A love that transcends time

Chapter 8

Ethereal Pov.

We had been flying for about two days stopping only for breaks to rest Hënë and Eldur and to eat and sleep.

It was night when torches caught Aaravos's and I's eyes, barely visible beneath forest trees they where moving at a rapid pace when they suddenly stopped. Aaravos and I chose to circle them a few times and listened closely, our heightened hearing allowed us to catch strands of the conversation and we managed to roughly piece together what was going on. It appeared that this group of people was headed to Rivendell to meet Gandalf when that where attacked by something called Wring Wraths or Nazgul and one of their members was injured and dying. Apparently an Elleth that was unknown to all but on of the members appeared and was trying to save the injured person but the man that was familiar with her was trying to convince her two allow him to take the person as these Nazgul would follow the injured person, I could here the love, fear, and worry in his voice as he pleaded with her. It was a tone I was familiar with as Aaravos had used it several times before for varies reasons.

I looked to Aaravos and watched him as he stared intently down at where the small fires flickered faintly. Almost as if he could feel my eyes on him he turned to look at me, it didn't take him but a glance at my face and he sighed, I new my expression said it all.

" I will watch over the group, you look more human than I." I smiled and moved to direct Eldur down to the tree line when I heard Aaravos call out to me. "Ethereal. Be carful, I know not what I would do should I loose you again." I could here the fear in his voice and my eyes softened, I knew that he had, in a way, been deeply scared by the time he thought he had lost me and our child both. It was a fear we both carried.

"I promise. Just as the moon always accompanies the stars in the sky even on the nights of a new moon she is always there even when not seen..." I called softly reciting the verses that we had only spoke but a few times.

His eyes softening as he realized what I was doing.

"I will always be at your side."

As the final words left our lips our voices mingled together and a power surged inside our bodies. It was both a spell and a promise that we had created that allowed one to feel the others life force, if one of us where to die or even be injured the other would immediately be alerted and could follow the connection back to the other. It was a promise to return.

I gave him a bright smile before directing Eldur to dive toward the tree line knowing that the promise I had just made said everything that needed to be said without having to say it all out loud. I leaned down against Eldur's neck as we neared the tree line.

When we brock the tree line the beings that had been surrounding a figure lying on the ground spun to face me with the two larger figures stepping forward to shield the smaller figures. The man drew his sword when he caught sight of Eldur and his eyes widened in shock but beneath it I could see the fear that he worked so hard to keep hidden. They had yet to see me from my place as I was still couched low hidden by Eldur's mane. I felt as the she elf began to pull magic to herself to attack and I decided it would be best to stop them before they did something that provoked Aaravos who I could sense just above the tree line watching me closely ready to interfere when needed. I used my connection to my Arcanum to request the spirits to stop their flow of power to the she elf temporarily. Only when I felt their soft brush of power letting me know that it had been done and I watched as a panicked and confused look appeared on the Elleth's face did I sit up.

The man immediately pointed his sword at me causing Eldur to let loose a low warning growl. I slowly swung my leg over the saddle and slid down to the ground where I walked up to stand by Eldur's neck where he lowered his head to me. I gently pet his muzzle hushing him gently causing him to cease his low rumble before looking up to the man who had slightly dropped his sword in shock. The she elf wore a similar look as she gazed at me, movement by their waists caught my attention and I saw three little heads poke out from behind them, one of the face was guarded and wary while the other two looked at me with wonder and shock.

I raised my hands slowly to show them I carried no weapon and that I meant them no harm. While the mans face was still guarded he did lower his sword but he refused to return it to it's scabbard as his eyes shifted nervously between Eldur and I.

"Peace my friends, I mean you no harm." I told them gently. Their eyes widened momentarily before I herd a voice from behind the human.

"Hey Mary. She looks like what I would imagine one of the Valor would look if they ever where to appear, maybe without the horns, though they are pretty."

"Hush Pippin!" Another voice hushed the first voice before I saw two curious faces peek out from behind the she elf's legs. I chuckled softly before giving them a gentle smile.

"You have my thanks little ones, that is a very kind thing to say." The two little men looked at each other before one of the one with slightly darker auburn locks stepped forward closely followed by the other with slightly lighter auburn locks. Both the man and the she elf reached forward to snatch at their cloaks panicked but they where already out of reach and they dared not leave their injured companion to bring them back behind them once again.

"Say miss what are you exactly?" One of the little men who had stopped not but 10 feet from me called out bravely. I gave another soft laugh.

"Oi Pippin! That was very rude of you! Sorry for his lack of manners miss. Though I do have to say I'm quite curious my self. Your ears and beauty say elf but I've never herd of an elf with horns before." The other man gazed at me curiously like I was a puzzle to be solved.

"You need not worry, I find no fault in an innocent question born of curiosity nor in how he asked it, however, now is not a time to discus from which race I come as that would require time I fear your friend does not have." I shifted my gaze to the direction in which I new their injured friend lay in sympathy. "I am Ethereal. I was sought out by Gandalf the Grey and was on my way to Rivendell when I saw your torches and heard you needed aid." I could see the human and elf eyeing me with suspicion and curiosity.

"How do we know we can place our trust in you?" The human man called out. I turned my gaze to him and saw him flinch lightly, my eyes softened.

"I'm not asking you to place your trust in me, I'm asking you to trust in Gandalf." As my words hung in the air I could see their minds working, they where torn between trusting a stranger and possibly saving their friend, trusting a stranger and having them betray them and ham their friend or not trusting a stranger and they either manage to save their friend or they loose him.

"Very well, I sense no ill intent from you. Though I will warn you should you betray us you will not live long." The man's head whipped around to look at the she elf in shock. He gazed at her for a while before he let out a deep sigh.

"Very well," He then turned to me. "Then we will be relying upon your aid Miss Ethereal." I gave him a reassuring nod.

"Then let us make hast to Rivendell."