I'm sorry I took so long with this! Life's been hectic. Anyway, if all
goes well, I should be continuing this story at a quicker pace. As you
know, I'm a huge fan of wot, therefor this chapter I have combined tid bits
of it. Two favorite stories!! YAY!! Go Jordan!! Read on!
As Hope's Dim Light Fades
Opening her eyes to blurred vision, and utter darkness, Alakdaliel drew a shallow breath, aware only of the severe pain that racked through her body and the agony of a dull headache somewhere in the distance. Her ribs creaked against what appeared to be a wooden floor, her cheek glad to feel something other than the cool granite that she had become accustomed to against her throbbing face.
The room was dim, not a window gave way to light, the gloom leaving no sign of night or day, hour or minute. Alakdaliel felt a wave of relief sweep through her, her tense muscles relaxing as she realized she was no longer within the cave. Her captors must have moved her, but it mattered not, as long as the cave lay far behind in their wake. She shivered at the thought of the darkness that had nearly killed her. For what seemed like days, perhaps even weeks, Alakdaliel had fought back the urges to sob- though to no avail- within the confinements of the rock that held her. Daren had visited her occasionally, ordering Chariste about, though never revealing his future plans. A wrong comment or a sharp tongue was received with a kick to the mouth, a club to the arm, or a slap on the cheek. Though Alakdaliel took them with stride, gracefully shooting insults, fully aware of the consequences, but taking much delight in the fallen faces of her captors.
A lurch from the ground broke Alakdaliel's train of thought. The floor was moving! Feeling her way to a door, she twisted the handle, shocked to find it unlocked. Hope blossomed within her quickly, and she shoved the door open, squinting at the blinding light. Realizing just where she was, she threw a hand over her mouth to halt the gasp that already had begun to form.
She had been brought to a ship! No landmass lay in sight, logic telling her they were far out at sea. With Chariste and Daren out of sight, she slowly began to wander, aimlessly searching for a way out. Her hands remained above her eyes, shielding her from the light.
The boat lurched. Still no sign of any passengers, Alakdaliel told her self it was a nice refreshing boat ride, all too familiar with the sea sickness that had already begun to plague her. Nice cool breezes caressing her cheeks. Moist breezes not dry. The boat rolled.
"Oh, by the Valar!" She moaned. Suddenly, she felt waves of pressure among her in huge amounts and..
...She floundered in salty water over her head, flailing upward to find air, tangled in her skirts. Her head broke surface, and she gasped for breath, amid floating boxes, staring in astonishment. After a moment, she recognized the slanting shape above her as the cabin she had awoken in. She was inside a trapped pocket of air. Not large; she could have touched both sides without stretching her arms out fully. But how..? An audible thud announced the bottom of the sea; the upside down cabin lurched, tilted. She thought the air pocket shrank a little.
The first order of business, before wondering about anything was getting out before she used up the air. She knew how to swim- she had splashed in the Archwood ponds often enough back home as a child-it was just when the water started rocking her about she minded. Filling her lungs, she doubled over and swam down toward where the door must be, kicking awkwardly because of her skirts. It might help to shed the dress, but she was not about to bob to the surface in nothing but shift and stockings. And, she was not about to leave those behind, either.
The water was black, lightness. Her outstretched fingers struck wood, and she felt across the piecework carving until she found the door, scrabbled down the edge of that, and found a hinge. Muttering imprecation in her head, she cautiously felt her way to the other side. Yes! The latch handle! She lifted it, pushed outward. The door moved maybe two inches and stopped.
Lungs straining, she swam back up to the pocket, but only long enough to fill them again. This time finding the door came faster. She stuck her fingers through the crack to find what held the door shut. They sank into mud. Maybe she could dig away a little hillock or..She felt higher. More mud. Increasingly frantic, she worked her fingers from the bottom of the crack to the top, and then, refusing to believe, from the top to the bottom. Mud, solid, gooey, mud, all the way.
This time when she swam back up to the pocket, she grabbed hold of the edge of the seat above her and hung from it, panting, heart beating wildly. The air felt..thicker.
"I will not die here." She muttered. "I will not die here!".
She hammered a fist against the seat until she felt it bruise, no longer able to fight the anger that would surely overwhelm here. The anger that she had tried desperately to subdue since the revelation that her sister was, in fact, dead. The anger that she had not dealt with knowing that the lies Chariste had fed her were just that. Lies. Her sister had long since been dead. And here she sat, kidnapped at the bottom of the sea.
She would not die. Not here. Alone. No one would know where she had died. No grave, just a corpse rotting in the mud. Her arm fell with a splash. She labored for breath. Flecks of black and silver danced in her eyes; she seemed to be looking down a tube. No anger, she realized dimly. No hope. No Archwood. No Mirkwood. No family. No Legolas. And with hope gone, flickering on the edge of consciousness like a guttering candle flame, she did something she had never done before in her life. She relaxed completely, feeling her body slide down lower into the rocking water.
