Writewraiths in Middle Earth II: The Kingdom Rebuilt

[Lubyla]

I walked into her chambers. "It has been long, friend. Much has happened, and much will. I come, as a run-a-way seeking a home for some time." Linde flew into the room.

[Silverstripe]

I considered Faith's question for a moment. In a way, I wanted to leave, but I realized that I was on a mission. If I left the kingdom then, I could not complete my task. But was it really so important? Was the mission worth my life? I barely knew what was going on, but I did understand that I was expected to do the "right" thing and stay.

But I was never, never told, or given to understand, what would be the consequences of my leaving! Yet Faith was my friend ... or was she? She had, after all, just threatened to kill me. Angry and confused, I tried to gather my thoughts. Why should I care about Faith Lowe, when she'd just betrayed me?

But then I remembered what I had told Mauluk on that subject.

"it is very much in your interest to try to keep Faith Lowe alive!"

Not for me, not anymore. She'd tried to kill me...

No, Katharine. Faith Lowe was trying to SAVE you from Doncamiel, whispered a voice.

Well, that was true. But that meant that she thought Doncamiel would kill me if I stayed, and I didn't want to die.

Stay. Save Faith Lowe. Save your friend.

I sighed. I still didn't know what to say. I wouldn't tell Faith that I would leave, yet I dared not say that I wouldn't. Finally, I decided I would tell the truth: that I wasn't sure what I would do.

Before I could respond, an elf burst through the doors, followed by one of Faith's many servants. "M'lady! I must speak with you."

Faith looked annoyed, but stepped forward to talk with the messenger. The elf shook his head. "No, Countess. I mean the Lady Katharine. I'm very sorry about this, Countess, but I must speak to Lady Katharine alone."

What is all this 'Lady Katharine' business? I'm definitely not of the nobility, and I don't have any royal ancestors. How does this elf even know my name?!


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

"You know you're always welcome here, Star. You ran away from the Wolf's Bane? Why? Is Faith ... getting worse?" I spotted Linde out of the corner of my eye, and smiled. Her presence here seemed like a good sign.

[Fred Baggins]

I nearly backhanded the elf, for directing me so, but I have so few elf servants that I relized that this was not one of them, or at least not that i had known. "The "Lady" Kathrine?" I raised an eyebrow. "Very well. Lady Kathrine?" I stepped aside, in a mocking manner. Just as well the elf had come now, I felt I knew what her answer would have been, and I don't know how I would have responded. "Make it fast, the Lady and I have a conversation to finish." Why had I said that? I should have let it be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"AUNTY!" passing by the room with the door that had not yet been closed, I ran into it, just befor the door was closing, and into Star's arms. She was the one adult besides Mum I cared about, or trusted. "Are you here to take me home?" I asked looking at her hopefully.

*Freddy walked away with a slight smile on his face. All it would take was a small rumor with one of the Countess' seervants, and the castle would be abuzz about Lady Starlight the Writewraith Spy. News of it would get to Faith eventually. This was what he had been looking for. All he needed was to let it leak to certain sources he knew of this, and threatened to spread the rumor around. That was all he needed.* "Thankyou, Starlight Adams, and Dawn Wilson. As I promised once long ago, I am forever in the debt of you and your friend Faith. Forever." *He muttered under his breath, once out of hearing shot of the room.*

[Silverstripe]

The elf gestured for me to follow him, and I left the room without even looking at Faith. I didn't want to see the hatred I was sure would be in the eyes of the young woman who was once my best friend. The elf led me outside the castle, then looked around cautiously. After a few moments, he smiled and turned to me.

"I needed to be certain we were truly alone," he explained. "The Countess sees much more than she'd ever tell anyone, and this she does not need to know. You already know about Middle Earth and Mundane Earth mirrors, or "twins."

"Yes," I said.

"These 'twins' often have similar personalities, and similar events in their lives, as you and Calien do. But in one respect you and Calien and quite different. Most of the time, though the twins may appear quite different, they share certain ... powers, if they're in the same world. Of course, "magic" doesn't show up in Mundane Earth. But the fact is, once you came to Middle Earth, you should have been Kin. Like Calien."

"And I'm not?"

"Right. But ... you have other powers, powers which, for some reason, never showed up in Calien." The elf bowed. "Welcome to Middle Earth, Lady Katharine of the Trees."

