oos: wowie! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS!
Chocolat Elf: I don't think this is one, then. Aithril has her strong points, and weak points. She'll (eventually) get better at using a bow, but otherwise, can't really fight. She'll be good at cooking, though. Hope that's ok. :D Thanx for the help!
Neenuvar: Thanks for the encouragement! Although I kind of wish it was me instead of her. We're two different people! (I stink at cooking!) I'll continue this story. Make sure to watch (within a week or so!) for my latest story: The Seven Treasures of Middle Earth. I thought it up in math class (naturally!) and wrote it down about a year ago. I was looking through notes the other night to study for a review test and EUREKA! had a kind of 'brain blast' as they say on Jimmy Neutron. :D
Archery Lesson
After a light breakfast that morning, the Fellowship began walking back towards the mountains. Gandalf was leading, and Gimli was at his side, so eager was he to see the Great Wall first. The land they crossed was filled with red rocks: *Like Mars* thought Aithril, but she did not say a word. There was no sign of water, either, and the group was soon growing tired when a dried out stream bed appeared. Gimli gasped. "Sirannon!" he cried. Gandalf's brows were furrowed in thought. "Indeed, it was, but last time I was here, it was swift and noisy. We must go on though!" And so they went on, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Aithril, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn in a ragged line.
***
Many miles later, they reached a huge lake, solid, black, and unmoving. "Well! Now we know what has happened to the water; it has been dammed. There was a road leading from this point straight to the gates and the Wall-" he pointed across the body of water to a solid wall of stone. "-but I daresay you will not want to swim. The water has a rather unwholesome look."
Gimli was disappointed. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. "What about the North Path?" he asked. "It follows the moutains on the right side, doesn't it?" Gandalf stroked his beard. "I did not think of that, Gimli. Let us try and see if it is passable."
The Company found the wandering trail immediately and wearily began to follow it.
***
After a long trek around the lake, they finally reached the Wall. "Where is the door?" asked Pippin. (oos: sorry, but some of my favorite lines from the movie/book are in here! :D)
"Dwarves hide their doors well," stated Gimli approvingly. "Sometimes so well that they cannot find it themselves."
"Why doesn't that surprise me...." muttered Legolas under his breath. Aithril was the only one to hear it, and her slight frame shook silently with laughter.
Gandalf stopped abruptly and passed his hands over a section of the wall. "Yes.... he muttered. "Here it is. Now all we have to do is to wait for moonlight."
***
Legolas caught Aithril's hand as she turned to sit down. "I can make good on my offer now," he smiled at her. She gave him a puzzled look. "Would you still like to learn how to use a bow?" he asked, and her green eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh, yes!" she grinned. "I had forgotten." Legolas took out his bow, and another from his pack. "You can practice with this one," he said, handing it to her. Aithril examined it professionally. Legolas watched her run her fingers over it.
"Have you ever drawn a bow before?" he asked, and she flushed slightly.
"Yes, but a different type. I know the correct stance, but where do you look to aim? Where is the best point on this bow to place an arrow?"
*Thirty Minutes Later*
Legolas handed her an arrow. She fit it easily to the bow and drew back on the taunt bowstring. "Here!" he called to her, "Aim for this pack!" He hung the empty pack on a low branch of a tree and stepped back. Aithril aimed, biting her tongue in concentration and let fly. The arrow veered off towards Sam and he rolled out of the way just in time. "Sorry?" she offered, her cheeks burning; the whole Fellowship was watching her warily now.
"You looked through the wrong side and placed the arrow in the wrong place," said Legolas. He used his bow to shoot the practice arrow back towards her. It landed, still quivering, in between her feet. "Try again and make sure everything's right. Don't rush."
Aithril pulled the arrow from the earth and placed it on the string again, this time checking to make sure it was in the right place. She drew back on the string, aimed correctly, and carefully released it.
TWANG! The arrow sang as it hit the 'target', pinning it to the tree.
"Good!" praised Legolas. "Now you just have to be quicker. No orc will wait for you to cautiously load an arrow." As if to demonstrate, he whipped an arrow out of his pack, fit it to the string, pulled back, fired, and the arrow landed next to Aithril's in less than a second.
"Hopeless!" Aithril moaned, but she picked up the arrow and valiantly tried again. *Much faster this time!* she thought hopefully, but knew she would be no where near Legolas's skill anytime this century.
"Take a break!" Legolas called, sensing her frustration. "It will do no good to break the bow." Aithril allowed a small smile. Handing him the bow, she sat down next to the campfire. The elf stretched her muscles, feeling them sting a little. *This will feel lovely in the morning* she groaned inwardly.
While Aithril was busy thinking, Legolas was busy watching. He admired her hair as the light from the campfire caught it and it shone a burning red. He studied the way her eyes moved restlessly as she peered into the growing darkness. He was suddenly aware that Gimli was staring at him, and switched his eyes to his bow, which he cleaned with a strengthening oil, then put away.
***
Darkness had crept over them almost without warning. Finally, the moon peered out from behind the clouds. Gandalf stood, stretching, then retreived his staff, and walked over to the Wall. He muttered some words, tapping the Wall lightly with his staff. From that point in the rock, a white liquid seemed to seep out, and it filled almost invisble lines in the rock. Within moments, a shimmering, white door had appeared in the Wall.
oos: Did you like it? PLZ PLZ PLZ review! Thankies!
