypsy to hurry on her way.



********************************************



Legolas was still unsure where they were going, and somewhat intrigued by Katherine's secrecy. She had sent Rahne and Meaghan to round them all up and take them to the stables. She had been waiting for them there, along with a gypsy that he didn't know. He had been surprised to see Katherine dressed so oddly, havning dressed in men's pants and shirt. Strange as it was to see her in something other than a gown, he had to admit that it had turned him on. Now, the sight of her thigh encased in the tight material was making it hard to concentrate on the path.

"Where are we going beloved?", he asked softly; knowing that their present company made it safe for him to speak freely.

"You will see soon enough Legolas.", she answered; smiling sweetly at him.

He went back to watching the path, knowing that she wasn't going to tell him anything. Behind him, he could hear Merry hounding Rahne for similar details, and getting no help either. He envied the two of them, envied the freedom that they had to be open about how they felt for each other. And although he understood the need for such secrecy as far as he and Katherine were concerned, there were times when he longed to shout it from the top of many-towered Castle Guinevere; to tell the world that he loved her. He glanced over at her, saw her smiling at him.

"Soon beloved.", she whispered.



Boromir rode in silence, wondering just where they were going. Ashley rode next to him, not speaking. Her presence put him at ease, made him a little less homesick; and he was thankful for her presence this day. He looked over at her, his eyes locking with hers. He felt an electrical charge pass through him, and his heart skipped a beat. She smiled at him, tilting her head to look at him in puzzlement.

"Are you feeling well?", she asked.

"Yes, of course. Just curious about where we are going."

"As am I. Lady Katherine said that we were going on a quest."

"A quest? What does that mean?"

"I do not know. Although generally it involves the slaying of dragons."



Katherine pulled her stallion to a stop, motioning for everyone to stop and dismount. They all did as they were asked, still remembering the last time she had done so. Boromir looked around, expecting to see another band of unicorns. All he saw was open meadow, and the dark opening of a cave. She motioned for them to gather close around her, putting a finger to her lips.

"We must move in silence from here on. This is a dangerous endeavor, but one that I feel will be worth the risk."

"What exactly are we doing?", Aragorn asked.

"We are going in there.", she said, pointing toward the cave. "For in there lies Shalidar's grandest treasure."

"What is it?", the five men asked in unison.

"You shall see. Now, follow me and do as I say."



************************************************



The cave was dark inside, black as midnight. Katherine used her faery abilities to form a ball of firelight in her palm, thus illuminating their way through the caverns and passages. They could hear a distant rumbling, like far off thunder. Legolas was getting nervous, felt like the walls were closing in around him. The air seemed to hold an oppressive weight, treatening to crush him. Katherine suddenly stopped in front of him, and turned to him. She took his hands in hers, and stared deeply into his eyes.

"Do not fear beloved. I would not put you in harm's way, not knowingly. Trust me in this, all will be well.", she whisperd, kissing him lightly in the forehead. Legolas took a deep breath and nodded to her, wanting to assure her that he was fine. She smiled at him, then let go of his hands to continue on her way. Within moments, he saw a light ahead of them, and saw that the path they were on abruptly stopped. Katherine knelt down on the ground, and motioned for them to do the same. They all lowered themselves; crawling to her.

"We must be careful now, we are here.", she whispered; motioning them to look over the edge.



The sight that was reveled to them was awe inspring, and took their breath away. Below them lay a large ice green dragon, curled up in sleep. Large did not begin to describe the size of the beast, it was colossul. They looked at Katherine, knowing that there was much she would tell them. She smiled at them, in awe of the beast just as they were.

"This my friends is Remora, guardian of Shalidar's greatest treasure."

"Remora?", Aragorn asked. "Does that mean something?"

"In faery gaelic it means 'the end', and is sadly more fitting than you might think. For this is the last remaining dragon in all of creation. The last of his kind, the end of a once proud race.", Katherine explained sadly.

"Wow.", Merry whispered; looking back at the beast. "Why?"

"Stupidity.", Katherine said. "Even faery's are not always above the avarice's of the mortal condition. Dragons were long hunted for sport; used to prove the worthiness of knights; to prove the bravery of kings. And now, you see before you a snowdragon, hidden away from the world. The last that will ever be."

