The horse of the Black Rider snorted uneasily as the party walked quietly
through the lands of Gondor. Brianna gazed around herself in wonder at the
forests and farmland that they passed through. At the moment they were
passing through a dark forest that seemed to whisper as the breeze ran
through the leaves of the trees. Suddenly, behind them sounded a hunting
horn. The Orcs' heads rose as they looked around and snuffed at the air.
The Ring Wraith screamed and whipped his horse forward as the voices of Men
and the thunder of hooves grew louder. Brianna scarce breathed, then drew a
deep breath and screamed as loudly as she could.
"Help! Help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the Orcs deployed around the Black Rider ready for attack and the horse gathered itself for a gallop. The Orcs growled, scenting on the air the smell of an Elf mingling with the scent of Men. Behind them the tattoo of hooves upon the earth grew stronger as the Men swung around the corner of the track. One of the Orcs gurgled horribly and fell with an arrow in its throat. More arrows flew swift and sure, and the horn was blown ever louder, its echoes ringing through the trees. Then one of the riders was grappling with the Ring Wraith, which struggled to hold onto Brianna as she tried to fight her way free. The Ring Wraith screamed in frustration as Brianna slipped to the ground and tried to recover her. Bent almost double, she ran off the path around the fighting Men and Orcs. She slipped into a thicket to hide and watched her rescuer fighting the Ring Wraith. He was very handsome, with a lean figure and chestnut brown hair and a skillful fighter. His sword gleamed most strangely in the half-light of the woods. The Black Rider screamed again and it and the Orcs ran towards the borders of Mordor.
"I wouldn't worry if I was you. Aragorn's seen them off and they won't be back for a while." She bit back a scream as a lithe figure slipped into her hideaway under the enclosing branches. An Elf! She scrambled out from beneath the thicket. "You couldn't hide anyway, with that red hair. It stands out a mile away in the green."
"Good thing I'm not full Elf then, if that's your opinion."
"Full Elf? How much Elf is there then?" He asked disdainfully.
"A quarter. My mother's father was full Elfish. He was an Elf of Rivendell, traveling through the countryside near Bree."
"Well, your eyes are true Elfish green anyway. Bree? That's a way away from the Greywood. What's your name?"
"Brianna. And what's yours?" She drew herself up.
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood Elves."
"Couldn't tell from your manners." She drew her eyebrows together stormily. The Men behind them had finished checking each other and they were glad that none had been severely injured. The Man with the strange sword stepped forward.
"Milady, I am Aragorn, King of Gondor. May I ask your name?" He spoke quietly, with a voice that sounded gruff and smooth at the same time. Brianna blushed.
"I'm not a lady. I'm Brianna, I'm from a village near the town of Bree." Her voice unexpectedly choked up on her. She sniffed tears back, at the unexpected kindness she saw in Aragorn's eyes. "I've been riding with the Ring Wraith for, a month I think. I was having my 16th birthday party, and they just came, and they killed my b-b-brother, and my, my betrothed and I don't even know where I am!" The last came out in a wail as hot tears filled her eyes.
"By the Lady, I think that we should go back to the city and I think you need to meet Arwen, my betrothed." Aragorn encircled her with his arms as she continued to weep. Legolas rolled his eyes at the waterworks. Aragorn looked up and with an evil grin said "Legolas, your horse looks stronger and less laden then the others. Brianna can ride pillion with you."
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelped.
"What?" Aragorn gazed hard into Legolas' eyes.
"Nothing." The Prince of Mirkwood mumbled.
Brianna wiped her eyes and stood away from Aragorn. Even if Legolas WAS the most handsome male she had ever seen, he was still a brat. And yet, he called to something deep inside her. Legolas was in a snit about riding with Brianna, yet she was not unattractive. That glorious mane of red hair from her Man ancestors and the milky white skin and leaf green eyes of the Elves went well together. He grinned wolfishly; maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Luckily Brianna had her back turned, but some of the Men recognized that look in Legolas' eyes, that of a hunter who's just seen the prey and they murmured to themselves with disapproval.
Aragorn led Brianna to Legolas' horse. It snorted softly, as it caught her strange scent. Brianna eyed the horse with trepidation.
"The first horse I ever rode, was the Ring Wraith's." She wavered on her feet. "When did you last eat or drink?" Aragorn looked at her with concern as she swayed. "This morning I had a little water and, and some Orcish bread. It wasn't very good. I haven't had anything nice to eat for ages, not since I was taken from the village." She said in a weak voice. Then abruptly, she crumpled to the ground.
"Eru! Legolas give me your canteen and some lemblas for goodness' sake. She must be half-starved. Good thing she has some Elven blood in her, an ordinary girl may have died by now. As it is, I fear that the Orcish bread has sickened her Elven nature." Aragorn said worriedly.
"Stop fussing, Aragorn." Commentated Legolas as he rummaged in his packs and detached his water skin from the saddle. "I admit she is a pretty thing, but Arwen may get jealous." He finished snidely.
"Be quiet Legolas, and stop being an idiot." Legolas shrugged and gave the lemblas and water skin to Aragorn. Aragorn trickled water into her slack mouth as he lifted her head. She gulped at the water and imbibed it thankfully. It tasted sweet and was very refreshing. She shook her head to try and clear it and sat up.
"Here, try some of this." Said Aragorn offering her the lemblas. She sniffed at it suspiciously. "What is it?" She asked distrustfully.
"Lemblas. An Elven food. It's good." She took some from him and tried it. Her eyes opened wide in surprise, as she tasted it.
