Chapter 3 - A Voice in the Dark
With a flashlight in one hand and a crossbow in the other, Willow gingerly crept through the woods. She couldn't find the bracelet she had been wearing earlier in the day, and she thought it must have fallen off in the clearing, so she was out there looking for it... in the dark.
Who was she kidding? She didn't care about the bracelet. Sure, it was made of pretty quartz, but it wasn't anything special, just something she'd gotten on sale at the Magic Box. She was in the woods, heading to the place where she had nearly been attacked by a vampire earlier that night, armed with a flashlight and a crossbow for one purpose - to see him again. Well, to see if she could see him again, assuming he wasn't just a figment of her over-stressed imagination.
Willow hadn't been able to get the sexy, pointy-eared man out of her mind since she first saw him; his beautiful face haunted her every thought. He had to be real. Because if she were going crazy, then she didn't know what she was going to do. "I didn't imagine him. He's real," she repeated under her breath, scanning the dark, scary trees with her tiny little flashlight.
She was in the forest, risking death by vampire, just to find out if he were real. To see him again, if indeed he could still be seen. She had to know, one way or another...and if he wasn't a figment of her imagination, she had to talk to him. Somehow, she had a feeling that she was meant to be out there... that he needed her.
****
He was surrounded. Legolas kept firing arrow after arrow, yet the vampires still came. He had never seen such a great number of the fell beasts in one location at the same time. The evil he had sensed was not only from the land on which he stood; all throughout the forest vampires roamed in large numbers, united as if with a single purpose. These were no mere random demon attacks. A great evil was present, and its time was at hand.
He spared a quick glance at the quiver on his back. He was running low on arrows. His knives, still useful through these long years because of their superb elven craftsmanship, were not designed for decapitation. He was running out of options. Badly outnumbered, if he were forced into hand-to-hand combat with the vampires, he would fail. All he could do was his best, and hope it would be enough. He had always known that each day he fought evil could be his last. Perhaps it would not be long before he again saw his family in the Undying Lands.
****
As she traveled farther into the woods, Willow could make out faint sounds in the distance. It sounded like ... a battle? If something was fighting in the woods in the middle of the night, did she really want to know what it was? Vamps, demons ... any number of evil beasties could be hiding amongst the trees. She should get out while the going was good.
But she couldn't, because somehow she knew that he was out there, and he needed her help. "Once more into the breach," she muttered, continuing on in the dark.
****
Legolas let his last arrow fly, effortlessly switching to his knives as the vampires came closer. They were usually fairly solitary creatures, hunting alone or in small groups, but these joined together in a concentrated effort to dispel their common foe. Even after he had already killed dozens of their members, they still attacked.
He decapitated the nearest vampire in one smooth movement, kicking the next attacker out of his way. He swung out with his other hand, his knife slicing into the abdomen of the next foe, but despite the grievous wound, the vampire still attacked. "Anything else would be dead by now, but no, I had to be attacked by vampires..." he muttered, dodging the fist of a vampire twice his size.
"Give up, elf," the vampire growled. "You can't win this fight."
"I may not be able to win," Legolas declared. "But if I am going to die, I'm going to take you with me." The force needed to decapitate the large vampire was great it set the elf off balance, giving the others the opportunity to grab his other arm.
He was yanked back into the waiting clutches of the vampires. Their preternatural might was too great for even his enhanced elven strength. They had him trapped.
"Time to die." Legolas fought as the vampire pushed his head to one side, lowering his head, fangs poised to drink the elf's blood. Then, suddenly, the vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Legolas turned to look at his savior - it was her, the girl from the clearing. She was armed, and she was angry.
****
Willow hadn't really thought since she'd come upon the horde of vampires attacking the pointy-eared man, simply acted. If she'd thought, she might have come up with a better plan than firing her crossbow at them and drawing the attention of the nearly two dozen vampires in the clearing.
But when she'd seen him so close to death, she couldn't help herself.
Which left her up a very large creek without a paddle. The vampires were currently standing there, staring at her, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Would have been better to have a plan before going all cavalry-like...but still... Too bad she didn't know a vampire-killing spell...or how to make fireballs or anything useful...
Running. That could be a plan. If he could get away from the vamps, and they could somehow outrun them back to the cabin and be safe... who was she kidding. They were doomed.
****
She was brave as well as beautiful, Legolas thought. And right now, as doomed as he. Even if he could hold the evil ones back long enough for her to fire, she only had a few bolts remaining for her crossbow - not nearly enough to destroy all that were in the clearing. He was certain that even if they were able to kill many of their enemies, reinforcements would arrive.
Still, he had a limited amount of time before the vampires would attack the girl. Perhaps he could delay them long enough for her to escape. He had to act now, while they were distracted. Pulling one arm free, he shoved the vamps holding him away and reached down to pick up his fallen knife. He quickly beheaded the only vampire still in striking distance, then started running towards her. "Run!" he yelled, fearing he would not be able to save her as two vampires began to move toward the girl.
