Okay, to all of you who I missed in chapter 13, and responses to chapter 14-
JediKnightBalthasar (And Smeagol) -
Well, that certainly is a bummer, but there's one in every crowd (Referring to Cayal) I still know people older than me who act like that, and it's really rude. There was this one girl in my class, that worked really hard on a paper, and when she presented it (She was extremely nervous about presenting in front of people) a guy who didn't agree with her point of view said "Okay, I've heard enough, next person." And just made her feel real horrible.
I'm two years, eight months, and seven days older than you, and I finished math and science last year, and I'm so glad that I don't have to take those anymore . . . well until collage maybe *Drat!*
No Elladan and Elrohir were not poisoned, Caycayal was, as you saw, but the twins were just roughed up.
Hehehe . . . sorry that I gave your nails a workout . . . you may want to find something else to bite just in case.
As for the tangent . . . I think you stick to the topic pretty well . . . better than me at least :o)
LOL . . . what did Mr. Graham say when you told him that M-E story?! (I still don't believe you told him that) If I told that to one of my teachers they would write me an office referral, then more in likely they would send me to a psycho ward afterwards . . . well maybe not if I talk to Mrs. Bradbury on account she's a Lotr freak also (Bradbury left the 22nd to go down to LA to perform on Jeopardy. Out of 100 people that tried out, only three passed the test, and she was one of the three . . .now I'm rambling, look what you've done! *grin* I don't mind)
Elves are immortal, yes, but they can be killed in battle, or die of a broken heart and/or grief. I read somewhere that Elves could also become ill, but that it was rare when they did so, and they recovered faster than humans.
Elves do not die of old age, they do not change as humans do when they become old (Such as no soreness, gray hairs or balding, brittle bones, any of that fun stuff that we get to have)
What it meant at the end there (by them meeting there end during their flight) was that they more in likely ran into some trouble, somewhere.
With the film style at the end . . . that was what I was shooting for . . .Good eye!
Infinitys-End
Glorfindel was not in the last story . . . I'm not sure how I gave the idea that he was. He is in this story though.
Carrie
!Gracias! T`u cuentos es interesante tambien!
Hehe . . . don't know if that's correct or not, just started Spanish.
Okay then, you better have your first chapter posted by the time this is up, or I'll make a cliffie just for you! Hehe . . . beware! Okay, maybe not, but do hurry up, it'll be interesting to see our different versions on how they met. :o)
All right then, longer chapters in this story, or at least I'm trying, this chapter is longer though
The White Wolves of Azscverbae
By: Emmithar
Rating: pg-13
Summary: Unexpected news leaves Aragorn certain that he can help. Going against his father's word he leaves Rivendell, only to find himself face with problems he never expected. Now it is up to Legolas to save the young ranger before it is too late.
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own any of Tolkien's work, none of his characters, places, creatures. I do however own MOST of which is not Tolkien's, you should be able to figure out what is his, and what is mine..
-I DO have permission to use Cassia and Sio's town of Strayton, so if you would like to use it in your stories, ask Cassia and Sio.not me, cause I'll just repeat the previous statement. :o)
' . . . They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods . . .'
-Edith Wharton-
Chapter one: Unwanted News
The afternoon sun cast it's rays to the ground below, the light gently reflecting off of the shallow puddles left by the recent rain. Clouds hung overhead, threatening to block out the golden rays as they slowly closed in over the land.
Aragorn welcomed the warmth as he inhaled deeply, the fresh scent of rain softly energizing him as he rode down the dirt path. The steady pounding of the hooves into the soft ground seemed to be the only sound accompanying him at the time, but every once in a while a bird would break out into a short song, before spreading it's wings and taking flight into the air.
"It's so nice to return home, wouldn't you agree Arsne?" he said with a quiet sigh. He didn't seem to mind the fact that he was conversing with a horse, and continued to do so as they traveled further down the path.
"It's been a long week, and I don't mind saying that I missed Rivendell. The fountains, the songs, Father, and of course Elladan and Elrohir," he let out another sigh, his hot breath leaving a trail in the cool air.
Cocking his head to one side he let out half of a smile, "Speaking of which, I'm going to hear it from them when they find I didn't get anything," he said, laughing slightly. "It's a good thing that father convinced me to take the extra pack. Strange, he seemed to know how poorly I would do."
