When darkness rises!

By Bianca Williams

I can't take it anymore I was bruised, beaten and had a headache that felt like I had horses stomp on my head. I slowly raise my hand I could feel it I had broken ribs, I finally get my hand to my head to find out why I had this headache, I pull my hand away from my head and all I saw was blood, what did I get myself into. There was nothing, It was as dark as ash, no light, no sound, just darkness. I felt around the ground it was as cold as ice, I finally got my hand on something, I didn't know what it was, it felt unfamiliar, so I put it down and continued to feel my way through the darkness. Next thing I know something grabbed me by the foot, with no food or water I was so dehydrated and weak, I tried to scream but nothing came out. I tried to shake it off but it had a good grip. All I could remember after that was waking up, the pain was down to bare minimum, I was able to breath and then I saw him sitting there, he was tall, a very manly figure he had a to die for jaw line, his hair was white as snow and his eyes, his eyes were as blue as a sapphire. I slowly rose to my feet but I couldn't my strength depleted I fell. I thought this was it for me, but i was wrong, with no strength I passed out in his arms.

When I woke I had some stale bread, and water next to me I reached over to grab the stale bread it tasted like the bark of a tree, so I tried dipping into the water to moisten but even that didn't work. I slowly drank the water not knowing if I would get more. I heard 2 voices one was very deep and the other sounded like a young boy. I looked around to see where it was coming from but nothing I started to freak out and then he spoke to me.

"Finally your awake you were out for 5 days my name is Jasper".

Confused I started to take in everything that happened before I passed out, the talking still continued it was a soft whisper I could only just hear what they were saying, I wanted to know what was going on I wanted my questions answered.

NO NO STOP IT!

I suddenly rose to my feet to see someone being dragged out. What is going on I need to get out of here, this was getting too creepy and still I have no clue where I am. Jasper crept up behind me and grabbed me he whispered in my ear "don't talk breathe or move if you wish to live; if they don't notice you're here they won't kill you yet".

I finally got the courage to ask what is going on, where am I. That's when it happened it went so fast they came at us I was so scared I didn't know what to do I tried to put up a fight but I couldn't. I heard jasper voice yelling get away from her then everything went quiet. I shuffled over the cold floor to were jasper was lying I felt around for something I could use as a light but there was nothing, starting to worry that jasper might be dead I took two rocks and some hay from the bed and began to start a fire. I don't know what's going on its not working I need to keep calm and relax take a deep breath in and out I did that repeatedly until I was calm I then smacked the rocks together and as I did that there was a spark on the hay I started to add oxygen and that's when the fire started. I grabbed the hay and started to examine jasper, he had a broken leg and had passed out of shock I needed to get him back to the hay bed and find out what those creatures were and why did they leave, that's when I realised Jasper was an elf like me.

After I examined Jasper I decided to take a look around where I was. I didn't have long till the hay ran out so I tried to look for light or an exit, but nothing. Night had fallen the thunder was loud and angry and that's when I saw it, the lightning. It was the first sign of the outside world I was so excited that I screamed and that when they came, they were as black as night their eyes were redder than blood and their voices were deep and mysterious and the language they spoke it sounded like ancient Elvish. Im a little rusty on my ancient Elvish but I tried to translate what they were saying and it didn't sound good. Jasper woke and was very confused, hurting and angry at me! I told him about the lightning and how I think there is a way out, his face filled with joy. The creature started to approach us I was scared, that is when I saw Jasper reach under the hay bed, the creatures were getting closer and more was coming at us, I asked him what was he doing but there was no reply.

That's when I saw it! A bow and arrows, I saw the markings on the bow, Jasper was a prince. But what was he doing here? As the creatures approached, jasper grabbed his bow and arrows; he fired them one by one at the creatures and one after one they fell. I haven't seen marksmen ship like that since my father king legolas defeated the orgs and helped Aragorn claim back his kingdom. I quickly grabbed Jasper before more creatures came back and we made a break for freedom. Outside the air was amazing, the breeze was so soft but the rain was coming down hard and we needed to get out of here before we were found by the creatures. Looking up I saw nothing it was still so dark it was like I was stuck in that cave it was horrible. Jasper was weak he could barely move we needed to get to a dry place.

I could see it a little hut it had a stone chimney with a hay roof, the garden was amazing kept lovely and neat you would think it has just been built. We made our way to the hut when we heard a noise it sounded like the creatures we made a run for it while Jasper was hobbling but wasn't getting anywhere fast. It took us some time to get the hut and lucky we did just over the horizon there they were the creatures they stood tall and very angry. With no idea whose hut we were in we found a spot to sit and rest for the night.

Morning came, thump thump thump, there standing before us was a dwarf, he didn't look to happy about us being here but then again that's what dwarfs always look like. Jasper looked down at his leg it was strapped and back in place sitting on the table was breakfast the dwarf ask us to join him for breakfast. We explained to him what had happened and that's when the joy on his face had gone. He rushed to his book shelf and grabbed this big book it looked like a book filled with dark magic; he quickly rushed through the pages and then jasper yelled

"STOP"

There it stood on the page the creature 'BETSALEL' they were nothing but darkness.

The dwarf looked at us and said "we need to see the dwarf king" my father.