My mouth dropped open. "But ... how?"

"I don't know how this can be, either," said the elf. "But you are what you are." His expression suddenly grew anxious. "Come with me. Come to the Kingdom of Writewraiths. I sense that something is not right. You must leave at once!"

"I ... thank you. But I don't think I can leave yet."

The elf sighed. "If that is your decision, I cannot hinder you. "

The elf left me, and I went back into the castle and went to face Faith.

[Fred Baggins]

"You should have gone with him." The warg growled at her, stoping her before she even got to the stairs up to Faith's chambers. "Now you cannot, Kathrine of the Trees. O don't worry, I won't tell the Countess, if I can help it. I knew there was something strange about you when I first senc...saw you. Be glad lady, if Snakesnout where awake, he would have killed you. But you should have gone with him. Do you think Faith would have thought to send her friends off, on her own? It was my idea, from the very first, because I knew. But now it can't be stoped. I warned you child. I warned you." The warg snarled at her one last time, and ran in the opposite direction than the one she traveled.

[Silverstripe]

As the warg left me, I thought about his words, and shuddered.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die ... I thought, almost panicking.

Oh, but avoiding death is a simple matter, one part of me said, I have only to return to Between Worlds.

But the other part of me told me reproachfully that I couldn't abandon Faith.

But she'll kill me if she gets the chance. That is, if Snakesnout doesn't get to me first.

The other, more confident part of me, reminded me that I had survived before when Mauluk tried to kill me. But that seemed long ago. I had had Snowstorm's protection, and Mauluk had been far less powerful then.

Calien is more powerful too, said the voice.

"Calien, Calien, I'm sick of hearing about Calien all the time!" I snapped. "I DON'T CARE, okay?! Anyway, what can she do? The Empress doesn't even know I'm in Middle Earth."

Then I heard an odd noise, and turned around to see what it was.

[Fred Baggins]

As soon as she left I got out of the chair. "Why did I DO that! She was my only friend--my ONLY-- friend, in America! Gosh darnit she's the only American who understood me or took the time to! and I repay her how!? I still remembered the first day I met her, she had just been moved up from second grade to third grade in the middle of the year, just a couple months after I started going to that school after I had left-- been forced to leave--Ireland. She still had friends, and yet she befriended me. I think it was when she relized I lived near England, and had once seen Tolkien's old house. And when she had a first thought that I knew nothing of Tolkien I had thrown back an Are you kidding?! I'm only the creator and Mistress of the Mutant hobbits!
We had been confidants. There was no one else I would share my secrets with, and there where only two she did not know of, even now. And she shared her secrest with me. A lot changes in five years Faith Lowe. She has new friends now, better than you. You are only scum to her now. I tried blocking the voice out. but it made seance, almost. And I had just tried to kill her!
I limped over to the fire, feeling as though there where a fire of it's own in my leg. "I have to get this in a cast." I murmered trying to forget Kathie. But it was to late. Before I had time to bite back the tears, the poured forth. "I didn't mean to Kathie. I didn't want to. But I just get this feeling like you'll die if you remain near me. And Lintegwaths says if any of my friends remain with me they surely will. That is why I do this. But I didn't mean to." I wept, face to the hearth in front of the fire muttering incoherintly to a Kathie that could not hear me.

[Finrod Felagund]

Fimbren awoke in a dark sleeping chamber. He did not know whwere he was. The room was richly furnished and appeared to be in a palace. He looked around and saw the emblems of the Dunedain on the wall. Fimbren layed his head back and hoped someone would come explain to him what was going on, for he looked outside and, though knowing it was middle-earth, did not recognize it.

[Silverstripe]

I turned to see a pair of eyes, shining from a dark corner of the castle. They looked almost like Tigger's eyes in the dark, only they were much larger.

"Who's there?" I said, my voice quivering. By this point I was frightened enough to jump at shadows, so of course this nearly scared me to death. But I tried to look as if I were unafraid.

Whatever it was did not answer, but the eyes disappeared. I backed away slowly, reluctant to turn my back on the spot where the creature had been, in case it was still there.

But then, it could be anywhere now...

I came to the staircase that led to Faith's chambers, and ran up the stairs as fast as I could. Sure, Faith had tried to kill me just a few minutes ago. But it was usually better to face a known terror than an unknown one. And I was going to have to talk to Faith sooner or later.

