Falling Out of Reach
Steel clanked against steel, as two swords swung through the air. Cutting it like a hot knife through butter. The air was light and a slight breeze past through.
"You don't have a chance!" A young female voice cried out, with another clash ringing from the swords as they clashed against each other again.
"Yeah right!" Another young voice answered sorely, the swords ringed as they drew back. The two looked at each other with fire in there eyes. Both were breathing deeply and one quickly wiped a large chunk of her soft brown hair away from her eyes. Then, as they continued to stare, a smile creped upon the others face. Soon the two were engulfed with laughter. The swords dropped to the ground with a small clang, the two females; no older than sixteen, stepped towards each other and through the laughter, they embraced. "Jodi, I thought you were going to kill me just then."
"Really? Kendal, I'm sorry." Jodi answered, her face blushing into a deeper shade of pink than it all ready was. The two friends let go of each other and picked up their fallen swords. "Aren't you glad there not real then?" she asked, running her finger along the edge of the blunted blade. Kendal nodded and swiped hers in front of her with a swooshing sound.
"Are we still on for tomorrow?" Kendal asked, looking hopefully into Jodi's face. Jodi sighed and nodded yes. Kendal smiled wildly and nodded. "It's going to be fine, don't worry."
"Yeah, I know." Jodi sighed, trying to hide her doubt. Kendal put her arm on Jodi's shoulder and started to walk, Jodi followed only because Kendal had a death-grip on her shoulder.
"Look, if you don't want to go because of your dream, I'll understand." Kendal sighed, looking at Jodi with a sideways smile. Jodi shook her head no proudly and kept her eyes in front of her.
The day was fading away as the two girls hiked through the forest. Dry, dead leaves crunched underneath as they treaded towards the camping spot. Kendal stopped, put her things down and took a deep breath as she waited for Jodi to catch up to her. The sun pounded down upon the already red cheeks of Jodi as she huffed and puffed her way up the hill.
Kendal smiled down on her friend and took a long breath in.
"Isn't this wonderful?" Kendal asked, looking around her, with her hands on her hips. Wonder and amazement filled her eyes, and shined bright with the small sun rays caught in her eyes.
"Yeah, just wonder-frikken-ful!" Jodi snapped as she scrambled up the path, her hands placed in front of her incase she tripped. She trudged closed and closer to Kendal until she was in just an arms reach of her. Just why am I doing this? I should have just stayed home. Or we could have camped in my back yard! I hate hiking and I hate having to-- Jodi thought harshly as her foot caught on a root and sent her flying face first into the ground.
Jodi awoke, groaning with a throbbing pain on her nose and whole head. She blinked hard then strained her eyes open, as if waking from a dream. She looked around from where she lay, her foot was still tangled in the tree root, and the sun was still steadily fading. The only thing missing was Kendal. She tried to get up, but found that she could barely move her hands from underneath her. Jodi took a deep breath and let it out roughly. She just rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes again, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.
"Jodi? Jodi?" Kendal's voice whispered, reaching her hand out on Jodi's shoulder; shaking her lightly. Her voice filled more with worry when Jodi didn't open her eyes. "Jodi!"
"What!" Jodi screamed sitting straight up, looking angrily at Kendal. Kendal jumped back and fell flat on her bottom-side. Jodi growled angrily and shook the leaves and dirt out of her hair.
"Oh, shit." Kendal whispered holding her head in her hands. "Not again." Slowly she stood up and sighed. Jodi jumped up quickly but then fell back down again, the dizziness of the head still upon her. She looked up and shook her head. Kendal sighed and offered Jodi her hand; slowly she took it.
"I meant to do that." Jodi snapped, a little late. But already being pulled to her feet. When she stood up the dizziness took over her again and she wobbled in place as she looked down at Kendal's face. After a minute or two of holding her head, trying to balance herself, she realized that Kendal was a few inches shorter then usual. "What the bloody-hell am I standing on?"
Jodi looked down and saw she was standing on a level piece of ground with Kendal. She shook her head and then looked at Kendal's feet. "What the hell happened to your feet?"
Kendal looked down and sighed. Her shoes were gone, but her feet were covered with curly hair and dirt. Kendal looked back up at Jodi and shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know that something weird is going on here."
"Well, no shit Sherlock." Jodi snapped, crossing her arms. Her jaw dropped as she looked at Kendal's hair, instead of her wavy golden blonde hair; it was curly with a mossy brown color to it, and her ears were large and pointed. Jodi reached out her hand and lightly touched Kendal's left ear.
"Uh, yeah." Kendal whispered, blushing, holding on to her ears. "I-I-I don't know."
The bushes all around rustled and soft whispers whispered in the distance. Jodi looked franticly around; Kendal froze dead in her place. Not a breath was drawn from the two for over a minute and the rustling subsided. They both let a long breath out. Then a flash of light blinded the two.
Kendal and Jodi hit the ground, rendering them un-conscious. The whispers grew into strong, yet fair voices in the wind. The rest of that day, neither Jodi nor Kendal knew what happened.
"Morning sleepy-head." Was the first sentence that Jodi heard when she awoke. Kendal smiled down and sighed. "I thought you were dead."
