Kyuketsen
By SariaSubi-kun
SariaSubi: Hey, another review. Thank you so much szhismine , by the way, for telling me about the spelling. It would be very embarrassing to go through a whole story with incorrect spelling. And Cherrymania! Man, I wish I had reviewers like you guys on my other stories. You guys are great. Three reviews for two chapters! This is a record! Woor!
I said before that all the places I have said in this story are real. Ulathil is not. And I am sorry: it is said oo-lah-theel and not oo-lah-thill. Or it could be either or. Whatever you prefer.
I am thinking of letting willing reviewers (which is a rare occurrence for me, I assure you) to have guest appearances in this story. If you want to, tell me the character, appearance and name, race and such.
Anyways, on with the third chapter. By the way, does anyone know the name of the city in Gondor where Aragorn rules? Is it Osgiliath? I mean…I knew that was destroyed in the Two Towers…but…argh, I really do need to read those books…or it was something like Minas Tirith, right?
Atril-yoane – (ah-treel yoh-ah-ney) atril, as you know, means come or come here. Atril-yoane means come out, or reveal yourself. It is also used as a command.
Niate – nee-ah-tey (either a direction or exclamation, or rather even just the translation for the word there. Niate, simply, means there)
Chapter 3
The canopy of black velvet and stars was pervading in the sky slowly, the yellows and reds of the setting sun's atmosphere fading and blending in. The lampposts were lit with candles, and taverns threw their doors open to the men who came for a good time. Maids and women scurried into their homes with their baskets, and servants returned from their work and the fields.
Legolas wandered the streets, his presence not stirring much attention at this time of night. He looked up at the sky and sighed. He could see all the constellations clearly.
He neared the city's gates where two guards stood. Over the stone barricade, he saw smoke rising from close by. Did the guards not see it? A warm orange glow reflected on the thin cloud of smoke. Legolas wrinkled his nose. That smoke was from a fire.
The elf did not go straight through the city's gate. In fact, he avoided being even seen by the guards and slipped into one of the back alleys. He smiled with slight exultance when he saw a stack of wooden crates piled up against the stone wall that bordered the Gondor city. Mutely and swiftly, he jumped from crate to crate and hopped over the stone.
Legolas landed on the grass gracefully. Bending low, his bow in hand, he glided around the Kyuketsen campsite and disappeared into the woods beyond the rocks that were on the woods' edge.
The Kyuketsen campsite. Of course! It was obvious now, and now that he thought about it, it was a petty thing to worry about. But something seemed…not so as being strange, but irregular.
The men were down to just simple tunics and leggings. No sign of battle armor nor weapon could be seen on them. They gathered around the fire, some sitting on crates, some sitting on nearby boulders. The bonfire was large, and the large flame danced with a golden glow in the night. Some of the men carried pints of drinks, and there were even some with drums and guitars, playing music. Some hummed a chant, moving and stepping to each beat of the chant. The drum pounded softly, causing a rhythmic sound that resounded over and over in Legolas' ears.
But nearby he heard more of a hypnotic, yet beautiful sound. The low hum of an ocarina played a cryptic tune, and the men started to dance around the fire. The sound was eerie, but intriguing nonetheless. Legolas' eyes searched for where the sound was coming from, and he found it very close.
On the small wall of rocks, a figure with their cloak lazily about their shoulders, with blonde hair that glowed enthrallingly against the blaze of the fire held their hands up and played the flute. Their back against the flame, Legolas could only see a shadow, but he felt he knew who it was.
Hashineya, he realized. Her fingers danced along the ocarina, the entrancing sound eerily blending in with the drums and chanting. The soldiers grew more lively and started singing, and she still played.
But Legolas heard a rustling in the trees above him. Immediately his hand flew to the quiver on his back, his other hand clutching his bow tightly. His eyes searched the trees, but it was dark, and the trees with only shadows with leaves. Then he heard the sound of a bird. But the caw was different from any other he had heard.
