Disclaimer: Full Disclaimer on first page.
Thanks to all reviewers, and special thanks to Alida Fruit for editing.
Chapter 2
Teysrol watched his brother carefully. Savarre was eager for a fight and might do something rash in his restlessness, and that was something they could not have right now. Sirithiliel was out scouting the perimeter of their little camp, which was nestled in amongst a ring of boulders. A short distance away from them was a village, where the elf and ranger they tracked now resided. She had also been given the task of observing the village, to see if it would be possible to locate exactly where the elf and ranger might have hid.
Suddenly, Sirithiliel came into the camp from the southern side. She was obviously in a foul mood, as she stalked past Savarre to sit near Teysrol. Savarre sauntered over to her, smirking at her black mood. Sitting beside her, he draped an arm over her shoulders.
"Now, what is your problem, dearest sister?" he said cheerfully. Sirithiliel scowled, and shrugged his arm off.
"If you must know, I went to observe the village, and it is worse than we thought it would be! So many people in there are cloaked and hooded; it would be a miracle if we could spot them!" she snarled at him. He was about to reply when a wolf crept into their camp. They exchanged confused looks at the sudden appearance of the strange wolf. They did not know to whom it belonged, and they were nervous at what it could mean.
Ignoring Savarre and Sirithiliel, the wolf slunk over to Teysrol, who looked apprehensive as he removed a letter that was in a specially designed pouch around the wolf's neck. As soon as he had the letter the wolf left the camp, melting into the desolate surroundings with the practiced easy of a hunter and disappearing remarkably quickly, given that not much grew here at the base of the mountains.
With hesitant hands, Teysrol opened the letter and read it aloud,
"Teysrol,
You are under new orders. Instead of just watching the two you are hunting, you will capture and interrogate them about the Mornelithe. They are from Rivendell, and should know where it is. When you have retrieved everything you can from them, dispose of them.
Rilian"
Teysrol looked up at his brother and sister. Savarre looked unsure of himself, his emotions warring between shock and anticipation. Sirithiliel was solidly expressing defiance. The three of them were part of a band of elves called the Draconis elves, Rilian being their self-promoted leader. Rilian was also the older brother of the three, which made disobeying his orders hard.
"We cannot follow these orders! We cannot! It goes against everything we are to slay a fellow elf! I will not be labeled a kin-slayer! And all for a stupid jewel! Rilian is obsessed with it! Will he stop at nothing? The Mornelithe is but rumored to be near Rivendell. Rumored to be! We're not even sure if it is!" her foul mood worsening. Teysrol nodded in agreement, but Savarre shook his head reluctantly.
"We cannot just ignore the orders. We'll have to follow them partly." Looking at the disbelieving looks on his brother and sister's faces, he continued, "We can catch them, question them, and then we can let them go. We will tell Rilian that they 'escaped'." He looked expectantly at them, and they nodded with slow, reluctant agreement. It made sense, though it still left them uneasy.
"Very well, now how do we do that? As Sirithiliel said, many people in that village are cloaked and hooded. How are we to find them?" Teysrol said, slumping wearily against a large rock.
"We can wait and watch everyone who leaves. The elf and ranger will want to leave as soon as they think it is safe to do so. We will be able to distinguish a fellow elf from the human rabble that breeds here. Certain attributes will mark both. Look for posture and balance; the way they walk," Sirithiliel said, thinking hard.
~*~*~*
Aragorn watched Legolas as the elf tensed and scanned the inn carefully. The ranger did not know what was causing his friend to act this way, but had been around Legolas enough to trust the elf's feelings.
"We will have to leave soon," Legolas whispered to Aragorn, as they sat at one of the many tables.
"You are right. We need to reach Rivendell, but we still need to proceed cautiously, to avoid those who were following us," Aragorn muttered back.
So it was a while later that the two of them left the inn, fully cloaked and hooded. They blended in with the rest of the people walking the streets, for a lot of them were hidden from sight below hoods as well. Aragorn walked calmly, while Legolas tried his hardest to adopt the unfamiliar heaviness of a man's gait. It would not do well to have attention drawn to them, by letting those around know he was an elf.
They reached the Gate, the only entrance and exit from the village, quickly enough. As they passed the doors, they continued with their feigned act, letting it appear as if too much drink effected them. The back and right side of the village was blocked by mountain sides, while the rest was surrounded with a high stone wall, with the single large Gate in the front. Two guards were always on duty, watching for the possible coming of marauders.
