The Music in My Heart
folder
-Multi-Age › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
7,291
Reviews:
108
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
7,291
Reviews:
108
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 16 One Fainting Robin
Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 16
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating:.NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Het and Slash
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”. This story was written for fun, not profit.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 16 --- One Fainting Robin
“If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain”.
Emily Dickinson
*****
The attack came in a remote village in Rohan. They had been warned to move to the safety of Edoras, but most had refused to be driven from their homes, even knowing the threat from the Hordes was growing daily. Their only concession to the warnings was to dig caves into the side of the mountain that had sheltered and protected the village for hundreds of years. They planned to use them as hiding places for their women and children should the need arise.
The Riders of Rohan saw the flames of the burning huts from a great distance. It took several hours for them to reach the site that had once been home to several hundred people. In the caves, they found seventeen children and three women. The attack had been too sudden for more of them to hide. No other survivors were found.
*****
Seere and her father were reading the morning reports in preparation for further work on the history puzzle. Elrond and Elladan had spread several maps across his desk and were discussing options for expanding the patrols of the Imladrian guard. Her sudden gasp and choked cry alerted the elves to her distress.
Elrond and his son moved quickly to join Erestor at his daughter’s side. “What is it, pen vuil?”
Wordlessly, she held out the scroll she had been reading to her father. Concerned by the horror contorting her pale features, he took the document and quickly began to read. Half way through, he found the cause of her distress.
The description of the attack echoed the description of the events foretold in one of Seere’s dreams to an astonishing degree. What the handful of survivors had been unable to see from their hiding place, Seere’s narrative had told the rest. The report confirmed that several women had been taken captive, but an exhaustive search of the area found no other survivors nor had they found any remains. While the report offered no conclusion, their fate was clearly understood.
Handing the scroll to Elrond, Erestor pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. He knew there was nothing he could say to take away the pain she was feeling. She knew what she had seen had come to pass, that they had received the warning in time to evacuate, but had failed to heed the warning. The dream had become reality and the scenes of violent death she had seen had played out in an isolated valley in Rohan.
*****
Elrond understood the pain she was feeling. He was also familiar with the uncomfortable looks that had followed her when she rose from her seat and left the dining hall. Nodding his head to Erestor, he stood and followed her into the garden.
“Seere?” Seeing her back stiffen in response to his query, he halted several feet from where she was standing. “Would it help to talk to another who knows too well the pain and fear that is consuming you?” he asked, his voice pitched low to reach only her ears.
A hesitant nod of her head encouraged him to move closer to where she stood next to the trunk of a large oak tree. Stopping at her side, he remained silent, letting her find the words to ask her question.
The light of Ithil cast a soft light on her face adding an ethereal quality to her delicate beauty. The sadness in her eyes caught at his heart and he was unprepared for the desire to take her in his arms that raced through him. It was a relief when she began to speak as it forced him to attend her words and ignore his impulse.
“I can hear their screams as clearly as if I was standing in the midst of the village. I feel like I was there; that I stood watching and let them die. I can almost feel their blood on my hands and feel the heat of the fires scorching my face.” Looking up into his face, she asked, “How do I live with that?”
“In truth, I am not sure I know.” Sighing, he silently asked himself the same question and sought to find the words to put the only answer he had found in over 7000 years of sad experience into a meaningful response.
“You know I have been in battles and seen people die before my eyes. I have taken the lives of enemy warriors, watched them die by my hand.” He paused and looked out over the expanse of lawn before them. “In most respects, visions are harder to resolve in my head, in my heart, than memories such as those… of actual events that I lived through, my guilt over the acts I committed.”
“I think that statement would surprise most people because they have not experienced the burden and pain the gift of foresight places on its bearer.” He could feel her eyes lift, boring into him as he continued. “As for how I deal with it, I try to remind myself that the gift of foresight grants me no power to necessarily change the outcome of the events I witness… in many cases, it does not.”
“I comfort myself with the notion that there must be a reason I am shown what I am, one that serves a greater purpose and trust that this is a part of Eru’s plan that I have been chosen to perform.” A gentle smile touched his lips as he met her gaze. “I will admit to you and you alone that there are some days I do a better job of remembering that than others.”
“Take comfort, pen vuil, that there are seventeen children and three women alive this day because of your vision. The caves that sheltered them were only built after the warning of the attack was delivered. But,” he cautioned, “you must never forget that all children of Eru Ilúvatar have free will to choose their own course in life. No matter what we tell them, they must decide whether to accept it and act accordingly or reject it and accept the consequences of that choice. You can not make the choice for them or force them to listen… as much as you may want to do so.”
