thought I'd make Leggy sound like a bit of a ponce in the beginning - heh-heh-heh! ;0)
I know he goes a bit OOC in this chapter, and calls Edie 'Edie' and such, but I'm sorry, it just came out...y'know.
Kapies - Feel special! ;0) LOL!
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As the sun rose over the flat lands Legolas gently shook Edie awake. "Wake up." he said softly, "It is a new day, the sun rises, and we must move onwards."
Edie moaned and forced her eyes open, even though it was not that bright she squinted at the sun, which lay behind Legolas, wreathing him in its soft light.
"Come on, we must cross the flat lands, and then we must take a winding path in the mountains beyond."
"Do you have to make everything look so bleak?" Edie asked him as she struggled to her feet.
Legolas shot her a look but said nothing, and so they continued on their way.
************************
It took them two days to cross the flat lands and when the great mountains loomed above them Legolas led Edie down into a large cave at the foot of the first.
"Legolas, what are we doing in here?" Edie asked him, touching the damp wall.
"Lord Antinous will not think to come through here. It is a short cut through the mountains that I discovered a while back." he said.
Edie raised an eyebrow and continued walking behind him.
They were getting deeper down into the cave, but to Edie's surprise it wasn't getting much darker. She had never been in a cave before, but in all the stories her Nurse used to tell her they had always been described as dark places, and the entrance was getting further and further away, as they normally do when one moves in the opposite direction to them.
Edie sighed, "Legolas..." she trailed off, she had nothing to say, but being in the cave was unnerving her.
She noticed a small stream trickling its way down the rocks to her right, its water glistened in the half-light as if it were made of tiny jewels.
Edie stepped closer to it, but Legolas put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Do not touch the waters!." he warned her, "They may look beautiful, but beauty isn't everything."
"What will happen if I touch them?" Edie asked, gazing at the colours.
"You will be turned into solid gold. Look!" Legolas pointed to what Edie had thought was a sculpture. A small bird was standing beside the stream, fixed like a small statue to the rocks.
"That is a real bird?" Edie asked in amazement.
"That was a real bird." Legolas corrected her gravely and nodded, pulling her gently along with him.
"That was a real bird..." Edie said sadly, and glanced back at the statuesque figure.
Legolas drew her onward, the stream was now getting wider, and very soon they were both walking carefully one behind the other along a small shelf with the waters glistening menacingly below them.
"There is only a short way to go now." Legolas said finally, after Edie felt that they had been walking forever.
"Where will we come out?" Edie asked, assuming that the cave was only on one level.
"The other side of the mountain, and a little way up." Legolas said, and came to a halt.
"Why are we stopping?" But as soon as the words were out of her mouth Edie saw that there was a dead end up ahead.
"The only way is up." The Elf said, and hauled himself with considerable ease up onto a flat bit of rock.
He offered a hand to Edie and pulled her up with him.
Edie looked down at the swirling waters below and saw now that they came from an opening in the rock that was crumbling into the water as it gushed out in a resplendant jet.
"Has it always been like that?" Edie asked pointing to the deteriorating wall.
"No, that is a new development that I had not anticipated and it is worrying me. I think we should get out of here as soon as possible."
Legolas moved swiftly onward and the shelf got tinner, and Edie tried to keep close to him. She didn't want to get lost in this cave, or slip and fall into the waters below to remain a living statue forever.
Then again, they came to another dead end. Edie looked to Legolas but he was looking up with a slight look of worry on his face.
"What is it, Legolas?" she asked quietly.
"I can hear the waters coming. The corroding hole in the wall has burst and soon the whole mountain will be flooded. This is the only way up." he said shaking his head.
The rocks on the interior of the cave were wet and slippery, and every time Edie grabbed hold of one, her hand slid off and all she was left with was a handful of dark green, foul-smelling slime.
"Legolas." she said quietly, getting slightly worried, she could see the water below them rising and had already seen what would happen if it consumed them.
"I'm thinking, Edie. I've never been in this situation before, the water has never risen before." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
He was looking around the place for something to hold on to as was Edie.
Finally, after what seemed like forever Legolas gripped the rock in front of him.
"I will climb up a little way and pull you up like before. The rock here is dry."
