Writewraiths in Middle Earth II: The Kingdom Rebuilt

[Lubyla]

She had closed the link, though I knew a trick that could help me get her to think... I closed my eyes and whispered into the wind. What once was is now lost, as you sit alone, in bitterness, the wind is your only companion. The wind swept away, and Illali padded over.

'You two shall meet again, whether it is in good terms or bad, but remember who you are, who you both are.'

I looked at her puzzled. It must be one of those, you will find out things.

[Fred Baggins]

I glared as the wind whispered, and ran into the stables. It wasn't the wind that had said that. I opened the link again. 'Stop that Star! you know I hate it!'

[Lubyla]

I heard Faith, and walked back into the castle, and back into the room with the others. 'Just as I hate...nothing.' I knew she hated it, but it was the only way.

[Fred Baggins]

Under the cover of night a dark shadow slinked over the border seperating the Writewraith kingdom and Ceallyn. Into the Writewraith kingdom it came. A pink toungh came out marking the place of the mouth. The tigeress smelled upcoming battle between the two lands. The Broken Heart would return to these lands...the Broken Heart would be resealed! But first the battle...Westerness armys would be here...and orcs, and Uriak-hia and all sorts of nasty things...but triumph in the end...sweet triumph for her kind. Slowly the tigeress slinked in the direction of the castle. The Broken Heart would return.

'What is it? I know you where trying to make me open the link again. What IS it you insufferable-' I stopped and shook my head. I had to get ready to go.

[Silverstripe]

ooc: Just to make this less confusing, I shall call the Kingdom of Writewraiths Thirelind.

"I will take you to the Empress," said Aethon. He led Fimbren back to Calien.

I had felt, for a moment, a magic that was foreign to Thirelind, yet somehow familiar. I looked up, startled, then smiled as I saw the elf I'd met a few minutes ago.

"M'lady," said Aethon, "this is Fimbren. He says he wishes to help you on your ... 'quest'?"

I laughed. "I'm sorry, Fimbren. The only 'quest' I'm on at the moment is going to meet a Countess in another kingdom tomorrow, and for that I must be alone. However, if you wish to help, you may accompany us to the borders of Caellyn."

..................................................

I stayed outside the stable, too afraid to speak to Faith yet, and wanting to be able to speak to the trees. They were pure, and good, and ... they were far better than I. I worried that soon I would be unable to speak to them at all.

I mean, what was I? A traitor to my best friend. Someone who had joined the enemy. Of course, I was only pretending, and I knew I was doing what was best for Faith. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd sold out. Had the voice really told me to do this? And what was the voice, after all? I knew there was a history of mental illness in my family...

No. The voice was different than that. I was doing what I was supposed to do, yet I felt guilty all the same. And I worried.

Someday Faith will discover what I have done, and hate me for it. Maybe I won't go through with it. Not only Faith Lowe, but all of my old friends. They wouldn't know why I was doing this. Even I didn't know sometimes.

I longed for the days I had just been Alina, the girl who came to the Between Worlds sometimes when her friends needed her most. The person who would have died before joining Snakesnout. Perhaps this was why I was warned not to go back to Middle Earth, once I had left.

So why had I been called back here, regardless of the heartbreak it would cause me? The voice would've told me when I arrived, if I wasn't supposed to be here. Or would it? All through life, there have always been things that people must discover on their own.

I resolved to leave Middle Earth and go back to the Between Worlds, where I was safe. For many, the Between Worlds could be deadly, but I was a traveler, and would come to no harm. Then I could be Alina, who supported her friends by simply being there to guide them. I wouldn't have to be a traitor -- or play the part, as the case might be.

Leave, and you WILL be a traitor! Doncamiel will kill her if you don't do this, Katharine, reprimanded the voice. Do not let fear and guilt trick you into despairing. You have to see the truth. This is the only way. For Faith, for you, for Caellyn ... for all of Middle Earth, and Mundane Earth as well.