"You said that he was the guardian of Shalidar's greatest treasure. I find it hard to believe that there is anything greater than Remora.", Boromir whispered.

"But there is Boromir. And it is for you that we have come to seek it."



Katherine led them down a long set of steps cut into the rock of the cave. Their hearts began to pound as they all realized that their course would take them right past the sleeping dragon. Katherine smiled at them, trying to reassure them that it was fine. She had been within the cave hundreds of times, often came with treats for the young dragon. The need for silence depended more on her unease as to what the dragon might do if faced with so many strangers. He had never been dangerous or violent, not with her. But he could be unpredictable when awakened. She stopped suddenly as the beast stirred, holding her breath. He rooted around a little in his sleep, and then became motionless once more. Katherine let out a long, slow breath. She looked behind her at the rest of the group, and saw that they were as pale as ghosts. She began to think that perhaps she should have come along; but was fairly certain that they crystals would not work that way. She eased on around the dragon, breathing a sigh of relief as she reached the heavy oak door.



Pushing the door open, she stepped into the grotto, drawing in a startled breath. She had only been inside once, as a child; and memory did little to prepare her. The chamber was dark and moist, the dancing firelight from the globe in her hand glinting off the shards embedded in the walls. She ushered everyone in, and silently closed the door. "This is the great treasure?", Merry asked, disappointed.

"Do not judge it so harshly Meriadoc, you have not seen its power."

"Power?", Legolas asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Yes, power. I know that you have all made a difficult decision; the decision to stay here in Shalidar. I know that you all left behind people that you love; people that you miss. And I know that some of you have come to regret that decision. There is nothing I can do to change that; you are here forever. But, I can perhaps help to ease the loss.", Katherine said softly.

"With a bunch of rocks?", Boromir asked sceptically.

"Crystals Boromir. And since you seem so unconvinced, I will allow you to go first. Choose a crystal, place your hand upon it.", she urged.

Boromir did as she asked, placing his palm on the nearest shard. He felt a slight tingling on his palm, felt the rock grow heated.

"What is it that you wish to see?"

"M....my family."

"Remove your hand, and see."

He looked at the shard, saw movement in its depths. The movemnets became images, and he saw his family. A tear ran down his cheek, he missed them so desperately. He could tell that time had passed, they had all grown older. But it was his family, he was certain of that. He felt Katherine's hand close around his, felt it press his hand back to the shard. She gave a gentle tug, and the crystal fell into the palm of his hand.

"It is yours. Shalidar's greatest treasure"



***************************************************



Boromir sat on one of the kitchen tables, rolling the crystal between his fingers. As strange as it seemed, it made him feel better to know that he could at least see his family anytime he needed to.

"You are going to lose that if you aren't careful.", Lady Katherine said.

He looked up, shocked to see her standing in the kitchen.

"I was thinking the same thing.", he said.

"Perhaps this might help.", she said; holding up a thin strand of leather.

"Thanks.", he said, taking the string from her.

"Don't thank me, thank Pippin. He was the genius behind it. I noticed this morning that he had placed his crystal on such a strand."

"Of course, leave it to Pip.", he laughed, trying to figure out how to get his crystal attached to the string.

Katherine laughed softly, taking the crystal and magically weaving the string through the stone.

"Mortals!", she teased.

"Hey!", Boromir shot back, feigning hurt feelings.

"I am sorry Boromir. I meant no harm really.", she said kissing him on the cheek as she sat down on the table next to him.

He grinned at her, offering her a bite of the lamb on the plate next to him.

"I'll make a decent gypsy out of you yet Lady Katherine.", he teased.

"Of course, around the same time that pigs sprout wings and fly.", she answered, swatting him playfully on the arm.

He just smiled, glad that they had finally reached some sort of truce at last.

"Umm, in case I forgot to tell you, thanks for this.", he whispered; holding the shard away from his body.

"You are welcome. But I have court business to attend to.", she said, getting up to leave.

"Really?"

"Yes. I am teaching a young gypsy the ways of courtly love.", she said; winking at him as he walked out the door. Boromir grinned, not knowing whether to envy Legolas or pity him. Not that it really mattered much, Boromir had a lesson of his own to learn, and knew just the right teacher.



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