They battled through the winds to get to the caves. They were not far away
now but the force of the wind was getting stronger and it was harder for
them to keep on their two feet. Legolas went first his eyes squinted to see
for any signs of Orcs or other danger. His hair was being whipped around
his face and the girl in his arms was fading fast.
"Stay with us." Legolas whispered at her. Her eyes were closed. He stopped. He stared. Then all of an unexpected moment, her eyes flew open. Legolas stared with confusion and worry into her pitch black eyes. She did not blink. But her beauty seemed to dominate the woods, which were growing ever darker.
"Beauty of reality." She whispered in a soft low but feminine voice. "He stole." She stopped. Her lips turned a shade of deepest red, then they spoke for her, "He ran away. Left me behind." She coughed a little but her eyes remained wide open and they still had not blinked. "Can you see?" she asked feebly attempting to touch his forehead. "Please tell me you can see."
Legolas, who was still staring into her lost eyes, got lost in them himself. He stood still. As still as his elfish instincts would let him. But then he let go. He stopped listening, stopped hearing, stopped feeling, stopped smelling. The cold around him disappeared; the howling of the wind and the bitter rain seemed so distant. Legolas stopped sensing for just a few seconds.
Until she blinked. And everything flew back in his face, the cold, the howling of the wind and the bitter rain. It all attacked him again. He was left even more confused then he had been before.
He looked up at Arwen and Aragorn. "I can not explain it." He said breathlessly. "I felt, and still do partly feel helpless, innocent and alone. All feeling left my body, it was heaven and hell all in one."
Arwen looked at him. "It is her power." She has the strength of Sauron times many." There was no more exchange of words, they turned back to the trail and headed for the caves once more.
They reached the caves several hours before nightfall, cold they had been and they felt no better upon entering the cave except the rain and wind did not tackle them so much. Legolas put the girl down on the bed of leaves Arwen had rested upon the previous night. Arwen sent Aragorn to find firewood, while she pondered what to do. The wind was getting rougher and it howled around the cave entrance. The girl started to shiver violently once more.
"Legolas." Arwen said passing him a blanket out of her bag. "Rap both of you in this, give her some of your body heat she needs it. I must get some plants that she shall eat to help her keep warm and will help her survive, for I fear she shall not, and then we shall be in darkness once more." Arwen slung her cloak around her neck. "I shall be back before nightfall."
Nightfall however, was near and Legolas doubted much that Arwen should be back before then. He got under the blanket and held the girl too him. Slowly after a while her shivering slowed to an almost halt. He concentrated his breathing with hers, and together they breathed to the sound of the wind, the howls and moans that the wind made the roars and thunders. It was then that she fell into a rhythmic sleep. Legolas could still feel his warmth encircling his body and he held her even closer to his body.
Soon Aragorn had arrived back in the caves.
"Where is Arwen?" He asked looking round the caves, as if he expected to see her coming out of one of the darkened corners.
"She went to find ingredients to help this girl to become strong and healthy again. She shall be back before nightfall. She fears for her life."
"As do we all." Aragorn said creating a fire behind Legolas and the sleeping child.
"Aragorn." Legolas said, not sounding too sure how he should phrase what he was about to say. "Have you not noticed? The girl, or maiden changes she acts and feels like a child, woman and crone. Like the lunar cycle for the goddess in the religion of Witchcraft and Wicca?"
"Legolas." Aragorn said sitting down in front of the fire. "That is a mythical religion is it not?"
"So is this. creature." Legolas began confused about what to call her. "What is her name?"
"I know, as much as the next man." Aragorn said, taking out some rations from his bag.
It was getting dark. Nightfall had arrived and true to her word, Arwen had crouched down and walked into the caves with many plants and weeds grasped in her hands.
"Here," She said breathlessly handing plants to Legolas. Her cloak was soaked and so was her hair, which hung limply down to her thighs. She noticed Aragorn's worried look and gave him a half smile and went over to embrace him. "Do not worry about me Aragorn I am fine." She looked over at Legolas and the girl. "It is her we must worry about." Arwen and Aragorn shuffled over to sit assist Legolas. "Crunch it up in your had and place it in her mouth, it melts." Arwen said.
After giving her all the herbs they settled down to eat themselves keeping generous amounts of attention to the girl. Legolas lay where he had done for the past three and a half hours, still feeding his energy into the girl. They agreed to keep a night watch. Legolas stayed awake all night. He rarely slept being used to it. Nevertheless Arwen stayed up the first part of the night and Aragorn the second. The night calmed itself down and by the morning Legolas woke to find something was missing. He felt empty alone, almost incomplete. Then he realised what it was.
