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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 Two: The Respect of an Equal
When Morrigan was certain Legolas had gone entirely, she allowed herself to breath deeply. She would never let him see the way he still affected her. It was important that he not have the hope that tore at her own heart. She knew that though his anger with her still burned bright, he still cared for her. If he didn�t, a millennium would have rendered his anger a dreamlike memory. Though she still cared for him in return and knew that he would forgive her if she asked it, her duty forbade that she do anything about it.

�You had no right.�

�You travel to the Outerworld but you are not of it.�

�You are not like them, Morrigan.�

�Make your choice, sister.

Blinking away the ghosts from her eyes and mind, Morrigan moved further into the nearby garden, sitting on the nearest bench. With her hands laid gently on her lap, she closed her eyes and breathed in the subtle fragrance of herbs and flowers that lingered throughout the valley.

She allowed her mind to drift and her body to relax. In her minds eye, she flew over the peaks of the Misty Mountains, skimmed the top of the water of the River Anduin and through the treetops of Mirkwood. Farther north and east, she soared until the waters of the Ar-Feiniel were below her and the mists so thick, even her own keen eyesight couldn�t see through. Yet, for the first time, she couldn�t find the island. The mists would not part� Morrigan was shaken from her vision by soft whisperings in Elvish. Soft though they were, her ears picked up every word- one voice she knew distinctly.
The brief panic of her vision forgotten as a waking dream, she smiled softly as she listened. She�d have to go back inside in order to escape the whispers and she was enjoying the night too much. She doubted her friend would mind.
�Gwenwin in enninath... �-'arnech in naeth i si celich. Renech i beth i pennen? (Long years have passed... You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?)�
�You said you'd bind yourself to me; forsaking the immortal life of your people."
Morrigan�s heart constricted in her chest. So it was an elf. Her own Sight had never been as keen as her sisters, but she�d seen this. The visions had come to her during his stay on the Holy Isle and came only in flashes, but the meaning had been clear enough. She wondered absently if she would have said anything if she had been more secure in that vision- warned him, perhaps. After all, love was love. For most, anyway.
�And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone. I choose a mortal life.�
�You cannot give me this!�
�It is mine to give to whom I will...like my heart.�
Morrigan scolded herself when she felt tears sting her eyes. She stood and walked softly to the edge of the garden that over looked a small stone footbridge. On it, stood her former student, Aragorn, and an elven lady who, if she was not mistaken after all these years, was the daughter of Elrond, Arwen. They kissed gently but passionately and her heart went out to them both. The love radiated off them but so did Aragorn�s pain at what that love would mean for Arwen.
They parted moments later, Arwen retreating to her father�s house. Aragorn watched her go long after she was out of sight and then he sat down in the bridge, hanging his feet off the edge and hanging his head in his hands.
�Where is the boy I knew?�
Aragorn looked up to see Morrigan standing at the bridge�s end. He stood immediately. �My Lady,� he smiled, his voice full of reverence and affection. He�d heard she arrived earlier that day but he�d felt the presence of Avalon creep back into his consciousness long before he had met Glorfindel by the stables. It was a sensation he hadn�t felt since he�d left the isle so many years ago. In all those years and in all his travels, he had never crossed Morrigan�s path until this moment. �It�s been far too long.�
�Yes it has,� she agreed walking closer. He bowed she shook her head slightly and drew him into a hug. �But has it been so long you forget I told you to never bow to me?�
She drew back, laying a hand on his cheek and he sighed softly. �I remember. You told me before I left the isle. But I believe you said it thinking I would be a king when you saw me next.�
�No,� she shook her head again. �I said it knowing that when I saw you next, you would be a man worthy of holding his head high in whatever company he found himself in.�
�Regardless, I thought the Ireth demanded the respect of even the greatest of men and elves.�
�Well,� she began with a small smile as they both sat down, �my sisters have not left the Summerlands since we settled there- before even the Awakening of the Elves. They rarely leave the Island at all. Their only sense of the outside world comes from visions and stories. I have fought beside men and elves. I have seen them live and die and fade away. While you would do well to bow your head should you ever meet a sister of mine again, I�ve seen too much to have mortal honor bow to eternal duty.�
�I won�t pretend to understand, my lady,� Aragorn said softly, disheartened by the sadness in her voice. �But if it is your wish, I will not bow my head to you. I cannot promise, though, that I will not bow to you in my heart. It has nothing to do with your duty. I cannot begin to imagine the things you have seen- to be endless, to grieve so deeply for so many and to have a heart that has never turned cold to escape the pain of it- I will always bow to that. To your strength, compassion, and wisdom.�
�I�m certain you will think this is some kind of blasphemy, my lady. It has been clear to me as long as I�ve known you that you think yourself to be something lower than your sisters. But you are so much more than they- hidden away on their island, remote and removed. You are so much more than your duty.�
What he said was a kind of blasphemy as far Morrigan was concerned but she wasn�t about to start this reunion with one of their famous theological debates. �Were you this flattering when I was running you ragged across the Tor?�
Aragorn laughed. �T�was no flattery and even if I didn�t have the energy to form the words at the time- I felt it all the same.�
�Well, enough of this,� she said with a dismissive wave and a small laugh. �While I�m sure there are more pressing matters to discuss, I must ask or my curiosity may very well drive me mad.�
�Then by all means, my lady- ask.�
�That was the lady Arwen you were� speaking with, was it not?�
�It was,� Aragorn nodded, his smile fading. �A more hopeless situation would be hard to find.�
�Why hopeless? It seems you love each other very much. She is willing to give up her immortality for that love. That�s not a gift you refuse.�
�And yet how can I accept? All that I can offer Arwen is death.�
�I am not saying that her choice isn�t tragic. I have seen Elves fade from grief and I will not romanticize it. But she is not only elven. Her choice exists for a reason- it is in her blood. It may not seem it to one who has found a love like you have but it is a terribly rare and precious thing. Even more so when it is returned; greater still when it has a chance to be fulfilled. When love like that is found, it cannot be denied. Death is a small price to pay for it.�
�Pardon me for saying so, my lady, but it is easy for one to say when she, herself, cannot die.�
�No, not easy,� Morrigan said softly. �I don�t confide such things easily, as you well know, but I will tell you this because as an immortal, it applies. If I could pay my life for a love such as you have found, I would. I don�t have that choice, though. There is something hollow inside me that I would offer up my immortality in an instant to fill; if only for a short time. I envy Arwen�s choice.�
Aragorn sat silently for a moment thinking over her words before he spoke. �I don�t understand how you were made, my lady. To have all the emotion of the children of Eru and no hope of ever fulfilling it�s promises.�
Morrigan nodded, �Gandalf once made a similar remark to me, many centuries ago. Love- any emotion- is often seen as weakness. What you must understand is, without the ability to feel such things, I would be an empty vessel; capable of only indifference, which I think is the most evil state a soul can exist in. All that would remain would be strength and power. Those things, untempered, can only lead to destruction. That is the only alternative. So, yes; the pain is great, but not unbearable. None of us have been given anything we cannot bear.�
Aragorn shook his head ruefully at that. The double meaning of that statement was not lost on him. He wouldn�t take the bait. Not now. �Nonetheless, I do not think I can allow Arwen to sacrifice herself for something that may have no hope of coming to pass as things are.�
Morrigan would have laughed at that if she didn�t know how much pain that prospect caused her friend. �First of all, while it has been more than ten times the amount of years you�ve been alive since I�ve seen Arwen, if memory serves, no one allows her to do anything. Second of all, yes- the world is very uncertain right now. But the world has never been and will never be certain, regardless of how all this plays out. You cannot plan your life on certainties. You must plan it on hope.�
~
Morrigan arrived at the banquet hall in a pale blue gown Arwen had sent to her room along with a handmaiden to attend to her. The poor thing had been in such earnest to help her prepare that Morrigan could not refuse. The fine materials of elven making were very similar to that spun on the holy isle but they always felt alien on a body that had, for the better part of it�s long life, borne almost nothing but animal skin britches.
Kaelan escorted her through the finely carved doors, his eyes wide, taking in every detail. Arwen was the first to notice their arrival and was quickly at Morrigan�s side. She made a small curtsy, obviously trying not to draw any undo attention to the Ireth. �My lady, Morrigan, it is an honor and a pleasure to see you again. I apologize for the humble greeting but my father thinks it best to keep your identity quiet for the time being. Many of our guests- men and dwarves- will not understand and are wary of the rumors and myths that surround the holy isle.�
Morrigan nodded. While it didn�t make her happy to conceal herself, she�d seen this coming. �No need to explain, Arwen. I require no homage to be paid. This is Kaelan,� she said, stifling a chuckle as Kaelan stood captivated by the elven beauty. �He is a Novan Captain, one of our finest.�
Arwen, much to her credit in Morrigan�s opinion, smiled as though oblivious of the young man�s inability to speak or look away. �A pleasure to meet you, Master Novan.� Arwen spoke softly and gestured the pair a bit further from the main door, discreetly watching the delegation from Gondor as they passed.