****
Willow's stared at the group in the clearing. Okay. Demons-a-plenty. Coming closer. So much for her rescuing ability. Didn't matter a whit if they both ended up dead in the end.
"Run!" She heard him yell as he broke away from the vampires and starting running towards her. Willow fired one last bolt at the nearest vampire and took off running.
She was amazed at how quickly he caught up with her. He was speedy, in addition to being sexy. He grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. Willow was unable to see her way in the dark, but the pointy-eared man was amazingly surefooted, even over the rough terrain. She gasped for breath, but didn't hesitate to follow him. They both knew that the vampires were mere seconds behind them, and if they stopped they were both doomed.
Suddenly he veered off to the side, and Willow realized he was going in the opposite direction of the cabin. "No!" She tugged on his hand. "Cabin." It was the only shelter for miles, and getting to a place that the vampires couldn't enter was their only chance at survival.
****
Legolas let the girl push him in the direction she desired to travel. If she truly had a cabin here, it could be a haven for them, protection from the vampires, who could not enter a human's dwelling uninvited. He felt hope surging within himself again. They may yet live until the dawn.
He heard the vampires' footfalls, loud as they ran through the leaves and twigs on the forest floor. They were gaining.
The first vampire caught up with them as they entered the clearing around the cabin. He exploded into dust as Willow pulled a stake from her pocket and found his heart. Legolas grabbed her crossbow, dispatching two nearby vamps with the last bolt.
He pulled out his knives and prepared to stand his ground. He could at least hold them off long enough for the girl to get into the cabin.
"Go!" He pushed her in the direction of the building, swinging into action as the vampires began to attack.
Unarmed, Willow knew that she would be no help to him. But in the cabin...
She raced for the door, slipping inside seconds before the vampire behind her slammed into the invisible barrier. She frantically looked through her bag. Now, where was it? "Aha!" she cried, pulling out glass bottles of holy water. If she could throw them hard enough to break on the vampires, she could hold them off long enough to save the pointy-eared man.
Legolas knew that his fate had been sealed. He would die. He took consolation in the girl's safety inside her cabin. They would not be able to kill her as well.
He heard a sound like glass shattering, and felt splatters of water. The vampires stepped back, smoking. Holy water.
"Come on!" He heard her yell as she let another bottle fly.
Racing with Elven speed, Legolas reached the cabin and slammed the door behind him. They were both inside and safe.
With a flashlight in one hand and a crossbow in the other, Willow gingerly crept through the woods. She couldn't find the bracelet she had been wearing earlier in the day, and she thought it must have fallen off in the clearing, so she was out there looking for it... in the dark.
Who was she kidding? She didn't care about the bracelet. Sure, it was made of pretty quartz, but it wasn't anything special, just something she'd gotten on sale at the Magic Box. She was in the woods, heading to the place where she had nearly been attacked by a vampire earlier that night, armed with a flashlight and a crossbow for one purpose - to see him again. Well, to see if she could see him again, assuming he wasn't just a figment of her over-stressed imagination.
Willow hadn't been able to get the sexy, pointy-eared man out of her mind since she first saw him; his beautiful face haunted her every thought. He had to be real. Because if she were going crazy, then she didn't know what she was going to do. "I didn't imagine him. He's real," she repeated under her breath, scanning the dark, scary trees with her tiny little flashlight.
She was in the forest, risking death by vampire, just to find out if he were real. To see him again, if indeed he could still be seen. She had to know, one way or another...and if he wasn't a figment of her imagination, she had to talk to him. Somehow, she had a feeling that she was meant to be out there... that he needed her.
****
He was surrounded. Legolas kept firing arrow after arrow, yet the vampires still came. He had never seen such a great number of the fell beasts in one location at the same time. The evil he had sensed was not only from the land on which he stood; all throughout the forest vampires roamed in large numbers, united as if with a single purpose. These were no mere random demon attacks. A great evil was present, and its time was at hand.
He spared a quick glance at the quiver on his back. He was running low on arrows. His knives, still useful through these long years because of their superb elven craftsmanship, were not designed for decapitation. He was running out of options. Badly outnumbered, if he were forced into hand-to-hand combat with the vampires, he would fail. All he could do was his best, and hope it would be enough. He had always known that each day he fought evil could be his last. Perhaps it would not be long before he again saw his family in the Undying Lands.
****
As she traveled farther into the woods, Willow could make out faint sounds in the distance. It sounded like ... a battle? If something was fighting in the woods in the middle of the night, did she really want to know what it was? Vamps, demons ... any number of evil beasties could be hiding amongst the trees. She should get out while the going was good.
But she couldn't, because somehow she knew that he was out there, and he needed her help. "Once more into the breach," she muttered, continuing on in the dark.
