Chapter 10-
As true as Silinde said we reached the base and the edge of the mountains by nightfall. We made camp, and the night was rather uneventful. Peacefully we all slept, Silinde and Erualarion each taking a watch during the night, while Gliren, Nunilwen and I slept. I did not sleep easily, but I slept. I was getting edgy as we became closer to Mirkwood. I was in no state to be seen. My clothes were ruined, torn at the bottoms and stained.
I wondered if Silinde's father, the great king of Mirkwood, would truly accept me. Something inside me told me that everything would be alright, but I could not help but wonder. As we awoke I stared onto the horizon, towards the direction on Mirkwood. I fought back tears of fear. Gliren looked at me, and concern was showing fully in her face. "It will be ok Oriavanim, I am sure of it." she said, patting my shoulder comfortingly.
"I am afraid Gliren, I am afraid." was all I could get out, my voice cracking. I could hold it back no longer, and tears began to stream down my cheeks, "Afraid."
Silinde looked over, and noticed me, a curled up weeping mess on the ground. Concern and worry washed over his face, "What is the matter Oriavanim?" he asked. He turned toward the direction as he noticed I was staring towards Mirkwood, his face turned to sympathy. "You are still worried about my father and his acceptance of you? Do not fear, for my father is most understanding, he will never turn you away." he said reassuringly.
"Thank you," I said weakly, "I truly needed to hear it." I finished as I stood up and mounted my horse.
"If we start now we may reach the forest before nightfall." Silinde said, his penetrating vision scouring the horizon.
"The sooner I can change into fresh clothes, the better." I said, a smirk on my face.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
We did reach the edge of the forest before nightfall, and Erualarion and Silinde took a brief council. "Should we risk traveling the forest through night?" Erualarion asked.
"Absolutely." Silinde said, his eyes twinkling as if he wanted something to happen, as if his skin itched to be back home.
The decision had been made, "Were going to travel by nightfall, just stay close and everything will be alright." Silinde said.
The way he spoke those words made my skin crawl, I knew then that the journey would be rather dangerous, and I hoped that we would come to no harm. We rode into the forest without a word, the blackness eating at my nerves tingling up my spine. I wondered if we'd be able to make it through the night, Erualarion took me in his arms and gently rubbed his face against mine. His touch was quite soothing.
Staring towards the trees and the infernal darkness that stood before us, a chill climbed onto the back of my horse, and he comfortingly wrapped his arms around me. "Do not be afraid, my lady. As long as we all stay close nothing harmful will come to us. The power of Silinde's people will keep u from harm's way." He said, calming my nerves. I relaxed and let myself sink into his grip.
My heart pounded as we rode into the darkness, and it claimed us all. Nunilwen seemed fearless, and Gliren seemed calm, snuggles tight in Silinde's arms. I wished at that moment that I could be in a hot bath and not riding through the wretched darkness or the infernal heat. Sweat night trickled down my forehead and back, while all the time I thought of the heat back home. The heat of Tol Eressëa had been outmatched. I could see nothing, not even my own hands in front of my face. My heart began to pound and I shivered in fear until I felt Erualarion's gentle hands pull the stray hair out of my face that always seemed to get in my way.
I closed my eyes and listened to my surroundings, and besides hearing our horse feet clash with the ground, I heard something creeping through the forest, and I noticed that Silinde drew his sword. Erualarion drew his clean of its sheath too and protectively grasped me. Nunilwen rode up between out horses, for she now would have no weapon until we reached the great palace of King Thranduil. I reached back and my dirk slid clean out of my small pack as I grasped its handle. It gave off an odd violet glow that I had never seen my dearest weapon possess. But either way my defenses were up and my blood coursed through my veins.
Glancing sideways, momentarily I thought I had seen the largest pair of eyes I'd ever seen, thoughts raced through my mind as I looked at my gleaming blade again, "Ungoliant!" I hissed. I knew that these were the spawn of the hell-beast spider.
Silinde's eyes darted at me, "Stay close and mind your weapons." he said, braveness coiled in his voice.
Thinking as quickly as possible, I handed Nunilwen my blade, my dearest dirk, as I gripped my star-blades. The eyes came close once more and I reached out, and sliced the nearest live thing. It let out a horrible shriek and backed away as its newly blinded face could carry it.
"We go full speed!" Silinide said, "There are too many of them to fend off!" and his horse began to race excruciatingly fast towards the palace, Nunilwen followed.
"Hold on my love." was all Erualarion said as he gripped the reigns on the horse. He whispered a strange form of elvish to the horse and it bounded off, we were in a race for our lives through Mirkwood.
It was not long before we were far away from the spiders, but we did not slow our speed. Silinde seemed fearless, he was home. Erualarion's eyes too held a gleam for Mirkwood, and it gave some comfort. By the time we reached the palace, exhaustion had nigh overcome me, and I felt as if I would collapse. Erualarion clearly noticed, and he clung to me, holding me securely in place. The it had come, we had reached the gates of the great King Thranduil of Mirkwood.
