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Title: A Powerful Magic (#3325)
Author: Chrissie
Chapters: 1

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: What is so special about reading a book? Katie has a moment and finds out…along with something else.
Published: 20 Feb 2007
Updated: 20 Feb 2007
Warnings: none
Type: General
Characters: Katie (OC); Elrond


Chapter 1 - A Powerful Magic

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to JRRT, everything else belongs to me!
Summary: What is so special about reading a book? Katie has a moment and finds out…along with something else.
A/N: This was written for the Haldir Lover's Yahoo Group Writing Contest 2006



A powerful Magic

The chair I sat on became more and more uncomfortable but I just couldn’t get up. The story I was reading held me in its spell, not allowing me to shift my seat.
My eyes flew across the words and in my head the pictures formed. The landscape came into focus so sharp that I wanted to close my eyes and shake my head. But I couldn’t. The written words would not let me.
It was so dark and gloomy, yet strangely I could see everything around me. It felt like I had been left waiting in the darkness. All alone. But I wasn’t.
There were people; people everywhere, carrying swords and spears and shields. Many had bows in their hands.

The view changed and I saw that many of the people were not…human. Those were hideous creatures. Their skin had a sickly tinge, greenish-grey or light black. I could not be sure. Their faces were masks of horror, sprung from my most horrible nightmare. Baring their ugly, yellow fangs, they slashed at everything and everyone.
The landscape was rotten. There was not a speck of green, just barren wasteland behind which a huge single mountain rose up. The face of rock seemed razor sharp and looked deadly. Clouds of smoke rose from the mountain top and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. The air felt too thick, full of poisonous fumes. I choked and subconsciously pulled the neck of my sweater over my mouth and nose.
Just then, someone right next to me started to yell and the noise level assailing me seemed to burst my eardrums. Men were crying, yelling and those monsters screamed right back.

I could not take it anymore and closed my eyes, breathing heavily. At once it was as if someone had turned off the volume. The only sound came from the flames crackling in the hearth and my own rapid breathing.
A shiver ran down my spine, of fright, of exhaustion…of curiosity?
I waited until the pounding of my heart eased a bit, opened my eyes and found the passage where I stopped reading.
In an instant I was back…transported to that place and time so long ago. The images, sounds and smells were back but I could not stop. Not now. Not ever. I wanted to know what was to come.

The focus changed and I saw a man…no an elf in front of me. Not far from where I stood. He was tall and powerful. His dark hair was tied back from his face which was beautiful; despite the dirt and sweat. A sword was in his right hand and he yelled commands to those near him. It seemed an utterly impossible situation. His troop was completely surrounded by enemies. And yet, his eyes flashed with determination. His whole stance spoke of fighting until the last breath.
His sword cut through the monsters as if they were made of whipped cream. He became a killing machine, not caring just functioning. One with his sword in a deadly dance. He seemed a pathetic figure slashing, swinging, ducking, turning and slashing again. He saw nothing and no one, distinguishing in less than a heartbeat if friend or foe.
Whatever his plan, it seemed to work. The elves seemed to gain more and more ground in this ferocious battle, driving the orcs backward as they went.
It was an amazing spectacle but frightening at the same time.
Where it had seemed like a baited trap before, the hope for victory now resurfaced. I saw the elf cut through two orcs with one blow of his sword.
Many around him had taken heart again and were battling as fierce as that one elf until…
Until the earth started to shake. Once, twice, three times.
Men, elves and orcs flew up into the air as if the ground had exploded beneath them. As the elf turned to look, so did I and my breath caught in my throat. An inner coldness assailed me and I shivered.
The monster of monsters stood there, wielding a giant spiked club. I could see no face, nor skin. He…it was covered in mail and armour from head to toe. A spiked helmed crowned its head. Dark markings adorned the armour. It was huge…monstrous in every way. And its club ploughed through the rows of men and elves as if they were mere pieces on a chessboard.

