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from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras · 9 months

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Three Weeks on the Nimrodel

Well, here it is. My first (and oldest) piece of fic. I'm going against my brand here by posting something set in Lorien when Rohan is really my jam. But this is the first thing I ever wrote, so it seems fitting that it should be the first posted, too.

Pairing: Haldir x reader (The reader is gender neutral beyond 2 uses of the descriptor "beautiful", which is still neutral to me but your mileage might vary.)

Genre: Romance, I guess

Summary: Two elves who are frequently misunderstood by others find the joy of having someone really see and value them for who they are.

Inspiration: This all came from the well loved gif above, in which Craig Parker does beautiful work communicating a whole emotional arc (surprise, confusion, acceptance, appreciation) when Aragorn unexpectedly shows Haldir some loving affection. In that half-second of screen time, I see an entire book of backstory about Haldir's character--about being someone who is very reserved by nature, who isn't necessarily comfortable freely expressing feelings and innermost thoughts, but who still feels deep emotional connections to others that can come out under the right circumstances. As a very reserved person myself, I can relate--if you tend to keep your thoughts and feelings close to the vest, people will make a lot of assumptions and judgments about you that probably aren't right, and that can be exhausting. When someone finally does understand you and allows you to be comfortable enough to open up on your own terms, it's a life changing experience. So that's what I tried to write.

Word count: approx 3200 (~ 6 pages)

**********

It is still early when you arrive in the center of Caras Galadhon, joining the crowd of elves waiting to find out where they will be posted for the next few weeks of guard duty. Most in the group are veteran marchwardens, deeply familiar with each other and the daily routine of life near the borders. By contrast, you are a city warden, often dedicated to the direct protection of the Lady of the Wood. But you have been asked to serve a temporary rotation on the borders while several of the regular marchwardens are away with Lord Celeborn on a visit to Mirkwood.

The change of pace is not unwelcome to you. While you love Caras Galadhon and are honored to spend time in the service of Lady Galadriel, you frequently find yourself craving distance from the city in favor of the quiet outlying areas, where it is easy to hear clear birdsong, the rustling steps of small animals scampering by, and the patter of light raindrops falling on mallorn leaves.

The crowd begins to murmur as the deputy captain appears and begins handing around sheets of paper with duty assignments. As the pages spread through the crowd, the murmurs turn to both sighs of disappointment and quiet expressions of satisfaction.

“All I want is to avoid the Nimrodel,” you overhear the elf next to you mutter to a friend of his. You recognize him as Calendil, who, like many of his companions, is well known for carousing around Caras Galadhon any time he is home on leave. As a group, the marchwardens are a boisterous company who seem always determined to pack several weeks of fun into the few days of free time they’ve been given. “Three weeks posted with the captain is more than can be asked of me.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise at this mention of Captain Haldir. You know him a little–everyone in Lorien knows the leader of the marchwardens–and have never before heard a negative word uttered about him. Your path does not often cross with his, but you admire his impressive record of achievements and have never seen him treat another elf with anything but courteous respect.

“You speak truly,” replies Calendil’s companion. “I cannot spend so much time with someone who has so little to say. That much silence is enough to drive one a little mad.”

A wave of indignation rolls through your body. It is undeniably true that Haldir is very reserved. He says little that isn’t necessary to the conduct of his duties, and what he is truly thinking behind his large blue eyes is often a mystery. But that has never seemed a negative trait to you. Indeed, you appreciate that he does not talk simply for talk’s sake and that he does not seem concerned with always making his own opinions known. What’s more, you recognize a fair amount of his inherent reserve in your own nature. If you didn’t often force yourself to satisfy others’ expectations by taking on a more outgoing, sociable persona, perhaps your own wardens would describe you just as these elves have described their captain.

Calendil’s conversation comes to an abrupt end as a copy of the assignment sheet makes its way into his hands. Peering over his shoulder, you quickly find your own name allocated to a remote post near the edge of the Dimrill Dale. A glance further down the list confirms what you already know from the quiet groan that has just escaped from Calendil’s lips: he has been assigned to the Nimrodel post.

An idea quickly forms in your head, and you tap him on the shoulder. Why should he spend three weeks feeling miserable with his posting–and, no doubt, making anyone around him miserable as a result–when you have no particular attachment to your own assignment? Calendil can go to the Dimrill Dale, and you will spend your posting with Haldir instead.

“If such a trade is permitted within your ranks, I will gladly make the exchange,” you offer. “I have always loved the river. And I have no objection to the company of someone who takes his duty seriously and does not revel in idle chatter.”

Calendil’s face registers a moment of regret as he realizes that his prior conversation has been heard by others, but it is quickly replaced by a wide, beaming smile that reflects his rapid change of fortune. “It is permitted,” he says, “and I happily accept. Remind me the next time we are both on leave, and I will reward your generosity with some of my own!”

You doubt that whatever reward he has in mind will suit your inclinations, but there is no need to worry about that now. Calendil has already sprinted off toward the deputy captain to report the change, and you turn toward home to gather your supplies.

****

Two days later, you are approaching the Nimrodel post, which is located in a lovely old mallorn tree with twisted roots that hang over the river’s edge. You raise your hand to your lips and whistle the signal. The return call echoes off the trees before a slim rope ladder drops from the branches above you. You run lightly up the rungs, making easy work of the climb to the talan perched near the great tree’s crown, where it commands a wide view of the river and much of the western section of the border.

As you hoist yourself and your pack onto the platform, you look up to see a single figure standing a few feet away. It is Haldir, leaning against the wind screen with his bow slung loosely over his shoulder and his white-blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze.You are surprised to see him there alone; wardens generally keep watch in pairs or groups of three for safety. You are there to relieve Arthalion, who is due now to return home for a break, but there is no sign of Arthalion or his things.

“Mae govannen, Captain,” you say, placing your hand on your chest and bowing your head slightly. “Is everything well?”

Haldir returns the gesture with a small smile. “Yes. It has been blessedly uneventful. Perhaps it is the threat of the weather.”

This makes sense. Just last month, an orc party attempting a surprise attack during a thunderstorm found themselves nearly washed away by sudden flooding from the Celebrant. Since then, even the hint of rain has tended to keep them at bay.

“And Arthalion? Is he out on a task?”

Haldir shakes his head. “I sent him back early. You might have passed one another in the forest except that he planned to meet a small hunting party further north. As I said, things here were quiet, and he was anxious to join his friends.” He gives a small shrug and looks down. “I will do the same for you, if circumstances allow and you desire it. I do not wish to keep anyone from their enjoyments unless duty requires it.”

You permit yourself a brief moment to wonder what Haldir’s own enjoyments might be. You have heard that he is a talented artist, making detailed pencil sketches of the forest, but he does not often show his work to others.

“That is a thoughtful offer,” you say. “But I have no pressing need to return, and I would not have you out here alone, even if there is no other elf in Lorien better able to protect himself.”

He acknowledges this compliment with a modest smile and gestures toward a small shelf where you can store your belongings. His own are few in number but neatly stacked or folded with military precision. You note that he does, in fact, have a small bundle of pencils and a notebook, but, as expected, there is no sign of any actual drawings.

After stowing your things, you settle into a position opposite him on the talan, and a silence ensues. It is of no bother to you–you’re enjoying the smell of the damp air and the touch of the light wind on your face–but you soon notice that Haldir is looking increasingly discomfited as the quiet minutes slip by. His gaze shifts frequently between the horizon, his hands on his bow, and your face.

“Was…your journey here pleasant?” His face is studiously neutral, but his voice sounds strained and he picks at a splinter on his bow. You realize that he is trying to make conversation for your benefit, to fill in the noticeable silence with casual talk that clearly does not come easily to him. You feel a sudden rush of affection for him, this intensely quiet being who is making himself uncomfortable so that you will feel welcome. You wonder how best to put him at ease.

“It was very pleasant,” you reply. “I am so rarely outside of the city these days that any chance to enjoy the forest is a gift. I can understand why being a marchwarden is an attractive job, at least during times of relative peace.”

He looks up, reappraising your face, and nods his agreement.

You hesitate before speaking again, unsure about how directly to address his uneasiness.

“Captain,” you begin, “it sounds like we may have an uneventful tour here. If that is the case, please do not feel that you are obligated to occupy my time. I am quite comfortable with quiet activity and my own thoughts and would gladly afford you space for the same if that is something you wish.”

His cheeks and ears flush slightly but, despite his apparent embarrassment at being accurately perceived, he seems immediately relieved as well. “Thank you,” he says. “If you are as good a warden as you are a reader of people, I feel myself in safe hands indeed.”

The next several days pass by peacefully. Between occasional scouting trips up or down the riverbank and regularly monitoring the view from the talan, you mostly spend the time together in companionable silence. You take turns preparing simple meals, and during breaks in the intermittent rain you make minor repairs to nearby rope bridges and other hidden defenses in the area. In the evenings, you read a book by lantern light while Haldir sits next to his own lantern and sketches in his notebook, occasionally transferring completed drawings into a closed leather folio at his side. Every so often, you both glance up at the same time, and you give him a warm smile when your eyes meet before turning back to your respective pages.

*****

One evening, as you clean up the remains of your small dinner and take out your book again, Haldir lightly clears his throat.

“That book seems to engage you much,” he says. “May I ask what it is?”

Surprised, you hold it out to him, and he takes it, examining the cover and flipping through a few pages.

“I do not recognize this script,” he says, looking at it with curiosity.

“It is a representation of Rohirric,” you tell him. “My brother was a skilled linguist who passed on some small portion of his knowledge to me. He spent many months visiting a friend in the court at Edoras and helped them to start preserving some of their oral traditions with a system of letters. This is a copy of one of his first completed projects–the story of the founding of Rohan–which he sent to me as a gift.”

Haldir looks again with renewed interest at a few pages before handing the book back to you. “Your brother sounds like an impressive scholar,” he says. “Does he remain in Rohan?”

You hesitate slightly before responding. “In a way. Two years ago an orc band in search of horses raided a village near the Limlight while my brother happened to be visiting. They caught him and his hosts unaware. The Rohirrim buried his body in a place of honor with their people, though his spirit has surely gone to Mandos.”

You relate this with downcast eyes, tracing over your brother’s name on the cover of the book with your thumb. After a few moments, you look up again, expecting to see Haldir withdrawn from the conversation. You know that many elves are uncomfortable with death, which is an unnatural state for your kind, and there is nothing in your interactions so far to indicate that Haldir will want to continue such a personal discussion. You are surprised once again, however, to find that he is looking at you intently.

“I am deeply sorry,” he says. “Working as I do, I have known many elves who met a similar fate in battle, and it is never easy. My own brothers are a treasure to me, and I cannot imagine losing them. I hope I have not contributed to your suffering by unwittingly bringing up a painful subject.”

You blink back a few tears and smile. Through your sadness, you are moved by the warmth of his response and honored that he was willing to share something personal of himself. “Of course not,” you say. “Talking about my brother is one way to keep him with me. Thank you, Captain.” You reach forward and squeeze his hand. He flinches slightly at the unexpected touch, but then gently returns the squeeze.

“Please,” he says, “call me Haldir.”

*****

After that night, things are different between the two of you. You both speak more often, tentatively at first but then with increasing comfort. You trade stories about old adventures and talk about the joys and frustrations of your daily lives. You discover that he has much to say when he finally feels more at ease. He is even quite funny, with a dry wit that you did not expect but thoroughly enjoy. You walk together in the forest and rest your feet in the waters of the Nimrodel during the day, and in the evenings he asks you to read to him from your book. You happily relate tales of Cirion and Eorl and the coming of the Northmen to Calenardhon as he draws quietly, occasionally interjecting a question or a brief comment.

The time passes quickly and easily, and soon your rotation will be at an end. You realize there is a growing pain in your heart each time you think about your imminent departure. Your old life suddenly feels dull and uninteresting to you now. You do not want to go back to a time without his companionship. You debate whether to say this to him, but you cannot imagine how he might react to such a confession. Paralyzed by uncertainty, the last days of your assignment tick by.

On your final evening, you are preparing for one last opportunity to enjoy what has become your nightly routine. Just as he is about to settle with his notepad and folio, however, he notices your canteen is empty and insists on climbing down to fill it for you. As he reaches the ground and disappears over the riverbank, the wind changes direction and a sudden gust rips across the talan, flinging back the cover of the folio and sending papers flying out in all directions. You cry out in dismay and throw yourself desperately onto the pages whipping around you, seeking to hold them down long enough to gather them safely together.

It is only after you have retrieved all the loose pages and are preparing to neatly stack them that you first look at the drawings themselves and are stunned by what you see: beautiful illustrations of the stories you’ve been reading to him, the words of your brother’s book brought to vivid life in graceful pencil lines and delicate shading. You leaf through the stack in awed amazement only to nearly drop the whole pile again when you turn a page and find an image of yourself as you must look to him each night, sitting by your lantern with your book in your lap. You keep turning pages and find more of yourself…braiding your hair first thing in the morning, standing at the wind screen and scanning the horizon, unlacing your boots at the end of a day. Your breath catches in your throat as you absorb these images. You have never looked more beautiful than you do here, seen through his eyes.

A sudden noise behind you tears your attention from the papers in your hand, and you turn to find Haldir standing there. You are immediately overwhelmed by panic and begin to stammer out an explanation for how you came to be holding his personal things, violating his privacy. “I…the wind…they were blowing away and…”. Hot tears well up in your eyes and are soon spilling down your cheeks, partly from embarrassment at the situation but mostly as the feelings you’ve been keeping pent up threaten to come flooding out all at once. “I was not trying to…I…”. An involuntary sob robs you of the ability to finish your sentence, though you aren’t sure how you would have finished it had you been able.

At the sound of your sob, he moves forward, quickly closing the distance between you. He hesitantly cups a hand under your jaw and uses his thumb to brush a tear from your cheek. “Please do not cry,” he says. “I would not ever see you in pain if it were in my power to prevent it. I am not upset. These drawings were for you, for your book. You were meant to have them, except the last few, which I hoped to keep as a reminder of these days and how happy I have been.” Your eyes snap up to his face, searching for confirmation that you have correctly understood his words.

“You know that I am not much for talking,” he continues. “But I am a very good observer. I know that you see me for who I am, just as I see you. I see all of the ways that you are kind and interesting and intelligent and beautiful. I have no expectation that you return my feelings, and if all I ever have with you are these three weeks then I will cherish the memory of these weeks through all the long ages of my life. But I would….”

Before he can complete his thought, your body reacts on its own impulse, a pure release of elation. You throw your arms around his neck and bury your face in his broad chest, still crying but now with tears of joy. You hear a sharp intake of breath as he processes your reaction, and for a fraction of a moment he stands motionless and silent before breaking into a smile and wrapping you in his arms. You could live in those arms forever, and now perhaps you will.

#haldir #haldir x reader #haldir x you #lotr #lotr fanfic #lord of the rings fan fiction #haldir of lorien #tolkien fanfiction

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cambion-companion · 1 year

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Me having to live with the fact fictional characters will never exist.

#thrawn #maedhros #glorfindel #blorbos #aemond #fictional crushes #comfort characters #fantasy world #maladaptive daydreaming #shifting #aemond targaryen #legolas #haldir #lotr #hotd

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dancerinthestorm · 8 months

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Fic Recs: "Didn't see that one coming" edition...

