Angel's Curse
By: Minyalaithien
Disclaimer: I don't own LotR or it's characters… darn. Allaina is my own fictional character.
Chapter 2: Angel's Meetings
Dawn settled in the plain Allaina rode in. She had a mountain chain to her left and Rivendell behind her. Her horse was calm and quiet. The princess decided to stop to rest and eat. Allaina hopped off her horse and settled in on the green grass as she opened her pack to find some food she had brought. As she ate, she listened and looked around. The sun rose over the mountains, warming her back. In front of her was a forest some distance away. She noticed a dark shadow moving between the trees and halting. It looked like a hooded figure. Minutes passed by as the mysterious creature slowly passed in and out of Allaina's sight. She stood and laid a hand on her sharp dagger. Allaina gripped the handle and waited for the thing to come into vision again. Although they were far away, she could see clearly and hopefully good enough to give a warning to them.
As they passed into her vision again, she sprinted to the forest and knelt behind a tree. She heard feet shuffling a distance away, so she crept closer. She heard a faint stream or river running through the forest, and the thing seemed to be near it. Allaina followed the trickle of the stream and the soft pad of the feet. In a small clearing she found nothing. The elf leaned against a tree and creased her brow in thought.
The dark creature, who was watching her intently from above in the thick, jumped down and pinned her against the tree. Allaina instantly screamed and struggled against the figure, who was broad shouldered and cloaked. It had staggered breath and dark hands with long nails that dug into Allaina's fair skin at her wrists. She tried to push away the creature, but it was too forceful for her. Allaina closed her eyes and screamed again. She heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air and the figure that held her captive fell. The arrow had struck the hooded figure through the left side of the head. Allaina backed away from the tree and the bloody corpse. She dropped to her knees and stared wide-eyed at the thing and the area around her. The elf heard faint steps from the edge of the clearing and backed away from them. An elf in green and brown stepped out into the sun, and his fair Silvan face was seen. It was the elf from Mirkwood, Allaina knew at once. It was the elf from the council. The one who spoke to her sister. He carried a bow in his hand as he stepped closer
Allaina watched him as he jogged to her place in the clearing. She eyed him, then the dead creature near the trees. "I shot it with one of my arrows when I heard you scream." Legolas knelt down in front of her. He looked at her wrists, which were blotted with her own blood, and reached down to take a closer look. He lifted her wrists and gingerly ran his thumb over the marks on them. Allaina winced.
"That thing was a goblin. I do not know what it wanted with you, but it is a good thing you screamed when you did." Legolas lifted the bottom of her skirt. Allaina brushed his hand off her clothing and backed away. He gave her a smile, and said "for your wounds." She blinked, and ripped parts of her dress off and let Legolas tie them tightly on her wrists. "That should hold the cuts for now."
Legolas stood with Allaina. He looked around then spoke to her. "You are probably wondering why I was here, and at the perfect time too." Allaina nodded. "You sister asked me to look after you. A request from the King of Rivendell's daughter was humbly accepted. My name is Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil the King of Northern Mirkwood. I was summoned to the Council in Rivendell. I saw you that day, hiding beside that building," Legolas smiled, "but I didn't say anything. I thought you probably had a good reason for hiding. So, where are you going? Why did you leave?"
Allaina pointed towards the mountains to the south. Legolas followed her gaze to Moria. "Moria?" She shook her head. "Then…" Legolas turned to Allaina. "You're not planning to go to Mordor, are you?" Allaina nodded fervently and smiled at the taller elf. "Why?" Allaina looked away unhappily. "I hope you will tell me sooner or later. Well, I think we should be off. There is a nice place to lookout from many leagues away. We could probably make it there by sundown." Legolas walked into the forest with Allaina hurrying behind him. He stopped suddenly and looked around as he put two fingers to his lips and whistled. After a few minutes, a white steed galloped to their place and Legolas gripped it's mane. He turned to the younger elf and motioned to the horse.
"Would you like a ride?" Allaina shook her head. "Where is your horse? I know you left with one." The elf pointed to where she had left her horse far from the forest. "You walked quite a distance to get over here!" Allaina smiled and jogged to the opposite side of the horse. She stroked its fine white mane as it neighed quietly. Legolas looked over its back at her. "I think he likes you," he said smugly. Allaina smiled as they neared her steed. She walked slowly to it and whispered in its ear so quietly Legolas could not hear. The horse whinnied and Allaina hopped onto its bare back. Legolas did the same with his own and trotted over to the other elf. "We will ride to the look out point, where we will rest until morning. Is that all right with you, princess," the forest elf asked politely.
Allaina nodded and rode quietly behind Legolas, as dusk set in the plain.