The wind was howling ferociously and rain pelted the two girls. "Ow!" Riley
cried as a pellet of hail sliced into her face. Lightening flashed so close
that Casey felt that she could feel it's heat. The lightening was followed
immediately by a clap of thunder so loud, Riley covered her ears.
Lightening struck suddenly again and struck a nearby tree. The tree cracked
and snapped at it's trunk. Pumpkin reared, throwing Riley to the ground
before bolting. However, Riley's foot was caught in the stirrup.
"CCAAASSSEEYYY!" Riley yelled. Casey spurred Frisco and darted after the
run-away horse.
"I'm coming!" She called. Frisco suddenly slipped on the flooded ground and fell, taking Casey with him. The last thing Casey remembered was a sound like an explosion and then a crushing pain in her leg.
Riley groaned. Every muscle in her body ached and her toes were numb. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and squinted at the sun light. Riley tried to stand up only to find that her foot was still caught in the stirrup. After kicking violently for several moments, causing Pumpkin to walk around in circles, Riley managed to get her foot free from the shoe. For a moment, Riley just laid there staring at the crystal blue sky. Then, she noticed something. Something strange, almost alien. Riley felt the ground beneath her. It couldn't be. Riley looked to her side to be sure. It was! Grass! Beautiful green grass. And trees! Not scrawny mesquite trees, but huge willows and oaks and redwoods. Riley sat up slowly, her mouth open in awe. Everything was green and lush and alive. "What the?" Casey asked. Riley turned to see Casey crawling over on her hands and knees. "I don't think we're in Arizona any more."
"Where are we?" Riley wondered aloud. Off in the distance, Pumpkin and Frisco were grazing peacefully. Wildflower littered the landscape and a small brook wound it's way through the lush pasture.
"Middle Earth." Casey stated.
"Middle-Earth? No way. Are you sure?" Riley demanded. Casey pointed behind Riley. Riley turned to look and saw, mounted in a tree, a giant sign in Green neon lights with chasers flashing,
"Welcome to Middle Earth!"
"Oh." Riley and Casey stood up and retrieved their horses. Although neither was hurt severely, both looked like drowned rats and Riley looked especially ragged. After chasing down their horses, Casey and Riley led them towards the bright flashing sign. "Look." Riley stated, pointed to the trunk of the tree that supported the sign. Nailed to the tree was a map. "You are here." Riley read, pointing at the little triangle.
"It looks like one of those mall maps." Casey commented. "We're here in the Valley of Imladris." "Hey! That's where Rivendell is." Riley stated. The two looked at each other, both thinking the same thought.
"Elves." Both grinned broadly. Suddenly, a low rumble was audible.
"What is that?' Casey wondered aloud. Then, bursting from the tree line was a division of Orcs. "Holy shyte." Casey swung herself up in her saddle and was riding away from the stampede as Riley got her foot in the stirrup. Pumpkin took off after Frisco and managed to pull herself up with the saddle horn. The horses galloped away, leaving the Orcs in the distance. Just as Casey and Riley thought they were in the clear, another wall of Orcs appeared on the horizon.
"I don't wanna die!" Riley cried. Casey rolled her eyes.
"Noro lim, Frisco. Noro lim!" The bay horse reared defiantly and then charged off.
"Oh no." Riley groaned as Pumpkin shot off after. The two rode hard in the opposite direction of the Orcs and suddenly, came upon a sheer cliff. Casey spun Frisco about, pulling him away from drop. Pumpkin trotted up, tongue hanging and head drooping. Casey looked to Riley who looked back to Casey. What was going to happen? Would they be captured, brought to the dungeons of Barad-dur and tortured? Would they be slain? Or worse, would they be turned into Wraiths? Casey shuddered.
"Back you devils!" Casey shouted. They were cut off now. There had to be at least 200 Orcs encroaching in on them. Then, one of them spoke in a nasally, congested voice.
"What did he say?" Riley asked. Casey shrugged.
"I don't understand Orcish." She responded. The Orc took a step closer and cleared his throat.
"Terribly sorry, dear lasses." He stated in a clear, tenor voice tinged with an English accent. "I've been a bit under the weather lately. Laryngitis, you know. What I asked was, 'Do you have any Grey Poupon?'" Riley and Casey stared at each other in disbelief.
"Uh..no." Riley answered.
"Bloody hell! No one in these parts carry it. Those elves like Mustard. I told Elrond that Grey Poupon is more refined, but he simply wouldn't have it. Very well then. Thank you, ladies, for your help." He started to turn away, but then turned back. "I must say, very dashing mules you have."
