AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to inflight14, Candycane loves Legalous, Elvish
Fairy, [Anonymous], Rachel, O Come On, and Panda Perky for their kindness.
Apparently, there is a vampire (?) in a Tolkien book, so maybe they do
exist in Middle Earth. Hehe. Anyways, enjoy!
The elf snapped his head around to take a look at the scene surrounding him. He saw vampires swarming over the city heedlessly, almost like roaches, invading and infesting everything they touched. Dwarf women and children were slain without remorse. The dwarven forces were failing miserably to hold back the monsters, not due to any shortcomings of their own, but because the vampires were much a more swift and strong race than any that existed. He noticed that Nadena fought her own kind with vigor, and he was more than pleased with her technique.
All this thought required a mere second, and Legolas was back to battle. He slashed the throat of a nearby vampire with his longest knife, pivoting upon his heel quickly to gut another. He saw a dwarf woman with three children nearby, cornered by a vampire with long dreadlocks. Anger surged in him at the weakling that would endanger those who couldn't defend themselves, and he ran to the opposite side of the room, where they were. He tapped the vamp lightly on the shoulder. As it turned around to face him, he stabbed it viciously in the brainstem, severing all his ties with his body, but keeping it alive in its pain. He paused to smile at the family before he whipped his bow from around his neck and resumed the attack with his arrows.
* * *
The funeral was a very short ceremony, elongated with the grief of those who attended. Only ten or so dwarves survived the fierce bloodshed, and Boromir, Merry, Pippin, Sam Wise, and Aragon had been slain. The bodies were buried in a vast clearing within the forest outside of the town.
Legolas was very confused, as he watched the king's scribe speak of his sorrow, without listening. He had never known grief before, as none close to him had ever died, and though he had kept the members of the fellowship at bay emotionally, he found himself missing their character. No, it was more than loneliness; it was a heavy burden of regret and depression that lay upon his chest. The thought that he would never again see his companions made him think of Nadena.
Legolas felt his stomach quiver at the thought of losing her, though he knew she was still in the palace, unable to attend the service, as it was upon a cemetery. Still, he thought of her demise with dread. Could this be love? he thought. I have known her for only two weeks! Such a thought is preposterous. Yet, I have never before thought of any creature the way I think of her, nor have I been so pleased by the company of another.
The sound of Gimli's crying brought him out of his thoughts, and he put his hand upon the dwarf's shoulder to comfort him.
* * *
The funeral had been over for more than an hour, and the attendees ate in the great hall and spoke in small whispers. Nadena had been invited, but had politely refused, for she needed time to grieve alone. She lied in her bed, trying to block out the noise of the repugnance she felt for Dracula, though her efforts were meaningless, with him presently in her psyche. He taunted her about the events of the day consistently. He reminded her that it was her fault, and that his attacks would not stop here. Finally, she went to the desk beside the bed, writing a quick note, before she fled the town on horse.
* * *
She stopped her ride ten yards from the first headstone, reminding herself that six feet in front of it lay a body beneath the soil. She descended from the beautiful horse and swatted it, ordering its return to the city. She calmly took a step forward.
All these lives were my responsibility, she told herself. They died because I didn't have the strength to do this earlier. She took a step forward, enjoying the touch of the soft dirt. The fellowship has been badly broken, because of me. But no more. At least I can prevent them from further harm at the hand of Dracula. She took a step forward, as she thought of Legolas.
My dear elf! I hope he does not hate me for my actions. I hope he will understand. She took a step forward. Suddenly, she felt a searing pain through her chest, as if her heart were decreasing in size. The pain spread through her veins and to her brain. She felt a hot sensation, and she knew she was going up in flames. She resisted the urge to fall to her knees, knowing that Dracula was watching. She took a step forward.
The elf snapped his head around to take a look at the scene surrounding him. He saw vampires swarming over the city heedlessly, almost like roaches, invading and infesting everything they touched. Dwarf women and children were slain without remorse. The dwarven forces were failing miserably to hold back the monsters, not due to any shortcomings of their own, but because the vampires were much a more swift and strong race than any that existed. He noticed that Nadena fought her own kind with vigor, and he was more than pleased with her technique.
All this thought required a mere second, and Legolas was back to battle. He slashed the throat of a nearby vampire with his longest knife, pivoting upon his heel quickly to gut another. He saw a dwarf woman with three children nearby, cornered by a vampire with long dreadlocks. Anger surged in him at the weakling that would endanger those who couldn't defend themselves, and he ran to the opposite side of the room, where they were. He tapped the vamp lightly on the shoulder. As it turned around to face him, he stabbed it viciously in the brainstem, severing all his ties with his body, but keeping it alive in its pain. He paused to smile at the family before he whipped his bow from around his neck and resumed the attack with his arrows.
* * *
The funeral was a very short ceremony, elongated with the grief of those who attended. Only ten or so dwarves survived the fierce bloodshed, and Boromir, Merry, Pippin, Sam Wise, and Aragon had been slain. The bodies were buried in a vast clearing within the forest outside of the town.
Legolas was very confused, as he watched the king's scribe speak of his sorrow, without listening. He had never known grief before, as none close to him had ever died, and though he had kept the members of the fellowship at bay emotionally, he found himself missing their character. No, it was more than loneliness; it was a heavy burden of regret and depression that lay upon his chest. The thought that he would never again see his companions made him think of Nadena.
Legolas felt his stomach quiver at the thought of losing her, though he knew she was still in the palace, unable to attend the service, as it was upon a cemetery. Still, he thought of her demise with dread. Could this be love? he thought. I have known her for only two weeks! Such a thought is preposterous. Yet, I have never before thought of any creature the way I think of her, nor have I been so pleased by the company of another.
The sound of Gimli's crying brought him out of his thoughts, and he put his hand upon the dwarf's shoulder to comfort him.
* * *
The funeral had been over for more than an hour, and the attendees ate in the great hall and spoke in small whispers. Nadena had been invited, but had politely refused, for she needed time to grieve alone. She lied in her bed, trying to block out the noise of the repugnance she felt for Dracula, though her efforts were meaningless, with him presently in her psyche. He taunted her about the events of the day consistently. He reminded her that it was her fault, and that his attacks would not stop here. Finally, she went to the desk beside the bed, writing a quick note, before she fled the town on horse.
* * *
She stopped her ride ten yards from the first headstone, reminding herself that six feet in front of it lay a body beneath the soil. She descended from the beautiful horse and swatted it, ordering its return to the city. She calmly took a step forward.
All these lives were my responsibility, she told herself. They died because I didn't have the strength to do this earlier. She took a step forward, enjoying the touch of the soft dirt. The fellowship has been badly broken, because of me. But no more. At least I can prevent them from further harm at the hand of Dracula. She took a step forward, as she thought of Legolas.
My dear elf! I hope he does not hate me for my actions. I hope he will understand. She took a step forward. Suddenly, she felt a searing pain through her chest, as if her heart were decreasing in size. The pain spread through her veins and to her brain. She felt a hot sensation, and she knew she was going up in flames. She resisted the urge to fall to her knees, knowing that Dracula was watching. She took a step forward.