Title: Fireflies
Author: Buttercup
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence, mature themes, non-consensual elements.
Disclaimer: Oh, if wishes were rainbows… but they're not mine, never will be.
Summary: Hunters passing too close to the Golden Wood attract unwanted attention while ensnaring something completely unintended. (Haldir, Orophin, Rúmil, Celeborn, and Galadriel)
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Chapter 1 - The Cry of the Trees
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The elf ran blindly toward home, trusting his instincts and centuries of exploration of the Golden Wood to get him there. He allowed himself to rest only briefly, to drink only when a stream crossed his path, and to eat only when the berries and fruits of the surrounding woodland brushed against his fingertips.
During his dash for the city, he refused to detour a step from the path. It was a six-day walk back to Caras Galadhon; he was determined to make it in three, all the while fearing it would still be days too late.
His wounds continued to bleed, the wrappings around his chest and arms soaked with blood and sweat. He did not seem to notice, or if he did, he did not seem to care. His mind screamed to his exhausted body to carry on, to get help. But the body began to rebel, needing more rest then the mind allowed, and the slow but steady blood loss was beginning to take its toll. He began to stumble more often, collapsing to the ground without warning, and his anguished cries of desperation echoed sorrowfully through the Wood.
The trees cried with him, singing softly to the elf, encouraging him to continue, urging him forward. They leaned away from the path, trying to clear the way so as not to hinder him, and amongst themselves, they whispered of his pain, of his fear. Their voices lifted to the winds, a lament for the wounded elf that drifted skyward, picking up more voices as it passed, growing in pitch and volume to become a swelling symphony of desperate song.
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~* To Be Continued *~
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