I've been wanting to start collecting my all time favorite stories in ages but never knew where to start, there are just too many talented souls out there. A lazy day of re-reading favorites makes me want to finally give it a try though.

Featuring today: stories that defy my usual hunting patterns but still became all time favourites against all odds. Stories leaving me utterly gobsmacked thinking "That was so, soo awsome... but how on earth did I end up in this fandom / character / trope tag of all places?".

@messy-insomniac-bookgirl Let's be honest: this writer is the spirit animal of this specific selection. Never heard of the fandom? Dislike the protagonist with a passion? Doesn't matter: she writes it, I devour and love it. The reason? Dense and hugely rewarding story-telling, perfect pacing, side characters you want to adopt on the spot, delicious slow burns with sooo much yearning. And, most importantly, the awesome female OCs. I am in love with each and every one of them, regardless who they share a screen with. It's almost impossible to select just one story for this list but let's go for "Keep Calm and Buckle Up" (AO3) for suddenly making me feel things when Steve Rogers entered the stage in "Infinity War". Steve Rogers x OFC, James "Bucky" Barnes x OFC, Steve x Bucky x OFC. Action, slow burn, emotional roller coaster rides. Rated E.

@batsingotham "Written in the stars" (AO3) I don't do Soul Mate AUs. I don't do Robert Pattinson characters. For me the best things about "The Batman" were Andy Serkis' Alfred and 3 hours of Niravana in a loop. But the undisputed goddess queen of slow burn domestic fluff overruled all of that. Bruce Wayne/Reader. Soulmate AU. Dorks in love. Bruce needs a hug and Alfred has the patience of a saint. Rated M.

"Sweet Conversations" by @glassgulls Lord of the Rings has been living in my head rent free ever since I was a teenager but I simply don't do Elves. Period. Yes, Glorfindel is very cool and Lee Pace's Thranduil is an absolute vision (the costumes, the voice and the make up, mind you, don't get me started on any other aspect of the Hobbit movies though...) but otherwise? Thanks but no thanks. Nevertheless: the award for best fictional kiss I’ve come across in ages goes to this gem. Amazing scene setting and character work for something so short. Leaves you weak-kneed and high as a kite on serotonin for the rest of the day. Haldir/Reader. One-shot. Rated M.

„Ownership of Mine“ by @amywritesthings . Okay, lets be honest, peeps: Prison settings for a romance story? Seriously? Who in their right mind would be able to think about romance and seduction when all of your freedom is taken away, you are crammed into a small and dark space with people of questionable character and put under constant surveilance. Well… apparently I can… with this story. Even if that tag is a big red NO GO sign for me otherwise. Amazingly dense story telling and atmosphere building in just 3 short chapters. Kino Loy/Reader. Rated E.

„Directions“ by @zinzinina . Probably a sure sign that I am getting too old for all of this but tags about age gaps, first love or first times usually make me run for the hills. Add a character like Poe Dameron (I mean: come on! Howww…?!) to the mix and there is not enough willing suspension of disbelieve in the world to get me immersed in the plot. Or so I thought. Unwisely. Until this beauty came along. Poe Dameron/Reader. Rated E.

#fic recs #stories to cherish and re-read for all eternity #fan fiction #steve rogers x ofc #james bucky barnes x ofc #steve rogers x james bucky barnes x ofc #haldir x reader #haldir survives lotr goddamit!#bruce wayne x reader #battinson x reader #kino loy x reader #poe dameron x reader #dancerinthestorm reads

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fantasies-fairytales-n-fics · 5 months

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Thranduil and Josie Pt. 168- Gypsy Origins Part 1 of 3

Summary: Haldir's patience is tested during a long, bitter journey. A hypnotic tale of past truths be told.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, blood, violence, death, child death

Chapter characters: Haldir, Delphine(Jocelyn), Rumil, Orophin, Harker, Jemma, Zeddicus, Jessie, Thomas, Ravenna, Finn,

Chapter word count: 7,000

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist:

As the dawn of the new winter day shone it's light through the sky reaching bare trees, Jocelyn reluctantly surfaced from under a sizeable pile of brush where she had sought shelter through the cold black night from the evil enchantments of the dark forest and the wicked ones that dwelled within it's borders. Still weakened from the burning cross branded onto her chest by the nutty nun's red hot iron bar, the witch doctor slowly and cautiously crept over the pathless snow covered forest floor, squinting her light strained eyes as she searched for the way out before the befoul breeze consumed her thoughts and lungs for it's morning breakfast. Being accustomed to the lifeless woodlands of the Dorwinion realm, Jocelyn soon found the hidden exit only seen by the trained eye and as she crossed over, trained eyes were watching her. Six of them, all blazing blue, belonging to Haldir, Rumil and Orophin whom were all armed with engaged arrows upon her.

Gasping, her hues, also of blue, frantically darted beyond the trio of platinum locks in search for Bash.

"Where...where's Bash???"

Haldir, being the leading Marchwarden of Lorien and the only Silvan elf of the three that spoke Westron due to all his travels, chose to toy with the witch that he was undeniably unfond of.

"One could only presume his flesh has been ripped from his warlock bones and his soul stripped of his rotting carcass. It is usually the outcome of being left at the mercy of the devil himself."

Her brow raised as she smirked at Haldir's rather serious expression.

"And I can only presume that you are lying through your pretty white elven teeth. Any fool can see that you deeply care for Josie and you would not allow harm to come to those who have risked their lives to help her, even if those I refer to are warlocks who happen to be relatives of the notorious Lord Narcisse, who's reputation highly precedes him in not being a very liked man, but compared to Rahl, Stephane is a fucking saint. I know that you did not leave Bash and that young boy to die and I also know that as wicked as Rahl is, he would not kill his brother and son. His father yes, because the wretched warlock deserved it. Rahl was merely toying with them as you toy with me. I did not willingly leave them. I..."

"You ran for your wicked little life." Haldir scoffed.

Jocelyn bravely marched right up to the poison tipped arrows that were still held upon her and defended herself.

"I am not wicked!! And...what would you have had me do??? YOU were the ones with weapons, not me! Now where are Bash and Charles??"

"Being escorted by the others back to the castle as you now will be. You will follow me. Jo needs you. She's waiting."

Haldir swiftly departed as Rumil and Orophin held their armed stances, while Jocelyn huffed and stomped off to follow the Marchwarden.

After a few minutes, Jocelyn became annoyed at the two brothers behind her and glanced back at them with a scowl.

"Can you please give me some elbow room??" she snapped. "You know, personal space, ever heard of it??"

Ignoring her complaints, the two elves silently carried on behind her with flat expressions which only riled her up even more as she offered them another scowl.

"You know, my mother used to tell me that always having a resting bitch face could end up with it becoming stuck like that. In your case, I can see that to be true. Do you speak? Have you ever? Do you even know how??"

Still, there was not a single word from any of the three elves.

"UNbelievable!"

Jocelyn shook her head and then ran up beside Haldir.

"Am I going to have these arrows in my back the entire way? Why am I being treated like a prisoner?? I have done nothing wrong!"

"Haven't you?" Haldir snarked as he kept his eyes straight ahead.

"Ok, I can clearly tell that you do not like me which is probably because, like all the other fools, you believe the UNTRUE stories you have heard about me."

"I do not like you because you reek of deceit and you insult myself and my brothers."

"Well hello pot, meet kettle...you certainly have been no prince charming."

"I am no Prince. Personal space." Haldir snarked and sped up his large strides in which Jocelyn now angrily trotted behind him.

"Yes. I can tell. Princess may be a better term. And what do you mean deceit? I have deceived no one. If anything, "I" have been deceived here. I would much rather resume my torture at the nunnery than to be forced to return to the lion's den per se OR to be anywhere near the likes of you and your bow happy brothers!"

Haldir spun around so fast that she bounced right off of his chest and tumbled with a hard thud onto her ass.

"Is that all your witch lips do is babble? My goal is to bring you to Jo who needs your help and who I thought you cared for and who in this moment, you remind me VERY much of."

Her gaping eyes then turned to a glare. "Call off your guard dogs or you will have to carry me for I will go no further!"

Haldir thought of you again in that moment, how you had refused to get out of his way and he had picked you straight up and moved you himself. The memory had the Marchwarden chuckling inside of his mind, but on the outside, his face matched the solemn spirits of his brothers who now stood behind him as they all leered down at her.

Haldir's tone was ominous as he spoke through slitted lips. "That could be arranged."

Their piercing eyes now had the feisty brunette quite anxious.

"I dare you to try sprite. Maybe you should heed all the rumors as they say I am poisonous and I do believe elves can be poisoned. Who will help you then? It's a long walk back to the imported Mirkwood healing water. Go ahead...touch me."

The silence and the stares between the four were intensely long and then Haldir finally lifted his hand and motioned for his brothers to lower their weapons.

A smug smirk grew on Jocelyn's lips as the two elves complied. "Good boys. As if you would have shot me anyways Haldy. You need me."

"Jo needs you. I can always shoot you in the leg."

"And then you WILL have to carry me." she quipped and hopped to her feet and walked off to a tree and pulled out a knife.

The arrows swiftly rose again, this time by all three elves.

"What are you doing?!" Haldir growled as she began to cut into the tree.

"It's Spruce bark, which I would have figured a wood elf would know of. It has medicinal purposes, although I don't think it can do anything for that stick up your ass." she replied in a mordacious manner as she cut the pulp out and ate it while gazing in the exasperated elf's eyes. "Would you like to try a piece for good meas...."

Before she could finish her sentence or even blink, Haldir swiftly swiped the knife clean from her hand with an elven move completely invisible to the eye.

"It would seem there was good cause for our weapons. Bo cín té witch (On your way witch)."

Jocelyn's mouth hung open at her empty hand and then her eyes fumed at him before she stormed off. "This is bullshit!"

Haldir mumbled under his breath as the elves now followed her. "Yes it is."

An hour had went by as all walked in silence and Jocelyn's steps were slowing, for the tree bark's energy boosting properties were wearing off and the area of the forest they trekked through became all too familiar to her.

"Could I please have my knife back? I need more of the pulp. My chest is on fire, yet I am freezing and I am tiring." she asked in a defeated tone.

"How is it that you are chilled with the fur of a dead animal constricting your neck?"

"It is not real. I am not some savage like you think me to be. I am just someone who was thrown into a world I did not ask for. Now please...are you not an elf of light? If you have a heart under that tough guy act, which I think you do, for you are doing all of this for Josie, then help me before I collapse or you you really will have to carry me. I need to be stronger to help her. God..I still cannot believe she is here in Dorwinion, but it was inevitable that she would cross paths with Stephane at some point since Jul....never mind. I don't want to talk anymore. I...I feel sick."

Jocelyn sat on a fallen tree, lightly panting and then began to weep.

Haldir stopped and cut a large chunk of the bark, then removed the pulp and chopped it into bite size pieces for the ailing witch.

"Tha...thank you." she sniffled as she took it and kept her eyes to the ground as she nibbled. "Why...do you think I am deceitful?"

"The scent of secrets spill from your pores. For many years, Jo has known and believed your daughter Sarah to be simply her human neighbor and best friend in the mundane world, which included you and I now believe that to be of no coincidence, for now here you are, a witch, in middle earth's magical realm and I have since learned that lady Lola is also your daughter. You also claim you are in fear of a recently deceased Caroline and that you should not speak of Jo. Why is that? Jo has been deeply hurt by that wretched witch turned vampire for she too was full of secrets and lies as you clearly are. I will not let you hurt her too. Speak the truth or as I mentioned, I can and will force you. What is your involvement with Caroline and why is Harker after you? Something happened here. I feel it."

"Here I thought you could actually be nice. So interesting. You speak of deceit as if you have not swam in it yourself. You can sense light and darkness and force truth from others and I... I can see all of that in their eyes, the windows to the soul and yours speak loudly. Jo...you...you love her....intimately you have been when she was not yours to be with. It would also seem...yessss, that you were also intimate with her mother. Now who reeks of deceit?"

Haldir's jaw clenched and his nose flared. "Wicked you are! I have had enough of your deflection."

Jocelyn's breath was lost as her eyes were taken against their will by the unseen power in Haldir's hypnotic glare. She could not pull them free from his wild, dilated blues. She could not even blink as tears dripped down her cheeks like a leaking faucet. She could not move from the log beneath her, only tremble and whimper as the magical elf's lips began to move.

"Im orth- i fána o nin eyes. Ennas na- baw dolen hen faer tur- deli-. Im orth- i fána o nin eyes. On- nin i dolen hen faer hides." (I raise the veil from my eyes. There is no secret her soul can hide. I raise the veil from my eyes. Give me the secrets her soul hides).

Haldir raised his chin and stared down the slope of his nose at the vulnerable woman.

"Tell me about Harker. All that you know and have experienced."

The memories began to play like a movie and Haldir could see them all as they were transferred from her eyes to his while she told the story in her trance like state. It was if she were reliving it right there in the present.

I...I'm in bed. I don't feel well. I can't sleep. My stomach is cramping and my sheets are bloodied. I have become a woman on my 13th Birthday. It's the night of the summer solstice celebration, the longest night of the year and I am the only child there. My older brother Jeremy is away.

I hear violin music and my father's obnoxious laughter from the traveling carnival outside. I see people drinking and dancing around a bonfire from the window of our trailer. My gypsy mother is giving tarot readings. They're all gypsies, even my grandfather but I knew they were much more than that. He's coming in to check on me. I can smell his old spice cologne.

He's bringing me a potion for pain. It's glowing. I ask him as I always did, are you a witch? Is this magic? He's laughing. He says...

A witch doctor. It's hocus pocus my child.

He watches me drink and then, there is no more sound. The music has stopped. The laughing has stopped. I hear gasping. My mother is shouting for my grandfather.

Papa!

I'm watching once again from the window as he goes to her. She's clinging to my father while others stand near, staring at a man I have never seen. He wears black leather, his hair is light and his eyes are blue, but they hold darkness. He is not wanted here. I'm listening to my grandfather and the man speak.

Be gone warlock! Your kind does not belong here.

Oh but I do. You see, I too enjoy a good carnival. In fact, like you, I have my own traveling funfair, but I must say, it is much more...fun...than this. Maybe you have heard of it? Harker's World of Wonders?

It is a circus of freaks, all like you. You steal children and their souls.

I do not steal them. They are given to me. Just as you are going to give me yours. I smell her.

He looks at me in the window. I am so scared. I..I have peed myself.

And I see something else you're going to give me as well. Mmmm, I wish that I had Jessie's girl.

My father's name is Jessie.

I see the man ogling my mother. He runs his tongue over his teeth. My mother shouts at him.

I will give you nothing!

Jemma, Jemma, Jemma...you will, or everyone here will die in a matter of seconds. Do you want all of their blood on your hands? It's simple really. Give yourself and your daughter to me and I will let them all live.

I'm watching my mother. She is stringing her slingshot behind my grandfather's back while the warlock speaks. She lunges forward and shoots a rock clean though his hand. She screams at him.

Get out of here! Leave this camp you murdering bastard!

He's angry. He clenches his fist and blood pours out.