She was missing.
"Stay with us." Legolas whispered at her. Her eyes were closed. He stopped. He stared. Then all of an unexpected moment, her eyes flew open. Legolas stared with confusion and worry into her pitch black eyes. She did not blink. But her beauty seemed to dominate the woods, which were growing ever darker.
"Beauty of reality." She whispered in a soft low but feminine voice. "He stole." She stopped. Her lips turned a shade of deepest red, then they spoke for her, "He ran away. Left me behind." She coughed a little but her eyes remained wide open and they still had not blinked. "Can you see?" she asked feebly attempting to touch his forehead. "Please tell me you can see."
Legolas, who was still staring into her lost eyes, got lost in them himself. He stood still. As still as his elfish instincts would let him. But then he let go. He stopped listening, stopped hearing, stopped feeling, stopped smelling. The cold around him disappeared; the howling of the wind and the bitter rain seemed so distant. Legolas stopped sensing for just a few seconds.
Until she blinked. And everything flew back in his face, the cold, the howling of the wind and the bitter rain. It all attacked him again. He was left even more confused then he had been before.
He looked up at Arwen and Aragorn. "I can not explain it." He said breathlessly. "I felt, and still do partly feel helpless, innocent and alone. All feeling left my body, it was heaven and hell all in one."
Arwen looked at him. "It is her power." She has the strength of Sauron times many." There was no more exchange of words, they turned back to the trail and headed for the caves once more.
They reached the caves several hours before nightfall, cold they had been and they felt no better upon entering the cave except the rain and wind did not tackle them so much. Legolas put the girl down on the bed of leaves Arwen had rested upon the previous night. Arwen sent Aragorn to find firewood, while she pondered what to do. The wind was getting rougher and it howled around the cave entrance. The girl started to shiver violently once more.
"Legolas." Arwen said passing him a blanket out of her bag. "Rap both of you in this, give her some of your body heat she needs it. I must get some plants that she shall eat to help her keep warm and will help her survive, for I fear she shall not, and then we shall be in darkness once more." Arwen slung her cloak around her neck. "I shall be back before nightfall."
Nightfall however, was near and Legolas doubted much that Arwen should be back before then. He got under the blanket and held the girl too him. Slowly after a while her shivering slowed to an almost halt. He concentrated his breathing with hers, and together they breathed to the sound of the wind, the howls and moans that the wind made the roars and thunders. It was then that she fell into a rhythmic sleep. Legolas could still feel his warmth encircling his body and he held her even closer to his body.
Soon Aragorn had arrived back in the caves.
"Where is Arwen?" He asked looking round the caves, as if he expected to see her coming out of one of the darkened corners.
"She went to find ingredients to help this girl to become strong and healthy again. She shall be back before nightfall. She fears for her life."
"As do we all." Aragorn said creating a fire behind Legolas and the sleeping child.
"Aragorn." Legolas said, not sounding too sure how he should phrase what he was about to say. "Have you not noticed? The girl, or maiden changes she acts and feels like a child, woman and crone. Like the lunar cycle for the goddess in the religion of Witchcraft and Wicca?"
"Legolas." Aragorn said sitting down in front of the fire. "That is a mythical religion is it not?"
"So is this. creature." Legolas began confused about what to call her. "What is her name?"
"I know, as much as the next man." Aragorn said, taking out some rations from his bag.
It was getting dark. Nightfall had arrived and true to her word, Arwen had crouched down and walked into the caves with many plants and weeds grasped in her hands.
"Here," She said breathlessly handing plants to Legolas. Her cloak was soaked and so was her hair, which hung limply down to her thighs. She noticed Aragorn's worried look and gave him a half smile and went over to embrace him. "Do not worry about me Aragorn I am fine." She looked over at Legolas and the girl. "It is her we must worry about." Arwen and Aragorn shuffled over to sit assist Legolas. "Crunch it up in your had and place it in her mouth, it melts." Arwen said.
After giving her all the herbs they settled down to eat themselves keeping generous amounts of attention to the girl. Legolas lay where he had done for the past three and a half hours, still feeding his energy into the girl. They agreed to keep a night watch. Legolas stayed awake all night. He rarely slept being used to it. Nevertheless Arwen stayed up the first part of the night and Aragorn the second. The night calmed itself down and by the morning Legolas woke to find something was missing. He felt empty alone, almost incomplete. Then he realised what it was.
She was missing.