I was hiding among the slippery boulders and carefully peeking at them

When the woman passes the torches on the walls began flickering, the train of her long black gown trailing behind her rather in a seductive manner.

The air turned melancholic by her mere presence and I felt more suffocated.

She stops her long pace and turns towards her henchman and said 'Fetch me the stone'. He bows low and walks away.

I watched his back disappear and then turned my gaze towards the woman.

Now she was twirling her fingers slowly admiring the rings on her thin fingers. 'Charming aren't they?' she said.

I jumped. Does she know I'm here? No. Maybe not. I secretly hoped that she was a mad woman who has a tendency to talk to herself.

'Well niece... Aren't you going to say greetings to your aunt...or farewell for the last time?' she asked now playing with a jewel.

Realising that she had indeed found me I got up from my hiding spot and faced her. I suddenly found it very disturbing that she had called me her 'niece'

'Who are you...?' I asked trying to control my shivering. 'Who am I to you...?'

She smirked at me. Her silky white hair reminding me of someone heavily.

'Ahh I'm disappointed. Didn't my sister tell you who I was? Oh dear I forgot. She's dead.' she said cackling evilly.

Then suddenly it hit me. Very hard indeed. I hadn't minded when she had called me her 'niece'. But now it clicked on my mind.

'You're Lady Laverna. First born daughter of the King Nirilion of the Kingdom of Elveruin....!' I said shocked with realisation.

I backed away slowly. But Laverna approached me slowly.

'Ah so you do know me. And you may also know that the kingdom of Merobolis should have been mine' she said clenching her teeth.

'Well almost. But isn't it the Aran of Merobolis's wish to who to consider to be his wife? And clearly he had chosen Lady Lavinia' I said boldly.

'Yes...true. But it was truly my sister's fault she was chosen' she said barely hiding the fire in her eyes.

She continued when she saw my confusion 'When there was to be a ball for mine and Faeranduil's meeting my flawless idiotic sister had to come up and charm the Aran out of his wits'

'Lady Lavinia never charmed anyone. The Aran saw her glory and kindness within her beauty and married her. But why do you wish to have Merobolis so badly?' I asked.

'I never wanted Merobolis. I wanted Faeranduil. I loved him. He was talented. Charming. I wanted him. But I was devastated when I found out he asked for my sister's hand in marriage. My parents cannot force the Aran to choose me so they agreed on giving my sister. My sister had fallen for him but she did say that she'd give a word to him to find me a better suitor'

The crackling of the flames on torches blazed with melancholy.

'I did not want another suitor. I had loved him so deeply. I ran away from home. Leaving my possessions, my family, everything. I hid from everyone. I was alone. After the battle of all the middle Earth I had found a companion. A true friend. He was banished for...his wrong doings. I welcomed him to me' she said.

She walked around the cave. Her shoe soles echoing loudly.

'After the war of the Battle of Sevth corae I found out my dear sister had died giving her life to her people. She was always foolish. Sacrifices were her main agenda. But thats the thing. I felt a new purpose in me. I and my...friend had given the banished orc lord...yes the king was killed so we had to meet the lord. So we met the Orc lord and put up an offer. I had to fight and conquer them to my feets to force them to work for me. Oh how wonderful that was...'

She suddenly swished towards me.

'That broken orc kingdom was reborn by me. But I had asked them to keep it a secret that I was their leader, their queen, their ruler. The Kingdom Of Duldruz rised' she said raising her hands and cackling.

My eyes went wide.

'But my main goal hadn't reached there yet. You might think I did this all for love. No. I didn't want Faerunduil after that. I realised his heart still beats for my dead sister. My goal. Rather mine and my friend's goal is to rule all the seven realms. And yes simply to destroy the place you've come from' she said smiling evilly.

'Why do you want to rule the whole seven realms?' I asked.

'Power. Fame. Fortune. Recognition.' she said happily. 'I want the people to lick the sole of my boots for ever doubting the all mighty Elven queen of Duldruz' she ripping a stone like paper.

'But now that your here. Like a prey in a spider's web. I once again ask you. Give. Me. The stone.' she said extending her hand towards me.

'No.' I said plainly holding my spear my side.

She fisted her palm and placed by her side and gave me a smirk.

'Very well' she said and clapped her hands together.

All of a sudden someone so strong and muscular held me tight by squeezing me from behind. I struggled. I tried kicking him. I couldn't move my hands to pierce the spear to his side. I was helpless.

I stared up and saw a man. A young man. Something about him ringed a bell. His eyes. His nose. I've seen him somewhere.

'The stone' Laverna said.