He shook his head, sending his dark hair out of his eyes. He was returning from his first solo hunt, and though he had come across good game, he never got a clear shot. He grimaced as he remembered one of the arrows slipping from his grip as he prepared to shoot. His last arrow ended in a tree branch above his head. That would be something that he would be sure to keep quiet.
The wind picked up slightly, sending a chill down his spine. He drew his cloak around him tightly, shivering, trying to chase away the sudden chill. He was startled when he heard a voice call his name.
Turning in his saddle he could see a tall Elf wandering along side the adjoining path, his light hair dancing softly in the gentle wind. He frowned slightly, it amazed him how Elves did not seem to be bothered by the cold as easily as he was.
He smiled a greeting. Slowing the gait of his horse down until the other had caught up with him. The Elf eyed him softly.
"Really Aragorn, how long have you been traveling? You look ready to collapse," he said, taking in the worn appearance of the ranger.
Aragorn shook his head softly. He had learned of his heritage not too long ago, and very few knew who he was. He didn't know everything about his heritage, nor of what he was expected to do in later years, and at this point in time, wondering about it was the furthest thing form his mind. It was a subject he did not enjoy discussing, and the things Elrond had told him seemed hard to believe.
"That's good," he said, softly answering the Elf's question, "I feel ready to collapse."
The Elf laughed lightly, shortly interrupting him.
"Thanks for caring," he said gruffly, but the amusement in his voice could be heard easily. "It has been some time since you left, what were you up to? And don't say nothing much, as you usual do. I'm no longer a child, I can handle whatever news you have."
Glorfindel smiled gently, "I was hardly up to anything, but why do you assume that every time I return, I carry news? Is it possible that I can return without brining some sort of devastating news with me?"
It was Aragorn's turn to laugh. "I suppose it is possible to do so, but not you my friend. You never come without news."
Glorfindel chuckled, nodding his head. "I suppose you know more than I give you credit for. I really should come without any news for once, I fear I'm beginning to put your father on the edge of his seat. He seems to know there is trouble whenever I return."
Aragorn laughed silently, "You have no idea," he muttered under his breath.
"I heard that young one, don't think I didn't," Glorfindel said, glancing over at the young ranger.
Aragorn shook his head, a light smile playing on his lips. Elven ears could pick up even the faintest trace of sound. Sometimes that was good, while others, as it was obvious, was bad. He cocked an eyebrow, glancing causally at Glorfindel as they rode side by side.
Glorfindel could feel the pair of young eyes watching him, and he gave a sigh, not turning to meet his gaze. "What is it?" he asked softly, a smile playing at his lips. He already knew what the young man was thinking.
"Well, you have news, is that not right?"
Glorfindel laughed softly, "Yes I do," he replied calmly.
Aragorn sighed, "Well . . ."
But Glorfindel shook his head. "Sorry my boy, but this is for the King's ears only."
Aragorn grumbled slightly, "Fine then, go ahead and have your fun, keep your secrets, I'll find out sooner or later."
Glorfindel smiled, sighing softly. "Yes, I know you will, those troublesome twins couldn't keep anything silent if their lives depended on it," he said laughing softly as the two crested the hill, as Rivendell appeared before them in the distance.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Darkness hung in the air even though night had barely begun. The forest was silent, which was an unusual trait for this part of the woods. Above the sky was clear, the stars shined brightly, but it left the land in utter coldness. In the distance, a pair of small lights could be seen through the dim fog that had slowly begun to cover the land.
The pair of lights belonged to two Elves, residents of Rivendell who had lost their way after an attack from wolves. They had traveled the open plains, enjoying a relaxing hunting trip, but when wolves suddenly attacked, they found themselves alone. Neither of them had been harmed, but they lost their steeds as they raced off into the darkness, the wolves in hot pursuit.
Corean glanced at his companion as they made their way through the forest. "I don't like this Trinea," he whispered softly.
Trinea nodded in quick agreement. "The forest is much too quiet. Something draws near, but what it is I cannot see."
Corean let out a soft sigh, feeling the icy wind gently nip at his fair face. He held his torch above his head, straining to see through the fog which had slowly became thicker. He could hear Trinea singing softly under his breath, trying to lighten the unwanted situation the two found themselves in.
He smiled softly as they went on. Their friendship had not always been so. He could remember that not too long ago, Trinea led a small group of Elves, misguided by their need to feel dominant. He had disliked Trinea then, but slowly Trinea extricated himself from the group as his friendship had grown with Estel and Corean. It was good change, for when they had left the small group had been getting into numerous amounts of trouble. The pranks they were pulling were nothing serious, but if they weren't stopped now, sooner or later someone was going to get hurt.
