A Dark Shadow is Stirring

Once they left Fangorn forest Serethiel assumed the lead with Lorien now following her. They traveled south into Rohan into the West Emnet to gather supplies. Serethiel appeared relaxed, but Lorien would know that she was on constant alert. Her keen eyes and ears always watching and listening for any signs of danger. Serethiel had nearly endless energy, but had to remind herself that Lorien did not. They took breaks every so often and at night they would take turns keeping watch. As they ventured further into Rohan they began to see more and more people. Serethiel spoke to a few of them and they told her that they were seeing an increase of orcs in Rohan. This troubled Serethiel and re-affirmed her strong belief that something evil was stirring.

They finally came to a small village and were able to purchase supplies. Serethiel often hunted and sold pelts or meat for money, or exchanged them for other needed supplies. She had a purse of coins with her and was usually able to negotiate a good deal. They had to remember though that they could only take as much as they could easily carry. Serethiel introduced Lorien to Lembas, a special bread made by the elves which was shaped into thin cakes. It was extremely nutritious, stayed fresh for months, and provided sustenance on long journeys. She always carried some with her, but warned Lorien only to eat a small bite at a time as just a bite was all it took to fill the stomach of a grown man.

They were preparing to leave Rohan and travel to meet Strider, as she called him, in a village just over the Gondorian border when a foul smell on the breeze caught her attention.

"There are orcs nearby," she told Lorien. "Perhaps half a mile from where we stand headed west."

Lorien was grateful Serethiel took the lead, he was learning a lot about the countryside without having to bumble around as usual. Sleeping was hard, as he had never slept a night outside of the forest before. Being out in the open where they could be attacked at any time was unsettling. Having Serethiel stand guard while he slept did make it easier, although he still preferred the time when it was his turn to take watch. This country was beautiful at night, he’d never seen so many stars in all his years.

Even though he kept alert, he found himself watching Serethiel sleep quite a bit. Or rest, in her case. In every type of light, she had a different shade of beauty, and Lorien couldn’t seem to get enough of it.

When she introduced him to Lembas he was delighted, it was so efficient. He had a little coin left and he had planned to spend that for dried salted meats, since that seemed to last the longest, but with the bread it wasn’t necessary. Instead he bought more arrows, he needed the practice.

When she mentioned the orcs, Lorien thought about what they should do. “Should we tail them, see where they lead?”

Serethiel knew that they were cutting it close on time to meet Strider, but she couldn't pass up this opportunity. She needed to see where they were going. "Yes. We will follow them. We must leave now though and not lose them."

They soon set off at a quick pace with Serethiel in the lead. Thankfully, they were downwind and so the orcs would not know that they were being followed. Soon, they were able to make out a large group of them at some distance in front of them. They stayed far enough back to not be easily spotted, but kept them in their sights. The orcs came close to Fangorn, but did not enter the forest. Instead, they cut through a mountain pass and entered into the fortress of Isengard. Serethiel knew that the Tower of Orthanc was guarded by Saruman the White. Why would orcs be allowed into the fortress?

"Something is not right here," Serethiel said to Lorien. "I do not understand why Saruman the White would allow such foul creatures into Isengard."

Lorien narrowed his eyes as he watched the orcs enter the tower. He recognized the tower, he’d seen it from the forest plenty of times. He knew a wizard lived there, Saruman the White apparently. He agreed it didn’t make sense. No way orcs could sneak in the tower unnoticed, but why would a wizard cavort with orcs? Could this be the new master that previous orc was talking about? “I think it’s time we talk about this growing darkness. Could the wizard have turned to evil, and stated organizing the orcs?”

If so, that would be a very big problem. Either way, a growing knot was starting to form in Lorien’s gut. This was bad.

Serethiel was not certain what was going on, but she knew she wasn't going to like whatever it was. It was difficult for her to believe that Saruman would suddenly start gathering orcs. She knew he found them disgusting and beastly. This was not like him at all, but she knew that no one else could be in that tower. They had gone close enough and Serethiel wasn't comfortable venturing any further. For now they would have to leave their questions unanswered. However, she planned to inform Aragorn of this. Perhaps he would have more information. It was going to take them close to a week to get to the village to meet him and she knew they would need to walk quickly. She wondered how Aragorn would react to her bringing someone with her. With that question in her mind they started the journey towards the Gondorian border...

Their pace had quickened as they traveled, in a hurry to make their meeting with this Strider in time. They were taking less breaks, and even though Lorien was in good shape, he wasn’t used to moving at such a pace for so long. He was winded by the time they decided to make camp, but he had no complaints. It was obvious his endurance needed some practice, so this was good for that.

