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Hearts of fire, souls of ice	By : Nuredhel Category: -Fourth Age to Modern times and beyond > Het - Male/Female Views: 2341 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien, and i do not earn any money from this work of fiction, it is solely written for entertainment and not for profit at all.I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien,

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Things are starting to happen, Nireariel will soon discover more about her own destiny that may change everything and somewhere danger is brewing. It appears that the poor albino Elleth is something far more powerful than anyone could have imagined but will she realize this in time, or will it be too late?

Chapter seven: The song of your soul

The next day Nireariel got up rather late, she still had that weird bubbly sensation within her chest and tried to calm down with a herbal tea and some bread with honey. Her father had gone to work already and so she hurried as much as she could. She braided and tied her hair up and put on a rather boring brown dress which was the best she had except the ball gown. She almost ran to the healing ward and was given the task of scrubbing the floors. The elleth who gave her the command was rather old and she had a constant displeased look upon her face, she was never completely satisfied with anything anybody did.
She started scrubbing, the stone floors were rather dirty and she had to get an apron and stand on her knees while using a rather heavy brush. It made her knees and back ache and she felt how sweat was running down her neck, one of the disadvantages with having extremely long and thick hair was that it got a bit hot after a while, in special when you are in activity. She had a hunch that the old elleth gave her the job because of the rumors, not everybody thought that she was worthy of the king’s attention and this could be an attempt to break her pride. Nireariel just clenched her teeth together and tried to appear calm and in a good mood. She was a bit worried though, she thought of the things her father has told her and she knew that she was rather confused and a bit hurt too. There was some sort of secret which had been kept from her and she wanted to know what it was.
She had scrubbed the floors, removed the ash from the fireplace and been ordered to wash the windows when Poicano entered the ward, he had been out gathering herbs with her father and the two ellyn were smiling and chatting away rather merrily. It was very apparent that Poicano liked her father very much and that he wanted to give Astar a more important job there than just sorting out herbs and medicine. They stopped and stared at her and she realized that she looked like a mess with huge stains of ash everywhere mixed with sweat and dirt. Poicano almost gaped. “Tell me child, who gave you this job?! It is not work for someone as fragile as you!”
She tried to smile but felt how her arms shivered from the stress of clinging to the rather rackety ladder while washing with the other hand. If it had been a sunny day she would have had to decline, but the skies were grey and rather dark so she could do it but not for long. “I am fine, really, I am strong!”
Poicano sighed. “Come down from there right now you hear? There is some servants here who usually does the washing, let me guess, it was Melda who gave you that job right? She is insufferable at times, the terror of the whole ward.”
Nireariel nodded and Astar helped her down, he appeared to be a bit in shock. Poicano shook his head and grabbed a basin with water and a cloth and started washing the ash of her. She caught a glimpse of her own reflection in a shiny surface and cringed, she looked like some kind of wraith and had to laugh. Astar grinned too, he helped fixing her braids and after a while she looked at least a little better. Poicano was going to find Melda and Nireariel suspected that he would tell the elleth more than just one word of truth when there was a lot of racket heard from outside and the main door flew open. Some soldiers came rushing in carrying several stretchers and Nireariel gasped and cringed when she saw all the blood. She saw that at least five ellyn lay on the stretchers and they appeared to be severely wounded. A couple more came forth limping and they were supported by other warriors. Poicano was suddenly very busy, he was shouting orders and the healers were scattering around like rabbits checking the wounded and assessing the situation. Nireariel walked to the back of the room, she did not want to be in the way but she wanted to see what they were doing too. Soon moans and screams filled the air and she had never seen this much blood before, the healers were working fast and short commands were shouted, some servants were running too and through with clean bandages and instruments. It looked like a chaos but she soon saw the perfect order which lay underneath it all. Everybody knew what to do and it worked like a well-oiled machinery. She was a bit in awe of it. A warrior came and sat down next to her, he was unharmed but the look on his face told him that he had experienced something out of the ordinary. He dried the sweat from his brow and watched how the healers tried to save his fallen comrades. Nireariel swallowed hard. “Please, tell me, what did this?”