As I came to one of the doors, I could hear Faith weeping. I bit my lip, hesitant to say anything to her. Finally, I knocked on her door. Much later, I learned that I'd made the right decision, for Faith always seemed the most herself after she had wept).

[Silverstripe]

Hunter ran through the palace, looking for Calien. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He could sense the presence of one who had not been there before ... a Writewraith? Or an enemy of Writewraiths?

'Aethon,' Hunter said, addressing the second-in-command of his patrol, 'take the rest of the group to find the Empress. There is something I must investigate.'

Most of the group knew what Hunter was talking about, for they could sense it, too.

'Yes, brother,' said Aethon.

So Hunter began to search for the new being in the castle. He didn't have to search for long; he basically knew where the person was.

Hunter came upon Fimbren just as the (elf?) was wishing someone would come and explain things to him.

"Are you of the Writewraiths?" asked Hunter. There was a hint of a growl in his voice, for he did not know if he could trust this stranger.

[Lubyla]

I looked sadly at Dawn, and noticed Calien looking at me. I set Dawn down. "Where is home Dawn? Is it here? Is it where you stand? Is it where you remember things. You may go back home someday, though I cannot, for I have no home. I will not be taking you back to Wolf's Bane, for I am not going back." I saw a confused tear on her cheak, and hugged her again. "I will try to find someone to take you there, when I feel it is safe for you. You do trust me, right?"

[Fred Baggins]

I pushed myself away from her, vision clouded with tears. "Home is where your heart is! Home is where your friends, and family, and the things you love are! Home is NOT some place I've never been before, with people I've never met before! Forget you! Forget I ever knew you!" I was screaming at her, and turned to Calien. "And I never want to see you again! I HATE YOU! I HATE BOTH OF YOU!" I ran out of the room, evading arms everywhere trying to catch me. I ran otside, and to the stables. I would leave myself, if no one would take me. I had come here myself, and I would leave myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I whiped away the tears, and sat up. I couldn't stamd, it hurt to much. Back still to the door, I called, assuming it was a servant, "Come in, and set the wash water on the stand, then leave."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Freddy hurried back to the stables, and got his tattered pony out. Leading the pony out, he jumped on it's back, urging it to go as fast as it could. Feeling the speed pick up, and the wind, he was barly aware of a flash of light that surrounded him and the horse.*

[Lubyla]

I looked at Calien. "Do not worry, I shall be leaving as soon as I gather myself. I apoligise for Dawn. She is not good with sepparation, and knows nothing of the Kingdom. I am glad to find welcome, and hope it will stay. "

Andodulin flew through his window, and landed inhis room. "foolish girl" he muttered.

The bird looked at me. A chill ran down my spine, almost the same chill I got the first time I saw Lubyla. Creepy.

[Silverstripe]

"It's understandable. Dawn is only six, after all, right? And she's probably been taught to hate me, all her life. She said she was born in the Wolf's Bane, Star, and had never been away from the place before now. And we both know she was born on Mundane Earth, like you and Faith." I tried to brighten up a little bit.

"You can stay in the Kingdom of Writewraiths as long as you like. If it isn't safe for Dawn to be in the Wolf's Bane now, then it isn't safe for anyone." I remembered that many of my friends, like Primrose Brandybuck and Cyrell, used to visit Faith sometimes. I hoped they weren't there now.

"Tell me, Star ... do any of our old friends still linger in the Wolf's Bane?" I asked anxiously. I was especially worried about Primrose; she was one of my best friends. Right, now I had three: Primrose, Terwell, and Hunter. Linde almost counted, and certainly would have if I could only speak to her. But the one among my best friends who could teach me Linde's language was gone forever.

I grew sad at the thought of Lubyla's death, but I didn't cry. I hadn't cried since I became Empress.


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

"Hello, Faith. I haven't got any wash water with me," I said, trying to smile, "though, if you're really desperate, I could get you a moist towelette!" I sighed. "Sorry about going off like that. I was just as confused as you were, you know. Maybe more."

[Lubyla]

"Thank you again. None are there that I know of, but as I left, a stranger was there, challenging a duel, though I do not know what became of it, or who he is. Resta was there last time I saw, badly wounded. And..." I didn't know whether to tell her about Kathy." That is all for now. When did this bird come to the Kingdom? She is beautiful, almost like... nevermind."

