The following morning, Kizea was brought under armed escort to the magical
gates. She stood there calmly, her eyes darting back and forth, watchful of
those that surrounded her. Her hands were bound behind her, her mouth was
gagged underneath her mask, but this time she remained unblindfolded.
Feeling faint and unable to catch her breath, she longed to be out in the
open air. But Legolas had not accompanied the escort that morning, and
Kizea could only surmise that this final insult before her departure was
Kerrinais's doing. Still, she could endure the insult if it meant that she
would be let go to the sunlight again. The Fendowan had been kept prisoner
within the elven realm only a few days, but she tired quickly of the
constant animosity between herself and the forest elves, and she longed to
be rid of them. At least on the trail, she could have some space to
herself, and she would only have to deal with three elves instead of a
whole kingdom full of them. Deep in her thoughts, Kizea hardly noticed a
tall, slim elf standing before her, whispering. Her interest was suddenly
peaked and she attempted to shut out all the commotion around her to listen
to his discourse, but she could hear nothing, so soft was his chant.
With a mighty creaking and grinding noise, the closed stone gates slowly opened, with no help or aid from any mechanical device. Kizea eyes grew wide with wonderment. When she was brought to the elven gates previously, she did not actually see how the gates were opened. Up until her interaction with the forest elves, she had rather thought, mistakenly, that the Anor stone was the only means of real magic left within Middle-Earth. Kizea had heard of the wizards to be sure, several of them, and of the magic they possessed. But none had ever taken the trouble to materialize in the Fendowan encampments, and so they remained, at least in Kizea's mind, as the rings of power were, a myth, and nothing more.
Slowly she was coming to realize that other things were at work here. On the gate, there were several large scrollings written in elvish that lined the apex of the doors, and upon completion of the elf's chant, they lit up brightly. Kizea likened it to emerging from the endless cave into the intense morning sunlit. It was blinding, and at the same time attracting, for it emitted it's own warmth which radiated out to all those that stood before the doorway. Closing her eyes and turning her head slightly, Kizea still welcomed the warmth against her Fendowan tunic, newly washed and mended. It was a happy change from the dark, chilly recesses of the elven caverns. Turning her head forward once again, the image of several horses waiting at the edge of a stone bridge came into her view.
All were white but for one. Legolas sat perched upon a towering gray mare, which stood a full foot higher than the rest. Kerrinais was also astride his own horse, Moaanen. The third elf bent for the journey, Tenmelion, stood calmly holding the reins of the fourth horse, which was intended for Kizea. Only Legolas's horse remained without halter or saddle. The elves gazed at the bound woman as she was prodded forward. Almost at once, the heavy stone gates began to close, and Kizea whirled around, her eyes widening. All of her escort was gone, leaving her alone, still bound and gagged. Turning once more, she stared at the remaining three, and angrily stomped across the bridge to stand before them.
Tenmelion looked up at Kerrinais amused.
"Perhaps we can leave her bound and silenced," he said in elvish, attempting to hide a grin, "I propose she would be less trouble on our journey."
Legolas thought to warn Tenmelion that the Fendowan understood the elven tongue, but decided against it in favor of viewing the reprisal that would surely come of his unkind words. Kizea seethed with anger. He walked quietly over to the Fendowan and bent down as though to heave her over his shoulder and throw her, still bound over her horse. Instead, Kizea jumped forward, placing her knee solidly in the elf's chest. The elf had attempted to block the attack, but Kizea's speed had caught him off guard. He fell to his hands and knees, coughing. Kerrinais looked on with alarm, and reached to his back to pull out his sword, but
Legolas only smiled at his friend, shaking his head. Slowly, Kerrinais lowered his arm. Kizea then leaped into the air, using the fallen elf's back as a jumping board, and landed perfectly in the saddle of her intended horse, her hands still bound behind her back. Underneath her mask, she smiled proudly at the elves. Meanwhile, she began to work her hands in an attempt to free herself from the fine elven line. But of such craftsmanship are all things elvish, that the thin elven rope would not stretch an inch. Tenmelion stood up, coughed once more and walked silently to his horse, angry, but unwilling to display his displeasure at the very onset on their journey. Legolas spoke in a soft voice to his mount and she obediently plodded up beside Kizea's horse. Pulling a short dagger from his waist belt, Legolas proceeded to cut her free.
"I believe she would rather ride on this journey unbound," he replied to Tenmelion. Kizea pulled apart her hands hard, and the cut rope snapped. Then she brought her arms up and began to savagely pull at the gag, which had been applied underneath her mask.
"Here," said Legolas gently reaching forward, "Let me help you."
Kizea angrily shoved his open hand away, so much so that she nearly fell off her horse. Then she yanked the knife from his other hand and with one fell swoop cut the linen cloth away from her mouth, throwing it hard to the ground. She flipped the knife over, and handed it back, hilt first. Slowly the Legolas took it, surprised at the anger that was directed at him. Kizea immediately bent her head forward and gasped for air, coughing, and Legolas realized that coupled with her own Fendowan mask, the gag had severely cut down her ability to breathe. He made a mental note to mention it to the captain of the guard upon their return, should they encounter any other Fendowan warriors again.