He turned his head around and swallowed hard, a bit shocked by her appearance. “Orcs, and they brought with them some new deviltry we never had seen before. It looked like an overgrown armadillo. The damn beast was almost covered with armor and spikes and no arrow was able to penetrate that thick skin. It got several of us before our captain managed to blind it, it ran over a cliff. We would not have been able to kill it otherwise.”
Nireariel gasped and started to understand how dangerous the woods really were. The warrior got back on his feet. “I have to go see how my brethren are doing, a good day to you my lady.”
She just nodded, she felt numb somehow. Poicano and the others were working for hours or so it seemed, they were busy sewing wounds and stopping bleedings and nobody had time to pay any attention to her. She could see that her father was running around with medicines and herbal concoctions, he knew what he was doing. The sun was heading for the horizon when they were finished, one ellon had died and Nireariel could already hear the first laments being sung outside. She tried to do at least something so she started washing again. She removed blood from the floors and tried to make the place look a little less like a slaughterhouse and more like a hospital. Astar came to her, he was tired and sad and she could see dark shadows within his eyes. “Go rest my dear, there is no need for you to linger here, the healers will keep watch over the wounded now.”
She smiled, the smile was sad but she felt strong somehow. “I really want to be here ada, I have learned so much today.”
Astar petted her hand but she could see a strange glimpse of fear in his eyes. “That is very well my dear, but remember to rest. You are after all not used to this and I fear that this may be a bit too much for you. “
She shook her head. “I am alright, I really am. I want to be a healer ada, I can’t do that if I am not used to see things like this.”
He nodded. “I know, just be careful and don’t forget what I have told you, rest when you need to.”
She hugged him. “I will, I promise.”
She continued cleaning and some servants came and helped her, they were obviously shaken by the incident but they were efficient none the less and before long the room was as tidy and clean as ever. The wounded warriors were placed in beds and some healers were walking back and forth, keeping a watchful eye on them. One of them smiled at her. “Nireariel, could you sit here and keep an eye on this one? He is about to wake up and I think he will need a lot of water when he does, he has lost a lot of blood.”
Nireariel felt a sting of pride, they let her do something really important. She sat down next to the bed and a jug of water and a cup was placed on a small table beside it. The warrior appeared to be rather young and he was pretty but very pale, his breath shallow and the body shivering. She could see the bandages covering his stomach and she knew that his injuries were grave. She felt a deep despair when she thought of the possibility of him dying. No elf should ever have to die, it just wasn’t right. She didn’t really think about it but she was humming softly while she was washing the sweat from the ellon’s brow. She always did that when she tried to comfort someone, she had done it numerous times back home when someone came to her father and needed help. It helped calm them down and she just sat there and kept watch over the wounded warrior. He was groaning in pain and she knew that they had given him very strong painkillers, they could not give him more without killing him and so she tried to sooth him and comfort him by singing. She had never sung to anyone before, only the forest had heard her voice.
She did not use any words, her song was pure emotion, pure and raw and natural as the very world itself. She sang of the forest, of the green sprouts of spring. She sang of the moonlight dancing through the branches and the fiery colors of autumn, she sang of the new lives born in spring and the cold sleep of winter. She did not know of it but her song spread through the ward, it was heard by everyone there and they all suddenly felt rejuvenated, more alive than ever before. Her wordless song showed them images of light and beauty unlike anything else and it washed away every sorrow and every pain. She wasn’t aware of it but she was glowing with a very soft white light and to everybody there it was as if they were staring at an angel. Nothing dark or evil could exist there in this moment, only goodness and light and Poicano stared at her with his mouth and eyes wide open. He had heard of this sort of power but he had thought that it had been lost ages ago.
Astar heard her too and his heart dropped, he leaned towards the wall and felt how tears welled up in his eyes. “Oh no my child, it is too early. You cannot learn the truth just yet, please, you are not strong enough!”
Nireariel was as if in a trance, she wasn’t aware of her surrounding until she felt her father’s arms around her. “Come Nireariel, rest. You have done enough!”
