A/N – On with the story!

Chap 20

            Venitia's troop took three days to make it to the mountains.  They found a group of twenty men already there.  They all bowed to the princess as she rode in.

            Most of the men had their helmets on, and saluted the general.  He made a gesture with his hand and all the men gathered.

            "We are very proud and honored to have her royal highness Princess Venitia join us," the general said.  Many men bowed again. "Please treat her with the respect she deserves."

            The men murmured an agreement and the general made another gesture and they dispersed.  

            "Princess, if you would like to join the watch on the boulder over there.  The leader is Colonel Bayard, he is the man with reddish-brown hair standing to the right. I will make sure your belongings are procured safely."

            She nodded and walked toward the man named Bayard.

            "Your highness, my name is Colonel Bayard, and I am in control of this group.  We watch for activity right there in that valley," he pointed down the steep cliff. "We have been seeing some strange things, so keep your eyes peeled."  He was a tall, older man and had an air of command around him.

            Venitia perched herself on the boulder.  They were on top of a steep cliff that went straight down to a river below.  Trees lined the rocky cliff and down below in the valley, and the White Mountains rose high all around them.

            The air was cooler up here, and she drew her cloak around her.  She stayed next to Bayard and they made polite conversation.  She got him to stop calling her 'your highness' and they could talk easily.

            "Colonel, I found those…" a man was seen climbing the boulder.  At the sight of the princess though, he quick hid his face with a scarf.  He continued climbing, avoiding Venitia's eyes.  She shrugged and looked out at the beautiful scenery. 

            The man gave something to the colonel, who seemed very pleased with it.  The man then leapt off the boulder and hurried toward the other men.

            "Look here, Venitia.  This is a weapon we think must have been used in the valley.  Can you see anything that would distinguish it?" the colonel asked.

            Venitia took the strange-looking weapon and held it in her hands.  It was heavy, and made of a very thick metal.  It looked like a sword that was split in two, with two blades going away from each other.  She examined the gilt and saw a strange sort of language on it.  It looked to be some kind of dwarfish.

            "There seems to be some sort of…dwarfish on it," she said, pointing at the gilt.  The colonel picked it up.

            "You know, I think you are right.  You will be very useful around here, I can tell." He smiled at her and went to show the general.  She stayed on the boulder.  She looked over and saw the same man who had avoided her earlier, except now he was wearing a helmet. He looked up suddenly and she returned her gaze to the valley.

            Night fell, and she slept a little ways away from the other soldiers, due to an order given by her mother.  She rolled her eyes thinking on this, and lay on her back, gazing at the stars.  The sky was very clear up here near the mountains. She sighed.  At least she would be of some use; she chuckled out loud when she thought of how, as a child, she had thought that her knowledge of language wouldn't do anyone any use at all. 

            Speaking of which…that weapon had been strange.  She had never seen anything like it. The language had been dwarfish, but dwarves almost always carried axes… definitely not anything like that weapon.  She continued thinking of this until she fell asleep.

            The next day, she woke to find the colonel standing over her.

            "Pardon, Venitia, but a scout saw activity during the night," he said as she sat up. "We will break into small groups and stand along the edges of the cliff."

            She nodded to show she understood, and he strode off.  She changed in privacy and swept her long, long hair up and out of her face.

            "Venitia! There you are.  I was just telling the men the same thing I told you. Now, Kipling and Barrie, you go over there…" and the colonel started to hand out commands.  By the end, only Venitia and the man she had seen yesterday were left.

            "Captain, princess, will you cross that bridge and view the valley from the other side? You may see something we miss," the colonel said.  The captain, who was still wearing his helmet, nodded, as did Venitia.  She followed him to a slender, wooden bridge that reached a mile across to the other side.

            Venitia must have opened her eyes in fear, for the nameless captain said, "I will go behind you."  She nodded and crept onto the bridge.

            Holding on to the rope railings and keeping her eyes shut, she walked very slowly to the other side.  She must have looked like an idiot to the captain, but the thought was driven from her mind by a slight sway in the bridge.

            "Sorry," he mumbled, and she continued.  It seemed to take an age until she felt solid earth under her feet.

            "Whew," she said. "I hope I never have to do that again," she said, too late realizing the stupidity of her statement.  She swore she heard a chuckle come from under the helmet, but when she looked, his face (what she could see of it) was very serious.  They walked to a boulder where they could clearly see the valley.  The view was almost the same; the valley still looked as dark and shadowy as it had before.

            "Are we staying here all day?" she asked cautiously.  He only nodded.  She fell silent again, and sat squinting in the sun.

            "I am sorry, your highness," he said suddenly. She jumped, for she had expected him not to say anything all day.

            "For what?" she asked.

            "For…being so shy, I suppose. I am sorry I ran from you yesterday…I was not expecting you."

            She smiled. "That's alright." She paused. "What's your name?" she asked carefully.

            "My name?" he repeated, sounding alarmed.

            She nodded. "Yes, your name."

            "Oh, the…the name is…Do…" he paused for a second. "Dorian, your highness," he finished with a nod.

            "Well, my name is Venitia, Dorian, not 'your highness.'"

            He blushed and mumbled an apology.  She laughed lightly and turned her attention back to the valley. 

            They stayed there all day, only interrupted when some soldiers came to give them food.

            Around dusk, Bayard signaled to them.  Venitia was confused, but Dorian interpreted it as their going back over.  With a heavy heart Venitia walked back over to the bridge.  She stood in front of it, biding her time.

            "We could down into the valley and then back up if you wish," Dorian said jokingly.  She laughed at herself, and stepped onto the bridge.  She still didn't open her eyes, but she noticed that she made it across faster than the first time.

            As she fell asleep, Legolas' voice sounded in her head, something he had said to her many, many years ago.

            "Venitia, the moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.  If you ever feel lonely, talk to the moon; he'll listen."

            She stared at the moon, a tiny sliver of a crescent moon among many clear, bright stars.  She smiled at the memory, and fell asleep talking to the moon.

*A/N – Okay, so that's the beginning of that.  I know what I'm going to do with Dorian, but you'll just have to wait and see. It's a surprise.  Also, a quick note – 'the moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to' was actually said by Carl Sandburg.