As true as Silinde said we reached the base and the edge of the mountains by nightfall. We made camp, and the night was rather uneventful. Peacefully we all slept, Silinde and Erualarion each taking a watch during the night, while Gliren, Nunilwen and I slept. I did not sleep easily, but I slept. I was getting edgy as we became closer to Mirkwood. I was in no state to be seen. My clothes were ruined, torn at the bottoms and stained.
I wondered if Silinde's father, the great king of Mirkwood, would truly accept me. Something inside me told me that everything would be alright, but I could not help but wonder. As we awoke I stared onto the horizon, towards the direction on Mirkwood. I fought back tears of fear. Gliren looked at me, and concern was showing fully in her face. "It will be ok Oriavanim, I am sure of it." she said, patting my shoulder comfortingly.
"I am afraid Gliren, I am afraid." was all I could get out, my voice cracking. I could hold it back no longer, and tears began to stream down my cheeks, "Afraid."
Silinde looked over, and noticed me, a curled up weeping mess on the ground. Concern and worry washed over his face, "What is the matter Oriavanim?" he asked. He turned toward the direction as he noticed I was staring towards Mirkwood, his face turned to sympathy. "You are still worried about my father and his acceptance of you? Do not fear, for my father is most understanding, he will never turn you away." he said reassuringly.
"Thank you," I said weakly, "I truly needed to hear it." I finished as I stood up and mounted my horse.
"If we start now we may reach the forest before nightfall." Silinde said, his penetrating vision scouring the horizon.
"The sooner I can change into fresh clothes, the better." I said, a smirk on my face.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
We did reach the edge of the forest before nightfall, and Erualarion and Silinde took a brief council. "Should we risk traveling the forest through night?" Erualarion asked.
"Absolutely." Silinde said, his eyes twinkling as if he wanted something to happen, as if his skin itched to be back home.
The decision had been made, "Were going to travel by nightfall, just stay close and everything will be alright." Silinde said.
The way he spoke those words made my skin crawl, I knew then that the journey would be rather dangerous, and I hoped that we would come to no harm. We rode into the forest without a word, the blackness eating at my nerves tingling up my spine. I wondered if we'd be able to make it through the night, Erualarion took me in his arms and gently rubbed his face against mine. His touch was quite soothing.
Staring towards the trees and the infernal darkness that stood before us, a chill climbed onto the back of my horse, and he comfortingly wrapped his arms around me. "Do not be afraid, my lady. As long as we all stay close nothing harmful will come to us. The power of Silinde's people will keep u from harm's way." He said, calming my nerves. I relaxed and let myself sink into his grip.
My heart pounded as we rode into the darkness, and it claimed us all. Nunilwen seemed fearless, and Gliren seemed calm, snuggles tight in Silinde's arms. I wished at that moment that I could be in a hot bath and not riding through the wretched darkness or the infernal heat. Sweat night trickled down my forehead and back, while all the time I thought of the heat back home. The heat of Tol Eressëa had been outmatched. I could see nothing, not even my own hands in front of my face. My heart began to pound and I shivered in fear until I felt Erualarion's gentle hands pull the stray hair out of my face that always seemed to get in my way.
I closed my eyes and listened to my surroundings, and besides hearing our horse feet clash with the ground, I heard something creeping through the forest, and I noticed that Silinde drew his sword. Erualarion drew his clean of its sheath too and protectively grasped me. Nunilwen rode up between out horses, for she now would have no weapon until we reached the great palace of King Thranduil. I reached back and my dirk slid clean out of my small pack as I grasped its handle. It gave off an odd violet glow that I had never seen my dearest weapon possess. But either way my defenses were up and my blood coursed through my veins.
Glancing sideways, momentarily I thought I had seen the largest pair of eyes I'd ever seen, thoughts raced through my mind as I looked at my gleaming blade again, "Ungoliant!" I hissed. I knew that these were the spawn of the hell-beast spider.
Silinde's eyes darted at me, "Stay close and mind your weapons." he said, braveness coiled in his voice.
Thinking as quickly as possible, I handed Nunilwen my blade, my dearest dirk, as I gripped my star-blades. The eyes came close once more and I reached out, and sliced the nearest live thing. It let out a horrible shriek and backed away as its newly blinded face could carry it.
"We go full speed!" Silinide said, "There are too many of them to fend off!" and his horse began to race excruciatingly fast towards the palace, Nunilwen followed.
"Hold on my love." was all Erualarion said as he gripped the reigns on the horse. He whispered a strange form of elvish to the horse and it bounded off, we were in a race for our lives through Mirkwood.
It was not long before we were far away from the spiders, but we did not slow our speed. Silinde seemed fearless, he was home. Erualarion's eyes too held a gleam for Mirkwood, and it gave some comfort. By the time we reached the palace, exhaustion had nigh overcome me, and I felt as if I would collapse. Erualarion clearly noticed, and he clung to me, holding me securely in place. The it had come, we had reached the gates of the great King Thranduil of Mirkwood.