She felt very dizzy and faint and she stared at him in utter confusion, it was dark outside and where had the time gone? Poicano sent Astar a look filled with awe and questions and Astar made a grimace and nodded to the healer. He would explain everything but not now. She had over exerted herself, she was too weak for this kind of effort. She was untrained and unaware of the dangers of what she had been doing. He lifted her and carried her off to their rooms and Poicano looked at the door shutting behind them with a frown. He bent down and felt the pulse of the wounded warrior, it was normal and he took a deep breath and prepared himself before he lifted the bandages and checked his stomach. Where a horrible torn gash had been now only flawless perfect skin and muscle could be seen. It was as if the wound had never been there. Poicano fell to his knees, tears were flowing down his cheeks. He had witnessed something impossible. “Oh Valar protect us, I can’t believe this. It cannot be true, I thought it was a legend. That poor poor elleth, bless her soul.”
Nireariel was feeling more dizzy by the minute and Astar was placing her on her bed, he mixed some herbs with water and gave her the cup, made her drink all of it. It tasted absolutely horrible but she knew that she could trust him and she managed to get it down. She suddenly felt very sleepy and warm and dozed off and Astar sighed with relief and stroked her hair with a loving gesture. He had managed to get there in time, she would have drained her own life force had she continued. She would have to be told now, but she would need to rest first, and regain a clear head and mind.

Thranduil was busy arguing with some officers about the right method to get rid of the spiders when he heard about the attack and the wounded warriors. He felt how his heart sank within his chest and a deep sensation of grief grasped him. The others saw it and he closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts. “This means that we have to be extra careful, double the number of warriors out on patrol and make someone in every group carry a powerful crossbow. It is not an elegant weapon but the best we have should be able to get an arrow through even a dragon’s scales at the right distance. “
The officers just bowed and left the room and he sat down in a chair, he stared at the wall with a strange feeling of confusion and despair. Would there be no end to this? Would darkness and evil this time overcome their best efforts and win? He feared that it would be the result in the end, and then not even the blessed realm would be safe. It had been attacked before, it would be the very end of everything and his heart dreaded the very thought of it. Suddenly he thought he heard a strange sound somewhere, he lifted his head and tried to listen but he could not quite hear what it was, but it was lovely. He just sat there and tried to listen to a music his soul was almost unable to comprehend. The very world before his eyes suddenly looked two dimensional, like a painting or a woven tapestry and it shivered and moved with the rhythm, specks of light were dancing around like fireflies and he felt as if he was soaring with the very stars themselves. It was beyond beautiful, it was overwhelming and he could not move nor even think until it slowly faded away. He gasped and closed his eyes, he had heard a small piece of the very song of the Ainur with which Eru had created the world, he was sure of it.
He was going to get up when there was a knock on the door, he quickly dried the tears from his eyes and put on his usual aloof expression. “Enter.”
The door opened and Legolas entered the room, he looked a bit shocked and sat down next to his father. "They were attacked by some monster, and it came with the orcs. Should we become worried?”
Thranduil sighed and grasped a glass and a decanter with wine, he felt his hands shaking still and he had no idea of what was going on. He had strong powers, it was probably because of this he had been able to hear the incredible music. What did this mean? He tossed back the wine with remarkable speed and Legolas stared at his father with an incredulous expression, something had really affected his father but what? “Yes, we should worry, I have given the orders already. If there are more of those beasts out there we need something more than our longbows.”
Legolas sighed. “I agree, is there anything more we can do?”
Thranduil stared at the empty wine glass with a strange empty stare, it felt as if something was lacking, as if something was wrong. He needed something, and he did not really know what. Legolas was sending him a glance from the corner of his eye. “Ada, is it true that you were out riding with Nireariel last night? The gossip is rather juicy already.”
Thranduil scoffed and felt his cheeks beginning to burn, damn all those loose tongues, should he forbid gossip? “Really? Well, they can believe what they want, it was very innocent and nothing happened that wasn’t utterly decent and proper.”
Legolas smirked. “I believe you but I am sorry to say that many believe that you’ve already taken her as your mistress. “
Thranduil almost shot out of the chair and his eyes were blazing with rage. “How dare they doubt her honor like that, and mine?! I would never do anything that…vulgar!”
Legolas nodded. “I know ada, but are you serious about her? What are you feeling? I am your son damn it, I have a right to know if I am about to have step mother who is a heck of a lot younger than I am!”
