Chapter 1 - Flight Across the Grasslands
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Aragorn stopped lifting the water from the river to his lips. He heard something in the distance that made him alert.
Legolas noticed Aragorn's sudden stillness and watched him stride up the hill and look back upon the grasslands over which they had just come.
Legolas and Boromir joined Aragorn looking out upon the vast rolling valley.
"I hear a rider approaching. Fast." Aragorn stated.
Legolas could hear the galloping hooves as well, soon a rider crested one of the hilltops. The rider's black cloaks were streaming behind him, his horse ran hard as though in terror. The black rider's face could not be seen beneath his deep hood.
"Nazgul," spat Aragorn.
At that, Gandalf joined them and watched the approaching rider.
"There is another rider. I can hear a second set of hooves," said Aragorn,"riding even faster and gaining on the Nazgul."
"Who dares pursue one of the nine?" asked Boromir increduously.
"The hoofbeats are as fast as the wind and ring light on the land," said Legolas with a slight smile upon his lips. "It is an elvish steed."
They watched as the black rider crested a hill closer to them. He was riding hard, as though his very existence depended upon it, heading straight towards them. None of them moved. They were drawn by the sound of the pursuing horseman.
Suddenly, a dark auburn horse crested the hill. Its stride was long and its hooves light. It seemed to practically fly down the hill in pursuit of the black rider. Upon its back was an Elf in full armour; bronze-coloured mail shirt, shoulder plates with his sword drawn. He was bearing down upon the Nazgul with the intensity of the fiercest Elven warrior.
Legolas was engrossed in the scene before him. Gandalf let out a small gasp and Boromir whistled softly. None had ever seen a black rider hunted like this before. All were impressed.
As the land leveled out before the Company, the black rider and its elvish hunter were running full tilt towards them. Suddenly, Legolas heard another set of hooves from across the stream.
From the trees on the opposite bank, burst forth a second elvish rider. The horse was the same dark red colour but its rider had a slighter build than the first. The rider was very skillful, steering the horse full speed across the stream, spraying water, while pulling a lustrous sword from its hilt. The clear sound of Elvish metal rang out across the river.
The Nazgul and its steed both wailed at the sound. The cry made Legolas' ears hurt but what his eyes beheld immediately made him forget the pain. As the second elvish warrior sped past, he saw that she was female. Her face was set on the Nazgul she was about to pull up alongside. Even with the fierce look upon her face, Legolas could see her beauty. She had strong but curvacious features. High cheekbones, a smooth forehead and auburn-coloured hair plaited for riding but still flowing back behind her as she raced past.
She fell in next to the Nazgul and her horse's strides became longer as she kept pace with him. The male elf, his sword gleaming, came up along the other side of the Nazgul. They sped past the Company who stood in awe of this confrontation.
As they passed, the Nazgul drew his broadsword and brought it down hard against the female Elf. She blocked the blow with her sword while the male elf smashed his sword hilt into the Nazgul's face knocking him off the back of his horse. He fell hard on the ground barely keeping hold of his broadsword.
"Skillfully done!" exclaimed Boromir.
Gandalf merely nodded while taking the entire scene in. Legolas pulled his bow around and grasped an arrow from his quiver stepping forward to take aim at the fallen rider.
The male elf stopped his horse short and leapt from his back. He strode towards the Nazgul who was staggering to his feet with sword in hand.
The she-elf veered her horse around and trotted back towards the Nazgul. She looked upon the strange group on the hillside pausing as she saw the tall Elf with his bow drawn. Legolas locked eyes with her. He found her intense gaze mesmerizing and was held by it. Their brief and mutual wonderment was broken by the sound of steel upon steel as the male elf engaged the Nazgul with a swift strike.
The black rider staggered back from the force of the blow. The male elf came forward again and struck from the other side. The dark rider barely blocked the strike and wailed pitifully. The elf circled the Nazgul and swung his sword again. Their blades met and the elf delivered a swift kick to the Nazgul's stomach sending him tripping backwards.
"Sister," the male elf said simply.
The female elf, still on horseback, rode forth quickly. While the Nazgul fell backwards, his arms out-thrust; she approached from the side and brought her sword down swiftly and strongly. Aragorn and Borimir's eyesight could barely see the blow but Legolas could see both the power of her blade and the steadiness of her hand as she decapitated the Nazgul in one stroke.
A hollow but piercing wail went up for the last time followed by a curling stream of dust from out of the long black robes. The cloaks fell to the ground as the evil dust swirled above the maiden's head. She raised her sword, gleaming against the dark dust, cursing it in Elvish. The forboding cloud swelled slightly and then like a breath suddenly expelled, it was gone. She sheathed her sword and the male elf did likewise.
Legolas lowered his bow still mesmerized by the maiden's beauty and her awesome powers.
But it was Gandalf who strode forth to greet the strange Elves. He welcomed them in the best high Elvish he could muster and introduced himself.
The strange elves exchanged a look of surprise. Neither knew what race of being 'a wizard' was but they felt his sincere warmth and wisdom. They were surprised to hear their own tongue from his mouth.
The female elf slid from the back of her horse as the male elf stepped forth, bowing low to Gandalf and the entire company he finally spoke.
"I am Erin, son of King Earnur and this is my sister, Eriel."
