RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
11.
The others watched in horror as Isabella threw herself into the raging river after her cousin. An alarmed shout issued from Calen's throat and he tried to follow but the prince held him back, enduring not a few curses and strikes from his friend's flailing hands. "No! Let me go! We cannot just let her drown!"
"You forget yourself, my friend. Be calm! If you throw yourself into the river you will only perish with them."
He turned and the two exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. "Branches!" shouted Calen. "Find long branches to pull them out!"
***
The icy water felt warm to Isabella at first because she was so cold, but its currents were strong. The river grabbed at her and tossed her about like a toy while she got her bearings, loosing her cloak and casting it aside. She wished she had thought to remove her boots before plunging into the water, for their waterlogged weight pulled her ever downward.
Hwestawen was managing to stay afloat just a few feet in front of her. "Isa! Isa help me!"
Isabella's heart pounded strongly in her chest, warmth rising in it and spreading throughout her body. "Just stay afloat, Hwesta! I am coming!" The sound of the water was deafening and she hoped her cousin had heard. She could do nothing but swim long strokes toward her, hoping to catch her hand. Then the two of them could figure out how to get out of this mess.
***
Before the others could do anything at all, the two Ladies had swept downstream and out of sight, and Calen was nearly mad with worry. "Just like her mother!" he shouted. "Just like her! Why?!"
"All is not lost," said Herudir. "She and my sister both swim well. They will put up a fight such that the river has never known."
On that note, armed with long branches and rope from their packs, they took off at a gallop downstream to try to catch a glimpse of the two Ladies.
***
Mere inches extended between their outstretched hands.
"Just a little closer!" shouted Isabella, struggling to move forward while Hwestawen fought to stall against the river's pull. Their fingertips touched briefly before they were sucked down a roiling rapid in two separate directions.
"Don't lose sight of me!" cried Hwestawen. "We will try again on the other side!"
Isabella shouted her agreement and battled to keep sight of her cousin as they both were bashed against rocks and forced underwater, gasping for breath when they came back up. Finally the water calmed a bit, though the currents still swirled and carried them faster than an Elf could run. Desperately, they fought their way toward one another and caught hands, crying in relief that they had at least accomplished this. Before they did anything else, they tied themselves together at the waist with a short length of rope Isabella had kept on her belt. Then they attempted to make their way to the edge of the river.
***
There was no sign of them anywhere. The search party galloped to and fro looking for them, but found only Isabella's sopping wet cloak.
"They are far down the river by now," said the prince. "See how fast the water flows? Come, we shall split into two groups. I, Calen, Herudir, and the party from Forest River will gallop ahead. You others, go more slowly and watch for them. They may be holding onto something in the river, or perhaps have made it out alive. Be thorough in your search. They must be found."
***
The river did not want to let the two she-Elves go. Currents pushed them toward the middle of the flood while they struggled mightily to reach the banks. Finally they did, but the flow was still so fast and strong that they could only grasp at branches and grass as they flew by. The branches broke and the grass simply slipped from their wet hands before they could pull themselves out of the water.
"We are doomed!" sobbed Hwestawen, tossing yet another handful of twigs into the water.
"Do not give up so easily," said Isabella. "Surely the others pursue us."
"Unless they think us dead."
"Your brother would have told them otherwise," she assured her, still desperately grasping at anything she could reach. She even grabbed at the earth, succeeding in nothing but obtaining a handful of mud.
The river's banks began to rise a little steeply on either side, and at last, Isabella caught hold of the branch of a bramble bush.
The jerk when they stopped their forward motion jarred them, and Isabella cried out in pain as the long, needle-like thorns on the branch pierced her skin. Yet she did not let go, nor could she for the thorns bore deep. Blood seeped from her wounds and dripped down her arm into the water and she clung to the bramble bush for dear life, her cousin drawing near to give some slack to the rope that stretched between them. Huddling together, the two Ladies wept tears of joy for another small victory. Now they had only to figure out how to climb out of the water, for the banks were steep and slick, even though they were not very high.
"I've never been so frightened," whispered Hwestawen.
Isabella did not answer as scenes from her mother's demise played again and again in her mind. Had Liriliel struggled in the river's icy grip the same way that they were now, only to be lost forever? "You'll not win!" she shouted at the river in rage. Her hand was throbbing, the thorns ripping cruelly into her flesh each time she attempted a better grip. "Do you hear me? You will not devour us!"
***
"Did you hear that?" asked Calen, circling his horse around. They had been galloping hard for nearly an hour.
"What did you hear?" asked the prince.
"A shout," he replied, "Isabella's fair voice shouting. Let us pray that it was not a trick of the river. Come!" He dismounted and ran to the water's edge, his party close behind him.