Suddenly Trinea stiffened besides him. Corean glanced at him uneasily as Trinea locked eyes with him. They asked the silent question, 'Did you hear that?'
Corean slowly shook his head, closing his eyes, listening to the silent forest around them. The only sounds he could hear where the silent breaths he took, his chest rising and falling softy , the wind that strung softly through his long lace-like hair, the soft beating of his heart. He could hear the leaves above rustle in the gentle wind, as if trying to hide from its icy chill, the soft bending of the grass below them, the flutter of soft wings in the air.
He had almost given up when he heard the soft patter of feet against a log behind them. Another set of feet ran lightly against the soft ground not too far off from where they stood. Corean opened his eyes, gazing at Trinea. He nodded softly, 'yes, I heard it too' he agreed silently.
Quickly Corean glanced around the area, but saw nothing. They seemed to be the only ones in the area at the time, but he knew it was not so. "Let's move on," he whispered softly.
Trinea nodded in agreement as the two moved on, small pebbles of dirt shifting lightly under their feet. Corean saw it moments before it attacked, and without warning, he grabbed Trinea by the arm, throwing the Elf off his feet as the wolf sailed over their heads.
Corean was frustrated with himself as the wolf turned round, its white fur waving softly in the wind. He should have easily seen something white in the darkness, and he knew not how this creature was able to leave his sight.
Trinea seemed to catch onto his thinking, and shook his head, watching the wolf warily as it paced back and forth in front of them. "He must have hidden in the fog," he whispered , slowly pushing himself into a standing position. Corean followed his lead.
Neither of them were armed, their weapons had been tied to the saddle of their horses, the torches in their hands were the only thing that had been left behind after their attack. Corean shook his head, "Some of them must have followed us," he whispered as two more wolves came out from the depths of the fog.
Without warning Corean found himself face first in the dirt, a wolf tearing at the back of his tunic. He didn't even hear it come up behind. Quickly he rolled over, trying to throw the massive creature off his back. He glanced up in time to see Trinea desperately trying to fight off the wolves that had begun their attack. With a last effort, Corean threw the beast off his back, tightening his hold on the flaming torch.
He swung it easily at the creature who was trying to gain his feet, hitting him in the neck. But the thick fur was not even darkened by the touch of the flame, and the wolf was not at all intimated by the Elf's actions.
With a lunge it caught hold of the torch just below the flames, ignoring the heat. With a swift tug, it pulled the torch from the unsuspecting Elf's hands, dropping it to the ground. The torch rolled swiftly down the hill, the simple flame dying out.
He backed up quickly, turning around when a growl alerted him to the wolf that came up from behind. He sprinted quickly to the side, breaking free of the intend trap, only to have his path blocked once again. It seemed impossible, the wolves were working together, as a unit.
Corean had encountered wolves before, plenty of them, but never had he been unarmed, nor had the wolves worked together before. It was utterly surprising, and it caught him totally off guard. He backed up until his back rested against a tree, when a thought suddenly struck him. He could remember when he, Trinea and Estel had been attacked by jackals, they had tried to get into the trees. But they were small then, and it made climbing difficult. Now they had the advantage.
Yelling at Trinea, he jumped, lightly grabbing hold of a branch above him, and pulled himself easily into the tree. Within seconds Trinea had done the same. He also had lost his torch, as it was flickering on the ground.
Corean could see Trinea leaning back against the tree, breathing heavily, holding his left arm across his chest. Corean raised an eyebrow in question, studying his friend carefully. Trinea nodded, letting him know he was fine, but he never moved his arm from where it rested across his chest.
He shifted his gaze down to where the wolves paced underneath him, and shivered slightly. It was as if they were planning something. Carefully he raised himself up, crossing slowly to the next tree. A sudden shout from Trinea alerted him seconds before teeth closed down around his arm, sending handful of blood down over his hand.
A searing pain ran down his arm as he twisted away, turning to see a wolf also in the tree. 'but how?' he thought softly, pain and fear racing through him. His questioned was answered as a wolf on the ground bounded lightly up the tree Trinea was in.
It was the last he saw as his balance was lost, sending him to the ground. He landed hard, despite how light he was, and within moments he found himself surrounded by wolves. He covered his face with his arms as sharp powerful jaws snapped at his chin, and long slender fingers. He could feel their hot breath rushing past his face as he tried to roll over onto his stomach.