Hashineya jumped from her position on the rocks, her hand grasping the hilt of her sword. The blade unsheathed a few inches. The rest of the men did not notice it, but she heard that caw. It had darkness in its words, and evil in its purpose. She would never be able to explain it, but she could hear nature, and the presence of whatever was in that wood was dark and evil.
She heard another rustle, and she jumped off the rocks. "Atril-yoane!" she growled. A figure stood up from the bushes.
Legolas raised his arms in surrender. Hashineya let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, Master Legolas, it is only you. I thought I heard something." She put her sword back in its sheath. But then she looked back up at the elf, a playful glint in her eyes. "May I ask what you were doing there in the bushes?"
His breath caught in his throat. "Um…" he looked down as a slight blush of embarrassment came to his face. "I thought I heard something, too."
Hashineya's smile disappeared. She looked at him seriously. "It was the caw of that bird, wasn't it?"
Legolas nodded. "I've never heard a bird like that before."
Hashineya nodded and walked towards him, stopping beside him and looking into the forest. "It sounded so cold and dark, so evil." She shuddered, rubbing her arms for the warmth that had unexpectedly disappeared from her.
He looked at her. "Can you really sense nature like that?"
Hashineya looked down. "Well, more than most elves. I know the elven abilities even though I am not completely elven myself. My only disadvantage is I can feel cold and extreme heat."
He smiled and shook his head. He had that ability, to feel no temperature. Still, the fact of being so in tune with nature never really struck him as something to pay attention to. He could sense evil, tell what a red sun meant, and climb trees more swiftly and quietly than anyone else. As he recalled the caw of that bird in the forest, the evil screech of it came clear to him, and his spine shook, an uncertain shiver that he barely felt creeping up it.
"I'm going in. How about you?" she looked up at him.
Legolas looked at her with uncertainty. "What about your men? Will they notice you're gone?"
She twisted her lips and waved it by. "I disappear all the time. This won't be any different. It's just…" she trailed off and looked to the dark woods, "…I now need to find that bird and kill it. I won't rest until I know it's dead."
Legolas' eyes searched hers. There was a strange spark of darkness in them, a deep determination. But all over a bird seemed childish. Still, the darkness in her voice could not stop her from trying to kill that bird. She would find it, and she would kill it.
But why?
"I will help you," he offered, taking a step after her as she headed into the maze of trees.
"No," she shook her head, "I need to kill it myself."
"At least let me help you search for it, my lady." Hashineya turned around. That was the first time anyone had called her 'my lady.' Of course, this was the Prince of Mirkwood she was with, but she had seen other royalty not even regard her with any title. The only title she ever received out of the Kyuketsen was 'female warrior.' She wasn't very proud of it.
"All right," she said slowly, nodding her head, but not looking at him. Hashineya crouched, her bow and arrow drawn out, and crept into the forest. Legolas followed in suit, cautiously drawing an arrow from his quiver as he searched the night sky made even darker by the forest.
"Niate!" she hissed, and she aimed her bow up and let the arrow fly. The twng of the string's vibration sounded and the arrow flew, its speed reeling the whistle through the trees. The arrow hit flesh, and a small, dark lump fell to the ground.
"Gotcha!" Hashineya jumped up, a girly squeal coming out of her. She ran over to where the body of the bird, which was rather large up close, and picked it up, pulling the arrow out the carcass.
Legolas came up behind her and observed the animal. "It's black, like the color of evil."
"Yeah," Hashineya sighed broodingly. She turned the body over and over, a bit of it's dark blood staining itself on her leather gloves. She hummed thoughtfully and shrugged, turning around and starting to exit the forest.
"What are you going to do with it?" Legolas asked her, following her out.
She looked back at him and shrugged. "Well, there was a saying among my family: When the evil is weak, take it into yourself, so that it will not spread its evil to others. In other words, I'm going to roast it, and eat it." As they continued to walk out, Legolas looked at her strangely, trying to decipher what she meant. When they left the forest, she stopped at the rocks and sat down, plucking a few of the free feathers from the bird.
"Besides, I haven't had any dinner yet except for that bowl of soup. And this," she held the bird in front of her and smiled, "is the perfect size of meat."