Turning to her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, urging her around to face him. “Seere, your choice is not whether or not you will accept the gift of foresight. We do not get to choose the gifts… or the burdens life gives us. No, your choice is to decide whether or not you try to do the best you can with the gifts that are entrusted to you. You must decide, daughter of Eru, if the pain of sharing your visions is worth the risk of it being ignored or ridiculed or even feared. You must decide if you truly serve the Valar and Eru Ilúvatar… even when you can not see the purpose or find any possible good in what has happened.”
For a long moment, she stood as if frozen, staring into his eyes considering what he had said. Feeling the tension ease from her shoulders even as the tears began to stream down her face, he knew she had truly heard what he had said. “Remember that you are never alone in this, Seere.”
Knowing there was nothing else he could say, he reached up to wipe the tears from her face before offering her his arm. Smiled down into her eyes, Elrond observed “Tis a lovely night, my lady. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a walk in the gardens?”
Holding his gaze for moment longer, she felt a faint smile come to her lips. Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, she replied “It would be my pleasure, my lord.”
*****
/Becoming quite besotted with our lovely ‘pen vuil’ are we, my lord Elrond? And the poor little pampered elleth needs comfort because she feels guilty? She already has her father wrapped around her finger, as well as, the twins and Celeborn. Now the half-breed Lord of the Valley himself falls all over her with words of praise and comfort! And after she…!/
/I need to consider my plans for the time to right this insult is coming soon! I will not accept this!/ The shadow melted back into the dark leaving the strolling pair to the peace of the quite night and the comfort of the silvery light of Ithil.
*****
A/N:
aIRRIA --- Thanks for reading and reviewing! I’m glad you like my take on Elrond. I’m having fun writing him in this is story.
Tuxedo Elf --- Thanks! Imladris is coming back to life as we speak!
Giggles --- I appreciate your support. I’m glad you like my storyline. Hope you enjoy the twists and turns I have in store in the coming chapters!
Daeomae --- Thanks! Keeping a steady flow of updates won’t be a problem… I have a big backlog just waiting to be posted!
Tracey --- I’m so glad you like the plot. I didn’t think a half-elf/half-Maia bad guy had been done before! ;-) Thanks for reviewing!
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating:.NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Het and Slash
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”. This story was written for fun, not profit.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 16 --- One Fainting Robin
“If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain”.
Emily Dickinson
*****
The attack came in a remote village in Rohan. They had been warned to move to the safety of Edoras, but most had refused to be driven from their homes, even knowing the threat from the Hordes was growing daily. Their only concession to the warnings was to dig caves into the side of the mountain that had sheltered and protected the village for hundreds of years. They planned to use them as hiding places for their women and children should the need arise.
The Riders of Rohan saw the flames of the burning huts from a great distance. It took several hours for them to reach the site that had once been home to several hundred people. In the caves, they found seventeen children and three women. The attack had been too sudden for more of them to hide. No other survivors were found.
*****
Seere and her father were reading the morning reports in preparation for further work on the history puzzle. Elrond and Elladan had spread several maps across his desk and were discussing options for expanding the patrols of the Imladrian guard. Her sudden gasp and choked cry alerted the elves to her distress.
Elrond and his son moved quickly to join Erestor at his daughter’s side. “What is it, pen vuil?”
Wordlessly, she held out the scroll she had been reading to her father. Concerned by the horror contorting her pale features, he took the document and quickly began to read. Half way through, he found the cause of her distress.
The description of the attack echoed the description of the events foretold in one of Seere’s dreams to an astonishing degree. What the handful of survivors had been unable to see from their hiding place, Seere’s narrative had told the rest. The report confirmed that several women had been taken captive, but an exhaustive search of the area found no other survivors nor had they found any remains. While the report offered no conclusion, their fate was clearly understood.
Handing the scroll to Elrond, Erestor pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. He knew there was nothing he could say to take away the pain she was feeling. She knew what she had seen had come to pass, that they had received the warning in time to evacuate, but had failed to heed the warning. The dream had become reality and the scenes of violent death she had seen had played out in an isolated valley in Rohan.
*****
Elrond understood the pain she was feeling. He was also familiar with the uncomfortable looks that had followed her when she rose from her seat and left the dining hall. Nodding his head to Erestor, he stood and followed her into the garden.