As they sat around the small campfire, they were more quiet than normal. Lorien was fairly disturbed by what they saw at the wizard’s tower, and it seemed Serethiel was as well. They both looked into the crackling flames, saying nothing.

Lorien then looked over at her, still beautiful in the firelight, though the atmosphere was quite somber. “Are you alright?” he asked in a soft voice.

Serethiel set a quick pace, knowing time was going to be tight. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder to be sure Lorien was behind her. He always was, although she could tell the pace was tiring him. She was impressed, however, that he didn't complain or ask for breaks. He always just endured it and kept up with her. Her thoughts were pre-occupied with what they had seen at Isengard. She had long believed Saruman to be a friend and one they could trust, like Gandalf and Radagast. Perhaps, though, he had been influenced by the evil that was stirring and now couldn't be trusted. This disturbed her greatly, Lorien could tell. That night she sat quietly by the fire. Her eyes had a distant look to them and worry was etched across her face. It was Lorien who finally broke the silence and she slowly looked over at him.

"No," she told him honestly. "I don't want to believe what we saw, but we did see it. I keep trying to tell myself there must be another explanation, but I know that is a lie. If we cannot trust Saruman the White...then who can we trust?"

Lorien thought about how to answer, but couldn’t come up with anything. He didn’t know the prominent figures in the world. He knew though, that he didn’t like seeing Serethiel so upset, even if the worry was valid.

Lorien looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and the stars were bright. After a few seconds of searching for something to take her mind off of it, he found it. A small smile pulled at his lips. He turned toward’s Serethiel, “Here, let me show you something.”

He moved closer to her, one arm behind her so that his shoulder rested against the back of hers. With his other arm he pointed at the sky, his face next to hers so he could guide her sight, “Look there.”

He pointed at a bright star in the sky. “See that star? That’s mine. I claim it. I don’t know if people can claim stars, but since there’s no one else here to tell me otherwise, that one’s mine. You can have that one.”

Lorien pointed at the star directly next to it. “It’s not as bright, but it’s next to mine. Now, one way or another, we’ll always be next to each other.”

Serethiel sighed and looked down and away. She felt depressed and upset. She could only hope that Aragorn had better news. Suddenly, she felt Lorien move closer to her... so close that his shoulder touched her. She looked over at him, wondering what it was he wanted to show her. She followed his gaze upward towards the sky and saw the star he began to speak of. When he then indicated that the star next to his would be her’s so they would always be next to one another she couldn’t help but smile softly. She looked over at him and her eyes met his.

“Thank you Lorien,” she said gently. “That means a lot to me.”

With them being so close, when her eyes met his, he completely got lost in them. All thought disappeared. She was his whole world in that moment. He didn’t even notice when his arm that was behind her moved up over her shoulder so his arm was around her. He didn’t even notice when his other hand gently moved to her cheek, his fingers lightly tracing across her jawline. He seemed to fall into her deep eyes, until his forehead was lightly pressed against hers. His lips found hers, softer than he could ever imagine. It was a soft kiss, his lips lightly pulling hers.

Serethiel continued to look into Lorien's eyes. She felt his arm move up around her shoulder, but she didn't pull back. As he lightly traced his fingers down her jawline she felt her heart begin to beat faster. She knew what was coming and although it frightened her a little, in another way it didn't. She felt safe with Lorien. He was unlike any man she had ever met before. She had closed off her heart for so long to even the possibility of love, but it was open now. As his lips touched her own she closed her eyes and gave into the kiss completely and kissed him back. The world suddenly felt far less lonely.

Lorien kissed her softly, his lips lightly pulling on hers as he held her in his arms. The connection was amazing, and it sent sparks through him every time he kissed her soft lips.

Still holding her, one hand caressed her hair as they kissed. Lorien was completely lost in her, fully under her spell. Before he realized it she was laying on her back in the soft grass, his lips continuing to kiss hers.

The only sound was the crackling and popping of the fire and the sounds of their lips. His arms moved under hers and around her back as he kissed her. Her lips were so soft he couldn’t get enough, and the tip of his tongue lightly traced against her lips as he kissed her, teasing her.

Serethiel's mind and heart were battling against one another. Her mind told her that they were exposed and out in the open and should not allow themselves to become distracted. But her heart told her that she wanted this. She had felt a connection with Lorien the moment they had met. Had it been destiny that had brought her into Fangorn forest and into his trap instead of those orcs? Could love happen this quickly? She did not know, but she knew what she felt for him was strong. She could sense a bond forming between them...one that could not be broken. She had been unhappy and alone for so long and had thought herself undeserving of love or affection. But Lorien had changed that in such a short amount of time. She knew this was crazy...that he was a human and that war was about to break out...but if there was a possibility she might die in this war then she would rather die knowing what true love felt like.

