Thoughts about Death

The next morning Lauren slipped away to get some time to herself. She walked aimlessly through the halls, back and forth, around corners and in circles.

"Do you wish to go outside?" Lauren jumped and then turned to see Orodmir.

"Oh...well, yes, I do," Lauren admitted.

"We leave late in the afternoon with our gol...things. You will have all of today to be with Thorwen and he can accompany you outside if you wish it."

"I would like that...if he wouldn't mind," Lauren said.

"He is not far, just exit through there," Orodmir pointed to one of the exits. "You will see him when you get outside."

"Thank you," Lauren said, than ran out the door and up the stairs. The air was thick and humid. "Thorwen!" she yelled, though she could only see near- by trees in the mist. She could hear something coming, which she guessed was Thorwen.

"Thorwen?" she called again.

"Come to visit the old griffin, have you?"

Lauren smiled. "I've come to see none other, Thorwen."

"Shall we take a ride over this dratted thick air? I shall be glad to be breathing the fresh air above this old forest."

"Yes, let's go," Lauren agreed, crawling on the griffins back. "I want to get away and see Mirkwood! Even better, be above it and look at all the sights."

"Shall we see the human village? Gah, so long has it been since I looked upon the village of Annaway!"

Lauren smiled. "That would be perfect."



Thorwen flew over the fog of Mirkwood and above the air was much fresher and new. There wasn't one single cloud in the sky and Lauren could clearly see a village past the trees.

"There it is!" Thorwen said eagerly. He sped up so that he could get there faster. When they landed and looked at the village, they saw that it was torn apart. There were household things [such as pots and clothes] all in the grass and the houses were beaten a bit, some of the doors left wide open or knocked off their hinges. Lauren saw Thorwen's eyes widen with terror when he looked from side to side. With her on his back, he charged forward, looking around. Lauren jumped off his back and without a word they separated and looked through the small village.

Lauren screamed and Thorwen hurried to her side. He gasped. There was a woman with her lifeless eyes and dry mouth wide open in terror. She had been brutally beaten to death, undoubtedly by orcs. There was an old dagger beside her that must have belonged to an orc.

Lauren turned her face, feeling her stomach churn. "We must get away from here..." she said. Glancing back at the dead woman, much like herself, she frantically screamed, "Let's get out of here NOW!"

Her attempt to crawl on Thorwen's back failed and she passed out on the grass. Her scream echoed in the empty village and nearby, someone heard her...

Thorwen picked Lauren up with his claws and flew in the air, but as he flew not much more than a yard up in the air, a thick, black arrow struck his wing. He gave a Griffin scream, which was heard by everything for miles away.

Even Lauren was awoken by the scream to seethe griffin above her, which started to fall. Before she could scream herself, she fell into darkness and felt as if her bones were smooshed flat together.



Thorwen immediately tried getting off Lauren, but hid her between his furry legs so the orcs couldn't see her. The orcs drew near with spears and swords. Thorwen screamed and tried to peck at them. One foolish orc got to close and that was a bloody, quick end for him.

One orc threw a rope around Thorwen's neck and pulled it tightly. Before long, five orcs followed his example and Thorwen was trapped. The orcs were famished and weak, but with fifteen of them, they could take on the wounded griffin. They dragged him away from Lauren and a few other orcs took an interest in her.

"She's mine," said the chief. "I shall do whatever I wish with her!"

"You cantsss do thatsss!" hissed one. "Share some fun with some of the othersss."

The chief raised his sword. "Are you going to stop me?"

The skinny orc looked up at the thick orc chieftain and shook his head. "Nosss," he murmured.

"That's what I thought," said the chief gruffly. "Now take the griffin to a tree and tie him up! I will take this girl!"

Thorwen tried to fight back, but with his aching wing, he could hardly do anything!



Legolas ran all over the underground house, but couldn't find Lauren anywhere. "Lauren, where are you?" he thought to her, but strangely, there was no answer!

"Are you looking for something?" Legolas looked up to see Orodmir.

"Yes...Lauren," he answered.

"She is outside somewhere!" Orodmir said. "With Thorwen. I'm sure she's fine." Legolas didn't believe it. She couldn't be fine if she wasn't answering. How could she not be answering? Why would she not answer? "I have to go," Legolas said and ran as fast as he could away from Orodmir and to the 'magic' hall where he had found the spell book.

He found the book and looked through it till he found the spell. "Lack of answering could be because of extreme sickness or..." Legolas couldn't finish out-loud, but he read the last word over and over again. Death. DEATH!



"Lauren, where are you?" Lauren heard Legolas call to her desperately, but she was unable to move. She couldn't escape this darkness, nor could she move, nor call back to Legolas. She felt lost. She wondered if she was dead and this is what it felt to be dead?



Legolas shut the book. "I've got to find her!" he said aloud to himself.



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