An- WE'RE BACK! LOL! SOrry it's been so long, and now since BOTH musicals are over, we have lives again! LOL! Enjoy!
Chapter 11
Niori came awake as a cool splatter hit her nose in a contentious stream. Her sleep drenched mind pulled itself out as her eyes fluttered open. Confused as to what was on her face, Niori reached her hand up just as something hit again. It took her a moment, but as her fingertips touched liquid, her senses came back to her.
The tent was dripping.
She sat up as another droplet hit her, and then promptly found herself sitting on the hard, cold ground. Then her ears picked up the sound of rain…a lot of rain, hitting the canvas of the tent.
"Damn cots," she muttered to herself irritably, rubbing her now sore hip, "they were so not designed to accommodate two people!"
On the cot above her, Legolas was just groaning himself into the waking world.
"Niori," he spoke, his voice still a little groggy, "why are you on the floor?"
"Because it's just so damn cozy," she muttered sarcastically, pulling a shirt on over her head.
Legolas didn't reply, knowing that if he did she just may bite his head off. Niori was not a morning person; her moods were the price of spending the night with her if she woke up before eleven.
"It's really raining isn't it?" Niori spoke finally, wishing that the beginning of a headache she had would just go away.
"Yes," Legolas replied in a monotone voice, hearing the rain and approaching thunder better than Niori could, "and it's going to get worse; a thunder storm approaches."
Niori groaned, knowing already that this was not going to be a good day.
"At least the rain will help wash away any trail that we leave moving to the village," Legolas tried to lift her spirits, but she only turned to glare at him a little.
So she was in one of those moods…
"I'm gonna go waterproof my stuff," she spoke, getting to her feet and walking out of the tent.
She stopped in surprise as she felt the rain hit her; this was no thunderstorm…it was a freaking monsoon! It was like she was standing under a freaking waterfall…and was soaked through within two seconds of going outside.
With yet another groan of annoyance she started to make her way back to her tent, weaving through half destroyed and still standing tents.
Everything, from her clothes to her hair, was plastered to her…she could have gone swimming and been less wet then she right now.
"You forgot your jacket."
The voice came out of nowhere, and caused Niori to jump about a foot in the air. She whirled around, nearly running smack into Legolas.
He stood there, holding out the jacket she had left in his tent, looking at her with an amused expression. He was just as soaked as she was, but the only difference was that he found it amusing…maybe even enjoying it a little.
"Little good it would have done," Niori rolled her eyes.
When he didn't give her an answer, she looked back at his face. He was looking at her with eyebrows raised, his focal point of the moment being her chest. She looked down, wondering what had grown so fascinating all of the sudden, and she found, with another curse of annoyance, that her white shirt had gone completely see through…and of course, her black bra was even darker through the while.
Just great…she moaned, but then caught the look that Legolas was giving her. After a moment of consideration, her opinion changed just a little.
Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day after all…and all that packing could wait for at least an hour…
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"We're leaving in like ten minutes," Erin spoke to the two girls as she pooped her head into their tent.
"It's a freaking downpour out there!" Carla groaned as thunder boomed in the sky above the camp.
"Tell me about it!" Erin replied with a bit of a grin, stepping into the tent so that Jane and Carla could see just how wet it really was. Her clothes were completely soaked, as was the rest of her.
"You're dripping on our floor," Carla remarked dryly.
Erin grinned a bit more, but couldn't help but relate to Carla's pissy tone. She knew today's journey was not going to be all that easy; moving this many people efficiently and quickly would be difficult no matter what, and now the rain storm of the century was added to the mix.
"You'll be just as wet as I am as soon as you walk out that door," she replied with a small laugh…she had gotten over her own pissyness about the weather and was now just going with the flow. After a moment, she noticed the pile of Niori's random clothes and trinkets in the corner, "Niori hasn't picked up her stuff yet?"
"No…haven't seen her all morning," Carla replied, looking back at the small pile and rolling her eyes, "honestly, I don't even know why she still had her stuff in here! I mean, the first three nights she actually slept here, and then after that, she's been in Legolas's tent ever since!"
"Niori get off her ass and do exercise that wasn't sex?" Erin replied with joking laugh, "you know as well as I do that's not going to happen if she has anything to say about it! And what's up with you? You haven't said anything at all…and you're usually the first one to chip in for the joke Niori bashing!" The last part was directed at Jane.
Jane looked up at Erin, her eyes wide with momentary panic. After a moment, she stammered a small reply and turned her vision back to the ground, the guilt washing over her and causing tears to form in her eyes.
"What's wrong Jane?" Erin asked, bending down beside her friend in concern. Something was definitely wrong; unlike the other highly emotional friend (Niori), Jane could hide nothing. And at the moment, Erin could tell that despite her best efforts, Jane was in high emotional pain.