As they kissed Lorien continued to fall ever deeper for her. He never knew anything could feel this amazing. To share something with the most beautiful woman in the world, and to have her return it, the emotion was beyond him. Thought was a distant echo as he lost himself in her. His heart swelled as he connected with the desire of his affection. Was this love? It had to be, nothing else could feel so overwhelming and wonderful. His normally active mind was so involved with the connection that he couldn’t process it, it just felt beyond amazing. His body continued to act on it’s own, led by his heart, while his mind whirled in newfound bliss.

He moved over her, his hips between her legs. His hips began moving back and forth against her, and Lorien sighed softly against her lips at the sensation. He continued kissing her, never wanting to stop, his tongue still teasing her by tracing across her lips as he kissed her. His hands slid down her sides and over her legs before sliding back up her sides again. Her form was so slender and perfect, her lips so soft and full. As his hips moved back and forth against her between her legs he felt himself grow in his pants, and he sighed softly against her lips again.

A short time later Serethiel lay against Lorien in his arms in the grass. Above them their two stars shone brightly against the inky black sky. Neither of them had yet spoken. They both seemed to just be letting the magnitude of what had just occurred settle in their minds. It had been unlike anything Serethiel could have ever imagined. She felt closer to Lorien in such a short amount of time than she had to anyone else she had ever known...including Aragorn. She knew now that there was no going back from these feelings. They would only grow stronger and the bond between them would continue to grow as well. She knew she had found her soulmate and even though he was a human that didn't matter to Serethiel. Her heart now belonged to him.

"Lorien," she said softly, finally breaking the silence, "there is something I must tell you. I didn't tell you exactly why I left Rivendell. The truth is that I was exiled by Lord Elrond. I was traveling with Lady Celebrian over the Misty Mountains to Lothlorien to visit her parents, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, when we were ambushed and attacked by orcs at the Red Horn Pass. We were taken deep into one of their caves where we were tortured and beaten. I...I was abused in other ways as well." She paused there for a moment as her voice had begun to tremble as the memories of it all came flooding back to her. "We were finally rescued by Elrohir and Elladan but neither of us fully recovered. Lady Celebrian ended up leaving for the Grey Havens after a year. I wanted to go with her, but she told me that my time in Middle Earth was not yet finished. It was against Rivendell law for females to train in arms, but I convinced Elrohir and Elladan to teach me in secret. I was eventually caught by Lord Elrond and he exiled me from the only home I had ever known. I was only allowed back once after being injured in the Trollshaws. It was there that I met Strider."

Lorien held her close as he listen to Serethiel tell him what happened to her. He rubbed her arm reassuringly as he held her, “I’m sorry that happened to you. It must have been horrible. I promise I will never let anything like that happen to you again as long as I live.”

Lorien’s own hatred for orcs grew tenfold after hearing that. He silently vowed to put an end to whatever they were plotting, and to make them pay. He kissed Serethiel’s forehead lovingly and held her close.

Lorien was now one of only a few who knew what had actually happened to her. The fact that she had told him meant that she trusted him greatly. She kissed his chest gently before settling back into his arms. She allowed him to drift off to sleep, while she remained awake and listening for any signs of danger. The following morning they dressed and continued on their way. Three days later they made camp near a small outcropping of trees. Serethiel decided that now was as good a time as any for working on Lorien's archery skills.

"Alright, grab your bow and quiver and come over here," she 'commanded' with a smile.

Lorien picked up his bow and quiver and walked over to Serethiel. He knew that last time he fired an arrow his fingers rolled off the bowstring and that’s what caused him to miss so badly. He’d have to focus on not doing that.

Lorien notched an arrow and aimed at a tree. Taking his time to line up his shot and control his breathing, he kept in mind to let his fingers go smoothly. He let go, attempting to keeps his fingers out of the way on release. The string still caught his fingertips and rolled the string enough to change his trajectory again. The arrow missed the tree completely and flew off into the forest.

Lorien sighed and lowered the bow, then looked to Serethiel, “I think I might be a lost cause with this thing.”

Serethiel watched him closely, without saying anything at first. She wanted to watch the exact way he was doing it before correcting him. She watched as the string once again caught his fingertips. She could sense his frustration and she stopped him before he could leave. "You are not a lost cause with archery," she told him with a little smile. "The first thing we are going to do is correct your stance. Your feet should be a little further apart and there should be firm contact between your feet and the ground."

She allowed him to take a moment to correct his stance and nodded a little. "Imagine there is a little line in front of you in the direction you are firing. You feet should be parallel with that 'line'". She paused and waited a moment before continuing on. "Next, let's look at your form. When your draw your bowstring back it should be done in one fluid movement and you should continue to pull back until the string reaches your face. Your elbow should be parallel with the arrow. Your back should be straight and your shoulders down." She waited for him to adjust his form and she nodded when it was correct.