I laughed mirthlessly. Ironic, that. To join the enemy had become the only way to defeat them! Fortunately, Faith was too caught up in her own affairs to notice my odd behavior.

Make your choice. You cannot remain, your soul tormented, uncertain of what you are doing, and be effective. Decide!

I knew the voice was right, but I was too upset to think. I tried a relaxation technique, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths.

In
I have to save my friends no matter the cost.

Out
Whatever I do next, I must do it out of love for my friends and both worlds.

In
Alina cannot help anyone. The girl who waited Between Worlds is dead.

Out
But I, Katharine Welsh, with all my flaws, am very much alive.

Taking one more deep breath, I made my decision. I had to save all I cared about. I would continue to aid Snakesnout as I must, while in truth working against him and his servants.

It was, oddly enough, the right thing to do. The only honorable thing to do.

[Finrod Felagund]

Fimbren smiled. "No m'lady, I must go all the way with you. (To the countess I mean.) I don't know why but somehow I feel...that you need me, even if I do not go in to your meeting...I must be there. It's a gift of mine, or a curse. I suppose some would call it prophecy but really it is simply a feeling I get."

Empress Calien looked at Fimbren oddly.

Fimbren continued, "I cannot remain here. You don't know what it is like. You are a noble people and I greatly respect man. But the elves here are foreign to me, i MUST SEE IF MY PEOPLE REMAIN. Yet, despite this, I somehow know that must wait and I must go with you your Majesty.
Please at least tell me about this countess and meeting. What are they for."

[Lubyla]

Illlali bounded out twards the border, to see what was entering. 'Who walks in these lands unknown and unaided?' Her tone was soft, and a bit worried.

```````````

'Fine then Doncamiel, but remember this name, Nydassi of the Night Rain, for soon, it will be gone, as for Starlight. As quick as I come, I go, just a spirit in the wind... That shows how much you really miss me.' and with that, I cut off the link. Nydassi would ride at dawn.

```````````

Silently, a shadow of a figure trotted to the stables of Caellyn. No life seemed around it, and all life quivered in fear. 'Nazgul' the wind whispered. It sniffed the air and lowered it's head. "So many years..."It muttered"So many years.

[Finrod Felagund]

Empress Calien stood to her full height, forbidding in her regal clothing. Yet Fimbren, in his simple forest garb dwarfed her and out shone her. It was just for a moment, and then Fimbren shuddered. "There is evil afoot m'lady. I don't know what it is but I have felt it before, many years ago. I know you have no reason to trust me, but...please...understand. I have skills, and experience. I feel my experience is essential if you plan on entering anypart of Rhovanion (Rohan, Mirkwood, Gondor etc) or Eriador (Arnor, Rivendell, the Shire etc.) I know them well. Your majesty, know that If you don't take me, I will...I must follow after you."

[Adrian Baggins]

IC_CALLIMAN: "Fastred! Where are you, Fastred?" Calliman called, walking into the room in which the Empress was talking to some of the others. "Sorry to intrude, but have you seen Fastred?"

ic_Adrian: "Elijah, wake up," I called, shaking his shoulder. "What is it Aunt Adi?" he asked rubbing his eyes. "Fastred is gone."

[Silverstripe]

I sighed. "If you cannot be persuaded otherwise, I will take you into Caellyn. But you cannot go to the meeting, for I promised Faith I'd come alone. And I warn you, Fimbren, most of my people fear to go into that kingdom. It is, they claim, an evil place." Then my expression softened.

"The people of Lorien and Mirkwood remain, and my kin in Rivendell, if that helps you in your search. I know by your speech and your appearance a moment ago that you must be one of the oldest remaining elves," I said, "and there must be some reason why you were brought here. But there is much here that you do not understand. Mundane Earth, mirrors, Thirelind itself, the Kin ... tell me, do you even know of us? Have you felt the New Power as it begins its rise? I see war coming, between Thirelind and Caellyn, and this world and another hang in the balance."