Taking two more deep breaths, Kizea sat straight in her saddle, and seemed better now. She peered through her mask at the elf's face. His complexion seemed stark white and perfect in the sunshine as thin rays of morning sunlight made its way past the forest canopy. Kizea hadn't noticed it before, but his eyes were a magnificent sapphire blue, sparkling and shining.
"My daggers," Kizea demanded, "I would have my weapons which were stripped of me twice now. Or would you send me to fight a Fendowan master and her warriors with twigs of the forest?"
Legolas had intended to answer, but upon hearing Kizea's angry voice, Legolas's horse reared up and whinnied, much to the elf's shock and bewilderment. Legolas tightened his legs and remained on the horse, although his mount shook her mighty head and backed away. But Legolas quickly reached down and patted her massive neck and only after some minutes did the horse calm. Kizea only looked on with mild concern; half sorry that she had spoken to him so loudly and suddenly that she had spooked the horse. The elf shot Kizea a menacing look, which took her aback. There were few times in her dealings with Legolas when he possessed genuine anger or annoyance in his expression, but when he did it pierced Kizea to the very depths of her being. She was unnerved, and fell quiet. When the horse had sufficiently recovered, Legolas turned his attentions to the other elves and addressed the whole party.
"Let us away now. We must follow the Forest River and reach the trail of Asha by nightfall."
Then whispering to his horse again, they trotted away, with Tenmelion following closely behind, still upset from his reproof. As she watched the two elves leave, Kizea realized that Kerrinais's horse had walked up beside Kizea's and stopped. She really didn't want to look at him, or to acknowledge him in any way, but she also knew that it was folly to create more hard feelings than were already there. She had effectively embarrassed him in the tunnel the night before, and she was sure he would issue some challenge or punishment to be meted out at the end of the journey. He was, after all, a border guardian of the Mirkwood realm, and he would be the one to defend it. Turning her face to him, she waited expectantly, saying nothing. But he did not offer up a challenge, instead he calmly opened a saddlebag behind his leg and pulled out a package wrapped in linen. Kerrinais looked down at it with some hesitation, as though he was deciding on the best course of action to follow. Then he threw the linen wrapped item over to her. She caught it, and immediately knew what it contained.
She pulled apart a piece of twine, and peeled back the linen wrapping to reveal her Fendowan daggers, sparkling and polished. Dropping the linen to the ground, she secured them in her waist belt and gathered her reins.
"Take well care of this horse," Kerrinais admonished in a low voice, "If my counsel were taken, you would have left here as you arrived, on foot."
Kizea gritted her teeth. Then Kerrinais sped off to catch up with Legolas and Tenmelion, who were already some distance ahead. Kizea sighed, and looked to the forest. She briefly considered the repercussions of taking a course in the opposite direction. Kizea then kicked her heels gently into her horse's side and her steed trotted off in the direction that the others had taken.
With a mighty creaking and grinding noise, the closed stone gates slowly opened, with no help or aid from any mechanical device. Kizea eyes grew wide with wonderment. When she was brought to the elven gates previously, she did not actually see how the gates were opened. Up until her interaction with the forest elves, she had rather thought, mistakenly, that the Anor stone was the only means of real magic left within Middle-Earth. Kizea had heard of the wizards to be sure, several of them, and of the magic they possessed. But none had ever taken the trouble to materialize in the Fendowan encampments, and so they remained, at least in Kizea's mind, as the rings of power were, a myth, and nothing more.
Slowly she was coming to realize that other things were at work here. On the gate, there were several large scrollings written in elvish that lined the apex of the doors, and upon completion of the elf's chant, they lit up brightly. Kizea likened it to emerging from the endless cave into the intense morning sunlit. It was blinding, and at the same time attracting, for it emitted it's own warmth which radiated out to all those that stood before the doorway. Closing her eyes and turning her head slightly, Kizea still welcomed the warmth against her Fendowan tunic, newly washed and mended. It was a happy change from the dark, chilly recesses of the elven caverns. Turning her head forward once again, the image of several horses waiting at the edge of a stone bridge came into her view.
All were white but for one. Legolas sat perched upon a towering gray mare, which stood a full foot higher than the rest. Kerrinais was also astride his own horse, Moaanen. The third elf bent for the journey, Tenmelion, stood calmly holding the reins of the fourth horse, which was intended for Kizea. Only Legolas's horse remained without halter or saddle. The elves gazed at the bound woman as she was prodded forward. Almost at once, the heavy stone gates began to close, and Kizea whirled around, her eyes widening. All of her escort was gone, leaving her alone, still bound and gagged. Turning once more, she stared at the remaining three, and angrily stomped across the bridge to stand before them.
Tenmelion looked up at Kerrinais amused.
"Perhaps we can leave her bound and silenced," he said in elvish, attempting to hide a grin, "I propose she would be less trouble on our journey."
