Child of Lorien

Chapter One: Not of Your Kind

“Lannyn!”

Lannyn smiled and gathered her skirts around her knees as she ran through the meadow to her horse, Nightshade. She laughed and swung onto the his bare back and whispered meaningless words (at least to her) in his ear, sending the beautiful midnight black stallion racing across the open plain.

She laughed as she reached Eowyn and extended a hand to help her friend onto Nightshade’s back without stopping his long stride, “What ails you, my friend? I thought I was given leave to spend the month in the vale…”

“Oh Lannyn, will you never change?” Eowyn sighed holding Lannyn’s slim waist in order to keep her seat on the wild stallion’s back. None but Lannyn could tame this beast and if he had been of a lesser breed he would have been gelded long ago to tame his dangerous tantrums. Eowyn shook her head ruefully, leave a wild girl to tame a wild horse, “I called you because my brother returns!”

Lannyn laughed joyously but she could see Eowyn was holding back, “Blessed be that he is safely home! How is my love? How fairs Theodred?”

A cold fear seeped through Lannyn’s veins, Eowyn remained silent her face pained. Lannyn stopped Nightshades headlong sprint towards Edoras, “What has happened? Tell me Eowyn!”

“He is gone Lannyn…” Eowyn’s tears shone on her pale cheeks, “He died of wounds earned on the battlefield. My uncle sits on his throne surrounded only by the poisonous words of Wormtongue and I fear for his health also. You have been long away from home Lannyn.”

Eowyn swung down from Nightshade’s back whistling for her own horse that grazed nearby and tried to comfort her friend, “Much awaits you in Edoras… we must hurry.”

Lannyn whispered to her horse and the stallion takes off across the plains, she couldn’t see through the salty tears that blind her as she raced to reach the town that had become her home in the last two years. Nightshade passed over the uneven ground like a shadow with the devil on his heels.

Upon reaching Edoras Lannyn leapt from Nightshade’s back, leaving her stallion to the hands of the grooms whom he actually allowed to guide him to his stall. Lannyn sprinted down the hallways her skirts hefted around her knees, uncaring of such a breech in etiquette as she raced to reach the throne room turning on her heal to jerk into a neighboring room.

Eowyn was not far behind but she was not near close enough to stop Lannyn as she tore into the room where Theodred’s body lay.

Lannyn collapsed to her knees beside the bed and felt the torrent of tears pour from her eyes and splash down her cheeks. She shook with violent sobs as she finally faced the loss of the man she had thought to marry, the man whose children she had believed she would bare… all was torn from her and she wished nothing more than to be left alone with her sadness, unfortunately that was not to be and her peace was soon interrupted by a soft knocking on the door.

“Lannyn?” It was Eomer, he stood in the doorway and with a cry she threw herself into his arms.

Lannyn sobbed into his strong chest, “He’s gone, and he’s really gone!”

She tried to hold back the torrent of sadness that was welling in her soul but it was no good. Her entire world was torn apart.

Eomer cradled her in his arms, she was like a sister to him though he could not deny the way she affected his body. She was indeed beautiful but Eomer knew better than to take advantage of her, it would risk more than just his friendship with her and he could not bear to hurt her anymore than she was already pained, “I’m sorry to tell you this but I must go…”

“What?” Lannyn clung tighter to him, her arms like a vice, “No I won’t let you!”

“I have been commanded to leave by my uncle himself, I must go!” Eomer pushed her back gently, “I will return, do not fear that little one.” He gently chucked her under the chin with the side of his knuckle, “Be brave while I’m gone alright?”

Lannyn nodded, she followed him as he mounted his horse and stood on the balcony as he and his men faded into nothing on the horizon…

That night Lannyn tossed and turned on her pillow, something was coming but she knew not what.

It was not until midmorning that she woke; in a frenzy she dressed and rushed to once again pay respects to the man she had meant to have as her husband. As she knelt by Theodred the clattering of guards rushing down the hall disturbed her.

Lannyn stood quickly, wiping away her tears and brushing off her skirts, she raced down the hallways behind the guards. She was surprised when they stopped before the Great Hall, the throne room of Theodred’s father, Theodin, king of Rohan…

Tears threatened to spill again as she thought of the sickening man she had once hoped would become her grandsire. Pushing the pain back she picked up a bow leaning against the wall, it was of unusual make but it seemed familiar almost as if it was meant for her hands… She shook her head and shouldered the quiver drawing and arrow and charging into the throne room.

