1 Come What May
- By Hitchhiker
1.1
1.2 Chapter Two
There is no logical reason for misfortune. Thus, it must be part of my destiny.
- Zi Sang, Zhou Dynasty
*~*~*~*~*
Warmth slowly spread through Hope's body, and just as slowly, consciousness came to her as well. She found herself lying on her back on a large, flat boulder, rushing water sounding in her ears. Bright afternoon sunlight poured into her eyes, making her wince in pain.
Once her eyes were adjusted, Hope sat up, taking in the surroundings. It was most certainly not downtown L.A.
The boulder she lay upon was next to a large river. The river, although she didn't know, was called Loudwater. A light forest surrounded her on all sides, and no sign of civilization was in sight.
"Where in all the god damn hell a I?!" she cried, completely in the dark. "This isn't L.A. This looks like Canada! Sonovabitch!"
She stood up and started screaming at the top of her lungs, knowing full well it would accomplish absolutely nothing. It simply made her feel better.
Quite soon her throat couldn't take it anymore and she sat at the edge of the stone, digging in her pockets. "I have . . . a bunch of lint . . . a five dollar bill . . . and vanilla chap stick. Great, this is just great. Son . . . of . . . a bitch."
All she had else was her clothes and two items of jewelry: a Roman cross necklace given to her by her brother before going to college and her mother's ring. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to pour down her cheeks.
She stood and smacked herself on the forehead. "No," Hope cried aloud, "Get a grip on yourself. Don't panic, don't panic. Deep breaths. It's cool, everything is just fine. I'll just follow the river until I find some people. Or die."
Hope removed her coat and tied it securely around her waist. There was no need of it in the warm sunlight. She stared in the direction she faced for a moment, took a deep breath, and set to walking.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope hadn't known how late it was when she'd set out walking, and an hour later she found herself looking at a beautiful, but discouraging, sunset. Darkness would come soon and Hope was a born city girl: she knew nothing about camping.
"Damnit," she muttered, looking around for anything that resembled a shelter for the night. Nothing. "Son of a bitch."
She sat on a stone to rest, thinking of what to do nest. She could curl up under a tree and sleep that way. Hope rubbed her temples, trying to ease a recent headache. "God, I hate this." Hope suddenly caught a sound on the air. It was faint, but getting louder. It sounded like pounding, like a lot of people running.
Hope's heart rose and she stood up, facing looking to her left, the direction the sound was coming from. Then, just as the sun fell below the horizon, that which made the noise revealed itself over the rise.
Almost twenty misshapen monsters, growling and running toward her, shouting in horrible voices and brandishing black weapons.
"Sonovabitch," Hope muttered, her eyes a wide as could be. She turned and ran, clambering up the river bank and in to the trees. However fast she might have been, the creatures were faster and quickly over took her.
The closest reached out and grasped her arm; nails slashing her skin. He yanked back, and with a cry she was sent sprawling on the ground. He again reached for her, but out of panic her foot shot up and connected with his mouth.
The orc howled in anger and with his crooked, black teeth, bit into her shoulder, almost crushing the bone. Hope screamed in pain and was only saved by another of the monsters shoving the smaller of the two away from her, howling at him in their own language.
Hope whimpered, clutching her badly wounded arm, listening to the horrible sound of the orcs. The second seemed to be extremely angry with the first. After yelling at him for a moment, he motioned for another who came forth and bound Hope's wrists and ankles and gagged her.
Various howls and Hope squeezed her eyes shut. She felt callused hands and sharp claws dig into her arms and then being hoisted into the air and thrown over an orc's shoulder.
They began to run and Hope noticed that they were going in the same direction as she had been. She was utterly alone.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope was thrown roughly onto the ground a few hours later, still dark and still alone. She crawled as best she could with her hands and feet tied toward a tree, curling in it's roots. For a little while, she was left alone; the orcs seemed preoccupied with something else, but she was sure it had something to do with her.
The moon shone through the trees, dappling the ground with leaf-shaped shadows. Most of the orcs were a few yards away, some starting a fire, others passing around a some liquid in a skin. Hope whimpered and tried to ignore the jagged pains in her shoulder and arms.
'How could this happen?' she sobbed in her head, 'I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm in pain. What next,God? What next?'
Presently, and orc came up, snarling menacingly. "Get up," he growled in a harsh voice, accompanied by a sharp kick to her breastbone, "If you want water before we leave."
As desperately as Hope did want water, she found no strength in her to rise. She whimpered and the gag in her mouth stifled a cry of pain and fear, but the orc was already losing patience. He lashed out a hand, seizing her by her wounded shoulder and yanking her roughly to her feet.
He snarled and was about to say something when a strangled howl came from somewhere near the other orcs. The one holding her turned with a growl and Hope could see one of the orcs with an arrow in it's back.
Hope was dropped roughly and she saw the orcs gathering around their fallen comrade. Then, seemingly out of no where, more arrows met orc flesh, filling the night air with horrible screeches.
Hope felt exhaustion and pain creep upon her again. Her shoulder was ground deep into rock and dirt; bruises were rising from where the orc had kicked her.
Hope suddenly felt a warm, comforting hand on her cheek. She looked up and saw a pair of deep blue eyes set in a kind face. "It's alright, your safe now."
*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer : I don't own it. And if I said I did, you know what you would get from me? NOTHING!
A/N : hmm, I wonder who the 'deep blue eyes' belong to.
