CHAPTER THREE: This Way Comes
Aedhel wanted to cover as much distance as they possibly could before settling down for the night. The sun already hung low in the sky, but Aedhel had no qualms about traveling under the starlight. She knew the lay of the land by heart for miles.
The land rolled beneath the trees, but Puck managed to maintain a steady pace despite his shorter legs. He was agile, and had the amazing stamina of the elves. After an hour, they stopped briefly to drink some water and rest their legs. The sun was now disappearing behind the horizon, and soon they would be walking in darkness. As the last glow of the day faded from the sky, Aedhel took Puck's hand. He could probably see better than her in the dark, but she figured that it might be comforting to him as they traveled through the shadowed forest.
Eventually, Puck's pace began to lag, but Aedhel was reluctant to make camp for the evening. The memory of the fell look in the witch's eyes back at the inn drove her on and so, when Puck could no longer keep walking on his own, she stooped down and allowed him to clamber onto her back. He wasn't very heavy at all and, with him securely settled there, she could make good time. She was accustomed to carrying heavy loads for long distances as a courier.
Puck's head soon fell against her shoulder, and his breathing evened out as he slept. Perhaps with an hour or two of rest, he would be willing to walk just a bit further. She pushed on through the darkness and, though he was light, the weight eventually began to take a toll on her arms. First they burned, then they shook, then they cramped, and finally, Aedhel was forced to wake Puck up and set him down.
"Come on, Puck," Aedhel murmured. "Let's walk just a bit further."
She held out her hand for Puck to take. He took her hand, but not before mumbling a lilting complaint that she didn't need words to understand. He was tired. Sleeping on someone's back was not the same as sleeping in a nice soft bed. Aedhel felt bad pushing him so hard, but she couldn't shake the need to put as much distance between them and the village before morning. And so she led a grumbling, bleary eyed elfling by the hand through the dark forest.
By the time they finally stopped to sleep for the night, the night was over halfway to sunrise. Puck gratefully climbed into the bedroll she laid out for him and, climbing into her own bedroll, they were soon fast asleep.
Aedhel woke early, just as the first streaks of dawn were wafting up from the horizon, but she decided to let Puck sleep longer. They had walked until late in the night.
She watched the sun clamber it's way over the horizon before turning to Puck. The sleeping elfling looked precious with his silver hair splayed out against the bedroll, and his clear blue eyes glazed over in strange elven sleep. Every once in awhile, a small breeze would play with his hair, making stray strands of it dance around. About an hour after the sun had risen, Puck blinked and woke up.
"Good morning," Aedhel said. She pulled some of the fruit out of her bag and offered it to him. Grabbing an apple for herself, she munched away at it, tossing the core to the ground. It was a light breakfast, but they would be crossing the Limlight soon. If they hurried, they might be able to make it to the river while the fish were still biting. Then they could enjoy a proper hot breakfast.
Puck hummed a beautiful tune as they walked. Somehow, it seemed to let her fall more easily into a walking rhythm. It must have had the same effect on Puck, or he was just well rested, because they made excellent time to the river. Before they were even halfway through the morning, they had reached the babbling waters of the Limlight.
Aedhel gave Puck the water skins to fill as she pulled a fishing line out of her bag. Finding a suitable rock out in the river, she clambered on top of it and dropped her line over the edge. She was in luck. The fish were biting. Soon, she had a nice pair of fish to show for her efforts and she clambered back to the shore.
Puck helped her gather some wood for a fire, and soon they had a hearty breakfast roasting over it. Aedhel savored the fresh fish. It might be the last warm meal that they would get to eat for a while as there were not many more places along their route to to fish in and she didn't think she would have the time to hunt.
When they had finished their meal, Aedhel and Puck set out across the river only a short ways upstream from where they had eaten breakfast. The current was a bit faster here, but the water looked shallow enough for Aedhel to touch all the way across. The water was chilly, and the rocks were slippery, but they made it across step by step. Aedhel held her pack above her head to keep their food and bedrolls from getting soaked. When Puck could no longer touch, he held onto her as well. And so, carrying all of them, they made it across the river. By the time they reached the other end, however, Aedhel's toes were numb from the cold, and she was sure that Puck's were too.
The two of them set off again at a brisk pace. The exercise would restore the circulation to their extremities and thaw her frozen limbs. They walked the rest of the day through woods and meadows, stopping occasionally to rest, drink, and briefly eat. By the time the sun once more hung heavy in the horizon, Puck's pace lagged greatly. Bending down once more, Aedhel allowed Puck to clamber onto her back, determined to press on for a bit longer. The unease from the day before was lessened, but it still plagued her mind. The sooner she could get Puck to the safety of his home, the better.
When she finally did stop, Puck was fast asleep on her back, and did not wake as she gently placed him on the ground, set up a simple camp, and laid him on his bedroll. His angelic face relaxed in peaceful sleep as his skin echoed the light of the stars that glistened overhead. She fell asleep that night, pleased with the distance they had crossed. If they managed to keep pace, they would make the borders of Lothlorien the day after next. What to do once they got there, she still hadn't figured out. She hoped a solution would present itself to her.
