The Mysterious Fate #wattys2016

Black Keys and Fading Fears

Please read the author's note for disclaimer and explanation of this story.

I make no claims on Tolkien's works. I also give credit to Cormak3032.

Lana fought to keep herself from growing distracted during her lesson with Aragorn. Her thoughts kept bouncing between her promise to herself from the night before, to home and wondering what her family was doing, and then to her job, before leaping back to Boromir's latest taunt. She couldn't afford the distractions as Aragorn's sword swung at her. Mentally she shoved it all away and forced herself to concentrate on defeating the Ranger at his own game.

As usual, he pushed her hard. He expected great things from her and wouldn't give her an inch. When he did not receive her full attention he would bring his sword in close to her neck or exposed middle. He ran her through her paces until he was satisfied.

She could barely call herself an expert, but wielding her sword was starting to feel somewhat natural. No longer did she hesitate, and she executed her strikes with intension. Her blocks were not very strong and more often than not Aragorn threw his weight against her. He reasoned that her opponents would do the same. Orcs didn't fight fair, he told her every day. It was up to her to use her strengths against them.

Her lesson with Legolas was cancelled for that day as the elf was off with his own people. Oddly enough, she felt rather shoved aside, which was of course unreasonable. Legolas was among his kinfolk and given how she felt around him, these new feelings made no sense. Not understanding herself at all she decided to take a long bath and then spend the rest of the day sketching. After all, she didn't get days off here.

Though winter encroached on the lands beyond the wood, in Lothlórien the weather was fair and balmy. This afternoon was pleasantly warm and sunny—a perfect day to relax and catnap. Before long she had dozed off, she was both mentally and physically drained.

"What's on her face?"

Lana bolted straight up at the exclamation, her deep breathing cut short. "Hmm-huh?"

Merry and Pippin were crouched beside her and they looked completely mystified and not a little startled. They both jumped back at her abrupt movement and stared at her wide-eyed, but they quickly recovered from their fright.

"Can you see out of those?" Pippin asked curiously.

Blinking she looked at them oddly until she realized she had fallen asleep with her sunglasses on. Lowering them with one hand she smirked at them.

"Of course. They're sunglasses. They'd be pretty useless if you couldn't see through them." She yawned.

"Sun-glasses?" Merry asked scratching his head.

"Yeah; they're similar to regular glasses that you would use to read."

At their baffled expressions she reiterated. "Like spectacles? You do have those don't you?"

"Oh yes," Pippin said in sudden comprehension. "Old Farmer Maggot had a pair I think. Didn't he, Merry?"

"Of course! I remember now. He did."

Pippin glanced at the sunglasses again which she now folded and put into their case. "Can you really look at the sun with those on?"

Lana chuckled. "Oh no! They're not for looking at the sun, but they help shield your eyes from the glare. When I was lying here earlier the sun was shinning down through the leaves and into my eyes, so I put them on."

"Hmm. Sunglasses." Merry said with interest. "What else do you have in that pack of yours?"

"Oh, just a few things. Some clothes like my jeans and couple of shirts, some jewelry…my notebook, which is more or less ruined now."