Eli looked up from her book, suddenly aware that she no longer felt Camille's presence. Huh? She glanced at the path ahead of her, and sure enough, she wasn't there.
Hmmm, where could that girl have gone? She looked behind, intending to head back to the street they started from, but realized that the path had disappeared. What?! She looked forward again, and found that the path was gone too.
She cursed under her breath. Stupid me! Why didn't I check every so often if I was going the wrong way?! This is DEFINITELY the last time I'm going to read while I walk! She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a small compass. She placed it on her palm, and held it out in front of her.
The red needle twisted and dipped, and at long last pointed east.
Eli sighed. So I'm heading east. Not that bad; if I go straight then I ought to end up at home. She frowned. But what about Camille? She thought a bit, then shrugged. She might have gotten there ahead of me. The next time I see her, I SWEAR I'm going to strangle her for leaving me out here alone! This is the LAST time I follow her shortcuts!
She continued to walk, setting a course for the east. She tried to think happy thoughts, most of them dealing with her eventual revenge on Camille. However, she cut her thoughts short when she heard a rustling from her left.
Eli whirled around, her muscles tense. She had had some training in kendo and ninjitsu, so her reflexes and senses were above those of an ordinary person. She could sense that there were several figures around her, and the aura they radiated was not pleasant.
What could they be? Bears? Or wolves? Eli mused to herself as the rustling got stronger. If it was a bear, she knew that she could outrun it before it caught up to her. If it was a wolf, she could just as easily climb a tree where it couldn't reach her.
But it was neither a bear nor a wolf that was after her. Several man-like figures stepped into the dimming afternoon sun. Though they were human in posture and outline, their faces and their skin immediately told Eli otherwise. They looked like corpses dug up from an old grave, and their faces were hideous and gruesome.
One of them let out a loud howl that was so frightening that it made even Eli step back and wince. Uh-oh. I am SO in trouble! She turned on her heel, and sprinted away, hoping that those…those…THINGS wouldn't be able to catch her.
She could hear them running after her as she crashed through the brush, twigs and leaves getting caught in her hair, while brambles and thorns cut against her skin and made it bleed with numerous scratches. But she couldn't give a damn about it all. I only want to make it out of here…ALIVE!!!!
She saw light up ahead. She smiled, her strength renewed. She forced her aching legs to go just a bit farther. Just a little bit more…
She reached the edge, and realized that she was standing on the bank of a shallow river. Deciding that now was not the time to worry about getting wet, she crossed the waters as quickly as she could. She had made it across just before the monsters that were chasing her managed to grab her by her hair. She watched them as they glowered at her for a while, then slunk back into the shadows of the trees.
Eli stood at the opposite bank, panting out of exertion. She wasn't used to pushing her body like this, and it made her chest hurt. She placed a hand against it, trying to steady the rhythm of her heart, but it was no use. She fell to her knees, weakened suddenly. She tried to pull air into her lungs, but it was no use. It just wasn't enough.
"Oh heaven help me!" she cried softly as she slumped forward involuntarily. She thought that no one would hear her. But a hand reached out, and clutched her arm, steadying her and preventing her from falling face down onto the pebbles of the riverbank. She tried to look at her savior, but fatigue overtook her before she could get a chance.
* * *
Elrohir's other hand shot out as he caught the now unconscious girl, his right hand on her arm, and the left around her waist. Slowly, so as not to rouse her, he lifted her up into his arms, and carried her back to where his twin brother, Elladan, and their horses were waiting.
^What has happened, brother?^ Elladan asked as Elrohir mounted his horse, placing the girl in front of him on the saddle.
