191Warnings: Character Death, Depression, AU (Imagine middle earth is all forest with only the main cities being obvious),
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings... only in my dreams.
AN;
Just found out the real life cycle of elves XD In Tolkein's cycle Legolas would've been fully grown after 100 years. Oh well I've done it now at least I know for my next story (if it involves elves).
This chapter has a lot of time skips but I tried to make them smooth and flowing instead of it blocking the story up. I originally put Legolas in this chapter but in the end I decided to leave it for the next chapter so the surprise is a little delayed but soon Legolas will be on the scene :D
Chapter 7:
~Still in Rivendell a year later~
The sun was shining over Rivendell and the birds were singing. Harry was sat outside up in a tree sketching the palace. He loved the plants and decorative stonework that made Rivendell seem like a giant fairy grove. Harry half expected a giant butterfly or something to fly over the horizon.
Ever since he'd been in the idyllic city of Rivendell he'd been constantly tempted to draw everything. It all had a magical exotic feel to it. Harry had sketched so much during his stay so far. He was half tempted to never leave.
The thing he loved the most by far was the library, it was so extensive and there was so much he could learn within the pages of all the different books that he loved the atmosphere alone. The books were high quality as well; they went into detail without being over complex or boring.
Many times in the past year Harry had missed lunch or dinner because he got absorbed into a book. It wasn't surprising anymore if he didn't turn up for a meal. Despite his love of knowledge Harry made sure that he always had two meals every day if not three.
Nowadays Harry had tended to take his sketch book with him whenever he went on a walk. Often he had been walking and seen something that he wanted to sketch out or draw. Right now he's sketching a picture of the palace for Lord Elrond who caught sight of some of his pictures and asked him if he would draw a picture of the palace for him.
It was one of the things that Harry loved to do along with learning new things. He'd learnt a lot about his magic in the past few decades as well. He'd been training with Saruman to control his raw magic and his mental barriers. They believed now that it would be virtually impossible for Sauron to possess either of them.
He could still use his magic but being wandless meant that using his raw magic was a lot harder than before. It also took a lot more energy to do things that he thought simple before. It was hard for him to try and cast spells like he did before.
It was something that annoyed Harry to no end. He could affect things and change things but creating new things and changing things with no life source was difficult for him. He had thought about making a new wand but at the end of the day Harry knew nothing at all about making a wand.
When Harry decided that he'd got the basic shadowing of the palace right he shut his sketch book up and took it inside as he'd noticed the time. It was around lunchtime and Harry wanted to eat. He'd been drawing for a while and he was a little peckish. He took his things up to his room and put them on his desk before changing shoes and going back down to the dining hall.
He sat in between Haldir and another elf. They were talking about weapons somehow and sipping on a milky drink named Surche. It was sweet but had an oaty warm and comforting taste. Harry loved it and drank it nearly every night before bed.
He was just swallowing the dregs of his drink when Haldir turned to him, "Don't you think it's strange that Anessen hasn't learned to use a spear? After all they are one of the best ranged weapons." Harry looked confused for a moment as he came from his thoughts. "I don't know. I've don't know many people that have used a spear before."
For a moment Haldir just looked at him strangely for before he clearly decided something. "Well then, you both shall have to learn. It is an important skill." Anessen and Harry gave each other a look; clearly they weren't going to get out of this one.
After lunch Haldir took them down to the training grounds. There was a sparring ring, dummies and different assault courses. There were showers and equipment rooms as well as a small dining hall. Harry and Anessen had a feeling that they'd be spending a lot of time there...
~~ Harry spent the next six years parrying, running and fighting the warrior elves. He and Anessen learnt different tactics and methods of attacking and defending using a spears and lances. Haldir worked them to the bone but in the end they learnt a valuable skill and could win against some of the well trained elves. ~~
Parrying Elladan's thrust Harry returned it and blocked an incoming swing to the right. They fought like this for only half an hour longer until one of them finally got a hit in. It was a well timed swing from Elladan that got him the point. They were panting by the time they finished.
Anessen and Harry had been put through Haldir's torturous training regime. They got up before breakfast and trained, had breakfast and trained then had lunch and trained and only after dinner would Haldir relent and give them free time.
Of course it didn't always go like that. Often Haldir would give both of them most weekends off so that he could spend time with Anessen. They normally got at least one free day. Haldir worked them hard though. For the first two years Harry felt like he was dying at the end of each day. You had to use all of your muscles and in ways that he wasn't used to as well.
They match was called a draw and they both went into cool down. They started doing runs and stretches to finish their sparring for the day. After finishing their sprints they headed to the showers. Harry took a cool shower before re dressing and making his way to dinner.
To say that Harry enjoyed his time in Rivendell would be about right. He loved the beautiful city but he wanted to return to the tower at some point. He'd been in Rivendell for over half a decade and there was still quite a lot that he wanted to do there. There were things he wanted to research and places he hadn't yet been in Rivendell.
