Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, but Finals week is coming up so
I've been studying my butt off. Wish me luck; I'm only done with one.
Ughhh, 3 more to go. Sorry if this chapter will be a bit short, but I'll
get the next one up as soon as I can. Well, not much to say really except
thanks for your wonderful reviews. More than a hundred, Yay!
Fan fic fan: thanks for telling me about the whole the elves die if they fall in love and their love isn't returned thing. I knew this, but to tell you the truth I only learned about it recently. I'm really mad at myself cause I already put in some stuff about love in the story and anyway. I think I mentioned somewhere in some chapters a long time ago that Nithem at first thought that the reason Alinne had been all distant and moody and stuff was because she thought she had fallen in love but the guy left her. Yeah, alright so that doesn't work but let's just say that Nithem thought that Alinne was super strong and got over it, and oh I don't know you guys probably don't even remember that part so I'll just shut up now.
Alright, now for the story!
It had been 2 days now that they had been running all day, barely stopping to rest and sleeping with someone watching out at all times. They had stopped to take a rest and Alinne heavily fell onto the cold ground taking in as much rest as she could before they would have to keep running again. The first day they were escaping from orcs, they could feel the ground moving behind them, but now it seemed that the orcs were further and further behind.
"I do not think I can take much more of this. It is not really the running all day, it is more the part where there are orcs chasing after us day and night. How did you live with this Legolas for so many years? I would have never gone on the quest, I would rather stay in one place and defend my village."
"But does that not scare you more?" asked Legolas, looking at Noitamni who was looking quite out of breath despite having just said that the running doesn't bother him. "Is it not more terrifying to stand in one place, never being able to move and awaiting the orcs to come? It is like awaiting your own death and knowing that there is no way you will be able to get out. I like open spaces where you can always retreat if need be. Places like Helm's Deep, I would like to avoid. Never will I go there again."
"Well, that is true," argued Noitamni as he sat down on the ground near Alinne, "but still, open spaces mean you can be attacked from every angle, you can be surrounded, in a place like Helm's Deep, you are only attacked from one side."
"We have to leave soon Noitamni, perhaps you had better catch your breath instead of arguing with me. One thing the quest gave me was good endurance, boy am I happy for that now."
"Do you hear that?" It was the first time Alinne had spoken that day. She, while running, preferred to stay quiet and keep her breath steady. AS much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep all this up. It was slowly taking its toll on her. Last night during her watch hours she fell asleep. No one noticed, but when she woke up an hour later she began to worry about how much help she would be on this quest. They did find orcs, which was what they were looking for, but a large number of them. It's not exactly like they can just come up to them and say "Hey, our spies stole this letter from one of you after killing them, and we would just like to know what it said so we can be prepared to kill even more."
"No, what do you hear Alinne?" Legolas had been worried. They truly had been hearing a lot of weird things lately, like when they stop for a break. Secretly he was worried that they were still being followed by a couple of orcs. The large group that had been following them before, they lost them, but if they had sent some stronger ones after Legolas and them, they could be easily captured.
"No, it probably is nothing, I think that I am just tired." Alinne stood up and moved towards a tree. She leaned against it and looked up at the sky, staring into the innocent blue shades it cast.
"You are right Noitamni." Legolas said to Noitamni just as he was about to ask if they could just find a place to rest for the rest of the day. "We need to rest, otherwise we might not be able to do anything if there be a need to."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Evening
They had found a relatively hidden patch of open ground and had set down to sleep. This time Noitamni stayed near them and they had somehow figured out how to divide the sheets they had into three beds. Legolas took the first watch and Alinne and Noitamni quickly fell asleep.
"Alinne, I need some rest, would you mind taking the next watch?"
It seemed like only minutes since she had fallen asleep but she answered, while keeping her eyes still shut. "Yes of course, why did you not wake me up earlier?" I will be up in just a second."
"Alinne?" Legolas asked again, and she was once again painfully woken up. She kept her eyes closed still.
"Legolas, I said I will be up in just a second, would you be a little more patient please?"
"I have, but it has been at least an hour since you first said you would be up in a second."
"Oh, my, I'm sorry Legolas, I just never had such lack of sleep."
"Did you not have enough sleep before we began running non-stop?"
"Well no actually, I was busy wondering about that night and what was up in that tree."
Legolas noticed she still hadn't opened her eyes. He was beginning to worry, an elf should never have that much trouble getting up no matter how tired she is.