As Aragorn and Legolas passed the guards and began walking through the boulder-strewn mountainside, they realized quickly that their progress did not go unmarked. Turning cautiously, acting as if he was seeing how far they had come, Legolas spotted two wolves with his keen eyes. They were watching as the two walked towards the mountain that hid Rivendell, which was located on the other side of it.
"Wolves. Two," Legolas whispered, keeping his eyes in front of them, and barely moving his mouth.
As they passed around a large ridge that descended from the steep mountain, the wolves stood and followed.
~*~*~*
Teysrol stood quietly above the ridge that the elf and ranger had just passed. Savarre and Sirithiliel were off somewhere else, ready to move in. The elf and ranger had been very clever in disguising who they were. They acted like normal traders convincingly enough that it was only when the wolves responded to them that they realized the ploy.
The elves had then split up, readying themselves for the approaching confrontation. Savarre had been eager for a fight, and had been warned not to kill them and to try to restrain himself from using excessive force. They would rather take the two peacefully, without hostility, if possible.
~*~*~*
Legolas' anxiety had been growing steadily since leaving sight of the village. He sensed that something was wrong. Suddenly, he heard a sound to their right, and he jerked around to find himself facing a dark haired elf. He stood several feet away, with his sword held lightly in his hands and a large wolf at his feet. He watched them cautiously, staying out of weapons reach, and yet close enough to make a bow and arrows awkward and less effective.
"Prepare yourself, Aragorn. I'm going to break left, and I want you to run until you reach that ridge, where the cave we took shelter in when we came here is. I want you to get into it, and wait for me there. Don't worry about me, for I think I have a plan. Just go.NOW!" With that cry the elf took off running left, his path taking him close to the elf. Aragorn ran as hard as he could, climbing up the ridge and slipping on the loose stones.
For a confused moment, the strange elf just stood there for a second, before taking off in pursuit of Legolas. Giving a whistling signal, he sent his wolf after Aragorn.
~*~*~*
Savarre watched as Teysrol sprinted after the swift blonde elf, while Anborn ran towards the human, jaws spread and panting. The whistling signal Teysrol gave was also a signal for Savarre and Sirithiliel to wait.
The blonde elf turned sharply, and ran after the ranger up the slope of the mountain. He gained on the human easily, and both reached the cave entrance at the same time. Another whistle rent the air, and Savarre recognized the signal to attack, and sprang forward with a joyful shout.
Too caught up in the moment, he drew his bow back and sighted along one sleek arrow. He aimed, and released.
~*~*~*
Legolas's nerves suddenly screamed at him, and he snapped his head around to face another dark haired elf who was currently aiming an arrow. Sighting along the path it would take, Legolas gasped in horror and pushed himself harder. He leaped forward just as he heard the twang of a bow being released, and hit Aragorn hard.
Aragorn let out a startled cry, and fell from the sudden force of Legolas slamming into him. When he hit the ground, he slid forward across the stones into the cave. He dimly heard Legolas shouting at him to keep going and run through the cave and wait for him on the other side. Without hesitation, Aragorn scrambled to his feet, and threw himself into the cave.
Behind him he heard snarls and growls and, glancing over his shoulder, showed two wolves bounding behind him, gaining swiftly.
~*~*~*
Savarre did not see if he hit anything as a sudden golden blur of the elf sent the ranger tumbling safely from the arrows path. He stood in shock at the suddenness of what had happened, only turning at the angered shout of his brother behind him.
Teysrol stalked up to Savarre, sharply reminding him not to kill or wound the two they chased. Savarre muttered his apologies as they descended, once again ready to resume the chase.
A trail of blood led away from the cave entrance, and into the rocky mountainside, proving that the arrow has struck someone. With another angered growl at Savarre, Teysrol entered the cave to follow the human.
Tamulis was following the blood trail, and both of the brothers trusted that their sister and her companion were capable enough to track down the wounded elf. Turning as one, they left to pursue the ranger.
~*~*~*
Legolas felt a sharp pain in the back of his left shoulder, and knew that he took the arrow that was intended for Aragorn. He hit the ground hard, stifling a cry of pain, and shouted to Aragorn to continue his run towards the distant Rivendell.
Two wolves raced passed him, not bothering to stop. He knew the elves would be after him soon, so he painfully pulled himself up and ran towards the mountainside, knowing that if he could just keep ahead of his pursuers he could find some place to hide, and wait them out.
Sending his best wishes to Aragorn, he took to the countryside running.
