~*~Rana~*~
Please review! Last time I started writing this story, I got off track from my plan somewhere in the course of writing this chapter. I think I've managed to get back on track. After chapter five it isn't going to be just adding accents and checking references, I'm going to be writing from scratch again. So with that and school in mind, updates may be sporadic.
Chapter Four
Calenmir's bow sang as she let arrow after arrow fly into the group of orcs. The confused orcs could not figure out where the arrows were coming from. When there were only two left, she leaped nimbly out of the tree and unsheathed her sword. The pure elven metal rang against the crude orcish blades as she attacked her enemies. The sound of hoofbeats reached her ears. "Orcs don't ride horses," She thought, "Perhaps it's an elf of Fangorn." She finished off the orcs and listened carefully. "That is not an elvish horse, who-?" Through the trees a black horse became visible, riding hard and snorting loudly. A piercingly loud shriek reached her ears. Now she knew who this strange rider was. One of the six remaining Úlairi* was riding straight at her.
Calenmir turned and ran as fast as she could into Fangorn forest. She could not fight an Úlairi, alone, in the wilderness. Unfortunately, Fangorn was not as great a deterrent for an Úlairi as it was for an orc. There was nothing to do but keep running, but she could not outrun a horse for very long. It closed the gap swiftly and she cried out "Tiro nin Elbereth!*" before the horse reared up and smashed its hooves against her back. She crumpled to the ground and the horse pranced on her back, cracking ribs and knocking the wind out of her. Suddenly, the horse toppled to the ground and she blearily noted white-fletched arrows protruding from its neck. The black rider shrieked angrily and moved to stand over her, sword raised. She somehow rolled over and lifted her arms to protect her face. On the downstroke the Úlairi's sword was deflected and only bit into her side rather than plunging through her heart. The last thing she saw was a blond elf leaning over her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas watched with horror as the black horse slammed the green-cloaked figure to the ground. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and released it with lightening speed. It hit its mark in the horse's neck and the animal toppled to the ground. The Úlairi was unharmed however, and it moved to strike. Legolas vaulted from Celebrindal's back and swung his elven blades to block the blow. The Úlairi, distracted for a moment, was felled as Legolas drove his knives into its chest. He dropped down beside the fallen stranger and realized it was an elf. Her face was drawn and pale and her side was bleeding heavily. He hoisted her up onto his horse and rode as fast as he could back south to his home in Galador.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Calenmir slowly became aware of her surroundings. Strangely, she felt no pain, and everything was pitch black. She thought she was outside, she could smell the trees and hear running water, but it was as if a black cloth had been pulled over the sky and no light reached the earth. A foul smell came to her, dank and musty, laced with rotting flesh. Strange sounds of creatures moving about were all around her. Shrieks and growls assaulted her ears. She strained to see something, anything of where she was but there was nothing. For the first time in her life, she was afraid of the dark because there were no stars. Not even Eärendil*, Gil-estel*, could pierce the foul blanket of night wrapped tightly around her. She shuddered and cried out "Elbereth! Gilthoniel!" It seemed muted and muffled by the darkness, but at once she saw, or thought she saw, a glimmer of light above her. It wasn't a star though, it was.brown? Yes, the light was a pale golden-brown color and it came streaming down upon her face brighter and brighter.
Calenmir awoke slowly from her dream and her eyes fluttered open. She still saw the strange golden-brown light, but now it seemed to be emanating from the elf sitting next to her. As she blinked slowly, the light faded and he appeared as a normal elf. She was immediately aware of pain lancing through her stomach and arms and she grimaced. The elf turned towards her, hearing her slight movement. His blue eyes widened slightly and then were lit by a smile.
"So you are finally awake little elleth*, are you feeling all right?"
"As well as I can feel after being trampled." Her breath caught and she frowned at the daggers of pain from her broken ribs. The gash on her left side seemed like ice.
His expression became more serious, "Is the wound from the Úlairi bothering you?"
"It's very cold," Calenmir gasped. He pressed his hand gently to her side and she immediately felt warmth spreading from it. "Thank you. You saved my life."
"Legolas," he supplied. They paused in silence. "Well, are you going to tell me your name, or shall I just call you Ben-esse*?"
"No, you can call me Rána."
