It was an hour after sun set; there was no moon out. Tarlammenion stared
out at the pitch black night; he couldn't even see his hand if he held it
right in front of his face. The fire went out about half an hour ago;
Tarlammenion did not dare to go in search of more firewood. The night was
dead silent save the occasional sound of rustling nearby. Tarlammenion's
breathing became sporadic; he began to sweat even though it was very cool
that night. He tried to swallow his fear.
"Every things all right," he said to himself, "There is nothing to fear." The night answered back with the sound of a snapping twig.
"It's only a rabbit or some other small animal," he said to himself in a shaky voice. He began to shiver. This is a bad idea, he thought, why did I come? I could be safe at home right now. Tarlammenion rarely ever ventured this far from home and he never stayed out at night. He thought he heard something in the distance, like voices. As they came closer he could make out what they were saying. They were calling for Legolas; Thranduil must have sent them out to look for him. Tarlammenion began to panic, if they were discovered their adventure would be over before it truly began. Despite his current state of fear he still longed for adventure. He got up and began to pace. Maybe, he thought, maybe I can go and distract them somehow. That's what I'll do, he decided. He started to run off, but someone grabbed him from behind, and held him tight. He tried to scream but a hand covered his mouth.
"Tarlammenion," a voice whispered in his ear, "Do not move, stay down, and stay quite." Tarlammenion suddenly realized that the voice belonged to Lintelossëwen. This realization did nothing to comfort him; he began to squirm. Lintelossëwen pinned him down to the ground.
"Listen to me," she whispered harshly, "It is too dark for anyone to see the nose on their face. If we stay down and quiet they will not find us. Do you understand? If you understand nod, and I will let you go" Tarlammenion nodded, and Lintelossëwen let him go. He glared angrily into the darkness.
"Go to sleep." Lintelossëwen said. "I'll take the next watch." Tarlammenion laid down on the ground, but he couldn't sleep.
Lintelossëwen looked out in to the darkness. She couldn't see any thing but her sharp ears picked up all sorts of sounds. She could hear Legolas' rhythmic breathing pattern. She could hear Tarlammenion turn restlessly, and she could hear elves searching in the distance. They were coming closer. She took a few steps, and peered through the brush. She could see tiny flickers of light; they had torches. She slowly crept closer to the intruders. She was about two yards away from her camp, if she strained her ears she could barely make out their conversation.
"Thranduil was furious when Aramelion told him that Legolas had run off," one of the elves said to his companion, "We're suppose to bring Legolas an Tarlammenion to Thranduil, and bring the dwarf and the strange elf to the dungeon." Lintelossëwen tensed up, she did not want to be thrown into a dungeon; she would not be thrown in a dungeon. There are only two of them, she thought, no one would find them till she and the rest of her company were long gone. All she would have to do is sneak up behind them, and she could snap their necks like twigs. She didn't want to do it, but she would if she had to. Lintelossëwen stood still and watched; her muscles twitched with anticipation. They were only a few steps away from nearly tripping over her sleeping company. She inched forward, prepared to make her move. But one of the elves stopped.
"This is pointless" he said, "We're never going to find them."
"You're right," the other elf agreed, "Let's go home." They turned around, and began to walk away. Lintelossëwen suddenly realized that she was holding her breath, she exhaled and relaxed. But as the elves were leaving Gimli stirred in his sleep, and mumbled something incoherently.
"What was that?" one of the elves asked. Lintelossëwen tensed up again.
"Nothing, probably just a small animal," His companion replied, and with that they left.
Lintelossëwen returned to the camp, she was feeling guilty for thinking about killing Legolas' pursuers. She had always been ashamed of her rashness; it had gotten her into trouble more than once. As if he could sense her conflict, Legolas woke up.
"What's wrong, Lintelossëwen?" He murmured softly.
"Nothing Legolas," Lintelossëwen replied, "Just go back to sleep."
Tarlammenion became vague aware that it was morning. He had been up all night; he could not sleep a wink. Not after what happened a couple nights. The way Lintelossëwen crept up on him. It sent shivers up his spine just thinking about it. He hadn't slept much since they set off, and now he was so tired that Legolas had to drag him out of bed. They had a very light breakfast, and were off on the road again. Lintelossëwen took the lead; Legolas and Gimli were a couple yards behind her, and Tarlammenion hung way back. Legolas slowed his pace till he was walking next to Tarlammenion.
"What's wrong?" Legolas whispered, giving Tarlammenion a look of concern.
"Legolas, Lintelossëwen is dangerous." Tarlammenion replied.
"Don't be so paranoid," Legolas said with a laugh.
"No, I'm serious." Tarlammenion said and he told Legolas what had transpired the night before.
"She scares me," he concluded. Legolas was silent as if he was deep in thought, after long deliberation, he finally spoke.
"I don't think she's really as terrifying as she makes her self out to be." Legolas said, "Please Tarlammenion, give her another chance. We have no choice, she's the only one who knows the way."
"Well, from now on I don't think we should have her take watch while we sleep. I don't trust her," Tarlammenion said, laying his long hand on the hilt of his long knife, "If she tries any thing I'll make her regret it."
"Ha, ha, ha" Lintelossëwen laughed, "I'd like to see that." Legolas and Tarlammenion turned around Lintelossëwen was standing behind them. She pushed past Tarlammenion and shoved him with her shoulder.
"How did she… She was…" Tarlammenion stammered. How did she do that, Tarlammenion wondered, she was ahead of the group one moment and behind them the next. He shuddered to think what else she was capable of.
