"Savina!"
Savina opened her eyes and sat up, confused. She groaned and rubbed her head, it was throbbing like an ogre had hit her over the head with a tree.
She was sitting on the ground with Aragorn was holding her by the shoulders and Legolas and Gimli looking alarmed. Savina looked up at Aragorn, who was studying her, "what did you see?" he asked quietly.
Legolas knelt down at her side and looked at her worriedly, "what happened?"
Savina felt like her tongue was made of clay, and her vision was blurry, "I…I don't know."
Gimli was standing next to Aragorn, gripping his battle-axe so tightly that his knuckles were white, peering into the woods anxiously, "Aragorn, something isn't right, we should keep moving."
Legolas stood up and was peering into the woods along with Gimli, he grabbed an arrow and fit it into his bow, "Aragorn, he's right, something is wrong-"
"We will leave in a moment," Aragorn said, cutting Legolas off, then he leaned toward Savina and spoke quietly, "you saw an eye made of fire."
Savina nodded, "yes, and then I heard horrible screeching and…and then my father's voice telling me he needs me, I have to find him." She pushed herself up and turned to pick up her pack.
Aragorn grabbed her arm, "you heard your father?"
"Yes," she hesitated, then reached down and picked up the map where it had fallen, rolled it up, and stuck it into her vest.
Looking troubled, Aragorn released her arm and picked up his own pack, "let's go."
Looking relieved, Legolas lowered his bow a little and took off walking quickly after Aragorn, he stopped and pushed Savina ahead of him, "go in front of me."
Savina felt raw hate course through her body, them immediately it disappeared. She staggered a little, what was happening to her? Regaining her balance, she followed Aragorn quickly.
Why had she heard her father's voice? Was he hurt? Where was he?
She followed Aragorn, keeping close to him, and could hear Gimli breathing heavily behind Legolas. But she couldn't hear Legolas, he ran as silently as a shadow.
Suddenly a horrible pain shot through her head, she stumbled and fell to her knees, screaming in pain and clutching her head.
The same screeching as before filled her head and she heard her father's voice again.
"Bring him to me! I need him and I need you! Help, Savina! You are my only hope!"
Blurrily she could see her father, chained by his wrists and ankles to a stone wall. His silver hair was filthy and unkempt. His handsome face was gaunt and starved. He looked up at Savina and reached toward her, his mouth open in a silent scream.
"Help me!"
"Help me!" Savina screamed, holding her head.
Legolas dropped his bow and stared at her, unsure what was going on.
The pain in her head left as suddenly as it had come, leaving her curled up in a ball, weak and shaking and whispering, "father…"
Aragorn knelt down next to her and stroked her hair.
"Aragorn, what's happening to her?" Legolas asked, kneeling down and looking at her.
"I don't exactly know," Aragorn said softly as he held Savina to him as if she were a small child, "but I know she is battling a foe far worse than you or I have ever battled and I can only hope we never will."
Legolas touched her shoulder timidly, "poor girl, it's attacking her mind," he whispered.
Savina's head snapped up and she hissed, "I'm not a little girl." Then something inside her lurched to a stop and she looked at him. She needed him, he was important. She shook herself, what was going on? Why was she thinking all of these things?
Legolas flinched away as if she had slapped him.
Shame flooded through her, she shuddered and tried to breath normally against Aragorn's chest. Then she realized he was holding her and pushed herself away and scrambled to her feet, embarrassed, "I…I'm fine, I don't know what happened."
Aragorn stood up suddenly and peered into the woods.
Legolas was peering into the woods, he picked up his bow and readied it, "we should go Aragorn," he glanced at Savina, "I'll keep an eye on her."
Savina looked at her hands.
Aragorn looked toward the sun, which was over the White Mountains, "we have about three more hours of light, we'll make it to the river and set up camp for the night, we can cross in the morning."
Legolas nodded and fixed his eyes on Savina.
"Well, let's get going, then," boomed Gimli in his thunderous voice.
Aragorn turned and began striding swiftly down the path.
Savina followed him, knowing Legolas was right behind her. She heard a queer noise and glanced into the woods, which seemed darker than before, something was wrong.