~Callie's Point of View~

Song: "I Know You Care" by Ellie Goulding

******

I woke up slowly to find Sam gone.

I sat up and rubbed at my eyes and yawned, stretching out my arms. I looked at my chair and saw he had left a note on my desk.

I slid out from under the covers and picked up the note.

Good morning, love.
Please meet me in the library basement at your earliest convenience. There are some things we need to talk about that are rather important.
-Baldor

I smiled a little at the note, finding his handwriting nice, with neat swirls and lines that looked almost like calligraphy. I was immediately jealous of such handwriting.

I changed out of my clothes from yesterday, which I had fallen asleep in, and into my paint-splattered skinny jean overalls with a striped t-shirt under them. I pulled on my converse sneakers, then threw my hair into a new bun. I picked up his hoodie and slid my arms through the large sleeves, having to cuff them to keep my hands visible.

I wrapped it tighter around me and breathed in the scent of him and smiled.

I grabbed my phone and keys and shoved them into my messenger bag along with my sketch supplies and a journal, then headed out of the room, eating a granola bar on my way out.

I headed to the library quickly and with my head on a swivel, nervous about seeing the guys who had attacked me last night, and circled around the back of the library and down the stairs and through the door.

I came into the room to see Haven, Imara, and Baldor on the floor. Imara was crying into Baldor's shoulder and he was holding onto her tightly.

Haven noticed me arrive first and offered me a weak smile and small wave. He looked at the others and nudged Baldor's arm. "Ey. She's here."

Imara looked up and then Baldor looked back at me. His eyes landed on the sweatshirt I wore and a small smile appeared on his face. I noticed how he sat slouched a little, one arm wrapped around his torso. The look of pain written across his features.

"What happened?" I managed and walked over to them and kneeled on the floor in front of him and gently took his face in my hands.

He leaned into my hands and I kissed his forehead, ignoring Haven's ooing and Imara's small smirk.

"What happened to you? Are you hurt?" I asked him and he opened his eyes and said,

"Sauron was here."

I stiffened. "Here? As in this room? On campus? I-I thought he was stuck in that tower."

"Apparently he's getting stronger. Strong enough to send a vision of himself here that was real enough to snap his rib." Imara said. "And now, if we don't find his Ring, he's going to... going to kill me. And make Baldor watch him take someone away from him again." Her eyes watered again as she looked at her brother.

I looked at Baldor in shock and he wouldn't meet my eyes. I gently tilted his chin up and said, "Baldor... I... I'm so sorry. What can I do? Name it and I'll do it. Whatever you need."

He smiled a little weakly. "We need to find that Ring before he starts killing more people."

I nodded and edged closer and just pulled him into a hug, worried for him. "Ok. How can I help you find it?"

He looped an arm around my waist and pressed a kiss to my forehead, then said, "The Ring is apparently attached to your essence. You can find it easier than even Sauron can."

"Couldn't I just write down 'And Callie Jameson had the Ring in her hand'?" I asked. "Would that work?"

"I don't know." Imara said honestly. "I've never actually spoken with a Tolkien before in my life, so I'm not even sure how your abilities work. I see that Baldor has told you that you have abilities, at least."

I nodded and rubbed his back soothingly. "Yeah." I looked at him and there was a sadness in his gray eyes that was breaking my heart. I wanted to remove that look. I wanted him to be happy again.

"Baldor? Haven and I are going to get something to eat. You two can meet with us later, ok?" Imara said and kissed his head, then left with Haven, his arm wrapping around her tightly as they left.

As soon as the door closed, Baldor sagged against me, shoulders shaking. My shoulder where his head rested felt wet and I wrapped my arms around him tightly and kissed his head and whispered,

"Hey. Hey, I'm here. It's ok. We're going to figure this out, love. We're going to fix this."

His arms tightened around my waist at that. I reached up to take his face in my hands again and lifted it up so I could see him. His eyes were rimmed with red and filled with tears that spilled down his cheeks.

"No, please don't cry, love." I whispered and kissed away his tears as he had done for me. He merely stayed completely still as I did so, his eyes fluttering closed. "Talk to me, please. Why are you so sad now?"

He was quiet for a long time, hands rubbing circles on my back. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "I...I can't lose you, too. I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose Imara, either." He croaked, reaching up to hold onto my hands. "My father, he... hates me. Imara is his favorite, and, well, because I still don't have the Ring to give to him, he snapped one of my ribs and threatened to kill Imara, and... I can't..." he clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut.