I warned you witch. Now be still and watch.

I'm shaking, too scared to watch...but I do. His injured hand forms the shape of a gun and real bullets spray and shatter the trailer next to me. There's an explosion and so much fire. There's so much screaming. I hear my mother's screams. I cover my ears and scream too.

Many are dead in seconds like he said. I see my mother and grandfather. They're alive, but I do not see my father. Now I see him. He's running to me! I hear him shout for me. Joss!!!

I'm screaming and banging on the window. Daddy no!! Get down!!

I hear more bullets firing and I watch him fall. My mother and grandfather watch him fall. I..I can't breathe. I can't move. I hear my mother screaming again. I see her running to him, crying out his name. Jessie!!!

She falls onto him, pleading for him to wake up... but he doesn't.

I run from the trailer in my nightgown to go to my dad and the evil man grabs me. My mother panics and begs him to let me go.

Your father will be next. DO you give yourself and the child to me???!!

Just take me! Leave my child with her grandfather.

NO Momma!!! I cry and try to free myself, but he is too strong.

Two for the price of one is the deal...or DIE!

My grandfather curses him. The man laughs and twirls his finger. My grandfather begins to bleed from his eyes.

Your magic does not work on me old fool Zeddicus!!

My mother pleads for him to stop. She agrees to his deal.

You can have us!!! Please stop!!

We ride off with the warlock on his black horse and never see my grandfather again for many years."

Haldir's heart slightly palpitated when she finished, for it saddened him deeply what had happened to her and family, but he knew he had to make her continue, for there was much more he needed to know.

"Tell me all that transpired after."

Jocelyn's flooded eyes fluttered but remained locked in the Marchwarden's as she resumed her terrifying tale.

"I'm waking up. I don't know where I am. I don't see my mother, only other children, lots of them, boys and girls, all of different ages and skin color. They're scared. Some are crying. I'm looking around. I think I'm in a stable? I'm not sure. The walls are wooden. It smells. The floor is dirt. I see daylight creeping through the cracks in the walls.

An older woman speaks to me. She's dressed like a servant.

Come child. We must clean you up and then you will sit quietly with the others until it is time for your bread and water.

I tell her my name and ask her what hers is. She says names do not matter here. I am a number and to do as I'm told.

She bathes me in a stall. The water is dirty and cold. She makes me wear a large cloth for my undergarment, pinned like a diaper. She's brushing my tangled hair. It hurts. She's not gentle like my mother. I hear noise outside. When the woman tends to another child, I sneak to the wall and peek through a small hole. I see lots of me. I think they are guards and I see strange looking people, carnies I suppose, some with physical ailments, almost animal like, dressed for circus acts. I see Harker's trailer. His name is on it. He's coming out with my mother! She's crying, her hair is a mess, her clothes are torn and he is smiling and groping her. I yell to her.

Momma!!

A clammy hand covers my mouth and I'm pulled away from the wall. It's the servant.

Hush child!! Do not draw attention to yourself. You are to be seen and not heard or you will moved up the waiting line.

Wh...what is that?? I ask her.

To be taken to the witch in the woods and you will never return.

But..but I want to see my mother!

You cannot. Ever. She belongs to the master now as do we all. Now go sit down. It is time to eat. You must stay in reasonable shape for when your time comes. If you are rejected, you will suffer dearly.

I'm shaking and crying. I can't stop. Night falls and I hear the most frightening sounds outside. Screaming, moaning, laughing. I cry myself to sleep. Every day is the same. Every night is the same. Every 3 days, I watch children from different groups, nine of them, leave at dusk in a wooden cage on wheels with iron bars. They are replaced with new ones by Harker over the 3 days after and the cycle repeats. He does the work. His men make the delivery.

We travel to new places each week. Places I do not recognize. I don't think I am near home anymore. I scratch marks into the walls each night with a rock to keep track of the days. When we move, I count the marks and memorize the number and then start all over again.

352 days have went by and I am 14 now. It is the summer solstice again. I think I am the oldest of all the children. I am lucky I have not been chosen yet but I wish I would be so I could see the sky and breathe the air again, even if it was for the last time. I regret my thoughts. Dusk is settling in and the wagon is being prepared. Harker comes for me and two others from my group. We're all screaming and crying as we are dragged to our wooden chariot. I...I hear my mother!!! She's still alive!! She's shouting my name and running to me.

NO!!! Please!!! Not her!!

Harker strikes her. She falls to the ground. Her lip is bleeding. He orders the guards to take her away. They carry her off, barely conscious as she reaches for me. I am picked up and violently thrown into the wagon. The children are huddling in the back while I sit alone at the door being gawked at by the two guards who follow.

The journey is long and hot. We are traveling on winding narrow paths near a raging ocean. One of the children had lived in the area. Thomas is his name. His eyes are chocolate like his skin. He calls the inland sea a black sea of death. It eats the living and the dead. On the North-West side is the Dorwinion realm, a land of Warlocks and humans. He says the King is of both light and darkness. Some say he has an evil twin but the boy is not sure. He then tells me that one of the witch Queen's castles dwells on the cliffs of the South-Eastern side and that her King is a King of Goblins who dwells in the Misty mountains far away to the North-West and he also says Harker is his brother. They are both evil but not nearly as their mother, a winter witch.

He looks to the North and reveals that a very powerful Elvenking of light reigns there over the vast woodland realm of Mirkwood. He points to a very hard to see island in the North-East, Devil's Island he quietly calls it, and claims it is an isle of vicious vampires with it's own King, for the true ruler of them all and the most ruthless, reigns in the central Misty mountains. Aren't all vampires? I ask him. He says only if their heart is vicious. His finger sways to the South-East and says a younger more modern vampire, a notorious recluse, lives at the top of the mountain and leads a smaller clan. It is rumored that his mind and heart are at war over humans and that is why he hides in the shadows until he must feed. The boy ends his navigational story of the monsters that circle us by telling me that somewhere, deep in the dark forest, unseen to the eye, there's a hidden realm called the Wander Woods, ruled by a twisted Faerie Queen. I want to laugh because all these things are not supposed to be real, but I cant I cry instead because I know after meeting Harker that they are very real and that I'm about to die. I'm not in Kansas anymore and no wizard will save me. This is another fairy tale. The dark one of Hansel and Gretel.

I see the castle. It almost touches the full moon from high upon the cliff. The wagon stops at the gates. All nine of us are clutching each other and screaming. The guards are poking us with poles and tell us to remain silent. Our breaths must be preserved. We are chained in a single file and led inside. I am first.

Myself and the two behind me are unchained. Thomas is one of them. Servants scurry up to us and drag us off. They mock us as we are primped and polished. They tell us the Queen will not eat what is ugly. I'm staring out the window into the brightly moonlit ocean. There's a giant vessel. Oh my god!! They're throwing the lifeless bodies of children overboard! I pee myself again. Luckily it buys me time but it shortens Thomas's and the other child's. They take them first as I am roughly and speedily cleaned up.

They take me up to the top of the sky scraping tower. The room is prodigious and round, lit by a fire pit in the center. A woman of golden hair, pinned up under a brass crown, stands at a mirror. Her back is to me. She is weeping. There's a man of short ivory hair at her side, holding her up and comforting her.

Time is running out brother. Where is the third child!!??

A grandfather clock echoes two chimes. It is 11:30.

She is here now sister.

The woman turns and stares at us. Her blue eyes are young but evil and her skin is aging. She wears an abundance of jewelry. Upon the ring and pinky finger of her left hand are a metal claws.

I accidentally gasp and she glares at me with a wicked smile. Her voice is soft but it makes my skin crawl. She tells me I will be saved for last since I am the heaviest. I don't understand.

She approaches Thomas. He's small, maybe 10 years old and stands only to my shoulders. I squeeze his hand as she squeezes his face in to a pucker. She tells him he has beautiful skin and likes how it shimmers of youth in the light. Her smile and her gaze turns dark.

Thomas's hand slips from mine as he is lifted by his face up to her face. His feet are kicking as he helplessly dangles in the air. I...I can't breathe. I can't watch. I squish my eyes shut as I hear a sucking noise and then a thud. My eyes pop open and Thomas lies still at her feet. His skin is all shriveled. A servant drags him away and the other child is brought forward by her face. It happens again. I still do no do not watch. I feel her approach me and then she speaks to me.

Open your eyes child. I must see all of you, closely. Every detail. You must be of perfection.

I can't stop myself from opening them. She looks different. Her skin is healing. She is stronger. Now I understand why I am last. Now I understand it all. She is eating our souls to feed and preserve her youth and power.

Ahhh yes. You will do just fine fair one.

She grabs me under my chin and lifts me from the ground. I feel paralyzed. I can't even kick my legs. Her grip is so tight, I am choking and it forces my mouth open. Her mouth opens, unrealistically wide and she begins to suck my soul into her body. I feel my skin tightening. I'm slowly imploding as the air in my lungs is sucked dry. Something else is happening. Something that is not supposed to. I see it in her widened eyes as he hand loosens it's grip. I feel my skin reforming and my breath returning. I see my soul's essence flow from her mouth, back into mine. It has a fiery color swirling in it that it didn't have before. It burns my chest and then becomes cool and tingly. She gasps for air and drops me.

She stumbles back into her brother's awaiting arms and her eyes are gaping mad as she watches me slowly sit up.

Ravenna, my sister, what is it??!! her befuddled brother asks as he too gapes at me.

Help me up Finn. Now!

She's assisted to her feet and she grabs a fistful of my hair as she screams at me.

How OLD are you!!!!!???

Again, I do not understand.

I...I...I am...f..ff...fourteen.

This cannot be! She merely looks 12!" the brother proclaims. "Harker would never send anyone over 13!

She glances at the clock. It is 5 minutes till midnight.

Give me one of the other children! Quickly!

A servant rushes off and comes back with a girl who looks no more than 8. Ravenna finishes her ritual with only seconds to spare. The clock then chimes twelve times as her youthful image is restored.

Ravenna is telling Harker's guards to have Harker return with her next shipment to answer for his mistake and send an extra child to replace me. They are not pleased. She is now ordering Finn to throw me in the sea with the other bodies, but he stops the guards and argues with her.

Sister. I cannot. You must send her back. She survived which means she still belongs to Harker. Not only will it now be considered taking from a warlock, but it is a rule of the spell Jadis has placed. You must never rid of a survivor. It is an omen. There will be consequences, for the girl has consumed some of your magic.

Damn that jealous woman!! It is the only reason she has done this to me!

Sister...I believe bedding the King Jasper was the cause. Look what she allowed Jareth to do to him and his men. You should consider yourself fortunate that Jareth wanted you alive.

Fortunate brother?!!! I had to pay this price to live!! Enough. Today is your lucky day little girl but do not think I will ever forget this, nor forgive it. With that said, you will remain here until Harker arrives to answer for this!!

Harker's men are angry as Finn is dragging me off. I am happy to have escaped death but I do not know what will happen to me now. I feel so desperate."

Jocelyn stopped and Haldir thought for a moment as her eyes remained a prisoner of his. Her story only darkened with the more she revealed and he knew she would remember all of this when he freed her of his mind manipulation and may be traumatized from it, but still...there was so much more he must extract from her memories, for even the simplest of information could be highly useful at some point and...she had all the answers to your questions of the past regarding Sarah and now even Lola and Narcisse were involved. They both were too close to you and Leeanduil, so it had to be done. He had come this far. There was no turning back now.

Haldir's dilated pupils pulsed as the thin ring of blue around them glowed like an eclipse.

He then spoke one word.

"Continue."

More tears rushed upon her flushed cheeks from her immobilized eyes as she obeyed his command.

"I am being locked in a dungeon, only it is not underground. It is in a tower. The door is grated iron. There is only one small window with no glass. It is so hot. There is no bed. I'm so tired. I fall instantly asleep on the filthy floor. My face is burning. I open my eyes and the sun is shining on me. It is morning. I am searching the room for something, anything to help me escape but there is nothing. I feel like I am suffocating. I need air.

I am climbing up to the window. If I could fit through, it would not matter. It has two iron bars in it and there is nowhere to go but hundreds of feet down to my death. It is all a rubble of rocks on the ocean's edge. I see something. What is...that?? It is a large loose iron nail. I...I think I can reach it. I am stretching my arm through the window. I...I've got it! But it's hard to pull and it's hot from the sun I assume. I'm pulling and pulling. It finally comes out. I am looking it over, thinking of what I can do with it. Maybe I can pick the l...oh god! Someone is coming!

I see Finn approaching with food. I'm hiding the nail behind my back as he comes in. Now I realize what I can do with it, but am I brave enough to try?? If I am caught, what will happen to me? I don't care. I have to get away. I don't like how he is looking at my breasts. It is now or never.

He is walking up to me. He touches my bare chest and licks his lips. I am shaking and becoming very angry. The nail is still hot. I cannot hold it anymore. I am clenching it tight and I...I swing the pointed edge at his face. It slices his cheek from his eye to his jaw. He is screaming and I am running out the door he left open. I don't know where I am going. I just keep running. I see an opening with light but when I get there, it is only a drop off to the ground.

I turn and run the other way. I hear Finn's voice and other guards nearby. Corner after corner. I keep going, looking for stairs. I find some and rush down them but now I...I am lost and even more desperate. I see a courtyard and more light coming from a small opening with water on the ground outside of it, but there are guards everywhere. They see me and begin shouting and chasing me and now I have no choice but to run to the hole. One of them almost catches me. I dive into the opening and I am now sliding right into a flooded drainage tunnel. I'm soaked and wading my way through it to the light. I crawl over the edge and I am now on the side of the cliff with nothing but the raging ocean below. They're coming through the water. I have no choice but to jump. I close my eyes tightly shut and force my feet forward. I'm falling. I plunge into the black sea of death. I think my heart has stopped beating.

I'm fighting the current, trying to swim up for air. It's pulling me in the opposite direction. I am going to drown. I can see the light above me. Is it the light we see when we die?

A strong surge pushes me up and I surface, gasping for breath. There are rocks. I cling to them while my lungs fill back up with air. I look up and see a pathway around the cliff.

I'm running again. There are horses tied to a post. I see guards in the distance relieving themselves. I sneak up and untie one of the horses. I have never ridden a horse. I am climbing on and horns begin blowing. The guards see me and begin racing towards me. The horse is startled and he gallops off. I don't know how to control him. He is heading towards the forest that I see in the far distance so I just hold on tight and pray.

I am nearing the forest and the horse stops so fast that I fall off. I see the guards coming. Lots of them. I try to climb back up but the horse moves to the side and shakes his head. He won't let me. Something is frightening him. I pull his reigns to get him to follow me into the forest but he lunges up on his back legs and neighs loudly, then runs off. I turn and run into the forest. I soon find out what the horse was scared of. I am in Ravenna's dark forest.

All the trees are dead. The air is murky and stinks. There's barely any light. I begin to run again when I hear the sound of something screeching. I fall and a mist of sparkles spray into my eyes. It's poison. I'm hallucinating. I keep going, stumbling, trying not to pass out. I fall into a stream and crawl through the mud to get out and now I'm laying on dead birds. There are figures in black cloaks, all watching me. Black beetles are crawling everywhere. Tar is seeping from the trees and dead plants. I am swarmed by bats. Is...is that a dragon or a...a gargoyle in the tree?? It flies down and strikes me with it's wings. Everything goes black.