The guards had been subdued by a tall man (a Ranger if she knew right), a short stocky figure that was no doubt a dwarf, and… she made her way slowly forward as she studied the lithe blonde man that was with them, her arrow was drawn and pointed at the men as the fourth man (Gandalf Stormcrow) screamed obscenities at Theodin… she still could not get a clear view of the blonde man.

Her attention was diverted as an immense amount of power radiated from the throne and Theodin was released from the evil shroud that had held him prisoner for so long. Saruman’s power was finally banished from Edoras and our king was once again whole and himself.

Lannyn watched as Theodin realized what had happened during the dark hours he spent with only Wormtongue’s council. She cheered inwardly as the venomous worm was driven from Edoras and told to go home to his master or die. But she could not stay and watch as Theodin was told about his son’s death.

She turned to flee, keeping her steps quiet and light so she would not be noticed. As she spun to exit the Great Hall Lannyn saw directly before her the blonde man, who she now realized was not a man but an elf. The pointed ears and warrior’s braids and the lilting voice that so much resembled her own.

He didn’t sense her until she was directly behind him and only then because the bow (that she now realized was obviously his) clattered from nerveless fingers and knocked down a vase, which landed with a resounding CRACK on the stone ground.

Lannyn’s eyes rolled back in her head as something overwhelmingly powerful overcame her and words in that meaningless language she often whispered to her horse echoed in her head, but now it not not so meaningless, now she heard and understood every word. As she felt her world darken and fade the last sight she saw were the concerned eyes of the elf as he reached out to catch her…

Legolas caught the girl just before she hit the ground, and pulled her up into his arms. All the attention in the room had shifted to them. Why had she fainted?

He lifted her to cradle her against his chest and a strange emotion twisted him, making him yearn to help this poor girl who was so obviously overwhelmed by the happenings in the throne room. He looked up as a fair-haired woman approached him, “You are a friend of hers? Do you know any place where she might rest?”

Eowyn rushed to Lannyn’s side as she collapsed into the arms of one of the newcomers. She frowned at the look he was giving her friend but pushed it aside as she caught sight of his companion. The tall dark haired man that towered above her drove all thoughts and words from her head and she was only shaken from her stupor when the elf asked where he might lay Lannyn to rest.

Eowyn guided him down the many hallways of Edoras to Lannyn’s room, it was not as far as the twisting halls made it seem. There she bowed and said, “I will send servants to attend Lannyn, when they arrive to care for her one of them will guide you to your quarters.”

Legolas nodded and returned his attention to the girl, ‘Lannyn… a lovely name indeed, and familiar.’ He sighed, ‘My father often cautioned me using the disappearance of Lannyn of Lothlorien as a threat.’

He admired Lannyn as she lay sleeping, she was very lovely with violet eyes he had only glimpsed and long dark lashes. Pale creamy skin unblemished by freckles and left untouched by the sun covered her from head to toe as far as her gown revealed. Her hair was like spun gold and it danced around a softly curved face and pointed ears…

Legolas stopped cold; her ears were pointed? He reached out with magic and felt her aura; this girl he had thought to be of Rohan was Elvin! He shook his head, there was much he wanted to ask her, but it would wait until she was feeling better, he would wait until the morning at least, “You are a strange occurrence, in these times one doesn’t often find an elf among men.”

He chuckled at the irony in this statement and swore to discover if the long missed child of Lorien he had oft heard of was in fact hidden among the Rohirrim. He shook his head and remembered the darkness of these times anything was possible. When the maids arrived to care for Lannyn he paused in the doorway, “I must leave you now, sleep well little one.”

Then he followed his guide to his rooms to ponder on this she-elf’s appearance in Rohan, could she be the Lannyn that was swallowed by darkness for almost a thousand years? If so Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel would most definitely wish to hear about it. He would speak to her of it in the morn, and then Legolas slept.

In the darkness of her dreams Lannyn tossed and turned, memories whispering past tightly clenched eyes and words she had thought garbled nothings dancing in her ears. As she lay wrapped in the warm blankets of her room in Rohan a dark mist lifted itself from her body and the glow that was so often around elves was released in her. It now now obvious to any who looked what she was, the unearthly glow that only enhanced her beauty was no longer blocked by the evil presence that had haunted her so long, and she was free…

OOC: Hehehehe.... this is the updated version it just wasn't making sense before so I fixed it, pairing is still a surprise! :D PLEASE REVIEW