The Other

Ch 7- Come Down Young Wanderers

"We cannot go further tonight." Daria said as she watched the light slowly fade away into the night.

They stopped at a very cramped clump of trees and slowly made their way onto a particularly large maple. They carefully lifted an unconscious Gimli to a sturdy branch about half way up the tree.

Throughout the night Legolas stayed with Gimli to keep him secure on the branch and to mend his wounds. Daria climbed further up the tree and fixed her sight on the dark wood that seemed to be hiding many secrets. Hours passed without a sign of life and Daria grew very tired, she stood to keep from leaving the wakeful world.

She was about to climb back down to Gimli and Legolas when something caught her eye. Through the leaves she could see a wave of gray mist blanketing the ground and shooting in little swirls all around in the air. She felt a deep calm like everything was at peace and there was nothing to fear.

Vaguely, a black figure appeared out of the night and smoothly glided through the mist to a dead stop. Daria could see the figure of a horse carrying the black shadow, it was flowing with graceful black.

She gazed intently on the figure and strained to see more but her eyes started to cloud, she closed them and blinked for a moment, trying to remove whatever was causing this irritation. But when she opened them again it was worse and more than just her eyes, but her mind also. She could not think strait, she could not think much of anything. Struggling to stay on the branch, she tried to clear her mind to regain control but when she realized that all she was seeing was blackness she gave a shout. 

Legolas jumped up and looked at Daria who was now swaying in the tree, her grip very loose. Legolas started to climb towards Daria, moving slower than normal, as if he had never before been in a tree. He grabbed tight to the branches, not wanting to move. He looked at Daria but his vision was clouded as if a low fog was all about them. He continued up but his foot slipped, causing the whole tree to vibrate. Daria lost her grip and fell, Legolas could here her up above but before he could do anything he was struck.

Legolas and Daria lay on the dead forest floor, deaf to anything in their surroundings. The side of Legolas' forehead had been hit by an airborne she-elf, and was now streaked with blood. Daria lay face down, sprawled out about the sticks. A dead calm wrapped the place, the wind stopped and everything was quiet.

~~~~~~

"Damn elves," Muttered Gimli as he rubbed his head, "Why must they always climb trees? Why not just look at them as dwarfs do?"

He slowly stood on the branch and looked all about him, "Mighty nice to leave an old dwarf in a TREE at NIGHT!" he yelled as he squeezed the life out of the tree. He felt his head and found it to be wrapped in a slick cloth, "Well at least you don't leave me to bleed to death." He gazed at the ground and yearned to be on it once again. As he stared he saw 2 forms lying motionless on the forest floor, as his eyesight grew used to the dark he saw that it was Legolas and Daria. He thought about calling out to them but saw multiple black figures surrounding the elves. There was nothing he could do as they carried his friends into the night on great horses.  

"Damn, damn, damn!" The dwarf cursed as he wandered what the hell was going on. It was enough that the 2 elves were the ones who fell out of the tree and that he, a dwarf, was the only one to stay in! But now he was stuck in it and the elves, well the elves are not much help now. Gimli didn't remember a thing, not since Daria caused the cave in and now he had to somehow reach the ground without falling to his death.

"Well Gimli, you shall conquer this." He muttered to himself as he looked around for an easy escape. 

Okay so there's number 7, hope you enjoyed it! I'm almost out of ideas so if you guys have any they'd be appreciated!!!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!