Chocolat Elf: I don't think this is one, then. Aithril has her strong points, and weak points. She'll (eventually) get better at using a bow, but otherwise, can't really fight. She'll be good at cooking, though. Hope that's ok. :D Thanx for the help!
Neenuvar: Thanks for the encouragement! Although I kind of wish it was me instead of her. We're two different people! (I stink at cooking!) I'll continue this story. Make sure to watch (within a week or so!) for my latest story: The Seven Treasures of Middle Earth. I thought it up in math class (naturally!) and wrote it down about a year ago. I was looking through notes the other night to study for a review test and EUREKA! had a kind of 'brain blast' as they say on Jimmy Neutron. :D
Archery Lesson
After a light breakfast that morning, the Fellowship began walking back towards the mountains. Gandalf was leading, and Gimli was at his side, so eager was he to see the Great Wall first. The land they crossed was filled with red rocks: *Like Mars* thought Aithril, but she did not say a word. There was no sign of water, either, and the group was soon growing tired when a dried out stream bed appeared. Gimli gasped. "Sirannon!" he cried. Gandalf's brows were furrowed in thought. "Indeed, it was, but last time I was here, it was swift and noisy. We must go on though!" And so they went on, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Aithril, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn in a ragged line.
***
Many miles later, they reached a huge lake, solid, black, and unmoving. "Well! Now we know what has happened to the water; it has been dammed. There was a road leading from this point straight to the gates and the Wall-" he pointed across the body of water to a solid wall of stone. "-but I daresay you will not want to swim. The water has a rather unwholesome look."
Gimli was disappointed. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. "What about the North Path?" he asked. "It follows the moutains on the right side, doesn't it?" Gandalf stroked his beard. "I did not think of that, Gimli. Let us try and see if it is passable."
The Company found the wandering trail immediately and wearily began to follow it.
***
After a long trek around the lake, they finally reached the Wall. "Where is the door?" asked Pippin. (oos: sorry, but some of my favorite lines from the movie/book are in here! :D)
"Dwarves hide their doors well," stated Gimli approvingly. "Sometimes so well that they cannot find it themselves."
"Why doesn't that surprise me...." muttered Legolas under his breath. Aithril was the only one to hear it, and her slight frame shook silently with laughter.
Gandalf stopped abruptly and passed his hands over a section of the wall. "Yes.... he muttered. "Here it is. Now all we have to do is to wait for moonlight."
***
Legolas caught Aithril's hand as she turned to sit down. "I can make good on my offer now," he smiled at her. She gave him a puzzled look. "Would you still like to learn how to use a bow?" he asked, and her green eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh, yes!" she grinned. "I had forgotten." Legolas took out his bow, and another from his pack. "You can practice with this one," he said, handing it to her. Aithril examined it professionally. Legolas watched her run her fingers over it.
"Have you ever drawn a bow before?" he asked, and she flushed slightly.
"Yes, but a different type. I know the correct stance, but where do you look to aim? Where is the best point on this bow to place an arrow?"
*Thirty Minutes Later*
Legolas handed her an arrow. She fit it easily to the bow and drew back on the taunt bowstring. "Here!" he called to her, "Aim for this pack!" He hung the empty pack on a low branch of a tree and stepped back. Aithril aimed, biting her tongue in concentration and let fly. The arrow veered off towards Sam and he rolled out of the way just in time. "Sorry?" she offered, her cheeks burning; the whole Fellowship was watching her warily now.
"You looked through the wrong side and placed the arrow in the wrong place," said Legolas. He used his bow to shoot the practice arrow back towards her. It landed, still quivering, in between her feet. "Try again and make sure everything's right. Don't rush."
Aithril pulled the arrow from the earth and placed it on the string again, this time checking to make sure it was in the right place. She drew back on the string, aimed correctly, and carefully released it.
TWANG! The arrow sang as it hit the 'target', pinning it to the tree.
"Good!" praised Legolas. "Now you just have to be quicker. No orc will wait for you to cautiously load an arrow." As if to demonstrate, he whipped an arrow out of his pack, fit it to the string, pulled back, fired, and the arrow landed next to Aithril's in less than a second.
"Hopeless!" Aithril moaned, but she picked up the arrow and valiantly tried again. *Much faster this time!* she thought hopefully, but knew she would be no where near Legolas's skill anytime this century.
"Take a break!" Legolas called, sensing her frustration. "It will do no good to break the bow." Aithril allowed a small smile. Handing him the bow, she sat down next to the campfire. The elf stretched her muscles, feeling them sting a little. *This will feel lovely in the morning* she groaned inwardly.
While Aithril was busy thinking, Legolas was busy watching. He admired her hair as the light from the campfire caught it and it shone a burning red. He studied the way her eyes moved restlessly as she peered into the growing darkness. He was suddenly aware that Gimli was staring at him, and switched his eyes to his bow, which he cleaned with a strengthening oil, then put away.
***
Darkness had crept over them almost without warning. Finally, the moon peered out from behind the clouds. Gandalf stood, stretching, then retreived his staff, and walked over to the Wall. He muttered some words, tapping the Wall lightly with his staff. From that point in the rock, a white liquid seemed to seep out, and it filled almost invisble lines in the rock. Within moments, a shimmering, white door had appeared in the Wall.
oos: Did you like it? PLZ PLZ PLZ review! Thankies!