I'm waking up. I don't know how long I have been here. I realize it has not been long because I hear the voices of guards. I run off to hide under a pile of brush. One of them walks by. I can see through the branches. It is one of Harker's men. I don't know which is worse, him or Ravenna's men.

I stay silent until I cannot see him anymore but he already knew I was there. He drags me out. I cannot free myself from his firm grip on my arm. Finn and three of his armed men come. The gash on his face is gone. I try to run but Harker's man pulls me close to him. Finn extends his hand to me and tells me to come.

I beg the warlock. No. NO! Please don't give me to him!

He holds his weapon out at Finn. Back away. The girl comes with me.

The Queen says otherwise. She has given you your orders warlock.

I do not answer to her. I have my orders. Any rejections go back to Harker. She still belongs to him. You said so yourself.

And she will. After the Queen speaks with him.

4 more of Harker's men show up. One speaks for all.

That is not how the arrangement goes. Your sister knows it. She has no authority to alter the rules. The girl survived. She will rightfully come with us. The Queen cannot be trusted not to harm her. Do you wish to jeopardize your sister's means of receiving what she needs? I know YOU are certainly not going to provide for her on a daily basis. You're merely a man, unlike Harker, and can only travel so far with limited time and resources, that being of the slim to no children in the area. Choose as you will, but we are taking her, with or without a fight.

Finn scowls at us and leaves with his men. I feel better with the outcome but I still fear for my life.

The warlock guards take me straight back to Harker. It is late in the day and they are on edge. I sense they fear his reaction for returning me. They are right to fear him. A wolf like growl escapes through his clenched teeth. His fingertips grow claws of bloody daggers.

I fearfully fall to my knees at his feet as the men push me towards him. They explain all that happened and he orders them to bring him my mother. They drag her down the hall of his trailer and force her to her knees beside me. We cling to each other, shaking and crying. He demands answers from my mother. He is pacing and snarling like a dog between his sentences.

You have been here one year. You know the routine, yet you fail to inform me of your spawn's age!

I...I...did not know it mattered my Master. I swear it!

If it did not matter, then I would give YOU to her!! You see ALL of the children here! Not a one, or so I believed, is over 13 years of age. It is forbidden! My brother is her King and he, along with the Queen will now believe I attempted to kill her! My camps could be raided by his armies of orcs, goblins and wendigos and if that happens, I will feed you and your offspring to them! You better say your little prayers that I can make Ravenna understand and that she was not harmed, for she is far more unforgiving than myself and my brother combined.

He is grabbing her by her hair and pulling her to her feet. Something is happening inside of me. A rage that I have never felt. My eyes uncontrollably dart to a shiny object on his desk as if I knew it was there and knew what it would do. It is a small silver dagger. I run to it. I take it and I spin around, slicing his hand that clenches her hair. He releases her and backs away. An indescribable scream, almost deafening, spews from his mouth with a visible steam like a piping hot tea kettle.

I am reprimanded by his men and the blade is taken. I'm ordered to be locked up in iron chains. I don't see Harker for 2 days. I am in a small cave chained by my ankle to a rock wall. My skin is burning under the shackle and I feel weak. I'm having horrifying dreams of Ravenna. I feel myself changing, internally and physically. I am remembering Finn's words, that I consumed some of her magic."

@redeemer46

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craig-parker-cravings · 2 years

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I make a lot of Gifs and Videos and create Fan Art and Fan Fiction, so I thought I would share some of those links with you, if anyone is interested.

Below is my other fan blog for Lee Pace, my main squeeze ;) It contains a little bit of everything.... gifs, videos and art that I made, and just fun stuff, and a whole lot of me drooling over him like I do Craig...;p

And then the next link below is my fan fic blog. It is one huge story of Thranduil, and a human girl he loves, and Haldir shows up in the late teen chapters. Love, drama, magic and danger :)

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thedaughter-ofglory-blog · 2 years

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She was an Elv of Lothórien, a silvan Elv, send by her father Haldir who guarded the forest's northern borders to Thranduil the elvish king as she was a child. Thranduil agreed to keep her save with his son, so Legolas and her grew up together as playmates who could not survive a second without each other. The elvish beauty does not know much about her mother as her father never spoke about her but Thranduil did once, he only said that she was as beautiful and kind as her mother once was. Thranduil keept her and years passed she grew up in the palace and was treated like family, he trusted her and her seemingly endless wisdom, like no one else and sometimes even more than himself. Centuries later he made her his consultant because he knew she would stay loyal and would not ever lie to him thats why he discribes her as his light. She is said to know the terror’s before they are going to happen, that is why she always carries a worrying look on her face.

“ You do not wish to speak to the elvish king without the silvan elv, he will make you a head shorter than you already are. Make sure she is present, she knows him better than he knows himself, but do not try to fool her, her kindness will make your heart heavy. “

#userfakevz #fiction #lord of the rings #tolkien #elv #lothórien #haldir #thranduil

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haldirs-melda · 2 years

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Chapter 19 now published

It was now Haldir’s turn undo your hair. His large masculine hands made light work of the many braids. Your blue hair never failed to amaze him. It was probably the first thing he fell in love with. Hair is such an important part of elvish culture, to have something as rare as diamond in his hands made him sometimes question his worthiness of you. But when he saw you look at him, those questions always melted away. His life had been turned upside down since your arrival, and he would not change a thing.

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esta-elavaris · 2 months

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Not-Yet-Written tag game

Thank you for the tag @inkedmoth 💜💜💜 gotta talk about the fic ideas I have that I have not yet written.

Boromir/Sybil

A one-shot where Boromir meets Sybil while Bera is still living, having arrived, injured, at the cabin before the events that kick off HWFG.

CTW-verse

A Groves/Theodora AU -- but given my current workload, I'm thinking of really paring this down just to a series of snippets, especially since we're now getting our Groves fix from RTOF.

Modern!James AU -- my 4395 recent text posts explain this one 🫠 this will probably end up needing to be a behemoth.

Other

Aemond Targaryen/OC -- power imbalance, toxic dynamic, Aemond being not nice, but not to such an extent that it's just constantly painful to read and impossible to root for the relationship.

Dracula/OC -- (ft. Richard Roxburgh's Dracula from Van Helsing (2004), but it probably wouldn't follow anything to do with the plot of the actual movie). This idea has been in my head for a long time but it's all very cliche and expected...but I'm thinking of just embracing that aspect and writing it anyway, because that's what I want to write, and if others happen to find it entertaining then that's just an added bonus.

Haldir/OC -- I have a oneshot half-written for this, but that's mostly me toying with dynamics and tone for the full-scale fic, but that's a very far-off thing. Elven pining, mortal danger, the works.

Gale Dekarios/F!Tav -- listen, I can't even play the game yet, I'm living via watching others play it on YT, but I haven't been this sick over a fictional character since the likes of Norrington and Boromir so it's going to happen. No idea how or when yet, but it will. It's a foregone conclusion.

These are the ones fully on my mind, but I have a foul habit of getting carried away with whatever I'm watching/rewatching at any given time and I cannot be held responsible for what happens in my word documents when that happens, so 🫠 although rn I'm trying to save that energy for flufftober novelty one-offs, for the sake of my sanity/workload.

Tagging @bumblingbriars @ass-deep-in-demons @quillofspirit and @scyllas-revenge

#tag game

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sotwk · 9 months

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Hi! I’ve never requested something like this before (I guess that’s why I’d like to be anonymous) but I really like your work and have a real life situation that I would kind of love to see addressed in fiction with my dream resolution to it. So apologies if this is kind of specific—feel free, of course, to adjust anything you think is needed if this is something you’re interested in doing.

The scenario would be Eomer has chosen a partner for himself (I guess this could be written as the reader herself?) who is very different, personality wise, both from Eomer himself and from the Rohirrim that he’s grown up around and been friends with all his life. He adores her and those differences, but, despite her best efforts, she cannot get those friends to accept her. Instead, they frequently exclude her, subtly make her feel bad about herself, etc., especially during times when Eomer is absent. When he finds out that this has been going on, he is furious and comes (publicly and heroically) to her defense and puts those (now former) friends in their place.

As I said, I think I’d find that resolution personally very cathartic. And I adore Eomer, who is my number one fictional boyfriend. (Haldir comes a close second, but I know he’s happily married in your head canon. Though if he showed up somehow as a handsome and supportive presence, I certainly wouldn’t object!)

Thanks for taking the time to consider! I definitely enjoy your work and following along whenever you add new material.

Excuse me while I exercise my right to insert Eomer gifs at every possible opportunity. <3

My darling Anon, you honor me with this request, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart! I believe that cathartic release is one of fanfiction's greatest functions, and I would love to be able to gift that to you in an Eomer fic!

If you have suffered through a situation like this, where others have made you feel like you are unsuitable for someone you love, or in any way made you feel bad about simply being yourself, I am sorry you have to experience that! Let's fix it through fiction!

Because this request is personal to you, it is really important to me that I hit the right notes in the story so you can experience maximum catharsis. Would you mind giving me at least a couple of (or many, if you want!) specific details about how you want the Female Reader to be? I know you want her to be different in personality and background from Eomer/his friends, but maybe you can specify in what ways? Is she common/of humble birth? Gentle and sensitive to violence? Introverted and quiet? Bookish and struggles in the wild outdoors?

If you could please send me another Ask, giving me just a little bit more insight, I'd really appreciate it. I want to make this fic as close to your preferences as possible!

Again, thank you for entrusting me with this special request, and I will put in on my WIP list right away! I hope you are well! All of Eomer's love to you! <3

#sotwk answers #fanfiction requests #eomer #eomer fanfiction #eomer x reader #kind anons

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maedhrosiseverything2me · 1 year

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I'm gonna cry so ugly because WHY THERE IS SO FEW FICS ABOUT THE ELVES FROM THE FIRST AGE!!

Like come on Legolas, thranduil, elrond fics are far to much, make a change go for other elves of the first age, not that I hate the third age but the first one is more exciting and has more events!.

third age fics is all about the destruction of the one ring and how Y/N helped with it and in the end she end up with either Legolas or Haldir..

The valar liked Y/N and be like *I like you, I'll put you in the most dangerous event in the third age so you can help them* PLZ STOP THIS AGHHH.

It's a fictional world you can change whatever in your characters , make your OCs different like change them, change their appearance change their kind like make them skin changers, some other mythical creatures, even vampires!! LIKE IMAGINE A CHARACTER WHO IS REINCARNATED IN ARDA FIRST AGE AS A VAMPIRE! (vampires were bad and dangerous creatures back then and everyone hates them) wouldn't that be some different?!

I just want to see some action and events in the first age I'm sick of the third age.

Lastly, I apologize for my frustration, don't mind me I'm just an average silm fan who wants some more fics about silm world 🥹.

#silmarillion #silm #silmarillion writers' guild #silm fic #the silm #the silmarillion #lotr elves #silm elves #middle earth #middle earth x reader

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jolieterestrial · 2 years

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Confessions of A Fellowship of drama queens

Aragorn x reader; Reader x the fellowship

Warnings: {Doesn’t mention Arwen} Read proof; somethings may will be inaccurate; song that inspired this : “the night begins to shine” by B.E.R; idk i just wanted something about this song and this was born.

Summary: Aragorn keeps embarrassing himself so the fellowship gives their confessions in “point of views” about the 10th fellow on paper that the nine of them later read by the fire,at camp. Ps. Feel free to interpret ;) Enjoy!

Aragorn’s point of view: (and what happened)

Y/n is otherworldly i don’t mean that by her radiant beauty or her chaotic personality… she is from a different world, one that is far from us. We don’t know how she got here but she knows all of us, apparently i’m famous back home. It is hard to talk to her sometimes, mainly because she always knows what i’m going to say or she associates my words with her world’s songs or as she likes to say “pop-culture moments”. This one time the fellowship made camp near the waters. it was dawn, after supper she caught me staring at her which wasn’t surprising to her, i have made poor efforts of hiding my admiration for her. “What is it strider?” “It’s nothing really…” “how can it be nothing, when you look at me like that?” “Like what?” “Like you see through me or something, you’re right it’s nothing” before i could defend myself she tried walking away but i caught her by the wrist “y/n wait, when i look at you i see the story in your eyes, like night begins to shine” i was being truthful. I saw the stars in her eyes, the unknown. when i confessed to it i didn’t expect her to fall into a fit of hysterical laughter, but she did just that. “Are you alright? Is the idea of us so pathetic to you it makes you laugh?!” “NO N- it’s just that in my world there’s a tv show about fictional superhero team made up of teenagers and- never-mind- you were saying?” “ it seems like, you’re playing hard-to-get, but i can understand… when i look at you i see the story in your eyes” “we should dance!” “When we’re dancing the night begins to shine” Y/n couldn’t stop laughing the duration of our dance it seems as tho i had hit every note possible in the song. I was really embarrassed, i didn’t want her to think of me as a fraud.

Y/N’s Point of things:

I can’t believe i’m here. And most of all i can’t believe Aragorn returns my feelings for him. Honestly coming here i didn’t think i could ever confess myself to him, but ever since i came here the handsome ranger has been trying to confess his feelings and i haven’t exactly made it easy. I don’t know how but he keeps referencing the weirdest things from home… so the last time he let it happen was when we made camp near the waters…everything was fine after the evening meal, even pipin was satisfied, obviously unlike Aragorn who yeeted me to him after i tried running away from our nowhere heading discussion. I was right of course he started singing and then we danced to night begins to shine i hope cyborg is proud of me in an alternate universe.

Gimli’s point of view: (a view from a low point, but we Stan a short king!)

Oy! I knew that girl wasn’t of our world the day i saw her. Well, here’s one Dwarf she won’t ensnare so easily. (Meanwhile Haldir: The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark.) I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox. Others might tell you otherwise but the lassie is a witch! By my beard! She’s always ahead of us knowing when and where the filthy orcs are coming from… the Elf princess greenleaf can do that two but he can’t foretell our words before we begin to formulate it! Somehow this witch has enchanted the best of us. Aragorn! By my beard! i should talk some sense into that lad before he gets to close to the witch.

Sam’s point of view:

I’m trying to stay positive and not think about the shire to much and Y/n has really help, by telling us all about the world she’s come from. Apperantly they prepare po-ta-toes in a lot of different,delicious ways…she said they have mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, roasted with garlic potatoes and some even shaped like a waffle. I think Aragorn is lucky to have found someone like y/n who can prepare potatoes in Any shape and form.

Merry’s point of view:

As the original youngest member of the fellowship i’m sort of sad that y/n took away that title from me, but she doesn’t know! Before she finds out i’d like to keep my glory…in Aragorn’s eyes i’m very precious cause i’m little and he prioritizes me over her, i don’t even want to think about what would happen if he ever found out, he’s already overprotective of y/n.

Frodo’s views on you:

I have to confess, y/n has made this quest less stressful. She promised me that i could do what i agreed at the council of Elrond to do, she said she has seen it a lot more than 5 times, she also said she lost count after that… anyhow i don’t think y/n should settle for Aragorn she should travel our world and maybe visit shire someday so i can show her how important it is to know where we come from and belong to. (Ouch! Frodo?!)

