When The Trees Sang: Part VI
by Nicole
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They rode hard for three days, barely even stopping for rest. Legolas grew tired, but not nearly as much as the hobbits. He watched as Sam slumped over the horse on which he rode with Gimli. Pippin dozed behind Garania on her white steed, and Merry and Frodo slept together on their own horse. He smiled, with a bit of concern, but continued riding, refusing to stop. Garania looked back at him, knowing how determined he could sometimes be. The exhausted look on his face worried her, but she shook it off, knowing that there was nothing she could tell him to make him rest. The armies had rode on far ahead of them, at least half a days ride, leaving them to guard behind them. She dreaded the battle that she knew was before them, but most of all, she dreaded once again seeing her father. For the second time in the past week, an intense chill passed over her body. She knew what it was. She had known that it would come since she was young. She shook it off, pushing it to the back of her mind, and looked back down the path on which they were riding. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her signal their stop.

"Alright, I think this should be far enough. I fear that if we do not stop for rest, our companions will surely collapse from their horses."

Garania looked back at the speaker, and smiled when she saw that it was Aragon. For many years, he had been a trusted friend of hers, and when he had volunteered to join the Fellowship, she felt a sense of relief knowing that he would be there to protect Legolas if there was ever any need. He returned her smile and pulled his horse over to a nearby tree.

"I think that we should find somewhere farther from the path to rest for the night. These woods are brimming with evil creatures, and they would only find us easier if we stayed here," said Legolas, leading his horse over to the edge of the trail.

Garania nodded, knowing that he was right.

"Yes, he's right. We will not be safe here. We must find somewhere else."

Aragon re-mounted his horse, and followed Legolas and Garania's lead into the forest. They led them into the heart of the woods, far away from the path, but secluded enough that it would be difficult for anyone to discover them there. Legolas climbed down from his horse, and walked over to Garania to take the sleeping hobbit from her hands. When he had placed him safely on the ground, he reached his hands back up for her, only to discover that she had already removed herself from the horse and was leading him over to a tree to tie him. He shook his head, laughing slightly at her. For all the years that he had known her, she had always refused any help from him, or any other male with anything, when she knew precisly that she was full capable of doing it herself. It was one of the many things he loved about her. He walked back over to his own horse, and led it to where the others had taken there's, and tied him there for the night. He then returned to the group.

"Garania, tell us again about your father, and how you came to be his child," said now awake hobbit Pippin, as he rubbed his eyes and tried to wake himself up.

A dark shadow passed over her face and she shook her head.

"No, no little one, I cannot do that. Not only does it bring about bad memories, but my father's presence is now too near for me to speak of him at all, much less tell anything that could possibly bring us into more danger."

The hobbit nodded, disappointed, but understanding. Garania closed her eyes, suddenly, as another chill, this one stronger than the first, passed again over her body. A soft voice that only she could hear called to her in her mind, beckoning her to it. She closed her eyes tighter, and began to shake softly. Legolas looked at her with concern. Never before had he seen her like this. She looked so frightened, so shaken. Her face turned a color even more pale than the one before it. After a long few moments, she opened her eyes, and forced the shaking to stop. Legolas rushed over to her, wrapping his cloak around her.

"Melamin, what is it? Why do you shake so? What is the matter? Tell me, please."

She shook her head, tears threatening to fall. She held them back, refusing to cry. She had not done so since she was four and she did not plan to do it now. She looked into Legolas' eyes, the cold refusing to leave her body. It was happening. And there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Legolas' concern doubled when he saw the look of hopelessness settling in her eyes.

"Legolas, I told you that there was much that you did not know. I have no choice but to tell you this now."

He looked at her, his eyes begging for an answer. Deep down, he knew what she was about to say to him.

"I am sorry that I did not let you know this before. I didn't think that it would come on this quick, but I was wrong. I said that my father's blood runs through me, and there is nothing that I can do to change that. He has passed it onto me, his powers, his ways, his darkness. He wishes for me to return to him, to return to the ways of evil from which I was bred. There is nothing that I can do to stop it. It is taking me over."

Legolas looked at her, tears brimming in his eyes now as well. His worst fears had been confirmed by the words that she had just spoke. The answers that he had been looking for that night before had just been found. He could feel his heart pulling as he looked into her eyes. Already he could see the light that was in them turning cold. But then, a thought of hope crossed his mind.

"But you are a Light Elf, which means you are born good, so perhaps that lineage which you possess can fight this evil."

She shook her head sadly.

"No, Legolas, there is no hope. My father is a Light Elf as well, born in the ways of good. And look at what he has become now. The only thing that can stop this is the destruction of my father, and all that he stands for."

Legolas looked at her, tears streaming down his face. The group stood around them, watching helplessly, knowing that there was nothing they could do. Pippin sobbed silently. In the few short days that he had known Garania, he had come to love her dearly. She took care of him, providing him with anything he might happen to need. The sight of her on the ground before him, the goodness and light inside of her slowly giving way to darkness, crushed him inside, leaving him hollow and pained. He also hurt for Legolas, knowing the love that he possessed for the beautiful Elf, and how much this would destroy him in the end. The hopelessness of the situation left them all distraught. Even Aragorn, always proud and strong, now stood at mercy to the power that he knew was greater than all of them, even Garania. She sat crumbled on the ground, no sign left of the dignified princess that once stood before them. All that remained was a quivering, frightened version of herself, that was slowly being taken over by the dark force that coursed through her veins. She felt the tears in her eyes dry up slowly, as the evil continued to creep over her slowly.

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