The Crownless Again Shall Be King

Chapter 4- The Palantír

Chapter 4- The Palantír

Rayel's POV

As soon as my brother exited the room, Merry turned to me worriedly. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

I was still shaking and I turned to the Hobbit with a weary look. "I had an awful nightmare," I answered truthfully.

"A nightmare?" he asked.

"I didn't know Elves could have nightmares," whispered Pippin, causing me to smile softly.

"Yes, Master Took," I chuckled. "Even the Elf-kind are plagued by nightmares as well." Pippin's mop of curly brown hair fell into his eyes and I softly brushed it off his forehead. He was burning up. "Are you alright?" I whispered, my maternal instincts taking over.

"Yes," he lied, his eyes wandering over to where Gandalf slept.

"Pippin," I whispered. "Is this about the Palantír?"

His eyes widened, "No," he lied again, flopping down onto his back and closing his eyes.

Merry and I exchanged a worried look but soon, Sleep offered her arms to us and we both settled down into our blankets. I was still rather frightened from my nightmare, and it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape Melkor's ethereal golden eyes.

His touch had filled me with such wonder and fear... I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, but afraid of his as well. His long, raven-black hair tempted me to run my fingers through it. His lips desirous for me to kiss.

What was I saying?

I closed my eyes, trying miserably to push him from my mind. Unfortunately, my attempts did not prevail. I could hear him laughing, mocking me. "What are you doing, Lothrayel?" he thundered in my head. "You cannot hide from me."

My eyes drifted over to where Gandalf slumbered, and the urge to take the Black Seeing Stone grew more and more urgent. It was like a fire in my veins... like a magnet pulling me toward the dark magic.

I felt the immense liquid flames entering my blood stream, shooting an unquenchable pain through my hand and up my arm.  I could feel the flames just waiting to be released from my fingers- begging to be released into a glorious inferno. I wanted to engulf myself in the flames- to test my full powers. To feel the inferno.

Beside me I could feel Pippin growing restless. He turned and flopped around, breathing heavily- he was feeling the same anxiety I was. I could sense Merry and he was tired, practically asleep.  Pippin's breathing became more rapid and unsteady, and finally, the blankets were thrown aside.

My eyes fluttered open, and sat up to watch him. "Pippin?"

"Shh!" he hissed, glancing at Merry nervously.

I nodded; placing a finger to my lips and watching him tiptoe across the room. "What are you doing?" Merry demanded, sitting up and staring at his friend with wide eyes.

Pippin shushed his friend, turning in a circle and jumping back when he saw Gandalf. "What is it?" I whispered.

The Halfling waved his hand in front of Gandalf and sighed in relief. I could only figure that Gandalf was sleeping with his eyes open, as he had done before in the past.

"Pippin?" Merry whispered urgently. "Pippin?"

"Shh, Merry!" I hissed, "This is important!"

The older Hobbit looked at me with wide eyes.

Pippin grabbed a vase off of the cold, stone floor and grabbed the cloth-wrapped sphere from Gandalf's arm, instantly replacing it with the vase. Gandalf didn't react, and immediately Pippin hurried over between Merry and I to show us the sphere.

"Pippin!" scolded Merry. "Are you mad?"

"I just want to look at it!" persisted the curly-haired Hobbit, unwrapping the sphere. "Just one more time." As soon as the fabric had been removed from the glossy Seeing Stone, the fire in my veins burned again.

Get it now.

I scooted across the floor beside Pippin gazing hungrily down at the black Orb.

"Put it back!" pleaded Merry. "Tell him Rayel!"

Pippin placed his hands down onto the Stone and immediately the colors swirled into red and yellow, seemingly transforming into a fiery, lidless Eye. Pippin began to shake, his breathing became faster and his heart beat rapidly against his chest.

"No!" exclaimed Merry. "Pippin!"

I watched as Pippin's face morphed into that of horror and shock; he fell backwards onto his back writhing in pain. He opened his mouth and screamed out silently.

"Rayel!" pleaded Merry. "Do something!"

I jumped to my feet, retrieving the Orb from the Hobbit and clasping it tightly in my hands. Suddenly the burning fire in my veins ceased and I found myself standing in a dark valley. In front of me stood a great , tall Tower with a ring of Fire above it, glaring down hungrily.

"I see you," crooned the low, raspy voice of the Fire.

"Melkor ordered me to allow you to see me, oh Sauron," I smirked up at the Tower.

"So you are the Flame Barer, daughter of Lothlórien, Sire of Darkness?"

"I am who I am and it is as you have said," I answered lowly, feeling my powers increase.

"I will have an army at your disposal."

Suddenly I woke up on the floor, breathing heavily, sweat beaded on my forehead. "Rayel?" whispered the worried voice of a familiar Elf.

"Legolas?" I managed, gasping heavily.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, bringing his hand to my cheek.

Beside me laid my brother, shock on his face. "What were you doing with the Seeing Stone?" he asked lowly.

"Pippin!" I gasped, sitting up in Legolas' arms and looking for the small Halfling.

"Fool of a Took!" scolded Gandalf; his white beard matched his nightclothes at the moment. A wild look was portrayed in his fierce, blue eyes. "Rayel, I expected more from you!"

A pang of hurt washed over me: guilt, anger and fear. What if they found out? What if they knew?

Gandalf caught sight of Pippin beside me and rushed to his side, shoving poor Merry out of the way and across the floor. He kneeled down beside the Hobbit, placing a clammy hand to his forehead and whispering in a language that I did not know.

Pippin woke with a start, shaking and gasping, no doubt having seen something terrifying.

"Look at me," ordered Gandalf.

"Gandalf," gasped Pippin. "Forgive me." His eyes fluttered closed for a moment.

"Look at me. What did you see?" the Wizard asked persistently.  

He hesitated for a moment. "A tree," he wheezed.  "There was a White Tree, in a courtyard  of stone... It was dead.  They City was burning."

I felt all eyes drift to me at the word burning, implying fire. My secret Element.

"Minas Tirith, is that what you saw?" questioned Gandalf.

"I saw... I saw him." Pippin's eyes were wide and full of terror. "I could hear his voice in my head..."

"And what did you tell him? Speak."

"He asked me my name- I didn't answer... He hurt me."

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?"

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 Hey guys!

Sorry  it's short, but the next chapter will be a lot longer!

Love you guys!

-Alexis

XOXO