Chapter Seven
"I am so glad to see you have accepted, we shall enjoy your company upon the hunt." A familiar voice greeted her as she rode up to the small band of ten elves waiting to depart from the city gates.
"Limlias!" She smiled and rode up next to him. He laughed in return, his golden hair catching the noonday sunlight and his voice sounding of bird's song.
"The story of you pinning Haluin to a tree has become famous amongst us hunters of the realm, we should like to see you do it again." Limlias smiled, as it was Candria's turn to laugh.
"Perhaps we shall have the chance, if Haluin returns to the city, I shall show you my trick." Candria turned at her waist to see Legolas riding up behind them, apparently joining the fray. Limlias recounted Candria's greeting upon Haluin's entering of the Lorien forests. Limlias grinned as he offhandedly remarked that Candria was the finest archer he had ever seen, her shot had been one in a thousand. Legolas smiled as well, his eyes full of respect for Candria as she brushed the compliment away, commenting that the moon had simply been to her advantage.
"We shall see how fine your hunting skills are my Lady, the orc host had been sighted not two days ago near our south east border, come, let us ride." Legolas turned his cream colored horse towards the city gates and spurned him on, quickly followed by Limlias, Candria, Sandrui and Jindrui of the house of Minithis, Haldras of the Nundori family, Faldras of the house of Griduin, and three brothers from the wood-elves that had moved from the southern parts of Greenwood into Thranduil's care; Beli, Hali, and Goli.
They traveled quickly along the direct road that led for a short distance into the forest, the sounds and smells of the city left far behind as they were replaced with the life of the trees around them. After a time the road began to split into many paths, some leading into darkness and wandering, some to the borders of the forest and beyond. It was here that the riders left the road and began to track the orcs that had been seen near the crossroads.
The group looked for signs until well into dusk, not a trace had been found in the thick growth of the trees. It was when the night had fallen that Legolas called the hunters to his side to examine a fresh set of tracks he had found near the bank of a small spring.
"What do you make of these? They are from no creature that I have a memory of." Legolas pointed to the curious footprints, which indeed, none among the party could match a beast to. Goli, the youngest of the three brothers from the south spoke after observing the print that he had seen one like it, but of a smaller size when he had hunted in south Greenwood.
"See how the feet have only three toes, and claws have turned the earth as it walked past here? It seems to have been traveling that way." Faldras pointed eastward, his eyes fixed on Legolas. It was the leader's decision as to whether they would travel onward in the danger of the night with an unaccounted for orc hoard somewhere in the forest.
"Let us track this beast, friend or foe this mysterious being must be accounted for if not captured." Just as he threw his leg upon his horse he toppled off, an arrow caught in his shoulder.
"Yrch!" Limlias strung his bow with the speed of lightning as Candria loosed an arrow that struck the orc that had been hiding in the boughs of a nearby tree. The elves stood as still and as silent as statues, waiting to hear the movement of the orcs.
"He was alone, a spy no doubt." Candria lowered her bow and ran over to where Legolas lay. His wound was not serious, but his face was filled with shock as he clutched the arrow lodged in his shoulder.
"Don't." Candria pulled his hand off the shaft and pulled off her gloves. "Limlias, find something for me to use as a pressure for his shoulder." She grasped the arrow with her right hand and pressed downwards on his shoulder with her left as she quickly pulled it out with one swift movement. At this Legolas' face contorted with pain and although he made no sound, Candria saw a single tear fall from his eye as he closed them and turned away from his shoulder.
While she waited for Limlias to return, Candria examined the arrow, and coming to the conclusion it was not poisoned, merely crudely fashioned, she sighed with relief. Limlias ran up beside her and handed her a small swath of soft cloth he had left with his cloak.
Candria pulled open Legolas' shirt and put her fingers against the cut to stop the bleeding. As soon as her hand touched his chest Legolas breathed in deeply and quickly, arching his back and raising off the ground; then, just as suddenly, he laid back down again, his breathing now deeper. For the first time Candria felt her power flowing from her fingers into his body, his eyes were wide open again and staring at her as she lifted her now bloody fingertips and pressed the cloth onto the wound. It had stopped bleeding, but the cut was still open and Candria did not trust it enough to leave it alone. She pulled a long strip of material from the leather pouch she carried about her waist and tied the square of cloth to his shoulder.
Legolas sat up, not removing his eyes from Candria, but touching the patch on his shoulder with his fingers. She stood up, unsure of what to do or say. He turned his deep blue eyes from her and looked at his shoulder. With one movement, Legolas pulled the cloth off his shoulder to reveal no wound at all! It was as though there had never been an arrow in his shoulder, as if the cut had never been. He looked back quickly at Candria, who stepped away in sudden fear. She pulled her gloves back onto her hands, not removing her eyes from the flawless skin of his shoulder.
"So it is true." Limlias whispered as he looked over Candria's shoulder at Legolas, and then back at Candria. She turned from Legolas to Limlias, both now staring at her and as she turned around, she found the entire company was silent, all regarding her with looks of astonishment.
"Come," Legolas stood on his feet and refastened his shirt, "We still have work to do. That orc was a scout for his company, they cannot be far away." He mounted his horse and pulled his cloak over his shoulders, still touching the hole in the material where the arrow had pierced.
"My Lady," Sandrui offered her his hand to help her upon Moreaui, but she dared not touch him. Candria thanked him for his offer and jumped upon Moreaui, still shaking from fear of her power as she whispered softly for him to walk.
