Chapter 3 - An Unfamiliar Journey
Day turned to night and Elise was still securely bound, save a few moments where needed to answer a call of nature. As Aragorn had promised, she also had a warm meal. She had not, as he also promised, felt any better. She was still tied to a tree in the middle of a forest in the company of strange men after all.
As she felt fatigue taking over, she closed her eyes and did her best to sleep upright. She wasn't having much luck when she started to hear a conversation.
"...And there was a ringing demon, bright red, a most foul thing...a fascinating box with doors that you stepped in and it took you to a different place..."
The men obviously thought she had fallen asleep. When Legolas had finished regaling his company with tales of her abduction he moved on to planning the next day. She snored rather ungraciously to encourage their assumptions and then listened intently.
"We must clear camp and leave after breakfast." A deep, commanding voice said. Elise guessed it was Aragorn. "We will seek counsel with Gandalf in Bree tomorrow."
"We have tarried far too long, it must be first light." Said a gruff, grumpy voice she had not heard before. She deduced it was the Dwarf as he was the only one who she hadn't met.
"Gimli, you must take into account our mortal companions." There was no mistaking this voice, it was clear and sweet, it almost sang the words. "They need nourishment to continue on this long and perilous journey and to have energy to battle our enemies along the way." Elise found herself being lulled by the melodic tones of Legolas' voice. It was becoming a struggle not to succumb to the masquerade. "We have the dark lady now, we must be at full strength and ever watchful, for it is when victory is within your reach that you are the furthest away from winning." The extremely cryptic comment was the last thing she heard that night.
Elise was woken by the noise of the men clearing the camp. It looked like they were on the move. She watched as Legolas effortlessly carried piles of large logs back to the thick forest. She marvelled at the contradiction. He was so slim and delicate looking but those men were weary of crossing him. She was still staring when he returned from his task and stood in front of her. His voice was the only thing that started her out of her trance.
"We are leaving now, we have a long journey ahead of us. We must make haste if we are to be on time." With that he knelt down and began to untie her. Elise couldn't help but inhale deeply. She was intoxicated by his smell. 'Wherever they are, they have heard of shampoo!' She thought and chuckled to herself. Legolas startled by the inappropriate noise, looked hard into her face.
"You have taken leave of your senses," he mumbled, "I feared that the people of lower earth would not be strong enough for their destiny." Elise was insulted at his words, to the point where anger overtook common sense. She pulled free of the remaining binds and practically yelled at the Elf.
"I am not mad," she fumed "I mean I am mad angry, but not mad, nuts." She demonstrated her words by balling her hands into fists and then pointing at her temples with her finger. Ignoring Legolas' raised eyebrows; she puffed out her chest in her most pompous fashion and continued her rant.
"I am British and I demand to be treated with respect and returned home, not Britain but Canada; or at least taken to an embassy, or whatever country bumpkin equivalent you have here. This type of treatment is unacceptable and I will make my displeasure known to the nearest policeman I see. So unless..." Legolas had had enough, his curiosity was stirred by her initial outburst, but now his ears just hurt. He gently, but very firmly placed his hand over her mouth and called Boromir over.
"Make a gag and tie her mouth or we shall all suffer an agonising death before we even see an Orc." He told the man.
The rest of the day's journey was made in silence, well from Elise's point of view. They were travelling on foot with Boromir and Gimli in front of her and Legolas and Aragorn keeping an eye on her from behind. She mentally kicked herself at her lack of composure. If she had behaved, maybe she would have learned something about where she was or where she was heading. All she knew was that there was a deadline and that it was very important. The only way she was going to find out more and find a way out of this was to play ball. Trying to think about how to fix a sweet smile, she prepared herself for her slice of humble pie and waited for the next mealtime. She hoped then that her gag would be removed. It's no use apologising when no one can understand you. She watched a single black bird circle overhead, its wings spread wide to catch the eddying winds.
With nothing else to do but wait, Elise mulled over the things the group had said the night before. 'What did they mean when they said she was the Dark Lady?' she had been called all sorts of things in her life but was just about the strangest. Is that what they called black people in their neck of the woods?' Elise knitted her brow in deep thought, 'and why was it so important to have this Dark Lady? If it wasn't for a sacrifice, what the hell were they going to do? And why does the group pretend the pretty boy is an Elf?'
Finally, the group stopped for a rest. Some of the group collected some wood and water, leaving Legolas to untie Elise.
"I am sorry that I shouted at you earlier," she blurted before he had a chance to replace the gag. "If you would just answer some questions, I would be a lot happier and quieter." Legolas thought about her request and then very slowly, a smile crept across his face.
"I will answer only one question so do not squander your chance." 'Was he playing with me?' thought Elise, her eyes wide with wonder. "Perhaps I should give you a time limit too?" Elise's mouth joined her eyes and was now a gaping hole. Legolas clearly delighted with her response laughed softly and waited for her question.
Elise thought processes were hampered by the distracting sound of the handsome man's equally lovely laugh and the panic in trying to prioritise and sort all her questions into the most useful one. She finally decided on a single query. Taking a deep breath she said,
"Why is the Dark Lady so important to you?"
Legolas seemed impressed, "A very good question." He remarked and answered, "we are at war with a force of evil so great that it could destroy the entire land of Middle Earth." He spread his arms wide to indicate the surroundings. "Our elders have told of an antidote to the Dark Lord's poison." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "the Dark Lady, it is told, has skin as brown as a berry," he stroked Elise's skin, highlighting the contrast between his milky white skin colour and her milky coffee tone. Elise shivered at the sensation of his touch. "Her skin may be dark, but her soul is as pure as gold and her heart as strong as mithril. She will be our most treasured weapon, protecting all you see hither and beyond." Legolas smiled again, knowing that his answer had generated many more questions.