Elrohir grasped the reins before he answered. ^Orcs were chasing her out of the forest. She crossed the Bruinen as quickly as she could, and the Orcs stopped the moment she had reached the opposite bank. I suppose they knew that if they went any further, Father's power would drown them.^ He smirked slightly. ^Or perhaps they feared that I would kill them even if they did not cross the river.^
Elladan chuckled. ^'Tis not fair for you to have all the fun, my brother. I too wish to slaughter some Orcs. It is much too bad that they did not dare to cross.^
Elrohir nodded, a smile forming on his face. ^It does not matter right now, though. This girl is more important.^ He gazed down at the maiden in his arms at that moment. Long black-brown hair, a somewhat narrow face, thin lips, and long lashes. Beautiful…
Elladan brought his horse up next to his, and eyed the sleeping maiden. ^She is wearing rather strange clothing. I wonder where she is from.^
Elrohir laughed. ^You are much too curious for your own good sometimes, my brother. We will learn more about her later on. For now, we must get her to our sister and to Father.^
Elladan nodded in agreement, and the two spurred their horses towards Rivendell.
* * *
Arwen Evenstar, only daughter of Elrond of Rivendell, waited for her brothers to come from the west, gazing out towards the direction of the ford.
At long last, the galloping of horses' hooves sounded in the distance, and two figured on horseback broke through the trees. Arwen stood up, and smiled. They have returned.
She walked down the steps towards the stables, and all that watched admired her as she passed. Tall and graceful, with soft wavy brown locks and eyes of silver-gray, she was indeed the fairest of all the Elves, said to have been a reincarnation of Luthien the Fair herself.
Arwen stopped walking the moment Elrohir and Elladan approached her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that Elrohir was carrying a girl in his arms. ^Elrohir, who is this?^
Elrohir shook his head as he continued to walk. ^Even I do not know myself, sister. She was being chased by Orcs near the Bruinen, and only managed to cross the river in time. I tried to speak with her, but she fainted before I could get a single word out.^
Arwen nodded. ^I see.^ She looked at her brothers. ^Come, take her to my chambers. I will see to her healing in the meantime.^ She paused, a more grievous thought coming to mind. ^Did the Orcs do her harm?^
^No, we do not think so. Aside from the scratches and her fatigue, there is nothing serious,^ Elladan answered, but a frown crossed his face immediately. ^Of course, we do not know what else may have happened to her before we saw her.^
Arwen nodded, and did not say any more. Soon, they arrived at her chambers. Elrohir lay the strange girl on the bed, and stood up after gazing at her for a while. ^Arwen, shall I tell Father of what has happened here?^
^Yes, please do. That would be a good idea,^ Arwen replied.
Her brothers nodded, and they left the room, closing the door behind them. With them gone, Arwen sighed, and turned to the maiden her brothers had rescued. She was most certainly a mortal, that she could be sure of. But what mortal wears such strange clothing? I have not seen such kind of fashion anywhere yet.
With this thought, Arwen fingered the edge of the girl's skirt. It was made of a soft but somewhat rough material, and its main color was blue, but it had threads of red, yellow, green and white woven through it, forming a pattern of squares across the blue. For her upper garment, the girl was dressed in a plain white blouse with a collar and buttons down the middle, made of a thin cloth that definitely would not do in the cooler climes of the North. And then Arwen noticed a symbol on the left collar, embroidered in blue, red, and yellow threads. It was heart-shaped, with a crown at the top surmounting a cross. Beneath that was a red and yellow tongue of fire, scattering rays of light over an open book with a writing quill on top of its pages. There were numbers beneath the book, and they read "1981". There were words written around the heart, as well as in a scroll-like banner beneath it, but she could not understand them very well, as the color of the blue thread in which they were sewn had nearly faded into white, matching the cloth of the collar.
Arwen gazed at the sleeping face of the mortal on her bed, and she wondered, Who are you? Why are you here? And what does your coming portend?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whoo-hoo, another chapter finished! Wow, I seem to be turning these things out pretty quickly, at a rate of around…one chapter every one and a half days! Of course, it helps that I've got the books (including "The Hobbit" and "The Book of Lost Tales I") and the soundtrack. Anyway, on to the next chapter! We return to Mirkwood, and it seems that our OTHER victim has just awakened, after a sleep of…FIVE DAYS?!?!?! Now that she's awake, what will happen to our Prince Legolas, who is quite evidently smitten by her? And what sort of questions will need answering? Find out in Chapter Four! See ya!