Blood ran down his arm as he tried to breath, still dazed by the impact he had taken from the fall. A sudden cry in the dark diverted his attention. He could not see Trinea, but he felt a sudden fear hit him for the first time. Trinea was hurt, how bad he did not know, and Corean couldn't help in anyway.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Estel! Move over," Elladan whispered, nudging the young human aside as he attempted to move closer to the door. Elrohir had already pressed his head to the door, listening quietly as Elladan and Estel fought over who got the other side. He held a finger to his lips, motioning for the other two to be quiet as he strained to listen to the conversation that was going on inside.
Immediately the two fell silent, still fighting over who got the remaining door. "Estel, quit it, I was here first," Elladan whispered as he tried to push him out of the way. Estel on the other hand would have nothing of it, dropping to the floor he easily crawled between his brother's legs.
"Estel," Elladan cried out softly, glancing downward as Estel struggled to rise.
"You can't beat me that easily," he said, nudging Elladan away once again.
Elladan grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him lightly against the door. Estel stumbled, grabbing Elladan's arm to steady himself.
Irritation etched Elrohir's face as he shook his head. "Both of you . . .," he whispered quietly. He however was not allowed to finish as the doors suddenly flew open, toppling Estel to the ground, and bringing Elladan with him.
Estel looked up slowly, meeting his father's deep eyes. "I should have suspected," he said calmly, shaking his head, his gaze landing on the young ranger. "You got here just this afternoon and you're already getting into trouble."
Estel opened his mouth, but was spared from speaking when Elladan spoke. "You know Father," he said softly, standing up, "I really don't know where he gets it from. I tried to stop him, but alas, I failed once more."
Estel glared up at his brother, "Ya, stop me so you could hear better."
Elrond gave a sigh, shaking his head slowly. "Come on you three. Off with you, supper isn't too far away now. Try and stay out of trouble until then, and Estel, wash up. You look like you've been in a mud fight again."
Estel laughed softly, sitting up. "Really father, I haven't done that in a long time now."
"Yeah, because you've been gone for the last week," Elladan cut in quickly, "Which reminds me, what did you get?"
Estel blushed suddenly, "You know father, I do believe that I need to wash," he said, turning on his heal. He headed down the hall with the twins racing after him.
With a heavy sigh Elrond closed the doors, turning back to a very amused Glorfindel. "I am sorry, I should have known they would be up to something such as that."
Glorfindel held up his hand, "No need to apologize, children can be a handful sometimes."
"And what experience do you have in this subject?" Elrond said, moving over to the balcony. Glorfindel followed with a smile playing on his lips.
"None actually, which I am grateful for sometimes, after seeing what your sons have put you through," he said quietly, inhaling the fresh air. He stopped and turned to the Elven Lord suddenly becoming quiet.
Elrond noted the change and he nodded for him to continue.
"I've come with bad news I'm afraid," he pondered quietly, "I believe you already knew that though."
Elrond nodded, "Yes I had a slight feeling that you did," he said, laughing softly.
"You've heard that Azscverbae were breading white wolves, did you not?"
Elrond nodded, "Yes, some news of this issue did travel down this way while you were gone."
"Well it seems that a few of them may have escaped," Glorfindel said, his voice quieting down. He leaned against the railing, his soft eyes searching the land before him.
Elrond let out a sigh. As usual Glorfindel wasn't telling everything he knew. A slight nod prompted him to continue.
"There have been attacks near Mirkwood, wolf attacks. Thranduil has begun to worry that they are going to travel in near their village. Survivors of these attacks have been few. They claim that the wolves are larger than normal, and that they are more intelligent, as if they plan, and work as a unit in order to trap it's prey," he trailed off.
Elrond thought for a moment. "What are you trying to say Glorfindel?" In truth he was lost on what he was trying to get at.
"I'm not sure, but I believe that those wolves that escaped have mated, and multiplied. Not only have they done that, but I believe it has been with jackals, creating a larger breed of white wolves, one that can think. They have become dangerous. At first the attacks were only near the borders of Mirkwood, but they have been spotted inside the borders now. And recently, a group of men from Strayton were attacked."
"They have come over here now?" Elrond asked in concern.
Glorfindel nodded. "I'm afraid so," he replied softly.
TBC . . .