Thranduil sat back down, very carefully as if he all of a sudden was afraid to break something. “I am serious Legolas. She is my one, I know it from the very core of my fea. I will wither and die without her love. “
Legolas gasped, his father had never spoken of anything like this, his voice had never been so soft and so filled with fear. “Oh ada, I did not know. I thought you were just infatuated by her beauty.”
Thranduil swallowed, clenched his hands together. “I am so afraid Ion nin, so afraid of facing rejection. It would be the very death of me, the thought of her not returning my feelings makes me shiver to the bone. I have no idea of what to do.”
Legolas sighed and then he got up and embraced his father tightly. Thranduil froze and then he returned the hug, felt how his love for his son made his heart swell. “I will be there for you ada, you know that. I am so happy on your behalf and believe me, she will love you the way you love her, of this I am sure. How can she not? You are my ada and I know how beautiful your fea is. Be yourself, she is not blind you know.”
Thranduil felt like sobbing, he had never felt this close to his son before. “I…I pray you are right my son, oh by the Valar how I hope you are right.”
Legolas smirked and breathed in his father’s scent, he never felt as safe as when he was embraced by his father, it reminded him of the good times back when he was an elfling and yet oblivious to the turmoil and problems the adults had to face every day. “So, you are going to court her then?”
Thranduil nodded with a small and somewhat shy smile. “Yes, I will ask her father for permission as soon as I can. “
Legolas gave him a gentle squeeze. “If you want to I can accompany you, after all it is just proper that such a request is brought forth with witnesses present.”
Thranduil just whispered. “Yes, I would like that very much, thank you Ion nin.”
Legolas let go of him. “Great, just let me know when you are going to ask him. I will be there!”
Thranduil blushed slightly and wondered how it was possible for him to dread that conversation more than facing an entire army or orcs.

Astar stared at the pile of papers in front of him, he rubbed his eyes and tried to force the feeling of fear away. Only the gods knew how this would end and he had no idea of how to tell her of the secret. He had written it all down, it had been the only solution he was able to find there and then. She could read the words and perhaps then she would be able to understand a little easier than otherwise. He feared that his voice was unable to tell her the truth without breaking. She slept still, barely moving at all. The herbs were strong and they would keep her sleeping for hours to come. He got up, he had to explain things to Poicano too, and he wondered how to start. He was sure that the healer had heard of this kind of power, after all he was a rather ancient elf with great knowledge. He checked that Nireariel was comfortable and then he got on his feet and left for the healing ward. This would be a rather tough conversation, and one he feared would change very much, for the both of them.
Nireariel was dreaming, she was running in a meadow filled with moonflowers and they were so pretty. The stars were so bright above her and she was dancing, feeling a deep sensation of joy and completeness. Suddenly there was a gust of wind and she turned around, she saw someone standing in the middle of the meadow, shrouded in shadows as if they were veils. She paused, stared at the dark figure and felt herself shiver. What was this? Then she felt a presence, warm and loving and gentle and she turned her head, an elleth stood behind her, very beautiful and very different from any other she had ever met. Her face told of great pride and also sorrow and it was very beautiful but in a way strange. Her features were not entirely elven and she appeared to glow slightly. Her eyes were orbs of an ice blue light which was both gentle and mighty. Nireariel stared at the elleth and she smiled and bowed her head. “Greetings daughter, I am glad to see that you are well, that you finally has started to awaken to your true potential.”
Nireariel gasped, this was her mother?! “Naneth?”
The elleth nodded, her smile very soft. “Yes my child, it is me. I have come to give you a warning, one you must heed.”
Nireariel stared at the dark figure on the meadow and her mother nodded. “What you see there is death, you are one among a few to whom the dark angel has to bow, but it comes at a price. If you demand that somebody shall live who otherwise would have died then somebody has to take their place in his arms.”
Nireariel gasped and stared at her mother in disbelief. “That cannot be true, tell me it isn’t true. I am not capable of wielding such power, it is not right!”
Her mother nodded. “You are scared, and I understand that. Your father will explain everything to you. I beg you my child, do not see this as a curse but as a gift. You are born with a wonderful gift and do not for a second think that you are less than others, you are so much more. In you rests a power so mighty not even the dark lord can hope to destroy it. “
Nireariel gasped, she backed away from both her mother and the terrible dark shadow. “Why me? How can I live with myself if I by saving someone condemn someone else to death? It is horrible!”