The next morning Aedhel woke in a cold sweat. Her dreams had been dark though she could not remember them. She tried to calm her still beating heart as the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Was it a portent or merely her mind playing tricks on her? She didn't know. The light of dawn filled the air, and the sun was due to peek over the horizon soon. Aedhel took out some bread and dried meat, handing it to Puck along with a water skin. They struck camp and headed off once again.
They covered good distance that day, Aedhel's lingering sense of unease driving her forward. As Puck started to tire, he once again took his place on Aedhel's back. She pressed on that night for longer than before. If Puck was wondering at her relentless pace, or how she often fell silent along their journey, he didn't show it. Aedhel was trying her best not to worry him, but she couldn't stop the worry that gnawed at her with every step. Tomorrow, they would reach Lothlorien, and that knowledge gave her strength to push forward even as the sun set and the stars came out. At last, a few hours after nightfall when her arms simply couldn't take it any longer, she set up camp and settled down to rest.
Tomorrow, they would reach Lothlorien, but Aedhel still hadn't figured out what to do when they got to the border. Would they meet the elves before they had to cross the boundary line? Would she have to send Puck across the border on his own? What if the witch caught up to them? How could she protect Puck if he crossed the border, and she couldn't? These thoughts and more like them swirled around her mind as she lay down, but she had no answers. Her only option was to press forward and hope a solution presented itself.
Aedhel jolted awake, not sure whether something from her dream or something in the waking world had woken her. She peered through the shards of moonlight scattered around their campsite, trying to figure it out when the air around her chilled. A gust of wind tore through the trees, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled and the moon itself dimmed. A growl rumbled across the small clearing they had made camp in and Aedhel's eyes snapped to the source of the sound. A pair of glowing-coal eyes peered out at them through the dark. Aedhel leapt to her feet, snatching a long stick from the ground. She brandished it against the creature, but it did not advance. With a cry, Aedhel darted forward and, with a mighty swing, struck the creature upon the head. Or she would have, but the shadowy figure dissipated in a swirl of smoke as if it had been nothing more than mist to begin with. It was the work of black magic. The witch was coming for them.
She didn't know how much distance lay between them and the witch, but Aedhel wasn't about to wait around and find out. Puck too had woken up and was watching wide eyed. Aedhel motioned to him and he got up. WIthout a sound, they struck their camp and set off. The fear that had until now lingered in on the edge of Aedhel's bearing now became clear and obvious. Puck felt her anxiety and the two of them hurried as they pressed on through the late watches of the night.
By the time the sun had risen, they had slowed once again, and Aedhel pulled an apple out of her pack for Puck to eat while they walked. They passed through a meadow, and up ahead a barren hill rose above the trees. From the top of it she might be able to get a view on her surroundings, and maybe that which chased them. She adjusted their direction slightly, heading for the hill.
They crested the barren huffing a bit at the sharp incline. Before them in the distance stood a growth of trees that were grander than any she had seen in her lifetime. Lothlorien was not far now. Puck started chattering excitedly. Aedhel couldn't understand most of it, but she did catch the word "Lothlorien."
"Yes Puck. Lothlorien." she replied.
Aedhel turned to look behind them. Her heart caught in her throat and her stomach clenched at what she saw. There in the distance, but much closer than she had realized or feared, was the witch. Her bright red hair shining like a beacon across the plain. She had gained an astonishing amount of ground on them. They weren't going to make it in time.
She turned to Puck. "Run."
The word needed no translation and together they took off sprinting towards the border of Lothlorien. Aedhel's heart pounded as she darted in and out of ever growing trees. Next to her, Puck too ran. His feet ever sure as he wove through the trees, leaping over fallen branches and small bushes with a skill that only an elf could possess. His small breath came in little puffs as they ran, but tired though both of them were, neither of them let their pace lag. At last, Aedhel spotted up ahead the small stream that, according to her family maps, marked the border of the Elven realm. They had made it! She skidded to a stop, her feet sinking in the soft earth that bordered the stream.
"Run in there," she said, motioning with her hand. "You'll be safe."
Puck grabbed her hand and pulled towards the stream, saying something in his tongue. Aedhel shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I can't. I will go that way," she said, pointing along a route parallel to the border. "But you have to go." Puck didn't move, so she took him by the shoulders and nudged him towards the stream. "Go!" she said.
Puck took a step towards the stream before turning around and flinging himself around her in a hug. She hugged him back tightly before pushing him onwards. This time he took off running.
Aedhel watched the elf child dart deeper into the trees and splash across the small stream that marked the southern border of Lothlorien. She hoped that he would be safe. He had to be. She had to trust that his people would and could protect him now. Knowing the witch was closing in on her, Aedhel turned west and ran for her life.
She didn't bother hiding her footprints as she ran. She wanted the witch to follow her instead of Puck. The elfling left no tracks no matter where he went. As she ran, Aedhel looked back and saw a dark figure flitting through the forest. The witch was gaining. Aedhel stopped looking back, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. She drifted deeper into the forest, hoping that the thickening trees would provide her cover. However, she made sure not to cross the stream into the elven realm.
