A/N: Sorry for the late update. I ran into some problems with this chappie. I feel an author's block coming on....I need some Advil.... Enjoy!

Disclaimers: What would I do if I owned Eriol and Co.? What wouldn't I do ^^?

____________________________*____*_____________________________

Part III: Trials: Master of the Wood

'Something's wrong.'

The sudden thought hit Eriol out of the blue nothingness. 'Something is definitely wrong. I can feel it.' He tried to erase the thought, but it wouldn't budge despite all other provocative thinking. He tried to distract himself by fidgeting, but in the end result, the worry did not ebb, it intensified.

It was at that time that he noticed that Tomoyo wasn't beside him anymore. Getting to his feet hurriedly, he began to frantically search the campsite for her, his guardians joining his a minute later. Scrupulous searching determined that the girl wasn't anywhere in a ten feet radius. The group headed for the thicket of trees, hollering the girl's name, their voices magnified by the silence of the night.

The three chose to split up, their pursuit would be much more fruitful that way. Eriol crept carefully through the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible. Anxiety gripped him, overwhelming him, choking him until he could barely breathe. He imagined a thousands different possibilities of what happened to his friend, all of which intensified his apprehension.

His throat tight and painful with some unidentified emotion, he yelled out her name to the infinite darkness.

"TOMOYO!!" 'Oh, where is she?!'

"TOMOYO!! Where are you?!" 'Please don't let anything happen to her...'

He heard the voices of his guardians mimicking his calls, and with a sense of hopelessness determined that they, too, did not find her. He did not loose faith in his own abilities though. Concentrating all his power and knowledge into one, he sought the vibrant mauve aura that belonged to Tomoyo. He found it! It was very faint and a long distance away, but it was enough for him to trace her. Eriol almost wept in sheer joy at the notion that she was alive.

A scream in the deadly silence spoiled his relieved thoughts. Looking ahead, where he reckoned the cry came from; he broke into a run. A vibrating noise suddenly broke his train of thought, and he stopped to ponder the source of the interruption. The noise began pulsing in his ears; he forgot for an instance that he had a quarry to catch. His entire being was besieged with the strange melody, lulling him to a stupor-like state.

The sound reminded him of drums. 'How odd...' he thought, though he would not question it. Suddenly, the sounds intensified, deafening him. It was no longer a rhythmic beat soothing him, it was a myriad of throbbing, mismatched sounds put together. He could feel cold gripping him, but he refused to give up. Finally remembering his lost companion, he steadied himself on his feet and made his way forward, trying his hardest to ignore the beat.

He stopped in a meadow where he found his friend on her knees reaching out to something. He called her name, but she did not give any indication of hearing him or even his presence. He rushed to her, shaking her, calling out to her. His efforts were in vain, however, for the girl's face still held that little bemused smile, her eyes distant and bleary.

Rough hands gripped him. Eriol tried to fight them, to struggle free and run to his dazed companion, but he knew that it was futile to fight them; there were too many of them and they were bounding him with something. He thought he heard his guardians behind him, and after a minute his suspicions were affirmed; both of them were brought in tied.

Seething, he watched as the shadowy figures pointed sharp objects to Tomoyo. He screamed something unintelligible and struggled harder against the strains on his neck when he saw a thin trickle of blood on Tomoyo's exposed shoulder. Eriol saw the girl slump backwards slightly, to fully sit on her knees, and begin to whimper. Chocking down a pain filled sob, he fought with his captors even harder.

Eriol witnessed with anguished clarity as awareness dawned onto the girl. At that moment he wanted noting more than to cradle her, to protect her from these unseen people. Fear crossed Tomoyo's features are she noticed her hostile surroundings. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling abandoned, tears swelling in her eyes. That useless look on her face nearly tore Eriol apart.

Still struggling, they dragged Eriol and the rest deeper into the shadows. On the way, someone blindfolded them; Nakuru was also gagged because he wouldn't keep his mouth shut. After what seemed to be forever in the dark, their captors stopped. Mildly curious, Eriol tried to remove the blindfold but remembered that his hands were also bound.

He felt being pushed to the ground, his captors being non-too gentle on his already bruised limbs. After that he heard shuffling and the rustling of fabric and a door being opened and closed. Once he was certain that he was without any unwanted guests, Eriol removed the blindfold and sat back, prompted by a wall.

He wondered where Tomoyo and the others were. He winced when he heard a high-pitched bellow; Nakuru was in a cell adjoining his. Sighing, he lay down on the floor (which seemed to be made of a semi-soft material) and closed his eyes. Eriol wondered what would happen to them in the morning; whether they would be tortured or simply executed on sight...