Pipin’s point of view:

I don’t know why y/n laughs all the time when strider tries to explain his feelings for the lady, but i laugh with her nonetheless! I won’t forget how strider ignored second breakfast the second most important meal of the day! I will admit that they are the perfect match. she loves to walk long distances. She is not from anywhere we know of, but she is a lot like strider.

Legolas’ point of view:

I think i lost my best friend and my purpose as a silvan elf. I thought my skill to observe would help but y/n came prepared. She knows everything we don’t and hasn’t dared to speak to us once about it. I think that takes a lot of courage. To hold so much power of knowledge and keep it to yourself. That’s why Aragorn should allure her before someone else (elf) does.

Gandalf:

They don’t know this but i made y/n come here. after the years i spent in the library of Minas Tirith i didn’t just discover the nature of the ring frodo’s great uncle stole. I found out there are lot of worlds, similar to ours. In some of them this quest is already fulfilled so i chose a world and asked Ilúvatar to send me the most intelligent and able-bodied of their kin. I don’t know of intelligence but y/n sure possesses great skills… her lack of intelligence is evident in her choice of men. (same girl) there are many of Aragorn’s likeness in her world yet she still choses to lust over the ranger.

*The fellowship simultaneously bursting in Gandalf’s tent* “YOU DID WHAT?” “Calm down you fools…” “how will you explain yourself old friend?” “A magician never reveals his secret?” Let’s just say this explained a lot to Gimli.

Fin.

#lord of the rings #aragorn x y/n #fellowship #fellowship x reader #legolas #gandalf #gandalf the grey #legolas x gimli #lotr gimli #gimli #peregrin took #samwise gamgee #potatoes #frodo lives #merry #merry brandybuck #council of elrond #minas tirith

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from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras · 7 months

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Oh, hello!

It’s time to replace my original pinned post with a more permanent choice, so here’s the quick, updated scoop on what you can expect here:

I love all things Tolkien and looking at, thinking about, and talking about those things. So I will absolutely reblog your fan art of Thranduil draped across his throne in that sultry pose or like your fic about how Tuor came to love Voronwë as a brother on their long journey to Gondolin. But in my heart, I’ve always been a Rohan kind of girl. That’s where you’re going to find my interest most often drawn, and it’s what I write about almost exclusively (with the very occasional tangent into Haldir-related content, which I understand is totally inconsistent, but the heart wants what the heart wants!).

So, if you could talk about the Eorlingas for hours on end, if Éomer is the Middle Earth king of your dreams, if you find yourself unreasonably attached to minor characters like Háma and Elfhelm or have tons of opinions about how amazing Théodred is, if you’re personally invested in Karl Urban’s dimples …maybe we should be friends! And if you like those things, then maybe you’d get something out of my fics. Or not. Either way is fine!

Those fics are now collected in one place below, which I’ll try to keep updated. I make no claim that they are fine works of literature, but they make me happy and that’s their primary purpose. While they’re all consistent with each other and exist in my unified headcanon, they tend to be one shots based on some particular thing I was interested in–a specific plot point, an unanswered question, a desire to see a certain character grow/develop a certain way. Anyway, you get the idea. So thanks for being here, click through to the master list (such as it is) and FORTH EORLINGAS!

Rohan: (stories in rough in-universe chronological order)

Éomer-focused:

TFW Siblings Prompt: Éowyn is frustrated by Éomer’s attempt to protect her from Wormtongue.

Turning Points: Éomer is back from the war of the ring with a changed worldview and an intention to get married. Includes the first look at the character who becomes his wife.

A Vigilant Eye: A marital scene between Éomer and his wife, Mereliss, focused on Éomer’s stubborn need to never admit weakness. This is as spicy as any of my fics get, which is to say…only very mildly spicy.

A Need of the Soul: Éomer is teaching Faramir how to speak Rohirric as a surprise for Éowyn. Cute brotherly bonding moments, remembrances of Boromir and Théodred and lots of horse talk.

TFW Parent-Child Prompt: Éomer becomes a father for the first time and has lots of feelings about it.

TFW Extended Family Prompt: Éomer’s father in law, Elfhelm, realizes what he means to Éomer in light of the many losses Éomer has already experienced.

The Fire Inside: Éomer is back in Gondor after the war to help with the ongoing clean-up after Sauron, but his life has changed a lot and so have his feelings about battle so he needs Éowyn to help him talk it out.

Nowhere Else: A look back at how Éomer met his wife, told from both sides of the meeting. Includes a look at several other sweet moments from over their years together.

Théodred and Éomer art by Valeria Salo

Théodred-focused:

TFW Cut Ties Prompt: Traces the unshakable bond forged by shared grief between Théodred and Éomer, enduring all the way to Théodred’s literal last words.

Into the Breach: My most comprehensive look at Théodred the person and his backstory, told in the few days leading up to his death. It's more or less my answer to the question of what Théodred was doing in/around major canon events from LOTR. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

Ties That Bind: A look at how Wormtongue’s manipulation of Théoden affected the larger royal family, as seen through Éomer’s experience when Théoden had him jailed. Théodred's fiancee is a key element of this fic, so I'm putting it with the other Théodred stories though he's not directly in it.

A Life Interrupted: Éomer reckoning with the death of Théodred. My original story with details of Théodred's life and my HC for him.

Háma-focused:

Háma art by @ rinthecap

Those Worth Fighting For: Family fluff of Háma being a sweet dad to his little girl while shielding her from the reality of the increasing danger posed by Isengard.

TFW Freeform Prompt: Háma and his wife struggle with how to protect their children from the increasing likelihood of war.

Not This Time: The discovery of Háma’s body after the battle of Helm’s Deep has major consequences.

Other Rohirrim:

TFW Ancestors Prompt: Théoden’s father, Thengel, returns from exile against his will to take up the throne in Rohan.

Untitled intro piece about Guthláf: A short musing on what it means to Guthláf to be Théoden’s banner bearer.

Where Now the Horse and the Rider: The love story of Guthláf and Wídfara, trying to hold it together as the world falls apart around them. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7.

Untitled ficlet on Elfhild: A short intro to Théodred’s mother, who had a premonition she wasn’t going to survive his birth.

Lórien:

Three Weeks on the Nimrodel: Haldir meets his perfect match while posted for 3 weeks with a substitute marchwarden who understands and appreciates his natural reserve.

The Guardian: Haldir finds a lost and scared little human girl while on patrol in Lórien. Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Epilogue.

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fantasies-fairytales-n-fics · 3 months

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Thranduil and Josie Pt. 172- Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Summary: Rahl suffers the karma of a wicked silverbane trip that holds familiar faces, but only one is real. Best friends once of light ironically unite as allies of the dark. Leeanduil reacts to her mother's changes. Some playtime almost turns deadly as Josie's hypersensitive rage "snowballs". Legolas safeguards Lola, but not from Josie. Haldir's magic is needed again. Jo learns the past truths and her reaction is predominantly as Haldir had presumed it would be. Haldir takes control of an undisclosed plan after she turns on him. Garrett goes on a Jim Morrison trip and it's quite lucid. An old feathered friend soon comes in his time of need.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, nightmares, smut, sexual language, death, graphic depictions, blood and gore, violence,

Chapter characters: Rahl, Narcisse, Julian, Josie, Legolas, Lola, Leeanduil, random warlocks, Haldir, Josselyn, Bash, Garrett, Sarah, Ryan, Rosie, Freddy the crow,

Chapter word count: 11,797

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist:

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Rahl screamed from the cockroach infested grave that the silverbane poisoning had tossed him into and as the petrified warlock awoke from that nightmare, he found himself much deeper than 6 feet under as he delved into the abyss of another one.

"Wake up Rahl." a familiar voice deeply commanded.

Naked as the day he was born, he awoke in perdition and fearfully laid alongside a feces filled cluster of ailing and wailing sinners, all being cooked alive in the burning bowels of hellfire and brimstone....and now it was his turn.

As evil as Darken Rahl was, even he feared Hell and the one who ruled it, the Keeper of eternal damnation, the notorious angelic demon of many names better known as Satan himself, but it wasn't Lucifer who greeted him, for it wasn't really Hell. It was Stephane's special rendition of it, his chain bound iron box accommodated solely for domesticating Rahl. In Rahl's misapprehended mind though, Stephane WAS bad old Beelzebub and just like in the grave, Stephane's voice teased and taunted him from the darkness above.

"Welcome back Lord Rahl. They always say a third time's a charm. I've kept your soiled bed nice and warm for you as you can see, or maybe I should say...feel?"

"NO! No...let me out of here Master. This is a mistake. I am not supposed to be here! Not again. Not again!"

The voice echoed in thunderous laughter. "Yes, I am the true Master, aren't I? I was so very certain this was just your style. Surely, with all you have done, you didn't think you would see the pearly gates now did you? What goes around always comes back around. I would agree that you are right where you belong for locking me away. A taste of your own medicine indeed. Sorry, not sorry though, that there's no sugar to help wash it down."

"Yes...yes there is. Josephine!! Help me!!"

"Oh she is sweet alright, but not for you. She is only sweet for Stephane....which that would be ME. The one speaking to you right now. There is only one soul to one body and the meat suit you're loitering in belongs to ME."

"But I am you!!! I am Stephane Narcisse!!"

"How ironic. That is not whom you claim to be up above? YOU are Darken Rahl, which, by the way, does not even exist. You are the creation of a broken mind...and this....is your destiny. You can't fight fate."

Another voice was then heard. Your voice. "Stephane! Stephane, where are you??!!"

Rahl gazed up into the empty black space and he formed a hopeful smile.

"Wake up!!!" your voice shouted.

Startled awake from your command, a dream within another dream was entered, a mystical and quite erotic dreamscape per se in which he did not want to wake from....at first.

As Rahl's dilated blues moved about his dark surroundings, he found himself in two states of nature. One being that he was still in the nude and the other was the forest. Sighing in relief to be free of the nether regions, he closed his eyes and arched his head back to bathe in the illuminating shower of the full moon. The sigh soon became a surprised inhale as you spoke his name and stroked his face.

"Rahl. Lay back down and cuddle with me. I'm cold."

He turned and gazed into your also dilated eyes. So dilated that he saw his reflection, but it wasn't his. It was Stephane's....glaring back at him with warning. As Rahl fluttered his eyes to regain focus, Stephane's image faded.

"J..Josephine? How...you're really here?"

You traced his bottom lip with your thumb and giggled as you

"Of course I am silly? Did you think I was going to ding dong ditch? I want more of you. Come warm me up again."

As your hand slithered down over his solid aroused pecks, his hand swiftly grabbed yours.

"You don't want me. You want Stephane."

"What? Was it not your name that I was screaming earlier as I unraveled all over your cock...more than once?"

"N...No..I...I don't remember. This...this cannot be real. You're not real."

"Rahl...my love. I am very real. I am your Queen now, just as you wanted. Let me show you again that it is you and only you that I desire."

Rahl submitted and released your hand, allowing you to straddle him and take his mouth fully into yours.

"Mmmm. Do you believe me now?"

Rahl smiled and grinded his solid heat against your clit.

"It is definitely a start, but I think I need more convincing."

Your hand gripped his long girth and guided him inside of you. Rahl could not withhold the gasp that was forced from him as your wetness permitted you to slide clear to his base. Slowly, your bodies began to rock and roll as one and then faster and faster Rahl pumped as the wild cat inside of him was brought forth.

"Ah fuck...fuck Josephine....I...I can't stop myself...you...you have to get up."

"No...Come inside of me this time. I want, I need to feel you."

"I...I can't! You know what will happen. It will heal you and you...you won't want me anymore."

"I...I...I don't care...oh god...oh god Rahl...I...I'm coming!!! Come with me!!"

You were glued against him, rolling your hips like thunder through your climax which simultaneously brought Rahl to his.

"Jose..Josephine no, get up!! Ahhhh....ahhhh fuckkkkk....fuckkk...me...god....damn...it...ahhhhh."

As you lifted your head from Rahl's neck and brought your eyes to his, you sprung off of him in panic.

"Oh my god...I...I'm healed! Stephane, you...you did it! You brought me back and now I am going to bring you back!"

Rahl arose with hurt, gaping eyes. "I..I am not Stephane. I am Rahl! You...you used me. You're...MY Queen. How could you do this to me?? I thought you loved me???"

Your satirical laughter and words of ice punched a hole right through his little black heart.

"Love? You don't even know the meaning of the word. You have a black soul. I am going to rid of you, regain my power and heal Stephane and be HIS Queen. He is the one I love. That is the only reason I could fathom riding your cock because it's HIS cock. God he is so much better than you in bed too. Now....Stephane Narcisse....WAKE UP!"

Wake up. Your words faded and morphed into mordant words of someone else. A very familiar someone else.

"It's time to wake up Darling Rahl."

As a pale, injured and unconscious Rahl laid on the cold winter ground, he slowly opened his eyes and there in the sunlight stood an expressionless Julian hovering over him.

"Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of your nine lives. You should get up now. You stink of rot. It's a wonder the wolves and hawks have not yet descended. Your frightful appearance is most likely your savior." Julian quipped with a curled lip.

Rahl, now feeling of sound, mind and body, propped himself up on one elbow, smirking with cautious eyes as he peered up at his fellow warlock.

"Well if it isn't my long lost foe, Julian. Come to finish me off instead? I see no book or circle of salt this time."

"Consider this your lucky day. I have a more purposeful use for Ashmole when the time comes. Besides, I am sure you are aware that the Julian all knew as Stephane's faithful friend is long gone. You are more of my type now. In fact, you could serve as a useful ally in said purpose. I do for you, you do for me. I have generously vanquished your poisoning, but that is as far as my healing hand reaches at this time. The wound to your shoulder is of your concern. You really should be more au courant with Stephane's bodily defenses, for they are shut down while he is suppressed."

All but one, Rahl thought to himself as he began to notice the tenacious saturation of his essence confined inside his leggings beneath his heavy cloak.

"Well now. How ironic is this? Jules and Stephane, together again, but neither are of the light as they once were. I would say that is a match made in...Hell, but I have had my fill of that place."

Julian softly chuckled as he raised his brow.

"Ahh yes. Would that be what all your mumbling was about? Cockroaches, Satan and sex, oh my. Apologies for having interrupted you in the middle of moaning my daughter's name."

Rahl looked away with a scowl as he did not find any humor in Julian's jokes, especially the part about you. Although it never even happened, it still stung and he vowed he would be even more careful around you now, for although seemingly a dream, it could have been a vision.

"Is that all you have been up to Julian? Perched up in your little tree like a vulture, watching and waiting?"

"It is. Just as I witnessed you take that hit from your own son. Knowledge is power."

"Tell me Jules. What knowledge did you gain from that fiasco that you did not already know?"

"Many things. Such as I now know of Janus-faced Josselyn's whereabouts. During my years of captivity, I learned she was just as mendacious as my captor, sweet collaborating Caroline. And then there's your worthless and disloyal guards. Their insubordination of your command and loyalty to Sebastian and Charles in place of Stephane proved that and now, they lollygag at the old wagon wreckage and mock you as they play a game of dice for bets on your survival while you have lied suffering. It would seem that they do not respect you, honor you, nor serve you as they did Lord Narcisse and that will only be, as it has proven to be, a great liability for you, not only for your existence, but for the upcoming war as well. Your men should bow to you, so the question is, Darken Rahl, what are you going to do about it? Sit by idly as they are, twiddling your...."

