Arabella Thorne - Thank you so much for your review. No, don't worry. I
will finish what I start. I have several more chapters in mind and I hope
to bring in some new developments that will surprise you. Thanks for all
your encouragement. It means a lot to a beginning writer.
Ada Kensington - What a nice thing to say. Thank you so much. I was beginning to wonder if anyone besides Arabella was reading this at all. I will try my best to make the next chapter longer and more interesting. Please bear with me as I am an amateur writer. I really do enjoy writing though. Thank you very much for your kind review.
Many thanks to everyone who has been reading this story. I am still learning as I write this adventure. I hope to spring a few surprises in the future. Until then, here is the next chapter. Enjoy and God Bless.
Chapter 8 Trapped
Sareei was uneasy. There was something out there in the dark. There was a faint noise. Then another one, this time closer. Sareei quickly went further back into the cave and waited in the darkness, watching the entrance. Into the firelight walked an UrukHai.
This Uruk-Hai was a big one. And smarter than most Sareei had encountered. It didn't bother with the food on the fire. It went straight towards the back of the cave, searching for her. It moved silently in the darkness, knowing it had her trapped.
Sareei retreated further back into the darkness. Suddenly something hit her foot. She looked down and barely made out a small rock laying in the dirt. Just then she looked up and saw a flash by her head. The scimitar slammed into the cave wall only inches from her face. The Uruk-Kai towered over her, snarling with rage as he struggled insanely to get the blade loose for another blow. Sareei ran for her life into the darkness of the cave.
"It's only a matter of time.", the orc thought. He moved silently in the darkness and then stopped, still as a stone, listening. He moved again, this time closer to Sareei's hiding place. He stopped, and stood there listening for what seemed forever. He could hear the wind in the trees outside. Then he focused again on his prey, turning his head towards the back of the cave. Sareei held her breath, sure that the Uruk-Hai could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She was caught. She couldn't run. But she wasn't going down without a fight, she thought defiantly, as her hand unsheathed her knife. The orc suddenly swung his head around in Sareei's direction again. Both opponents froze as the orc stood listening intently. Then he slowly started moving toward Sareei's hiding place, his green eyes slits in the darkness.
Sareei slipped further into the cave, still hoping to find a way of escape. The Uruk-Hai continued it's advance, never changing it's pace. It kept moving slowly and surely towards it's prey.
Sareei looked up and sent a prayer heavenward to Iluvator. "I guess this is it. Ready or not here I come.", she prayed ruefully.
Just then the orc gave a sharp grunt and stepped swiftly in her direction. Sareei took a swift step backwards and felt her left leg sink down into water. Suddenly there was a blinding pain shooting through her leg, exploding into her brain. Before she could stop herself she uttered a piercing scream of pain. The orc immediately charged, his scimitar raised for the kill. Suddenly he pitched forward into the dirt not three feet from the anguished woman. There were two arrows protruding from the back of his head. He was dead.
Through the haze of pain Sareei could see several silhouettes running towards her. "Oh, great. More Uruk-Hai." She raised the knife to defend herself as best she could. "Come and get it.", she whispered darkly. Suddenly she realized the silhouettes were people.
Aragorn ran past the dead Uruk-Hai to Sareei.
"You have a strange way of showing gratitude, Sareei.", said Aragorn, staying out of her reach. She stood uncertainly, holding her knife, then recognized him in the dim light. Then, another wave of pain from her left leg made her gasp and double over, dropping the knife. Aragorn quickly came to her side.
"Are you hurt?", asked Aragorn. Sareei nodded grimly through her pain.
Legolas put his hand under Sareei's elbow for support while Aragorn ran back to the front of the cave and made a torch from one of the pieces of wood from the fire. He came back with it and handed it to Legolas. He could see Sareei more clearly now. "Where?", he asked, running his eyes quickly over her clothing for bloodstains. Sareei pointed to her submerged left leg. If the pain in her eyes was any indicator, she was in agony.
Aragorn moved closer to access the situation. Sareei's leg was submerged in a very small pool, one obviously dug as a trap. The water around the leg was red with blood. She was loosing blood fast. They would have to get her out quickly before she bled to death. Legolas put his arms around her shoulders to steady her, while Aragorn reached into the water to access the damage. What he found turned his stomach.
