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World On Fire	By : luxmcghee Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Het - Male/Female Views: 1781 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter One: She Won't Take Kindly to It
�This river has been flooded recently,� Kaelan said, leaping down from his horse. He patted Piran�s flank to calm him before kneeling down to inspect the eroded gravel of the riverbank.
�The Nazg�l have tried to cross here,� Morrigan stated grimly.
�So the ring has truly been found?� Kaelan sighed, picking up a muddy stone and tossing into the waters of the Bruinen. �Why else would they try to cross into Rivendell?�

�There is no other reason. Despite the great exodus to Valinor, a number of the most powerful of the First Born still dwell in Elrond�s lands. Only the one ring would call them to take such a risk. I feel something very old and very dark lay beyond these borders.� Morrigan looked out across the river, her expression disquieting to her companion. �It�s starting again.�
�You fear for Avalon, my lady?�
�I fear for all of Middle Earth, and yes, even Avalon. The power of Avalon has been waning for a very long time. The Goddess has long been disappearing from the memories of the people. I do not know if we will survive the coming darkness.�
Kaelan stood, failing to ignore the chill that crept up his spine as Morrigan spoke. He fought all outward signs of weakness even as that same chill wrapped around his chest, the implications of the Ireth�s words crystallizing in his mind�s eye. For a Novan warrior, imagining a world without Avalon was to imagine a frozen, barren wasteland, for that was what his home land, the Summerlands, would be without the presence of the Goddess in the Forodwaith.
Morrigan seemed to lose herself in thought as she gazed across the Bruinen giving Kaelan�s imagination ample opportunity to run away with him. The natural safeguards that were placed on the sacred island could fade; if the mists no longer protected it from outsiders, the waters of the Ar-Feiniel would yield to anyone with a mind to cross. Or even worse, the island itself could fade and the Ireth with it. Only the Ladies, themselves, knew for certain and none were inclined to share such information.
Regardless Kaelan knew he�d defend Avalon and all it stood for to his death. He had long pledged his loyalty to Avalon as his grandfather, Kael, had before him. In accordance with his mother�s teachings (yet against his father�s wishes), Kaelan came to embrace the religion of the Goddess and journeyed to Avalon to become a Novan; a warrior for the Ireth. If he were honest with himself, he�d admit that it was not just duty to the Goddess that brought him to Avalon, but also his grandfather�s epic stories of his adventures with the Sentinel, as Morrigan was known in the boarder villages.
Morrigan dismounted her horse, thoughtfully stroking Bern�s mane while she scanned the river for the safest spot to lead the horses across. Noticing the look on her young companion�s face, her mind immediately flashed back on her good friend, his grandfather.
They were so similar, not just in face but in manner. It would be almost eerie if she didn�t know that this was the way of things in human families. She knew nothing of that kind of bond but what she could observe over her long years. She and her sisters were not a family in the mortal sense. Their connection to each other came only from their connection to the Goddess.

Shaking herself from her momentary reverie, she smiled softly at him. �Do not worry, Kaelan. We will do everything in our power to see that no harm comes to the isle. After all, that is what we do.�
Kaelan grinned broadly at that. �Yes, my lady, it is.�
They crossed the river without incident and made their way deeper into Elven territory. Morrigan breathed in the air of the woods deeply, smiling at Kaelan. �Even the presence of the ring cannot dull the beauty of this place. It has been a long a time since my last journey to this valley. It was with your grandfather, as a matter of fact. His first time visiting the Elves as well.�
�I must admit, I�ve always been curious. The Elven priestesses and Novan that dwell in Avalon have spoken with such reverence of the lives left behind here and elsewhere.�

�Yes, it was much to sacrifice for them.�

�Surely, the beauty of Avalon and the grace of the Goddess are more than an even exchange,� Kaelan said, surprised, not so much at Morrigan�s answer, but the fleeting look of empathetic sadness that crossed her face.