Her mother sighed. “Herein lay the twist my child, yes someone else has to die but you may decide who that shall be. Use it my dear, wield it as the weapon this gift is. Heal with your song whenever that is enough and in the desperate situations when a loved one is close to death then make your choice well. There is evil in this world, help tip the scales in the right direction, away from the darkness. “
Nireariel wanted to hold her hands over her ears. “I will not listen to this!”
Her mother moved closer. “But you have to, when you wake up this dream will be forgotten but you will know of your power deep within, there is no undoing what you just did. It has awakened and you will soon see what you are truly capable of.”
Nireariel felt a sensation of despair, had she no control of her own fate at all? Was this a nightmare come true? The dream vanished and she felt the sting of despair, she would have wanted to talk to her mother, ask her why she had died but now the chance was lost to her. She didn’t want to know what she now knew, and it only created even greater questions. The darkness of sleep was much to prefer.

Poicano didn’t really want to believe what he was told but he knew that Astar told the truth, the warrior was very honest and the healer sighed and bit his lower lip. “I find it hard to believe but yes, I have heard of it. I will not demand further explanations, I know that this has to be hard on you. Does she know?”
Astar shook his head. “No, she doesn’t. I have prayed that she wouldn’t need to know for many years to come but now I fear that I soon will have to explain a thing or two to her.”
Poicano grinned. “You know, there are those here who think that the king’s interest in your daughter is inappropriate and shameful. That she is way below him, I wonder what they would say if they were told the truth?”
Astar rolled his eyes. “Oh please, don’t even think about it. She has problems enough and I do not wish to add to her burden.”
Poicano sighed. “Of course not, she is such a gentle creature, I cannot see any darkness in her at all. She is so pure.”
Astar nodded. “Yes, to her kind spirit even the darkness must yield, but she is also very fragile. I do not really know why the powers of the world chose her albinism as her second curse but she has learned to use it also as her strength. She knows what it’s like to feel different from all others”
Poicano smiled, a gentle and slow smile. “Her compassion is without boundaries, I have felt it. I pray that her presence here will save our future. “
Astar closed his eyes and he looked a bit worried. “So do I, and her own. It is going to be very tough on her from now on, with both the king’s interest and everything else. I just hope I have taught and raised her well.”
Poicano touched the old warriors shoulder gently. “You have my friend, be not afraid. I am certain that she has the strength to face the future with her head held high.”
Astar nodded and remained sitting, he stared into the darkness and missed his wife once more. She would have been able to explain more easily than he was. After all he was just an elf, a marred and crippled warrior. She had been so much more and he still had problems comprehending why she had chosen to love him, he had to have done something right with his life after all.

The cellar was rather dark and nobody was supposed to be there but now three elves stood gathered together around a turned up wine barrel, they were staring at a map and the elleth standing in the middle pointed at a certain place on the map. “This is where I want her, if she ends up here there will be no escape whence the preparations have been done “
The tallest of the two ellyn was a bit pale, if it hadn’t been that this elleth knew things for which he would lose everything if others were to know of them he would not have dared to even think about getting involved in such treason. “It will be hard getting her there, how would you suggest that we do this?”
The elleth grinned, a very sly grin. “She is a healer, so is that crippled father of hers. If we get both of them out there it will look less suspicious. There has to be something we can use to entice them.”
The shorter ellyn spoke, he was rather dark and his eyes had a peculiar tone of dark brown, they were almost black. “There are a few very precious herbs I know the healers are very eager to get their hands on, if word got out that such has been seen I am sure they would send him out there and she would probably follow, just to learn.”
The elleth nodded. “A good plan, find something precious enough to tempt them, and be ready. I do not want that darn bitch to return alive.”
The tall ellon swallowed hard. “Her father?”
The elleth just waved him off. “Get rid of him too, he is just a wounded old dog, it will be merciful to put him out of his misery.”
The two ellyn nodded but both were far from happy with these arrangements, she had a strong grip on the both of them, if it wasn’t for that they would never even have dreamed of doing something so cruel. But she left them with no choice, their own lives were on the line and they dared not face the consequences of what they had previously done.