Morrigan sighed inwardly as a number of the men eyed her. �Unfortunately, Lady Arwen, I think my markings will make them wary enough, even without my name.�

Arwen�s eyes drifted over the faded crescent moon upon her brow and the sacred Novan symbols that coiled around each wrist. �Well, there is nothing to be done about those. They will know nothing of their meaning.�
Morrigan noticed Kaelan stiffen at her side as he tried to stare down each man who dared look the Ireth�s way. She placed a gentle hand over his before glancing back at the elven lady with a small shake of her head. �Not to worry, Arwen. We will not draw attention to ourselves.� They began to make their way further into the hall. �I�m surprised, I must say, that you still hold any reverence for an Ireth. I�ve heard you spent many years in Lothlorien since I�ve seen you last. You�re grandmother has no love for the holy isle.�
Arwen laughed lightly. �That is true, though her reasons were never made known to me. However she feels about Avalon, she seems to hold you, particularly, in high regard despite it. And even if she didn�t, I always will for what I personally know of you and what the Lord Aragorn has told me.�
Morrigan noted the formality with which Arwen spoke of her former student and grinned, her eyes full of mirth. �I shall have to visit Rivendell more often. I cannot recall a time when my ego has been so well stroked.�
Arwen could not respond as they had reached the banquet table. The guests all rose as the ladies arrived at their seats. Those elves who knew Morrigan or recognized her markings bowed their heads discreetly in respect- all except Legolas, a fact of which Morrigan took particular notice. She didn�t want him to bow to her. As she�d attempted to explain to Aragorn earlier, she despised the fact that even those she loved dearly felt the need lower their heads in her presence. But Legolas held his head high, not in defiance, but in apathy. The Mighty Sentinel, for all her bravado, couldn�t pretend, even to herself, that it didn�t hurt.
Morrigan slid her eyes to Gandalf. The Ireth and the Istari both nodded in respect to the other as Elrond introduced her to the table. He used her elvish name, Melthul�wen: another effort to conceal her identity, �Morrigan� being a name steeped in the legends of man. She took her seat next to Arwen with Kaelan on her other side.
Throughout dinner, several curious glances were cast her way, some obviously inspecting her markings, others, no doubt, questioning the presence of a young human woman in the elven city- especially one escorted by only one, seemingly unseasoned guard. No one questioned it aloud, for Lord Elrond had, almost pointedly, offered no information in his introduction.
She recognized several elves at the table, and chatted politely as she ate, but there was one face that was conspicuously missing. She discreetly leaned over to Arwen and inquired after Aragorn�s whereabouts.
�My brothers have returned from the wilds,� she replied, softly. �I believe he is in council with them.�
Morrigan nodded in understanding and Arwen returned to her conversation with Glorfindel. She wondered momentarily what news the twin elves had brought with them but let the thought go, knowing that she�d be told eventually. She turned her attention to the hobbits that sat across the table. She�d attempted to introduce herself several times already but someone else would always begin a conversation and steal her attention. She had felt the ring�s presence intensify when she entered the room, most likely carried by the younger of the two who sat nearest to her.
�You must be the Masters Baggins,� she said with a smile to Frodo, the younger and Bilbo, the elder.
�Yes, my lady,� Frodo replied, returning her grin. �I am Frodo and this is my uncle Bilbo.�
�I have heard much about you,� she said, her tone careful to reveal nothing of the circumstances of the Hobbits arrival. She knew most of the guests would not be informed until the next day�s council. �You�re journey here has earned you the respect of many, Gandalf has said.�
Frodo blushed slightly as did his three kinsmen who sat a little further down the table. But Morrigan could see the inward wince Frodo tried to hide with every movement of his body. The poor thing, she thought, knowing that his wound must still be very painful. �Won�t you introduce me?�
�Of course, my lady,� Frodo smiled.
Gandalf watched as Frodo introduced the other hobbits to Morrigan, noticing how he seemed to relax and smile easily in her presence. As fierce as she was in battle, Morrigan had as much tenderness and compassion as she did fury. She could always put those in her presence at ease as easily as she could intimidate if she so chose. It was always disconcerting to the Istar to see such power in one who appeared so young.