"What do you mean by again?" I asked, my own eyes watering as I saw him like this. Defeated and utterly broken in my arms.

He was quiet for a long time, then said softly, "Arielle. I... I think it's time I told you about her." He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, then said, "When I lived in Middle Earth, before coming here to stay with Saruman and Haven, I had someone. Her name was Arielle. She was a human who lived in a village not too far from Mordor's boarders. I went into the village one day and to a tavern. I did this a lot because I just wanted to drown out my father and the hell I lived in."

He let out a shaky breath, hands tightening around mine as he held them in his lap. I couldn't get over how familiar his story was, but I merely remained silent and listened. "I met her there. She was working and some creep was touching her, and I beat him up for it. She didn't seem scared of me at all. You remind me a lot of her. It was common knowledge who I was. I was more feared than the Black Riders in those days. We talked every chance we could get. I would continue to sneak out just to see her. I fell in love with her and she with me. Then, she was pregnant, and... I proposed and we were married in secret. She was seven months into her pregnancy and our marriage when we were sold out to Sauron and he found us."

"Sold out? By who?"

He clenched his jaw. "Apparently she was a cousin of Boromir. He told Sauron. And Sauron took her and tied her up, then tied me up. And he made me watch as... as he tortured her to death. T-To remind me that I belong to him..."

I was horrified. I didn't even care that he was married, but a part in the back of my mind wondered how old he really was. I lifted his hands up and kissed them and just said, "That's not happening again, Baldor. I swear it. And do you know how I know it won't happen again?"

"How?" He managed weakly.

"I know because I am the Heir of Tolkien. And that means he can't kill me without his whole world becoming destroyed, too. It's not happening. I'm staying right here with you forever. I love you."

He managed a weak smile and he sagged against me and I hugged him tightly.

"Come on." I said gently and tilted his face up and leaned in and kissed him. His hands tightened on my waist as he kissed me back.

Eyes still closed, he whispered against my lips, "Don't for one second think I'll let anything happen to you, either, ok?"

"I don't doubt you. I trust you, Baldor." I whispered and kissed him again.

I moved my hands down his shoulders and took his hands, then pulled away. "Let's do this, ok? We're going to defeat that giant shit ball in the sky and we're going to free you and Imara."

He looked at me, a small smile appearing on his face and a look of happiness crinkling in his eyes. "I love you. So much."

I smiled and pulled him to his feet. I fixed his shirt, then zipped his leather jacket up and motioned for him to lean down and once he did, I ran my fingers through his hair to fix it. His arm looped around me as I did this.

"Are you done fixing, love?" He asked with an amused expression.

"Yes." I say and laugh a little. "Now lets go get food. I'm starving."

He smiled and we walked hand-in-hand to the dining hall. When we got inside, people stared at us but I didn't let go of his hand once.

We found Haven and Imara sitting in a booth and we sat with them with our lunches.

"Baldor, would you like a drink?" I asked, standing.

"Sure. Thank you." He replied and got up so I could slide out of the booth.

I smiled and went over to the fountain drink station and grabbed two glasses of water, then headed back to the booth but stopped when I saw that girl with black hair standing in front of Baldor, her hands on his shoulders and her face too close to his.

He was stiff and I noticed his fists clenched.

A surge of anger flashed through me and I set the water down on a nearby table and marched up and grabbed her by the backpack and yanked her back and away from him.

Haven snorted and covered his mouth when she fell onto the floor. I glared at her, and felt a little satisfied when I noticed the scar on her forehead.

"I believe holding his hand is my job, Seran." I said evenly and wrapped my arm around Baldor's shoulders. "You can leave now, and if I see you anywhere near my man again, you'd better watch yourself because I might just use my abilities to write you out of existence first."

Seran scoffed, pulling herself to her feet. She laughed. "You are with him? He chose you? Seriously? You'd be with him? What happened to that Gondor prince? He's a better choice I'd think." She snarled.

We were attracting the attention of the room now and I replied evenly, "That Gondorian Prince was an asshole. And last time I checked, Baldor didn't choose you, so you might as well leave. Because if you don't, and if you attack me ever again, the next thing you'll be is a smudge on a page. A pen and a paper is all I need to make you no longer exist."

Her face paled slightly, but she glared and hissed, "This isn't over."

"I think it is." I say and laid my head on top of Baldor's. He rested his hand on my waist and grinned at Seran. She glared one final time, then disappeared.

The people in the room were staring at us and I merely said, "Carry on."

They looked back to their plates and when I looked at Baldor, he was smiling at me and I leaned down and kissed him, not caring if the world saw us now.