"Alinne, is something wrong?"
"No, why do you say that? Does something seem wrong?"
"Well, it is just you have yet to open your eyes once."
Painfully Alinne fluttered her eyes open. She looked into his face and her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton and without her own consent, they shut closed.
"I'm sorry Legolas, but I truly am very tired."
"I will ask Noitamni to finish the watch then, but this worries me, has this ever happened before? It is not likely for an elf, especially a strong one like you, to have so much trouble waking up."
"Yes, it is weird isn't it." she answered already half asleep.
"We will have to find out about it tomorrow."
"Yes, of course you can cook dinner tomorrow Legolas, you do not have to whine, it's not like I have a problem with it." She turned over onto her side so that her back was facing Legolas and quickly fell asleep.
Legolas could feel his own eyelids growing heavy but tried not to pay that much attention to them, he was after all a living creature, just like any, in need of sleep, and he had been up the longest, it made perfect sense for him to be tired right?
He walked up to Noitamni but had less luck waking him up than he had with Alinne. There was something wrong, there must have been. Why were they so tired?
#I will just finish the night then. Maybe I can get them to watch all night tomorrow so that I may get some sleep. Why are they so sleepy all of a sudden anyway? Honestly, we haven't been running THAT much. Or have we? Hmmm, well.oh Ebereth, I cannot remember a thing. Ahhh, are my eyes open.No they're not! # He realized as he suddenly sprang up to his feet.
But as hard as he tried, keeping his eyes open was a larger task then going into the Mines of Moria and escaping the Balrog. Or so it seemed to him at the time.
#What is wrong with me? # He felt his eyes close again. This time he just didn't have the strength, or truthfully the will, to keep them open. #What can happen in one night? We found a good space... everything will be... alright..it will be... just...perfect.....# His dreams took over at that point and he was in a deeper sleep that he had ever been in. (His eyes were closed even.)
Author's note: Yep, I know he sleeps with his eyes open, but he'll be wondering about that later. It's crucial to the plot that he falls asleep so deep that his eyes are closed and he doesn't even realize. Makes you wonder about why that is huh? (Hint hint)
Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but I'll try to get the next one up soon. See my little plot bunnies have been nibbling on a different story I've started writing, so I'm turning some of my attention to that. Don't worry though, I won't forget about this, and I hope to get the next chappy out soon. For now, please review and thanks to those of you who have.
Fan fic fan: thanks for telling me about the whole the elves die if they fall in love and their love isn't returned thing. I knew this, but to tell you the truth I only learned about it recently. I'm really mad at myself cause I already put in some stuff about love in the story and anyway. I think I mentioned somewhere in some chapters a long time ago that Nithem at first thought that the reason Alinne had been all distant and moody and stuff was because she thought she had fallen in love but the guy left her. Yeah, alright so that doesn't work but let's just say that Nithem thought that Alinne was super strong and got over it, and oh I don't know you guys probably don't even remember that part so I'll just shut up now.
Alright, now for the story!
It had been 2 days now that they had been running all day, barely stopping to rest and sleeping with someone watching out at all times. They had stopped to take a rest and Alinne heavily fell onto the cold ground taking in as much rest as she could before they would have to keep running again. The first day they were escaping from orcs, they could feel the ground moving behind them, but now it seemed that the orcs were further and further behind.
"I do not think I can take much more of this. It is not really the running all day, it is more the part where there are orcs chasing after us day and night. How did you live with this Legolas for so many years? I would have never gone on the quest, I would rather stay in one place and defend my village."
"But does that not scare you more?" asked Legolas, looking at Noitamni who was looking quite out of breath despite having just said that the running doesn't bother him. "Is it not more terrifying to stand in one place, never being able to move and awaiting the orcs to come? It is like awaiting your own death and knowing that there is no way you will be able to get out. I like open spaces where you can always retreat if need be. Places like Helm's Deep, I would like to avoid. Never will I go there again."
"Well, that is true," argued Noitamni as he sat down on the ground near Alinne, "but still, open spaces mean you can be attacked from every angle, you can be surrounded, in a place like Helm's Deep, you are only attacked from one side."
"We have to leave soon Noitamni, perhaps you had better catch your breath instead of arguing with me. One thing the quest gave me was good endurance, boy am I happy for that now."