'No!!!' I cried while the man just pulled the amethyst necklace from my neck and handed it to Laverna. The blood red stone glowed bright when it landed in Laverna's palms.

'Fascinating isn't it? They tend to glow red when being in the presence of someone evil. You see I was always around' she said playing with the stone.

'What do we do with this girl?' the man asked in a hoarse scratchy voice. I realised the voice wasn't of a young man's.

'Dispose of her' said Laverna just flicking her finger.

'No wait!' I yelled while the man just threw me on his back and walked.

'Let go of me' I screamed at him hitting him with my dangling legs. It did not seem to effect him at all.

'Why are you doing this?' I asked holding his long hair to look him in his face. 'It does not concern you' he said in his scratchy voice.

I looked him squarely in the eye. His red eyes boring into mine.

My eyes went wide.

'You're Cyrus! The third accounted council master of the Council of Avarherad!!' I said. And I blurted out 'So it is true. You did follow Laverna after the war when you were banished. You're literally her henchman'.

After I had said that he threw me down the rocky ground with such force that I had cried in pain. He then bowed down to me and pulled my hair and made me face him and said 'Listen here. I may have followed Laverna after my exile from the middle Earth council. But it does not make me her henchman'

I laughed at his face and said 'But correct me. You do all the dirty work for her, so what does it make you?'.

I saw his blood eyes wavered for a moment.

'That is not true. I have powerful magical abilities. I guide her with my power' he said while I heard him voice tremble.

'But she has powerful magic herself. Extremely powerful magic at that. Wasn't she the one who defeated the orc kingdom and made that kingdom hers?' I said understanding his weakness.

'No. She did it with my help' he roared 'I controlled the mind of the chieftain lord of the orc kingdom and she was able to....destroy...the whole...kingdom' he said understanding what he actually was saying.

'So she literally destroyed the whole kingdom while you did some hocus pocus on the weak chieftain lord' I said mocking him.

He looked down. Weighing everything I said.

'But she considers me her friend....' he said looking back at me.

I got startled when I saw his eyes brimming with tears.

'I- I don't think she considers you her friend' I said feeling bad for him.

He was still facing me with growing sadness.

'No...I am her friend' he said backing away from me. I already regret doing this. But I took my chance and continued.

'I know it hurts. I had my close friend not talk to me in the name of some boys and fame. It really hurts...' I said feeling a heavy weight on my heart.

'I don't want to feel the hurt' he said 'It does not feel nice'.

'But that's how life is' I said trying to comfort him with my eyes.

He was trembling. His hair trailing down his face.

'She promised me I would never get hurt ever again' he said literally crying.

'I don't think she's going to keep that word' I said silently but he heard.

I jumped so badly when he banged his hands to the wall and bawled. He covered his face and sobbed.

I never expected a man to be this fragile. I couldn't help it. I walked to him and gave him a one arm hug.

He backed away immediately startled.

'Whoah!! It's just a hug' I said. Then understood 'So you've never been hugged before?'.

He just stared at me and said 'It was warm...and comforting'.

I blinked at him and asked 'Do you want to do that again? More properly perhaps?'.

He nodded.

I walked towards him cautiously. Throwing my hands up to show I'm harmless and knelt towards him and gave him a hug. He pulled me to him. He covered his face in my hair and cried.

I remembered when Joseph had cried like this. He was ashamed as the boys of his school had made fun of him for being a book worm.

I caressed his hair.

'How does it feel?' I asked him. 'Feels good. I feel better' he replied and after a very long pause he mumbled in my hair 'I'm sorry for killing those fairies'.

I felt a pang in my heart. But I did not move from my position. I still hugged and caressed him like a big sister and asked 'Why did you do it?'.

'Because Laverna asked me to. She said fairies had a sharp memory and understanding so they would alert the Aran when the threat disappears'.

'So the Aran does not know about this?' I asked him.

'No he doesn't' he replied.

'You should run. She will kill you. Now she has the stone, she's unstoppable' he said.

'You will come with me' I said holding his hand.

'I cannot but I will hold her away' he said squeezing my hand.

I got up and ran to the direction he pointed.

'Well you've turned my trusty sidekick your lap dog. How enticing' I heard a smooth voice say to my horror.

I turned around and saw Cyrus jump in front of Laverna trying to stop her but Laverna swiped a finger in the air and Cyrus was thrown on the cave wall and got impaled on a long sharp rock.

I watched in horror as Laverna stepped.

'I thought the prophecy said the other pure half blood was only able to kill me. Me. Evil as time itself. How devastating would it be to my poor dead sister's memory'.

'Now farewell Averinia' she said and blasted a light at me.

I was thrown backwards.

I lost my conscious. My breath. My life.