AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala


CHAPTER 6


The same morning that the sisters had cared for their friend and all three had been satisfied with their share of food and drink, four of the ship's crew came to re-shackle the three and collect the food bowls and water bucket.

"Please," Arwen protested on the 'Elf's' behalf, once they had figured out they weren't there to take her away again. These were different men and they weren't sure what to make of her arm being fixed in a sling. "Her arm cannot take any strain right now."

"But the captain's orders are to..." Started one.

"What is the difference whether you chain one arm or both?! She still wouldn't be able to go anywhere even if the other was usable!" Thalawen cut in angrily.

Finally, they saw reason and gave in to the women's request, chaining only one of the Elf's arms and gathering the containers. When they'd gone, Landailyn rested the side of her head against her upper left arm. "Thank you." She sighed.

The two nodded.

"I honestly hope those four come back soon," said Thalawen after sizing the sailors, eyeing them while they'd been in the room. She sniffed her nose superiorly. "I think we could take 'em." She smiled, happy to see a grin on her friends' faces again.


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That night boredom had fully set in for all three of the Elves, literally throwing their attention spans out the figurative window. Arwen stared into space, obviously deep in thought or possibly sleeping. As Elves sleep with their eyes open, Thalawen couldn't tell the difference. Landailyn hung to the wall opposite them in the same open eyed trance, but the slightest movement of her eyes told Thalawen that she was clearly awake, and thinking long and hard.

Landailyn softly spoke to Thalawen, trying to keep her voice quiet so as not to wake the sleeping princess. "We must escape, Thala," her voice was little more than a croak.

"I know, but how? The only time we are ever out of these manacles is when they bring..." Thalawen trailed as the light dawned. "Food! We must wait for them to bring the food and then we can...no, that won't work. They all have weapons and we have nothing."

"We have fists, Thalawen," said Landailyn quietly.

Thalawen paused for a moment in thought. "Oh, yeah, right. Okay."

"There is something that you both must promise me first though," said Landailyn as Arwen finally woke from her light nap.

Neither said anything, waiting for her to continue and wondering to themselves what it could possibly be.

"You will think only of yourselves and each other...before me."

"What? Landailyn, no!" Arwen couldn't believe what she was hearing, knowing right away the two must have been discussing an escape. They couldn't just leave her behind if they had a choice. She didn't want Landailyn to be the 'big hero' and help them escape if she did not even plan to get out herself.

"Arwen, you have to! They must not find out your secret! And they never will if I am there to help it! That is why we must try and escape now and you will go on to Gondor or back home...even if it is without me."

"She is right, you know."

Arwen's mouth dropped open, as she graced Thalawen with a hard stare. "You're actually agreeing to this?!"

"Not exactly, I just know that I would do the same, and so, the same goes for me. At least one of us must escape."

"Thalawen!"

"Arwen!" She mocked, as she always did when her sister used her name in frustration.

The princess sighed. "Fine. Then neither of you can think of me either!"

"Fine." Thalawen turned her head, as an uncontrollable smile crept upon her face.

"Fine."

Suddenly, a small laugh could be heard on Landailyn's side of the room.

"What are you laughing at?! You started this!" Arwen's wailing only made Landailyn laugh harder and her laughter slowly grew contagious. To their surprise, Thalawen was laughing too. And Arwen never could stay mad at anyone for long and finally joined in.

"So now we are just suppose to worry about ourselves?" Landailyn questioned, still chuckling.

"Not me. I will always put you two before myself." Arwen admitted quietly.

"See!" She exclaimed. "That is how I feel! So I still mean what I said and I will not take it back."

"And neither will I," Confessed Thalawen.

Arwen nodded, but said nothing. Further thinking on the subject to herself, wondering how the next couple days would turn out. Would the second one end with all three actually escaped together?


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*


The next day brought much relief to all of them, when neither of the usual two guards came for the blonde Elf.

Faeroth must have given up for a while, thought Landailyn wearily and thankfully.

Once they were all awake enough, they began quietly discussing a successful escape. Afterward, they thought they had come up with a fairly good plan, now they just hoped nothing would go wrong. Their planning consisted of Thalawen's earlier suggestion; waiting for the next time food was brought in and they were unchained. Only then would they be able to take action and catch the men off guard, after Landailyn's assurance that she would be doing better.

Even if she felt as though she might not be by the next day, Landailyn was more than ready to get off the vessel and away from its captain.


TBC ...

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mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Sorry this chapter was so short! But it's better than nothing, eh? Well, we're glad people are liking the humor we've put into this sequel! And thanks to those who said in their reviews to have fun at the festival! We had a great time and we just got the pics back today, so I scanned a couple and they'll be up on my site for those who wanted to see our dresses, as soon as I can get the page builder to load right again! The link will be on the front page!
By the way, Thala is finding time from school stuff to come over awhile one day this weekend (probably Saturday) and we're gonna have possibly up to chapter 9 or more for you all! I just know how much that's gonna make you guys happy, cuz' obviously we're killing you all with the suspense! ;) But don't expect it to be over too soon, it's got even more after we escape! Or do we escape? LOL!