Though he did lots in Rivendell his trip didn't mean that he slacked in his responsibilities at the tower. He was always checking up on the team, writing letters and helping plan things with the team. He wasn't disregarding his responsibilities as the team leader just because he wanted a holiday but that also didn't mean that he was constantly working.
The tower was a safe haven that Harry had 'built' for himself. He could be there unguarded and knew that if something happened he would have backup instantly. He knew from messaging his team that they had done some work and that the tower was looking better and better each day. They were filling in the holes and restoring the unfertile desecrated land around the tower into land that could be turned into beautiful gardens like they once were.
According to something he'd read, the gardens of the tower once formed a maze surrounding it. It interested Harry to no end and it was something that he'd run by his team because it would be a great security measure as well as being something unique. Though Harry's dim memories of another maze made him waver for a moment at the thought of being trapped in one.
That evening Harry found out that the summer market would arrive in Rivendell in a week. Harry wanted to see if he could bring something back for the team at the tower. Having only seen the market in Southrain, Harry was eager to see what wares would be brought to a city like Rivendell. He couldn't wait for it to arrive.
The week passed by quickly for Harry and soon it was the opening day of the market. The courtyard was filled with tents, tables and stalls. There were wood elves, high elves and the occasional human here and there. The atmosphere was electric and he, Anessen and Haldir felt immersed in the welcoming atmosphere.
They eventually split off and Harry left the newly mated pair on their own to do his own shopping. He wanted to pick something up for Legolas, he wasn't sure what but it needed to have a special meaning for them both. The first stall Harry went to had pottery and ceramic pieces for sale and some of them were stunning. Harry picked up a small glass tree sculpture that had twisting branches and tiny leaves. Entranced Harry made his first purchase of the day.
Harry carefully put the small wrapped sculpture in his small bag and tied it shut. Then he wandered the stalls looking at the different things on show. It wasn't that much different from the market in Southrain, it was just bigger and a more varied. Walking through the market he noticed a beautiful circlet. The silver strands wove in an around each other and swirled like vines together around a single opal in the center.
It was similar to his own circlet. His circlet had 2 parallel lines of silver that met in the middle of his forehead. It had gold swirls that resembled leaves and a gold leaf in the middle where the silver met. There was a large diamond in the center of the leaf and a small diamond at the base of each leaf. It was comfortable to wear and represented his status well.
(pics for both at the end)
In no time Harry had purchased the circlet and like the glass tree he carefully wrapped it and placed it in his bag. The bag had cushioning charms and it was linked to his core so that no one but him could open it. He took it everywhere with him. It always had his sketchpad, pencils and a book in it out of habit. The residents of Rivendell could always find him up in a tree reading something or on a bridge sketching.
Swinging his bag back over his shoulder Harry continued looking round the market. There was everything from precious stones to swords and even the occasional mace or lance. Harry was attracted to a stall selling different pelts and cloaks. Harry saw a beautiful blue outfit; a sky blue thick under robe with a silky teal over robe and a Prussian blue sash.
Then next to it Harry saw the most beautiful cloak. It was Kelly green and had silver vines bordering it. Harry thought that it would be the perfect present for Legolas, who he knew loved green, and he would keep it for him. Harry happily paid for them and carefully took the back up to his room. He hung them up in his wardrobe and took the circlet and sculpture from his bag and set them on the desk.
Harry took off his circlet and set it next to the one he'd bought. They complemented each other much like the way he and Legolas would complement each other. Letting his hair down, Harry set out the outfit he bought and took a quick shower. He came out and dried himself and put on his new outfit. He braided his hair and put on his circlet before donning a pair of boots and going down to dinner.
Having been in Rivendell for three quarters of a decade Harry was close to knowing and having seen everything that he wanted to and was starting to miss his comfy life in the tower with his team and he also found some new magical theories that he wanted Saruman's opinion of. They were to do with creating plants and Harry had copied the tomes so that he could take them with him to the tower.
He would need to talk to Anessen at some point because he wouldn't want to leave Haldir and go back to the tower especially so soon after their mating. For elves the first half a century after their mating was the period in which they needed to be as close as possible for their bond to form. Anessen and Haldir would need to be in the same city and Harry wouldn't force Anessen to come back to the tower.
After dinner Harry, Anessen and Haldir went up to the library to talk. Harry explained to them his thoughts and they discussed it. Haldir wasn't actually a resident of Rivendell as it turned out he was one of the Marchwarden of Lothlorien who was doing his duties in Rivendell for the time being because a couple of the previous guards left for the Valinor and he was standing in for a while.
Haldir explained that after he'd completed his decade then he was free to transfer elsewhere or to return to Lothlorien. Haldir and Anessen would travel to Lothlorien at the end of Haldir's posting and Harry would go back to the tower and meet them there. Harry spent the next 2 and a half years drawing, sketching and training just as before though now he was planning and researching into the magical theories that he discovered.