Edie looked where Legolas was looking, indeed the rock was dry in small patches just above where he was standing and if they could just climb up there everything would be alright. In fact, quite a way up it cleared up altogether.
Legolas pulled himself up to the dry rock and clutching it with one hand, reached down and grabbed Edie's wrist and dragged her partway up the rock. As soon as she could, Edie grabbed onto the rock in front of her and started climbing.
"Don't look down." Legolas said as they got higher. As he said it Edie had to stop her head from doing exactly what The Elf had said not to do.
"Don't say that." she mumbled concentraiting on the rock before her.
"Sorry." he said, he was a lot higher than her. "I just don't think you should look down...and don't stop or slow down either."
Edie started climbing faster, and after a little way she dared to look down, despite Legolas's warning. The sight she saw shocked her. The water was only a few meters below her and steadily rising. She gasped and almost slipped on the dry rock.
"Legolas!"
"Edie, don't look down! Just keep climbing and you'll be alright." he said, he was nearly at the top of the cave wall.
She tried to climb calmly, but her heart was beating fast in her chest and she knew that if she fell then she too would become a golden statue like the bird.
Legolas had reached the top and was holding out a slender hand, ready for when she came within his reach. Edie's legs and arms weren't used to this amount of physical activity and she felt as if she were getting slower and slower.
"Come on, Edie. Just a little way now." Legolas said encouragingly, stretching out as far as he could.
Edie could hear the water below her and she could feel the coolness that came off it only a little way away. She didn't look up, and she didn't look down. She concentrated on the dull brown rock in front of her and when she felt Legolas's hand lock around hers her heart leapt and he pulled her up.
Struggling over the side of the rock she lay down, breathing heavily. Then she noticed spots of gold on her boots and she felt a little sick. The water had been that close to her, close enough to turn her gold.
"Legolas." she said again, looking down at her boots. He loomed over her with a hand to help her up.
"We need to get out of here before the water consumes the whole cave." he said, lifting her up.
Edie walked wearily after Legolas, who kept looking back to check she was there, and when they finally came to the mouth of the cave the sunlight shone brightly outside and birds sang in the trees below as if there wasn't anything terrible at all.
***********************
I know he goes a bit OOC in this chapter, and calls Edie 'Edie' and such, but I'm sorry, it just came out...y'know.
Kapies - Feel special! ;0) LOL!
************************
As the sun rose over the flat lands Legolas gently shook Edie awake. "Wake up." he said softly, "It is a new day, the sun rises, and we must move onwards."
Edie moaned and forced her eyes open, even though it was not that bright she squinted at the sun, which lay behind Legolas, wreathing him in its soft light.
"Come on, we must cross the flat lands, and then we must take a winding path in the mountains beyond."
"Do you have to make everything look so bleak?" Edie asked him as she struggled to her feet.
Legolas shot her a look but said nothing, and so they continued on their way.
************************
It took them two days to cross the flat lands and when the great mountains loomed above them Legolas led Edie down into a large cave at the foot of the first.
"Legolas, what are we doing in here?" Edie asked him, touching the damp wall.
"Lord Antinous will not think to come through here. It is a short cut through the mountains that I discovered a while back." he said.
Edie raised an eyebrow and continued walking behind him.
They were getting deeper down into the cave, but to Edie's surprise it wasn't getting much darker. She had never been in a cave before, but in all the stories her Nurse used to tell her they had always been described as dark places, and the entrance was getting further and further away, as they normally do when one moves in the opposite direction to them.
Edie sighed, "Legolas..." she trailed off, she had nothing to say, but being in the cave was unnerving her.
She noticed a small stream trickling its way down the rocks to her right, its water glistened in the half-light as if it were made of tiny jewels.
Edie stepped closer to it, but Legolas put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Do not touch the waters!." he warned her, "They may look beautiful, but beauty isn't everything."
"What will happen if I touch them?" Edie asked, gazing at the colours.
"You will be turned into solid gold. Look!" Legolas pointed to what Edie had thought was a sculpture. A small bird was standing beside the stream, fixed like a small statue to the rocks.
"That is a real bird?" Edie asked in amazement.
"That was a real bird." Legolas corrected her gravely and nodded, pulling her gently along with him.
