Thranduil
Two days into Mirkwood and I was physically and mentally exhausted. The very air seemed to play tricks on the mind, never mind the living plants and animals of the area. Delva and silver seemed to be having a better time than I was and were making better headway than I would have if I was by myself. Seeming to have sensed my distress, Delva was frolicking along the path trying to keep my spirits up.
Said mastif suddenly took off into the surrounding trees. "Delva!" I was worried about the dog and what could have possessed her to rush away in such a manner. Only Beorn's warnings about staying on the path kept me from rushing after her. The bushes ahead of Silver and I rustled slightly, breaking the stillness that had settled after my cry. Leaning forward I hoped to see Delva rushing back out with her tail wagging. Instead, a large black mass shot out and straight toward Silver.
Next thing I felt was my head slamming into a rock. I looked up, barely catching Silver's white coat disappearing down the path. To my horror, a horse sized spider crouched where I had been a few seconds ago. The hairy creature turned toward me and snapped its pincers. I tried to move, but the blow from the rock must have been harder than I realized because none of my limbs would respond.
Racing forward to its helpless victim, the spider bit into the side of my neck. I could feel the spiders numbing venom working its way through my system. It was a good thing I guess, this way I wouldn't feel the pain of my death. The spider crawled up over my body and was about to surround me in its webs, when we both heard hoof beats and the sound of a dog barking. I didn't have the energy to care about the rider, but the spider did. It reared up on its back legs and hissed at the approaching rider, staking its claim on me.
Suddenly the spider was thrown back by an arrow in its chest. The arrow was too fine to be made by men or dwarves. One of the woodland elves had found me then. The spider moved forward from where it had been thrown and the rider hit it with two more arrows, killing it.
The hoof beats came to a stop behind me. I wanted to move but couldn't find the energy. A sloppy tongue began licking my face energetically. I was barely able to focus on the pointed muzzle Delva hovering above me. Another face appeared in my line of sight. A face I had only seen in my dreams. "Thranduil."
"Meleth-nin." He looked relieved to hear me speak and recognize him. I felt his arms wrap around me to pick me up with one hand behind my back and the other below my knees. He carried me toward his steed which, not surprisingly, was a moose. I was boosted onto the saddle before he climbed up behind me. As he set the moose into motion, he wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling off, I certainly couldn't do it myself. "Hold on Ash. Please hold on." His voice was more frightened than I had ever herd it.
As we raced through the forest I tried to retain consciousness, but it was hard to do. Eventually I gave up and slumped into a deep sleep.
Not my best work, but the chapter is here finally. I really can't say how sorry I am for being away for so long. Due to some cyber-bullying, I was having some self esteem issues with my writing and plunged into drawing and origami instead. Until next time.