She munched on the leg of the bird, which had been roasted over the bonfire, and she was resting on the rocks again, eating as she conversed with Legolas.
"And the battle for Helms Deep was won?" she looked at him with wide eyes. "To think you were there, fighting, and here you are now, standing here and telling me about it. Spectacular!" Hashineya grinned and took another bite of the leg, humming in approval at its taste.
Legolas rubbed the back of his head, blushing a little at the adoration. "Your making it sound like it was all me."
A voice stepped in. "What was all you?"
Both Legolas and Hashineya looked up from their conversation to see Anotil. He still wore his chain mail from earlier, but other than that, he was in a faded maroon tunic and regular leggings.
Anotil definitely was older than Hashineya. He had dirty (and I mean this both ways) blonde hair that reached to around his chin. Like Aragorn, it was not very curly, but messy and everywhere. His face wasn't as young as Hashineya's glowing countenance, but he was still young, even though it was clear he had been through the battles of war.
He looked at Legolas long and hard for a minute. They looked at each other, time freezing, their eyes locked in a stare down neither of them knew the reason for. Hashineya pouted and took a bite of her roasted bird, humming in approval at its taste again. But in her efforts to break the silence, she failed.
Anotil's dark eyes watched Legolas slowly. Even more slowly, his gloved hand came out from under his cloak. He put it in front of Legolas.
"My name is Anotil. It's a pleasure to meet you." Legolas' eyes scanned him, and then stopped at the boy's outstretched hand.
Hashineya rearranged herself on the rock. What, is that not the way people greet each other? Is there like a Mirkwood way or something? She took another bite.
"Legolas," he said slowly, "pleasure." They shook hands unhurriedly, still looking at each other. Hashineya shook her head and sat in a different position again.
"Ano! It's cool that you finally met Legolas. He was telling me about the battle he fought at Helms Deep."
Anotil looked at him. "I heard about that battle. I did not know you were there."
Legolas nodded. "I was there on the front lines, fighting next to Aragorn and Gimli."
"Gimli..." Hashineya mulled over his name. She rubbed her chin as Anotil sat next to her. "Oh, yes, he's the dwarf. He seems like a pleasure to be with."
Legolas smiled. "He is."
Anotil wasn't smiling. Hashineya looked at him briefly with worry. What is on his mind, I wonder?
"I'm sorry to ruin the good time," Anotil put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, "but do you think we are lying?"
Legolas looked at him, rather confused at what he meant. The elf himself couldn't believe that he was puzzled by a regular human, but this one had a strange look of determination in his eyes. Anotil's eyes narrowed. "Hashineya wasn't lying, there is a band of orcs and Uruk-Hai reeking havoc on Middle Earth. All your cities, all your women, all your children are in danger. Your armies can't stand up to it. The hell-driven fires that were extinguished at Isengard can't compare to the inferno that is going to spread. It will start in the northern mountains, spread east to Rivendell, south to Mirkwood, west to Rohan, north to Eriador, and then back south to engulf Gondor and find its home below in Mordor when this hell started."
"So then why do you think your army can stand up to this if all the armies of Middle Earth will fall?" Legolas' eyes burned back at the young soldier, whose breath was quickening and teeth were clenching in the growing energy.
"I do not," he said slowly, his voice edgy, "but we were the only ones who would heed the call. We will not defeat the coming evil, no one can, unless all of Middle Earth unites. But hear this, elf, we are not stable boys or farmers. We have trained our whole lives for this day. All our lives have been war, battle, and weapon. Although our leader," Anotil took a sideways glance toward Hashineya, "sometimes does not always keep a serious outlook towards this oncoming war, the whole Kyuketsen army is ready, and we will fight to our end to try to extinguish this fire."
Hashineya nodded, her face grave. She looked down at her boots, her hazel eyes becoming dark. The girl knew that sometimes she acted childish, but she was still a child, whether she liked to admit it or not.
"I am not the person you should tell this all to," Legolas told them.