What did you think? Let me know! Review!
As Hope's Dim Light Fades
Opening her eyes to blurred vision, and utter darkness, Alakdaliel drew a shallow breath, aware only of the severe pain that racked through her body and the agony of a dull headache somewhere in the distance. Her ribs creaked against what appeared to be a wooden floor, her cheek glad to feel something other than the cool granite that she had become accustomed to against her throbbing face.
The room was dim, not a window gave way to light, the gloom leaving no sign of night or day, hour or minute. Alakdaliel felt a wave of relief sweep through her, her tense muscles relaxing as she realized she was no longer within the cave. Her captors must have moved her, but it mattered not, as long as the cave lay far behind in their wake. She shivered at the thought of the darkness that had nearly killed her. For what seemed like days, perhaps even weeks, Alakdaliel had fought back the urges to sob- though to no avail- within the confinements of the rock that held her. Daren had visited her occasionally, ordering Chariste about, though never revealing his future plans. A wrong comment or a sharp tongue was received with a kick to the mouth, a club to the arm, or a slap on the cheek. Though Alakdaliel took them with stride, gracefully shooting insults, fully aware of the consequences, but taking much delight in the fallen faces of her captors.
A lurch from the ground broke Alakdaliel's train of thought. The floor was moving! Feeling her way to a door, she twisted the handle, shocked to find it unlocked. Hope blossomed within her quickly, and she shoved the door open, squinting at the blinding light. Realizing just where she was, she threw a hand over her mouth to halt the gasp that already had begun to form.
She had been brought to a ship! No landmass lay in sight, logic telling her they were far out at sea. With Chariste and Daren out of sight, she slowly began to wander, aimlessly searching for a way out. Her hands remained above her eyes, shielding her from the light.
The boat lurched. Still no sign of any passengers, Alakdaliel told her self it was a nice refreshing boat ride, all too familiar with the sea sickness that had already begun to plague her. Nice cool breezes caressing her cheeks. Moist breezes not dry. The boat rolled.
"Oh, by the Valar!" She moaned. Suddenly, she felt waves of pressure among her in huge amounts and..
...She floundered in salty water over her head, flailing upward to find air, tangled in her skirts. Her head broke surface, and she gasped for breath, amid floating boxes, staring in astonishment. After a moment, she recognized the slanting shape above her as the cabin she had awoken in. She was inside a trapped pocket of air. Not large; she could have touched both sides without stretching her arms out fully. But how..? An audible thud announced the bottom of the sea; the upside down cabin lurched, tilted. She thought the air pocket shrank a little.
The first order of business, before wondering about anything was getting out before she used up the air. She knew how to swim- she had splashed in the Archwood ponds often enough back home as a child-it was just when the water started rocking her about she minded. Filling her lungs, she doubled over and swam down toward where the door must be, kicking awkwardly because of her skirts. It might help to shed the dress, but she was not about to bob to the surface in nothing but shift and stockings. And, she was not about to leave those behind, either.
The water was black, lightness. Her outstretched fingers struck wood, and she felt across the piecework carving until she found the door, scrabbled down the edge of that, and found a hinge. Muttering imprecation in her head, she cautiously felt her way to the other side. Yes! The latch handle! She lifted it, pushed outward. The door moved maybe two inches and stopped.
Lungs straining, she swam back up to the pocket, but only long enough to fill them again. This time finding the door came faster. She stuck her fingers through the crack to find what held the door shut. They sank into mud. Maybe she could dig away a little hillock or..She felt higher. More mud. Increasingly frantic, she worked her fingers from the bottom of the crack to the top, and then, refusing to believe, from the top to the bottom. Mud, solid, gooey, mud, all the way.
This time when she swam back up to the pocket, she grabbed hold of the edge of the seat above her and hung from it, panting, heart beating wildly. The air felt..thicker.
"I will not die here." She muttered. "I will not die here!".
She hammered a fist against the seat until she felt it bruise, no longer able to fight the anger that would surely overwhelm here. The anger that she had tried desperately to subdue since the revelation that her sister was, in fact, dead. The anger that she had not dealt with knowing that the lies Chariste had fed her were just that. Lies. Her sister had long since been dead. And here she sat, kidnapped at the bottom of the sea.
She would not die. Not here. Alone. No one would know where she had died. No grave, just a corpse rotting in the mud. Her arm fell with a splash. She labored for breath. Flecks of black and silver danced in her eyes; she seemed to be looking down a tube. No anger, she realized dimly. No hope. No Archwood. No Mirkwood. No family. No Legolas. And with hope gone, flickering on the edge of consciousness like a guttering candle flame, she did something she had never done before in her life. She relaxed completely, feeling her body slide down lower into the rocking water.
What did you think? Let me know! Review!