Arual scrambled to her feet. Somehow fleeing through the pinewoods did
not seem such a wise idea. But she couldn't back out now. Not now that she
had come so far.
She stood, teeth clenched, fists clenched. Inhaling and exhaling deeply,
she went forwards into the darkness.
* * *
The familiarity of the undergrowth stroked her ankles as she passed. The smell that reminded her so visually of times with Percy; how they had played between the pine trees and lay upon the floor, giggling then quietening. At those times Arual's mind had certainly been in far places, exploring and travelling. Arual walked at a leisurely pace, her mind in the past for the time being. She came to the stream and sat of the moss that carpeted the bank; fingers fiddling with Dagar's handle, it's blade sheathed within her shoe. I was here she sat; time and time again, when she and her father had argued, when her brother had left Rivendell despite her pleading for him to stay and when her mother had died twenty years ago. Percy accompanied her several times; silent and, although she wouldn't realise it for a few days yet, her saviour. A fresh spate of tears took her. She put her head on hers knees and sobbed. She would have given anything for Legolas to be here; to converse with her father and to take her exploring Middle-Earth with him instead of her meeting him. The sound of a snapping branch startled Arual. She looked over her shoulder in terror and chagrin. This was her secret place, and she didn't like it being invaded. Another branch snapped. Someone was there with her, all right, following the trail she had passed through. "Go away!" she screamed in a tear-clotted voice. "Go away! You can't stop me, I'm leaving! Go, and don't you tell anyone about what you see!" She was on her left side now, looking back at the half-mile between her and the building where she should have been. "Oh, I don't want to stop you, my love." Arual was up like a shot, Dagdar drawn, poised for attack. Her eyes searched the trees, but she saw nothing in the darkness. "I'm warning you-" "You're warning me?" the man sounded amused. Sweat ran down Arual's brow, her lips parted, breathing heavy and her body producing adrenaline. "Please-" she cried, a tear ran down her cheek. The cloaked silhouette visualised as he walked forwards. Arual's knees were cocked, Dagdar poised to kill in her hand. "Put that toy away," the cloaked man commanded, as though telling a child stop playing with it's food. Arual gripped Dagdar more tightly, annoyed at being patronised by a complete stranger who had sneaked up on her blubbing like a baby. "Come and take it," Arual said, proud of her voice sounding bolder than she felt. "If that's how you like to play, of course," he said. A loud whistle erupted from his throat, and the sound of horse's hooves steadily grew louder as it came closer. The two; the cloaked man and the young female elf stood, their eyes locked, although Arual could not see the strangers' eyes. She was not aware of her actions until a vast, muscular horse joined the man. Arual ran. The cloaked man followed.
* * *
The familiarity of the undergrowth stroked her ankles as she passed. The smell that reminded her so visually of times with Percy; how they had played between the pine trees and lay upon the floor, giggling then quietening. At those times Arual's mind had certainly been in far places, exploring and travelling. Arual walked at a leisurely pace, her mind in the past for the time being. She came to the stream and sat of the moss that carpeted the bank; fingers fiddling with Dagar's handle, it's blade sheathed within her shoe. I was here she sat; time and time again, when she and her father had argued, when her brother had left Rivendell despite her pleading for him to stay and when her mother had died twenty years ago. Percy accompanied her several times; silent and, although she wouldn't realise it for a few days yet, her saviour. A fresh spate of tears took her. She put her head on hers knees and sobbed. She would have given anything for Legolas to be here; to converse with her father and to take her exploring Middle-Earth with him instead of her meeting him. The sound of a snapping branch startled Arual. She looked over her shoulder in terror and chagrin. This was her secret place, and she didn't like it being invaded. Another branch snapped. Someone was there with her, all right, following the trail she had passed through. "Go away!" she screamed in a tear-clotted voice. "Go away! You can't stop me, I'm leaving! Go, and don't you tell anyone about what you see!" She was on her left side now, looking back at the half-mile between her and the building where she should have been. "Oh, I don't want to stop you, my love." Arual was up like a shot, Dagdar drawn, poised for attack. Her eyes searched the trees, but she saw nothing in the darkness. "I'm warning you-" "You're warning me?" the man sounded amused. Sweat ran down Arual's brow, her lips parted, breathing heavy and her body producing adrenaline. "Please-" she cried, a tear ran down her cheek. The cloaked silhouette visualised as he walked forwards. Arual's knees were cocked, Dagdar poised to kill in her hand. "Put that toy away," the cloaked man commanded, as though telling a child stop playing with it's food. Arual gripped Dagdar more tightly, annoyed at being patronised by a complete stranger who had sneaked up on her blubbing like a baby. "Come and take it," Arual said, proud of her voice sounding bolder than she felt. "If that's how you like to play, of course," he said. A loud whistle erupted from his throat, and the sound of horse's hooves steadily grew louder as it came closer. The two; the cloaked man and the young female elf stood, their eyes locked, although Arual could not see the strangers' eyes. She was not aware of her actions until a vast, muscular horse joined the man. Arual ran. The cloaked man followed.