- By Hitchhiker
1.1
1.2 Chapter Two
There is no logical reason for misfortune. Thus, it must be part of my destiny.
- Zi Sang, Zhou Dynasty
*~*~*~*~*
Warmth slowly spread through Hope's body, and just as slowly, consciousness came to her as well. She found herself lying on her back on a large, flat boulder, rushing water sounding in her ears. Bright afternoon sunlight poured into her eyes, making her wince in pain.
Once her eyes were adjusted, Hope sat up, taking in the surroundings. It was most certainly not downtown L.A.
The boulder she lay upon was next to a large river. The river, although she didn't know, was called Loudwater. A light forest surrounded her on all sides, and no sign of civilization was in sight.
"Where in all the god damn hell a I?!" she cried, completely in the dark. "This isn't L.A. This looks like Canada! Sonovabitch!"
She stood up and started screaming at the top of her lungs, knowing full well it would accomplish absolutely nothing. It simply made her feel better.
Quite soon her throat couldn't take it anymore and she sat at the edge of the stone, digging in her pockets. "I have . . . a bunch of lint . . . a five dollar bill . . . and vanilla chap stick. Great, this is just great. Son . . . of . . . a bitch."
All she had else was her clothes and two items of jewelry: a Roman cross necklace given to her by her brother before going to college and her mother's ring. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to pour down her cheeks.
She stood and smacked herself on the forehead. "No," Hope cried aloud, "Get a grip on yourself. Don't panic, don't panic. Deep breaths. It's cool, everything is just fine. I'll just follow the river until I find some people. Or die."
Hope removed her coat and tied it securely around her waist. There was no need of it in the warm sunlight. She stared in the direction she faced for a moment, took a deep breath, and set to walking.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope hadn't known how late it was when she'd set out walking, and an hour later she found herself looking at a beautiful, but discouraging, sunset. Darkness would come soon and Hope was a born city girl: she knew nothing about camping.
"Damnit," she muttered, looking around for anything that resembled a shelter for the night. Nothing. "Son of a bitch."
She sat on a stone to rest, thinking of what to do nest. She could curl up under a tree and sleep that way. Hope rubbed her temples, trying to ease a recent headache. "God, I hate this." Hope suddenly caught a sound on the air. It was faint, but getting louder. It sounded like pounding, like a lot of people running.
Hope's heart rose and she stood up, facing looking to her left, the direction the sound was coming from. Then, just as the sun fell below the horizon, that which made the noise revealed itself over the rise.
Almost twenty misshapen monsters, growling and running toward her, shouting in horrible voices and brandishing black weapons.
"Sonovabitch," Hope muttered, her eyes a wide as could be. She turned and ran, clambering up the river bank and in to the trees. However fast she might have been, the creatures were faster and quickly over took her.
The closest reached out and grasped her arm; nails slashing her skin. He yanked back, and with a cry she was sent sprawling on the ground. He again reached for her, but out of panic her foot shot up and connected with his mouth.
The orc howled in anger and with his crooked, black teeth, bit into her shoulder, almost crushing the bone. Hope screamed in pain and was only saved by another of the monsters shoving the smaller of the two away from her, howling at him in their own language.
Hope whimpered, clutching her badly wounded arm, listening to the horrible sound of the orcs. The second seemed to be extremely angry with the first. After yelling at him for a moment, he motioned for another who came forth and bound Hope's wrists and ankles and gagged her.
Various howls and Hope squeezed her eyes shut. She felt callused hands and sharp claws dig into her arms and then being hoisted into the air and thrown over an orc's shoulder.
They began to run and Hope noticed that they were going in the same direction as she had been. She was utterly alone.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope was thrown roughly onto the ground a few hours later, still dark and still alone. She crawled as best she could with her hands and feet tied toward a tree, curling in it's roots. For a little while, she was left alone; the orcs seemed preoccupied with something else, but she was sure it had something to do with her.
The moon shone through the trees, dappling the ground with leaf-shaped shadows. Most of the orcs were a few yards away, some starting a fire, others passing around a some liquid in a skin. Hope whimpered and tried to ignore the jagged pains in her shoulder and arms.
'How could this happen?' she sobbed in her head, 'I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm in pain. What next,God? What next?'
Presently, and orc came up, snarling menacingly. "Get up," he growled in a harsh voice, accompanied by a sharp kick to her breastbone, "If you want water before we leave."
As desperately as Hope did want water, she found no strength in her to rise. She whimpered and the gag in her mouth stifled a cry of pain and fear, but the orc was already losing patience. He lashed out a hand, seizing her by her wounded shoulder and yanking her roughly to her feet.
He snarled and was about to say something when a strangled howl came from somewhere near the other orcs. The one holding her turned with a growl and Hope could see one of the orcs with an arrow in it's back.
Hope was dropped roughly and she saw the orcs gathering around their fallen comrade. Then, seemingly out of no where, more arrows met orc flesh, filling the night air with horrible screeches.
Hope felt exhaustion and pain creep upon her again. Her shoulder was ground deep into rock and dirt; bruises were rising from where the orc had kicked her.
Hope suddenly felt a warm, comforting hand on her cheek. She looked up and saw a pair of deep blue eyes set in a kind face. "It's alright, your safe now."
*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer : I don't own it. And if I said I did, you know what you would get from me? NOTHING!
A/N : hmm, I wonder who the 'deep blue eyes' belong to.