Thanks to all reviewers, and special thanks to Alida Fruit for editing.
Chapter 2
Teysrol watched his brother carefully. Savarre was eager for a fight and might do something rash in his restlessness, and that was something they could not have right now. Sirithiliel was out scouting the perimeter of their little camp, which was nestled in amongst a ring of boulders. A short distance away from them was a village, where the elf and ranger they tracked now resided. She had also been given the task of observing the village, to see if it would be possible to locate exactly where the elf and ranger might have hid.
Suddenly, Sirithiliel came into the camp from the southern side. She was obviously in a foul mood, as she stalked past Savarre to sit near Teysrol. Savarre sauntered over to her, smirking at her black mood. Sitting beside her, he draped an arm over her shoulders.
"Now, what is your problem, dearest sister?" he said cheerfully. Sirithiliel scowled, and shrugged his arm off.
"If you must know, I went to observe the village, and it is worse than we thought it would be! So many people in there are cloaked and hooded; it would be a miracle if we could spot them!" she snarled at him. He was about to reply when a wolf crept into their camp. They exchanged confused looks at the sudden appearance of the strange wolf. They did not know to whom it belonged, and they were nervous at what it could mean.
Ignoring Savarre and Sirithiliel, the wolf slunk over to Teysrol, who looked apprehensive as he removed a letter that was in a specially designed pouch around the wolf's neck. As soon as he had the letter the wolf left the camp, melting into the desolate surroundings with the practiced easy of a hunter and disappearing remarkably quickly, given that not much grew here at the base of the mountains.
With hesitant hands, Teysrol opened the letter and read it aloud,
"Teysrol,
You are under new orders. Instead of just watching the two you are hunting, you will capture and interrogate them about the Mornelithe. They are from Rivendell, and should know where it is. When you have retrieved everything you can from them, dispose of them.
Rilian"
Teysrol looked up at his brother and sister. Savarre looked unsure of himself, his emotions warring between shock and anticipation. Sirithiliel was solidly expressing defiance. The three of them were part of a band of elves called the Draconis elves, Rilian being their self-promoted leader. Rilian was also the older brother of the three, which made disobeying his orders hard.
"We cannot follow these orders! We cannot! It goes against everything we are to slay a fellow elf! I will not be labeled a kin-slayer! And all for a stupid jewel! Rilian is obsessed with it! Will he stop at nothing? The Mornelithe is but rumored to be near Rivendell. Rumored to be! We're not even sure if it is!" her foul mood worsening. Teysrol nodded in agreement, but Savarre shook his head reluctantly.
"We cannot just ignore the orders. We'll have to follow them partly." Looking at the disbelieving looks on his brother and sister's faces, he continued, "We can catch them, question them, and then we can let them go. We will tell Rilian that they 'escaped'." He looked expectantly at them, and they nodded with slow, reluctant agreement. It made sense, though it still left them uneasy.
"Very well, now how do we do that? As Sirithiliel said, many people in that village are cloaked and hooded. How are we to find them?" Teysrol said, slumping wearily against a large rock.
"We can wait and watch everyone who leaves. The elf and ranger will want to leave as soon as they think it is safe to do so. We will be able to distinguish a fellow elf from the human rabble that breeds here. Certain attributes will mark both. Look for posture and balance; the way they walk," Sirithiliel said, thinking hard.
~*~*~*
Aragorn watched Legolas as the elf tensed and scanned the inn carefully. The ranger did not know what was causing his friend to act this way, but had been around Legolas enough to trust the elf's feelings.
"We will have to leave soon," Legolas whispered to Aragorn, as they sat at one of the many tables.
"You are right. We need to reach Rivendell, but we still need to proceed cautiously, to avoid those who were following us," Aragorn muttered back.
So it was a while later that the two of them left the inn, fully cloaked and hooded. They blended in with the rest of the people walking the streets, for a lot of them were hidden from sight below hoods as well. Aragorn walked calmly, while Legolas tried his hardest to adopt the unfamiliar heaviness of a man's gait. It would not do well to have attention drawn to them, by letting those around know he was an elf.
They reached the Gate, the only entrance and exit from the village, quickly enough. As they passed the doors, they continued with their feigned act, letting it appear as if too much drink effected them. The back and right side of the village was blocked by mountain sides, while the rest was surrounded with a high stone wall, with the single large Gate in the front. Two guards were always on duty, watching for the possible coming of marauders.
