Hey, I promised a LOTR character, and I have delivered. Enjoy ;0) Joy.
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Edie awoke and opened her eyes, squinting in the sunlight.
Legolas was sitting nearby on a well-placed boulder looking into the trees. If he noticed that she had woken he made no indication of it, as he sat still as a cat watching its prey.
It dawned upon Edie as she sat up that she felt a whole lot better than she had before, perhaps a good night's sleep had been what she needed. Her stomach started grumbling and she uttered a low moan of annoyance, as if telling it off for functioning properly now.
Legolas whipped his head round and Edie nearly jumped out of her skin.
"How are you feeling?" The Elf asked, eyeing her like a hawk lest she lie.
"A lot better, thankyou." Edie forced a smile. She reached back and rubbed her neck, which was stiff, a side-effect of sleeping on the hard floor.
Her hair was a mess, a complete mess. She crossed her legs and rebraided it, growling at her stomach every time it growled at her.
"You sound like a warg." Legolas said, straight faced as he bent down and picked up a pack from beside him, reached inside and brought out some bread. He tossed it to her and she caught it, just.
"There is a stream of clean water through those trees." he said, indicating to his left.
Edie glanced where he was pointing and finished with her hair. "Well, I shall return shortly." she said, getting up and disappearing through the trees.
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"Someone approaches, Sir!" Melanthius reported, having just returned from scouting the area.
Lord Antinous glared at the boy, "Well, who is it?" he asked impatiently.
"One rider, Sir, I think it may be a messenger from the King." Melanthius said, flinching expectantly as if he had said something wrong.
Lord Antinous did nothing but sneer, "Take some men with you and escort them here then, boy. Or do I have to do everything for myself?" Antinous said, as if it were obvious what to do in his fickle, quick-tempered mind.
"Yes, Sir." Melanthius bowed low and gathered up some men, and left the clearing.
They returned an hour later, escorting what appeared to be a messenger from King Laertes, indeed, he wore the garb of King Laertes servants.
The messenger approached Lord Antinous and bowed low, almost scraping the floor. He appeared to be out of breath, as if he had been running, not riding a horse, and extremely nervous of approaching Antinous. His face was sweating and his grey eyes were wide as he addressed Antinous, "My Lord, a message from the Castle."
"Yes, yes? Get on with it!" Antinous said restraining himself from hitting the boy to slap some sense into him.
"The King has fallen ill. His health worsens every day. It is feared he will not last until the winter months. I have come to urge you to double your attempts in finding the Princess, if she is not returned to him soon he may die."
Lord Antinous stood still for a moment, and then struck out, kicking the nearest tree and regretting it as the pain erupted in his foot. "Gah!" he exclaimed angrily, his face going red.
Everyone within hitting space of him flinched inwardly, expecting him to lash out on them next.
"Why must everything go so wrong?! I.argh!" he clenched his fists and teeth, trying to calm himself.
"We must ride immediately. The Princess gets further away as we stand around doing nothing. Pack up and get to your horses. We leave in an hour, whether you are ready or not." he shouted at the men, "And as for you," he looked to the messenger, "Tell His Majesty that we are doing what we can, and the Princess will be returned unspoiled to the Castle shortly."
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Edie and Legolas walked onward, the day was getting late and the sun was starting to set in the sky above. But they had lost so much time the day before that Legolas said it was essential that they walk onward until they could see no more. Edie did not complain, it was for her safety that he said this and she had to force herself to remember this every time she felt a complaint rising in her.
Legolas walked just in front of her, making sure that he never got more than one meter in front of her, so that she was close behind.
It was due to this that when he stopped suddenly Edie walked into his back and fell backwards to the forest floor. He looked round and his gaze fell upon her, he was silent as she got up again, rubbing her backside.
"Can you hear that?" he asked quietly.
Edie strained her ears to try and hear whatever it was that The Elf heard.
She shook her head and they walked forward a few more paces before Legolas stopped suddenly again. This time Edie caught herself before she walked into him. She glared at his back to no effect.
He turned to her once more, "Surely you hear that." he whispered softly.
Edie shook her head again and they continued onward. It was only fifteen minutes later that she heard something, a voice. She kept on walking, she could not yet make out what the voice was saying. Then Legolas stopped again, and once again she walked into him and fell down. Cursing and screwing up her nose she stood up again, brushing herself off.
Legolas was staring ahead, Edie peered round him and saw what he was looking at.
An old woman wearing rags sat on a log, picking leaves out of her dark, woolen shawl.
"Yes.she's pretty.very pretty." she was muttering to herself as she rocked slowly back and forth in the fading light.
"By all the gods in the sky, why do we have to run into all the mad old women?" Edie mumbled under her breath. Legolas didn't appear to react, and was still glaring at the old woman as if she were an orc or other creature.
"Very pretty.likes cake.wears her favourite pink dress.very pretty.pretty." the Old Woman smiled at herself.
"Legolas, would it be possible for us to walk around this clearing?" Edie whispered uncomfortably.
He did not answer, but took her wrist and stepped into the view of the Old Woman. She paid them no notice, but still mumbled to herself and started humming.
"She is no danger to either of us." Legolas whispered back to Edie as they edged around her.
They had almost walked past her, when the Old Woman's hand shot out and she grabbed Edie's leg.
Edie screamed, took a breath and screamed again.