"Enough!!" Rahl roared at Julian's intentional incitement. "No one makes a fool of me." he continued through his teeth in a low emitted growl and stormed off.

Julian proudly grinned and followed Rahl to the location of the six guards where he remained in the shadows to observe and sure enough, to Rahl's dismay, they were doing just as Julian had informed. The wagering warlocks were so consumed in their greed and insulting jeers of the dark lord, that Rahl's stealth went undetected by their normally intact keen senses.

As a cloaked and hooded Rahl slammed his foot down over their game, the startled warlocks stood and drew their swords on him. Even when he revealed his face, the men still maintained their guarded stance with confidence.

"You dare draw your weapons on me? I am your master, Darken Rahl."

One of the men seemed to be the leader of the group and spoke for them as he bravely, but stupidly pointed his sword at Rahl's chest.

"We do not acknowledge lord Rahl as our master. We serve lord Narcisse."

"And he and I are one in the same, yet you audaciously hold me at your blade's edge. You really do like to gamble, don't you? And all over some measly pocket change. Tell me, is that all your life is worth to you? Your duties were to stand and fight at my side, yet all you contemptible cowards accomplished was absolutely fucking nothing!"

"You have powers, we do not. You did not need our aid."

"Says the traitorous guard who did nothing to stop a poisonous arrow from piercing my flesh."

"Even as the black beast, you lack instinct and let confidence rule you. You lost sight of your target and underestimated your opponent. YOU are of no comparison to your true form. You are weak with anger and hatred and you are also weakened by lord Narcisse's will and light. You tried to kill your own brother and your son and he would not let you. We have always and will only stand at their sides!"

"Then maybe your insolent bag of bones should stand no more. As your life means nothing to you, it means even less to me. You are no more than that pocket change. Worthless. And to be very clear, if I want someone dead, then dead they shall be." Rahl snarled and in a trice, he thrust a backwards swing of his honed blade and sliced the unsuspecting guard's throat.

The remaining guards immediately fell to one knee and bowed their heads as Julian applauded.

"A painted picture of how it should be. True power indeed. Well done lord Rahl. Now, are you going to invite your new best friend back to your castle for drinks? A bed would be splendid and I'm sure you can tuck me in somewhere private. There is much to talk about and prepare for in the upcoming few weeks that I think you will be quite interested in. After all, it was I that summoned you forth with the dead."

"Is that so? The irony in the events of this day are astounding. You once killed me, per se, and now you are responsible for my resurrection. Why would that be?"

"Unlike these incompetent fools, I bow to no one, especially not my own brother. I know that you also would never do as such, but surely you must know that Jareth's mission is to destroy and rule all of middle earth, including the rulers in it, such as yourself. So you see, this is where we can help each other. In my light and in my darkness, I have wished to destroy him and I have all the means to do so, except for a few loose ends I will soon gather with the special assistance of a secret weapon. A very wicked army of our own, per se, that will serve"

Rahl's brow arched high in curiosity, but he also knew that curiosity could kill the cat. Julian wanted to rebury Jareth, but would Julian's plan take him down alongside the goblin king? Rahl's cynicism was riding high in the red zone over Julian's unclear agenda.

"Once I am fully healed, we will share those drinks. I must return and assess the situation of my kingdom. Until then, I will grant you access to my nearby villa. It is unguarded at this time. And in a show of my appreciation of your unforeseen aid, I will send you a lovely "gift." Will that suffice?"

"It shall indeed."

The recent spider hallucination had pushed you over the edge and every anxious nerve in your body was feeding your fear that you were going to see Peter at some point, only you knew he would be real. If anyone would jump right through the gates of hell that Jareth had opened, it would be his evil sadistic self.

With a screaming Leean in your arms, you paced about your chambers in futile frustration as you gently but vigorously bounced and patted her bottom to calm her cries. Even the little elven witch's inherited senses were awakening to the surrounding darkness, especially from you and it was the only way the frightened six week old Princess could express her discomfort.

"Lola! Will you please do your job and take her for a walk through the halls or something since you were gone all night and left Legolas and three fucking cats to do it all. I have sang to her, I have rocked her, I have bathed her, all in the past hour and nothing is helping!"

Lola flinched at your scolding as she squeaked out a solution.

"Josie, might I suggest letting her take some milk from you?"

Your eyes slitted as you side eyed the meek mannered girl.

"No you may not suggest that! Do you wish me to poison her??? Have you forgotten I have panther venom in my veins??? I prefer to not even touch her, yet here we are!!" you snapped as you glanced down at Leean's shrieking face, the only visible skin of your snuggly wrapped baby burrito.

Legolas caught Lola's tear tinted eyes as he walked over to you.

"Josie. I will take her and offer her some of our water. Lola, could you kindly prepare a bottle for Leean and a cup of herbal tea for Josie that will palliate her symptoms and aid her in sleep?"

Your eyes widened at the domineering and dismissive Prince as Lola nodded and rushed off to the fireplace.

" Am I not right here??? And...I do not need sleep! That is all I have done and every time I do, I have these fucked up dreams, not to mention, that water makes it worse so I certainly am not going to drink it!"

"Lola, please use the Dorwinion water for the tea." Legolas corrected with a deaf ear and then took Leean into his arms which instantly ceased her screeching wails.

You then scoffed at him. "Really Legolas Greenleaf?? She doesn't want a bottle. She just don't want ME!"

"Josie, of course she wants you." Legolas softly assured, finally looking you in the eyes. "But she senses your heightened emotions, which is why you really should drink the tea and rest."

In defiance of his repetitive words, you marched to the wine table and knocked back a rather large goblet of the wicked wine.

"Heightened emotions? You're just too damn polite to call me a crazy bitch. I don't need rest!! There is no TIME to rest. How many times do I have to say that?? What I need is what she needs! Her father!!! He is the only one that could fix all of this…fix me…. but that will never happen because he is dead!!"

Your hands went straight to your crinkling face and covered it as you began to sob. Legolas' torn heart ripped clean through, for he knew that in the week head, Thranduil would come and contrary to your belief, Legolas felt that his father was the last thing you and Leean needed at the time or possibly even ever and how was he supposed to tell you? With the state you were in, it was not the right time, but...he knew there would never be a right time for you to know the truth because the Thranduil that lived now, there seemed to be no hope for. His light had been snuffed out of his soul and Legolas knew the darkened heart that now beat inside of the Elvenking would not fix anything, but only destroy you by taking the last bit of sanity and light you had left. If only he could spare you such pain, but he knew it was inevitable.

"I…I can't take this anymore!" you muffled through your fingers. I need to get out of here."

Lola came to Legolas with the baby bottle filled with Mirkwood's magical water. "May I feed her Legolas?"

As he gazed in to her saddened sapphires, his moonstone eyes became apologetic for how he had treated her the evening prior.

"Yes, you may lady Lola."

Lola's sweet smile was also apologetic as Legolas awkwardly maneuvered Leean out of his arms and into hers and then…he took you into his and whispered sweet words of comfort into your ear.

"You are not a crazy…well…you know. Please do not speak of yourself in such a way. You are just dealing with far too much for someone who does not deserve it."

You then bawled gasping breaths in to his chest. "Legolas, I need the amethyst, I need that book, I need to find Stephane and help him, I need the other stones, I need Garrett's dumb ass…I…I need my dad!!! I…I….."

Your sobs quieted as your ears tuned in to the laughter coming from outside the balcony doors.

As you opened the cold foggy glass doors, your breath was momentarily stolen by the crisp breeze that brutally belted you in the face. Your eyes quickly widened in delight when you peered over the rail to see a snowball fight taking place at 8 o'clock in the morning by some of the warlock guards.

"Leggy!!! Look!" you shouted and then giggled. "It snowed overnight!!! Remember at Lestat's, when you and Haldir had that snowball fight after the blizzard? You both had so much fun, minus trying to kill each other with ice packed snowballs and I…I want to have fun too!! Like when Stephane threw me that huge birthday party to help distract me. I want to do something normal and feel normal!! Even if just for a little while or I am going to go crazier than I already am! Can we go play too Legolas??? Pleeeeease!!!??"

Legolas grinned from ear to ear. "How could I forget Haldir's iniquitous ice balls to the face. With the exception of his envious rage regarding you, the brief moment of solace while being in a castle consumed with red eyes and fangs, was greatly needed. You and Lola go enjoy the snow and release some of your own pent up rage. There is nothing more any of us can do at this time about the troubles at hand but continue to wait for Sebastian to hopefully locate Delphine and the others. I will remain here with my sister and watch from the terrace. Glenn-hi (Go now). Enjoy some diversion and equanimity and breathe. Be a flightless bird no more."

You chuckled through your tears as you hugged him tight. "Oh but flightless I am. Literally. I tried to fly once and you do not want to know how that played out. Thank you Leggy. I adore you so."

You released him and then turned to Lola with hopeful eyes.

"Let's go play!"

You and Lola bundled up in your winter cloaks, then ran and giggled all the way down to the enclosed courtyard. Once there, you observed the five warlocks, dressed in their Sunday attire, laughing and playing like little boys. It instantly took you back in time to before your father had become terminally ill and you and he played in the snow together all the time, either sledding, making snow angels, snowmen and eskimo forts or your favorite, snowball fights. Although he was alive and out there somewhere, equally altered to serve his brother Jareth, you still missed and loved him so, but you weren't going to let it make you sad. Instead, you were going to honor him and even the hidden hero Haldir by kicking some warlock ass....and you would envision Rahl's evil face as you did it, a trick Garrett once taught you to do when using your magic that was currently non-existent.

Sly as foxes, you and Lola huddled behind a pillar wrapped in crimson Christmas roses and while you both packed a snowball, the Lenten flowers triggered thoughts of both Stephane and Thranduil and how they enjoyed the beauty of their gardens, probably the only thing the magical beings ever had in common besides their egos and love for you. When the snow fun was over, you were going to pick one in memory of Thranduil and make another useless wish for the return of the King.

"You ready?" you whispered to Lola as you offered a wicked grin.

Lola's grin mirrored yours as she nodded, then you both sprung up and began pitching the packed powder at the bedazzled warlocks. Laughter and snow filled the court as the seven of you darted all around, ducking and diving.

Legolas smiled from ear to ear as he observed the shenanigans from your balcony. His sorrowful heart sang in that moment of seeing you so happy, that was until his nose caught something in the breeze. As his elven eyes followed the familiar strawberry scent, they caught sight of Haldir making his way across the vast open field separating the castle from the forest. At the Marchwarden's side was a woman that Legolas knew he had once before laid his eyes upon and behind them was Rumil, Orophin, Aragorn, Boromir, Bard, Gimli, Sebastian and Charles. As Bash and Charles returned their horses to the stables, Legolas's keen eyes also noticed that the warlock kin appeared to have been in a scuffle of sorts.

Haldir's eyes then locked with the Prince, they both offered a nod and a smile and then Legolas' attention returned to you. All was going well in the playtime. He noticed Lola's flirtation with one of the warlocks as they tumbled to the ground laughing. With a minor scoff, the elf's eyes rolled and returned to you just in time to see your light turn dark as you took a snowball to the face and then another to the shoulder. Legolas' eyes gaped as your mouth did the same, followed by a loud gasp from the shock.

"You IDIOT!!" you fumed at the wily warlock roaring with obnoxious laughter in is victory.

"Now now Josephine. " he chuckled. "It's all just fun and games."

Normally, you would have took it like a champ and laughed too, but with Rahl's venom inside of you, all you wanted to do was rip his wretched head from his miserable shoulders and Lola and Legolas both quicky took notice of that with worry.

"That is until someone gets hurt, which is about to be you, you cretinous tyrant!"

Enjoy the fun filled snowball games below in my new short vidfic (38 sec) of Lola and Josie. It's a great visual with a relevant song regarding Legolas' words to Jo and the ending gives a nice laugh.

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All over a harmless snowball, your blood rage surfaced and you found yourself grabbing a very large and sharp icicle from the trellis and racing towards him. The warlock's smirk dropped like a hot potato and he froze solid in fear as he watched the crystalline spear in your raised white knuckled fist head straight for his eye.

"Josie!!" Legolas shouted from the balcony and with perfect dexterity, the agile elf hopped the rail, floating down with incredible velocity and landing softly like that of a feather, but not quick enough to get to you before another did.

Just as you lunged, you were scooped up from behind by a pair of strong arms coiling around your waist. As you angrily screamed and turned to strike the unknown attacker, a hand swiftly clutched your wrist.

"Y...you????" you gasped in fright and immediately sprung your fingers open, dropping the makeshift blade when you saw the stern but very worried face of your elven bestie Haldir as his stunned eyes gazed into yours.

"You...your eyes Jo." he whispered as they slowly retracted from blood red back to moonstone blue.

Before you could speak another word, you felt his calming effects manipulating your mind and body and then...you saw a horrified Josselyn viewing from the distance and watched Lola faint.

Legolas ran to her aid, as did Josselyn in a panic. She fell to her knees at her daughter's side and cried as she stroked her pale cheeks with trembling fingers.

"My sweet child, open your eyes. Mama's here now."

Legolas tilted his head like a confused puppy. "You...are her mother? I...I have seen you. Many years ago with a group of gypsy travelers near our lands. Cowering beneath a trailer belonging to that wretched witch Caroline. You were one of them! Why are you here??!!!!"

Legolas scooped Lola's unconscious body up into his arms and backed away from Josselyn as his angry eyes questioned Haldir.

"Legolas. Josselyn is of no harm to Lola or anyone here. She is her mother as you asked and there is much more that you do no know. Take Lola inside and let her mother be with her when she awakes. They have been separated for far too long."

Legolas snarled through clenched teeth as he pulled Lola closer to him.

"Over my dead body."

"No one enters this castle without lord Rahl's knowledge or approval!" snapped the warlock who almost lost an eye. "And you Haldir, were banished from here by lord Narcisse were you not??"

"Since you speak as if there are two of them, neither are here. Just which one of the wicked halves do you serve warlock??!!"

Sebastian then entered and took control of the situation with his sword drawn.

"He serves me! I am in charge when my brother is not here and I say they all can enter, is that clear warlock Gwydion??"

"Yes m..my lord."

You then watched as Bash embraced Josselyn. What the hell was happening??

As you clung to Haldir, you could no longer stand. Weakness and relaxation consumed you and you fell into his arms. Your feet were then whisked off of the ground and later, in a sedated state, you awoke in your bed from the muffled voices of Legolas and Haldir as the Prince was filling his guardian in on what had happened to you...and then they argued as to why Legolas was never told about Narcisse's alter. Haldir's nutshell explanation, which consisted of because Rahl had been long dead, was cut short by your awakening.

"Haldir???" you gasped as you sat up.

The Marchwarden was barely able to sit down beside you when you yanked him into a constricting embrace.

"J..Jo...air. Need to breathe."

"What? Oh...sorry. I...I just missed you."

"I have missed you too. Since when did you become as strong as a vampire??"