As Aragorn and Legolas passed the guards and began walking through the boulder-strewn mountainside, they realized quickly that their progress did not go unmarked. Turning cautiously, acting as if he was seeing how far they had come, Legolas spotted two wolves with his keen eyes. They were watching as the two walked towards the mountain that hid Rivendell, which was located on the other side of it.
"Wolves. Two," Legolas whispered, keeping his eyes in front of them, and barely moving his mouth.
As they passed around a large ridge that descended from the steep mountain, the wolves stood and followed.
~*~*~*
Teysrol stood quietly above the ridge that the elf and ranger had just passed. Savarre and Sirithiliel were off somewhere else, ready to move in. The elf and ranger had been very clever in disguising who they were. They acted like normal traders convincingly enough that it was only when the wolves responded to them that they realized the ploy.
The elves had then split up, readying themselves for the approaching confrontation. Savarre had been eager for a fight, and had been warned not to kill them and to try to restrain himself from using excessive force. They would rather take the two peacefully, without hostility, if possible.
~*~*~*
Legolas' anxiety had been growing steadily since leaving sight of the village. He sensed that something was wrong. Suddenly, he heard a sound to their right, and he jerked around to find himself facing a dark haired elf. He stood several feet away, with his sword held lightly in his hands and a large wolf at his feet. He watched them cautiously, staying out of weapons reach, and yet close enough to make a bow and arrows awkward and less effective.
"Prepare yourself, Aragorn. I'm going to break left, and I want you to run until you reach that ridge, where the cave we took shelter in when we came here is. I want you to get into it, and wait for me there. Don't worry about me, for I think I have a plan. Just go.NOW!" With that cry the elf took off running left, his path taking him close to the elf. Aragorn ran as hard as he could, climbing up the ridge and slipping on the loose stones.
For a confused moment, the strange elf just stood there for a second, before taking off in pursuit of Legolas. Giving a whistling signal, he sent his wolf after Aragorn.
~*~*~*
Savarre watched as Teysrol sprinted after the swift blonde elf, while Anborn ran towards the human, jaws spread and panting. The whistling signal Teysrol gave was also a signal for Savarre and Sirithiliel to wait.
The blonde elf turned sharply, and ran after the ranger up the slope of the mountain. He gained on the human easily, and both reached the cave entrance at the same time. Another whistle rent the air, and Savarre recognized the signal to attack, and sprang forward with a joyful shout.
Too caught up in the moment, he drew his bow back and sighted along one sleek arrow. He aimed, and released.
~*~*~*
Legolas's nerves suddenly screamed at him, and he snapped his head around to face another dark haired elf who was currently aiming an arrow. Sighting along the path it would take, Legolas gasped in horror and pushed himself harder. He leaped forward just as he heard the twang of a bow being released, and hit Aragorn hard.
Aragorn let out a startled cry, and fell from the sudden force of Legolas slamming into him. When he hit the ground, he slid forward across the stones into the cave. He dimly heard Legolas shouting at him to keep going and run through the cave and wait for him on the other side. Without hesitation, Aragorn scrambled to his feet, and threw himself into the cave.
Behind him he heard snarls and growls and, glancing over his shoulder, showed two wolves bounding behind him, gaining swiftly.
~*~*~*
Savarre did not see if he hit anything as a sudden golden blur of the elf sent the ranger tumbling safely from the arrows path. He stood in shock at the suddenness of what had happened, only turning at the angered shout of his brother behind him.
Teysrol stalked up to Savarre, sharply reminding him not to kill or wound the two they chased. Savarre muttered his apologies as they descended, once again ready to resume the chase.
A trail of blood led away from the cave entrance, and into the rocky mountainside, proving that the arrow has struck someone. With another angered growl at Savarre, Teysrol entered the cave to follow the human.
Tamulis was following the blood trail, and both of the brothers trusted that their sister and her companion were capable enough to track down the wounded elf. Turning as one, they left to pursue the ranger.
~*~*~*
Legolas felt a sharp pain in the back of his left shoulder, and knew that he took the arrow that was intended for Aragorn. He hit the ground hard, stifling a cry of pain, and shouted to Aragorn to continue his run towards the distant Rivendell.
Two wolves raced passed him, not bothering to stop. He knew the elves would be after him soon, so he painfully pulled himself up and ran towards the mountainside, knowing that if he could just keep ahead of his pursuers he could find some place to hide, and wait them out.
Sending his best wishes to Aragorn, he took to the countryside running.