Morrigan, meanwhile, listened intently as the hobbits told her of their home. There was such happiness in their voices, their bond to each other made clear by their bond to the Shire. �I must say, I�ve never heard anyone describe their home so well or with such joy. It has been a very long time since I�ve been to the Shire lands but my own eyes could not have described it so well.�
The hobbits grinned at her kind remark but before they could reply, a voice addressed her from her left side. �Curious that a lady, let alone one so young, would be so well traveled.�
Morrigan craned her neck around Kaelan to look the speaker in the eyes. He was a fair-haired man with a warrior�s build and nobleman�s garb- made with the colors of Gondor. She kept her gaze warm, resisting the defensiveness that crept into her blood. �Things are not always as they seem- Lord Boromir, correct?�
�Have we met, lady? I thought I knew all the courtiers of Gondor by face, at least. I could hardly forget one so lovely.�
�No, we haven�t met,� she answered, knowing he was trying to get her to divulge her land of origin. No lady of Gondor would bare the marks she did without being condemned a witch. No lady, save one, she mused, brushing the thought away as soon as it appeared. �You wear your nation�s colors and carry yourself as would a son of the Steward. I assumed he�d sent his eldest.�
�Well, your deductions were correct, lady. You know much of my home for a young foreign woman.�
Morrigan looked him squarely in the eye, knowing she must end this inquisition for Elrond�s sake. �Yes, I do,� was all she said, her tone firm enough to declare the matter closed but reserved enough to allow the men at the table to shake off her obvious power as the insolence of a young, unbroken girl.
Gandalf, who�d been paying close attention to the exchange, glanced worriedly at Elrond as Boromir attempted to match Morrigan�s stare. Both the wizard and the elven lord knew her nature would not allow her to let Boromir stare her down. Elrond stood, addressing the entire table so that the Steward�s son could break his stare without losing face. �As it seems everyone has finished their meal, shall we retire to the Hall of Fire? I believe our bards have some particularly magnificent tales to tell tonight.�
As the guests rose to leave, Morrigan looked at Elrond and Gandalf, her expression unapologetic. She would respect Elrond�s wishes and keep her identity a secret as long as she could, but she would not let any man exert some barbaric power over her because she seemed to be a human female. It was bad enough so many women had to endure it, but she did not have to and therefore, would not. She would not apologize for that either. Unlike her sisters she had never demanded anyone bow and scrape at her feet. She exerted her own power rarely, and all she required was the respect of an equal until she earned the respect of a friend.
When the guests arrived in the Hall of Fire, music was already playing and the eternal fire for which the hall was named cast a soft and almost eerie glow upon the large hall. Morrigan stood off to the side, keeping her distance from most of the merrymakers, believing it wise not to engage people randomly in conversation after the incident at dinner. Her solitude didn�t last long however as two of Frodo�s companions appeared in front of her.
Merry and Pippin had been bursting since dinner to ask the lady about the marks on her body that made her seem so foreign and mysterious. After her words with Boromir, they thought it unwise to inquire then and her demeanor once in the Hall of Fire had seemed a major change from the friendly warmth she�d shown them during their conversation of the Shire.
They�d also wondered, as Boromir, when so young a lady had journeyed to the Shire, especially when she claimed it to be a �long time� ago. Surely they would have heard tale of a lady abroad in their lands that had been so sequestered from the world of men. Their natural inquisitiveness eventually got the better of them and they approached the lady who now seemed so removed and intimidating.
When Morrigan looked down to see the two standing before her, she smiled, her deliberately off-putting fa�ade melting. They seemed to be just bursting at the seams with some kind of bottled-up energy, which she assumed, correctly, was curiosity. �Is there something I can help you with, Merry? Pippin?�
The two hobbits both looked to each other to ask the first burning question, both shifting their weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.
�Come,� she smiled, trying to put them at ease. She motioned for them to follow her to a nearby corner furnished with cushioned seats that no one had yet taken advantage of. Once they were seated, both Merry and Pippin still seemed unable to articulate what they wanted to say. �I promise I do not bite, young hobbits,� she laughed lightly.
They managed to relax into their seats at her tease and Morrigan allowed another small laugh to escape her lips as the chairs seemed to devour their child-like bodies.
�My lady,� Merry began, his voice a bit shaky with nerves, �we were just wondering��
�That is,� Pippin interjected as his friends voice trailed off, �if you wouldn�t mind telling us��
�Yes?� Morrigan felt a small pang of guilt for making herself seem so unapproachable earlier. Her companions eyed each other for help, once again, for the words to come and then she noticed them eye the markings on her wrists. �Ah, I see,� she smiled, nodding her head. �You�re wondering about my markings?�
�Yes, my lady,� Merry sighed with relief, a grin spreading over his face.
