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


CHAPTER 8


"I want them found immediately and brought to me alive!" Faeroth barked to his few remaining crew members, as they ran passed him down the gangplank for the shore. "If it cannot be helped, then do what is necessary!" Following the last man out, he would find them himself if he had to. He would never live down the shame if an Elf got the better of him. A she-Elf nonetheless.


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"There!" Arwen pointed.

They had run nearly another half a league, where they came upon a rocky cliff to their left, so they redirected their course. It appeared small, so her companions figured what the princess had, that maybe it wasn't too far down on the other side. Being Elves and more agile, it would buy them a little time, for the men after them would most likely not be able to get down it as fast.

Up a long path they dashed and half climbed at first, to reach the summit without slackening their pace. Thalawen gained the top, still in the lead and kept on going to the other side. But when she got there, she stopped only out of horror.

It was a long way down.

They had come to a tributary in the Great River that flowed all the way from the Misty Mountains through Fangorn. The River Limlight it was called, met up with the Anduin and marked the beginning of the Wold in eastern Rohan. They realized now, this was the last time they were to be docked for a long while, for the banks of the Anduin itself rose high, like cliff faces and turned into a deep canyon.

They were at a dead end and their captors were not far behind.

Arwen, then finally Landailyn came to stand beside her. Looking down, all one could see was the Anduin and the Limlight connecting and around them an ocean of green, gray and brown. Trees, rocks and the banks of the rivers stretched as far and wide as the Human or even Elven eye could see.
           
Arwen gasped at the mistake. "Sorry," She winced, being the one to have led them up there in the first place.

One of the two would have said it wasn't her fault, that they themselves had thought the same thing, but at that moment they heard heavy footsteps and knew this was it. The three had nowhere to go. They had escaped for naught, but probably another beating when they were taken back to the ship.

Each one turned to face their fates and expected a large group of the corsairs to appear, but who else should it be, but Faeroth and he was completely alone.

The entire time they had been on the boat neither of the Half-Elves had even met the captain, but the slight fear in Landailyn's eyes told them this must be the man who had everyday sent for her only to treat her with no kindness.

He stood where the steep path and level top of the cliff met, shaking his head. "Think you could get away, did you? I don't think I've ever had any other prisoners quite like this little trio. So determined, so...aggressive. Especially you," He looked straight at Landailyn, who had composed herself and merely narrowed her glaring eyes.

"Well what did you expect?" Sneered Thalawen. "That we would just give in?" Now that she had gained the knowledge that this was definitely the captain, she wished she had her weapons now more than ever to show him no mercy for what he had done.

"Others have." He simply replied with a wicked smile to adorn his tanned face.

"Well, apparently we are not like them in any way and never will be! So why do you not just let us go instead of going through all this trouble?" Put in Landailyn caustically, stepping in front of the believed 'Human women' and on past to the west side of the cliff, secretly getting a glance of how far down it was from there. Finding that it was certainly not nearly as far as the south side, sloping and rounding to meet with the ground level they had just come from.

"You still have not learned?! Did I not teach you anything, Elf?!" Ever so slowly, Faeroth was walking toward her, taking her bait. This is exactly what she wanted him to do, to bring his attention off of her friends.

Landailyn said nothing, but backed up and looked behind herself, checking on what footing they had left.

"Fine, I'll make you a deal." He offered. "Give up now and I might go easier on you."

Might? What kind of a deal was that? Defiance blazed in her carefully watching eyes. "Never."

He nodded and stopped, sliding his sword from its scabbard. "Have it your own way."

With no weapons of her own, Landailyn wasn't sure how she was going to do this, but she was certainly going to try her best for the sake of them all. Side stepping a thrust from the sword, she commanded her friends to leave, before anyone else should catch up. "Go! Run!" Not even knowing these had been Thalawen's exact words, when the Elf had indicated that she wanted Arwen to take Landailyn's unconscious self and get away from Orthanc.

Faeroth tried to wound her again, this time a swing aimed higher. So this she simply ducked.

Neither wanted to leave her, even in remembering their promised words to one another to save themselves. But they couldn't exactly help her either, Faeroth didn't have his back fully turned to them and they had about as much of a chance as she did without a weapon. But Landailyn's next words hit just the spot in Thalawen.

"Leave! Take Arwen!"

Thalawen snapped out of her paralysis and hastily grabbed the princess' arm to pull her away from the scene and down the way they had come. Arwen protested, but Thalawen would not have it. They made it all the way to the end of the path, until a new obstacle stood in their way.

"Oh no, you're not goin' anywhere." A gruff voice accompanied a rough looking man, with a sword just like the one their captain was using against Landailyn. Many more men came to surround them, all with their weapons drawn. They had been instructed by their captain to wait for this moment.

Still without a weapon, what could they do? Thalawen eyed them with an angry glare, as four freed their hands and came to bind the prisoners wrists behind them. Now their companion from Mirkwood was their only chance.

During this, Landailyn still nimble and able, had evaded the deadly blade a numerous amount of times, all the while growing closer to the edge. And a few steps more would do it.

Finally, she was able to get in a blow. With a side-kick at chest level, her foot connected with the flat of the metal and sent it soaring to the south side of the cliff.

Faeroth stared at her a short moment. "Now you've done it." He whispered fiercely and rushed forward. She dodged a kick of his own, but the flying fist after that, came unexpected.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what she thought were her friends being led back up to the top.

As it was then, she felt herself falling.


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Arwen and Thalawen witnessed their friend's fall in utter stillness, unable to move a muscle from the shocking scene.

"Landy!" They screamed almost in unison, snapping out of it and trying to get to the brink. For a mere second breaking free from the five guards, only to be grabbed again by their bound hands and pulled back.

Faeroth was near shock himself. He hadn't really meant for her to fall, though the thought had crossed his mind. He grew very tired and frustrated with this Elf, she was nothing but trouble and was setting them back from their date due with the prisoners collected for their lord's approval.

He ran to look over the drop off. He squinted and leaned further for a better look, but still saw nothing. No trace of the she-Elf anywhere. But he was sure that no one could have survived such a high and free descent. Faeroth sighed, turning to his available men and gaining back his lost sword. "Let us go see if she lives. Take them back to the ship."

In a daze, the two were led back to where they had begun; unbelieving that it had actually happened, that Landailyn had just risked her life once again and this time possibly for nothing at all.


TBC ...