The sun rose above the maple saplings to the far right of the hall, shining into the hall. The bright orange-red glow was what woke Legolas from his dazed sleep. His side ached, but not as sharply as it had before. His gaze was drawn instantly to the tree where Sahar had been when he'd fallen asleep, but there wasn't hide-nor-hair to be seen of her. He wondered where the red-headed gir could have gone too.
"I wouldn't try to move much just yet," came her stern voice. Legolas turned his head to see Sahar walking up from behind. Her skin was damp, as if she had just gone swimming and her flaming red hair was dark with water. "Let me see your scratch." Legolas lifted his shirt and she unwrapped the bandages. "Hmm...well, its better than it looked last night. Wait here." She rose and left his side for a moment before returning with new bandages and an earthen bowl covered with a fern.
"This might sting a little, but you'll have to deal." She pushed the leaf aside and dipped her finger into the salve, running two fingers lightly across the wound. Legolas flinched slightly, and was thankful that no more of the medicine was applied. New bandages were wrapped around his side and Sahar returned the bowl to its place.
"These...trolls," Legolas began. "Do you think they are still about?" He had no intentions of running into these weapons of thunder and fire.
"No," Sahar answered, almost carelessly. "They move best at night, because they think we can't see. But they shant come by any time soon...guaranteed their pap is going to know they were out shooting his gun. He won't take lightly to that. Besides, with the others about the wood, they won't make it here."
"Friends?" Legolas inquired.
"Three of them," Sahar nodded. "They'll be here soon, if nothing goes awyr."
* * *
"Briant, you lazy lug, wake up!" Corin muttered, tapping the boy's shoulder with her foot. "I'll kick you harder if you don't move!"
"I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Why do we have to wake up so early?"
"Because we're moving to the hall," Daren answered. They all stretched out the kinks in their bodies and were about to get moving when a gruff voice called out to them.
"Hey, kids!" The trio turned to see an older man, sort of grubby looking, with a sour gleam in his eyes. His breath smelled of whiskey, and he swayed with the effect of drink.
"What?" Corin demanded, trying to keep herself from breaking into profain speech. They all recognized the swine of a man; he was Sahar's step-dad. They could recognize him easily just by his stench.
"Where's my brat?" He demanded drunkenly.
"We don't know," Briant lied. "We haven't seen her since yesterday morning, and we've been camping all day."
The man swayed on his feet, almost falling backwards over a log, and Daren cursed under his breath as the drunk regained his balance. "Yeh shouldn't stay out here like this. Didn't you hear the news?" They all looked at him blankly. "A-" He cut himself off with a loud belch before continuing. "A bunch of crazies escaped from the pen yesterday. You'd do best to get home. And send my brat when you see her!" With that he turned, stammering back out of the woods, cursing loudly.
"Go to hell," Daren muttered.
"Asshole," Corin added.
"What a loser," Briant added. "Lets go, Sahar's gonna be waiting." They walked down a hidden trail, not stopping until they saw the long, low roof of their hall. "Hey Sahar, thr drunks looking for you!"
"Oh like she wanted to hear that," Corin muttered. "Men."
"Tell him I'm dead," came the sarcastic reply.
"No we tried that last week, remember?" Briant replied. "We could always kill him...do you a favor."
"Nay, no blade will touch him but mine," Sahar replied, dangling down from a tree branch. "We have a guest at our hall," she added, gesturing to the fair-haired Legolas. "This is Legolas Greenleaf, of Mirkwood."
"Riiight," Daren said slowly. But the serious look in her midnight eyes told her she wasn't joking. "Really?" She nodded sternly.
"Legolas, meet Daren, Briant, and Corin. Guys, Legolas Greenleaf." She swung out of the branch, landing heavily on her feet. "He had a slight run-in with our friends the troll borthers."
"Ouch," Corin mumbled. "I had a run-in with them a few weeks back so don't feel to bad."
"Yeah, well, something else was in the woods last night," Sahar added softly. "And it wasn't the trolls."