"Why on earth would you compare me to those morbid creatures??!"

Haldir's brows furrowed. "Annnnd...since when do you insult the leeches you so love? Is it something to do with Rahl's venom making you have dark emotions? I mean, Jo...your eyes were as red as fire...like Garrett's when he's angry."

You thought of Garrett and Kate, together in that vivid vision with him telling you he was with her now and not coming back.

"It..it doesn't matter. Enough about vampires already. Like I would ever be one of them! Haldir, what is going on?? I know I wasn't hallucinating when I saw Josselyn....was I??? and Lola...oh my god, where is Lola??!!"

"You were not. She is here and Lola is safe, right over there on the davenport."

You peeked around him and saw Legolas at her side, patting a cool cloth on her forehead to try and awaken her.

"Ok, so where is Joss and where did she even come from??? My god, I thought she was dead like Sarah. And I take it that Bash did not find Delphine??"

"Jo...there is so much you need to know and I am not sure I want you near Josselyn right now. She told me everything that happened and there are things that...you may not understand at first....such as....she is..Delphine."

"Ok what??? She's not a witch! She was just Sarah's mundane mother. Jesus, just tell me already!"

"On one condition. Let me show you through your dreams. It's quite a novel and after your rabid display early, I would prefer you to be calm, especially with Leean in the room."

"You mean you would prefer me to be under your dream control."

"Do you wish to know or not?"

You huffed and plopped onto your back. "Fine! Shoot me up dreamcatcher!"

Haldir took your hand and softly smiled, for as much as you always got under his skin with your spitfire attitude, he couldn't live without it.

It was merely seconds and you were under his sleeping spell and entering the dreamworld of the past. During the good hour of telepathic transmission, Lola had awoken and Legolas took her to see Josselyn, for she adamantly demanded it. While he was there, he stood protectively at Lola's side and even held her hand as Bash assisted an emotional Josselyn in the telling of her twisted tale to her daughter and the elf that once intimidated her...and still did.

The transfer was complete and Haldir sat holding and feeding Leean while he waited for you to wake up, for your mind was in a fragile state and he didn't dare wake you.

As your mind processed everything that was shown to you, you began to toss and turn, for the vision of Magnus erasing what you had seen, triggered the suppressed memory and you then began to dream of it.

You were a child, tied to a chair. You saw Josselyn and heard her tell some strange scary looking man to erase your memory. There was a flash of blue light and then you sprung awake to see your brother sitting in front of you.

"Josie. It's ok. I am here. You're dreaming."

"J..Jace?"

"What? It's me Jo...Haldir."

Jace's face slowly morphed into Haldir's who gazed at you with concern as he stroked your cheek...just as Jace had done.

"Oh my god...I..I think I hallucinated again. I...it...it was so real. I...I can smell him, feel him. Haldir...I...I think Jace is near or...is coming back for me and..."

You jumped straight out of bed. "My mother!! My REAL mother...she's...she's alive and locked away. She's not dead like my mot...that lying bitch Caroline told everyone! We have to go rescue her!"

"Jo, no way! Cassandra was last known to be in Jareth's realm. It is a death sentence to go there during this time or ANY time!"

"Well that's too damn bad! She loves me! TRULY loves me. I saw it when she held me! She is the good one, the true 7th daughter. Oh god, Aunt Mara, I...I mean my grandmother, Maharet, does she know of the mix up?? And...and...Viktor, the vampire that Caroline killed to protect Clov..Raven!! He...he is my grandfather??? Jesus, does that mean Caroline was a dhampir like Raven??? And what does that make me??"

"Breathe Jo. Viktor was still human when Caroline and all her sisters were born. You are as you always were. A witch. About Maharet, that I do not know, but it did not sound like she knew and she would have told you if she knew now, would she not have? What I do know is that Cassandra doesn't sound much of light considering how she tricked Julian just to hurt Caroline."

"Can you blame her after all my moth...damn it...Caroline did to her??????!!"

"Maybe not Jo, but look what and where that revenge got her. Vengeance is not always the answer."

"Oh really?? You hypocrite. Was it not you who slayed the vampire Craven for what he did to YOUR parents??? I...I cannot even process all of this right now. So many lies upon even more lies that I have also learned!! I need to get away from here!! Sarah...she is out there somewhere too!! and Jesus....she is my sister!!! How could Joss keep that from me and my father??!! She had that mad man block my memories for fucks sake! SHE could have prevented everything that happened from happening if she just would have trusted in my father enough to tell him the truth the moment she learned of Caroline's intentions! My father could and would have protected her AND even himself!!!!!!"

Leean began to cry. "Jo..please. Try to calm down and let us talk about this. Josselyn was just a young girl, a child even, when she was forced into this world. After everything Harker did to her and her mother and also with the threat of Ravenna, she suffered oppression and helplessness. Caroline took advantage of that. She manipulated her into believing she cared for her, much like she did to you and even Raven, and when Caroline's dark side surfaced, Josselyn was terrified of her. You of all people know what Caroline was capable of. You were also just a child when you met Josselyn and Sarah, entering your adolescent years. She was protecting you too. Would you have even believed her if she had told you what she knew? Josselyn was protecting Julian while Caroline was alive and she didn't want to harm him even more with the truth while he was ill. She tried so hard to help Julian. You saw it all Jo. Don't let Rahl's wickedness blind you!"

"I..I cannot even fathom listening to you defend her right now. She has clearly bewitched you in some way. And god, poor Lola. She left her here for half of her life believing her mother was dead and to be raised by her own father whom neither of them knew about!! Once again, because of Joss's lies, people will get hurt. Stephane and Lola deserved to know the truth, just as my father did! You will not convince me otherwise Haldir of Lorien! Thank you so much for having MY back over some woman you've known a hot five minutes who clearly has bewitched your cock as well. I'm going to go take a bath to cool off. Care to...join me and...release...some tension?"

You walked up to Haldir with a complete change of demeanor and teasingly pushed him back on the bed, then straddled him.

"Let's pick up where we left off. Kiss me" you seductively whispered.

As heavy as the temptation weighed on the aroused elf, Haldir could never take advantage of you, for he loved you too much. He firmly, but gently shoved you off of him and stood up. For Haldir, it was an instant flashback to Thranduil's halls when you were under Garrett's mind control and he had walked in on you doing the same thing to Legolas.

"Jesus Jo, what is happening to you? First the rage and the red eyes and now this. It is like there are two of you as well. This is not you."

"Hmmph. Bet if I were Josselyn, your tongue would be down my throat and in my cunt as we speak. Suit yourself, which from what I can see, you may need rosy palm and her five sisters to do so."

Off you went to the washroom with an intentional sexy sway of your ass for Haldir to watch and then you winked at him and closed the door.

It was no lie that he was quite turned on with an aching stiffness, but he would not entertain it like you were so hoping he would. Instead, he sat down, closed his eyes and willed it away, and with perfect timing too, for Legolas then walked in.

"Legolas? Where is Lola and Josselyn?"

Legolas sighed with concern. "Lola is still with her mother. She now knows how everything, as do I, even how...she was conceived. I thought it best to leave them with their privacy as Lola is not taking the news very well. She is rather inconsolable and....very angry with Stephane and would not hear a word from Sebastian in his defense of him not being himself or having any recollection of it."

Haldir's brow raised as he noticed something quite different with the Prince.

"You...you care for this girl?"

"That is irrelevant. Where is Josie?"

Legolas's deflection told Haldir that he was on the right path and how Haldir had attested to the way Legolas vowed his own death merely hours prior to keep Lola safe was highly conclusive that his godson's feelings may run even deeper for Lola.

"She is in the bath. Be forewarned Legolas. Jo is extremely angry as well. At Josselyn mostly and she is speaking irrationally of going in search of her true birth mother, Cassandra. Even if we could trust that Josselyn's healing power would not harm her or someone else, I highly doubt Jo is going to let Josselyn near her now."

"Trust me, I know of her changes. She has even spoken of going in search of the vampire. And at one point, she even wished me to take her and Leean back to Mirkwood."

Haldir's eyes widened and he motioned for Legolas to follow him to the balcony so your keen ears would not overhear them.

"I think you and I both know that is not wise and why and I am not speaking of the dangers of the travel. You and I also know what, or shall I say whom, was behind the earth's jolt and I have been well informed of Thranduil's own changes by Aragorn due to what Jareth has inflicted upon him."

Legolas' eyes fell. "It...it will matter not if she goes there or remains here. It will matter not where she goes, he will find her. My father is coming for her and Leeanduil and will be here in approximately 5 days."

"I presumed as much. I think you and I both know though, that when she sees him, that is all that will matter to her. She will want to go with him."

Legolas partially concurred. "That is until she realizes exactly what he has become and what his true intentions are. To claim his daughter and banish Jo from her life and his kingdom."

"Possibly, but let us not forget, Jo is becoming more like his new and unimproved persona. He may just desire her to remain his Queen, even after all of his conditioning to despise her. Is Jareth solely to blame? I think not. I was informed of the dhampir's involvement in carrying out Caroline's plan and now it makes sense after my brothers informed me of her wine and lembas thievery in Lorien."

Legolas' lips pursed as his rage at Raven surfaced. "You do not even know the half of her involvement with my father."

A knock sounded upon the door and you came running out to answer it, dripping wet with nothing but a towel wrapped around you, in hopes that it was Stephane after learning he had been injured. As you whipped the door open, it was Bash. He had come to warn that Rahl had returned and was being tended to by the healers for his injury and warned them to steer clear of him.

"Oh god. Bash..how bad is it?? I...I need to go see him." you fretted as you fidgeted with your fingers like Stephane always did when he was anxious.

"He shifted on me, had me pinned down. Charles shot him in the shoulder with an arrow laced of silverbane, which will hurt Rahl because when Stephane is asleep, per se, his defenses are at rest also. Strangely though, he did not seem ill in the least as I discreetly observed him from afar. The wound is what is being cared for."

"My god, Charles! He must be a wreck over having to do that. Is...is he alright??"

He is a bit roughed up, but it was nothing serious. I must warn that Catherine is with him and she is on a war path over what happened, for she had already lashed out at me for putting her son in danger, so watch your back Josie."

"Psshtt. I don't fear that beldam bitch."

Haldir's exhale was harsh and heavy as his eyes rolled over to you.

"Well you should be with no power and did you forget all that she has already done to hurt you?"

"Whatever HAL...DIR! I am going to dress and go see Rahl about what he's done. Could you watch the kid for me. All she does is cry when I am around anyways. SO annoying."

Haldir grabbed your arm and spun you back to him. "No Jo, I forbid it! Have you lost your damn mind like Narcisse has??"

"You WHAT??!" you shouted as you yanked your arm free and as you did so, a tornadic microburst flung the Marchwarden onto his back.

"HA! No powers eh?" you scoffed and then scowled. "Don't ever touch me again elf."

Off you trotted to dress while Legolas and Haldir's gaping eyes stared at each other.

"Sebastian. I was under the presumption that Rahl's venom had disarmed her magic?" Legolas questioned.

"Well you clearly presumed wrong as you can see." Haldir snapped as he vigorously hopped up from the floor.

"It should have? Bash replied and then his brows furrowed. "It..it is like something else is feeding her and it is possible Rahl's venom has awoken it? And let us not forget, his venom will still bring her to eventual darkness as he is."

"Her eyes...when she attacked Gwydion. They were of fire." Haldir described.

"Yes." Legolas agreed. "As they were when I found her unconscious in the hall yesterday. For just a split second when she had opened her eyes."

"Feeding her....how did I not see this before with my considerable knowledge of the breed?" Haldir whispered as his eyes fluttered in disbelief. "And her strength...it is substantial for her size."

Legolas stepped forward. "Breed??"

"Craven...he had the blood rage gene and he is Garrett's maker. The gene can be passed down through the vampire venom. Legolas, you and I know Jo has Garrett's blood inside of her."

"So...what you are saying is....Garrett's blood and Rahl's venom... she is some hybrid, like Michael Corvin? But instead, that of a vampire and a...cat??!!"

"No Legolas. Garrett did not bite her and Rahl's panther form is no ordinary lap cat."

"Yes he did Haldir! He bit her wrist!"

"But we were able to reverse it before it changed her. What I am saying is Rahl's venom is igniting the blood rage just as Sebastian mentioned."

"So then, what do we do?"

"Don't piss her off."

"Thank you Haldir, for the unadorned advice. Sebastian, where are the others?"

Bash informed that Aragorn, Boromir, Bard, Gimli, Rumil and Orophin had set up camp just outside of the castle's perimeters for the time being to be an extra sets of eyes, ears and protection regarding the surrounding threats and then said he must get back to Josselyn. As Bash was set to leave, Haldir stopped him.

"We have no other option now. Speak to Josselyn. Convince her to heal Jo. If anyone would know the warlock ways, it would be you Sebastian considering you are one. Josselyn took his knife. Find out if she still has it. You said taking something of his would break the curse he placed on her magic and I would have to agree that what happened to the boy after her healing is a manifested symptom of the Black Plague. I also do not believe she caused the live stock deaths merely by her presence. She is not evil."

"But will Josie allow it even if Josselyn agrees?"

"If she does not wish to comply, then we will be forced to give her no choice."

Drip. Drip. Drip echoed on the wooden floor boards of the cabin's basement as Garrett laid chained to the bed, shuttering at each drumming drop with spaced out, weakened eyes of starvation yellow and iron poisoning. His sensitive vampire hearing had became so muffled that it only intensified the sound of insanity and as the hallucinations consumed him, he began to mumble a whispering tune.

"This the end. My only friend, the end."

His songful words of sorrow soon faded and eventually ceased as he closed his eyes and entered a world of nightmares and dreamscapes that began as a nightmare.

Through the scorching and desolate desert, an injured and bloodied Garrett staggered through the sandy trail of broken bones the endless wasteland had consumed.

He had no recollection of how he he had been hurt or even how he had gotten there and everything that wasn't supposed to affect a vampire, especially him because of Amara's branding mark of protection, was. The heat, the loss of blood, the pain...it was all sucking the life out of him and he feared he would soon join the remains he trekked around.

The relevant Door's song he had been singing became a reverie as the Indian vibes of guitar notes sounded from the radiant sky. In his human days of Roman Bryson, his love of music and talent in the industry was extensive and it became almost solely who he was, so much so that it carried over with him in his immortality. Garrett could belt out any note and manipulate any instrument from his self taught learning, which was a significant reason the music loving Seelie Queen adored her rockstar daylighter. Although his musical idol was and had always been Jon Bon Jovi, in this dream, Garrett became the iconic legend, Jim Morrison.

As he pushed on, desperately seeking to quench his thirst, but not for water, the hallucinations crept back up on him in the form of a mirage? He wasn't sure. In the far distance, he believed he saw someone, a woman, who saw him too. She too appeared exhausted, as if she had been lost and out there a long time and from what his vampire vision could make out, she looked very much like Sarah, the teen blonde girl in the photo with you that he had found hidden in the cabin, only much older.

In that moment, Garrett didn't care who she was, for his dire thirst for the warm red liquid that loudly pulsed through her veins triggered his uncontrollable blood rage and it gave him just enough strength to begin sprinting towards his prey.