"Next, you need to find an anchor for your hand, otherwise your hand may begin to shake. Your two options are to the use the side of your face or under your chin. I see that you have been using the side of your face as your anchor and I think that may be where part of your problem in releasing lies. You must keep your hand perfectly relaxed using this technique otherwise you won't be successful. This time pull the string back until it touches your nose. Your hand should rest under the chin and be pressed firmly against your jaw."

She let him make these adjustments and walked around him and only corrected him slightly before stepping away. "Now, move your shoulder blades even tighter together. When done correctly you should not feel that your arm is pulling so hard anymore. Be sure that your hand and wrist are relaxed and don't tense them up before releasing the arrow. Keep both eyes open and focused on the target. Look straight down the arrow and be sure that the arrowhead is aimed with your target. Once you are sure your aim is correct, take a deep breath and extend your chest. Move your shoulder blades even closer together and pull just a little on the string. Wait, and let the tension grow in the string. The tension should be so strong that the bowstring wants to move around your fingers by itself and shoot forward with the arrow. Only once you feel that tension should you release. If you do this and keep your fingers and wrist relaxed you will not have any problems. Now, try hitting the target again."

Lorien was able to imagine a line in front of him, fix his stance, and correct his posture. It took him a bit to keep his hand relaxed and be able to pull the bowstring back, but he got the hang of it. The thing he couldn’t get used to was pulling his hand to his chin instead of his ear. It felt odd, and trying aim like that kept making him go crosseyed. He tried to adjust, even with target tree doubling in his vision. He fired an arrow, and even though it was a clean release, he missed even further than before, hitting another tree.

Lorien immediately notched another arrow. He followed all of Serethiel’s instruction again, although this time pulling the bowstring to his ear. His target was clear, everything felt good, he loosed, and clipped the edge of the target tree.

Lorien notched another again, adjusted him aim, and fired. The arrow stuck onto the side of the target tree. He quickly notched another, adjusted his aim, and loosed again. A little closer to center this time. Loosed again, a little closer. One more time, it landed almost in the same spot but just a hair lower. He got about half way to center from the edge of the target tree. He looked over at Serethiel and smiled, “I’m getting there, surprisingly.”

Serethiel stood back and watched Lorien as he prepared to fire. The first arrow was released cleanly, but fired wide and missed the tree. She remained silent as he immediately drew another arrow and fired again. That time he did better and than the last time and then when he fired again it was even better. She smiled at him.

“Very good,” she told him honestly. “You just have to figure out what works best for you.”

She then picked up her bow and pulled an arrow from her quiver. She nocked it and aimed and fired.

As they practiced together, Lorien watched Serethiel’s form and posture, and taking what she taught him he got slightly better. She still put him to shame with her aim of course, but at least he could hit a target now.

After they had collected their spent arrows, Lorien sat down in the grass. They had been traveling for four days now, he never imagined people traveled such great distances before. He could have ran across the length of Fangorn twice already it seemed. “Is there much further to go?”

Serethiel quite enjoyed practicing archery with Lorien. There was no competition between them and they were both relaxed. She wanted Lorien to get as much practice as possible so he was comfortable with a bow. When it became too dark they stopped for the evening and collected their arrows. They prepared a fire and then began to cook something to eat. She looked over at him when he asked how much longer until they would reach the meeting point with Strider.

“One more day, but you should prepare yourself for long journeys. We will find places to stop and rest, but I do not have a real home. Is this something you will be alright with?”

Lorien sat in his usual position, with his legs stretched out and crossed while holding himself up with his hands. He smiled at Serethiel, “I wouldn’t know what to do with a real home. I’ve slept in trees or on the forest floor my whole life. Homes are over-rated. Traveling I’ll have to get used to, but that’s ok, I enjoy seeing the countryside.”

Lorien watched as she cooked. She was definitely better at it than he was. Not that he was bad, but she had a finesse that he didn’t have, which was true of most things. “I bet you’ve seen every corner of Middle Earth, eh?”

Serethiel cooked the rabbit she had shot earlier that evening. She had skinned it carefully, planning to sell the pelt at the village tomorrow along with a few others. She cooked the rabbit carefully over the fire, taking care not to overcook it. She thought about having a real home again and the thought seemed strange to her, but at the same time nice. Of course such thoughts were not possible with the war coming, but perhaps afterward if they both lived through it. She looked over at Lorien when he commented that she had probably seen all of Middle Earth in her travels.


"Well, I've seen most of it," she replied. "The one place I have not seen is Mordor. I dare not venture there. That place seems poisoned."