"There is a spike in the water.", he told Legolas. " It went into the back of the leg just above the ankle and exited just below the knee. The whole lower leg is impaled." Sareei sagged against Legolas in an effort not to faint. Legolas looked at her in sympathy and then back at Aragorn.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Hold her tightly, Legolas.", he told him in Sindarin. "I am going to have to pull the leg off of the spike."
Legolas nodded and tightened his grip on the nearly unconscious woman. Aragorn quickly jerked the leg upwards and off the deadly spike. Sareei's scream echoed through the cave, than she went limp against Legolas' shoulder. Aragorn bound up the wounds as quickly as he could to help stop some of the bleeding. He looked at Legolas. "We have to get her to Elrond quickly. I don't think she is going to make it otherwise."
Aragorn's face was grim as he picked up Sareei's unconscious form and quickly left the cave. By the time they reached the horses, the bandages around Sareei's leg were soaked in crimson. Aragorn tried to mount his horse, but Ariel was having none of it. No one was going to carry Sareei but him. Sighing, Aragorn handed Sareei to Legolas and mounted the black stallion. As soon as Legolas handed Sareei up to Aragorn, Ariel wheeled and ran for Rivendell. The wind whistled past as he came down off the mountain like a thunderstorm, never once slacking his pace from a dead run. He was sure footed as a mountain goat and he knew the trail well. He could smell Sareei's blood and he knew she was hurt badly. He would run until his heart burst if he had to.
Elrond came running down the steps as Aragorn and Legolas came tearing into the courtyard. He had been standing at the window to his study when he saw them galloping down the path to the front gate. He took one look at Sareei's blood soaked leg and quickly took her from Aragorn.
"Oh Sareei,", he said sadly, "what mischief have you done yourself this time?" He swept up the steps and made his way to his study, quickly giving instructions to his sons as he went. They ran ahead of him and started preparing the medical supplies they knew he would need when he arrived with Sareei. This was going to be a long night indeed.
Ariel gave a low moan, as a tear ran down his elegant face. He stood in the darkness, looking up at the light from Elrond's study. And waited.
Ada Kensington - What a nice thing to say. Thank you so much. I was beginning to wonder if anyone besides Arabella was reading this at all. I will try my best to make the next chapter longer and more interesting. Please bear with me as I am an amateur writer. I really do enjoy writing though. Thank you very much for your kind review.
Many thanks to everyone who has been reading this story. I am still learning as I write this adventure. I hope to spring a few surprises in the future. Until then, here is the next chapter. Enjoy and God Bless.
Chapter 8 Trapped
Sareei was uneasy. There was something out there in the dark. There was a faint noise. Then another one, this time closer. Sareei quickly went further back into the cave and waited in the darkness, watching the entrance. Into the firelight walked an UrukHai.
This Uruk-Hai was a big one. And smarter than most Sareei had encountered. It didn't bother with the food on the fire. It went straight towards the back of the cave, searching for her. It moved silently in the darkness, knowing it had her trapped.
Sareei retreated further back into the darkness. Suddenly something hit her foot. She looked down and barely made out a small rock laying in the dirt. Just then she looked up and saw a flash by her head. The scimitar slammed into the cave wall only inches from her face. The Uruk-Kai towered over her, snarling with rage as he struggled insanely to get the blade loose for another blow. Sareei ran for her life into the darkness of the cave.
"It's only a matter of time.", the orc thought. He moved silently in the darkness and then stopped, still as a stone, listening. He moved again, this time closer to Sareei's hiding place. He stopped, and stood there listening for what seemed forever. He could hear the wind in the trees outside. Then he focused again on his prey, turning his head towards the back of the cave. Sareei held her breath, sure that the Uruk-Hai could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She was caught. She couldn't run. But she wasn't going down without a fight, she thought defiantly, as her hand unsheathed her knife. The orc suddenly swung his head around in Sareei's direction again. Both opponents froze as the orc stood listening intently. Then he slowly started moving toward Sareei's hiding place, his green eyes slits in the darkness.