"You see that," Tarlammenion cried. "She can't be trusted." He turned towards Legolas but he was gone. Tarlammenion looked up ahead, he could see his friend walking with Lintelossëwen.
*The characters Legolas, Gimli and Thrandiul are not my own; the are creations of J.R.R Tolkin.
"Every things all right," he said to himself, "There is nothing to fear." The night answered back with the sound of a snapping twig.
"It's only a rabbit or some other small animal," he said to himself in a shaky voice. He began to shiver. This is a bad idea, he thought, why did I come? I could be safe at home right now. Tarlammenion rarely ever ventured this far from home and he never stayed out at night. He thought he heard something in the distance, like voices. As they came closer he could make out what they were saying. They were calling for Legolas; Thranduil must have sent them out to look for him. Tarlammenion began to panic, if they were discovered their adventure would be over before it truly began. Despite his current state of fear he still longed for adventure. He got up and began to pace. Maybe, he thought, maybe I can go and distract them somehow. That's what I'll do, he decided. He started to run off, but someone grabbed him from behind, and held him tight. He tried to scream but a hand covered his mouth.
"Tarlammenion," a voice whispered in his ear, "Do not move, stay down, and stay quite." Tarlammenion suddenly realized that the voice belonged to Lintelossëwen. This realization did nothing to comfort him; he began to squirm. Lintelossëwen pinned him down to the ground.
"Listen to me," she whispered harshly, "It is too dark for anyone to see the nose on their face. If we stay down and quiet they will not find us. Do you understand? If you understand nod, and I will let you go" Tarlammenion nodded, and Lintelossëwen let him go. He glared angrily into the darkness.
"Go to sleep." Lintelossëwen said. "I'll take the next watch." Tarlammenion laid down on the ground, but he couldn't sleep.
Lintelossëwen looked out in to the darkness. She couldn't see any thing but her sharp ears picked up all sorts of sounds. She could hear Legolas' rhythmic breathing pattern. She could hear Tarlammenion turn restlessly, and she could hear elves searching in the distance. They were coming closer. She took a few steps, and peered through the brush. She could see tiny flickers of light; they had torches. She slowly crept closer to the intruders. She was about two yards away from her camp, if she strained her ears she could barely make out their conversation.
"Thranduil was furious when Aramelion told him that Legolas had run off," one of the elves said to his companion, "We're suppose to bring Legolas an Tarlammenion to Thranduil, and bring the dwarf and the strange elf to the dungeon." Lintelossëwen tensed up, she did not want to be thrown into a dungeon; she would not be thrown in a dungeon. There are only two of them, she thought, no one would find them till she and the rest of her company were long gone. All she would have to do is sneak up behind them, and she could snap their necks like twigs. She didn't want to do it, but she would if she had to. Lintelossëwen stood still and watched; her muscles twitched with anticipation. They were only a few steps away from nearly tripping over her sleeping company. She inched forward, prepared to make her move. But one of the elves stopped.
"This is pointless" he said, "We're never going to find them."
"You're right," the other elf agreed, "Let's go home." They turned around, and began to walk away. Lintelossëwen suddenly realized that she was holding her breath, she exhaled and relaxed. But as the elves were leaving Gimli stirred in his sleep, and mumbled something incoherently.
"What was that?" one of the elves asked. Lintelossëwen tensed up again.
"Nothing, probably just a small animal," His companion replied, and with that they left.
Lintelossëwen returned to the camp, she was feeling guilty for thinking about killing Legolas' pursuers. She had always been ashamed of her rashness; it had gotten her into trouble more than once. As if he could sense her conflict, Legolas woke up.
"What's wrong, Lintelossëwen?" He murmured softly.
"Nothing Legolas," Lintelossëwen replied, "Just go back to sleep."
Tarlammenion became vague aware that it was morning. He had been up all night; he could not sleep a wink. Not after what happened a couple nights. The way Lintelossëwen crept up on him. It sent shivers up his spine just thinking about it. He hadn't slept much since they set off, and now he was so tired that Legolas had to drag him out of bed. They had a very light breakfast, and were off on the road again. Lintelossëwen took the lead; Legolas and Gimli were a couple yards behind her, and Tarlammenion hung way back. Legolas slowed his pace till he was walking next to Tarlammenion.
"What's wrong?" Legolas whispered, giving Tarlammenion a look of concern.
"Legolas, Lintelossëwen is dangerous." Tarlammenion replied.
"Don't be so paranoid," Legolas said with a laugh.
"No, I'm serious." Tarlammenion said and he told Legolas what had transpired the night before.
"She scares me," he concluded. Legolas was silent as if he was deep in thought, after long deliberation, he finally spoke.
"I don't think she's really as terrifying as she makes her self out to be." Legolas said, "Please Tarlammenion, give her another chance. We have no choice, she's the only one who knows the way."
"Well, from now on I don't think we should have her take watch while we sleep. I don't trust her," Tarlammenion said, laying his long hand on the hilt of his long knife, "If she tries any thing I'll make her regret it."
"Ha, ha, ha" Lintelossëwen laughed, "I'd like to see that." Legolas and Tarlammenion turned around Lintelossëwen was standing behind them. She pushed past Tarlammenion and shoved him with her shoulder.
"How did she… She was…" Tarlammenion stammered. How did she do that, Tarlammenion wondered, she was ahead of the group one moment and behind them the next. He shuddered to think what else she was capable of.
"You see that," Tarlammenion cried. "She can't be trusted." He turned towards Legolas but he was gone. Tarlammenion looked up ahead, he could see his friend walking with Lintelossëwen.
*The characters Legolas, Gimli and Thrandiul are not my own; the are creations of J.R.R Tolkin.