"Mules?" Casey asked as Frisco snorted indignantly.
"Yes. Absolutely splendid. Well, Cheerio." With that, the mass of Orcs turned about and headed back to the forest line.
"Um.I think something is wrong here." Riley said.
"I'm coming!" She called. Frisco suddenly slipped on the flooded ground and fell, taking Casey with him. The last thing Casey remembered was a sound like an explosion and then a crushing pain in her leg.
Riley groaned. Every muscle in her body ached and her toes were numb. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and squinted at the sun light. Riley tried to stand up only to find that her foot was still caught in the stirrup. After kicking violently for several moments, causing Pumpkin to walk around in circles, Riley managed to get her foot free from the shoe. For a moment, Riley just laid there staring at the crystal blue sky. Then, she noticed something. Something strange, almost alien. Riley felt the ground beneath her. It couldn't be. Riley looked to her side to be sure. It was! Grass! Beautiful green grass. And trees! Not scrawny mesquite trees, but huge willows and oaks and redwoods. Riley sat up slowly, her mouth open in awe. Everything was green and lush and alive. "What the?" Casey asked. Riley turned to see Casey crawling over on her hands and knees. "I don't think we're in Arizona any more."
"Where are we?" Riley wondered aloud. Off in the distance, Pumpkin and Frisco were grazing peacefully. Wildflower littered the landscape and a small brook wound it's way through the lush pasture.
"Middle Earth." Casey stated.
"Middle-Earth? No way. Are you sure?" Riley demanded. Casey pointed behind Riley. Riley turned to look and saw, mounted in a tree, a giant sign in Green neon lights with chasers flashing,
"Welcome to Middle Earth!"
"Oh." Riley and Casey stood up and retrieved their horses. Although neither was hurt severely, both looked like drowned rats and Riley looked especially ragged. After chasing down their horses, Casey and Riley led them towards the bright flashing sign. "Look." Riley stated, pointed to the trunk of the tree that supported the sign. Nailed to the tree was a map. "You are here." Riley read, pointing at the little triangle.
"It looks like one of those mall maps." Casey commented. "We're here in the Valley of Imladris." "Hey! That's where Rivendell is." Riley stated. The two looked at each other, both thinking the same thought.
"Elves." Both grinned broadly. Suddenly, a low rumble was audible.
"What is that?' Casey wondered aloud. Then, bursting from the tree line was a division of Orcs. "Holy shyte." Casey swung herself up in her saddle and was riding away from the stampede as Riley got her foot in the stirrup. Pumpkin took off after Frisco and managed to pull herself up with the saddle horn. The horses galloped away, leaving the Orcs in the distance. Just as Casey and Riley thought they were in the clear, another wall of Orcs appeared on the horizon.
"I don't wanna die!" Riley cried. Casey rolled her eyes.
"Noro lim, Frisco. Noro lim!" The bay horse reared defiantly and then charged off.
"Oh no." Riley groaned as Pumpkin shot off after. The two rode hard in the opposite direction of the Orcs and suddenly, came upon a sheer cliff. Casey spun Frisco about, pulling him away from drop. Pumpkin trotted up, tongue hanging and head drooping. Casey looked to Riley who looked back to Casey. What was going to happen? Would they be captured, brought to the dungeons of Barad-dur and tortured? Would they be slain? Or worse, would they be turned into Wraiths? Casey shuddered.
"Back you devils!" Casey shouted. They were cut off now. There had to be at least 200 Orcs encroaching in on them. Then, one of them spoke in a nasally, congested voice.
"What did he say?" Riley asked. Casey shrugged.
"I don't understand Orcish." She responded. The Orc took a step closer and cleared his throat.
"Terribly sorry, dear lasses." He stated in a clear, tenor voice tinged with an English accent. "I've been a bit under the weather lately. Laryngitis, you know. What I asked was, 'Do you have any Grey Poupon?'" Riley and Casey stared at each other in disbelief.
"Uh..no." Riley answered.
"Bloody hell! No one in these parts carry it. Those elves like Mustard. I told Elrond that Grey Poupon is more refined, but he simply wouldn't have it. Very well then. Thank you, ladies, for your help." He started to turn away, but then turned back. "I must say, very dashing mules you have."
"Mules?" Casey asked as Frisco snorted indignantly.
"Yes. Absolutely splendid. Well, Cheerio." With that, the mass of Orcs turned about and headed back to the forest line.
"Um.I think something is wrong here." Riley said.