Chapter Three
Falco was in the heart of a forest with Ren. They had swords at the ready. Well he had a sword, and Ren wielded dual daggers. Dressed and prepared for adventure. After all you wouldn't leave home unprepared for bloodshed and adventure.
One night while Falco and Ren were camped in the forest talking over dinner, when they heard the strange sound of the forest creaking. "Get ready", her father hissed as he drew his sword. Ren drew her daggers out, and she was looking around cautiously for anything to hit. But they saw nothing. Yet they could still hear the sounds of the forest around them eerily creaking. "Father"~Ren said in a bit of panic. Falco shushed her in a rather urgent manner.
A strange hissing noise began to erupt as the creaking grew louder. Whatever it was, was getting closer to them. Ren finally looked up at the noise, and saw massive hairy bug legs, and screamed! Something was shot at her, and she barely avoided it as she rolled to the side. Webbing? Oh God~! Ren thought as she touched the tip of her blade to the sticky thick stuff on the ground. Falco hissed at her, but she couldn't hear him, and bam! Her head was ringing, and her body aching. She was stuck, and pinned to the ground by the thick cords of the spider's webbing. They slowly started to make their final descent onto the forest floor. One spider was rubbing its fangs together the same a way person would rub their lips together before taking a bite of some savory food they love.
She was not prepared to die. This is not what Ren had agreed to when Falco decided to take her to a elven clan. The Galerion elf clan to be exact. The clan her mother had been born into. Her birth clan. She would never know what her people are like, what the culture is like, or whether not her own people would accept her knowing she is a half blood who was primarily raised in Bag End by a her hobbit father. "NO"! She shrilled as she began to wiggle, and writhe; and protest against this onslaught.
The spiders hissed a laugh, and found it just oh so adorable that she would try to get away from their thick and sticky webs. "Silly little dear", said one of them. "Just let us go, and we won't have to hurt your people", Ren said to them as she wanted to spare them, and not have to fight with them. This made them laugh more. Like she was some incapable little fly or something, which pissed her off. ..
Wiggling her hand, and making back N forth sawing motions with the blade of one of her small daggers Ren was able to free one arm. She drew it up and over slashing in the face of one of the spiders that were towering over her, ready to bundle her up. They screamed, and back up and then went to charge at her. Ren took a blow to her shoulder in order to free her other arm. "I warned you! Leave us alone or PERISH"! She bellowed as she hacked a leg off. Screeching, bleeding, and in horrific pain one of them cried out miserably, "My arm"~! While her father was managing to sneak about, and kill a few off. Their massive bodies making quite the thud as they hit the ground all curled up and cold. "Hunny!?", the injured one called out. She got no response. Then with rage that filled the forest she screamed, "I WILL KILL YOU ALL"! Furiously stabbing and spewing her venom. Feeling more confident and barely avoiding venom, Ren eventually got herself free. She dodged, dipped, and dived out of the way when necessary, and when the moment was right stabbed the she spider right in her squishy sick chest. The spider fell over wriggling and screaming out as best as she could.
"Quick~! Gather up our gear and move"! Falco called out as they rushed back to their fire. They scrambled to put their belongings into their bags, and they both kicked dirt into the fire place and put it out. Grabbing her shoulder and leading her onward, they began to move more in the night; and found an empty cavity eventually in which to sleep in.
Jamie was so tired, and feeling a little bit ill about now as well. She always thought of Legolas. With her eyes feeling heavier, and heavier she eventually fell asleep to which she would have a vivid nightmare. One where her precious Legolas was to be arranged to wed another female elf. One who was more "worthy", of his affections. She was stunning, but she did not love him the way Jamie does, and their wedding kiss followed by the images of having sex burned in her mind with misery as she later awoke choking on her tears. Pain… and Bitterness… and Anger… That was all she could feel. At her clan, at Thranduil, and with Legolas. Did he not care for her at all? Did he even get mad at his father, or did he simply roll over and listen to his every command? …. A twinge of guilt struck her chest as she thought these horrid things; but she was just too upset not to.
She had managed to gather up plenty of berries, leaves, and blades of stuff to make a hearty salad of sorts. She ate even though she did not care to. She knew needed the fuel, but what was the point? Stop being so weak and stupid~! She thought to herself as she shook her head, and kept eating with rings around her eyes.
Another week or so has passed as our character venture forth on their paths. Ren and her father, Falco fought some giant spiders, a couple of orcs, and found some rabbits along the way for food. Jamie got a little sick, and she began to hallucinate about Legolas. Like he was guiding her some place in her sleep. She was feverish, and weak. Finally though, Ren ended up at the Galerion clan~! It was so beautiful, and lush; and colorful. It was full of colors, and light, and community, among many other things. "Wow"~! Ren said as her father guided her to the entrance.
"Who are you?", asked one of the guards as they stood firm in front of the gates to the clan village. "I am Falco Tu'k, and this is my daughter, Ren", he said to the guard. "Her mother was Amara Zilyana", he added as he stuck to a proud pose with his chest out. The guard recognized that name, and nodded to him. "Why are you here?", he asked them with narrowed eyes. "I want to get to know my mother's side of life", Ren said stepping forward. She brushed some of her red hair aside from her face, and beemed a brilliant and elvish smile at him. He nodded and let them in; telling them they would need to see the village chief.
The inside of the village was more grand than the property that it lives on. Ren was just amazed~! Other people as they walked in would look and whisper, but she had no idea why. Then a tall elf man was in front of them, and adorned on his head was a crown made of leaves, wood, and enchanted with magic light. "Hello dear visitors", he said to them looking them over.
"Hello", Ren said.
"What brings you here"?
"I am Ren, Tu'k the daughter of Amara Zilyana, and I wanted to meet my people", she said nervously fidgeting.
"Hmmm"…. The chief continued to look skeptical of her. She had her mother's eyes, and elf like figure; but she also managed have to an almost hobbit like height. Surely you could tell she was tall for a hobbit, and her features were not Hobbit like at all. "How long were you planning on staying for"?
Ren hadn't really thought of that to be honest. She didn't even think about being able to stay for a little bit, and she looked to her father, Falco for the answer.
"We weren't really planning on staying very long, Sir. Maybe a couple of weeks?", Falco said.
"Alright. I will have some of the maidens make another guest room where you will be staying. Welcome to our village, and I hope that you find what you are seeking", he told them with a welcoming, but creepy smile as he greeted them in.
ANOTHER guest room? Ren was curious at his articulation to that phrase. Was there someone else here as well?
Ren soon forgot all about this other guest, whoever they were. She was so enamored but all the magic and beauty in this village. She met plenty of other villagers, and all of them were stunningly beautiful. It made Ren feel rather self conscious of herself.
"Hello", she would greet them.
"Saesa omentien lle", most of them would greet back. Ren had no idea what that meant, but she loved the way that it sounded as they spoke it to her. One male elf was actually hitting on her in their natural language. Too bad she couldn't understand him, and he wouldn't just speak plain English.
Ren had a really fantastic time on her first evening there talking to the villagers and getting a really good feel about the lives of her people. Falco was feeling inadequate, and rather down while he watched her in awe of everything that was around them. He knew that not everything about the elven culture was good or delightful; but he wasn't sure how to tell her as much.
As they lie in their beds of the second guest bedroom Ren was starting to remember that the chief mentioned there being another guest in the village. She began to wonder who that might be. Who they would also take in if only temporarily. She fantasized about it being a stray or rogue male adventurer. When her eyes began to feel heavy, she surely knew she would dream about this mysterious guest.