Legolas thought to warn Tenmelion that the Fendowan understood the elven tongue, but decided against it in favor of viewing the reprisal that would surely come of his unkind words. Kizea seethed with anger. He walked quietly over to the Fendowan and bent down as though to heave her over his shoulder and throw her, still bound over her horse. Instead, Kizea jumped forward, placing her knee solidly in the elf's chest. The elf had attempted to block the attack, but Kizea's speed had caught him off guard. He fell to his hands and knees, coughing. Kerrinais looked on with alarm, and reached to his back to pull out his sword, but
Legolas only smiled at his friend, shaking his head. Slowly, Kerrinais lowered his arm. Kizea then leaped into the air, using the fallen elf's back as a jumping board, and landed perfectly in the saddle of her intended horse, her hands still bound behind her back. Underneath her mask, she smiled proudly at the elves. Meanwhile, she began to work her hands in an attempt to free herself from the fine elven line. But of such craftsmanship are all things elvish, that the thin elven rope would not stretch an inch. Tenmelion stood up, coughed once more and walked silently to his horse, angry, but unwilling to display his displeasure at the very onset on their journey. Legolas spoke in a soft voice to his mount and she obediently plodded up beside Kizea's horse. Pulling a short dagger from his waist belt, Legolas proceeded to cut her free.
"I believe she would rather ride on this journey unbound," he replied to Tenmelion. Kizea pulled apart her hands hard, and the cut rope snapped. Then she brought her arms up and began to savagely pull at the gag, which had been applied underneath her mask.
"Here," said Legolas gently reaching forward, "Let me help you."
Kizea angrily shoved his open hand away, so much so that she nearly fell off her horse. Then she yanked the knife from his other hand and with one fell swoop cut the linen cloth away from her mouth, throwing it hard to the ground. She flipped the knife over, and handed it back, hilt first. Slowly the Legolas took it, surprised at the anger that was directed at him. Kizea immediately bent her head forward and gasped for air, coughing, and Legolas realized that coupled with her own Fendowan mask, the gag had severely cut down her ability to breathe. He made a mental note to mention it to the captain of the guard upon their return, should they encounter any other Fendowan warriors again.
Taking two more deep breaths, Kizea sat straight in her saddle, and seemed better now. She peered through her mask at the elf's face. His complexion seemed stark white and perfect in the sunshine as thin rays of morning sunlight made its way past the forest canopy. Kizea hadn't noticed it before, but his eyes were a magnificent sapphire blue, sparkling and shining.
"My daggers," Kizea demanded, "I would have my weapons which were stripped of me twice now. Or would you send me to fight a Fendowan master and her warriors with twigs of the forest?"
Legolas had intended to answer, but upon hearing Kizea's angry voice, Legolas's horse reared up and whinnied, much to the elf's shock and bewilderment. Legolas tightened his legs and remained on the horse, although his mount shook her mighty head and backed away. But Legolas quickly reached down and patted her massive neck and only after some minutes did the horse calm. Kizea only looked on with mild concern; half sorry that she had spoken to him so loudly and suddenly that she had spooked the horse. The elf shot Kizea a menacing look, which took her aback. There were few times in her dealings with Legolas when he possessed genuine anger or annoyance in his expression, but when he did it pierced Kizea to the very depths of her being. She was unnerved, and fell quiet. When the horse had sufficiently recovered, Legolas turned his attentions to the other elves and addressed the whole party.
"Let us away now. We must follow the Forest River and reach the trail of Asha by nightfall."
Then whispering to his horse again, they trotted away, with Tenmelion following closely behind, still upset from his reproof. As she watched the two elves leave, Kizea realized that Kerrinais's horse had walked up beside Kizea's and stopped. She really didn't want to look at him, or to acknowledge him in any way, but she also knew that it was folly to create more hard feelings than were already there. She had effectively embarrassed him in the tunnel the night before, and she was sure he would issue some challenge or punishment to be meted out at the end of the journey. He was, after all, a border guardian of the Mirkwood realm, and he would be the one to defend it. Turning her face to him, she waited expectantly, saying nothing. But he did not offer up a challenge, instead he calmly opened a saddlebag behind his leg and pulled out a package wrapped in linen. Kerrinais looked down at it with some hesitation, as though he was deciding on the best course of action to follow. Then he threw the linen wrapped item over to her. She caught it, and immediately knew what it contained.
She pulled apart a piece of twine, and peeled back the linen wrapping to reveal her Fendowan daggers, sparkling and polished. Dropping the linen to the ground, she secured them in her waist belt and gathered her reins.
"Take well care of this horse," Kerrinais admonished in a low voice, "If my counsel were taken, you would have left here as you arrived, on foot."
Kizea gritted her teeth. Then Kerrinais sped off to catch up with Legolas and Tenmelion, who were already some distance ahead. Kizea sighed, and looked to the forest. She briefly considered the repercussions of taking a course in the opposite direction. Kizea then kicked her heels gently into her horse's side and her steed trotted off in the direction that the others had taken.