Like I said, longer chapters! Let me know what you think
JediKnightBalthasar (And Smeagol) -
Well, that certainly is a bummer, but there's one in every crowd (Referring to Cayal) I still know people older than me who act like that, and it's really rude. There was this one girl in my class, that worked really hard on a paper, and when she presented it (She was extremely nervous about presenting in front of people) a guy who didn't agree with her point of view said "Okay, I've heard enough, next person." And just made her feel real horrible.
I'm two years, eight months, and seven days older than you, and I finished math and science last year, and I'm so glad that I don't have to take those anymore . . . well until collage maybe *Drat!*
No Elladan and Elrohir were not poisoned, Caycayal was, as you saw, but the twins were just roughed up.
Hehehe . . . sorry that I gave your nails a workout . . . you may want to find something else to bite just in case.
As for the tangent . . . I think you stick to the topic pretty well . . . better than me at least :o)
LOL . . . what did Mr. Graham say when you told him that M-E story?! (I still don't believe you told him that) If I told that to one of my teachers they would write me an office referral, then more in likely they would send me to a psycho ward afterwards . . . well maybe not if I talk to Mrs. Bradbury on account she's a Lotr freak also (Bradbury left the 22nd to go down to LA to perform on Jeopardy. Out of 100 people that tried out, only three passed the test, and she was one of the three . . .now I'm rambling, look what you've done! *grin* I don't mind)
Elves are immortal, yes, but they can be killed in battle, or die of a broken heart and/or grief. I read somewhere that Elves could also become ill, but that it was rare when they did so, and they recovered faster than humans.
Elves do not die of old age, they do not change as humans do when they become old (Such as no soreness, gray hairs or balding, brittle bones, any of that fun stuff that we get to have)
What it meant at the end there (by them meeting there end during their flight) was that they more in likely ran into some trouble, somewhere.
With the film style at the end . . . that was what I was shooting for . . .Good eye!
Infinitys-End
Glorfindel was not in the last story . . . I'm not sure how I gave the idea that he was. He is in this story though.
Carrie
!Gracias! T`u cuentos es interesante tambien!
Hehe . . . don't know if that's correct or not, just started Spanish.
Okay then, you better have your first chapter posted by the time this is up, or I'll make a cliffie just for you! Hehe . . . beware! Okay, maybe not, but do hurry up, it'll be interesting to see our different versions on how they met. :o)
All right then, longer chapters in this story, or at least I'm trying, this chapter is longer though
The White Wolves of Azscverbae
By: Emmithar
Rating: pg-13
Summary: Unexpected news leaves Aragorn certain that he can help. Going against his father's word he leaves Rivendell, only to find himself face with problems he never expected. Now it is up to Legolas to save the young ranger before it is too late.
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own any of Tolkien's work, none of his characters, places, creatures. I do however own MOST of which is not Tolkien's, you should be able to figure out what is his, and what is mine..
-I DO have permission to use Cassia and Sio's town of Strayton, so if you would like to use it in your stories, ask Cassia and Sio.not me, cause I'll just repeat the previous statement. :o)
' . . . They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods . . .'
-Edith Wharton-
Chapter one: Unwanted News
The afternoon sun cast it's rays to the ground below, the light gently reflecting off of the shallow puddles left by the recent rain. Clouds hung overhead, threatening to block out the golden rays as they slowly closed in over the land.
Aragorn welcomed the warmth as he inhaled deeply, the fresh scent of rain softly energizing him as he rode down the dirt path. The steady pounding of the hooves into the soft ground seemed to be the only sound accompanying him at the time, but every once in a while a bird would break out into a short song, before spreading it's wings and taking flight into the air.
"It's so nice to return home, wouldn't you agree Arsne?" he said with a quiet sigh. He didn't seem to mind the fact that he was conversing with a horse, and continued to do so as they traveled further down the path.
"It's been a long week, and I don't mind saying that I missed Rivendell. The fountains, the songs, Father, and of course Elladan and Elrohir," he let out another sigh, his hot breath leaving a trail in the cool air.
Cocking his head to one side he let out half of a smile, "Speaking of which, I'm going to hear it from them when they find I didn't get anything," he said, laughing slightly. "It's a good thing that father convinced me to take the extra pack. Strange, he seemed to know how poorly I would do."