“Seere?” Seeing her back stiffen in response to his query, he halted several feet from where she was standing. “Would it help to talk to another who knows too well the pain and fear that is consuming you?” he asked, his voice pitched low to reach only her ears.
A hesitant nod of her head encouraged him to move closer to where she stood next to the trunk of a large oak tree. Stopping at her side, he remained silent, letting her find the words to ask her question.
The light of Ithil cast a soft light on her face adding an ethereal quality to her delicate beauty. The sadness in her eyes caught at his heart and he was unprepared for the desire to take her in his arms that raced through him. It was a relief when she began to speak as it forced him to attend her words and ignore his impulse.
“I can hear their screams as clearly as if I was standing in the midst of the village. I feel like I was there; that I stood watching and let them die. I can almost feel their blood on my hands and feel the heat of the fires scorching my face.” Looking up into his face, she asked, “How do I live with that?”
“In truth, I am not sure I know.” Sighing, he silently asked himself the same question and sought to find the words to put the only answer he had found in over 7000 years of sad experience into a meaningful response.
“You know I have been in battles and seen people die before my eyes. I have taken the lives of enemy warriors, watched them die by my hand.” He paused and looked out over the expanse of lawn before them. “In most respects, visions are harder to resolve in my head, in my heart, than memories such as those… of actual events that I lived through, my guilt over the acts I committed.”
“I think that statement would surprise most people because they have not experienced the burden and pain the gift of foresight places on its bearer.” He could feel her eyes lift, boring into him as he continued. “As for how I deal with it, I try to remind myself that the gift of foresight grants me no power to necessarily change the outcome of the events I witness… in many cases, it does not.”
“I comfort myself with the notion that there must be a reason I am shown what I am, one that serves a greater purpose and trust that this is a part of Eru’s plan that I have been chosen to perform.” A gentle smile touched his lips as he met her gaze. “I will admit to you and you alone that there are some days I do a better job of remembering that than others.”
“Take comfort, pen vuil, that there are seventeen children and three women alive this day because of your vision. The caves that sheltered them were only built after the warning of the attack was delivered. But,” he cautioned, “you must never forget that all children of Eru Ilúvatar have free will to choose their own course in life. No matter what we tell them, they must decide whether to accept it and act accordingly or reject it and accept the consequences of that choice. You can not make the choice for them or force them to listen… as much as you may want to do so.”
Turning to her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, urging her around to face him. “Seere, your choice is not whether or not you will accept the gift of foresight. We do not get to choose the gifts… or the burdens life gives us. No, your choice is to decide whether or not you try to do the best you can with the gifts that are entrusted to you. You must decide, daughter of Eru, if the pain of sharing your visions is worth the risk of it being ignored or ridiculed or even feared. You must decide if you truly serve the Valar and Eru Ilúvatar… even when you can not see the purpose or find any possible good in what has happened.”
For a long moment, she stood as if frozen, staring into his eyes considering what he had said. Feeling the tension ease from her shoulders even as the tears began to stream down her face, he knew she had truly heard what he had said. “Remember that you are never alone in this, Seere.”
Knowing there was nothing else he could say, he reached up to wipe the tears from her face before offering her his arm. Smiled down into her eyes, Elrond observed “Tis a lovely night, my lady. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a walk in the gardens?”
Holding his gaze for moment longer, she felt a faint smile come to her lips. Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, she replied “It would be my pleasure, my lord.”
*****
/Becoming quite besotted with our lovely ‘pen vuil’ are we, my lord Elrond? And the poor little pampered elleth needs comfort because she feels guilty? She already has her father wrapped around her finger, as well as, the twins and Celeborn. Now the half-breed Lord of the Valley himself falls all over her with words of praise and comfort! And after she…!/
/I need to consider my plans for the time to right this insult is coming soon! I will not accept this!/ The shadow melted back into the dark leaving the strolling pair to the peace of the quite night and the comfort of the silvery light of Ithil.
*****
A/N:
aIRRIA --- Thanks for reading and reviewing! I’m glad you like my take on Elrond. I’m having fun writing him in this is story.
Tuxedo Elf --- Thanks! Imladris is coming back to life as we speak!
Giggles --- I appreciate your support. I’m glad you like my storyline. Hope you enjoy the twists and turns I have in store in the coming chapters!
Daeomae --- Thanks! Keeping a steady flow of updates won’t be a problem… I have a big backlog just waiting to be posted!
Tracey --- I’m so glad you like the plot. I didn’t think a half-elf/half-Maia bad guy had been done before! ;-) Thanks for reviewing!