CH 9

WOOOOKIEEEEE!!!!!!!! I'm back baby! Austin powers rox my sox! * thunder and lightning followed by pathetic screams of sweaty hot gondorian men *

I had finals. So now, I'm done, and I'm back. Ooookie!

Here we go!

Legolas and Niromiel were still sitting up the tree. They watched two men leave on horse back. "That could mean one of two things," Niromiel said, "either my suitor or whoever that was is coming back, or my father turned him away. Which is not even remotely likely."

"Don't be too quick to judge mellonamin, perhaps you father has a heart after all,," Legolas replied.

"That would be a shocker. Come on, let's get down from this tree." The two started to climb down, when, as soon as their feet reached the ground, they were nearly run over by a cloaked rider on a brown horse. He was going so fast, it was as if he was part of the wind.

"Looks as if he bears urgent new for Lord Elrond," Legolas deduced,

"You wanna go see?" Niromiel replied, hinting they should go eavesdropping.

"Yes.I mean.don't you think we are a little too old for this?"

"Never. What nonsense you speak. Perhaps you HAVE changed since you've left." They walked up to the castle, rather slowly, actually. They got to Lord Elrond's office, but as soon as they reached it, the door burst open and nearly hit the two of them. They dodged it just in time.

"That was close," they said in unison. Niromiel saw Atticus coming out of the office distressed.

"What is going on?" Niromiel asked. "AI.oh..it's."Atticus was clearly distressed. Niromiel put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, father.breathe.it's alright.what's wrong, ada?" She spoke calmly. Now Atticus was worse. His daughter called him father so lovingly, when he had been so aloof, such a stranger to her. He was so glad he had done the right thing for her earlier.

"It..is.." he began." It is war." "WHAT?! OH, sorry, I don't suppose I'm helping. What do you mean 'war?' "

"Yeldeamin, I mean war. Well, not necessarily," Atticus answered, "there is a battle outside of Rivendell. Goblins. They have been rampaging the area. I do not know why, but Rivendell needs as many able bodied fighters as possible. I must go." Atticus planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead. HE left.

"OH Valar help me," Niromiel muttered. Had her father just shown a sign of affection for his child? And he seemed to be going out there, Niromiel just knew it. "This is suicide for him, I know it is," she said. Legolas pulled her into a hug, which was very comforting, actually.

"Don't worry, mellon, nothing will happen to your father. I promise."

"Thanks, Lego. Wow, I'm such a mess. Why am I crying? I'm pathetic aren't I?"

"Shh. Don't worry. You've got your best friend here with you."

This made Niro able to smile.

Much battling.

IT was a long five days before anyone returned. Niromiel's mother practically had to chian her up to keep her inside. Finally, Niromiel somehow got out of the castle after three days since Legolas, Elrond, Atticus, and other elves had left. She took Azor and her horse and rode to where she thought the battle had taken place. She got there, and though she didn't know it, she had just missed narrowly, the returning fighters.

She looked about, seeing bodies everywhere. She just HAD to make sure her father's was not among them, in the piles of dreck and corpses.

For a minute, she thought she saw a familiar figure. She got of her horse, and looked at Azor. HE looked back at her, his doggish eyes growing big and sad, like when a deer cries before its death (deer seriously cry). Niromiel sensed something was not right.

"What is it, Azor?" she cried. Azor began to sniff the ground and walked off. Niromiel followed, to see what he would lead her to. Azor stopped and so did she.

"Oh Valar," she gasped. Among all the non-descript bodies, was .her own father's. She walked over to it. Atticus had an arrow piercing his heart. Yet, despite the fact he had died a gruesome and noble death, he looked peaceful. Niromiel slowly brought her will to remove the arrow. She took it as a token, hoping to one day avenge the death of a man she loved, her father, who had never been there for her, but had tried.

Suddenly, Azor started barking madly. "SHUT UP, YOU STUPID DOG, I AM MOURNING THE LOSS OF MY FAHTER!!!!" Azor would not stop barking. It was not until Niromiel saw and heard figures moving that she dared to move. Three men, one fat with hair and beard red as flame, with quite a paunch, one with long brown hair and short goatie, skinny, and the third, very fair almost elven, but to be elven he would have had to have pointy ears and be at least remotely good-looking. 'Looters," Niro knew immediately. 'of course, they've heard of the battle and wait to loot the bodies.' "My, what luck we have today friends, a pile of bodies, by the looks of it, people of some means, and a lovely young maiden." The red haired one said. (We'll just call him firehead.) He looked greddily at the body of Atticus.

"That's my father. Don't even think about it, you bastard," Niromiel replied sharply.

"Oh, how frightened we are, aren't we friends?" Firehead said, to which the other two filth bags sniggered and nodded.

"What would you do for us if we didn't loot your 'father's' body?" the skinny one asked.

"Be our slave," added the ugly one, who was rather stupid. The others were going to give him a look, but then they caught on. Niromiel was now more annoyed than afraid.

She gave Azor a look and he started to head home.