Finally, exhaustion and fear took reign of his senses and sent him on a dreamless sleep ride...

_____________________________*____*__________________________

When he came to, Eriol felt sun on his face. He mumbled something groggily and turned to stuff his head under the pillow; he hated mornings. When no pillow greeted his face, he remembered what happened that night and quickly sat up.

He was located in some kind of a room that was made up of branches and leaves, hence the sunlight. Eriol shook his head fiercely at this discovery; he did not remember the walls of plants. 'This must be another dream,' he resolved, shaking his head once again. After much pinching and head shaking, he only determined that it was, indeed, real.

Eriol scanned his memories for some possible clues on his whereabouts, but came up just a scant short on answers. He remembered seeing Tomoyo hugging her knees to her chest and the tears swelling in her eyes. He suddenly felt an urge to find her, to smooth away her fears and all traces of tears marring her delicate features. He tried to yell, hoping that she would hear him from wherever she was, but he found that his voice was too hoarse to make a sound.

Slouching against the wall, he was beginning to count the breaks in the wall, when a hiss broke his concentration. Frowning, he continued his calculation. Before he got to thirty-six holes and fifty-nine twigs, he was interrupted by the same hissing sound. Rolling his eyes, he continued with the count, only to hear that same hissing a moment on.

Truly frustrated now, he said as loudly as his voice allowed him to, "Oh, will you just be quiet?! Can't you see that I'm busy?!"

He received a series of snorts and grunts in response. By this time, Eriol was beginning to question his own sanity. "I don't suppose you know where I am?" He called out to his imaginary hissing friend.

"I know as much as you know, master." A female voice replied.

"Nakuru?! It was YOU?!" He nearly bellowed.

"Who did you think it was? An imaginary hissing friend?" Nakuru could barely contain a chuckle.

"N-no! I thought you were Spinel!" Eriol stammered, reddening.

A slight cough came from somewhere to his right and was followed by a very miffed sounding, "nice to know you're alive as well".

Flabbergasted, Eriol could do nothing but sputter. After he thoroughly apologized to Spinel and a hysterical Nakuru later, they were discussing their capture. Ten minutes of conversing later, they determined that they were captured, were being held against their will, and had walls of plants surrounding them.

Eriol was in the middle of a sentence when the "door" to his cell opened to reveal a darkly clad man, his jailor. His guardians were apparently having visitors of their own because Eriol could hear rustling sounds from where he supposed their cells were located.

The warden gripped Eriol's wrists tightly and dragged the struggling boy out of the chamber. Still fighting his captor, though vainly, Eriol had a double take when he saw the world outside his prison. The two of them stepped into a platform of greenery, a railing of branches surrounding the periphery of the plinth. From what he could see, below them was a forty-foot drop to the ground below.

He guessed that his prison was perched on a tree, but whenever he looked up or down, the green did not give way to either the sky or the ground. Taking a second look, he saw dome-like structures (much like the one he was in) suspended on other trees. He suspected that they were dwellings, but he wouldn't bet all of Clow Reed's fortune on it.

Eriol heard Nakuru raising a raucous behind him, but a gag in the mouth once again silenced him. When he looked behind him, Eriol could see his other guardian hovering on a short leash near his captive. Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen. Eriol's own jailer pushed him to move forward, and so he did, being mindful of the injuries committed to them for later purposes.

They were escorted down a winding roped pathway, made from the same sturdy material everything else was made of. Once he was given an opportunity, Eriol noticed that everything from the tiniest posts to the large sculptures that were carved into the thick bark of the trees were handmade with meticulous precision. As he passed one dwelling, he saw a string of small white flowers interwoven into the house's walls, blending together to create one glorious sculptural marvel.

This place was so real in it's closeness to nature, it seemed almost ethereal in its simple beauty. Eriol was overwhelmed with the magnificence and breathtaking serenity of his prison. He was overcome with a sudden longing to spend the rest of his natural lifetime in this place.

Their "road" and all other "roads" eventually wound down to one grand place. Eriol gasped at its grandeur. Great spires and archways is rich mahogany, vines and the same little white flowers occasionally peeking through the intricate carvings, greeted them. Tall pillars of carved wood stood on every side of a huge raised dais. There, on a glorious throne engraved with strange patterns, sat a man. Eriol could not tell whether he was young or old, but the majestic beauty of the stranger was beyond even him.

The man had long fair hair sweeping past his shoulders. He had a pale pointed face with a strong jaw line and high cheekbones. He wore a simple vanilla coloured robe emblazoned with tiny blossoms. He seemed almost weary, but his head was held high and regally. His etherealness reminded Eriol of a beacon of light. The only thing that stood out on the man's appearance were his dark eyes, glowing with wisdom and power.