Hunter watched the elf, his Kin, almost glowing as she spoke. The expression in her eyes was determined, yet kind, and Hunter felt hope surround his sister. Calien herself seemed unaware of what she was doing. But the others were beginning to remember why it was she who had become Empress, and why, before that, she was elected as leader of the Kin. Those who had just come were seeing a glimpse of her true nature for the first time.

Then Calliman ran in, breaking the spell, asking if anyone had seen Fastred. Hunter immediately ran outside to search for the little boy. A feeling of gloom crept over the area, and the warg feared the worst.

"I haven't seen Fastred since this morning," I said. "How long has he been missing?!"

[Lubyla]

I started to creep out of the room, though I was run into by someone I did not recagnise. "Sorry" I said, and started to walk out. Where did I belong? Surely not here, it did not feel like home.And niether in Caellyn, fir why would I have run from there? And then it hit me, I had never found a home. Where I thought was home, turned out to be just anoter cold hotel it seemed. I sighed and walked on.

[Silverstripe]

I looked at my friend Starlight as she left the room, and had one of those rare moments where I almost know what someone is thinking.

"Wait!" I called. Starlight Adams stopped, and I went to her side.

"Star, we need you here now. Once you said that I could not abdicate, for I was needed here as Empress. But you are just as needed. Can't you see that? I know that you're still searching for a place to call home, and I will help you all I can in that.

I smiled at my friend. "You do belong here in Thirelind, though you don't feel at home. Maybe you will find, when you have been here long enough, that your heart and home do lie within the kingdom. Perhaps not. But I do know that in the end, you'll find a home somewhere."

My heart ached for my friend, for I knew in that instant that she had never felt at home, not anywhere. She was born of Mundane Earth, but her mother was from Middle Earth. Star isn't from Middle Earth, but she's not a Mundane Earther either.

[Lubyla]

I nodded. There was not much I could do. If only that would come true. As we walked back, I could feel something in the wind, though it would not speek to me. It whisped around, and flowed out, only saying, .::Listen::. What ever that ment, I dont know.

[Fred Baggins]

I shuddered. "I hate the wind." I told Dream Chaser my bay. "I will never use the wind. But Star's my best friend. I just don't know about myself DC." I saddled him up--I always saddle him myself, one of the few things I have left that give me my dignity--and led him out. There still was Kathie. I smiled, patting her on the back. "I'm glad I still have at least one friend with me."

"Is that you Thina-I mean Ill...Illali?" The tigeress stumbled over the foriegn name, the name that had been given to her old friend. "It's me Cindy...I mean Sinda...I mean Cindy..." The name that had been given her was no trouble, but she sometimes forgot her own name. "Fire Sister that is. I bring news..."

[Silverstripe]

I smiled at Star, and then we walked back into the room where the others waited, and I said, "I'm sorry about that, Calliman," and asked again about his son.

Only the fact that I knew I really WAS her friend, whatever I pretended, gave me the courage to smile at Faith.

"And I'm glad to have a friend with me." I had more than one friend here, but I could never let Faith know about the trees. Or the voice. Or whatever it was I had seen watching me, on that day that now felt so long ago. But it was only yesterday, wasn't it?

That "thing" wasn't Bigblith, or Mauluk. Not Kin at all. I smiled at Faith again, then left her side. I sought the trees that always brought comfort to me, to reassure me before I had to begin treading the path that would break my heart, but help save this world and my homeworld.

[Lubyla]

Illali was relieved. 'Yes, it is I, Illali. What news do you bring Cindy? And where is Dagger, I have felt her near.'

```````````````````

The nazgul as the trees called it passed through the shadows, and came upon the stables, a blue light following behind the horse. The nazgul spotted Kathy, and rode silently over.

[Silverstripe]

A third cat, a jaguar, glided silently into the trees. "Hello. Have you forgotten me?" asked the jaguar, amusement in her voice.

As I saw the Nazgul, I shuddered. My first instinct was to run, but I had a job to do. "What do you want?"

[Lubyla]

'No, I haven't. Hello. Why are we all here now, I didn't think it was this soon.'