Morrigan pulled Bern�s reigns, halting them momentarily. �Avalon has indeed offered much to our priestesses and Novan in return for their service- its beauty, its tranquility, its ability to envelope one as would a mother�s arms. And yes, there is no other place in Middle Earth where one can feel the presence of the Goddess more strongly. But Avalon will never replace one�s home. It is not just the elves. The women and men also speak of the places they�ve come from with equal veneration. There is nowhere in this world that can ever replace our true home; not entirely, at least. I have traveled, perhaps, the entire breadth of Middle Earth and there have been places I have come love and cherish, but Avalon is my home. I think you understand as well,� she smiled. �Will the gardens of the Temple ever replace that small patch of roses your mother grew behind your childhood home, Kaelan?�
�I think I do understand, my lady� he replied with a pensive smile. Somehow, Morrigan always managed to make him see the world in a different way. He supposed it was a gift that came with impossible age and the wisdom that accompanied that age. Yet, despite knowing how long the Ireth had walked the land, at times it was hard to look upon the youth of their faces and not be awed by their insight and abilities.
�All who pledge themselves to Avalon sacrifice much,� Morrigan reiterated. �Even you.�

�I couldn�t agree more,� came a voice from behind them.

Kaelan immediately pulled Piran up, turning him, his hand on his sword, ready to draw. Morrigan, however, brought Bern around slowly, a dry smile on her lips and a lone eyebrow cocked.

�Kaelan, it is alright,� Morrigan said. �We�ve nothing to fear from Prince Legolas, do we?� Her eyes met his own, returning his intense stare.

�You knew he was there, my lady?�
�His party has been behind us since we crossed the ford,� she answered, not taking her eyes off the elf. She noted that the fire of his scorn seemed to shine a little less bright than it did a millennia ago. That was at least something, she mused. �Although I can�t imagine why. Shouldn�t you have approached Imladris from the east, Legolas?�
�We did, my lady,� he replied with thinly veiled hostility. �I arrived yesterday.�
�Then what are you doing out here and following us?� Morrigan asked, repressing the old emotions that were starting to bubble up inside her.
Legolas ignored the question. �Why do you approach from the west? Isn�t your precious island on the other side of the Misty Mountains?�
�You know it is,� Morrigan said, her voice soft with intensity. �We were on an errand in Minhiriath.�
Kaelan eyed them both, Morrigan making no move to elaborate and Legolas making no move to answer her original question.
�As much as I revel in palatable tension,� began a disembodied- yet familiar- voice from above their heads. A broad smile stretched across her previously tense features upon hearing it. Glorfindel appeared, gracefully leaping from a nearby tree. He immediately bent into a grandiose bow, his smile never waning. �I�d like to greet the Lady Morrigan as well.�
�Glorfindel!� Morrigan swung herself down from Bern with equal grace embracing the elf tightly the moment she landed.
The elf returned her embrace wholeheartedly, joyful to see his old friend. When they separated he called out to the elves of his party that still kept themselves hidden. Half a dozen elven guards leapt into the clearing, all bowing their heads to the Ireth. �It is good to see your face, mellon,� Glorfindel continued.
�It has been far too long,� Morrigan nodded before turning back to her own companion. Both Kaelan and the elves of Glorfindel�s party looked on bewildered, unused to seeing either of their companions so� blithe. �Kaelan, this is Glorfindel. I am sure more than a few of your grandfather�s stories contained his name.�
Kaelan had, until that moment, kept one eye trained on the elf Morrigan had called Legolas. He didn�t like the way he�d spoken to her nor did he like the way he continued to look at her. But as soon as he heard Morrigan�s exclamation, he was overcome by an awe he�d not felt since he was a small child. �Of course! You led the elves into battle with the D�nedain against the witch-king at Fornost. I cannot count the times I heard that story as a boy.�
Morrigan smiled at Kaelan�s admiration. �Of course you cannot count the times. Glorfindel is so fond of hearing his own voice, especially with so rapt an audience, Kael would not have been able to count the times he heard the tale himself.�
�So this would be Kael�s grandson,� Glorfindel smiled, bowing his head in greeting. �How could it be otherwise? You have the very look of him. And as for the stories, I think we can all agree that they are best told first hand��

�Enough of that,� Morrigan interrupted with a laugh. �There will be time for story telling later, when I do not have to listen to it.�

�Pardon my interruption,� Legolas began, his tone belying his apology, �but we should be heading back to the city.�

They all agreed and started again down the wild path that led through the woods and into the valley of Imladris. Kaelan and Morrigan led their horses by the reigns as their new companions were on foot. �So what does bring you all out here?� Morrigan asked as they walked.
Glorfindel answered quickly, not giving Legolas a chance to inflict his tone on the Ireth again. Whatever their past- and it was clear to the ancient warrior that it was quite a past, indeed- she was still a being higher than they and deserved to be treated as such. �We were on our way out of the city to check on one of our posts on the Bruinen when Legolas and his company arrived. He offered to accompany me. The Nazg�l tried to cross four days ago. Arwen commanded the waters to rush them and they were swept away. We went to see if there were any sightings by our guard along the boarders and were on our way back to the city when we spotted the two of you crossing the Ford.�
�They were after the ring?� Morrigan asked, more concerned with the Nazg�l now, than how the elves had come upon them.
�So you know,� Glorfindel replied.

�I suspected it when we received word from Damara about the council but I�ve felt it almost since we crossed the Mists of Avalon, weeks ago.� she said, not missing the surprise on Kaelan�s face to hear that she�d known all along.
�Aye,� Glorfindel nodded in understanding. �It was not just the ring they were after, but the ring bearer.�

�Who carries it?�
�A hobbit of all creatures,� Glorfindel said with reluctant admiration. He proceeded to tell her what he knew of the hobbit�s journey from the Shire and how he came into possession of the ring.
Legolas walked further ahead of the others, distancing himself from Morrigan for the sake of his temper. A thousand years and still the sound of her voice could make his blood boil. What bothered him most was that he had buried all things related to the Ireth deep in the recesses of his mind still her presence could shake his stoic countenance. Or perhaps what truly bothered him most was that he couldn�t shake hers.
�Lord Elrond has said that he�s confidant Frodo will wake soon but it is no secret how serious the wound is.�
�A truly remarkable young hobbit, it would seem. Lord Elrond�s healing abilities are well known. I�m sure Master Baggins will be alright.� Morrigan spoke with confidence to cover her distraction. The closer they got to Imladris, the stronger she felt the presence of the ring.

~
�So I assume Glorfindel has told you all he knows,� Lord Elrond said gravely, taking a seat next to Morrigan.
She nodded wordlessly, tossing a troubled glance at Gandalf. Upon her arrival, a servant in Elrond�s house had immediately escorted her to his study where he and the Wizard were waiting for her.
�These are troubled times, Lady Morrigan,� Gandalf said. �We know that most of the peoples of Middle Earth have forgotten Avalon, reducing it and your sisters to mere faerie stories. But they will need you, whether they know it or not. Any aid your sisters can give through their connection to the Goddess and, of course your own special� talents, will be needed now, perhaps more than they ever have been before.�

�Gandalf, you know that if we can help, we will,� Morrigan said, standing- almost insulted at the insinuation that there was any possibility they would not give what aid they could. �Our fate is tied to this land as much as any who dwell here- more. My sisters and I are only extensions of the Goddess�s power and she does not turn her back on the land she helped create. Even if that land turns it�s back on her.�
Morrigan paused for a moment but neither Gandalf nor Elrond spoke. She was pacing. She was distressed. And she wasn�t done.