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Please review, it doesn't take that long and it will make a sad, pathetic author happy! Thankyou and hugs! ;0)
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Edie awoke and opened her eyes, squinting in the sunlight.
Legolas was sitting nearby on a well-placed boulder looking into the trees. If he noticed that she had woken he made no indication of it, as he sat still as a cat watching its prey.
It dawned upon Edie as she sat up that she felt a whole lot better than she had before, perhaps a good night's sleep had been what she needed. Her stomach started grumbling and she uttered a low moan of annoyance, as if telling it off for functioning properly now.
Legolas whipped his head round and Edie nearly jumped out of her skin.
"How are you feeling?" The Elf asked, eyeing her like a hawk lest she lie.
"A lot better, thankyou." Edie forced a smile. She reached back and rubbed her neck, which was stiff, a side-effect of sleeping on the hard floor.
Her hair was a mess, a complete mess. She crossed her legs and rebraided it, growling at her stomach every time it growled at her.
"You sound like a warg." Legolas said, straight faced as he bent down and picked up a pack from beside him, reached inside and brought out some bread. He tossed it to her and she caught it, just.
"There is a stream of clean water through those trees." he said, indicating to his left.
Edie glanced where he was pointing and finished with her hair. "Well, I shall return shortly." she said, getting up and disappearing through the trees.
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"Someone approaches, Sir!" Melanthius reported, having just returned from scouting the area.
Lord Antinous glared at the boy, "Well, who is it?" he asked impatiently.
"One rider, Sir, I think it may be a messenger from the King." Melanthius said, flinching expectantly as if he had said something wrong.
Lord Antinous did nothing but sneer, "Take some men with you and escort them here then, boy. Or do I have to do everything for myself?" Antinous said, as if it were obvious what to do in his fickle, quick-tempered mind.
"Yes, Sir." Melanthius bowed low and gathered up some men, and left the clearing.
They returned an hour later, escorting what appeared to be a messenger from King Laertes, indeed, he wore the garb of King Laertes servants.
The messenger approached Lord Antinous and bowed low, almost scraping the floor. He appeared to be out of breath, as if he had been running, not riding a horse, and extremely nervous of approaching Antinous. His face was sweating and his grey eyes were wide as he addressed Antinous, "My Lord, a message from the Castle."
"Yes, yes? Get on with it!" Antinous said restraining himself from hitting the boy to slap some sense into him.
"The King has fallen ill. His health worsens every day. It is feared he will not last until the winter months. I have come to urge you to double your attempts in finding the Princess, if she is not returned to him soon he may die."
Lord Antinous stood still for a moment, and then struck out, kicking the nearest tree and regretting it as the pain erupted in his foot. "Gah!" he exclaimed angrily, his face going red.
Everyone within hitting space of him flinched inwardly, expecting him to lash out on them next.
"Why must everything go so wrong?! I.argh!" he clenched his fists and teeth, trying to calm himself.
"We must ride immediately. The Princess gets further away as we stand around doing nothing. Pack up and get to your horses. We leave in an hour, whether you are ready or not." he shouted at the men, "And as for you," he looked to the messenger, "Tell His Majesty that we are doing what we can, and the Princess will be returned unspoiled to the Castle shortly."
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Edie and Legolas walked onward, the day was getting late and the sun was starting to set in the sky above. But they had lost so much time the day before that Legolas said it was essential that they walk onward until they could see no more. Edie did not complain, it was for her safety that he said this and she had to force herself to remember this every time she felt a complaint rising in her.
Legolas walked just in front of her, making sure that he never got more than one meter in front of her, so that she was close behind.
It was due to this that when he stopped suddenly Edie walked into his back and fell backwards to the forest floor. He looked round and his gaze fell upon her, he was silent as she got up again, rubbing her backside.
"Can you hear that?" he asked quietly.
Edie strained her ears to try and hear whatever it was that The Elf heard.
She shook her head and they walked forward a few more paces before Legolas stopped suddenly again. This time Edie caught herself before she walked into him. She glared at his back to no effect.
He turned to her once more, "Surely you hear that." he whispered softly.
Edie shook her head again and they continued onward. It was only fifteen minutes later that she heard something, a voice. She kept on walking, she could not yet make out what the voice was saying. Then Legolas stopped again, and once again she walked into him and fell down. Cursing and screwing up her nose she stood up again, brushing herself off.
Legolas was staring ahead, Edie peered round him and saw what he was looking at.
An old woman wearing rags sat on a log, picking leaves out of her dark, woolen shawl.
"Yes.she's pretty.very pretty." she was muttering to herself as she rocked slowly back and forth in the fading light.
"By all the gods in the sky, why do we have to run into all the mad old women?" Edie mumbled under her breath. Legolas didn't appear to react, and was still glaring at the old woman as if she were an orc or other creature.
"Very pretty.likes cake.wears her favourite pink dress.very pretty.pretty." the Old Woman smiled at herself.
"Legolas, would it be possible for us to walk around this clearing?" Edie whispered uncomfortably.
He did not answer, but took her wrist and stepped into the view of the Old Woman. She paid them no notice, but still mumbled to herself and started humming.
"She is no danger to either of us." Legolas whispered back to Edie as they edged around her.
They had almost walked past her, when the Old Woman's hand shot out and she grabbed Edie's leg.
Edie screamed, took a breath and screamed again.
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Please review, it doesn't take that long and it will make a sad, pathetic author happy! Thankyou and hugs! ;0)