```````````````````````````````

They hopped off the horse. "You are one of them?" The voice was gental, yet hard. "Do you not remember me? No, most likely not. It has been long, Kathy."

```````````````````````````````

"I ask to take leave to my room, for I am very weary, it has been a long day." Calien nodded, and I was taken to a room. I set down my pack.

"Anything I can get for you?" asked the servant.

"No thank you, I will be fine." She left the room, and I went through my stuff, and picked up a small chest.I picked the lock, for I had lost the key even before comming to Middle Earth.After opening it, I saw many things, and didn't see many others that were there before."Figures" I laughed to myself, "Of corse my camera would just dissapear, for there are no such things here."I continued to serch through, not finding what I was looking for, and set it by my bed. I lay down, and fell asleep, though, I accidently reopened the link.

'"Starstar! Get up!" Faith shook me, and I rolled over. "STAR!"

"Huh, what?"I awoke in my room/loft thinggy, in Ireland, and rolled off the sofa bed, for I had no real bed, just that.

"Look Star!" Faith pointed up at my skylight, it was really cloudy, though the meteor shower shined through just as brilliantly as ever.

"Maybe we should make a wish." I clambered back up on the sofa, hitting my head on my skiers mobile.

"Alright." Faith and I locked arms, and waited for the next star to fall. As it did, we both closed our eyes and made a wish.

"I hope my wish comes true."She said.

"I hope mine stays true." It started to rain harder, and then the clouds parted as the stars shone brightly. "In fact, I know it will."

We turned over, and fell asleep, and I fell, off the bed, and out of the world it seemed, to somewhere I did not know. Trees lined the world, and the sky was white, like an unfinished picture.I could smell sorrow in the air, as I looked around, only a shadow of myself though. I walkeed through the woods and came upon the border of two kingdoms. A war had taken place here, and it seemed only two were left standing. I waked over, and as I did so, a chill wind blew by.

"She was right" I herd one of them say." But, why?"

"Hello!"I said, "Who are you talking about?" Only but wind blew through.

"For she found love in both kingdoms, and wished them not too fight. She had said this would happen, the two would be torn, but come together in a loss." Calien. It had to be. But then, who was the other?

"But why her?!" I herd the other scream. she stooped over a corpse, and started to cry. "Starstar, wake up! Please, I need you here!"'

And I awoke in a cold sweat crying, the tears and the dream had gone through the link, though I did not know it, though it did not only go to Faith, but also to Calien. I sat, and slept no more that night.

[Silverstripe]

"It isn't," said the jaguar, Leyna. "But Katharine of the Trees is here, with the Countess. She has seen me, but cannot recognize me. She does not remember."

I looked at the rider, surprised. "Serenity?!" And then, "Faith has betrayed me. I had no choice," I said, my voice hard, and cold as ice.

Not see through lies ... unless you want them to...

And I did want my friend to see through what I was saying. Somehow, I knew I could trust her not to give me away. But I was very startled to find out how the "seeing through lies" worked. From that moment on, my conversation with Serenity was composed almost entirely of lies, yet each of us heard the truth.

[Lubyla]

"Do not worry, for we all must do this sometime." She took off her hood, and smiled. "We all must, as I had to do with...well...you know."

``````````````````````````

'It does not surprise me, for Starlight was that way too.'

``````````````````````````

"what did it mean? Where am I suppose to be? Why in blue blazes am I even here? Golly, does this mean I have to play peacemaker?"I pulled out a book, and read through my past journals. I had had a similar dream in each book, how queer. I wrote it down in my current book, and on the cover, it said 'The Last' I didn't know what it ment, it was the one Faith had given me.