Jane turned back to face Erin, her tears betraying the guilt she felt. Oh God…she had kissed Erin's son! She had enjoyed kissing Erin's son! If she told her, then Erin would hate her! But if she didn't, she'd just go on feeling guilty!
She opened her mouth to try and explain, but Jane didn't get the chance to (which relieved her greatly) because just as she was about to spill the truth to Erin, the tent flap flew dramatically open and a drenched and mud splattered Niori took over the space.
"I'm probably going to get pneumonia and die," Niori declared wistfully, "but it will so be worth it 'cuz I just had the best sex ever!"
The other three just stared at their friend; by now they really should have been used to Niori's free speech about sex, but whenever she launched into a story of her own sex life (no matter how amusing), they were still always caught a little off guard.
"Outside?" Erin asked after a moment, her concern about Jane gone for the moment as she stared at Niori in disbelief, "In the rain!"
"Yes," Niori replied, a very content smile on her lips; whatever grouchiness she had felt earlier long gone, "and I highly recommend it."
"My lord Niori…" Carla stared at her cousin, "Do you not understand the word private?"
"Nope," Niori replied shamelessly, moving across the room to gather her small amount of belongings.
"Just do us a favour and not regale us with anymore tales on the long walk to this village we're heading to," Erin replied, shaking her head; Sure, she and Frodo had great sex, but afterwards she never felt the urge to share that fact to the world as Niori always seemed to.
"But then how will some of us learn?" She replied, giving a sly glance at Jane, who promptly went beat red from embarrassment, "And FYI, I won't be walking with y'all…I'm going to be at the head of the party."
"How the hell did you manage that!" Carla demanded, "The only people going to be up front are the ones with horses, and there's only like ten of them!"
"Yeah, and the rest of us have to walk the whole way," Erin supplied, crossing her arms over her chest and wondering what Niori had been able to wiggle her way into now.
"As it so happens," Niori replied smugly, "one of those ten people just happens to be Legolas. And since I just happen to be sleeping with him, I get to ride behind him on his horse at the front…the whole way. Lord, even if he didn't have one it wouldn't have been that hard to get a horse…in case you haven't noticed, I have half this camp wrapped around my little finger!"
"Traitorous bitch…" Carla grumbled, glaring at the other girl.
Erin couldn't help but agree with Carla; she sure as hell would rather be riding the whole way then walking. She also cursed Niori and her uncanny and amazing ability to be able to totally whip guys without even so much as offering sex as a reward.
"C'est la vie!" Niori replied, heading towards the door with a laugh, "Sorry babes, but if it comes down to walking with you guys for a gillizion miles, or riding the whole way, I'm going to opt for the riding. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go saddle up."
After she had left, Carla and Erin stood glaring in her direction for a moment.
"Sell-out!" Carla called after her, and was only rewarded with Niori's loud laughter in the distance.
"Think of it this way," Erin replied, unable to stay mad because truth be told, given the option, she would have done the same thing, "at least we'll be there to see Lillianna's face when she figures out Niori's up front with Legolas and she's stuck walking."
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"Well Carla, look at it this way: we might be stuck walking, but at least we don't have much to carry." Jane spoke in a would-be bright voice. She picked up the sword Elijah had given her, and his face swam into focus in her mind, causing her stomach to do a couple flips. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, shoving the sword into her belt as she did so. She couldn't stop thinking about him, but she had to. She also couldn't let her guard down with Erin ever again; she had come very close to telling Erin about the kiss.
Carla didn't notice Jane's strange behavior, as she was busy grumbling about Niori, the bad weather, and other negative things. Shoving her few articles of clothing into a cloth bag, she began to say something, but was interrupted by a huge burst of thunder that crashed overhead.
Jane threw the tent flap open as a huge bolt of lightening hit a tree that was almost right beside their tent, causing it to burst into flames. A horse that was standing nearby was startled, and fled. She grabbed Carla and pulled her out of the tent, as a burning branch fell off of the tree and landed on their canvas tent, which burst into flames immediately.
Everything important was out of the tent, but they were still sore that they had lost the canvas; it was to be their umbrella.
After standing outside a couple minutes, it was that long before Jane realized how very wet she had become. She was simply soaked to the skin. Praying that she wouldn't catch pneumonia and die because of the lack of advances in medicine (or get struck by lightning for that matter), she swung her bag onto her back and followed Carla over to where the huge group was gathering, preparing to be off.
The "Important" people, Legolas, and Niori (smiling smugly) among them, were all at the front of the throng, seated on gleaming horses. A young man on a dark chestnut came riding over to the two, and it was a time before Jane recognized him through the curtain of rain: it was Elijah.
"Hello, there!" He yelled over the raging winds, "I couldn't help but notice that you two are somewhat left out of the group! Would you care to ride with me?"
