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Everlasting Road ch. 22
Special Note: This chapter dedicated to Analorien, feel better soon!
The moon rose high in the black sky, and still Legolas hung on in the tree. He dared to breathe, striving to make no sound. The warg still lay at the base of the tree. Legolas could see well enough in the moonlight to see the huge creature, and that it was asleep. But Legolas would not risk trying to get down with it asleep. And he could not stay up here for the rest of his life, either. Something had to happen, and he figured that the only thing to happen would have to be done on his part.
Legolas extended his hearing, the warg's breath was very slow and deep, it was assuredly asleep. But that meant nothing, its sensitive hearing matched his own. If Legolas was to do anything, it would have to be done absolutely silently.
Carefully, Legolas stretched his cramped muscles and pulled himself into a precarious crouching position on top of a branch. He reached out a hand to steady himself on another branch. Legolas glanced at his surroundings. Leaping to the ground was out of the question, that would definitely wake up the warg. The only other option was to fly, and that seemed out of the question as well, or was it? Legolas spied out the nearest tree to his. It was about ten feet away. He could possibly jump from his tree into that one and continue on until he was at a safe enough distance to reach the ground. It seemed like a foolish plan at best, but Legolas decided it was better than nothing.
Slowly, Legolas inched out along the branch. He wanted to get as near as possible before making the leap. The tree swayed underneath his weight, but made no sound. Still, Legolas stopped and held his breath, wondering if the warg would be able to feel the vibrations. Not a sign from the creature. Legolas continued carefully on.
Legolas had reached the farthest point he could get to. If he went any farther, the slender branch would break under his weight. Legolas steadied his breathing and tensed his muscles, focusing only on the tree in front of him, specifically a branch that looked like it would easily accommodate his weight. With one last glance at the still sleeping warg, Legolas launched himself off of the branch and into the air. His legs were powerful, and easily brought him to the next tree. A little too powerful, for he missed the spot he had wanted to land on and resulted in landing awkwardly amidst the middle of the tree. His body slammed against the trunk and his breath hissed out of him involuntarily. Legolas clung onto the trunk, his arms and legs spread wide as if he was a large insect, and did not move a muscle. He strained his ears to pick up any sounds that the warg had heard him hit the tree. There was nothing. After five agonizing seconds of silence, Legolas allowed himself to turn his head over his shoulder. The warg was still asleep.
Legolas breathed a silent sigh of relief and started to climb up into the tree, to the outermost branches that were closest to the next available tree. This time, the trees were closer and Legolas would be able to reach out and swing into it without risking a jump. Legolas easily swung into it and started onto the next tree. He was beginning to feel good about himself, thinking that he would be safe in no time.
Just as Legolas was calculating the next jump, the next tree would require a further jump than the first one, the warg suddenly snorted and woke up. Legolas quickly recoiled back into the foliage of the tree he was in, but the sudden movement caused a twig to snap. The warg heard it and looked over in Legolas' general direction, but then turned his head away. He had heard something else that interested him more.
Legolas puzzled over the warg turning away, down towards the path Legolas had originally come from. After a short period of time, Legolas was able to faintly hear the sounds of the rest of the pack, they were coming. The warg that had lain at Legolas' tree stood and his tail wagged slightly in anticipation of the arrival of the rest of the pack. They were finally catching up and answering his call. Then they could all figure out what kind of creature had come here with a scent but then left without one.
Legolas was frozen in his tree and felt a small wave of fear when the warg opened its jowls and let out a howl. The howl was immediately answered by several, and in no time several wargs bounded into the clearing. They met the solitary warg in comradely fashion, sniffing noses and wagging tails, acting, Legolas thought with some interest, like natural wolves. But they all stilled when a certain warg entered the clearing.
This warg was bigger than all the others, certainly he would be as tall as Legolas if he reared on his hind legs. He was old, with many battle scars telling of experience. His gray coat was matted down with mud, sweat, and blood, some of it fresh though Legolas was pretty sure it was not his own. This was clearly the leader of the wargs. It strode purposefully up to the warg that had been scouting ahead and stood directly in front of it. There was no wagging tails or other wolf signs shown. The other wargs melted away from the pair, giving them plenty of room.
The leader sniffed at the scout warg, as if in disdain. The scout warg looked down, afraid to meet the leader's gaze. Vaguely, Legolas noted that other wargs had entered the clearing, but these were a lot smaller and greater in number, and did not look particularly thrilled to be there. Natural wolves, not wargs. Legolas turned his attention back to the leader and scout.