Soon enough he was heading back to the tower and Haldir and Anessen were travelling through the mountains to Lothlorien. It took Harry four days because he went south whereas Haldir and Anessen went through the mountains so that they could go to Lothlorien and from there, south to Isengard. Haldir needed to speak to Galadriel about moving and he also needed to pack his things as he would be at the tower for the foreseeable future.
When Harry arrived back at the tower everyone was eating dinner upstairs. He took Samara round to the stables and brushed her coat and walked her down for a short while. When he finished he carried his things inside and went up to the dining hall. "Hey guys how are you?" Everyone stopped eating and came and hugged and welcomed him back. They guided him to the table and he served himself something. Then he told them about his trip.
They sat talking and explaining things until late into the evening. By that point Harry had told them about Anessen and Haldir, the library and the market. Harry had just started talking about his findings when a massive yawn escaped him. The others laughed and they bid each other good night and decided that they could talk about it in the morning. Harry went upstairs, unpacked and went to bed.
The next morning Harry felt refreshed and ready to get busy. He'd seen some of what the grounds looked like the evening before but he was eager to properly see what progress had been made while he was gone. He took a long shower and leisurely dressed before grabbing a quick breakfast and heading out to the grounds. It looked much healthier than before. The earth was a healthy shade of brown and there was a healthy layer of grass covering it.
The section of growing are behind the tower was extremely fertile and a large variety of plants were being grown there. There was everything they needed to sustain themselves. The only thing they didn't have was fruit which happened to be the creation theory that Harry stumbled across. As it turned out creating fruit trees and fruit bushes was a more delicate art than creating normal/savoury plants.
Mainly the hormone balance and the genetic makeup of the plant/bush had to be exact or else the fruit would be deformed/bitter/inedible. Harry just needed to test and perfect his theories so that he had a way of creating fruit. Everyone had missed eating fruit and Harry hadn't been able to get his hands on any fruit bushes or seedlings in Rivendell.
Most of that morning Harry spent roaming the grounds and thinking up plans and ideas for the grounds. He and his team had brainstormed a few ideas but it was still early days and the land wasn't 100% back in health yet. Harry was impressed by how much the earth has improved from the horrific and infertile state it was in when they arrived.
The sun was high in the sky when Harry went inside and had lunch. He made himself a quick lunch and went up to his and Anessen's sanctuary. He took his sketch pad but the atmosphere of the room was so amazing he completely forgot about it. Just one step into the room made him feel like he came home. The magic in the room embraced him and the plants wrapped and moved toward him. He felt at peace and blissfully fell asleep.
Anessen and Haldir appeared the next day and everyone soon welcomed Haldir into the fold. Harry and Anessen explained to him how things worked around the tower and where things were. Haldir picked up on things easily and understood the logistics of life in the tower. The only job that nobody particularly wanted to do was to muck out the horses but somebody always did it. That's how it worked; if there was a job that needed doing then you'd do it unless somebody was meant to do it.
Everybody worked hard, including Harry, to make all of their lives easier. If something was left undone then it meant something else that needed doing the next day. Everybody pulled together and it was routine now and everyone understood what needed to be done and the extra pair of hands would simply mean that the jobs were spread more and less people had more jobs.
For the next few weeks Harry, Anessen and Haldir settled into life at the tower and Harry started work with Saruman on the magical theories that he found. They compared the different theories, tested them and tweaked them until they knew a sure fire way of creating fruiting plants. In fact it took them both nearly 2 years to come up with a few theories that could actually be applied in real life and not just on paper.
They eventually moved on to testing the theories. That was a trying time for Harry. They had tried and tweaked theories so many time it was starting to stress Harry out. But eventually they came up with a theory that worked and they could make fruiting plants from. Harry praised every god and deity out there when the fruit from that tree turned out safe.
After that Harry made more and more trees and bushes and soon they had a large collection of fruits to go with their vegetables, herbs and grains. The introduction of fruit made everyone happier. Fruit was a big luxury in middle-earth because there aren't many varieties and they are rare and hard to come by. Most people never try any fruit, other than general berries, in their lifetime.
As they tucked into their fruit pie that evening everyone fell in love with the taste of the fruit. It was sweet and delicious but it wasn't too heavy and they all agreed that it tasted wonderful. Eating the sweet treat Harry hoped that one day he could show his mate the beauty of the fruit he created. Harry didn't know that the time he would meet his mate was much sooner than he thought...
Mini An; Links for the circlets - I so want one :) Replace the large spaces with dots :)
Harry –
3 bp blogspot com/_q7H5daARk5A/S_sJdytW6pI/AAAAAAAALUU/Zi_K8JJKjsc/s1600/medieval+celtic+tiara jpg
Legolas -
2 bp blogspot com/_Cs_lSj0TcRE/TGbFh602n1I/AAAAAAAAAEo/sYdx_mVvzl4/s1600/SilverMoon-circlet2 JPG
My map of Middle earth -
nekoangel13 deviantart com/gallery/36089311#/d58bljf
Hi-5s to everyone that's reviewed, faved or followed the story :D Just giving the love back! Sorry about the cliffhanger I forgot to update the edit :P