OK, now that I have figured out how to do this, the chapters will come out (Hint: Cheering!) Peachy? Good, Now, on with it! Oh yeah, The song at the end is from The fellowship of the ring, and I don't own it, or the characters
**
They were here. She could feel it. The trees wailed as they were chopped and hacked by crude knives. The streams wept as the dirty feet of the orcs tracked through its clear water. Their stench rose to meet her on the wind. Every good creature burrowed, flew, or ran as far away as they could from them, as they came ever closer. She was running, as fast as she could, but knew it would never be fast enough, they were here. An unreasoning feeling of terror took her heart as she raced through the gardens. She was nearly to the treeline. The palace was ready; she had passed it, but had not dared to look at it. Her only goal right now was the trees. If she could reach them, she would be safe. She reached the treeline and sighed in relief as she ran. Suddenly, screams tore through the still night air. The only thing that she could think was that they were here. She cringed as more screams ripped the silence, she was too late. The guards had been caught at unawares. She heard the sounds of battle, and sadly realized that it was too late to go to their aid. She would be shot before she would be able to do anything. Reaching a tree, she leaped to the branches. Continuing along the treetops, the noise and chaos was suddenly under her. She stopped climbing. If any orc looked up now, they would see her. They passed under, and Annundaeiel, crouching silently on a branch, listened to them rejoicing in the kill. Their high pitched voices pierced the night as trouped to the palace, she prayed that they were truly ready.
Finally, the lines of orcs were gone, and she sat in terrible silence yet again, until she heard a cry from where the orcs had come. Dropping to the ground again, she swiftly ran to the glade. It was a large glade, almost like a field, with a lone pine tree that thrust itself to the sky in the middle. I was difficult to see, as the clouds had come back. When her eyes had adjusted, and she could see, she desperately wished that she were nearly blind again. The bodies of the guards lay scattered on the ground, some desecrated, some left. Slowly she made her way through the bodies, trying to feel some trace of life. She finally found one, the captain, who was leaning at the base of the tree. When she turned him over however, she saw that it was too late. His breathing was extremely shallow, and his heartbeat was slow and irregular. She could barely feel the life within him. However, in her opinion, no one should have to die alone, so she sat with him until his heartbeat was no longer there. She sat there a while longer, until a small groan drew her attention upwards. Rising and looking up, she saw a huddled form in a fork in the tree. Thinking it to be gollum, she held her hands up and called softly to him.
"Gollum, the orcs have gone, come down now."
Instead of the hissing voice of gollum, Nilcrabnion, his voice barely above a whisper from pain, greeted her instead.
"Gollum is gone milady. He took off soon after the orcs."
Surprised, Annundaeiel climbed to the branch that he was on. He had taken the largest high branch, but the arrows still bit deep into his side. Blood still oozed out of the many wounds. Sadly, she realized that the arrows were poisoned, and that he would die soon. Thinking it better that he be on the ground, she carefully brought him down.
"Nilcrabnion, what happened?"
He looked at her, his eyes glazed over, she realized that he could not see her, the poison had rendered him blind. As she laid him down, he winced.
"We were asleep, they took us by surprise. Gollum had refused to come down, and so we just guarded the bottom, It was our own fault."
He paused, his breathing growing labored. Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she left the arrows where they were. All she could do now was comfort him in passing and pulling the arrows out would only cause pain.
"When they came, we fought as best we could, but there were too many. I climbed up the tree for a better shot, but I was the target, in the end. After they had killed the rest, they taunted me, telling me to come and join my friends. After shooting me many times, they gave up and continued on."
When he had finished, Nilcrabnion sank down, exhausted. Annundaeiel could do nothing but hold his hand, and stroke his face, letting him know that someone was still there. His voice, now a whisper, broke the silence.
"Madam?"
"Yes?"
"I will not survive, will you let me hear one song before I go?"
She squeezed his hand, tears now flowing freely. How young Nilcrabnion was! Barely over 1,000. She remembered all that had happened in that night and the tears came faster, flowing in rivulets down her face like a stream. A stream. Legolas. The stream the she had stood upon with him had been nearly as beautiful as the Nimrodel from her home, Lothlorien. Pulling a song from her childhood to memory, she began to sing.
An Elven maid there was of old
A shining star by day
Her mantel white was hemmed with gold
Her shoes of silver gray
A star was bound upon her brow
A light was on her hair
A sun upon the golden boughs
In Lorien the fair
Her hair was long her limbs were white
And fair she was and free
And in the wind she went as light
As leaf of linden tree
Beside the falls of Nimrodel
By water clear and cold
Her voice as falling silver fell
Into the shining pool
Where now she wanders none can tell
In sunlight or in shade
For lost of yore was Nimrodel
And in the mountains strayed
Annundaeiel's voice caught, she looked down to apologize, only to find that he had not heard.