Morrigan wondered how to explain. She was certain the hobbits would know little, if anything, of Avalon, but she could also tell by their twitchy energy and mischievous eyes that keeping what she�d tell them a secret might prove difficult. She glanced around to make certain no man or dwarf was within earshot and then leaned forward in her chair. �Can you keep a secret?�
Pippin grinned at that and sat up very straight, answering, �We are the very souls of discretion.�
�Do you know anything of the holy isle of Avalon?�
Their eyes widened and she wondered what they�d heard to warrant the shock and wonder on their faces.
�Are you a faerie?� Pippin asked, his voice full of awe.
�No,� Morrigan laughed though it did not surprise her. Many of the Avalon legends suggested such a thing. �Is that what the hobbit myths say? Avalon is a faerie land?�
They both nodded, their mouths hanging open slightly, eyes still wide.
�Well, it is, I�m afraid just a myth. There are no faeries on the isle. It is a holy place devoted to the Goddess. I am one of her servants.� She decided it best not to explain she was more than a priestess. �That is what the crescent moon on my brow represents- my devotion to the Goddess.�
�You mean a goddess lives there?�
�Yes, but not in the way you think. The Goddess lives everywhere. Perhaps if we have more time to talk over the course of your stay here, I can explain it a bit better.�
The hobbits seemed to accept that if only because it meant they�d get to spend more time with the lady. �What are those?� Pippin asked pointed a small finger at her hands resting in her lap.
�Pippin,� Merry scolded. �Didn�t you hear the lady? She said she�d explain more another time.�
�It�s alright, Merry,� she smiled, casting a reassuring glance at the now sheepish looking Pippin. �The holy isle has a small army of guardians called Novan. These are Novan symbols.�
�You�re a warrior, lady?� Merry asked, the awe returning to his voice.
�I am,� she said.
If their interest wasn�t peaked before� �Are all the guardians, ladies?� Pippin asked, almost falling off his seat, he leaned so far forward.
�No,� she said with a small shake of her head. �Most are men, actually. Most women who choose to serve the Goddess are called to do so as priestesses rather than warriors. That is not to say that there aren�t a good many ladies among the Novan.�
The hobbits nodded their heads. Merry eyed her markings again. �We heard some of the men saying before that only Easterlings and wildsmen mark their bodies like that.�
�Well, now you know that isn�t true,� Morrigan smiled, restraining her contempt for such assumptions. Men always feared those things they did not understand. �Having seen their reaction to me, do you see why Lord Elrond doesn�t want my identity made known just yet?�
�Yes, my lady,� Merry and Pippin responded immediately.
�All will be revealed in time,� Morrigan grinned. �But I would appreciate it if you would keep silent about all this for the time being.�
�Of course, my lady,� Pippin said, sitting up a straight, his face a mask of pure seriousness. �You can count on us.�
Morrigan chuckled lightly as Merry eagerly nodded his head in agreement. �Thank you.�
Moments later the curious young hobbits were called away by their kinsmen from across the great hall. As suddenly as they had appeared before her, they were gone and Morrigan could hardly restrain her grin- until she heard a voice from behind her.
�Do you think it was wise to tell them all that?�
Morrigan didn�t need to turn around. Shrugging, she answered, �Why not? I don�t intend to keep myself hidden like my origins make me some sort of criminal.�
�No one is asking you to.�
Morrigan tensed, standing. This was not the conversation anyone should have been starting with her at that particular moment. �Aren�t they? Tell me, Gandalf; will I be given a proper seat at tomorrow�s council.�
Gandalf grumbled something unintelligible under his breath before he stepped up beside her and answered. �Elrond thinks it best if you conceal yourself from the view of others when we gather. The men and dwarves will not-�
�Suffer a female at their precious secret meeting? Whose guest am I, Gandalf? Elrond�s or the Steward�s son? l have more right to be there than any of them.�
The wizard grimaced, idly wondering if the Hall of Fire could withstand the fury of an Ireth. �Again, that is not in question.�
Morrigan continued as if she hadn�t heard him, still keeping her voice low enough to not draw attention. �I have never pulled rank with any of you. I have never come into any of the lands of Middle Earth waving my power around, demanding homage.�
�My lady, Morrigan-�
Morrigan turned to face him, the look on her face silencing him. �As a guest in Elrond�s house, I will do as he asks. But I will not hold my tongue any longer than my own reason dictates.�
�You mean your own temper?�
�Do not make me remind you who you are speaking to.� Morrigan immediately regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She never spoke to anyone, let alone a kindred like an Istari, like that. But Gandalf spoke before she could.
�Apologies, my lady. I meant no offense.� And then he was gone.
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World On Fire