He slowly stood up from his throne, his robes swishing with the motion. He let his eyes travel over his guests, penetrating their souls, delving in their hearts. Fluidly, he spread his arms out to them, palms open. With a regal air, he slowly said, "I am King Ruminar, Master of the Wood (1). Welcome, strangers, to Tradeth (2)."

"So capturing and holding us prisoners is your way of showing hospitality?" Nakuru snorted, though he could not keep the awe from his voice.

"Forgive us. We are in constant fear of siege; we thought you might have been sent by the State." The King replied melodiously, and the company suddenly did not harbour any hostility towards their captors. Somewhere along those lines, the group determined that they were in the company o f elves.

"Do you know where our companion is?" Eriol asked. As of yet, he did not see any sign of Tomoyo and he was beginning to worry.

"Your female friend is currently in the Healing Wing." Ruminar replied in monotone. "She acquired minor scratches during the chase and is in need of rest."

"May we see her?" Eriol asked more urgently. He suddenly felt a need to see her, to know that she was, indeed, in perfect health.

The King looked at him again, his eyes blazing with something indecipherable. Eriol suppressed a shiver. It felt as if his entire being was laid open before this man, his every thought and feeling examined. This made Eriol shrink back in unease; he did not relish the thought of being so easily read.

"Yes of course." The King replied after a pause. "My chamberlain will take you there." He gestured to tall elf, also neither young nor old, with dark hair spread into two sections and draping over his shoulders.

The elf, whose name was Elrad (3), led them down another roped pathway to what they assumed was the Healing Wing. While they were walking, Elrad explained to the company that they were the forest spirits. As the legend told, when the world was young, the Earth created many creatures, some of which were made to perform certain tasks. The forest spirits (or elves, as known in Eriol's realm) were created to protect the natural aspect of the world. The spirits were gentle and usually kept away from humans, as the humans kept away from the spirits.

"Lately, though, mankind has come to our forest without permission. They cut down trees; they destroy our homes. The State of Gelidum has even gone far enough to demolish one of most sacred temples." Elrad said, his brow creasing in worry.

"Why would they want to do something like that? Unless you have somehow insulted them, they have no reason to attack your homes." Spinel said from his perch on Nakuru's shoulder.

Their guide did not answer, but looked to the fragments of the sky above. Soon, they reached the Healing Wing. Eriol rushed in first, stopping in the doorframe to look at his bedridden friend. Tomoyo was unconscious, her arm bandaged and her brows knitted in an obvious nightmare. It pained him to see her like this; Eriol felt somehow responsible for her state.

Nakuru and Spinel decided to keep back and give their master some privacy with the girl. His throat tight, he walked to her bedside. Eriol knelt beside her sleeping form and grasped one of her small hands in his. Caressing her knuckles with his thumbs, he took the hand and pressed it to his lips.

'It was all my fault,' he berated himself. 'If I'd only kept an eye on her, she wouldn't have left and gotten hurt. I was all my fault.'

He felt pressure on his palm, opening his eyes (he didn't even realize closing them), he looked at her. He felt another squeeze on his hand. Relieved, he noticed that her eyes were partially open. He reached to brush a strand of hair away from her face, smiling tenderly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he kept on repeating.

"No, it was my fault. I didn't realize what I was doing," Tomoyo corrected him after the initial shock of wakefulness.

"But I should have --"

"No. What's done is done. I do not blame you for anything, because you did nothing wrong," She said, leaning into his caressing hand.

Outside, looking through the circular window, were Nakuru and Spinel. "I can't believe I stooped so low as to actually *spy* on my master," Spinel said while shaking his head.

"Oh pish-posh!" Nakuru exclaimed gleefully. "Did you see that?! I was bloody sick making! I told you they were perfect for each other!"

Spinel simply shook his little furry head again, and peered once again into the room. The two youngsters inside were still making googly eyes at each other. He suppressed a smirk; they would make a perfect couple, and then he would have someone to protect him from Nakuru.

__________________________*____*____________________________

(1) Ruminar -- means 'Dusky Meadow' in Elvish.

(2) Tradeth -- means 'Eternal Tree' also in Elvish.

(3) Elrad -- means 'Green Leaf' (Legolas' last name^^) in Elvish.

Okay, so I'm a bit high on Tolkien's work, so sue me. This was a bad chapter, hope I didn't confuse anyone with it. Please forgive me, for I did not give the elves enough credit. I'm rather new to writing an cannot, for the life of me, capture the true beauty of elves. Sorry for the late posting again...