"It is good! Can I have some more? It tastes even better then my mum's pies." Her face clouded over. "I hope she's all right."
"When we arrive at the city, you can tell us all about it. Come, let us ride." He gestured for Brianna to place her foot in his hand and boosted her onto the horse's back. Legolas jumped up after her. The Men mounted their steeds and then they began to ride.
"Help! Help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the Orcs deployed around the Black Rider ready for attack and the horse gathered itself for a gallop. The Orcs growled, scenting on the air the smell of an Elf mingling with the scent of Men. Behind them the tattoo of hooves upon the earth grew stronger as the Men swung around the corner of the track. One of the Orcs gurgled horribly and fell with an arrow in its throat. More arrows flew swift and sure, and the horn was blown ever louder, its echoes ringing through the trees. Then one of the riders was grappling with the Ring Wraith, which struggled to hold onto Brianna as she tried to fight her way free. The Ring Wraith screamed in frustration as Brianna slipped to the ground and tried to recover her. Bent almost double, she ran off the path around the fighting Men and Orcs. She slipped into a thicket to hide and watched her rescuer fighting the Ring Wraith. He was very handsome, with a lean figure and chestnut brown hair and a skillful fighter. His sword gleamed most strangely in the half-light of the woods. The Black Rider screamed again and it and the Orcs ran towards the borders of Mordor.
"I wouldn't worry if I was you. Aragorn's seen them off and they won't be back for a while." She bit back a scream as a lithe figure slipped into her hideaway under the enclosing branches. An Elf! She scrambled out from beneath the thicket. "You couldn't hide anyway, with that red hair. It stands out a mile away in the green."
"Good thing I'm not full Elf then, if that's your opinion."
"Full Elf? How much Elf is there then?" He asked disdainfully.
"A quarter. My mother's father was full Elfish. He was an Elf of Rivendell, traveling through the countryside near Bree."
"Well, your eyes are true Elfish green anyway. Bree? That's a way away from the Greywood. What's your name?"
"Brianna. And what's yours?" She drew herself up.
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood Elves."
"Couldn't tell from your manners." She drew her eyebrows together stormily. The Men behind them had finished checking each other and they were glad that none had been severely injured. The Man with the strange sword stepped forward.
"Milady, I am Aragorn, King of Gondor. May I ask your name?" He spoke quietly, with a voice that sounded gruff and smooth at the same time. Brianna blushed.
"I'm not a lady. I'm Brianna, I'm from a village near the town of Bree." Her voice unexpectedly choked up on her. She sniffed tears back, at the unexpected kindness she saw in Aragorn's eyes. "I've been riding with the Ring Wraith for, a month I think. I was having my 16th birthday party, and they just came, and they killed my b-b-brother, and my, my betrothed and I don't even know where I am!" The last came out in a wail as hot tears filled her eyes.
"By the Lady, I think that we should go back to the city and I think you need to meet Arwen, my betrothed." Aragorn encircled her with his arms as she continued to weep. Legolas rolled his eyes at the waterworks. Aragorn looked up and with an evil grin said "Legolas, your horse looks stronger and less laden then the others. Brianna can ride pillion with you."
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelped.
"What?" Aragorn gazed hard into Legolas' eyes.
"Nothing." The Prince of Mirkwood mumbled.
Brianna wiped her eyes and stood away from Aragorn. Even if Legolas WAS the most handsome male she had ever seen, he was still a brat. And yet, he called to something deep inside her. Legolas was in a snit about riding with Brianna, yet she was not unattractive. That glorious mane of red hair from her Man ancestors and the milky white skin and leaf green eyes of the Elves went well together. He grinned wolfishly; maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Luckily Brianna had her back turned, but some of the Men recognized that look in Legolas' eyes, that of a hunter who's just seen the prey and they murmured to themselves with disapproval.
Aragorn led Brianna to Legolas' horse. It snorted softly, as it caught her strange scent. Brianna eyed the horse with trepidation.
"The first horse I ever rode, was the Ring Wraith's." She wavered on her feet. "When did you last eat or drink?" Aragorn looked at her with concern as she swayed. "This morning I had a little water and, and some Orcish bread. It wasn't very good. I haven't had anything nice to eat for ages, not since I was taken from the village." She said in a weak voice. Then abruptly, she crumpled to the ground.
"Eru! Legolas give me your canteen and some lemblas for goodness' sake. She must be half-starved. Good thing she has some Elven blood in her, an ordinary girl may have died by now. As it is, I fear that the Orcish bread has sickened her Elven nature." Aragorn said worriedly.
"Stop fussing, Aragorn." Commentated Legolas as he rummaged in his packs and detached his water skin from the saddle. "I admit she is a pretty thing, but Arwen may get jealous." He finished snidely.
"Be quiet Legolas, and stop being an idiot." Legolas shrugged and gave the lemblas and water skin to Aragorn. Aragorn trickled water into her slack mouth as he lifted her head. She gulped at the water and imbibed it thankfully. It tasted sweet and was very refreshing. She shook her head to try and clear it and sat up.
"Here, try some of this." Said Aragorn offering her the lemblas. She sniffed at it suspiciously. "What is it?" She asked distrustfully.
"Lemblas. An Elven food. It's good." She took some from him and tried it. Her eyes opened wide in surprise, as she tasted it.
"It is good! Can I have some more? It tastes even better then my mum's pies." Her face clouded over. "I hope she's all right."
"When we arrive at the city, you can tell us all about it. Come, let us ride." He gestured for Brianna to place her foot in his hand and boosted her onto the horse's back. Legolas jumped up after her. The Men mounted their steeds and then they began to ride.