"That was the next thing I was going t say," Daren said. "According to your drunken stepdad, there's a couple of nutters running around loose."
Sahar had a grim look upon her face now as she heard these tidings. "Unfortunately, I think he was right."
.
"I wouldn't try to move much just yet," came her stern voice. Legolas turned his head to see Sahar walking up from behind. Her skin was damp, as if she had just gone swimming and her flaming red hair was dark with water. "Let me see your scratch." Legolas lifted his shirt and she unwrapped the bandages. "Hmm...well, its better than it looked last night. Wait here." She rose and left his side for a moment before returning with new bandages and an earthen bowl covered with a fern.
"This might sting a little, but you'll have to deal." She pushed the leaf aside and dipped her finger into the salve, running two fingers lightly across the wound. Legolas flinched slightly, and was thankful that no more of the medicine was applied. New bandages were wrapped around his side and Sahar returned the bowl to its place.
"These...trolls," Legolas began. "Do you think they are still about?" He had no intentions of running into these weapons of thunder and fire.
"No," Sahar answered, almost carelessly. "They move best at night, because they think we can't see. But they shant come by any time soon...guaranteed their pap is going to know they were out shooting his gun. He won't take lightly to that. Besides, with the others about the wood, they won't make it here."
"Friends?" Legolas inquired.
"Three of them," Sahar nodded. "They'll be here soon, if nothing goes awyr."
* * *
"Briant, you lazy lug, wake up!" Corin muttered, tapping the boy's shoulder with her foot. "I'll kick you harder if you don't move!"
"I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Why do we have to wake up so early?"
"Because we're moving to the hall," Daren answered. They all stretched out the kinks in their bodies and were about to get moving when a gruff voice called out to them.
"Hey, kids!" The trio turned to see an older man, sort of grubby looking, with a sour gleam in his eyes. His breath smelled of whiskey, and he swayed with the effect of drink.
"What?" Corin demanded, trying to keep herself from breaking into profain speech. They all recognized the swine of a man; he was Sahar's step-dad. They could recognize him easily just by his stench.
"Where's my brat?" He demanded drunkenly.
"We don't know," Briant lied. "We haven't seen her since yesterday morning, and we've been camping all day."
The man swayed on his feet, almost falling backwards over a log, and Daren cursed under his breath as the drunk regained his balance. "Yeh shouldn't stay out here like this. Didn't you hear the news?" They all looked at him blankly. "A-" He cut himself off with a loud belch before continuing. "A bunch of crazies escaped from the pen yesterday. You'd do best to get home. And send my brat when you see her!" With that he turned, stammering back out of the woods, cursing loudly.
"Go to hell," Daren muttered.
"Asshole," Corin added.
"What a loser," Briant added. "Lets go, Sahar's gonna be waiting." They walked down a hidden trail, not stopping until they saw the long, low roof of their hall. "Hey Sahar, thr drunks looking for you!"
"Oh like she wanted to hear that," Corin muttered. "Men."
"Tell him I'm dead," came the sarcastic reply.
"No we tried that last week, remember?" Briant replied. "We could always kill him...do you a favor."
"Nay, no blade will touch him but mine," Sahar replied, dangling down from a tree branch. "We have a guest at our hall," she added, gesturing to the fair-haired Legolas. "This is Legolas Greenleaf, of Mirkwood."
"Riiight," Daren said slowly. But the serious look in her midnight eyes told her she wasn't joking. "Really?" She nodded sternly.
"Legolas, meet Daren, Briant, and Corin. Guys, Legolas Greenleaf." She swung out of the branch, landing heavily on her feet. "He had a slight run-in with our friends the troll borthers."
"Ouch," Corin mumbled. "I had a run-in with them a few weeks back so don't feel to bad."
"Yeah, well, something else was in the woods last night," Sahar added softly. "And it wasn't the trolls."
"That was the next thing I was going t say," Daren said. "According to your drunken stepdad, there's a couple of nutters running around loose."
Sahar had a grim look upon her face now as she heard these tidings. "Unfortunately, I think he was right."
.