Nireariel woke up rather late in the afternoon, she felt hungry and thirsty and her head was spinning. She got up, what had happened? She had been in the healing rooms and she had sat by the bed of a wounded warrior and then something had happened? She could not remember! Her mind was rather blank and she found some food and water and sat down to drink and eat. She felt ravenous and had to laugh at her own appetite. Usually she never ate much, had she really worked that hard? Well, she could still feel how the floor scrubbing had hurt her back so maybe it wasn’t such a strange thing after all, she wasn’t all that used to working hard.
She had finished her over-sized meal when her father returned. He looked very pleased to see that she was up and well. “How do you feel?”
Nireariel grinned. “Rather fine I think, my head feels a bit heavy though, and I was so very hungry. What happened?”
Astar sat down, he smiled but she could see the melancholy in his eyes. “Something wonderful my dear, something nobody else than you can do. The men in that room are all well now, it is as if they never were ill at all.”
Nireariel gasped and her eyes were huge and told of disbelief. “What? Why, I mean, did I do something?!”
Astar nodded. “You did, you have inherited your mothers gift of healing my child, it has awakened. “
She was leaning forward, so very eager to learn more. “How is it possible, I have never heard of anyone able to do something like that. Why haven’t you told me this? Could she do things like that?”
He nodded. “Yes, but it comes at a price my child, it drains the very energy of the healer and weakens both the fea and the hroa. She could not do it often, and only with one person at a time, that you healed four ellyn like that and are still alive tells me that you have immense power. But you almost went too far my dear, you are untrained and unaware of the dangers. I had to get you out of there before you burned yourself out like a candle.”
She swallowed hard, her lovely purple eyes so very telling of her emotions. “I know there is something I should remember, but I cant.”
Astar put his arms around her, he smiled. “You asked me why your mother stopped healing, I think it is time to tell you why!”
Nireariel stared at him. “Yes, tell me, please!”
He placed himself on the chair, relaxed and his gaze became distant. “She made one horrible mistake, one that haunted her from that day on and she never again used her powers. She forgot the first rule of healing, the most important one.”
She was barely breathing out of fear of disturbing him. “And that is?”
Astar swallowed, stared at her, straight in the eye. ”Heal the body if you can but if the fea is slipping away it is time to let go.”
Nireariel had a peculiar feeling inside, as if there were more to it than that. “What happened?”
Astar shook his head, his eyes were distant once more. “She was called to a small family living on the outskirts of the forest, they had two small children and a third one on the way. The mother had gotten ill, very ill. Haldanare tried to save her, she was so determined to do so that she forgot to pay attention to the patient’s wishes. The poor woman was dying and all she wanted was for Haldanare to save her unborn baby, it was due in just a couple of days and if Haldanare did a caesarian the baby could have been saved. But Haldanare refused to do that, she wanted to save both and unfortunately she failed. The baby died, and the mother let go too, too caught by her own grief to be able to hold on. But her body was filled with your mothers healing force and still alive. She had done a horrible crime and created a living dead. Remember this my child. With your powers you can hold death at bay, even chose the fate of others. You will decide between life and death but do never over estimate your strength, and if a soul wants to die then let it go peacefully. Not everybody are meant to be saved, it is just the way it is.”
Nireariel was aghast, she felt the taste of bile in her mouth. A living hroa without a fea? That was horrible, a crime against the very creation. “What happened to the woman’s body?”
Astar sighed. “She had to kill it, there was no other choice. She had learned of her own obsession with success and so she never dared to use that power again. She became a seamstress instead.”
Nireariel swallowed. “Ada, who was she?”
Astar sighed, looked down. “I am not ready to tell you everything my child, not just yet. In time I will, for now this is enough. You have an amazing gift my dear, but you are also cursed. It is like a double edged sword this gift, remember that.”
He got up and left and she remained sitting there, caught within her own thoughts and her own fears. What would become of her now? Now she knew what she was capable of, she could bring health and life and light but also death and horror, would she be able to face this destiny with strength or would she fail and do horrible mistakes like the one her mother had done? She had to remember this, that she only should save those who wanted life. It should become her golden rule.
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Hearts of fire, souls of ice