Communication seemed to pass, though neither made a sound, and the leader promptly put his nose to the ground. He caught the scent immediately, then threw his head up to the scout and growled in admonishment. The scout seemed surprised and backed off a few paces before the leader leapt onto him. It was a single, fluid motion, and even Legolas had to admire the power and grace of such a large creature that looked like it would have difficulty moving about. The leader bit deeply into the scout's mane, and it yelped. The leader reared up onto its hind legs and shook the scout like a rag doll before throwing it aside. The scout yelped again when it landed heavily on its side and made no effort to get up.
The leader put its nose back to the scent, then immediately reared up onto the trunk of the tree Legolas had originally been in. This warg was the smartest, and it had figured out right away what must have happened to the quarry. It had punished the scout for being so stupid as to not figure it out as well.
The leader leaned against the tree with its forepaws and gazed up into it. There was nothing there. It sniffed deeply, and then dropped down and began to move slowly towards the next tree, its nose in the air the entire time.
Legolas drew in a sharp breath, this warg was tracking him. All the other wargs and wolves were following the movements of the leader. Legolas decided to not waste any time and threw himself desperately at the next tree. He had to get out of here, now, before the leader caught up to him. Legolas landed awkwardly, with a branch catching him on the stomach and leaving his feet dangling, trying to find a hold. Quickly, they found a lower branch and Legolas hauled himself up, scrambling to get to the next tree. Thankfully, Legolas was able to swing into the next three trees. Legolas glanced back before he had to jump into the next tree. The wargs were farther behind, but the leader was now moving more quickly, its nose in the air and gaze upon the trees. It was coming towards Legolas, and the entire pack was behind it, following him.
Legolas turned back to the next tree and, in his haste, jumped before routing out where he was to land. As a result, Legolas hit the next tree, but his grasp only found one branch to grab onto, with nothing for his feet. And much to his dismay, Legolas heard the branch snap above him and he felt himself start to fall. Legolas scrabbled frantically, trying to find any kind of hold, but his hands only scraped at a few small branches. Gravity plunged him down, and when he finally realized that he was not going to find a hold, Legolas tried to bring his feet underneath him. But it was too late, and with a loud noise, Legolas crashed to the ground on his side.
Everlasting Road ch. 22
Special Note: This chapter dedicated to Analorien, feel better soon!
The moon rose high in the black sky, and still Legolas hung on in the tree. He dared to breathe, striving to make no sound. The warg still lay at the base of the tree. Legolas could see well enough in the moonlight to see the huge creature, and that it was asleep. But Legolas would not risk trying to get down with it asleep. And he could not stay up here for the rest of his life, either. Something had to happen, and he figured that the only thing to happen would have to be done on his part.
Legolas extended his hearing, the warg's breath was very slow and deep, it was assuredly asleep. But that meant nothing, its sensitive hearing matched his own. If Legolas was to do anything, it would have to be done absolutely silently.
Carefully, Legolas stretched his cramped muscles and pulled himself into a precarious crouching position on top of a branch. He reached out a hand to steady himself on another branch. Legolas glanced at his surroundings. Leaping to the ground was out of the question, that would definitely wake up the warg. The only other option was to fly, and that seemed out of the question as well, or was it? Legolas spied out the nearest tree to his. It was about ten feet away. He could possibly jump from his tree into that one and continue on until he was at a safe enough distance to reach the ground. It seemed like a foolish plan at best, but Legolas decided it was better than nothing.
Slowly, Legolas inched out along the branch. He wanted to get as near as possible before making the leap. The tree swayed underneath his weight, but made no sound. Still, Legolas stopped and held his breath, wondering if the warg would be able to feel the vibrations. Not a sign from the creature. Legolas continued carefully on.
Legolas had reached the farthest point he could get to. If he went any farther, the slender branch would break under his weight. Legolas steadied his breathing and tensed his muscles, focusing only on the tree in front of him, specifically a branch that looked like it would easily accommodate his weight. With one last glance at the still sleeping warg, Legolas launched himself off of the branch and into the air. His legs were powerful, and easily brought him to the next tree. A little too powerful, for he missed the spot he had wanted to land on and resulted in landing awkwardly amidst the middle of the tree. His body slammed against the trunk and his breath hissed out of him involuntarily. Legolas clung onto the trunk, his arms and legs spread wide as if he was a large insect, and did not move a muscle. He strained his ears to pick up any sounds that the warg had heard him hit the tree. There was nothing. After five agonizing seconds of silence, Legolas allowed himself to turn his head over his shoulder. The warg was still asleep.
