Sorry about not updating yesterday guys! My computer is being very strange
and shuts down automatically sometimes! Don't worry, TWO chapters will be
coming today!
Chapter 6
Flames
The next few days went quietly. Groups of elves would leave the fort to scout around the mass of trees. They always came back to report nothing out of the ordinary. Legolas spent another day out in the woods then began to remain indoors; high up in the bed chambers. Estel had a couple forced conversations with him that no longer had the interest as before.
'Estel, are you ready?' asked Anlamras one morning.
'Ready for what?'
'Wargs were sighted last night prowling around the fort. We are expecting them to attack today or tomorrow. It's best to be on alert.' Estel nodded.
'May I go sharpen my sword?' he asked.
'Yes, in the armory to the right of the entrance there is a grate.' Estel thanked him and started towards the armory.
Elves were bustling all about that morning. They darted in and out of the armory with bows and swords. The wide entrance was closed off and it looked like it was never even there. The whole place was now lit by glowing phials with silvery lights in them. Estel knew it was starlight taken magically from the night skies.
Estel stepped through the curtain into the armory. It was a long hall with shelves and hooks on the wooden walls. He wasn't surprised to see no axes since the fort was located inside a tree. There were swords, spears, bows and quivers full with arrows. There were daggers, throwing knives and long curved blades. Estel's eyes were distracted by a figure standing in the center of the hall, examining a bow.
'Are you going to fight with that?' Estel asked.
'Yes.' Estel nodded and turned towards the blade grate in the corner. He paused and turned towards Legolas.
'Tell me.' he said. It was not a question, but a command. 'I want to know.' Legolas sighed. 'Please.' the elf prince turned towards him and approached him.
'You can't understand.' he said. 'I know you think you can, but you can't.'
'Of course I can't understand! I don't know what's going on!' Legolas looked away and stared out of the armory. 'Please Legolas! What have you got to loose?' Legolas stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at the human.
'Nothing.' he said. 'That's the point.' Estel let his blade fall and followed him.
'What do you mean nothing?' he asked as he tried to keep up with the prince. 'Why can't you tell me? I have a right to know-'
'And I have a right to keep my personal matters to myself!' yelled Legolas over his shoulder at him. Estel stopped following and stared at his back, his heart burned with frustration. Legolas was keeping something from him and he felt a strange desire to know what it was. He couldn't find a friendship in something he knew so little about.
Just as he was about to turn back to the armory a faint call seeped through the wall where the entrance was. Estel paused and looked at it. A sudden ball of flame erupted through the bark and flashed towards him. He hit the ground and covered his head. He felt the searing heat pass over him and the elves all around cried in surprised. A horrifying roar followed and Estel looked up. The entrance had been burned open and the sides still flamed. Elves rushed forward trying to halt the intrusion of Warg-Riders.
Estel pushed himself up and looked to where the fireball would've hit. The trunk of the great tree in the center was smoking, but other then that there was no scar or burn. The cry of pain from an elf brought him out of his awed trance and he ran back towards the armory.
Picking up his sword off the floor he looked towards the door. The shadows of the battle were projected on the wall across the corridor. He took a quiver of arrows and a bow off the wall and nocked one fletching to the string. Just as he turned around an arrow was shot and hit the wall right next to his face. He watched as an Orc entered the room, spitting violently.
In one swift movement Estel fired an arrow. It hit the beast's right shoulder. He cried out, clutching the injury and lumbering forward. Estel had another arrow nocked and flying in one movement. This time the ugly creature fell with blood gurgling from its cracked mouth.
He ran out to the ring that circled the base of the center tree to see an outlook of pure horror. Estel froze in emotional pain as an elf fell to the ground, dead.
'Estel!' cried Legolas, grabbing the human's shoulder. 'Follow me!'
'What about the others?' he cried, resisting Legolas's pull towards the stockade stairwells.
'They know how to fight! We must go!' Estel couldn't argue as they broke into an automatic run towards the tangles of roots that acted as steps down into the maze of roots below.
The light of the hole in the fort and the starlight phials faded away behind them. 'Do not fall behind or let go of my hand!' demanded Legolas. Estel gave a nod that was left unseen by the prince. 'Take every step I do and trust the ground!' Estel ran clasping the elf's hand tightly. His palm and fingertips grew sweaty as they continued down the hot tunnel but Legolas's solid grip kept him on track.
Behind them there was an explosion. Legolas halted and looked up the stairwell. A bright orange light flickered across the ceiling and disappeared. The sounds of the frightening battle faded and Estel first noticed the sounds of the stockades. The dripping of water, the grunts of prisoners more so along the tunnel, and the frightening clatter of stones sounding out from some unknown movement.
'No...' Legolas whispered. Estel heard a small weep escape him as he turned and continued down the tunnel. Estel looked behind them once to see the orange glow flicker once more.
Legolas was no longer running with any heart. He just ran. Running kept him from thinking; thinking about the flames.