We packed and left for the northern forest home. It was a very long journey but then our horses came to a stop. We looked around to see why but there was nothing the dwarf drew his axe, Jasper grabbed his bow and arrows and I grabbed the sword from the horse. We stood waiting for what would come out from the darkness and there they were Cana they circled us they came in numbers we didn't have a chance we took down as many as possible then out the corner of my eye I saw our imperial horses and our warriors, we were saved. When we made it back my family was waiting there for me I ran as fast as I could and jumped on them I was so glad to see them. My father asked what happened and I explained it to him he took his guards and called a meeting with all the kings and leaders from middle earth. The great white wizard was there and so was the dwarven king and the great Bilbo Baggins too. This must be serious!

The meeting went for ages and then all the great leaders left like nothing had happened. Days past with no word I continued to see Jasper and make sure he was okay in the palace, that's when I asked him about his bow. He explained to me that his father gave it to me before he passed and that he is the rightful king of the eastern forest but it was taken over by a dark creature more powerful than the 'BETSALEL'. Time had passed when I heard word about the creatures that's when my father came to me and had asked me about Jasper and I told him everything I knew, his eyes saw red. He barged into the room Jasper was in and started talking to him in southern Elvish I had no idea what they were saying. Dad called the guards and that's when he set out for the southern forest. Days had passed I started to worry about my father so I sent a message to him, I heard nothing!

I couldn't handle it I saddled up my horse and set out to the southern forest in the shadow of the night. I reached the border of the forest when I heard a branch crack I turned having my sword at the through of the person. I turned to see Jasper I asked him what he was doing here.

He said "there was no way I was going to let you enter here alone"

I allowed him to join me we walked through the forest there was still no sign of my father, we stopped to rest I saw Jasper reach for the bow he told me not to move, it was like a flash of lightening it happened so fast but there lying before me was a Spriggin. We had to move fast we reached the border of the castle and that's when something grabbed us, I turned to see it was my father he had cuts all over him and his bow it was missing I immediately asked what happened as he said

"Jasper was right he is back"

I looked confused I didn't know what they were on about and that's when I got told to leave, I refused I wasn't going anywhere. Night came and we sat around a fire and ate dinner I heard the sounds of the creatures and knew it wasn't a cave we were trapped in it was a dungeon. Night had passed I had woken to the sound of a scream it was horrible it made you feel like you were about to die. Shortly everyone else woke my father sent some soldiers in to inspect the castle, they returned shortly after bearing a message

"Darkness will rise, time and time again there's no going back it's now the end"

And then he died it was one of the scariest things i have ever seen, his guts blew up and all you saw were maggots come out from his body. Night had fallen and that's when father decided to enter and kill the shadow and his BETSALEL. We made our way through the castle it was dark and damp we had to be careful not knowing what would be around each corner. The walls had a green mould on them and were covered in morning dew. The floor had cracks in them so did the walls, the windows showed the sun rising over the mountains it was an amazing site. As we got further into the building parts were diapering and it was harder for us to hid we crept passed everyone and made it to the throne room. There he sat the shadow the BETSALEL surrounded us we were outnumbered and it looked like the end for all mankind.

He spoke" I guess you're wondering why I took your child legolas? See I figured if I wanted to get to you and the white wizard I needed to take out your father and your best friend and yet that didn't work, so I took your daughter and the white wizards god son see with them in my grasp I could control you like a puppet but yet my BETSALEL didn't do a very good job because I see they are stand right next to you. So instead I shall take capture of you and have the white wizard come to me, then my plan shall fall together."

Not knowing what would happen next arrows came flying all of the BETSALEL had been killed but where did these arrows came from. Out of the shadow approached the elves from the eastern forest claiming back there home the shadow was surrounded. When I was little my father use to tell me a bed time story and in the end the warrior princess had to kill a shadow but the only way you could kill a shadow was to strike it in the heart. Without warning I grabbed my father's bow from his hands and one of Jasper's arrows, I loaded the bow and arrow took a breath in a as I exhaled I let go of the bow and smack bam right in the heart the shadow had fallen but I couldn't be that easy I yelled out "BE ON GUARD HES NOT GONE YET".

You see in the story my father use to tell me after the warrior princess killed the shadow it would take the form of anything, the princess new that the shadow would pick the least obvious and with one step squash went the cockroach, the shadow was free from the body and with one slash of her sword the town was saved. I knew that this isn't a story and there for the shad will take a shard hard to notice but easy to kill and that's when it hit me I grabbed another bow and arrow and pointed it at Jasper yelling at him "what have you done with the real Jasper where is he shadow, tell me now or I'll shoot you in the eye and onwards it will be a slow painful torcher."

Not wanting to die that way he lead me to where Jasper was being kept, I had my father watch over the shadow why aided to Jasper. One thing I didn't understand was why take Jaspers spot when i would know and that's when it hit me Jasper was in on it but why?

With my dad's arrows to the back of shadows head I had my sword against Jaspers neck I screamed talk or you will die here and now. Within that scream I had nocked Jasper out with the back of my sword and my father still had the arrow to the shadows head I said "this is a spell jaspers eye colour it's no longer a sapphire blue its and emerald green",

I was in tears knowing that there was nothing I could do and that's when my father did it down went the shadow, slowly he started to disappear into ash the castle started to look like a castle again not a ruin and the forest it wasn't dead and creepy but green and beautiful . Years had passed and I got to see more of Jasper, we are now know across the four corners of middle earth as the new king and queen to not mess with. Father had exiled all the BETSALEL and locked whatever was left of the shadow in a dark dungeon guarded by the strongest and smartest elves, fairies and wizards. Now that all is in order with middle earth it's time to hang up my sword and bows and arrows until next time we are needed.