****
Legolas let his last arrow fly, effortlessly switching to his knives as the vampires came closer. They were usually fairly solitary creatures, hunting alone or in small groups, but these joined together in a concentrated effort to dispel their common foe. Even after he had already killed dozens of their members, they still attacked.
He decapitated the nearest vampire in one smooth movement, kicking the next attacker out of his way. He swung out with his other hand, his knife slicing into the abdomen of the next foe, but despite the grievous wound, the vampire still attacked. "Anything else would be dead by now, but no, I had to be attacked by vampires..." he muttered, dodging the fist of a vampire twice his size.
"Give up, elf," the vampire growled. "You can't win this fight."
"I may not be able to win," Legolas declared. "But if I am going to die, I'm going to take you with me." The force needed to decapitate the large vampire was great it set the elf off balance, giving the others the opportunity to grab his other arm.
He was yanked back into the waiting clutches of the vampires. Their preternatural might was too great for even his enhanced elven strength. They had him trapped.
"Time to die." Legolas fought as the vampire pushed his head to one side, lowering his head, fangs poised to drink the elf's blood. Then, suddenly, the vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Legolas turned to look at his savior - it was her, the girl from the clearing. She was armed, and she was angry.
****
Willow hadn't really thought since she'd come upon the horde of vampires attacking the pointy-eared man, simply acted. If she'd thought, she might have come up with a better plan than firing her crossbow at them and drawing the attention of the nearly two dozen vampires in the clearing.
But when she'd seen him so close to death, she couldn't help herself.
Which left her up a very large creek without a paddle. The vampires were currently standing there, staring at her, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Would have been better to have a plan before going all cavalry-like...but still... Too bad she didn't know a vampire-killing spell...or how to make fireballs or anything useful...
Running. That could be a plan. If he could get away from the vamps, and they could somehow outrun them back to the cabin and be safe... who was she kidding. They were doomed.
****
She was brave as well as beautiful, Legolas thought. And right now, as doomed as he. Even if he could hold the evil ones back long enough for her to fire, she only had a few bolts remaining for her crossbow - not nearly enough to destroy all that were in the clearing. He was certain that even if they were able to kill many of their enemies, reinforcements would arrive.
Still, he had a limited amount of time before the vampires would attack the girl. Perhaps he could delay them long enough for her to escape. He had to act now, while they were distracted. Pulling one arm free, he shoved the vamps holding him away and reached down to pick up his fallen knife. He quickly beheaded the only vampire still in striking distance, then started running towards her. "Run!" he yelled, fearing he would not be able to save her as two vampires began to move toward the girl.
****
Willow's stared at the group in the clearing. Okay. Demons-a-plenty. Coming closer. So much for her rescuing ability. Didn't matter a whit if they both ended up dead in the end.
"Run!" She heard him yell as he broke away from the vampires and starting running towards her. Willow fired one last bolt at the nearest vampire and took off running.
She was amazed at how quickly he caught up with her. He was speedy, in addition to being sexy. He grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. Willow was unable to see her way in the dark, but the pointy-eared man was amazingly surefooted, even over the rough terrain. She gasped for breath, but didn't hesitate to follow him. They both knew that the vampires were mere seconds behind them, and if they stopped they were both doomed.
Suddenly he veered off to the side, and Willow realized he was going in the opposite direction of the cabin. "No!" She tugged on his hand. "Cabin." It was the only shelter for miles, and getting to a place that the vampires couldn't enter was their only chance at survival.
****
Legolas let the girl push him in the direction she desired to travel. If she truly had a cabin here, it could be a haven for them, protection from the vampires, who could not enter a human's dwelling uninvited. He felt hope surging within himself again. They may yet live until the dawn.
He heard the vampires' footfalls, loud as they ran through the leaves and twigs on the forest floor. They were gaining.
The first vampire caught up with them as they entered the clearing around the cabin. He exploded into dust as Willow pulled a stake from her pocket and found his heart. Legolas grabbed her crossbow, dispatching two nearby vamps with the last bolt.
He pulled out his knives and prepared to stand his ground. He could at least hold them off long enough for the girl to get into the cabin.
"Go!" He pushed her in the direction of the building, swinging into action as the vampires began to attack.
Unarmed, Willow knew that she would be no help to him. But in the cabin...
She raced for the door, slipping inside seconds before the vampire behind her slammed into the invisible barrier. She frantically looked through her bag. Now, where was it? "Aha!" she cried, pulling out glass bottles of holy water. If she could throw them hard enough to break on the vampires, she could hold them off long enough to save the pointy-eared man.
Legolas knew that his fate had been sealed. He would die. He took consolation in the girl's safety inside her cabin. They would not be able to kill her as well.
He heard a sound like glass shattering, and felt splatters of water. The vampires stepped back, smoking. Holy water.
"Come on!" He heard her yell as she let another bottle fly.
Racing with Elven speed, Legolas reached the cabin and slammed the door behind him. They were both inside and safe.