Chapter Twenty-Six: The Licorice Gilded Forest.
To reach the forests of Lorien at sunset was a spark of good luck for the travelling pair. The beautiful Mallorn trees glowed an warm gold, the almost bare branches giving off the look of solid gold. The once green forest floor was now covered in a thin layer of snow that Sandomeldir and Gandalf's horse, Shadowfax, picked their way through easily.
Rebecca didn't think that Gandalf noticed that they were being followed, either that or he just didn't care. They stopped as the night crept in, it's wintery chill wrapping around them in a tight haze. Rebecca tended to the fire and dinner while Gandalf sat on a rock smoking his pipe weed as he looked out into the shadowed forest. Rebecca felt the need to cook often during the journey, it relived her body to be doing something familiar and she did not mind Gandalf not helping. They had tried that once, the end result was a curdled gravy, grey vegetables and tough meat.
The silence that permeated the forest was broken by Gandalf's call. "Are you going to stand there all night Haldir, or will you come and keep us company?" Rebecca looked up, brow furrowed at the name. Haldir? A man crept out of the foliage, unknown to Rebecca.
"Greetings Mithrandir- oooof!" He gasped out as something bashed him into the ground with all the force of a raging bull.
"Oh my stars! Are you ok?!" A frantic Rebecca flung the pan away from herself as she scrambled to help the poor elf up.
"Yes yes, I'm quite alright. That was quite a swing." He commented like he was talking about the weather, allowing Rebecca to lead him to a flat rock. Gandalf sat across from him, a smile hidden by the shadow cast by his hat as he watch Rebecca insist on nursing the dazed elf.
"May I ask for the strong maidens name?" She smiled at his speech, no one talked like that anymore, being gentlemanly back home was often seen as flirting.
"Rebecca, kind sir." She then strolled back to the fire to make some tea.
"You have been following us for a while Haldir." Said man looked up from the mug of sweet elderflower tea that had been shoved into his hands.
"I prefer the term tracking. Things have been changing Mithrandir, my Lady is troubled, yet she cannot speak of what is to come." Gandalf looked up at that statement, his brow furrowing as he chewed on his pipe deep in thought.
"Um, sorry Sir, but do you wish to share our meal? We have enough for three." A still embarrassed Rebecca asked meekly. Haldir smiled and clasped her hands slightly as he gave the now empty cup back.
"That would be lovely thank you." He understood the fact that she was asking for forgiveness by being so kind, and chuckled at the frantic pacing as she rushed around the fire. The meal was a composition of carrots, potatoes and spinach, mixed into a mild, curry like sauce along with a few beans. It was simple dish as the slowly approaching city made their packs light and feet heavy. Yet Gandalf and Haldir seemed to enjoy the slightly exotic dish, over a cup of tea and complimented by pleasant talk and company it was a heart-warming meal.
"How are your patrols doing this time of year my friend?" Gandalf started.
"Fine, orcs and goblins have gotten braver but nothing we can't handle. How are my kin? I hear the twins are causing trouble as always and that Legolas wishes to join the meeting this coming winter?
"Meeting?" Queried the lady of the company. "Gandalf you didn't tell me anything about a meeting?" She scolded. Gandalf furrowed his brow, suddenly looking old and weary, a skill he has honed over many years.
"Hmm, it seems this old mind of mine is not what it used to be. I must have forgotten to mention it, I'm terribly sorry Rebecca." With a small sound of displeasure she gathered the dishes and walked the short way down the small stream that was a few minutes away leaving the two men to talk amongst themselves. Yet she did not notice the pair of yellow eyes following her.
Haldir and Gandalf's conversation was interrupted by a very loud, very high pitched scream. Jumping up Haldir raced towards were Rebecca had gone, drawing his sword as he did so, Gandalf following behind.
The arrived in time to see five Goblins surrounding her, with calls of the others in the distance. In her hand was her long dagger, black blood already dripping from the tip, a corpse nearby. Not waiting around Haldir struck out to the nearest of the abominations, his sword slicing through it's neck like butter. Gandalf soon joined him rushing to where Rebecca was grappling with another, having lost her dagger in the fight. They continued to bash, smash and slice their way out of the hoard, the Goblins reinforcements coming in just as the first batch was dead. Rebecca having found that her dagger was slightly out classed, picked up a fallen sword to continue the battle with. Once the enemies were finished Haldir and Rebecca helped each other stack the bodies up for Gandalf to burn. The smoke clouded the sky, shrouding the moon in a haze and filling the air with the putrid smell of charred meat.
"You fought well." Commented Haldir as they watch the last of the corpses turn to ash.
"I have no idea what you're taking about, I can't use a sword to save my life." She shot back with a bantering tone.
"You are far too modest. Let's get back so then we may rest, I do not believe that anymore of those creatures will invade our space while their kin burn. As they headed back up the small hill to camp they heard Gandalf, who was ahead of them, mutter something about liquorice mead.
They set off in the morning, though they were delayed because a troublesome horse had run off when she was called and an old man, who happened to get a hangover, decided not to get naming any names of course...
Sorry its a bit late. (Just a tad.) I was caught up in school and laziness. I have also run outta ideas. I have a few but they're for later on in the story. Any help would be great.
Ninja