Gasping with incredible fear, the unconfirmed Sarah scurried with all her might, tumbling over a sand dune to get away from the beast with raging red eyes and ferocious fangs.

If Garrett had been feeling his normal vampy self, the girl would have never even made it over the summit of the hill, for he would already be drinking her dry, but instead, his adrenaline rush was short lived and he found himself nose diving down the hill and rolling over and over until he came to an unconscious halt.

Buzzards circled and screeched above as the vampire laid deathly still on his stomach, except for the involuntary twitches every now and then as his hunger withdrawals tortured his limp, helpless body.

He heard the music again and spattered out some of the lyrics into the searing sand.

"Can you picture what will be? So limitless and free. Desperately in need of some stranger's hand in a desperate land...."

Garrett's whimpering words were cut off as he heard another song meshing into and taking over that one. A song he instantly recognized, "Funnel of Love" by Madeline Follin, for Ryan, his older brother by one year, had been listening to it a lot before the car accident that Craven caused which left both Ryan and Garrett, then known as Roman, comatose.

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Garrett saw it all over again, the day he awoke from the 3 month long coma and found his lifeless brother being kept alive by a ventilator. As if he needed to see it once more, for he relived it every single day and he knew it was the guilt making it happen.

He remembered touching his brother. It was like nothing he had ever experienced and he couldn't explain it, not then anyways. Supernatural was the only word that had came to his mind, for the memories of the accident flashed through him like the electrical charge that had been used to shock him back to life and it knocked the wind right out of him. He could still hear the nurse's voice when she found him cowering in the corner.

"Mr. Bryson, are you alright?"

Garrett knew something wasn't right. He didn't feel right, like he wasn't even himself. He told the doctor he had buzzing in his ears and that he couldn't get warm.

Garrett quickly entered another dream within his own dream where he was floating on the ceiling of a rose scented room he had never been in before, but he knew the smell and in that room of red prominence, the song blared from a 45 record playing on an old turntable. Just as the record spun round and round, so did he as he gazed down at a very pale man relaxed on a couch with his eyes closed, holding a mandolin guitar.

The music abruptly stopped, just as the rotating room did and then the man, unrecognizable to Garrett but quite similar in physical appearance of his own, including very familiar blue eyes, stared up at him. Eyes of the man who had always been enthralled by the color red, especially roses and who was also musically inclined. It was Ryan and he was a vampire, just as Craven had said he was.

"No!! No...Ryan..no. I...I'm so sorry. I..I never meant for this to happen to you. I..I told him not to do it, to give you the choice I didn't have. Please...please forgive me."

For a few moments, Ryan was silent and held his fixated gaze on Garrett, then he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"Romeo? Where for art thou Romeo?"

Garrett chuckled, for it was a pet name that Ryan always called him, mostly because Ryan was engrossed in Shakespeare's dark and twisted tales and then also because Roman was a bit of a ladies' man at an early age who coincidentally even had a high school friend with benefits named Juliet.

"The question is, where are you Ry? Clearly you're still somewhere in the mundane world and from what I can see, in one hell of a dump for someone who was always a neat freak. Come on man, help me down. I'm kinda stuck up here. Let's hang out like we did in the good old days before we grew up and apart. I've missed you."

"We'll meet again. All in due time little bro. Someone needs you right now."

"What? No one has ever needed me?"

"She does."

"Who? J..Josephine??"

Garrett felt something poking his shoulder and when he was able to force his eyes open, he was on the dry desert sand again being peered down at by the blonde girl.

"Hey. You dead?" she asked.

When she moved out of the blinding sunrays, he could now see that she was indeed the long lost Sarah whom you had believed dead for 8 years now.

"It...it's you. In the photo. You spoke to me. Sarah?"

"Depends who's asking."

Garrett worked his way up onto his elbow and snickered.

"Well that pretty much gives it away that you are she. Rather brave to stand so close. You do realize I just tried to kill you right? So why did you risk your life and come back?"

"Well, first of all, Garrett, right? It's because I realized you are the one I reached out to through said photo. So glad you found my things in your klutzy drunken stupor. I can use them for communication. You really are a hot mess man. Second of all, that means you are not physically here. You're having an out of body experience. You can't hurt me here even if you wanted to. Oh...and third...you're wearing my fucking ring on your pinky."

"Wait, the talking picture was real? Then....if I'm not really here, this isn't real either. I'm just hallucinating again, but in my sleep. Fever dreams basically."

"Oh no, sorry Shaggy, this is very real. The spirit world. Did you not just hear me? Astral fucking projection dude. That's what you've managed to do but how and why you came HERE is what I would like to know. Actually, who the hell cares, just get me the fuck out of here."

"Easy there Sarah the swearing sailor. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now Saint bloodsucker?? We both know what you do with that mouth. You have NO idea the stress I am under AND I haven't even seen my mother in I don't even know how long because it's impossible to keep track of time here, but i know it's been years. YEARS! And I'm still wearing the same dress from the night I got myself into this mess! Now, are you going to help me escape because then maybe I can help you too. You DO want to get back to my sister, don't you??"

"S...sister?"

"Jo! DUhhhh. The one you're head over heels in love with!"

"I...I thought...you and she were only best friends??"

"Well, we were...are bff's because we were never told the truth. Ironic huh? How we still clicked. I learned all of the lies during my time here from...."

Sarah spun around and gasped in terror at a sound only she heard.

"Shhhh!" she adamantly whispered. "He's watching. He's always watching. Taunting me with the doors. Doors that float above the sand. They're so far away. I always run to them, but I never make it before they disappear."

"The doors. Now that's ironic..."

"What??"

"Never mind. That era don't seem your style. Even if you made it to one of the doors, how could you even trust what's inside of them? And who is watching? Harker??"

Her hand quickly covered Garrett's mouth with a hard slap.

"Don't ever say that name here. He doesn't know where I am. I got away from him that night. He's the least of my worries right now."

Garrett yanked her hand away. "Then who the hell are you talking about?"

"The keeper. He has the keys but he won't let me leave. I never should have came here. I was still so unskilled with my magic back then."

"Does this keeper have a name?"

"He has many just as he has many faces and...."

Sarah's eyes grew as she stared off into the distance.

"Oh my god, look! You see?? There's a door, behind you! Come on! Before it goes away!"

"Sarah...I...I can't. I can barely feel my legs. I'll only slow you down. Besides, what if it's some sort of trap??"

"At this point, nothing can be any worse than this hell, so I have to try."

"Uhhh yeah, in a few weeks, you may think MUCH differently."

"The solstice, I know. Ok, listen to me Garrett. You'll eventually go back to your body and wake up and when you do, I need you to somehow make sure Jo gets my pendant that you found and tell her where I am. I..I'm sorry. I have to go!"

Sarah scuffled off through the sand and before Garrett could even react, she blended into a visible heat wave and faded away.

"Wait! How am I supposed to do that when my broken body is chained in iron shackles to a fucking bed!!"

Garrett's question was quickly answered, but not by Sarah. It was you, whispering into his ear.

"Me Garrett. I want you to think of me."

"J..Josephine...you...you're all I think about, but...you...you never hear me. I...I'm too weak."

"Then take my hand. I'll give you my strength."

Garrett's bloodied hand weakly reached up for yours and as your fingertips united, speckles of sparkling sand danced about.

"Now find me Garrett. Get up."

"But...you're right here??"

"No I'm not."

Garrett hadn't even blinked and you vanished. Had you merely been a muse, willing him to fight? Either way, it worked as he now had just enough strength to stand and as his squinting eyes darted all around in search for you, all he saw was the open, endless desert and the trail in the sand from which he had crawled.

"Josephine!!!!" he shouted, but all was silent with no trace of you ever being there.

As Garrett stood panting in the blistering sun, he began to notice something at the top of a hill. A..forest?? He had an inkling that it was most likely a mirage, but he didn't care and began staggering towards it in hopes for shelter and possibly even a four-legged furry snack to dull the thirsting ache in his gut. Even if he wasn't really there like Sarah said, it sure as hell felt like he was, so the famished vamp was still going to try to hunt, considering he had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go.

The shaded heaven drew nearer and nearer, but Garrett's newfound strength and will to go on was depleting. In one last and desperate attempt, he called out to you again.

"Josephine!! Please come back. I need you! I'm so lost without you."

"I'm right here silly." answered a voice that wasn't yours.

"Good god in heaven!!!" Garrett yelped as he spun around to see a little girl with auburn tresses sitting at the edge of the forest.

The bemused vampire never forgot a face, even due to age. He had seen this child before in your dream long ago, only she was much older with chestnut hair like his and hints of copper like yours.

The memory replayed like a movie through his mind. She had touched his face and showed him a vision of two little girls happily playing together in the forest. Garrett didn't know it back then, but he knew now that it was the girl sitting before him, whomever she was, and the other child was Leeanduil.

"You're not Josephine? You're a child. Althoughhhh, oddly, your...your olive green eyes remind me of hers in the picture I found. I...I've seen you before. Who are you and where did you come from and...and why are you here in this terrible place?"

"I'm part of her, or at least I will be if you don't die. I'm Rosie and my doll told me to find you. Her name is Sarah like my aunt's. My friend Zedd made it for me."

Garrett's thick black brow raised as he eyed the wooden carved doll clutched in her hand. It was overly uncanny to him as to how much it resembled Sarah, hairstyle and all and quite frankly, it gave the fearless vampire the heebie-jeebies.

"You can talk to Sarah through that thing? The girl that I was talking to earlier? She's your aunt? Wait...wait...wait...and what do you mean if I don't die??"

Rosie giggled. "You're silly. It takes two people to make a baby doesn't it?"

"Gah! My ears. what are you, like 8???"

"7. Physically anyways. Dhampirs grow really really fast. We fully mature around 20, like my other aunt.

"Other....aunt.....dhampir....what???"

"Hello? Scooby Doo, where are you?? My aunt Raven, well, she goes by Clover again. I'm a dhampir like her. Josie is my mom. Your my dad. Hence...Rosie. You even named me. It's the portmanteau of your real name, Roman and my mom's, like how you mentioned to that faerie Queen. You see? This is why you must live. You die..I don't exist."

Garrett's hands went to the sides of his head as if he were in pain.

"I seriously need some Scooby snacks. My brain is shutting down. There's no way I can have a kid. I mean...literally. I'm DEAD!"

"You mean metaphorically. You're very much alive. You're still in the newborn phase and haven't learned all the vampire truths yet. Even though my mom's human, she's a weaver witch. She can birth a vampire child and you carry the blood rage gene to make that happen. Just like Clover's dad, except her mom didn't have that capability which is why he chose to change her after."

"My head is going to explode. I'm speaking to my daughter who does not even exist. This is all a fucking... shit..I mean shoot, sorry kid, I mean...freaking fever dream. You're not real. I'm not even here. Josephine was never here...and Sarah...is she even real?? Where is she?"

"I think the bad man got her. She don't answer me anymore. But she did say my mom's in trouble. She's...sick."

Garrett's hands fell from his head to his sides. "What???!! What do you mean...sick??"

"See for yourself. Everything here is a message. You just have to wake up." Rosie replied and pointed in the direction behind him.

Garrett whipped around with a startled gasp to see you swaying about in a delirious demeanor and then....you just dropped.

"Josephine!!"

Garrett felt it this time. His lifeless heart thumped hard and heavy, one single time. It was like he had been shocked back to life again by the defibrillators, like when he had laid bloodied, broken and bruised beside the wreckage of the accident.

His eyes burned red as lava as his combat boots pummeled through the loose, unstable sand with little effort, for his heart was in control now.

Garrett dropped to his knees beside you and pulled your limp body into his trembling arms.

"Josephine, baby. Open your eyes. I'm here now. It's me little one. Your Tommy.... and you're my Gina or you can still be Daphne if you want. Come on. Please Josie. You...you feel real. I can feel you, I can....why do you smell like burnt cherries??"

The perplexed vampire then harshly sneezed. "Pepper??? Josephine, what's happening?? Please wake up!"

Without warning, your eyes sprung open, only they were not your icy moonstone, they were blood red like an apocalyptic moon.

Garrett was swiftly flipped onto his back with your hands constricted around his neck as you straddled him. Your strength was astounding. Not an ounce of air was able to slip through to his lungs, but that wasn't the problem, for vampires didn't need oxygen. The problem was that at any given second, you would crush his neck and rip his head off. Had he still possessed his own natural vampire strength, he had to question if he would have even been able to pry your death grip free, just like the iron chains that bound his physical body.

As Garrett's fight with your arms severely weakened, his crystal clear image reflected in your orbs of fire and it was the last thing he saw as he stuttered out the ending lyrics of his own end.

"It hurts... to.. set you free, but... you'll never follow me. The end... of laugh..ter and soft lies. The end... of nights... we tried to die. This is...the end...my only..friend..the end of our elab..orate plans... the end of every...thing that stands... the end. No safety.... or surprise, the end. I'll never look into.... your eyes again."

Garrett's tired eyes closed, for how long he didn't know and then...he felt something warm and wet dripping onto his cheek as you he heard you sobbing 3 little words he had always longed to hear.

"Garrett. I...I love you. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please... wake up."

Drip, Drip, Drip.

In a gasping panic of calling your name, Garrett awoke with wide, darting eyes that traveled right to his open palm as the leak from the cabin floor above him dripped into it.

"What...in theeee jinky...fuck?!" he groaned as he lifted his hand to his lips to drink the tiny puddle of much needed lubricant for his dry, burning throat.

As he wearily pushed himself up into a sitting position, he froze solid, for he sensed a presence. Slowly turning to his right, there sat Freddy, your beloved crow.

"Eyyy, Freddy my man. Is it really you? Please tell me you're real because I really need some help as you can see."

"CAW!" the blackbird screeched, once for yes and then he pecked Garrett's hand.

"Owww, easy bro. Ok, you're real. You gotta do something for me. You owe me remember? For saving your life?"

"CAW!"

"Alright. Here."

Garrett reached deep into his pocket and pulled out the purple amethyst pendant.

"Take this to Josephine. She has to have it to rid of the dead....and somehow...find a way to tell her where I am. Do charades or something."

"CAW! CAW! CAW!" Freddy chanted with a head bobbing motion, almost as if he were laughing.

Garrett smiled and held the necklace up. "I'm pretty sure you know how important this is, so keep it safe. Oh, and she will need her moonstone pendant too that I had you hide."

Little did Garrett know about either pendant. He had the means all along and right there in his hand to transport himself back to you in a matter of seconds.... and then there was your pendant that his feathered friend had taken and given to Thranduil long ago to hopefully help bring the darkened elf lord back to the light by uniting it with his moonstone ring, which even the bird now knew that was a terrible mistake he would have to try and fix and he also knew such a task was easier thought than done, for the Elvenking would have a very tight grip on the two gems that formed one powerful piece of moonstone magic.

Freddy balled up the chain and stone with his talons and flew off through the broken basement window in which he had entered, but before he took flight to Dowrwinion, his keen black eye caught sight of something he knew he would need to make you understand.

On the porch sat a bag of Garrett's personal belongings and beside that laid a hairbrush. As he eyed the single strand of hair tangled in the bristles, his sensitive nostrils drew in Garrett's molasses scent. With his beak, he then snatched it up and took off into the night sky that held an almost full winter solstice moon.

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