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Aragorn stopped lifting the water from the river to his lips. He heard something in the distance that made him alert.
Legolas noticed Aragorn's sudden stillness and watched him stride up the hill and look back upon the grasslands over which they had just come.
Legolas and Boromir joined Aragorn looking out upon the vast rolling valley.
"I hear a rider approaching. Fast." Aragorn stated.
Legolas could hear the galloping hooves as well, soon a rider crested one of the hilltops. The rider's black cloaks were streaming behind him, his horse ran hard as though in terror. The black rider's face could not be seen beneath his deep hood.
"Nazgul," spat Aragorn.
At that, Gandalf joined them and watched the approaching rider.
"There is another rider. I can hear a second set of hooves," said Aragorn,"riding even faster and gaining on the Nazgul."
"Who dares pursue one of the nine?" asked Boromir increduously.
"The hoofbeats are as fast as the wind and ring light on the land," said Legolas with a slight smile upon his lips. "It is an elvish steed."
They watched as the black rider crested a hill closer to them. He was riding hard, as though his very existence depended upon it, heading straight towards them. None of them moved. They were drawn by the sound of the pursuing horseman.
Suddenly, a dark auburn horse crested the hill. Its stride was long and its hooves light. It seemed to practically fly down the hill in pursuit of the black rider. Upon its back was an Elf in full armour; bronze-coloured mail shirt, shoulder plates with his sword drawn. He was bearing down upon the Nazgul with the intensity of the fiercest Elven warrior.
Legolas was engrossed in the scene before him. Gandalf let out a small gasp and Boromir whistled softly. None had ever seen a black rider hunted like this before. All were impressed.
As the land leveled out before the Company, the black rider and its elvish hunter were running full tilt towards them. Suddenly, Legolas heard another set of hooves from across the stream.
From the trees on the opposite bank, burst forth a second elvish rider. The horse was the same dark red colour but its rider had a slighter build than the first. The rider was very skillful, steering the horse full speed across the stream, spraying water, while pulling a lustrous sword from its hilt. The clear sound of Elvish metal rang out across the river.
The Nazgul and its steed both wailed at the sound. The cry made Legolas' ears hurt but what his eyes beheld immediately made him forget the pain. As the second elvish warrior sped past, he saw that she was female. Her face was set on the Nazgul she was about to pull up alongside. Even with the fierce look upon her face, Legolas could see her beauty. She had strong but curvacious features. High cheekbones, a smooth forehead and auburn-coloured hair plaited for riding but still flowing back behind her as she raced past.
She fell in next to the Nazgul and her horse's strides became longer as she kept pace with him. The male elf, his sword gleaming, came up along the other side of the Nazgul. They sped past the Company who stood in awe of this confrontation.
As they passed, the Nazgul drew his broadsword and brought it down hard against the female Elf. She blocked the blow with her sword while the male elf smashed his sword hilt into the Nazgul's face knocking him off the back of his horse. He fell hard on the ground barely keeping hold of his broadsword.
"Skillfully done!" exclaimed Boromir.
Gandalf merely nodded while taking the entire scene in. Legolas pulled his bow around and grasped an arrow from his quiver stepping forward to take aim at the fallen rider.
The male elf stopped his horse short and leapt from his back. He strode towards the Nazgul who was staggering to his feet with sword in hand.
The she-elf veered her horse around and trotted back towards the Nazgul. She looked upon the strange group on the hillside pausing as she saw the tall Elf with his bow drawn. Legolas locked eyes with her. He found her intense gaze mesmerizing and was held by it. Their brief and mutual wonderment was broken by the sound of steel upon steel as the male elf engaged the Nazgul with a swift strike.
The black rider staggered back from the force of the blow. The male elf came forward again and struck from the other side. The dark rider barely blocked the strike and wailed pitifully. The elf circled the Nazgul and swung his sword again. Their blades met and the elf delivered a swift kick to the Nazgul's stomach sending him tripping backwards.
"Sister," the male elf said simply.
The female elf, still on horseback, rode forth quickly. While the Nazgul fell backwards, his arms out-thrust; she approached from the side and brought her sword down swiftly and strongly. Aragorn and Borimir's eyesight could barely see the blow but Legolas could see both the power of her blade and the steadiness of her hand as she decapitated the Nazgul in one stroke.
A hollow but piercing wail went up for the last time followed by a curling stream of dust from out of the long black robes. The cloaks fell to the ground as the evil dust swirled above the maiden's head. She raised her sword, gleaming against the dark dust, cursing it in Elvish. The forboding cloud swelled slightly and then like a breath suddenly expelled, it was gone. She sheathed her sword and the male elf did likewise.
Legolas lowered his bow still mesmerized by the maiden's beauty and her awesome powers.
But it was Gandalf who strode forth to greet the strange Elves. He welcomed them in the best high Elvish he could muster and introduced himself.
The strange elves exchanged a look of surprise. Neither knew what race of being 'a wizard' was but they felt his sincere warmth and wisdom. They were surprised to hear their own tongue from his mouth.
The female elf slid from the back of her horse as the male elf stepped forth, bowing low to Gandalf and the entire company he finally spoke.
"I am Erin, son of King Earnur and this is my sister, Eriel."