AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanx to Alynna, SharonToggle, Dixietransplant, Elvish
Fairy, Krillball6, and Nevasaiel for taking the time out of their busy
lives to read my ramblings.
Twilight fell upon the earth, leaving a soft, thick residue of tranquility. As the wizard led his fellow travelers across wide slopes of snow-covered plains, he imagined that his surroundings seemed somewhat like the downy clouds of Heaven. That is, until.
"Must you walk so slowly?!" came a cry from far behind.
"If you would take off this ridiculous chain, I might become more motivated to hasten my pace."
"If you were not such a filthy, stubborn wench, I might become open to unchaining you."
Gandalf spun around to the two grumblers, saying, "Do you two never tire of your incessant bickering, for I am sure the rest of our party has long ago grown weary of such childish play. If you wish to court each other, do so once we've destroyed the ring!"
The entire group, with the exception of the vampire and the elf, chuckled to themselves in agreement with his words. Nadena gaped at his shocking words. "I merely wish to be allowed the right of being treated as more than an animal." She had a point; the chain around her neck seemed less effective than demeaning.
"As if you deserve any better," Legolas muttered below his breath.
"I'm sure you enjoy this display of your masculinity, you insecure-"
She stopped between her words, noticing the elf's pointed ears prick in concentration. She diverted her attention to her own, trying to discover what he had detected, and immediately recognized the sound. A squadron of Mordor was headed their way.
"Orcs!" Legolas warned, "and vampires." All the members of the unit quickly drew their weapons and prepared for battle. As the troop stampeded over the hillside, Nadena's chest constricted with anticipation. It had been far too long since she last fought.
Orcs, elves consumed by evil, led the pack. The majority of the Mordor militia, they were easy to kill, but great in numbers. It was not these creatures that she longed to slaughter. With time, vampires appeared, woven into the fabric of orc in small amounts. Vampires were the true power to Mordor, as immortal sources of magic. They may not die, Nadena thought, but they will feel my wrath!
Aragon and Legolas unleashed arrows upon the soldiers in quick procession, but the mass only intensified its pace. Finally, a single orc ran to Nadena, likely believing the woman to be weakest. Silly boy, she laughed to herself. Yet, when she swung at her attacker, the elf pulled her chains, bringing her closer to him, and killed it with an arrow.
Nadena felt her face grow hot in anger, first at the fact that he had almost choked her, and second at the realization that the arrogant elf wouldn't even allow her to defend herself. As he aimed another arrow, she tugged on her bounds. The chain, wrapped around his wrist, pulled his arm downward, and the arrow shot straight into the sky. As the unharmed target came upon them, Legolas cut its throat with a knife and turned on her.
"Do you wish to expedite your own death?" he hissed, before returning to the surrounding turmoil. Nadena continued to pull at her chain, annoying her keeper immensely. While still fighting an orc, he twirled his captive, as if in a passionate dance, and wrapped the long chain around her torso. Legolas continued slashing through bodies, his arm around her waist to keep her close. She couldn't move her arms, but her legs worked fine. She thrust her knee to his groin, and he bent over, releasing her, as an elvish curse escaped his lips.
Nadena rolled away from him, her chain unraveling, and came to a stop in front of two hobbits. She quickly jumped to her feet. A vampire ran to her, raising a double-bladed sword. She knew her fellowmen couldn't tell her from an ordinary human, which she preferred, as she longed for battle. Using her chain as a whip, she decapitated the attacker effortlessly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the hobbits, mouths gaping at her skill, and smiled to herself in pride.
* * *
Legolas admired the bodies that lay at his feet. He had fought effectively and with skill, and his victims had died without dignity or valor. Nonetheless, he desired more bloodshed. His appetite was unquenched and the adrenaline in his body was unrelenting.
Behind him, he heard Gimli growl. "She called for them!" he cried. "She'll continue to call more. Let us kill her now and end our troubles!" He turned, and saw the dwarf clawing through the air for the neck of the only surviving vampire, as Boromir held him back.
"And how would you kill her?" Aragon asked. "The idea that vampires die in sunlight is a myth told only to console children. It is a fallacy to believe that wooden stakes can annihilate them. Their only weakness is holy land."
"Do you not see the graveyard around you?" Gimli asked imperiously.
"They will revive themselves in hours," Legolas informed him. "For this reason, we must take haste to the east."
"And the vamp?" Gandalf asked. "What shall become of her?" He saw in the elf's eyes that he withheld valuable information of her.
"She is slowly killing herself," he stated. Nadena almost gasped at his confession. "Vampires do not cycle fluid in their veins, but use up the blood of others as fuel. She has not partaken of blood in many moons, and the cuts on her arms are evidence of self-mutilation. She hopes to drain herself dry."
The entire group turned to her, shocked at this new revelation. Her eyes were downcast in humiliation, and she turned away from them to look at the horizon before her eyes teared up. The elf knows too much, she thought. He is prone to notice every detail and tell all he sees. He is a liability with such knowledge.
