The Lord of the Rings: The Banshee Queen

Chapter 5

Sitting in a circle, we all muttered to either ourselves or the person next to us.
Clearing his throat, Gimli combed his fingers through his bushy red beard.
"So," he began in his gruff voice, "what are we doing back here, Gandalf? Has Sauron returned?"
I prayed that was not the case.
I can't bear the horrific idea of having to go back to Mount Doom and there was no logical way that it remained the same.
Everyone witnessed it blowing up along with Barad-Dûr collapsing entirely.
So why were we here again after all these years?
King Aragorn of Gondor paused his conversation with his Elf wife Arwen who was rubbing her pregnant belly.
Dawn grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
"I have ordered you here, Fellowship, to bring you news; terrible, terrible news," Gandalf announced.
Everyone began to mutter again, this time asking what the news was about. I breathed deeply and my thumb stroked Dawn's knuckle, preparing myself for the worst.
"Agh! I was right! Sauron has returned, hasn't he? And I suppose you want us to destroy him once again!" Gimli growled, furiously mumbling to himself in Khuzdul, the Dwarvish language.
"Everyone, calm yourselves," demanded Lord Elrond, straightening his silver headdress. Everyone locked eyes with him and eventually softened their muttering to complete silence.
"Thank you, my Lord. As I was saying, I have called upon each of you to be the unfortunate bearer of grave news; news about Dawn Starkin," Gandalf explained, his gaze drifting to her.
She perked up and pointed at herself.
We were all here because of her? So many questions swam through my puzzled head until Dawn finally spoke.
"Me? What about me?"
Gandalf smoked on his pipe before he asked, "Dawn, what was your mother's name?"
She was quiet for a few seconds. She glanced at me then at everyone else. She gulped and pushed a wine-colored lock of hair out of her worried face.
"I never knew my mother," she confessed. "I have spent my whole life around my father. He never talked about her much, but I do know one thing about her: her name was Leanera."
Gandalf wiped sweat from his forehead and shook his head as everyone's faces dropped. They seemed too familiar with that name and I braced myself for his next response.
"Miss Starkin...your mother is the ruler of the most dangerous of all creatures: she is the Queen of Banshees. That was only a pseudonym she went by; she is truly called 'Jafilyn'. You were born with terrible powers.
The only way to rid you of this curse is for you and Frodo to return to Mordor where she ruled in secret and cut the palm of your hand so that the dark magic will leave your body and fully eradicate the Banshees. Without another ruler, they shall be extinct once and for all."
Gandalf's words rang through my ears. Dawn had sung that name when she was bathing in the river. She didn't even know who Jafilyn was despite her being the mother she never knew.
Everyone in the room stared at my lover, getting up and now arguing with each other.
I slugged in my chair, shutting my eyes as I listened to the several dumbfounded responses everyone shared.
"Impossible! She is but a half-breed!"
"How? How and why did a Banshee procreate with a Halfling?"
"Poor thing. He shouldn't have told her that she's the offspring of a Banshee."
Dawn swallowed hard and tears sprang to her eyes and her full lips quivered.
"May I be excused, my Lord?"
Before Elrond could answer, she got up, dusted off her lavender-colored skirt, and dashed off.
"I'll go get her," Pippin said, about to stand up.
"No, it's alright. I'll go after her," I said.

Running around Rivendell, I came across one dark-haired Elf talking to another.
"Excuse me, but did you see a young Hobbit maiden run past you? She's not like other Halflings; she lacks hair on her feet."
"Why, yes, she went into the Last Homely House," he replied, pointing over his shoulder.
I thanked him and rushed to the House, finding the chambers Dawn and I slept in. Curled up in a sniffling ball, Dawn was facing away from me.
"Dawn?"
I sat beside her, caressing her head and consoled her. I snuck over her shoulder to look at her face.
The tip of her nose was red, her cheeks were stained with fat tears, and there was a bit of mucus running from her nostrils.
She blew her nose into a handkerchief and sat up.
"Now I know why Father rarely talked about her...my mother was evil. I'm evil," she wept.
She repeatedly called herself that. Her mother might be a danger to Middle-earth and possibly to Arda, but Dawn was forever a gentle soul to me and everyone else around her. I would see her help Sam with his gardening and family; often she would assist the elderly. Seeing her distraught broke my heart into hundreds of pieces; the last I could recall her in tears was when her father passed.
"I don't understand it at all. My father kept this as a secret from me...he was involved with a Banshee and created me."
I rubbed her back and took her in my arms, her tears seeping into my coat.
"Everything will be alright, love. I promise you that we will get rid of the curse for good," I assured.
"Let's hope so, Frodo."
We both jumped when we heard someone cough.
We gathered ourselves and saw Merry standing still, hands clasped together.
"Lord Elrond wanted me to fetch you two; see how she was doing," he clarified.
Dawn cleaned her face and said, "I'll be alright. I just need rest and some food."
"Elrond dismissed everyone for supper, so whenever you two are ready, come on down."
I smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Merry."
He grinned and we watched him disappear.
I embraced Dawn and kissed her sweetly. "Come, Dawn. Let's go see them."