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)
12.
The pain in her hand did not dull as the time passed, and Isabella tried to keep her mind on other things to make it bearable. She thought of Calen and the prince, and with the heart of a warrior, decided that if she was to be Legolas' wife, then she would give herself completely to that role. Of course she longed for perfect, true love. But without it she could still live. After all, what warrior on the battlefield did not long for home? And not one of them would abandon his post to return there. Neither would she abandon her duty. That was just the way things had to be.
***
Calen peered over the edge of the bank into the river and saw nothing but the troubled waters.
"Are you sure that you heard her, Calen?" asked the prince.
"Yes," he said. "I swear to you that I did. But she is not here."
His friend called the rest of the party over and changed their plan. "We will look closely here, in this area. Call their names and listen carefully, for I feel that they are near. If we do not find them in ten minutes, then we will move on."
"Your Highness," interrupted one of the Elves from Forest River who had gone to investigate movement and sound nearby in the forest. "Forgive me, but a large group of your father's warriors waits just over that rise." He pointed deeper into the forest behind them. "Shall I enlist their help?"
He nodded. "Yes. They should join the search at once. Now go." Pulling Calen aside, he nodded. "You tell her the truth if you find her, Calen. She has suffered through our foolishness long enough."
Calen nodded. "As you wish. And you will do the same?"
"Of course."
***
"Does it hurt terribly?" asked Hwestawen softly as Isabella struggled against the urge to let go and shake free from the thorny branch.
The Lady could only nod, tears streaming down her face. "But I will not let go. I will not."
"I am sorry," whispered her cousin. "I wish it had been me who grabbed the branch."
"No use in wishing, Hwesta…"
The two were silent. They had tried multiple times to climb onto the shores of the river with no success, and they knew their only hope was to be found.
"Perhaps we should shout for help?"
Isabella shook her head. "We should only do so if we hear someone near. Otherwise our voices will give out."
Hwestawen nodded. "Then shall we sing? It will take your mind away from your hand."
***
The prince walked along the shore of the river slowly, his keen eyes searching, sharp ears listening. "Isabella!" he shouted. "Hwestawen!"
For five minutes he looked about, unable to find them though he felt in his heart that they were near. He sat down for a moment to think, perhaps to wait for the answer to come to him, and it was then that he heard it. The sound of two female Elven voices twined with the roar of the water. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there, and the prince leapt to his feet.
"Isabella!" he shouted more urgently, "Hwestawen!" Listening for a response and getting none, he followed his ears upstream a ways and then to the edge of the water. Their voices were loud now. He could hear the words that they sang. "Hello!"
The voices stopped short and then started up again, this time in excited yells. "Over here! We're over here!"
Through the bushes, he caught a glimpse of red hair and a hand deathly white and smeared with blood. "I see you and I am coming!" he shouted as he sprinted toward the two of them, his heart beating wildly with joy.
***
Isabella had never seen anything more wonderful than the face of the prince peering over the bank of the rushing river at her.
"Thank the Valar you are alive!" he exclaimed, taking firm hold of her wrist and carefully untangling her ravaged hand from the thorny branch. She could not help but cry out in agony as he did so and he apologized. "Forgive me, My Lady. It must be done."
"Just get us out of the water," she begged through her tears. "And please don't let us go. Our strength is all but gone, Your Highness."
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)
12.
The pain in her hand did not dull as the time passed, and Isabella tried to keep her mind on other things to make it bearable. She thought of Calen and the prince, and with the heart of a warrior, decided that if she was to be Legolas' wife, then she would give herself completely to that role. Of course she longed for perfect, true love. But without it she could still live. After all, what warrior on the battlefield did not long for home? And not one of them would abandon his post to return there. Neither would she abandon her duty. That was just the way things had to be.
***
Calen peered over the edge of the bank into the river and saw nothing but the troubled waters.
"Are you sure that you heard her, Calen?" asked the prince.
"Yes," he said. "I swear to you that I did. But she is not here."
His friend called the rest of the party over and changed their plan. "We will look closely here, in this area. Call their names and listen carefully, for I feel that they are near. If we do not find them in ten minutes, then we will move on."
"Your Highness," interrupted one of the Elves from Forest River who had gone to investigate movement and sound nearby in the forest. "Forgive me, but a large group of your father's warriors waits just over that rise." He pointed deeper into the forest behind them. "Shall I enlist their help?"
He nodded. "Yes. They should join the search at once. Now go." Pulling Calen aside, he nodded. "You tell her the truth if you find her, Calen. She has suffered through our foolishness long enough."
Calen nodded. "As you wish. And you will do the same?"
"Of course."
***
"Does it hurt terribly?" asked Hwestawen softly as Isabella struggled against the urge to let go and shake free from the thorny branch.
The Lady could only nod, tears streaming down her face. "But I will not let go. I will not."
"I am sorry," whispered her cousin. "I wish it had been me who grabbed the branch."
"No use in wishing, Hwesta…"
The two were silent. They had tried multiple times to climb onto the shores of the river with no success, and they knew their only hope was to be found.
"Perhaps we should shout for help?"
Isabella shook her head. "We should only do so if we hear someone near. Otherwise our voices will give out."
Hwestawen nodded. "Then shall we sing? It will take your mind away from your hand."
***
The prince walked along the shore of the river slowly, his keen eyes searching, sharp ears listening. "Isabella!" he shouted. "Hwestawen!"
For five minutes he looked about, unable to find them though he felt in his heart that they were near. He sat down for a moment to think, perhaps to wait for the answer to come to him, and it was then that he heard it. The sound of two female Elven voices twined with the roar of the water. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there, and the prince leapt to his feet.
"Isabella!" he shouted more urgently, "Hwestawen!" Listening for a response and getting none, he followed his ears upstream a ways and then to the edge of the water. Their voices were loud now. He could hear the words that they sang. "Hello!"
The voices stopped short and then started up again, this time in excited yells. "Over here! We're over here!"
Through the bushes, he caught a glimpse of red hair and a hand deathly white and smeared with blood. "I see you and I am coming!" he shouted as he sprinted toward the two of them, his heart beating wildly with joy.
***
Isabella had never seen anything more wonderful than the face of the prince peering over the bank of the rushing river at her.
"Thank the Valar you are alive!" he exclaimed, taking firm hold of her wrist and carefully untangling her ravaged hand from the thorny branch. She could not help but cry out in agony as he did so and he apologized. "Forgive me, My Lady. It must be done."
"Just get us out of the water," she begged through her tears. "And please don't let us go. Our strength is all but gone, Your Highness."