He shook his head, sending his dark hair out of his eyes. He was returning from his first solo hunt, and though he had come across good game, he never got a clear shot. He grimaced as he remembered one of the arrows slipping from his grip as he prepared to shoot. His last arrow ended in a tree branch above his head. That would be something that he would be sure to keep quiet.
The wind picked up slightly, sending a chill down his spine. He drew his cloak around him tightly, shivering, trying to chase away the sudden chill. He was startled when he heard a voice call his name.
Turning in his saddle he could see a tall Elf wandering along side the adjoining path, his light hair dancing softly in the gentle wind. He frowned slightly, it amazed him how Elves did not seem to be bothered by the cold as easily as he was.
He smiled a greeting. Slowing the gait of his horse down until the other had caught up with him. The Elf eyed him softly.
"Really Aragorn, how long have you been traveling? You look ready to collapse," he said, taking in the worn appearance of the ranger.
Aragorn shook his head softly. He had learned of his heritage not too long ago, and very few knew who he was. He didn't know everything about his heritage, nor of what he was expected to do in later years, and at this point in time, wondering about it was the furthest thing form his mind. It was a subject he did not enjoy discussing, and the things Elrond had told him seemed hard to believe.
"That's good," he said, softly answering the Elf's question, "I feel ready to collapse."
The Elf laughed lightly, shortly interrupting him.
"Thanks for caring," he said gruffly, but the amusement in his voice could be heard easily. "It has been some time since you left, what were you up to? And don't say nothing much, as you usual do. I'm no longer a child, I can handle whatever news you have."
Glorfindel smiled gently, "I was hardly up to anything, but why do you assume that every time I return, I carry news? Is it possible that I can return without brining some sort of devastating news with me?"
It was Aragorn's turn to laugh. "I suppose it is possible to do so, but not you my friend. You never come without news."
Glorfindel chuckled, nodding his head. "I suppose you know more than I give you credit for. I really should come without any news for once, I fear I'm beginning to put your father on the edge of his seat. He seems to know there is trouble whenever I return."
Aragorn laughed silently, "You have no idea," he muttered under his breath.
"I heard that young one, don't think I didn't," Glorfindel said, glancing over at the young ranger.
Aragorn shook his head, a light smile playing on his lips. Elven ears could pick up even the faintest trace of sound. Sometimes that was good, while others, as it was obvious, was bad. He cocked an eyebrow, glancing causally at Glorfindel as they rode side by side.
Glorfindel could feel the pair of young eyes watching him, and he gave a sigh, not turning to meet his gaze. "What is it?" he asked softly, a smile playing at his lips. He already knew what the young man was thinking.
"Well, you have news, is that not right?"
Glorfindel laughed softly, "Yes I do," he replied calmly.
Aragorn sighed, "Well . . ."
But Glorfindel shook his head. "Sorry my boy, but this is for the King's ears only."
Aragorn grumbled slightly, "Fine then, go ahead and have your fun, keep your secrets, I'll find out sooner or later."
Glorfindel smiled, sighing softly. "Yes, I know you will, those troublesome twins couldn't keep anything silent if their lives depended on it," he said laughing softly as the two crested the hill, as Rivendell appeared before them in the distance.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Darkness hung in the air even though night had barely begun. The forest was silent, which was an unusual trait for this part of the woods. Above the sky was clear, the stars shined brightly, but it left the land in utter coldness. In the distance, a pair of small lights could be seen through the dim fog that had slowly begun to cover the land.
The pair of lights belonged to two Elves, residents of Rivendell who had lost their way after an attack from wolves. They had traveled the open plains, enjoying a relaxing hunting trip, but when wolves suddenly attacked, they found themselves alone. Neither of them had been harmed, but they lost their steeds as they raced off into the darkness, the wolves in hot pursuit.
Corean glanced at his companion as they made their way through the forest. "I don't like this Trinea," he whispered softly.
Trinea nodded in quick agreement. "The forest is much too quiet. Something draws near, but what it is I cannot see."
Corean let out a soft sigh, feeling the icy wind gently nip at his fair face. He held his torch above his head, straining to see through the fog which had slowly became thicker. He could hear Trinea singing softly under his breath, trying to lighten the unwanted situation the two found themselves in.
He smiled softly as they went on. Their friendship had not always been so. He could remember that not too long ago, Trinea led a small group of Elves, misguided by their need to feel dominant. He had disliked Trinea then, but slowly Trinea extricated himself from the group as his friendship had grown with Estel and Corean. It was good change, for when they had left the small group had been getting into numerous amounts of trouble. The pranks they were pulling were nothing serious, but if they weren't stopped now, sooner or later someone was going to get hurt.
