~*~* A/N: Bangin' it out. *grin* *~*~
Nila and Aina shared a look. What was to be done?
"I say we follow them," said Forrester quietly. "I seek revenge."
"That is folly," said Aina, shaking her head. "We are but three teenagers, and they are an army a hundred strong. I say we make for Lothlorien; the Elves there will surely take us in, when they hear what has happened."
"The Golden Wood?" asked Forrester increduously. "They have killed many for simply looking upon their lands."
Nila looked down thoughtfully. "No matter where we go, we must agree to one thing; we must stay together."
Aina and Forrester nodded, both agreeing with this.
"I wonder why they held halflings captive," continued Nila. "For that is a mystery I wouldst like to solve. They made certain that they were not harmed."
"I wonder also," said Aina gently, glancing about. "Whatever we are to do, it pains my heart to stay here."
"Let us go to the forest to speak," said Forrester, with a nod.
The three returned to the shelter of the wood, speaking in hushed tones. Aina quickly held up a hand, perking her ears.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, and Nila and Forrester both shook their heads. "Someone is near; their footsteps are heavy."
About two miles away, Gimli the Dwarf ran, his footsteps hard against the ground. His two comrades, Aragorn the Ranger and Legolas the Elf, barely made a sound, but Dwarves were not that way. The three ran in pursuit of the orc armies, in hopes of saving Pippin and Merry.
"I hear nothing," said Nila softly, and Forrester closed his eyes, listening sharply.
"I do hear something, but it is very faint and far." Aina nodded her agreement.
"A mile at least, perhaps two."
Nila shook her head softly. "You both must be Elves."
"No," Forrester said gently, shaking his head. "You are a farmer."
"And what do you insinuate?!" cried Nila, jumping from the fallen tree she sat upon.
Aina stood, placing a hand upon her shoulder.
"Peace, Nila."
Nila shook her head, glaring first at Aina, then at Forrester. "There is no peace here. I will go for a walk now." Without waiting for any response, she started off in a direction.
"Why is she cross?" asked Forrester, raising his eyebrows.
"She has been for a long while," said Aina thoughtfully, shaking her head. "And I know not why. I have an idea, perchance, but I will not say until I am certain."
Nila walked through the forest slowly, her head down. She allowed her tears to fall freely, for still she greived over her family. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were now half a mile away, and quickly approaching. Nila did not hear them, though.
"Farmer," she said softly, shaking her head. "Ai. Perhaps he is correct; maybe I am just a farmer. And Aina is the fair archeress, the hunter, the beautiful, the talented." Nila's voice grew bitter. "Of course Forrester must favor her; it would make no sense for him to favor me, as much as I wish it to be so."
Legolas stopped running. Faintly, he could make out the figure of a young girl in the wood. Aragorn and Gimli stopped as well.
"What do you see, Legolas?" asked Aragorn, straining his eyes, but, even with a Ranger's sight, he could not see what the Elf could.
"A young girl, over yonder," Legolas replied, pointing. "She seems quite sad."
"A girl?" asked Gimli. "I thought this forest was empty."
"It was," said Aragorn softly, pondering this new mystery. "Maybe there is one village; I've heard tell of it. It is a peaceful village, but all in it can fight. They need to, in case the orcs attack from the Eastern shore."
Legolas nodded. "She has a sword with her."
"Let us approach her," said Aragorn. "Perhaps she has seen the orcs."
Forrester and Aina sat, contemplating the path they would take. Aina looked about.
"Someone draws near. I do not fear them; I believe they, as well, are against the orcs."
"Where are they?" asked Forrester, looking at Aina with wonder in his eyes. Aina pointed in the direction Nila had walked off in.
"Nila has not yet returned," he continued. "Should we search for her?"
"Nae. She wishes for solitude, and I wouldst give it to her."
"She is not in danger?"
"I do not believe so."
"Pardon?" called Aragorn, and the girl jumped, looking at the three with astonishment.
"Who are you?" she asked, and Aragorn stepped forward, as did Gimli and Legolas.
"I am Aragorn, but you may call me Strider. And these are my friends Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas the Elf."
"Ai," Nila said softly, shaking her head. "Under better circumstance, I would be overjoyed at the sight of an Elf, but not today. For today, a terrible fate befell my village."
"Then there is a village in the forest," said Aragorn.
"There was," agreed Nila. "But no longer. The orcs, they burned it to the ground." With a long sigh, and many tears, she told them their story.