"I am so glad to see you have accepted, we shall enjoy your company upon the hunt." A familiar voice greeted her as she rode up to the small band of ten elves waiting to depart from the city gates.
"Limlias!" She smiled and rode up next to him. He laughed in return, his golden hair catching the noonday sunlight and his voice sounding of bird's song.
"The story of you pinning Haluin to a tree has become famous amongst us hunters of the realm, we should like to see you do it again." Limlias smiled, as it was Candria's turn to laugh.
"Perhaps we shall have the chance, if Haluin returns to the city, I shall show you my trick." Candria turned at her waist to see Legolas riding up behind them, apparently joining the fray. Limlias recounted Candria's greeting upon Haluin's entering of the Lorien forests. Limlias grinned as he offhandedly remarked that Candria was the finest archer he had ever seen, her shot had been one in a thousand. Legolas smiled as well, his eyes full of respect for Candria as she brushed the compliment away, commenting that the moon had simply been to her advantage.
"We shall see how fine your hunting skills are my Lady, the orc host had been sighted not two days ago near our south east border, come, let us ride." Legolas turned his cream colored horse towards the city gates and spurned him on, quickly followed by Limlias, Candria, Sandrui and Jindrui of the house of Minithis, Haldras of the Nundori family, Faldras of the house of Griduin, and three brothers from the wood-elves that had moved from the southern parts of Greenwood into Thranduil's care; Beli, Hali, and Goli.
They traveled quickly along the direct road that led for a short distance into the forest, the sounds and smells of the city left far behind as they were replaced with the life of the trees around them. After a time the road began to split into many paths, some leading into darkness and wandering, some to the borders of the forest and beyond. It was here that the riders left the road and began to track the orcs that had been seen near the crossroads.
The group looked for signs until well into dusk, not a trace had been found in the thick growth of the trees. It was when the night had fallen that Legolas called the hunters to his side to examine a fresh set of tracks he had found near the bank of a small spring.
"What do you make of these? They are from no creature that I have a memory of." Legolas pointed to the curious footprints, which indeed, none among the party could match a beast to. Goli, the youngest of the three brothers from the south spoke after observing the print that he had seen one like it, but of a smaller size when he had hunted in south Greenwood.
"See how the feet have only three toes, and claws have turned the earth as it walked past here? It seems to have been traveling that way." Faldras pointed eastward, his eyes fixed on Legolas. It was the leader's decision as to whether they would travel onward in the danger of the night with an unaccounted for orc hoard somewhere in the forest.
"Let us track this beast, friend or foe this mysterious being must be accounted for if not captured." Just as he threw his leg upon his horse he toppled off, an arrow caught in his shoulder.
"Yrch!" Limlias strung his bow with the speed of lightning as Candria loosed an arrow that struck the orc that had been hiding in the boughs of a nearby tree. The elves stood as still and as silent as statues, waiting to hear the movement of the orcs.
"He was alone, a spy no doubt." Candria lowered her bow and ran over to where Legolas lay. His wound was not serious, but his face was filled with shock as he clutched the arrow lodged in his shoulder.
"Don't." Candria pulled his hand off the shaft and pulled off her gloves. "Limlias, find something for me to use as a pressure for his shoulder." She grasped the arrow with her right hand and pressed downwards on his shoulder with her left as she quickly pulled it out with one swift movement. At this Legolas' face contorted with pain and although he made no sound, Candria saw a single tear fall from his eye as he closed them and turned away from his shoulder.
While she waited for Limlias to return, Candria examined the arrow, and coming to the conclusion it was not poisoned, merely crudely fashioned, she sighed with relief. Limlias ran up beside her and handed her a small swath of soft cloth he had left with his cloak.
Candria pulled open Legolas' shirt and put her fingers against the cut to stop the bleeding. As soon as her hand touched his chest Legolas breathed in deeply and quickly, arching his back and raising off the ground; then, just as suddenly, he laid back down again, his breathing now deeper. For the first time Candria felt her power flowing from her fingers into his body, his eyes were wide open again and staring at her as she lifted her now bloody fingertips and pressed the cloth onto the wound. It had stopped bleeding, but the cut was still open and Candria did not trust it enough to leave it alone. She pulled a long strip of material from the leather pouch she carried about her waist and tied the square of cloth to his shoulder.
Legolas sat up, not removing his eyes from Candria, but touching the patch on his shoulder with his fingers. She stood up, unsure of what to do or say. He turned his deep blue eyes from her and looked at his shoulder. With one movement, Legolas pulled the cloth off his shoulder to reveal no wound at all! It was as though there had never been an arrow in his shoulder, as if the cut had never been. He looked back quickly at Candria, who stepped away in sudden fear. She pulled her gloves back onto her hands, not removing her eyes from the flawless skin of his shoulder.
"So it is true." Limlias whispered as he looked over Candria's shoulder at Legolas, and then back at Candria. She turned from Legolas to Limlias, both now staring at her and as she turned around, she found the entire company was silent, all regarding her with looks of astonishment.
"Come," Legolas stood on his feet and refastened his shirt, "We still have work to do. That orc was a scout for his company, they cannot be far away." He mounted his horse and pulled his cloak over his shoulders, still touching the hole in the material where the arrow had pierced.
"My Lady," Sandrui offered her his hand to help her upon Moreaui, but she dared not touch him. Candria thanked him for his offer and jumped upon Moreaui, still shaking from fear of her power as she whispered softly for him to walk.