Legolas sprinted into the grove, towards Lalwen's cry. As he ran, his keen eyes flickered this way and that, searching for Lalwen, and who, or what, had made her scream. Suddenly, he skidded to an abrupt stop. Before him, was a sharp precipice. He did not see Lalwen anywhere. Panic surged through him. Had she fallen? Then, another wail echoed through the air, splintering his thoughts.
"Help!! Someone help!!"
It was coming from the cliff. Legolas inched carefully forward, knelt on his knees, and bent over the edge. The ridge was very steep, and a huge fall of about one hundred meters. Dangling on a protruding ledge, was Lalwen, fearful tears blurring her eyes. Legolas froze in horror. He was accustomed to her eyes switching their color, that was ordinary for Lalwen. But now, they were, there was no other word for it, glowing! Her now bright eyes were wide with fear, shining a brilliant golden color.
"Legolas! Please help me!"
Lalwen's terrified squeal again shattered his musings. Legolas looked about himself feverishly, searching for a branch, some rope, anything that he extend down to Lalwen. He saw nothing. His first feelings of panic were dwindling, and being replaced with fear. What if she fell? Nimheru and Eärwen would be heart broken to return to Himlot without their long lost daughter. He heard another frightened whimper from Lalwen. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He yanked the dagger from his belt, and leaned as far over the edge without putting himself in danger of tumbling off. He plunged his knife into the wall of the cliff, creating a large gash in the rock.
"Lalwen!" he hollered, "Grab onto the notches!"
Though her body was shaking violently with fright and tears, Lalwen managed to control herself and lob her hand upwards towards the trenches. Legolas and Lalwen noticed, at the same time more a less, that there was no place for Lalwen to put her dangling feet. Legolas was in dismay. How could he help her? There was no way! But Lalwen, hope seeping into her panicked mind, took the reins, and drove her foot into the canyon wall, making another dent. She threw a hasty grin at Legolas, a reassurance, and continued her painstaking ascent up the slope. The whole thing happened in slow motion for Legolas. Lalwen had just clenched the top of the wall with her hand, and Legolas had bent down to retrieve her from her plight, when, she slipped. Her eyes, still blazing gold, bored into his own, a dull squeak escaping her mouth. Then, she was falling, slowly, horribly slowly. Legolas cried out, dropping to his knees, and reaching over the edge miserably. She uttered no scream, no sound whatsoever. Legolas noticed a docile expression on her countenance. What was she doing? She was shouting something, her face turned up, towards the fading sun.
"A Arien, ancalima! Laita Isil, aranellda!"
Legolas, watched in awe, as Lalwen's rapid decent slowed. There was a sudden flash of light, a flutter of wings, and Lalwen was gone. Legolas stared in horror at the spot where he had last seen her.
"Lalwen?" he croaked weakly, "Lalwen?"
No answer came. Where is she? He thought, frightened at Lalwen's mysterious disappearance. A sound echoed faintly in his keen ears. Rustling, like something in flight . . . the thought cut itself off. Something in flight! He turned his head in the direction of the noise, just in time to see the flash of something blue in the air, before it took refuge behind the treetops.
"Lalwen!" he hollered, darting back into the forest after the flying creature, which he was sure had scooped up his friend. After running for about five minutes, he paused. He was having difficulty finding precisely where the thing had gone, because there were no more sounds to give him hints. He was about to call out again, when a small voice whispered,
"Legolas?"
He whipped around. Partly hidden by the tree, was Lalwen. The only bit of her form that was visible was her head and one slender hand that was clinging to the tree. The rest of her was covered by the tree.
"Lalwen?" replied Legolas, "what is the matter? Why are you hiding?"
She didn't answer verbally. Sighing quietly, she stepped ever so slightly away from the tree. Then Legolas noticed the great, blue, wings.
"What is that?" he hissed, looking suspiciously at the wings.
"Legolas," she murmured calmly, "you shouldn't be frightened when you see what you are about to, all right?"
"What do yo-."