"Do you hear that?" It was the first time Alinne had spoken that day. She, while running, preferred to stay quiet and keep her breath steady. AS much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep all this up. It was slowly taking its toll on her. Last night during her watch hours she fell asleep. No one noticed, but when she woke up an hour later she began to worry about how much help she would be on this quest. They did find orcs, which was what they were looking for, but a large number of them. It's not exactly like they can just come up to them and say "Hey, our spies stole this letter from one of you after killing them, and we would just like to know what it said so we can be prepared to kill even more."
"No, what do you hear Alinne?" Legolas had been worried. They truly had been hearing a lot of weird things lately, like when they stop for a break. Secretly he was worried that they were still being followed by a couple of orcs. The large group that had been following them before, they lost them, but if they had sent some stronger ones after Legolas and them, they could be easily captured.
"No, it probably is nothing, I think that I am just tired." Alinne stood up and moved towards a tree. She leaned against it and looked up at the sky, staring into the innocent blue shades it cast.
"You are right Noitamni." Legolas said to Noitamni just as he was about to ask if they could just find a place to rest for the rest of the day. "We need to rest, otherwise we might not be able to do anything if there be a need to."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Evening
They had found a relatively hidden patch of open ground and had set down to sleep. This time Noitamni stayed near them and they had somehow figured out how to divide the sheets they had into three beds. Legolas took the first watch and Alinne and Noitamni quickly fell asleep.
"Alinne, I need some rest, would you mind taking the next watch?"
It seemed like only minutes since she had fallen asleep but she answered, while keeping her eyes still shut. "Yes of course, why did you not wake me up earlier?" I will be up in just a second."
"Alinne?" Legolas asked again, and she was once again painfully woken up. She kept her eyes closed still.
"Legolas, I said I will be up in just a second, would you be a little more patient please?"
"I have, but it has been at least an hour since you first said you would be up in a second."
"Oh, my, I'm sorry Legolas, I just never had such lack of sleep."
"Did you not have enough sleep before we began running non-stop?"
"Well no actually, I was busy wondering about that night and what was up in that tree."
Legolas noticed she still hadn't opened her eyes. He was beginning to worry, an elf should never have that much trouble getting up no matter how tired she is.
"Alinne, is something wrong?"
"No, why do you say that? Does something seem wrong?"
"Well, it is just you have yet to open your eyes once."
Painfully Alinne fluttered her eyes open. She looked into his face and her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton and without her own consent, they shut closed.
"I'm sorry Legolas, but I truly am very tired."
"I will ask Noitamni to finish the watch then, but this worries me, has this ever happened before? It is not likely for an elf, especially a strong one like you, to have so much trouble waking up."
"Yes, it is weird isn't it." she answered already half asleep.
"We will have to find out about it tomorrow."
"Yes, of course you can cook dinner tomorrow Legolas, you do not have to whine, it's not like I have a problem with it." She turned over onto her side so that her back was facing Legolas and quickly fell asleep.
Legolas could feel his own eyelids growing heavy but tried not to pay that much attention to them, he was after all a living creature, just like any, in need of sleep, and he had been up the longest, it made perfect sense for him to be tired right?
He walked up to Noitamni but had less luck waking him up than he had with Alinne. There was something wrong, there must have been. Why were they so tired?
#I will just finish the night then. Maybe I can get them to watch all night tomorrow so that I may get some sleep. Why are they so sleepy all of a sudden anyway? Honestly, we haven't been running THAT much. Or have we? Hmmm, well.oh Ebereth, I cannot remember a thing. Ahhh, are my eyes open.No they're not! # He realized as he suddenly sprang up to his feet.
But as hard as he tried, keeping his eyes open was a larger task then going into the Mines of Moria and escaping the Balrog. Or so it seemed to him at the time.
#What is wrong with me? # He felt his eyes close again. This time he just didn't have the strength, or truthfully the will, to keep them open. #What can happen in one night? We found a good space... everything will be... alright..it will be... just...perfect.....# His dreams took over at that point and he was in a deeper sleep that he had ever been in. (His eyes were closed even.)
Author's note: Yep, I know he sleeps with his eyes open, but he'll be wondering about that later. It's crucial to the plot that he falls asleep so deep that his eyes are closed and he doesn't even realize. Makes you wonder about why that is huh? (Hint hint)
Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but I'll try to get the next one up soon. See my little plot bunnies have been nibbling on a different story I've started writing, so I'm turning some of my attention to that. Don't worry though, I won't forget about this, and I hope to get the next chappy out soon. For now, please review and thanks to those of you who have.