~*~* A/N: *grin* I'm writing a lot. *~*~
Nila and Aina shared a look. What was to be done?
"I say we follow them," said Forrester quietly. "I seek revenge."
"That is folly," said Aina, shaking her head. "We are but three teenagers, and they are an army a hundred strong. I say we make for Lothlorien; the Elves there will surely take us in, when they hear what has happened."
"The Golden Wood?" asked Forrester increduously. "They have killed many for simply looking upon their lands."
Nila looked down thoughtfully. "No matter where we go, we must agree to one thing; we must stay together."
Aina and Forrester nodded, both agreeing with this.
"I wonder why they held halflings captive," continued Nila. "For that is a mystery I wouldst like to solve. They made certain that they were not harmed."
"I wonder also," said Aina gently, glancing about. "Whatever we are to do, it pains my heart to stay here."
"Let us go to the forest to speak," said Forrester, with a nod.
The three returned to the shelter of the wood, speaking in hushed tones. Aina quickly held up a hand, perking her ears.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, and Nila and Forrester both shook their heads. "Someone is near; their footsteps are heavy."
About two miles away, Gimli the Dwarf ran, his footsteps hard against the ground. His two comrades, Aragorn the Ranger and Legolas the Elf, barely made a sound, but Dwarves were not that way. The three ran in pursuit of the orc armies, in hopes of saving Pippin and Merry.
"I hear nothing," said Nila softly, and Forrester closed his eyes, listening sharply.
"I do hear something, but it is very faint and far." Aina nodded her agreement.
"A mile at least, perhaps two."
Nila shook her head softly. "You both must be Elves."
"No," Forrester said gently, shaking his head. "You are a farmer."
"And what do you insinuate?!" cried Nila, jumping from the fallen tree she sat upon.
Aina stood, placing a hand upon her shoulder.
"Peace, Nila."
Nila shook her head, glaring first at Aina, then at Forrester. "There is no peace here. I will go for a walk now." Without waiting for any response, she started off in a direction.
"Why is she cross?" asked Forrester, raising his eyebrows.
"She has been for a long while," said Aina thoughtfully, shaking her head. "And I know not why. I have an idea, perchance, but I will not say until I am certain."
Nila walked through the forest slowly, her head down. She allowed her tears to fall freely, for still she greived over her family. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were now half a mile away, and quickly approaching. Nila did not hear them, though.
"Farmer," she said softly, shaking her head. "Ai. Perhaps he is correct; maybe I am just a farmer. And Aina is the fair archeress, the hunter, the beautiful, the talented." Nila's voice grew bitter. "Of course Forrester must favor her; it would make no sense for him to favor me, as much as I wish it to be so."
Legolas stopped running. Faintly, he could make out the figure of a young girl in the wood. Aragorn and Gimli stopped as well.
"What do you see, Legolas?" asked Aragorn, straining his eyes, but, even with a Ranger's sight, he could not see what the Elf could.
"A young girl, over yonder," Legolas replied, pointing. "She seems quite sad."
"A girl?" asked Gimli. "I thought this forest was empty."
"It was," said Aragorn softly, pondering this new mystery. "Maybe there is one village; I've heard tell of it. It is a peaceful village, but all in it can fight. They need to, in case the orcs attack from the Eastern shore."
Legolas nodded. "She has a sword with her."
"Let us approach her," said Aragorn. "Perhaps she has seen the orcs."
Forrester and Aina sat, contemplating the path they would take. Aina looked about.
"Someone draws near. I do not fear them; I believe they, as well, are against the orcs."
"Where are they?" asked Forrester, looking at Aina with wonder in his eyes. Aina pointed in the direction Nila had walked off in.
"Nila has not yet returned," he continued. "Should we search for her?"
"Nae. She wishes for solitude, and I wouldst give it to her."
"She is not in danger?"
"I do not believe so."
"Pardon?" called Aragorn, and the girl jumped, looking at the three with astonishment.
"Who are you?" she asked, and Aragorn stepped forward, as did Gimli and Legolas.
"I am Aragorn, but you may call me Strider. And these are my friends Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas the Elf."
"Ai," Nila said softly, shaking her head. "Under better circumstance, I would be overjoyed at the sight of an Elf, but not today. For today, a terrible fate befell my village."
"Then there is a village in the forest," said Aragorn.
"There was," agreed Nila. "But no longer. The orcs, they burned it to the ground." With a long sigh, and many tears, she told them their story.
~*~* A/N: *grin* I'm writing a lot. *~*~