Sareei slipped further into the cave, still hoping to find a way of escape. The Uruk-Hai continued it's advance, never changing it's pace. It kept moving slowly and surely towards it's prey.
Sareei looked up and sent a prayer heavenward to Iluvator. "I guess this is it. Ready or not here I come.", she prayed ruefully.
Just then the orc gave a sharp grunt and stepped swiftly in her direction. Sareei took a swift step backwards and felt her left leg sink down into water. Suddenly there was a blinding pain shooting through her leg, exploding into her brain. Before she could stop herself she uttered a piercing scream of pain. The orc immediately charged, his scimitar raised for the kill. Suddenly he pitched forward into the dirt not three feet from the anguished woman. There were two arrows protruding from the back of his head. He was dead.
Through the haze of pain Sareei could see several silhouettes running towards her. "Oh, great. More Uruk-Hai." She raised the knife to defend herself as best she could. "Come and get it.", she whispered darkly. Suddenly she realized the silhouettes were people.
Aragorn ran past the dead Uruk-Hai to Sareei.
"You have a strange way of showing gratitude, Sareei.", said Aragorn, staying out of her reach. She stood uncertainly, holding her knife, then recognized him in the dim light. Then, another wave of pain from her left leg made her gasp and double over, dropping the knife. Aragorn quickly came to her side.
"Are you hurt?", asked Aragorn. Sareei nodded grimly through her pain.
Legolas put his hand under Sareei's elbow for support while Aragorn ran back to the front of the cave and made a torch from one of the pieces of wood from the fire. He came back with it and handed it to Legolas. He could see Sareei more clearly now. "Where?", he asked, running his eyes quickly over her clothing for bloodstains. Sareei pointed to her submerged left leg. If the pain in her eyes was any indicator, she was in agony.
Aragorn moved closer to access the situation. Sareei's leg was submerged in a very small pool, one obviously dug as a trap. The water around the leg was red with blood. She was loosing blood fast. They would have to get her out quickly before she bled to death. Legolas put his arms around her shoulders to steady her, while Aragorn reached into the water to access the damage. What he found turned his stomach.
"There is a spike in the water.", he told Legolas. " It went into the back of the leg just above the ankle and exited just below the knee. The whole lower leg is impaled." Sareei sagged against Legolas in an effort not to faint. Legolas looked at her in sympathy and then back at Aragorn.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Hold her tightly, Legolas.", he told him in Sindarin. "I am going to have to pull the leg off of the spike."
Legolas nodded and tightened his grip on the nearly unconscious woman. Aragorn quickly jerked the leg upwards and off the deadly spike. Sareei's scream echoed through the cave, than she went limp against Legolas' shoulder. Aragorn bound up the wounds as quickly as he could to help stop some of the bleeding. He looked at Legolas. "We have to get her to Elrond quickly. I don't think she is going to make it otherwise."
Aragorn's face was grim as he picked up Sareei's unconscious form and quickly left the cave. By the time they reached the horses, the bandages around Sareei's leg were soaked in crimson. Aragorn tried to mount his horse, but Ariel was having none of it. No one was going to carry Sareei but him. Sighing, Aragorn handed Sareei to Legolas and mounted the black stallion. As soon as Legolas handed Sareei up to Aragorn, Ariel wheeled and ran for Rivendell. The wind whistled past as he came down off the mountain like a thunderstorm, never once slacking his pace from a dead run. He was sure footed as a mountain goat and he knew the trail well. He could smell Sareei's blood and he knew she was hurt badly. He would run until his heart burst if he had to.
Elrond came running down the steps as Aragorn and Legolas came tearing into the courtyard. He had been standing at the window to his study when he saw them galloping down the path to the front gate. He took one look at Sareei's blood soaked leg and quickly took her from Aragorn.
"Oh Sareei,", he said sadly, "what mischief have you done yourself this time?" He swept up the steps and made his way to his study, quickly giving instructions to his sons as he went. They ran ahead of him and started preparing the medical supplies they knew he would need when he arrived with Sareei. This was going to be a long night indeed.
Ariel gave a low moan, as a tear ran down his elegant face. He stood in the darkness, looking up at the light from Elrond's study. And waited.