We rode through Fangorn Forest slowly and cautiously. "You have to watch
your back in Fangorn Fatima. It is a very dangerous place, as you may
already know." Ilhan said. I just looked at him. I thought it to be strange
that a man could be friendly with a company of elves. I never knew there
were men who were named 'elf-friend' and considered to be close with the
elves.
"How is it that you became and 'elf-friend'?" I asked. I looked at him suspiciously. He wasn't like the young men I knew in Rohan. He was somehow different, but I decipher how. Ilhan looked at me for a moment before he answered my question.
"Well I didn't really become an 'elf-friend', there isn't an initiation or something. I have lived all my life with the elves of Mirkwood. My mother died giving birth to me and she was an elf-friend. The elves looked after me and I was raised by elves so that is I guess how I became an elf- friend." He continued looking in front of him. I continued looking at him.
He seemed distant. I suspected he was thinking about his mother. "What about your father? Where is he now?" I asked. I immediately regretted asking the question when I saw the muscles in Ilhan's face tighten and he had a look of pure hatred on his face. He turned to look at me. I turned away I couldn't bear to look at is cold face.
"I wouldn't know where he is as he abandoned both my mother and myself." He said through clenched teeth. I didn't know how to reply so I didn't. I just continued riding. "We better quicken our pace." He said. His face was still a little cold but his muscles were slowly easing. Ilhan rode out in front of me.
All of a sudden Ilhan jumped of his horse and led it towards me. He quickly motioned for me to get of my horse. I did. We tied them to near by trees. Then Ilhan unsheathed his sword. I did the same. Ilhan looked at me first with shock. Then he turned his attention to the trees. He looked into the trees. It didn't seem he was looking at anything in particular. Swiftly he went to his horse sheathed his sword and took his bow from the saddle and an arrow. He aimed towards the trees, but I couldn't see what was there. But Ilhan knew what he was shooting at I could see it in his eyes.
Then he let the arrow go. It whistled threw the air. For a moment nothing happened. I thought that he missed his target or was shooting at nothing. Then a large corpse fell to the ground with a loud thud. I just looked at it in amazement. I was starting to think that Ilhan himself might be an elf. "There will be more. Fatima you have to be ready for battle." Ilhan's words surprised me. I had never in my life heard a man speak these words to me. I usually had men saying that I was a woman and fighting wasn't for women.
I stood and looked around the forest. Ilhan gestured with is hands towards something. I couldn't see anything. Ilhan took some steps towards the trees. The out jumped the same creature I killed a few days ago. Ilhan stabbed the Nemanus in the stomach. It fell to the ground and was still. Ilhan turned towards me and shouted "Fatima behind you."
I quickly turned and saw another Nemanus. But this one was a lot smaller, and faster. I ran towards it and we clashed swords. I decided to rid of the creature as fast as I could. I punched the creature then swung my sword towards its legs. The creature jumped and that was when I found the opportunity to make it lose its footing. I quickly pushed the creature and it fell to the ground. Then I stabbed it in the stomach. I turned around to see Ilhan fighting with another creature. The creature had its back turned to me, so I quickly ran towards it and stabbed it in the lower back. Ilhan looked at me and smiled. When then both turned defensively and looked around. The forest seemed very quite and we quickly untied our horse jumped onto them and rode as fast as possible trough the forest. We had lots of trouble due to the trees, which were every close to each other.
After what had seemed days but was really hours we got to the end of Fangorn forest. We were still in The Wold but we had to go through Fangorn so we could go past my father unseen, as the road to Mirkwood required us to go through the Fields of Celebrant. When we did get past it we were finally riding out of Rohan.
We arrived at The Great River Anduin and decided to rest for a while. We had a small meal and we filled our water bags. I put my hands into the water and brought some water up to my face. The water was cold and very refreshing. I then looked to Ilhan, who seemed to be deep in thought. I didn't want to interrupt his thoughts but I was wondering how we were to cross the river. I looked around but I didn't se any bridge or small boat.
"We have to ride up this river till we come to a bridge." He said as if reading my mind. I really didn't like when people did that. I didn't answer. I just quickly got up and angrily packed my bag, and jumped onto my horse. Ilhan looked at me confused but I just ignored him. I began riding in the direction Ilhan had motioned to. Ilhan got up after me and followed. Finally we did come to the bridge and I crossed it not waiting for Ilhan to catch up. He didn't seem to want to catch up. He them called out to me.
"Fatima you are a very unusual woman. I really don't understand you. Can you please tell me why you are so angry? Was it something I said?" he asked. He did look very confused but he also seemed amused too. I just ignored him and continued my path. I didn't even know if I was going the right way. But I was too stubborn to ask I just assumed he would tell me if I was going in the wrong direction. Ilhan finally caught up to me.
"I do apologise Lady Fatima if I did offend you in any way." He said in a mocking tone. I just ignored him again. Then I looked at him coldly and slowed my pace so he was ahead of me. I didn't know why I was acting the way I did. But something about him scared me and I just didn't know what. He seemed a little hurt and now angry. He started riding faster in fury. I tried to keep up with him. I motioned to my horse to ride faster and when I did finally catch up with Ilhan he had a silly smile on his face.
Ilhan stopped abruptly and I quickly stopped. I looked up in front of me and there was Mirkwood forest. All of a sudden my heart started beating faster. I knew that soon I would be meeting the elves of Mirkwood and I couldn't wait to see them, and to see Mimosa again. Ilhan jumped off his horse and led the horse towards Mirkwood. He didn't look at me. I jumped off my horse still staring into the trees and began to lead my horse after Ilhan.