The two continued on into the darkness as the fort above them burned like there was no tomorrow, and the orcs piled towards the stockades to release the dark creatures imprisoned there.
Chapter 6
Flames
The next few days went quietly. Groups of elves would leave the fort to scout around the mass of trees. They always came back to report nothing out of the ordinary. Legolas spent another day out in the woods then began to remain indoors; high up in the bed chambers. Estel had a couple forced conversations with him that no longer had the interest as before.
'Estel, are you ready?' asked Anlamras one morning.
'Ready for what?'
'Wargs were sighted last night prowling around the fort. We are expecting them to attack today or tomorrow. It's best to be on alert.' Estel nodded.
'May I go sharpen my sword?' he asked.
'Yes, in the armory to the right of the entrance there is a grate.' Estel thanked him and started towards the armory.
Elves were bustling all about that morning. They darted in and out of the armory with bows and swords. The wide entrance was closed off and it looked like it was never even there. The whole place was now lit by glowing phials with silvery lights in them. Estel knew it was starlight taken magically from the night skies.
Estel stepped through the curtain into the armory. It was a long hall with shelves and hooks on the wooden walls. He wasn't surprised to see no axes since the fort was located inside a tree. There were swords, spears, bows and quivers full with arrows. There were daggers, throwing knives and long curved blades. Estel's eyes were distracted by a figure standing in the center of the hall, examining a bow.
'Are you going to fight with that?' Estel asked.
'Yes.' Estel nodded and turned towards the blade grate in the corner. He paused and turned towards Legolas.
'Tell me.' he said. It was not a question, but a command. 'I want to know.' Legolas sighed. 'Please.' the elf prince turned towards him and approached him.
'You can't understand.' he said. 'I know you think you can, but you can't.'
'Of course I can't understand! I don't know what's going on!' Legolas looked away and stared out of the armory. 'Please Legolas! What have you got to loose?' Legolas stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at the human.
'Nothing.' he said. 'That's the point.' Estel let his blade fall and followed him.
'What do you mean nothing?' he asked as he tried to keep up with the prince. 'Why can't you tell me? I have a right to know-'
'And I have a right to keep my personal matters to myself!' yelled Legolas over his shoulder at him. Estel stopped following and stared at his back, his heart burned with frustration. Legolas was keeping something from him and he felt a strange desire to know what it was. He couldn't find a friendship in something he knew so little about.
Just as he was about to turn back to the armory a faint call seeped through the wall where the entrance was. Estel paused and looked at it. A sudden ball of flame erupted through the bark and flashed towards him. He hit the ground and covered his head. He felt the searing heat pass over him and the elves all around cried in surprised. A horrifying roar followed and Estel looked up. The entrance had been burned open and the sides still flamed. Elves rushed forward trying to halt the intrusion of Warg-Riders.
Estel pushed himself up and looked to where the fireball would've hit. The trunk of the great tree in the center was smoking, but other then that there was no scar or burn. The cry of pain from an elf brought him out of his awed trance and he ran back towards the armory.
Picking up his sword off the floor he looked towards the door. The shadows of the battle were projected on the wall across the corridor. He took a quiver of arrows and a bow off the wall and nocked one fletching to the string. Just as he turned around an arrow was shot and hit the wall right next to his face. He watched as an Orc entered the room, spitting violently.
In one swift movement Estel fired an arrow. It hit the beast's right shoulder. He cried out, clutching the injury and lumbering forward. Estel had another arrow nocked and flying in one movement. This time the ugly creature fell with blood gurgling from its cracked mouth.
He ran out to the ring that circled the base of the center tree to see an outlook of pure horror. Estel froze in emotional pain as an elf fell to the ground, dead.
'Estel!' cried Legolas, grabbing the human's shoulder. 'Follow me!'
'What about the others?' he cried, resisting Legolas's pull towards the stockade stairwells.
'They know how to fight! We must go!' Estel couldn't argue as they broke into an automatic run towards the tangles of roots that acted as steps down into the maze of roots below.
The light of the hole in the fort and the starlight phials faded away behind them. 'Do not fall behind or let go of my hand!' demanded Legolas. Estel gave a nod that was left unseen by the prince. 'Take every step I do and trust the ground!' Estel ran clasping the elf's hand tightly. His palm and fingertips grew sweaty as they continued down the hot tunnel but Legolas's solid grip kept him on track.
Behind them there was an explosion. Legolas halted and looked up the stairwell. A bright orange light flickered across the ceiling and disappeared. The sounds of the frightening battle faded and Estel first noticed the sounds of the stockades. The dripping of water, the grunts of prisoners more so along the tunnel, and the frightening clatter of stones sounding out from some unknown movement.
'No...' Legolas whispered. Estel heard a small weep escape him as he turned and continued down the tunnel. Estel looked behind them once to see the orange glow flicker once more.
Legolas was no longer running with any heart. He just ran. Running kept him from thinking; thinking about the flames.
The two continued on into the darkness as the fort above them burned like there was no tomorrow, and the orcs piled towards the stockades to release the dark creatures imprisoned there.