Suddenly Trinea stiffened besides him. Corean glanced at him uneasily as Trinea locked eyes with him. They asked the silent question, 'Did you hear that?'
Corean slowly shook his head, closing his eyes, listening to the silent forest around them. The only sounds he could hear where the silent breaths he took, his chest rising and falling softy , the wind that strung softly through his long lace-like hair, the soft beating of his heart. He could hear the leaves above rustle in the gentle wind, as if trying to hide from its icy chill, the soft bending of the grass below them, the flutter of soft wings in the air.
He had almost given up when he heard the soft patter of feet against a log behind them. Another set of feet ran lightly against the soft ground not too far off from where they stood. Corean opened his eyes, gazing at Trinea. He nodded softly, 'yes, I heard it too' he agreed silently.
Quickly Corean glanced around the area, but saw nothing. They seemed to be the only ones in the area at the time, but he knew it was not so. "Let's move on," he whispered softly.
Trinea nodded in agreement as the two moved on, small pebbles of dirt shifting lightly under their feet. Corean saw it moments before it attacked, and without warning, he grabbed Trinea by the arm, throwing the Elf off his feet as the wolf sailed over their heads.
Corean was frustrated with himself as the wolf turned round, its white fur waving softly in the wind. He should have easily seen something white in the darkness, and he knew not how this creature was able to leave his sight.
Trinea seemed to catch onto his thinking, and shook his head, watching the wolf warily as it paced back and forth in front of them. "He must have hidden in the fog," he whispered , slowly pushing himself into a standing position. Corean followed his lead.
Neither of them were armed, their weapons had been tied to the saddle of their horses, the torches in their hands were the only thing that had been left behind after their attack. Corean shook his head, "Some of them must have followed us," he whispered as two more wolves came out from the depths of the fog.
Without warning Corean found himself face first in the dirt, a wolf tearing at the back of his tunic. He didn't even hear it come up behind. Quickly he rolled over, trying to throw the massive creature off his back. He glanced up in time to see Trinea desperately trying to fight off the wolves that had begun their attack. With a last effort, Corean threw the beast off his back, tightening his hold on the flaming torch.
He swung it easily at the creature who was trying to gain his feet, hitting him in the neck. But the thick fur was not even darkened by the touch of the flame, and the wolf was not at all intimated by the Elf's actions.
With a lunge it caught hold of the torch just below the flames, ignoring the heat. With a swift tug, it pulled the torch from the unsuspecting Elf's hands, dropping it to the ground. The torch rolled swiftly down the hill, the simple flame dying out.
He backed up quickly, turning around when a growl alerted him to the wolf that came up from behind. He sprinted quickly to the side, breaking free of the intend trap, only to have his path blocked once again. It seemed impossible, the wolves were working together, as a unit.
Corean had encountered wolves before, plenty of them, but never had he been unarmed, nor had the wolves worked together before. It was utterly surprising, and it caught him totally off guard. He backed up until his back rested against a tree, when a thought suddenly struck him. He could remember when he, Trinea and Estel had been attacked by jackals, they had tried to get into the trees. But they were small then, and it made climbing difficult. Now they had the advantage.
Yelling at Trinea, he jumped, lightly grabbing hold of a branch above him, and pulled himself easily into the tree. Within seconds Trinea had done the same. He also had lost his torch, as it was flickering on the ground.
Corean could see Trinea leaning back against the tree, breathing heavily, holding his left arm across his chest. Corean raised an eyebrow in question, studying his friend carefully. Trinea nodded, letting him know he was fine, but he never moved his arm from where it rested across his chest.
He shifted his gaze down to where the wolves paced underneath him, and shivered slightly. It was as if they were planning something. Carefully he raised himself up, crossing slowly to the next tree. A sudden shout from Trinea alerted him seconds before teeth closed down around his arm, sending handful of blood down over his hand.
A searing pain ran down his arm as he twisted away, turning to see a wolf also in the tree. 'but how?' he thought softly, pain and fear racing through him. His questioned was answered as a wolf on the ground bounded lightly up the tree Trinea was in.
It was the last he saw as his balance was lost, sending him to the ground. He landed hard, despite how light he was, and within moments he found himself surrounded by wolves. He covered his face with his arms as sharp powerful jaws snapped at his chin, and long slender fingers. He could feel their hot breath rushing past his face as he tried to roll over onto his stomach.