Jane's first instinct was to take up his offer, but she knew she shouldn't. She had to distance herself from him, she had to-
"Of course we will!" Carla boomed, taking his hand and throwing herself onto the horse behind him, "Won't we Jane?"
"Huh? Well, I- sure I will."
He held out his hand for her to take. His face was unreadable.
Ignoring that feeling in her stomach, she grabbed his soaking wet hand, and he pulled her onto the horse, directly behind him, in front of Carla.
"What about Erin?" Carla asked him, suddenly remembering her friend.
"She is riding with my father, Merry, and Pippin. Apparently, they found a horse for them to all share." Elijah responded. He grabbed the reins and turned the horse around quickly, making Jane panic and grab his midsection out of fear that she would fall.
From behind him, she saw his face break out into a sly grin and let go immediately, her cheeks blushing crimson.
Carla began to talk, for which Jane was thankful, because she didn't have much to say to Elijah, not just yet anyway. What had occurred between them the night before was simply a fluke, and it had meant nothing. And she hoped that was how he felt too.
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"Stupid bitch…" Carla mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes as she saw Niori, who just happened to be riding up at the very front where pretty much all the royalty was, threw back her head and laugh at something clever Eldarion had remarked to her.
They had been riding through the pouring rain and mud (with only a few instances of minor relief as they rode through the thick of the forest) for nearly four hours. She was tired, she was soaked and since she was riding three to the horse (with herself on the end) she was damn near to falling off at any bump.
"We're on a horse too aren't we?" Jane answered, "So why are you still complaining?"
"For starters, if it wasn't for Elijah we'd be walking. She deserted us. Period. Not to mention this is exactly what her ego needs. She's still at the front…you know, where everyone with royal blood just happens to be. Her head is big enough as is, and her getting treated like royalty by royalty is not going to deflate it any."
"You're just jealous because your cousin isn't as anti-social as you are," Jane replied jokingly, "and because she got first dibs on riding partners and you only got to ride out of pity."
I could have gotten a ride easily once upon a time, Carla thought grumpily to herself, her eyes moving away from Niori to where Eomer (also at the front) was…the back of his chestnut horse riderless.
He could have at least asked me if I wanted a ride, she thought a bit bitterly, I mean…I would have had to say no because he's both an idiot and married, but at least he would have asked; it would have seemed as though he cared instead of leaving me to the possible fate of walking the whole and dropping dead from exhaustion…
"And besides," Jane continued, breaking Carla out of her mopey spew that was quickly developing into hard core self-pity, "you realize that when Legolas and Niori marry, if we survive all this that is, Niori will be some sort of royalty; Legolas is a prince after all…so wouldn't that make his wife some sort of princess?"
"Oh hell!" Carla cursed, this reality dawning on her for the first time; one more way for Niori to annoy the hell out of her, "Someone has got to knock cousin off of her high horse…"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than was Niori pitched suddenly and violently off the back of her horse. She gave a cry of pain as she flew backwards, causing the horse to startle and prance around violently for a moment.
When she hit the ground, Niori gave one loud, panic filled shout of "fuck!". Legolas steadied his horse, jumped off and rushed towards her.
"What did you do!" Jane cried in abject horror, turning back to Carla with wide eyes.
"I didn't do anything!" Carla cried, the same horror and confusion in her voice as she attempted to scramble off the horse to see what had happened.
A moment later her question was answered as one of the enemy they had confronted in battle two days before, leapt down from a tree which a mighty roar. The riders up front had just enough time to pull out their swords before the man landed among them.
Without hesitation, Carla leapt from the back of the horse and pulled out her own blade. She stood ready and watched as a handful of other enemies rushed from the surrounding forest and tried to rush them from all sides.
She gripped her sword tightly, preparing to fight…only to be somehow pushed into the middle of the crowd, where none of the enemy managed to get, so Carla didn't get to fight a single one.
Finally, after all the bad guys were down and Carla could move again, she grabbed on to Jane's forearm and pulled her towards where Niori had fallen.
Niori sat sprawled on the ground, three or four people gathered around her. Her face was drawn back in pain as her right arm gripped the skin below her left shoulder.
"What happened!" Jane cried in horror, seeing the blood spurting from her exposed shoulder.
"The bastard shot me with a damn arrow!" Niori spoke through clenched teeth, glancing at the wound on her shoulder and grimaced.
"Are you okay?" Carla asked, feeling a little stab of guilt go through her. Okay, so it wasn't like she had actually done anything to her, but Carla had been sending out enough bad vibes that she couldn't help but feel bad that something had actually happened to her.
Niori glared up at her for a moment "I don't what you did," she hissed through her pain, "but from that entirely guilty look on your face, I somehow blame you!"
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An- Since we have lives again, updating will come quicker! I promise! LOL! Review please!