Twilight fell upon the earth, leaving a soft, thick residue of tranquility. As the wizard led his fellow travelers across wide slopes of snow-covered plains, he imagined that his surroundings seemed somewhat like the downy clouds of Heaven. That is, until.
"Must you walk so slowly?!" came a cry from far behind.
"If you would take off this ridiculous chain, I might become more motivated to hasten my pace."
"If you were not such a filthy, stubborn wench, I might become open to unchaining you."
Gandalf spun around to the two grumblers, saying, "Do you two never tire of your incessant bickering, for I am sure the rest of our party has long ago grown weary of such childish play. If you wish to court each other, do so once we've destroyed the ring!"
The entire group, with the exception of the vampire and the elf, chuckled to themselves in agreement with his words. Nadena gaped at his shocking words. "I merely wish to be allowed the right of being treated as more than an animal." She had a point; the chain around her neck seemed less effective than demeaning.
"As if you deserve any better," Legolas muttered below his breath.
"I'm sure you enjoy this display of your masculinity, you insecure-"
She stopped between her words, noticing the elf's pointed ears prick in concentration. She diverted her attention to her own, trying to discover what he had detected, and immediately recognized the sound. A squadron of Mordor was headed their way.
"Orcs!" Legolas warned, "and vampires." All the members of the unit quickly drew their weapons and prepared for battle. As the troop stampeded over the hillside, Nadena's chest constricted with anticipation. It had been far too long since she last fought.
Orcs, elves consumed by evil, led the pack. The majority of the Mordor militia, they were easy to kill, but great in numbers. It was not these creatures that she longed to slaughter. With time, vampires appeared, woven into the fabric of orc in small amounts. Vampires were the true power to Mordor, as immortal sources of magic. They may not die, Nadena thought, but they will feel my wrath!
Aragon and Legolas unleashed arrows upon the soldiers in quick procession, but the mass only intensified its pace. Finally, a single orc ran to Nadena, likely believing the woman to be weakest. Silly boy, she laughed to herself. Yet, when she swung at her attacker, the elf pulled her chains, bringing her closer to him, and killed it with an arrow.
Nadena felt her face grow hot in anger, first at the fact that he had almost choked her, and second at the realization that the arrogant elf wouldn't even allow her to defend herself. As he aimed another arrow, she tugged on her bounds. The chain, wrapped around his wrist, pulled his arm downward, and the arrow shot straight into the sky. As the unharmed target came upon them, Legolas cut its throat with a knife and turned on her.
"Do you wish to expedite your own death?" he hissed, before returning to the surrounding turmoil. Nadena continued to pull at her chain, annoying her keeper immensely. While still fighting an orc, he twirled his captive, as if in a passionate dance, and wrapped the long chain around her torso. Legolas continued slashing through bodies, his arm around her waist to keep her close. She couldn't move her arms, but her legs worked fine. She thrust her knee to his groin, and he bent over, releasing her, as an elvish curse escaped his lips.
Nadena rolled away from him, her chain unraveling, and came to a stop in front of two hobbits. She quickly jumped to her feet. A vampire ran to her, raising a double-bladed sword. She knew her fellowmen couldn't tell her from an ordinary human, which she preferred, as she longed for battle. Using her chain as a whip, she decapitated the attacker effortlessly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the hobbits, mouths gaping at her skill, and smiled to herself in pride.
* * *
Legolas admired the bodies that lay at his feet. He had fought effectively and with skill, and his victims had died without dignity or valor. Nonetheless, he desired more bloodshed. His appetite was unquenched and the adrenaline in his body was unrelenting.
Behind him, he heard Gimli growl. "She called for them!" he cried. "She'll continue to call more. Let us kill her now and end our troubles!" He turned, and saw the dwarf clawing through the air for the neck of the only surviving vampire, as Boromir held him back.
"And how would you kill her?" Aragon asked. "The idea that vampires die in sunlight is a myth told only to console children. It is a fallacy to believe that wooden stakes can annihilate them. Their only weakness is holy land."
"Do you not see the graveyard around you?" Gimli asked imperiously.
"They will revive themselves in hours," Legolas informed him. "For this reason, we must take haste to the east."
"And the vamp?" Gandalf asked. "What shall become of her?" He saw in the elf's eyes that he withheld valuable information of her.
"She is slowly killing herself," he stated. Nadena almost gasped at his confession. "Vampires do not cycle fluid in their veins, but use up the blood of others as fuel. She has not partaken of blood in many moons, and the cuts on her arms are evidence of self-mutilation. She hopes to drain herself dry."
The entire group turned to her, shocked at this new revelation. Her eyes were downcast in humiliation, and she turned away from them to look at the horizon before her eyes teared up. The elf knows too much, she thought. He is prone to notice every detail and tell all he sees. He is a liability with such knowledge.