Chapter Nine: Secrets in the Haze
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Pippin raced back to Aragorn as fast as he could. As soon as he got to him he started yelling,
"Aragorn, Aragorn! Malaika's alive! She's alive! When she was falling, she grew wings and flew back up! She is hurt badly though, so she needs your help, fast!"
The ranger sighed in a frustrated tone and turned to Pippin, saying flatly,
"Pippin, you told me only five minutes ago that Malaika had fallen off the cliff and that she was going to die. Why do you think I would believe that she grew wings and flew back up here?"
Pippin suddenly had a defeated look in his eyes, and whispered,
"Please, Aragorn, please? You have to come help her, she's got two bad gashes and she is bleeding badly."
Aragorn sighed, beaten, and rose to inspect the girl's wounds, if there were any. They reached the spot where Pippin said Malaika had been when he went to get help.
Nothing lay there now but indents in the snow. Pippin's eyes grew wide as he searched for Malaika, or any trace that she had been there. A small object caught his eye, and he stooped to pick it up. Between Pippin's fingers was a shiny, soft, white feather. He showed it to the disbelieving Aragorn, saying,
"Look, Aragorn. Malaika's wings were white, as white as the snow."
"I still have yet to see her for myself. When that happens, then I will believe you." Aragorn turned and walked back to the camp.
Pippin sighed. He looked up and saw a brief bit of white disappear near the high ledge above him. 'I bet Malaika's up there,' he thought. 'I just need a way to get her to come down.' Suddenly Pippin came up with an idea and he cupped his hands around his mouth.
The girl wrapped her wings around herself as she alighted atop the snow. Sighing shakily, she whispered to no one in particular,
"I can't tell them. No, I can't, I cannot let them know." She jerked her head up when she heard voices speaking below. Malaika's gray eyes peered over the edge, scanning the conversation below between Pippin and Aragorn.
"Look, Aragorn. Malaika's wings were white, as white as the snow."
"I still have yet to se her for myself. When that happens, then I will believe you." She watched Aragorn walk away, and Pippin sigh, then look up. Malaika quickly slipped out of view. She heard him call,
"Malaika, please come down. I need to tell you something." The girl sighed and looked over the edge at the hobbit who stood there, waiting. She folded her wings as close to her back as possible and snapped hotly,
"What do you want, Pippin? You already know my secret, and you were just trying to tell Aragorn. I do not wish for everyone else to know it."
Pippin's shoulders slumped and he said quietly,
"Alright, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know why you had wings. But, knowing you, you most likely won't tell me."
Malaika smirked and said mockingly,
"My, do you know me well."
"Oh, that reminds me. I found this in the snow near where you fell, and I was wondering if it was yours."
Pippin reached into his pocket and drew out a shining object. Malaika gasped and scowled.
"That's mine!" she snapped, springing from the ledge and landing gracefully in front of Pippin. Malaika snatched the item from the boy's hand, and clutched it protectively to her chest. "This is mine, and you will never be allowed to touch it." She gently held it in her cupped hands as if it were as precious as a child.
"What is it?" Pippin asked.
Malaika had a hesitant look in her stormy eyes, and she slowly held it up on its chain.
"This."
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Pippin raced back to Aragorn as fast as he could. As soon as he got to him he started yelling,
"Aragorn, Aragorn! Malaika's alive! She's alive! When she was falling, she grew wings and flew back up! She is hurt badly though, so she needs your help, fast!"
The ranger sighed in a frustrated tone and turned to Pippin, saying flatly,
"Pippin, you told me only five minutes ago that Malaika had fallen off the cliff and that she was going to die. Why do you think I would believe that she grew wings and flew back up here?"
Pippin suddenly had a defeated look in his eyes, and whispered,
"Please, Aragorn, please? You have to come help her, she's got two bad gashes and she is bleeding badly."
Aragorn sighed, beaten, and rose to inspect the girl's wounds, if there were any. They reached the spot where Pippin said Malaika had been when he went to get help.
Nothing lay there now but indents in the snow. Pippin's eyes grew wide as he searched for Malaika, or any trace that she had been there. A small object caught his eye, and he stooped to pick it up. Between Pippin's fingers was a shiny, soft, white feather. He showed it to the disbelieving Aragorn, saying,
"Look, Aragorn. Malaika's wings were white, as white as the snow."
"I still have yet to see her for myself. When that happens, then I will believe you." Aragorn turned and walked back to the camp.
Pippin sighed. He looked up and saw a brief bit of white disappear near the high ledge above him. 'I bet Malaika's up there,' he thought. 'I just need a way to get her to come down.' Suddenly Pippin came up with an idea and he cupped his hands around his mouth.
The girl wrapped her wings around herself as she alighted atop the snow. Sighing shakily, she whispered to no one in particular,
"I can't tell them. No, I can't, I cannot let them know." She jerked her head up when she heard voices speaking below. Malaika's gray eyes peered over the edge, scanning the conversation below between Pippin and Aragorn.
"Look, Aragorn. Malaika's wings were white, as white as the snow."
"I still have yet to se her for myself. When that happens, then I will believe you." She watched Aragorn walk away, and Pippin sigh, then look up. Malaika quickly slipped out of view. She heard him call,
"Malaika, please come down. I need to tell you something." The girl sighed and looked over the edge at the hobbit who stood there, waiting. She folded her wings as close to her back as possible and snapped hotly,
"What do you want, Pippin? You already know my secret, and you were just trying to tell Aragorn. I do not wish for everyone else to know it."
Pippin's shoulders slumped and he said quietly,
"Alright, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know why you had wings. But, knowing you, you most likely won't tell me."
Malaika smirked and said mockingly,
"My, do you know me well."
"Oh, that reminds me. I found this in the snow near where you fell, and I was wondering if it was yours."
Pippin reached into his pocket and drew out a shining object. Malaika gasped and scowled.
"That's mine!" she snapped, springing from the ledge and landing gracefully in front of Pippin. Malaika snatched the item from the boy's hand, and clutched it protectively to her chest. "This is mine, and you will never be allowed to touch it." She gently held it in her cupped hands as if it were as precious as a child.
"What is it?" Pippin asked.
Malaika had a hesitant look in her stormy eyes, and she slowly held it up on its chain.
"This."