Day turned to night and Elise was still securely bound, save a few moments where needed to answer a call of nature. As Aragorn had promised, she also had a warm meal. She had not, as he also promised, felt any better. She was still tied to a tree in the middle of a forest in the company of strange men after all.
As she felt fatigue taking over, she closed her eyes and did her best to sleep upright. She wasn't having much luck when she started to hear a conversation.
"...And there was a ringing demon, bright red, a most foul thing...a fascinating box with doors that you stepped in and it took you to a different place..."
The men obviously thought she had fallen asleep. When Legolas had finished regaling his company with tales of her abduction he moved on to planning the next day. She snored rather ungraciously to encourage their assumptions and then listened intently.
"We must clear camp and leave after breakfast." A deep, commanding voice said. Elise guessed it was Aragorn. "We will seek counsel with Gandalf in Bree tomorrow."
"We have tarried far too long, it must be first light." Said a gruff, grumpy voice she had not heard before. She deduced it was the Dwarf as he was the only one who she hadn't met.
"Gimli, you must take into account our mortal companions." There was no mistaking this voice, it was clear and sweet, it almost sang the words. "They need nourishment to continue on this long and perilous journey and to have energy to battle our enemies along the way." Elise found herself being lulled by the melodic tones of Legolas' voice. It was becoming a struggle not to succumb to the masquerade. "We have the dark lady now, we must be at full strength and ever watchful, for it is when victory is within your reach that you are the furthest away from winning." The extremely cryptic comment was the last thing she heard that night.
Elise was woken by the noise of the men clearing the camp. It looked like they were on the move. She watched as Legolas effortlessly carried piles of large logs back to the thick forest. She marvelled at the contradiction. He was so slim and delicate looking but those men were weary of crossing him. She was still staring when he returned from his task and stood in front of her. His voice was the only thing that started her out of her trance.
"We are leaving now, we have a long journey ahead of us. We must make haste if we are to be on time." With that he knelt down and began to untie her. Elise couldn't help but inhale deeply. She was intoxicated by his smell. 'Wherever they are, they have heard of shampoo!' She thought and chuckled to herself. Legolas startled by the inappropriate noise, looked hard into her face.
"You have taken leave of your senses," he mumbled, "I feared that the people of lower earth would not be strong enough for their destiny." Elise was insulted at his words, to the point where anger overtook common sense. She pulled free of the remaining binds and practically yelled at the Elf.
"I am not mad," she fumed "I mean I am mad angry, but not mad, nuts." She demonstrated her words by balling her hands into fists and then pointing at her temples with her finger. Ignoring Legolas' raised eyebrows; she puffed out her chest in her most pompous fashion and continued her rant.
"I am British and I demand to be treated with respect and returned home, not Britain but Canada; or at least taken to an embassy, or whatever country bumpkin equivalent you have here. This type of treatment is unacceptable and I will make my displeasure known to the nearest policeman I see. So unless..." Legolas had had enough, his curiosity was stirred by her initial outburst, but now his ears just hurt. He gently, but very firmly placed his hand over her mouth and called Boromir over.
"Make a gag and tie her mouth or we shall all suffer an agonising death before we even see an Orc." He told the man.
The rest of the day's journey was made in silence, well from Elise's point of view. They were travelling on foot with Boromir and Gimli in front of her and Legolas and Aragorn keeping an eye on her from behind. She mentally kicked herself at her lack of composure. If she had behaved, maybe she would have learned something about where she was or where she was heading. All she knew was that there was a deadline and that it was very important. The only way she was going to find out more and find a way out of this was to play ball. Trying to think about how to fix a sweet smile, she prepared herself for her slice of humble pie and waited for the next mealtime. She hoped then that her gag would be removed. It's no use apologising when no one can understand you. She watched a single black bird circle overhead, its wings spread wide to catch the eddying winds.
With nothing else to do but wait, Elise mulled over the things the group had said the night before. 'What did they mean when they said she was the Dark Lady?' she had been called all sorts of things in her life but was just about the strangest. Is that what they called black people in their neck of the woods?' Elise knitted her brow in deep thought, 'and why was it so important to have this Dark Lady? If it wasn't for a sacrifice, what the hell were they going to do? And why does the group pretend the pretty boy is an Elf?'
Finally, the group stopped for a rest. Some of the group collected some wood and water, leaving Legolas to untie Elise.
"I am sorry that I shouted at you earlier," she blurted before he had a chance to replace the gag. "If you would just answer some questions, I would be a lot happier and quieter." Legolas thought about her request and then very slowly, a smile crept across his face.
"I will answer only one question so do not squander your chance." 'Was he playing with me?' thought Elise, her eyes wide with wonder. "Perhaps I should give you a time limit too?" Elise's mouth joined her eyes and was now a gaping hole. Legolas clearly delighted with her response laughed softly and waited for her question.
Elise thought processes were hampered by the distracting sound of the handsome man's equally lovely laugh and the panic in trying to prioritise and sort all her questions into the most useful one. She finally decided on a single query. Taking a deep breath she said,
"Why is the Dark Lady so important to you?"
Legolas seemed impressed, "A very good question." He remarked and answered, "we are at war with a force of evil so great that it could destroy the entire land of Middle Earth." He spread his arms wide to indicate the surroundings. "Our elders have told of an antidote to the Dark Lord's poison." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "the Dark Lady, it is told, has skin as brown as a berry," he stroked Elise's skin, highlighting the contrast between his milky white skin colour and her milky coffee tone. Elise shivered at the sensation of his touch. "Her skin may be dark, but her soul is as pure as gold and her heart as strong as mithril. She will be our most treasured weapon, protecting all you see hither and beyond." Legolas smiled again, knowing that his answer had generated many more questions.