�You, Istar, know better than most what we are. You are like us. You know we give our help not for our own survival, but because it was what we were made to do. It is our duty. We sacrifice what others cannot. We do what must be done��

Gandalf watched as Morrigan stopped pacing, her voice trailing off. He saw emotions playing on her face he�d rarely seen in her. Yes, he was like them. But the Ireth were heartrending in their duty- moreso than even the Istari. Their immortality was infinite; tied to the earth. No sword or arrow could strike them down; no disease would ever inflict them. It seemed that they would never be given a respite from their burdends. He would return to Valinor someday, perhaps on the ships, perhaps to the Halls of Mandos. Someday he would be done. But the Goddess was a thing apart from the Valar that even he did not understand. Gandalf didn�t know if her servants would ever be allowed to rest.
He�d even thought once that they were immune to emotion- that it was a gift given to them in creation so that their own endlessness would never take it�s toll on their sanity. He learned quickly how wrong he was. They could love and hate- feel joy and grief, laugh and cry. They watched endless generations rise and fall. Morrigan, especially, had seen so many die in battle, from disease, from old age. She had a connection to the outside world and its peoples that her sisters never had. In all their long years, Damara, Macayle, Nessa, and Siobhan had never strayed past the borders of the Summerlands, and even so- rarely further than the banks of the Ar-Feiniel.
Now, watching her speak, seeing the emotion and the weight she�d carried for so long play across her face- that face that looked so young but was burdened with ancient eyes- Gandalf felt pity he had never felt capable of. She truly believed all she�d said. She�d never let her feelings get in the way of her duty. But she felt them just the same. She�d sacrificed so much over the millennia.

�I never doubted Avalon�s resolve, Morrigan,� he said placing a hand on her shoulder. �Even if I did, I�d never doubt yours.�

�I am sorry, Gandalf,� she smiled weakly. �As you said, these are troubled times. Even I am not unaffected by the strain of it. I only mean to say that I will give my support to whatever it is that needs to be done.�
�The council will decide on a course of action tomorrow,� Elrond spoke. �Representatives from the free peoples have assembled and they must decide as one what will be done.�

�And how fares the hobbit?� she asked, remembering that she�d failed to inquire earlier.
�The wound will never leave him, but his strength has returned,� Elrond said with the same admiration she�d seen in Glorfindel earlier that day.
�Remarkable,� she said almost to herself. �Is he well enough for visitors? I�d very much like to meet this Frodo Baggins.�
�There is a feast to be held for our guests tonight. He will be there,� Elrond said with a smile.

�You should go and rest until then, my lady,� Gandalf said with muted worry. �Your body may not require it, but I think your mind does.�
Morrigan smiled ruefully at that. He was right and it had become a reoccurring problem of late. Her body was always at the ready- required no sleep or rest. But her mind became wearier with every passing day. �Thank you, old friend. I think I will rest.�
After she was gone, Elrond sighed heavily, moving to his terrace to look out over the gardens that lay below. �In all my long years, Gandalf, I have never understood Avalon. I have never understood the Goddess or the mysteries surrounding her. What I do understand is that out of all the tragic figures in Arda�s history, I pity the Ireth most.�
�You would do well never to express that pity to the lady Morrigan. She will not take kindly to it,� Gandalf answered.
�I believe that.�
~
Morrigan had been escorted to her room from Elrond�s study but found it impossible to slow her thoughts enough for a proper rest. After changing from her traveling clothes into something somewhat less caked in dirt, she set out to see where Kaelan had gotten to. Certain he was somewhere having his ear talked off by Glorfindel, she took her time, admiring the beauty of Rivendell- a sight she�d almost forgotten.

It wasn�t long until she felt a familiar presence behind her once again. �Tell me, Morrigan, have you learned to think before jumping to your sisters� bidding or is it still instantaneous?�
�That was what you never understood Legolas,� she said turning to face his still-cold eyes.

�What is that?�

�Everything about me.�

�No Morrigan,� he began, his expression thawing ever so slightly, �I understood you, just not the Ireth.�

�Well there it is,� she shrugged. �I am an Ireth. There is no separating me from that. That�s all there is.�
Legolas hardened his gaze once again, cursing himself for his moment of weakness. �A thousand years and I�m still fool enough to think that you could recognize some kind of independence from that spiteful collective you call a sisterhood. I won�t be making that mistake again.�

Morrigan inhaled sharply at his words, not missing the subtle look of victory that passed over his face at her involuntary response. Steeling herself, she turned her back on him before speaking again. �See that you don�t.�
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World On Fire