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
11.
The others watched in horror as Isabella threw herself into the raging river after her cousin. An alarmed shout issued from Calen's throat and he tried to follow but the prince held him back, enduring not a few curses and strikes from his friend's flailing hands. "No! Let me go! We cannot just let her drown!"
"You forget yourself, my friend. Be calm! If you throw yourself into the river you will only perish with them."
He turned and the two exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. "Branches!" shouted Calen. "Find long branches to pull them out!"
***
The icy water felt warm to Isabella at first because she was so cold, but its currents were strong. The river grabbed at her and tossed her about like a toy while she got her bearings, loosing her cloak and casting it aside. She wished she had thought to remove her boots before plunging into the water, for their waterlogged weight pulled her ever downward.
Hwestawen was managing to stay afloat just a few feet in front of her. "Isa! Isa help me!"
Isabella's heart pounded strongly in her chest, warmth rising in it and spreading throughout her body. "Just stay afloat, Hwesta! I am coming!" The sound of the water was deafening and she hoped her cousin had heard. She could do nothing but swim long strokes toward her, hoping to catch her hand. Then the two of them could figure out how to get out of this mess.
***
Before the others could do anything at all, the two Ladies had swept downstream and out of sight, and Calen was nearly mad with worry. "Just like her mother!" he shouted. "Just like her! Why?!"
"All is not lost," said Herudir. "She and my sister both swim well. They will put up a fight such that the river has never known."
On that note, armed with long branches and rope from their packs, they took off at a gallop downstream to try to catch a glimpse of the two Ladies.
***
Mere inches extended between their outstretched hands.
"Just a little closer!" shouted Isabella, struggling to move forward while Hwestawen fought to stall against the river's pull. Their fingertips touched briefly before they were sucked down a roiling rapid in two separate directions.
"Don't lose sight of me!" cried Hwestawen. "We will try again on the other side!"
Isabella shouted her agreement and battled to keep sight of her cousin as they both were bashed against rocks and forced underwater, gasping for breath when they came back up. Finally the water calmed a bit, though the currents still swirled and carried them faster than an Elf could run. Desperately, they fought their way toward one another and caught hands, crying in relief that they had at least accomplished this. Before they did anything else, they tied themselves together at the waist with a short length of rope Isabella had kept on her belt. Then they attempted to make their way to the edge of the river.
***
There was no sign of them anywhere. The search party galloped to and fro looking for them, but found only Isabella's sopping wet cloak.
"They are far down the river by now," said the prince. "See how fast the water flows? Come, we shall split into two groups. I, Calen, Herudir, and the party from Forest River will gallop ahead. You others, go more slowly and watch for them. They may be holding onto something in the river, or perhaps have made it out alive. Be thorough in your search. They must be found."
***
The river did not want to let the two she-Elves go. Currents pushed them toward the middle of the flood while they struggled mightily to reach the banks. Finally they did, but the flow was still so fast and strong that they could only grasp at branches and grass as they flew by. The branches broke and the grass simply slipped from their wet hands before they could pull themselves out of the water.
"We are doomed!" sobbed Hwestawen, tossing yet another handful of twigs into the water.
"Do not give up so easily," said Isabella. "Surely the others pursue us."
"Unless they think us dead."
"Your brother would have told them otherwise," she assured her, still desperately grasping at anything she could reach. She even grabbed at the earth, succeeding in nothing but obtaining a handful of mud.
The river's banks began to rise a little steeply on either side, and at last, Isabella caught hold of the branch of a bramble bush.
The jerk when they stopped their forward motion jarred them, and Isabella cried out in pain as the long, needle-like thorns on the branch pierced her skin. Yet she did not let go, nor could she for the thorns bore deep. Blood seeped from her wounds and dripped down her arm into the water and she clung to the bramble bush for dear life, her cousin drawing near to give some slack to the rope that stretched between them. Huddling together, the two Ladies wept tears of joy for another small victory. Now they had only to figure out how to climb out of the water, for the banks were steep and slick, even though they were not very high.
"I've never been so frightened," whispered Hwestawen.
Isabella did not answer as scenes from her mother's demise played again and again in her mind. Had Liriliel struggled in the river's icy grip the same way that they were now, only to be lost forever? "You'll not win!" she shouted at the river in rage. Her hand was throbbing, the thorns ripping cruelly into her flesh each time she attempted a better grip. "Do you hear me? You will not devour us!"
***
"Did you hear that?" asked Calen, circling his horse around. They had been galloping hard for nearly an hour.
"What did you hear?" asked the prince.
"A shout," he replied, "Isabella's fair voice shouting. Let us pray that it was not a trick of the river. Come!" He dismounted and ran to the water's edge, his party close behind him.