[Fred Baggins]

I stood up, as quickly as I could, hindered so, and turned around. "Sorry Kathie, I thought it was a servant. I was a bit surrprised you returned at all. You see, I'm worried about you staying here. We are on the brink of a battle, Bigblith, the commander of my armys, and a shadow" I admited, a bit proudly, no one else could get a shadow to command there army and I had the best of the best, "And Lintegwath, who is now my advisor, and i have all felt it, and known about it. That is part of the reason I tried to scare you into leaving." I would try this approch, if scaring her wouldn't work. It was all truth anyway.

[Silverstripe]

"And?" I asked. Star hadn't sounded like she was finished with her statement. "Is another of our friends in the kingdom? Please, I need to know." If Primrose was in the kingdom, I needed to figure out a way to help her leave it.

Star seemed fascinated with Linde, and I decided that I would ask why, as soon as Starlight answered my first question.

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

I started to tell Faith that "Lintegwath" had already told me that it was dangerous to stay, then reconsidered. Somehow, I was certain that she shouldn't know I'd spoken with the warg.

"I can't leave you yet."

I wondered whether to tell her about the creature I had seen ... well, partly seen, anyway. A creature with shining eyes, who was not Mauluk. Yes, she needed to know about it -- but maybe she already did. It could've been a warg, though I didn't think it was. The creature had seemed far more catlike.

"Faith, are there any other people of the Kin in the kingdom?"

[Lubyla]

"No one really, no one that can't handle themself, better than I did anyway. There is no one in too much danger. It seems almost less since I left."

Starletta walked past the room and two voices us speeking, Caliens, and another..."That girl is going to get herself killed if she doesn't watch it." Was all she said, as she went out to the stables.

[Silverstripe]

"I'm glad you're here, Star. I only wish it were safe for Faith to be here, too." I paused, thinking about how to put my next question. "Starlight? You seem to like Linde, and you almost act as if you recognize her. Have you ever seen her before?"

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

Faith looked puzzled, and told me she didn't think there were.

"Well, I thought..."

Do not tell her yet! cried the voice, more firmly than it had ever said anything. The creature will not harm you, or her.

Letting a voice tell me what to do. I must be losing my mind!

But I knew that I wasn't, and I said, "I thought it might be nice to speak to someone of the Kin. Many of them were my friends, you know."

I sighed. "I'm tired." I was tired in the way that anyone is tired after a long day of decision-making and travel, but it was more than that.

"May I go sit outside for awhile? I-I need to be alone." It felt silly to be asking a friend for permission to do something, but she WAS the ruler of this kingdom, after all. She nodded, and it seemed she was glad of the chance to be alone, too.

I walked down the stairs and back outside, sitting down among the trees. Now that I knew that the soft sounds I'd been hearing since I arrived in Middle Earth were the murmurs of the trees, I was beginning to understand what they said.

Often, they did not speak, so much as sing. And each one had a different song.

I fear, whispered one tree -- or that is the nearest translation I can give. [I]The Wizard of the West has no love for the forests...{/I]

So I started to learn to recognize the voices of the trees, and I have loved them ever since then. I wept for them, for I knew some of them would be killed in the battles to follow. I could do nothing to stop this, even if I revealed who I was.

[Fred Baggins]

I watched her go. I think I was glad she stayed. I couldn't tell anymore. My mind was so...clouded with thoughts that aren't my own. I used to think they belonged to Doncamiel but now...I'm not so sure. I limped over to the window, throwing open the shutters, thinking I just need some air myself. I shuddered as the wind blew through screaming at me, I didn't even notice some of the things it said, it said it so quickly and never even went on before it said something else.
Stay alive Faith
Don't let that warg tell-
Love will finish you-
stay alive-
the warg Faith the wa-
he alone will kill-
love will be your dea-
beware the war-
beware lo-

I couldn't take it anymore. "WHY DO YOU TORTURE ME!? Why do you keep trying to talk to me! I can't hear you ,much less understand you! That is for Star not I! I don't understand you!" I slamed the shutters closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lady Kathrine Welsh? Can it truly be you?"A 'shadow' separated itself from the trees. The voice was one she would surly remember, though she would not be able to make out the face, nor hieght of what was talking to her.