"What are you talking about?" Jodi asked groggily, sitting up slightly; resting on her elbows. "What happened? The last thing I remember was trying to climb up that stupid hill. Did we make it?"
"Well, kind of." Kendal sighed, looking around with a disappointed smirk. Jodi rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands and sat all the way up. She looked at Kendal, sighed, then did a re-take.
"Uh."
"Yeah, I'm a Hobbit and no you're not dreaming." Kendal sighed, not wanting to add more hysterics to the problem at hand then there already was. "Though, I wish we were."
"Right." Jodi nodded, not believing what she said. Obviously happily content on thinking it was a dream. She scratched her forehead then ran her hand through her hair. But her hand stopped when she felt something on her ear. "what the hell?" She asked herself, running her hand over what she felt, then she pulled it. Letting out a whimper, Jodi looked at Kendal.
"And you're an Elf." She sighed, looking over her shoulder. Kendal sighed again and helped pull Jodi to her feet. She did and stood in place, taking a breath looking over the wood area surrounding. Jodi was still trying to fully wake up. She stood there rubbing her eyes and blinking hard. Soon enough though, she nudged Kendal's arm.
"I'm hungry." Jodi wined, with a long sigh. Kendal paid no attention to her, but still kept her eyes locked on the surrounding forest. Jodi looked around and saw her pack lying near an old log. Gently she sat down and began to sift through her belongings. As Jodi was on her personal mission to stuff her face, a sudden cloud of doubt came over Kendal. She looked high up in the trees and a cold, bone chilling breeze was sent though her body. Quickly she re-coiled inward and sent her gaze to the ground, then she looked back up.
"You know?" Jodi sighed, taking her candy-bar out of her mouth. "you know, I'm not cut out to be an Elf. I mean look at me. I'd much rather be a periannath¹ than of the eldalie²." she sighed, looking at her half-eaten candy.
"You'd much rather be a what, then a whatta-whatta?" Kendal asked, looking at Jodi; obviously confused. Jodi looked up and shrugged.
"I don't know; it just came out when I said it." Jodi snapped in her defense.
"Okay, yeah." Kendal sighed, rubbing the goose-bumps on her arms. The woods creaked as the two stood still. There was a cool breeze that rocked the leaves, making them whisper in the almost faded day. But as Kendal and Jodi listened more carefully; they could actually hear whispers. Kendal's ears perked up and she looked about. Peering into the darkness. Jodi froze in place, whether because she was frightened or a natural reaction; no one could tell.
"Jo, look around will ya?" Kendal asked, slightly moving a young saplings branch out of her way. If the books are right, you have better eye sight then me. And with that one sentence flashing in her mind; a sudden flash of jealousy came over here. Fire and doubt filled her eyes, if only for a moment. Then she rubbed her arms some more; as if comforting herself back into the situation at hand.
Because the fact of the matter is: They were both lost in a foreign land, with different creatures that no books could or would ever speak of. Plus the fact they had been turned into a creature that was the complete opposite of who they really were.
Kendal was an energetic, sporty, know-it-all who doesn't like depending on other people for help. While Jodi on the other hand; was a lazy (yet creative) individual who likes having other people wait on her. Hardly doing anything and getting very up-set would sometimes (more than not) send her into a psychotic episode, where her split personality would take over. But now they were in different kinds of bodies, one more fit for the other. And the only true thing they knew about this place was, they had to get out... and fast. The rest of the day dragged on and night covered them, for the second time (although, they didn't know it yet). The air grew dense as a mist of fog slowly covered the ground.
"Can we make a fire?" Jodi moaned, holding her jacket sleeves close to her body. Kendal looked at her and shook her head no. Jodi sighed and looked up into the sky. "Ilmen'a vanima, n'uma³?"
"What-" Kendal asked softly, her voice twanging into a slight British accent. Jodi looked at Kendal and shook her head, at the sudden change in Kendal's voice. Kendal coughed slightly and put her fingers up to her throat. She took in a deep breath before asking Jodi, "What does that mean?"
Jodi just shrugged and blinked her eyes. A few seconds later, she was out like a light, leaving Kendal to brave the darkness alone. She had moved Jodi from a sitting position into a laying down one, with her head in Kendal's lap. Kendal looked around and sighed, the mist was clearing and the stars twinkled above the leaves of the silver/green trees. It wasn't a cold night, but the emptiness of the wood was not much help in comforting Kendal, who was still awake. Keeping an eye, and ear, out for anyone (anything) that would come near. A few times she thought she heard the faint laughter of a group of travelers, but thought that it was just her restless body playing tricks.
"So much for keeping watch." Kendal sighed groggily as she looked around from her place on the ground one last time. Finally she rubbed her eyes and fell asleep, resting her back on a large tree trunk. When she was fast asleep, the trunk caved in a bit, cradling the weight that Kendal had set on it. A soft humming came from the tree tops and the leaves swayed down, covering the two in a makeshift blanket.
× Elvish Translations ×
¹ periannath - Hobbit
² eldalie - Elf kin
³ Ilmen'a vanima, n'uma? - The night sky is beautiful, no?