An older man suddenly broke out of the ranks and attacked the master of all evil all by himself. It took nothing but a flick of an iron-clad wrist and the man was thrown back against a wall of rock. His broad sword clattered to the ground and the man lay motionless, his body broken.
A heart-tearing, exasperated shout came from my left and another man, younger than the first, ran forward. He sank to his knees and cradled the fallen body of his father in his arms, tears running down his cheeks.
The steel-clad monster turned to them, bathing them in shadow. And yet, I could see how the young man tried to pick up his fathers’ sword. An iron shod foot stepped onto it and the sword snapped like a twig, splintering into many parts.
But the son did not give up. The hilt still in his hand he swung the remains of the sword up and with one great stroke cut off the fingers of the monsters’ right hand.
Ear-splitting noise followed, the monsters’ armour seemed to loose its form. And then it fell, clattering, to the ground. Its followers fled, defeated. Silence.
Almost at once the elf was next to the man on the ground who held a golden ring in his hand. The elf spoke quickly but clearly and the two of them set off at a run, up the slope and on a path into the burning mountain.
I followed them, felt the air become warmer and stiffer. They rounded a corner and I saw a ledge that loomed over a crater. I was inside a volcano!
The elf ran forward to the uttermost edge, yet the man stayed behind, fingering the ring. The elf yelled at the man to destroy the ring. At that moment the man looked up, a sly grin on his face. He said no, turned around and walked away. The elf stood, eyes wide and called the man’s name. But he did not hear. Once again the elf called the man’s name.
At the same time I slammed the book shut and yelled: “No!” throwing the book across the room.
“Are you alright, Katherine?”
The deep, melodious voice startled me out of my thoughts. I looked up and found the Lord of Imladris looking intently at me from the doorway. His gaze was friendly, understanding. As if he knew exactly what was going on in my mind. It seemed no coincidence that he was there at the exact right moment.
With a deep breath I nodded then shook my head.
“I…this story I just read….I…it was so unbelievably real. I was there, I know I was. And yet, I haven’t moved from my chair.”
The room was so quiet in comparison to the roaring noise I had heard only seconds before. I could even hear the soft swish of his robe as he moved across the room and took a seat next to me.
With him near me I felt secure and protected. I knew nothing could hurt me as long as I was near him and gradually I shifted into a more comfortable position, sliding downward a bit.
Once again those ageless and at the same time very old eyes fixed upon me again.
“So, you found it,” he said and a small smile played around his lips. My eyes widened in surprise and confusion.
“I found it? What are you talking about?” I asked and added, blushing: “My Lord.”
The elf smiled and took my hand.
“You found one of the most powerful magic in all of Arda. And in your world, too.” And after a short pause he continued: “The spoken or, in the case of this book, the written word.”
I lowered my gaze from his, contemplating what he just said. To speak was magic? Powerful magic? Still in thought, I watched the flames dance in the hearth.
The flames dance? A dance of flames?
A powerful image rose in my mind. I could see it, the fire dancing around the wood, feasting on it.
I closed my eyes and counted to ten. The image was still there and would not let me go. I still saw those flames, dancing alone and with each other. I smiled and slowly I opened my eyes.
“Yes,” I said to no one in particular and focused on Lord Elrond again.
“It is a powerful magic. But....” I hesitated. Why was I so reluctant to ask? I sighed and took a deep breath.
“But isn’t…isn’t it a powerful weapon, too?”
He didn’t answer at once. His gaze drifted from mine and turned to the window. He seemed lost in thought. Was it just my imagination or did his eyes glaze over slightly.
I averted my eyes, confidence level sinking. Had I unknowingly overstepped some mark? Had I said something wrong?
“No, Katie. You didn’t,” he said and my head snapped up in surprise. He read my mind!
A hand passed over his robe smoothing some wrinkles which weren’t really there and he fixed me with a small smile.
“You are right. Words are a powerful weapon…but only if we let them be!”
Only if we let them be. His last words resounded in my head and I finally understood. I finally knew why he had asked me to read this book and why he had been there at the exact right moment. And I felt that now I could let go of the past. I finally began to heal.
Tears welled up in my eyes and I had to suppress a sniffle as I caught myself staring at him but wasn’t able to look away.
And eventually something else made sense. My eyes widened in surprise and understanding once more. Despite the tears a smile came to my face.
“It was you, wasn’t it? The elf in that story?” I motioned to the book still lying on the floor.
He nodded and smiled. This time I was sure that his eyes glazed over because he didn’t look away.
“And…it really happened, didn’t it?” I asked trying to get him to talk. There seemed to be something bothering him. Once more he nodded but did not volunteer any more information.
I racked my brain trying to think of another strategy so he would tell me what made him so sad. After all, he had helped me and I wanted at least to try and help him, too.

We sat in silence for some time and I noticed that he still held my hand. Needing time to think I studied his hand more closely and smiled. I didn’t remember ever seeing hands like his. So big and powerful but at the same time soft and gentle. How long had it been since he had held a sword in it? Or a bow?
Suddenly he began to speak, so very quietly I almost wouldn’t have heard.
“I knew Isildur would not destroy the ring even before we entered the ledge. I don’t know why or how but I just knew.” Elrond paused and took a deep breath. He passed a hand over his face and continued: “And although I knew it I have always blamed myself. Still blame myself. I could have spared Middle Earth the horrors of the Ring War if I had been more persuasive.”
He looked away but I shook my head and squeezed his hand.
“No, my Lord you couldn’t have.”
His head snapped around and he fixed me with an unrecognizable look.
“May I give you some terse advice?” And without waiting for his answer I added: “Only if you let them!”
The look on his face changed and I knew he had gotten my message. Only if we let them will words be a powerful magic as well as a powerful weapon.
Isildur had not let them! If it had been the ring or whatever else only god would know. But it had not been Elrond’s fault.
He squeezed my hand, nodded and smiled which I returned.
After several moments he let go of my hand and rose from his seat.
“I think we should get some sleep after this. Are you ready?” he asked.
Yes, I was definitely ready. Ready to move on with my life. Still smiling I stood as well and not thinking twice hugged the Lord of Imladris tight. After a moments’ hesitation he returned it.
“Thank you,” we whispered at the same time.

FIN
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