Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 29 * Coming Together and Falling Apart

The pool was warm and created thick steam in which made it difficult to see past the length of your arm but the waters were something euphoric. The smell of barberry and eucalyptus tingled throughout her body, particularly her finger tips. Her shoulder would alternate between pain and relief every so often but she continued to soak in the water and in doing so she was able to clear her mind and easily puzzle things together.

There were some things she could not solve for her there were parts that were fuzzy but she did discover that for the most part, Thayonidas had not lied about anything except for there being one more Alexzandron but she now listened to her heart which told her he was not lying. The only thing now was to allow him to explain.

A sound startled her and she immediately put up her guard as someone entered the water. The scent and limited range of sight made things difficult but before she could getting better prepared in her mind Thayonidas's voice. "Sonora told you I would explain."

Ryker rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around her chest as he came closer in the water. When he was close enough to see and rather too close for comfort she said, "Before you begin I must know some things. Why did you tell me not to wear red?"

He smiled and lowered his head and whispered, "Because I did not want anyone else to see you the way I did this night. I don't want anyone to ever see you in that hue for I know it will only make me jealous to even wonder if they can picture you in such a color and so radiant and deadly."

This was ludicrous and most certainly not what she would have expected. The closest she could figure was that red would remind someone of the blood she had shed and wore on her hands.

 She shook her head and added, "why is it you told me there was still an Alexzandron but yet you told these people I was the last?"

"I have not lied. I told you that you were not the last in which possessed the Alexzandron blood and I told these people and beings you were the last full blooded Alexzandron."

"That is impossible. Alexzandron's have never mixed blood with any other race. If a man ever bred a child into a non Alexzandron woman, she would die before childbirth. If a woman bore a child from a man not of Alexzandron blood than child would die in the womb long before it could be born."

Thayonidas stepped closer and looked down into her eyes and softly replied, "Unless the sire was greater than men."

Her mind mulled this over and she asked, "Elves? For that to be he would have had been born by the latest, the end of the first age."

Thayonidas nodded. "I have no doubt you will figure it out for you are quiet clever but allow me to explain about this army. It is really quite simple. Many are like you, thought to be myth, done wrong, and cast out. Because of men their lives have been destroyed and because of Sauron their world is about to be destroyed."

"They want me to lead them into a battle against whoever is left standing? There is one thing that you have forgotten. The ring. I do not have the ring and would not know where to start searching for the ring bearer in the badlands. The fate of this world relies on that ring. I can see what their hopes are and that is to go in after the battle with a fresh army and take on those still standing. Take back middle earth to live the way they want. It is foolish and delusional. Sauron will retake the ring and become more powerful and will not back down. In fact he will make all those who oppose him suffer the most painful lives. These creatures think they know pain now but once he comes into power again they will wish for death but most will be denied such a luxury."

"So you are afraid?" He asked.

She bore a glare into his eyes and replied, "You know I am not afraid but my lack of fear of death does not make me a fool. You asked me here to lead an army but I will not lead these passionate creatures to slavery."

He stared at her hard and spoke but this time there was only seriousness, "Seeing you has giving these beings hope. Hope that has been a stranger to them for so long and don't think them to be stupid. They know their lives are on the line and many of them will not survive but they refuse to give up and just let the war destroy their world. From where I stand you are a coward. You may not fear death but you fear making a choice and being a leader. You fear this battle and really you fear yourself. You fear what is buried down deep and now threatens to break free."

"You know nothing about me."

"I can see what you refuse to. Don't underestimate me... and yourself for that matter."

"Tell me, how is it you presume such things? You honestly believe the little girl you once knew, the one in which allowed you into her heart, is still here scampering up trees in search of satisfying curiosity? You speak to me as though you have been by my side for these past years but let me tell you, if you had been by my side for even the length of time I was with the Fellowship of the Ring, you would be planning on a way to kill me."

Suddenly something on his shoulder caught her eye and immediately she became infuriated and she reached out and jerked her shoulder closer, hoping what she saw was not what she thought.

In her native language a long lost saying was inked on his arm which read, "Courage is like Love, it must have hope for nourishment."

She wanted to filet his skin from his body for that but he noticed and said, "If you really want a reason to fight then here it is!" and with that he stood up more and there over his heart was her name is Alexzandron. Kordelia.

In the corners of her eyes the red began to move in and her blood was hot as magma and running through her veins like lightning. Her fists whole body shook with rage and she forced her eyes closed and hissed, "Why?"

"I knew this war was coming and before that day I saw you I knew we were without hope! I had no hope in man, dwarves, and especially elves. When I met you my hope was restored. You showed me the true beauty in which still dwelled in this world and proved that there was a passion that made this world glorify. I knew then that I had to do everything I possible could to make sure that passion and beauty was not snuffed out because if it did then this world was to die."

"That girl is gone!"

"SHE IS STILL HERE!" He roared with eyes that seemed mad and ready to attack like a wild animal. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look away for a moment and then h looked back into her eyes with a hardness that she knew she would not break through unless she killed him. His mind was set. "Since you were brought to the tower I saw that girl although this shrew that has taken control and overshadows her. She had been pushed down so deep that you think she is gone. Though you try to drown her in the back of your mind, you cannot rip her from your heart because that heart is not Ryker's it is Kordelia's!"

At this point her head was screaming and she didn't know why. Had he done it? Had he broke her? Through the chaos in her mind his voice echoed in her mind, "Its time for Kordelia to return."

For the first time she lost complete control of her mind and what ensued was not good. The fight inside of her mind so much was happening, so much blood, family faces, screams, Uruk Hai, Legolas, battles, pain, suffering, and so much more until the fighting all together stole her consciousness.