*Úlairi = Nazgûl (ringwraith) *Tiro nin Elbereth! = Watch over me Elbereth! *Eärendil = sea lover, probably correlates to Venus *Gil-estel = star of hope, another name for Earendil *elleth = elfmaid *Ben-esse = nameless
Please review! Last time I started writing this story, I got off track from my plan somewhere in the course of writing this chapter. I think I've managed to get back on track. After chapter five it isn't going to be just adding accents and checking references, I'm going to be writing from scratch again. So with that and school in mind, updates may be sporadic.
Chapter Four
Calenmir's bow sang as she let arrow after arrow fly into the group of orcs. The confused orcs could not figure out where the arrows were coming from. When there were only two left, she leaped nimbly out of the tree and unsheathed her sword. The pure elven metal rang against the crude orcish blades as she attacked her enemies. The sound of hoofbeats reached her ears. "Orcs don't ride horses," She thought, "Perhaps it's an elf of Fangorn." She finished off the orcs and listened carefully. "That is not an elvish horse, who-?" Through the trees a black horse became visible, riding hard and snorting loudly. A piercingly loud shriek reached her ears. Now she knew who this strange rider was. One of the six remaining Úlairi* was riding straight at her.
Calenmir turned and ran as fast as she could into Fangorn forest. She could not fight an Úlairi, alone, in the wilderness. Unfortunately, Fangorn was not as great a deterrent for an Úlairi as it was for an orc. There was nothing to do but keep running, but she could not outrun a horse for very long. It closed the gap swiftly and she cried out "Tiro nin Elbereth!*" before the horse reared up and smashed its hooves against her back. She crumpled to the ground and the horse pranced on her back, cracking ribs and knocking the wind out of her. Suddenly, the horse toppled to the ground and she blearily noted white-fletched arrows protruding from its neck. The black rider shrieked angrily and moved to stand over her, sword raised. She somehow rolled over and lifted her arms to protect her face. On the downstroke the Úlairi's sword was deflected and only bit into her side rather than plunging through her heart. The last thing she saw was a blond elf leaning over her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas watched with horror as the black horse slammed the green-cloaked figure to the ground. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and released it with lightening speed. It hit its mark in the horse's neck and the animal toppled to the ground. The Úlairi was unharmed however, and it moved to strike. Legolas vaulted from Celebrindal's back and swung his elven blades to block the blow. The Úlairi, distracted for a moment, was felled as Legolas drove his knives into its chest. He dropped down beside the fallen stranger and realized it was an elf. Her face was drawn and pale and her side was bleeding heavily. He hoisted her up onto his horse and rode as fast as he could back south to his home in Galador.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Calenmir slowly became aware of her surroundings. Strangely, she felt no pain, and everything was pitch black. She thought she was outside, she could smell the trees and hear running water, but it was as if a black cloth had been pulled over the sky and no light reached the earth. A foul smell came to her, dank and musty, laced with rotting flesh. Strange sounds of creatures moving about were all around her. Shrieks and growls assaulted her ears. She strained to see something, anything of where she was but there was nothing. For the first time in her life, she was afraid of the dark because there were no stars. Not even Eärendil*, Gil-estel*, could pierce the foul blanket of night wrapped tightly around her. She shuddered and cried out "Elbereth! Gilthoniel!" It seemed muted and muffled by the darkness, but at once she saw, or thought she saw, a glimmer of light above her. It wasn't a star though, it was.brown? Yes, the light was a pale golden-brown color and it came streaming down upon her face brighter and brighter.
Calenmir awoke slowly from her dream and her eyes fluttered open. She still saw the strange golden-brown light, but now it seemed to be emanating from the elf sitting next to her. As she blinked slowly, the light faded and he appeared as a normal elf. She was immediately aware of pain lancing through her stomach and arms and she grimaced. The elf turned towards her, hearing her slight movement. His blue eyes widened slightly and then were lit by a smile.
"So you are finally awake little elleth*, are you feeling all right?"
"As well as I can feel after being trampled." Her breath caught and she frowned at the daggers of pain from her broken ribs. The gash on her left side seemed like ice.
His expression became more serious, "Is the wound from the Úlairi bothering you?"
"It's very cold," Calenmir gasped. He pressed his hand gently to her side and she immediately felt warmth spreading from it. "Thank you. You saved my life."
"Legolas," he supplied. They paused in silence. "Well, are you going to tell me your name, or shall I just call you Ben-esse*?"
"No, you can call me Rána."
*Úlairi = Nazgûl (ringwraith) *Tiro nin Elbereth! = Watch over me Elbereth! *Eärendil = sea lover, probably correlates to Venus *Gil-estel = star of hope, another name for Earendil *elleth = elfmaid *Ben-esse = nameless