Legolas breathed a silent sigh of relief and started to climb up into the tree, to the outermost branches that were closest to the next available tree. This time, the trees were closer and Legolas would be able to reach out and swing into it without risking a jump. Legolas easily swung into it and started onto the next tree. He was beginning to feel good about himself, thinking that he would be safe in no time.
Just as Legolas was calculating the next jump, the next tree would require a further jump than the first one, the warg suddenly snorted and woke up. Legolas quickly recoiled back into the foliage of the tree he was in, but the sudden movement caused a twig to snap. The warg heard it and looked over in Legolas' general direction, but then turned his head away. He had heard something else that interested him more.
Legolas puzzled over the warg turning away, down towards the path Legolas had originally come from. After a short period of time, Legolas was able to faintly hear the sounds of the rest of the pack, they were coming. The warg that had lain at Legolas' tree stood and his tail wagged slightly in anticipation of the arrival of the rest of the pack. They were finally catching up and answering his call. Then they could all figure out what kind of creature had come here with a scent but then left without one.
Legolas was frozen in his tree and felt a small wave of fear when the warg opened its jowls and let out a howl. The howl was immediately answered by several, and in no time several wargs bounded into the clearing. They met the solitary warg in comradely fashion, sniffing noses and wagging tails, acting, Legolas thought with some interest, like natural wolves. But they all stilled when a certain warg entered the clearing.
This warg was bigger than all the others, certainly he would be as tall as Legolas if he reared on his hind legs. He was old, with many battle scars telling of experience. His gray coat was matted down with mud, sweat, and blood, some of it fresh though Legolas was pretty sure it was not his own. This was clearly the leader of the wargs. It strode purposefully up to the warg that had been scouting ahead and stood directly in front of it. There was no wagging tails or other wolf signs shown. The other wargs melted away from the pair, giving them plenty of room.
The leader sniffed at the scout warg, as if in disdain. The scout warg looked down, afraid to meet the leader's gaze. Vaguely, Legolas noted that other wargs had entered the clearing, but these were a lot smaller and greater in number, and did not look particularly thrilled to be there. Natural wolves, not wargs. Legolas turned his attention back to the leader and scout.
Communication seemed to pass, though neither made a sound, and the leader promptly put his nose to the ground. He caught the scent immediately, then threw his head up to the scout and growled in admonishment. The scout seemed surprised and backed off a few paces before the leader leapt onto him. It was a single, fluid motion, and even Legolas had to admire the power and grace of such a large creature that looked like it would have difficulty moving about. The leader bit deeply into the scout's mane, and it yelped. The leader reared up onto its hind legs and shook the scout like a rag doll before throwing it aside. The scout yelped again when it landed heavily on its side and made no effort to get up.
The leader put its nose back to the scent, then immediately reared up onto the trunk of the tree Legolas had originally been in. This warg was the smartest, and it had figured out right away what must have happened to the quarry. It had punished the scout for being so stupid as to not figure it out as well.
The leader leaned against the tree with its forepaws and gazed up into it. There was nothing there. It sniffed deeply, and then dropped down and began to move slowly towards the next tree, its nose in the air the entire time.
Legolas drew in a sharp breath, this warg was tracking him. All the other wargs and wolves were following the movements of the leader. Legolas decided to not waste any time and threw himself desperately at the next tree. He had to get out of here, now, before the leader caught up to him. Legolas landed awkwardly, with a branch catching him on the stomach and leaving his feet dangling, trying to find a hold. Quickly, they found a lower branch and Legolas hauled himself up, scrambling to get to the next tree. Thankfully, Legolas was able to swing into the next three trees. Legolas glanced back before he had to jump into the next tree. The wargs were farther behind, but the leader was now moving more quickly, its nose in the air and gaze upon the trees. It was coming towards Legolas, and the entire pack was behind it, following him.
Legolas turned back to the next tree and, in his haste, jumped before routing out where he was to land. As a result, Legolas hit the next tree, but his grasp only found one branch to grab onto, with nothing for his feet. And much to his dismay, Legolas heard the branch snap above him and he felt himself start to fall. Legolas scrabbled frantically, trying to find any kind of hold, but his hands only scraped at a few small branches. Gravity plunged him down, and when he finally realized that he was not going to find a hold, Legolas tried to bring his feet underneath him. But it was too late, and with a loud noise, Legolas crashed to the ground on his side.