Eventually she could hear the pounding of feet behind her as the witch crashed through the undergrowth. Aedhel's heart pounded in her chest. Fear of what the witch might do to her welled up within her, and she urged her legs to ignore the burning for just a while longer. Something whirred through the air and crashed into her legs sending her sprawling on the forest floor.
Stunned and dazed, she took a moment to come to her senses. When they did return she groaned. That hurt. Before she could shake off the daze, the witch grabbed Aedhel and slammed her against a tree with more strength than she would have thought possible for a woman her size. Stars danced in Aedhel's vision as her head connected with the truck with a dull thud. She groaned again. The witch pulled her arms back around the trunk as far as they would go and tied them there. With another snap of her fingers, several more ropes wrapped around Aedhel. There was no getting away. At least her legs could rest. Aedhel banished the thought as it flitted across her mind. It would be better to still be running than at the mercy of this witch.
"Where's the elfling?" The witch asked, drawing a dagger from her waist and pressing it against Aedhel's side.
Aedhel kept her face blank although her heart pounded. She feared the knife. But she feared more for what the witch might do if she somehow caught up with Puck. The witch was a fool if she thought Aedhel of the Wold was going to give him up so easily.
"What elfling?" Aedhel asked lightly as though they were discussing tea.
The witch lunged forward and plunged the dagger into Aedhel's side between two of her lower ribs.
Aedhel gasped as her body tried to shy away from the dagger and the pain it brought. Wave after wave broke over her as she tried to breath with the intruding object shoved between her ribs. Every gasping breath seemed to aggravate it more. Her legs gave way beneath her and only the ropes that tied her to the tree kept her from crumpling to the ground.
The witch brought her face close to Aedhel's and whispered in a too sweet voice, "I'll ask again. Where is the elfling?" Aedhel clenched her mouth shut as she shook her head, refusing to let anything more than a whimper escape her lips. The witch snarled and twisted the blade in her side.
Aedhel cried out a she felt the blade dig deeper and the metal scrape against the bone. Her body jerked, trying to escape the pain, but the sudden movement only made it worse. She wanted it to stop. Anything! She would do anything to make this pain end! But the witch kept twisting the blade as Aedhel's screams echoed through the woods. Finally, she stopped. Aedhel gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face. Her whole body was shaking. Her breath came in short gasps, and she longed for nothing more than to draw one, long, uninhibited breath of air.
The witch's hand left the blade as she placed a palm on the tree on either side of Aedhel. She leaned close and once more whispered in Aedhel's ear. "Where is the elfling?" Aedhel trembled at the sound. She couldn't take any more. The witch's voice sounded calm, but she could hear the tension underlying her words. If she did not give an answer this time, she would die a slow and painful death.
Aedhel struggled to speak, but her breath seemed stole away. When the witch didn't get an immediate response she reached again for the blade handle. Panic flooded Aedhel. With great effort, she drew enough breath to grind out one word.
"Wait," Aedhel gasped. The witch paused, waiting for her to speak. Aedhel struggled for breath as her mind raced. The wound she had was fatal without treatment, and she wasn't likely to get any help out here in the middle of nowhere. The best she could hope for was a quick death and for that she would need the witch angry enough to cloud her judgement.
"Safe." she managed to whisper.
"What?"
"Safe." she said, panting the words more than speaking them. "Elfling. Is. Safe. He's. Home. Safe. from. you." With that, her head fell forward; her energy spent.
It worked. The witch's face seemed to crumple in on itself with rage. Aedhel cried out softly as the blade was yanked from her side. Blood trickled out of the wound, covering her side. Aedhel could taste the copper on the air. It would be over soon. Aedhel winced as the witch grabbed a handful of hair her hair, pulling her head back so her throat was exposed. The steel of the blade, now hot from her own blood pressed against her neck.
Then, it was gone. The hand holding back her head was gone too. Her head fell forward again as she slumped against the ropes binding her to the tree, groaning in agony. Blood continued to leak from the wound in her side, and the edges of her vision were going black. She didn't know what was going on around her. Her mind was working so slowly now. She caught glimpses of silver and gold. Was this dying?
Then, the cruel hands of the witches were replaced by kind hands. Gentle hands. The tight cords that bound her to the tree were cut and she fell forward only to be caught by someone. She was laid on the ground. Aedhel groaned when she felt pressure against the wound in her side. A face swam in her vision above her. But it was being swallowed up by the blackness that was creeping in from the edges of her vision.
She couldn't understand what they were saying. Their language was soft and breathy. Like Puck's.
Puck! These were his people! She tried to force her eyes open and her mouth to speak. "Not Lothlorien," she said. "Not Lothlorien."But the elves didn't seem to understand. Finally, the encroaching darkness won, and Aedhel slipped into unconsciousness.
TBC
Hey Everybody! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter! Life is just a bit busy at the moment, as I will be moving next month. But I will continue to post, never fear! I hope that this chapter finds you well, and I'll do my best to put the next chapter out within a reasonable time so you're not left hanging. Thank you for reading!