"How is it that you became and 'elf-friend'?" I asked. I looked at him suspiciously. He wasn't like the young men I knew in Rohan. He was somehow different, but I decipher how. Ilhan looked at me for a moment before he answered my question.
"Well I didn't really become an 'elf-friend', there isn't an initiation or something. I have lived all my life with the elves of Mirkwood. My mother died giving birth to me and she was an elf-friend. The elves looked after me and I was raised by elves so that is I guess how I became an elf- friend." He continued looking in front of him. I continued looking at him.
He seemed distant. I suspected he was thinking about his mother. "What about your father? Where is he now?" I asked. I immediately regretted asking the question when I saw the muscles in Ilhan's face tighten and he had a look of pure hatred on his face. He turned to look at me. I turned away I couldn't bear to look at is cold face.
"I wouldn't know where he is as he abandoned both my mother and myself." He said through clenched teeth. I didn't know how to reply so I didn't. I just continued riding. "We better quicken our pace." He said. His face was still a little cold but his muscles were slowly easing. Ilhan rode out in front of me.
All of a sudden Ilhan jumped of his horse and led it towards me. He quickly motioned for me to get of my horse. I did. We tied them to near by trees. Then Ilhan unsheathed his sword. I did the same. Ilhan looked at me first with shock. Then he turned his attention to the trees. He looked into the trees. It didn't seem he was looking at anything in particular. Swiftly he went to his horse sheathed his sword and took his bow from the saddle and an arrow. He aimed towards the trees, but I couldn't see what was there. But Ilhan knew what he was shooting at I could see it in his eyes.
Then he let the arrow go. It whistled threw the air. For a moment nothing happened. I thought that he missed his target or was shooting at nothing. Then a large corpse fell to the ground with a loud thud. I just looked at it in amazement. I was starting to think that Ilhan himself might be an elf. "There will be more. Fatima you have to be ready for battle." Ilhan's words surprised me. I had never in my life heard a man speak these words to me. I usually had men saying that I was a woman and fighting wasn't for women.
I stood and looked around the forest. Ilhan gestured with is hands towards something. I couldn't see anything. Ilhan took some steps towards the trees. The out jumped the same creature I killed a few days ago. Ilhan stabbed the Nemanus in the stomach. It fell to the ground and was still. Ilhan turned towards me and shouted "Fatima behind you."
I quickly turned and saw another Nemanus. But this one was a lot smaller, and faster. I ran towards it and we clashed swords. I decided to rid of the creature as fast as I could. I punched the creature then swung my sword towards its legs. The creature jumped and that was when I found the opportunity to make it lose its footing. I quickly pushed the creature and it fell to the ground. Then I stabbed it in the stomach. I turned around to see Ilhan fighting with another creature. The creature had its back turned to me, so I quickly ran towards it and stabbed it in the lower back. Ilhan looked at me and smiled. When then both turned defensively and looked around. The forest seemed very quite and we quickly untied our horse jumped onto them and rode as fast as possible trough the forest. We had lots of trouble due to the trees, which were every close to each other.
After what had seemed days but was really hours we got to the end of Fangorn forest. We were still in The Wold but we had to go through Fangorn so we could go past my father unseen, as the road to Mirkwood required us to go through the Fields of Celebrant. When we did get past it we were finally riding out of Rohan.
We arrived at The Great River Anduin and decided to rest for a while. We had a small meal and we filled our water bags. I put my hands into the water and brought some water up to my face. The water was cold and very refreshing. I then looked to Ilhan, who seemed to be deep in thought. I didn't want to interrupt his thoughts but I was wondering how we were to cross the river. I looked around but I didn't se any bridge or small boat.
"We have to ride up this river till we come to a bridge." He said as if reading my mind. I really didn't like when people did that. I didn't answer. I just quickly got up and angrily packed my bag, and jumped onto my horse. Ilhan looked at me confused but I just ignored him. I began riding in the direction Ilhan had motioned to. Ilhan got up after me and followed. Finally we did come to the bridge and I crossed it not waiting for Ilhan to catch up. He didn't seem to want to catch up. He them called out to me.
"Fatima you are a very unusual woman. I really don't understand you. Can you please tell me why you are so angry? Was it something I said?" he asked. He did look very confused but he also seemed amused too. I just ignored him and continued my path. I didn't even know if I was going the right way. But I was too stubborn to ask I just assumed he would tell me if I was going in the wrong direction. Ilhan finally caught up to me.
"I do apologise Lady Fatima if I did offend you in any way." He said in a mocking tone. I just ignored him again. Then I looked at him coldly and slowed my pace so he was ahead of me. I didn't know why I was acting the way I did. But something about him scared me and I just didn't know what. He seemed a little hurt and now angry. He started riding faster in fury. I tried to keep up with him. I motioned to my horse to ride faster and when I did finally catch up with Ilhan he had a silly smile on his face.
Ilhan stopped abruptly and I quickly stopped. I looked up in front of me and there was Mirkwood forest. All of a sudden my heart started beating faster. I knew that soon I would be meeting the elves of Mirkwood and I couldn't wait to see them, and to see Mimosa again. Ilhan jumped off his horse and led the horse towards Mirkwood. He didn't look at me. I jumped off my horse still staring into the trees and began to lead my horse after Ilhan.