"That was a real bird..." Edie said sadly, and glanced back at the statuesque figure.
Legolas drew her onward, the stream was now getting wider, and very soon they were both walking carefully one behind the other along a small shelf with the waters glistening menacingly below them.
"There is only a short way to go now." Legolas said finally, after Edie felt that they had been walking forever.
"Where will we come out?" Edie asked, assuming that the cave was only on one level.
"The other side of the mountain, and a little way up." Legolas said, and came to a halt.
"Why are we stopping?" But as soon as the words were out of her mouth Edie saw that there was a dead end up ahead.
"The only way is up." The Elf said, and hauled himself with considerable ease up onto a flat bit of rock.
He offered a hand to Edie and pulled her up with him.
Edie looked down at the swirling waters below and saw now that they came from an opening in the rock that was crumbling into the water as it gushed out in a resplendant jet.
"Has it always been like that?" Edie asked pointing to the deteriorating wall.
"No, that is a new development that I had not anticipated and it is worrying me. I think we should get out of here as soon as possible."
Legolas moved swiftly onward and the shelf got tinner, and Edie tried to keep close to him. She didn't want to get lost in this cave, or slip and fall into the waters below to remain a living statue forever.
Then again, they came to another dead end. Edie looked to Legolas but he was looking up with a slight look of worry on his face.
"What is it, Legolas?" she asked quietly.
"I can hear the waters coming. The corroding hole in the wall has burst and soon the whole mountain will be flooded. This is the only way up." he said shaking his head.
The rocks on the interior of the cave were wet and slippery, and every time Edie grabbed hold of one, her hand slid off and all she was left with was a handful of dark green, foul-smelling slime.
"Legolas." she said quietly, getting slightly worried, she could see the water below them rising and had already seen what would happen if it consumed them.
"I'm thinking, Edie. I've never been in this situation before, the water has never risen before." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
He was looking around the place for something to hold on to as was Edie.
Finally, after what seemed like forever Legolas gripped the rock in front of him.
"I will climb up a little way and pull you up like before. The rock here is dry."
Edie looked where Legolas was looking, indeed the rock was dry in small patches just above where he was standing and if they could just climb up there everything would be alright. In fact, quite a way up it cleared up altogether.
Legolas pulled himself up to the dry rock and clutching it with one hand, reached down and grabbed Edie's wrist and dragged her partway up the rock. As soon as she could, Edie grabbed onto the rock in front of her and started climbing.
"Don't look down." Legolas said as they got higher. As he said it Edie had to stop her head from doing exactly what The Elf had said not to do.
"Don't say that." she mumbled concentraiting on the rock before her.
"Sorry." he said, he was a lot higher than her. "I just don't think you should look down...and don't stop or slow down either."
Edie started climbing faster, and after a little way she dared to look down, despite Legolas's warning. The sight she saw shocked her. The water was only a few meters below her and steadily rising. She gasped and almost slipped on the dry rock.
"Legolas!"
"Edie, don't look down! Just keep climbing and you'll be alright." he said, he was nearly at the top of the cave wall.
She tried to climb calmly, but her heart was beating fast in her chest and she knew that if she fell then she too would become a golden statue like the bird.
Legolas had reached the top and was holding out a slender hand, ready for when she came within his reach. Edie's legs and arms weren't used to this amount of physical activity and she felt as if she were getting slower and slower.
"Come on, Edie. Just a little way now." Legolas said encouragingly, stretching out as far as he could.
Edie could hear the water below her and she could feel the coolness that came off it only a little way away. She didn't look up, and she didn't look down. She concentrated on the dull brown rock in front of her and when she felt Legolas's hand lock around hers her heart leapt and he pulled her up.
Struggling over the side of the rock she lay down, breathing heavily. Then she noticed spots of gold on her boots and she felt a little sick. The water had been that close to her, close enough to turn her gold.
"Legolas." she said again, looking down at her boots. He loomed over her with a hand to help her up.
"We need to get out of here before the water consumes the whole cave." he said, lifting her up.
Edie walked wearily after Legolas, who kept looking back to check she was there, and when they finally came to the mouth of the cave the sunlight shone brightly outside and birds sang in the trees below as if there wasn't anything terrible at all.
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