"No," a voice said, "but we will have to consult your king soon enough." The three of them looked up to see Ryuernet, hovering over Hashineya.
She was the only one who smiled brightly at his appearance. "Ryu, so good to see you."
He nodded at her, but his face hardened more from its already serious manner when he looked at Legolas and Anotil.
"Everything that Anotil has said is the truth. Middle Earth, man, elf, and dwarf, and even those halflings in the Shire will have to unite against this evil. For it is far more than orcs and Uruk-Hai that are going to strike. Something greater is going to happen."
"Sauron." They heard a whisper from the bushes, the four of them looking to the edge of the woods. Gimli came out of the bush, and Aragorn from behind a tree.
"Forgive us for eavesdropping," Aragorn bowed his head, "but what you were saying caught our attention while we were looking for Legolas' whereabouts." He looked down at Legolas, who nodded in apology, but they turned their attention back to the Kyuketsen leaders.
"No," Ryuernet said, "it is not Sauron. Sauron is gone forever. But do you think Sauron was the only evil that exists in this world? There was evil before Sauron, and there will be evil after Sauron."
"We do not know now who the main source of evil is," Hashineya looked up at Aragorn, "but we must break the walls before we get to the fortress. You know what I mean."
He nodded, sitting down beside Legolas. "Do you remember where these orcs are now, my lady?"
Hashineya's face fell, a worried look coming to her eyes. "To think back now…no. I don't." She clenched her fist in anger at herself for forgetting. "All I remember is losing them in the Dead Marshes, but that is all I can remember." She shook her head in dismay, putting her head in her hands. "How could I have forgotten to…ah, Anotil you were right," she mumbled bitterly, "I probably did fall asleep on that horse. Eh, Hotaru?" She looked back at her horse and whistled, the brown mare coming to her side.
"Do not trouble yourself over it, my lady," Aragorn assured her, "I was only curious."
Hashineya looked down. "Yes, well, I still wish I could remember, but it has been days since I last slept." She looked away, down at the dirt. "Probably why I fell asleep," she grumbled.
Aragorn bowed his head, placing his hand on his chest. "My lady, you should get some rest. Thank you for talking with us. I will leave you to your sleep now. Legolas, Gimli." The two nodded and turned to leave. Ryuernet and Anotil did the same, Anotil taking the reins of Hotaru and leading the horse towards the camp. Hashineya lingered, here eyes still holding sight of Aragorn.
Are you really my king? she asked herself. You only seem like just a man, a ranger, a fighter. Should I have known you before this time, would my opinions have changed? She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. She turned away and looked to the darkened sky, over the camps of her men.
Still, the evil from the roots of darkness that have seeded themselves in Middle Earth's sweet ground is going to emerge. Out from the forests of men and elves alike will it seep, and like the fires of Mordor, there will be the fires of Rohan, Gondor, of Eriador, Mirkwood, and the Shire. Of Harlindon, Forlindon, and Rivendell. Fangorn will burn, and the snow in the Mountains will melt, and Moria will be submerged. Middle Earth will fall to water, wind, and flame, and whoever survives will join the elves and they will leave Middle Earth, off to an island somewhere, maybe to Orient*. I wish I could be with my people, bask in their embrace and drift off to a calm and restful sleep. But I am forced awake, and on the front lines of battle and blood, I am condemned to stand forever.
Her eyes reflected the fading fire, dancing slower and slower as the fire lessened. A soldier threw a bucket of water over it, for other smaller fires were made around groups of the sleeping men. She saw Ryuernet, far away from them, near the bags and crates, sliding into his blanket on his sleeping mat. Anotil, only a few crates away, did the same. He looked up, at her, and smiled. She returned with a warm smile, and he nodded, turning and covering himself in his blanket. But Hashineya looked back over the land, and to the sky, to the moon.
Be still, night, for even if I sleep, I still watch, and I will be on ceremony if any danger lurks.
Far into the night, the crickets chirped and the town and the encampment slept soundly.
But in the woods, a shrill echo of a bird's cry broke the silence, and dissolved into the darkening clouds.