Chapter 8:
Two Tragedies
Outside, Theomer was gazing at the stars when Elven soldiers marched
near him. What made him took notice was they were taking two persons, a
man and a woman who were blindfolded. Theomer approached their leader
Firiel. It was decided that Theomer and Firiel's second-in-command take
the two to the barracks for questioning while Firiel go to the king to
tell him what happened.
Firiel entered the large tent where
the feast was going on and whispered urgently to King Thranduil who
then nodded and the two silently left the feast. But the others saw
them leave and followed them out.
Meanwhile, while Xia and Marlon were
being taken to the barracks, Xia was secretly fuming that she had been
taken prisoners by the elves. She then faked some tears, hoping that
some of them might take pity on her. Theomer fell for Xia's ruse.
Thinking that she is truly distraught, he tried to comfort her but to
no avail. She only wants to see King Thranduil.
A moment later, King Thranduil
arrived. Xia wove a story that her superior, somebody who was aligned
with the Enemy, wants something important from him. It was that
"he wants it so desperately that he is willing to destroy every living
thing in Mirkwood in order to have it." But Xia does not know what
the object was nor anybody in the
camp can help her. It was decided that whatever it was, they would
search for it tomorrow.
Glorielin and Glorfindel had taken
Xia to one of the bedrooms to rest. But something terrible had happened
to her.
Xia slept peacefully for a few
hours, but then the dreams came. Dreams so powerfully dark and gruesome
that they seemed too real. The elf Iliana crying inconsolably, then her
pale bloodless face as she lay dead from suicide. Xia awoke with tears
streaming down her own face. She wept uncontrollably as she ran from
her bed. She ran and ran as if she could never stop, but then she found
a place where she thought she was alone and pulled out a secret packet
that she had hidden in her belt. It was the poison she was to use on
Thranduil. She couldn't bring herself to use it on him. She had failed
her mission. Death was the only honorable way out so rather than face
Sauron with her shame, she took the poison herself. It was the cruelest
and fastest potion she had ever possessed. Within seconds, her heart
ceased beating and she lay dead on the ground.
There would be a great outcry in the
morning when her body was discovered. Who was this woman who came to them so
distraught and reckless? They would never know, but hopefully she had warned
them in time of the danger they faced.
In the morning, everyone was shocked that
Xia had killed herself. No one knew who she was nor where she came from but
every person there was affected by the event. But more unhappy circumstances
are to come.
With Xia's death, a gloomy and sad air
hung on the Elven camp. Every face looked grave and not a laugh can be heard
nor a smile can be seen in the faces of the elves, who are normally a joyful
lot. Theomer felt it too and hung around the barracks (where as a soldier,
he was most comfortable) and helped out Firiel here and there, wherever he
is needed. After he had just helped out a group of elves set up a large
tent, the rider saw Marawyn looking lost and obviously needed somebody to
talk with.
"Hello there, Marawyn! How are you
doing?" Theomer forced a jovial tone in his voice and even managed a
small smile in his lips. Marwyn turned to him and Theomer was shocked to see
her sunken eyes, full of sick worry and fear.
"Theomer! Thank God...!" She
launched herself onto the rider, surprising him. Laughing gently, he
embraced her tightly, feeling her hot tears on her shoulders as Marawyn
cried softly.
After some minutes, when she quieted
down, she whispered very softly, "Theomer, I have to go now."
"Of course. I think breakfast had
already been served in our quarters? You haven't eaten ri---"
"No Theomer, I have to go. Away from here."
Theomer was shocked. He loosened the
embrace and held her away to see her face, if she was serious or not. She
was serious.
"W-what! WHY?!"
"I just had a dream. No, it was
more of a vision. Theomer, somebody--or something-- is killing Myriel!"
"Oh no! Wait here, I'll get the others---"
She shook her head. "No Theomer.
This time I have to go alone." Marawyn put her finger on his lips when
the rider tried to interrupt. "It's as if... I'm the only one who can
do this, it's my job... no, my fate, my destiny." She rubbed her
temples explaining was sapping all her energy. "I cannot explain much
further but I do know I must go now before anything happens to her... and
before you let me convince to take you with me."
The rider was angry. "You think
you can just disappear?! Well then I won't let you! Do you hear? I wo--"
Suddenly, the rider fell down. Marawyn had chopped the back of his neck to
make him unconscious.
When Theomer woke up minutes later, she
was gone.
Theomer woke up to the concerned voices of
Glorielin and the others. Marawyn was not to be found in the camp. They knew
that she had gone away by herself to search for her missing friend.