Blood ran down his arm as he tried to breath, still dazed by the impact he had taken from the fall. A sudden cry in the dark diverted his attention. He could not see Trinea, but he felt a sudden fear hit him for the first time. Trinea was hurt, how bad he did not know, and Corean couldn't help in anyway.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Estel! Move over," Elladan whispered, nudging the young human aside as he attempted to move closer to the door. Elrohir had already pressed his head to the door, listening quietly as Elladan and Estel fought over who got the other side. He held a finger to his lips, motioning for the other two to be quiet as he strained to listen to the conversation that was going on inside.
Immediately the two fell silent, still fighting over who got the remaining door. "Estel, quit it, I was here first," Elladan whispered as he tried to push him out of the way. Estel on the other hand would have nothing of it, dropping to the floor he easily crawled between his brother's legs.
"Estel," Elladan cried out softly, glancing downward as Estel struggled to rise.
"You can't beat me that easily," he said, nudging Elladan away once again.
Elladan grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him lightly against the door. Estel stumbled, grabbing Elladan's arm to steady himself.
Irritation etched Elrohir's face as he shook his head. "Both of you . . .," he whispered quietly. He however was not allowed to finish as the doors suddenly flew open, toppling Estel to the ground, and bringing Elladan with him.
Estel looked up slowly, meeting his father's deep eyes. "I should have suspected," he said calmly, shaking his head, his gaze landing on the young ranger. "You got here just this afternoon and you're already getting into trouble."
Estel opened his mouth, but was spared from speaking when Elladan spoke. "You know Father," he said softly, standing up, "I really don't know where he gets it from. I tried to stop him, but alas, I failed once more."
Estel glared up at his brother, "Ya, stop me so you could hear better."
Elrond gave a sigh, shaking his head slowly. "Come on you three. Off with you, supper isn't too far away now. Try and stay out of trouble until then, and Estel, wash up. You look like you've been in a mud fight again."
Estel laughed softly, sitting up. "Really father, I haven't done that in a long time now."
"Yeah, because you've been gone for the last week," Elladan cut in quickly, "Which reminds me, what did you get?"
Estel blushed suddenly, "You know father, I do believe that I need to wash," he said, turning on his heal. He headed down the hall with the twins racing after him.
With a heavy sigh Elrond closed the doors, turning back to a very amused Glorfindel. "I am sorry, I should have known they would be up to something such as that."
Glorfindel held up his hand, "No need to apologize, children can be a handful sometimes."
"And what experience do you have in this subject?" Elrond said, moving over to the balcony. Glorfindel followed with a smile playing on his lips.
"None actually, which I am grateful for sometimes, after seeing what your sons have put you through," he said quietly, inhaling the fresh air. He stopped and turned to the Elven Lord suddenly becoming quiet.
Elrond noted the change and he nodded for him to continue.
"I've come with bad news I'm afraid," he pondered quietly, "I believe you already knew that though."
Elrond nodded, "Yes I had a slight feeling that you did," he said, laughing softly.
"You've heard that Azscverbae were breading white wolves, did you not?"
Elrond nodded, "Yes, some news of this issue did travel down this way while you were gone."
"Well it seems that a few of them may have escaped," Glorfindel said, his voice quieting down. He leaned against the railing, his soft eyes searching the land before him.
Elrond let out a sigh. As usual Glorfindel wasn't telling everything he knew. A slight nod prompted him to continue.
"There have been attacks near Mirkwood, wolf attacks. Thranduil has begun to worry that they are going to travel in near their village. Survivors of these attacks have been few. They claim that the wolves are larger than normal, and that they are more intelligent, as if they plan, and work as a unit in order to trap it's prey," he trailed off.
Elrond thought for a moment. "What are you trying to say Glorfindel?" In truth he was lost on what he was trying to get at.
"I'm not sure, but I believe that those wolves that escaped have mated, and multiplied. Not only have they done that, but I believe it has been with jackals, creating a larger breed of white wolves, one that can think. They have become dangerous. At first the attacks were only near the borders of Mirkwood, but they have been spotted inside the borders now. And recently, a group of men from Strayton were attacked."
"They have come over here now?" Elrond asked in concern.
Glorfindel nodded. "I'm afraid so," he replied softly.
TBC . . .
Like I said, longer chapters! Let me know what you think