"Say you won't be scared, and I'll show you," Lalwen interrupted quickly. Legolas nodded slowly, still very confused. But his perplexity was quickly replaced by bewilderment when Lalwen stepped out from behind the tree.
"Help!! Someone help!!"
It was coming from the cliff. Legolas inched carefully forward, knelt on his knees, and bent over the edge. The ridge was very steep, and a huge fall of about one hundred meters. Dangling on a protruding ledge, was Lalwen, fearful tears blurring her eyes. Legolas froze in horror. He was accustomed to her eyes switching their color, that was ordinary for Lalwen. But now, they were, there was no other word for it, glowing! Her now bright eyes were wide with fear, shining a brilliant golden color.
"Legolas! Please help me!"
Lalwen's terrified squeal again shattered his musings. Legolas looked about himself feverishly, searching for a branch, some rope, anything that he extend down to Lalwen. He saw nothing. His first feelings of panic were dwindling, and being replaced with fear. What if she fell? Nimheru and Eärwen would be heart broken to return to Himlot without their long lost daughter. He heard another frightened whimper from Lalwen. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He yanked the dagger from his belt, and leaned as far over the edge without putting himself in danger of tumbling off. He plunged his knife into the wall of the cliff, creating a large gash in the rock.
"Lalwen!" he hollered, "Grab onto the notches!"
Though her body was shaking violently with fright and tears, Lalwen managed to control herself and lob her hand upwards towards the trenches. Legolas and Lalwen noticed, at the same time more a less, that there was no place for Lalwen to put her dangling feet. Legolas was in dismay. How could he help her? There was no way! But Lalwen, hope seeping into her panicked mind, took the reins, and drove her foot into the canyon wall, making another dent. She threw a hasty grin at Legolas, a reassurance, and continued her painstaking ascent up the slope. The whole thing happened in slow motion for Legolas. Lalwen had just clenched the top of the wall with her hand, and Legolas had bent down to retrieve her from her plight, when, she slipped. Her eyes, still blazing gold, bored into his own, a dull squeak escaping her mouth. Then, she was falling, slowly, horribly slowly. Legolas cried out, dropping to his knees, and reaching over the edge miserably. She uttered no scream, no sound whatsoever. Legolas noticed a docile expression on her countenance. What was she doing? She was shouting something, her face turned up, towards the fading sun.
"A Arien, ancalima! Laita Isil, aranellda!"
Legolas, watched in awe, as Lalwen's rapid decent slowed. There was a sudden flash of light, a flutter of wings, and Lalwen was gone. Legolas stared in horror at the spot where he had last seen her.
"Lalwen?" he croaked weakly, "Lalwen?"
No answer came. Where is she? He thought, frightened at Lalwen's mysterious disappearance. A sound echoed faintly in his keen ears. Rustling, like something in flight . . . the thought cut itself off. Something in flight! He turned his head in the direction of the noise, just in time to see the flash of something blue in the air, before it took refuge behind the treetops.
"Lalwen!" he hollered, darting back into the forest after the flying creature, which he was sure had scooped up his friend. After running for about five minutes, he paused. He was having difficulty finding precisely where the thing had gone, because there were no more sounds to give him hints. He was about to call out again, when a small voice whispered,
"Legolas?"
He whipped around. Partly hidden by the tree, was Lalwen. The only bit of her form that was visible was her head and one slender hand that was clinging to the tree. The rest of her was covered by the tree.
"Lalwen?" replied Legolas, "what is the matter? Why are you hiding?"
She didn't answer verbally. Sighing quietly, she stepped ever so slightly away from the tree. Then Legolas noticed the great, blue, wings.
"What is that?" he hissed, looking suspiciously at the wings.
"Legolas," she murmured calmly, "you shouldn't be frightened when you see what you are about to, all right?"
"What do yo-."
"Say you won't be scared, and I'll show you," Lalwen interrupted quickly. Legolas nodded slowly, still very confused. But his perplexity was quickly replaced by bewilderment when Lalwen stepped out from behind the tree.