* *
* sniff* Isnt that sad?? Gees, its really pathetic when *I* cry over this chapter. :: rolls eyes at self:: ok, I stop rambling now, bb
**
They were here. She could feel it. The trees wailed as they were chopped and hacked by crude knives. The streams wept as the dirty feet of the orcs tracked through its clear water. Their stench rose to meet her on the wind. Every good creature burrowed, flew, or ran as far away as they could from them, as they came ever closer. She was running, as fast as she could, but knew it would never be fast enough, they were here. An unreasoning feeling of terror took her heart as she raced through the gardens. She was nearly to the treeline. The palace was ready; she had passed it, but had not dared to look at it. Her only goal right now was the trees. If she could reach them, she would be safe. She reached the treeline and sighed in relief as she ran. Suddenly, screams tore through the still night air. The only thing that she could think was that they were here. She cringed as more screams ripped the silence, she was too late. The guards had been caught at unawares. She heard the sounds of battle, and sadly realized that it was too late to go to their aid. She would be shot before she would be able to do anything. Reaching a tree, she leaped to the branches. Continuing along the treetops, the noise and chaos was suddenly under her. She stopped climbing. If any orc looked up now, they would see her. They passed under, and Annundaeiel, crouching silently on a branch, listened to them rejoicing in the kill. Their high pitched voices pierced the night as trouped to the palace, she prayed that they were truly ready.
Finally, the lines of orcs were gone, and she sat in terrible silence yet again, until she heard a cry from where the orcs had come. Dropping to the ground again, she swiftly ran to the glade. It was a large glade, almost like a field, with a lone pine tree that thrust itself to the sky in the middle. I was difficult to see, as the clouds had come back. When her eyes had adjusted, and she could see, she desperately wished that she were nearly blind again. The bodies of the guards lay scattered on the ground, some desecrated, some left. Slowly she made her way through the bodies, trying to feel some trace of life. She finally found one, the captain, who was leaning at the base of the tree. When she turned him over however, she saw that it was too late. His breathing was extremely shallow, and his heartbeat was slow and irregular. She could barely feel the life within him. However, in her opinion, no one should have to die alone, so she sat with him until his heartbeat was no longer there. She sat there a while longer, until a small groan drew her attention upwards. Rising and looking up, she saw a huddled form in a fork in the tree. Thinking it to be gollum, she held her hands up and called softly to him.
"Gollum, the orcs have gone, come down now."
Instead of the hissing voice of gollum, Nilcrabnion, his voice barely above a whisper from pain, greeted her instead.
"Gollum is gone milady. He took off soon after the orcs."
Surprised, Annundaeiel climbed to the branch that he was on. He had taken the largest high branch, but the arrows still bit deep into his side. Blood still oozed out of the many wounds. Sadly, she realized that the arrows were poisoned, and that he would die soon. Thinking it better that he be on the ground, she carefully brought him down.
"Nilcrabnion, what happened?"
He looked at her, his eyes glazed over, she realized that he could not see her, the poison had rendered him blind. As she laid him down, he winced.
"We were asleep, they took us by surprise. Gollum had refused to come down, and so we just guarded the bottom, It was our own fault."
He paused, his breathing growing labored. Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she left the arrows where they were. All she could do now was comfort him in passing and pulling the arrows out would only cause pain.
"When they came, we fought as best we could, but there were too many. I climbed up the tree for a better shot, but I was the target, in the end. After they had killed the rest, they taunted me, telling me to come and join my friends. After shooting me many times, they gave up and continued on."
When he had finished, Nilcrabnion sank down, exhausted. Annundaeiel could do nothing but hold his hand, and stroke his face, letting him know that someone was still there. His voice, now a whisper, broke the silence.
"Madam?"
"Yes?"
"I will not survive, will you let me hear one song before I go?"
She squeezed his hand, tears now flowing freely. How young Nilcrabnion was! Barely over 1,000. She remembered all that had happened in that night and the tears came faster, flowing in rivulets down her face like a stream. A stream. Legolas. The stream the she had stood upon with him had been nearly as beautiful as the Nimrodel from her home, Lothlorien. Pulling a song from her childhood to memory, she began to sing.
An Elven maid there was of old
A shining star by day
Her mantel white was hemmed with gold
Her shoes of silver gray
A star was bound upon her brow
A light was on her hair
A sun upon the golden boughs
In Lorien the fair
Her hair was long her limbs were white
And fair she was and free
And in the wind she went as light
As leaf of linden tree
Beside the falls of Nimrodel
By water clear and cold
Her voice as falling silver fell
Into the shining pool
Where now she wanders none can tell
In sunlight or in shade
For lost of yore was Nimrodel
And in the mountains strayed
Annundaeiel's voice caught, she looked down to apologize, only to find that he had not heard.
* *
* sniff* Isnt that sad?? Gees, its really pathetic when *I* cry over this chapter. :: rolls eyes at self:: ok, I stop rambling now, bb