Chapter Three
Nileth fled deeper and deeper into the forest. Behind her, she could hear the male elf dismount to follow her on foot. This would be too easy.
She ran into the clearing, straight to her cousin. "Haldir... an... elf... was... chasing ...me..." She gasped.
Haldir turned to her laughing. "Haven't you tormented poor Kandas enough?"
She took a deep breath. "Haldir, I've never seen this elf before."
Haldir's wide smile vanished in a heartbeat. "Where is he?"
"Barging through the forest. He should be here in about thirty seconds, cousin."
Haldir shook his head. "You aren't one to give much warning, are you, Nileth?" He pulled out one fine arrow and notched it calmly. "Which two trees?"
Nileth pointed to the trees she had emerged from, and as if by magic, a young blonde elf appeared.
Haldir fired, pinning the young elf's quiver to the tree. Then he got a good look at his cousin's pursuer. "Callórë!!!" He gasped and whirled on Nileth. "You made me fire on a prince of Mirkwood?!?!"
Nileth shrugged. "Well, he shouldn't have been chasing me, the crazy fool, riding his horse at breakneck speed through the woods-"
While she was speaking, Haldir motioned them to let Callórë down.
"Haldir, is that you?" Callórë questioned. "It IS you!!! Oh, nin mellon, how I have missed you!"
"And I you, Callórë, but I must ask you why you were chasing a helpless elven maid through the woods."
"Why just that. She was a helpless elven maid."
Haldir chuckled. "Don't kill him, cousin. He doesn't know you like the rest of us do." He turned back to Callórë. "The helpless maid is my cousin, Nileth. And a quick warning, she is NOT helpless."
Callórë paused to look at the delicate creature over Haldir's shoulder. "I beg your pardon if I startled you, Miss." *There is no WAY that girl can defend herself.*
Haldir caught the look and smiled. "My cousin is a fair aim with a bow, swift knives, and is a skilled healer. She can bring you great pain if you do not respect her." He leaned forward and whispered. "Don't push her, Cal."
Callórë smiled at Nileth. "If you have a fair aim with a bow and swift knives, why run back here?"
Nileth looked at Callórë coldly. Then she tossed her golden hair back, as if contemplating her answer. "I wasn't carrying my bow and knives. All I could think of was Haldir." She smirked at the elf. "Besides, you wouldn't be alive if I had had them. You would be dead." She glanced at her cousin. "I am going to see to the wounded now. Unless you have other torture to inflict on me."
Haldir smiled as if amused. "Not right now cousin, not right now." He watched her walk away. Then he turned back to Callórë. "So what do you think of her?"
Callórë shook his head. "Beautiful." He sniffed. "Just so touching the way you deal with your cousin." He grinned. "Actually, she is a lovely maid. I doubt every word you said about her being able to defend herself-"
Out of nowhere, an arrow flew and pierced Callórë's leather waterbag.
Haldir grinned. "She also got extremely sharp hearing even for an elf."
Callórë rolled his eyes. "Now he tells me."
Oh, what is this? A little flirting? Is Haldir actually encouraging it? What about the other two? Are they still in one piece?
Nileth fled deeper and deeper into the forest. Behind her, she could hear the male elf dismount to follow her on foot. This would be too easy.
She ran into the clearing, straight to her cousin. "Haldir... an... elf... was... chasing ...me..." She gasped.
Haldir turned to her laughing. "Haven't you tormented poor Kandas enough?"
She took a deep breath. "Haldir, I've never seen this elf before."
Haldir's wide smile vanished in a heartbeat. "Where is he?"
"Barging through the forest. He should be here in about thirty seconds, cousin."
Haldir shook his head. "You aren't one to give much warning, are you, Nileth?" He pulled out one fine arrow and notched it calmly. "Which two trees?"
Nileth pointed to the trees she had emerged from, and as if by magic, a young blonde elf appeared.
Haldir fired, pinning the young elf's quiver to the tree. Then he got a good look at his cousin's pursuer. "Callórë!!!" He gasped and whirled on Nileth. "You made me fire on a prince of Mirkwood?!?!"
Nileth shrugged. "Well, he shouldn't have been chasing me, the crazy fool, riding his horse at breakneck speed through the woods-"
While she was speaking, Haldir motioned them to let Callórë down.
"Haldir, is that you?" Callórë questioned. "It IS you!!! Oh, nin mellon, how I have missed you!"
"And I you, Callórë, but I must ask you why you were chasing a helpless elven maid through the woods."
"Why just that. She was a helpless elven maid."
Haldir chuckled. "Don't kill him, cousin. He doesn't know you like the rest of us do." He turned back to Callórë. "The helpless maid is my cousin, Nileth. And a quick warning, she is NOT helpless."
Callórë paused to look at the delicate creature over Haldir's shoulder. "I beg your pardon if I startled you, Miss." *There is no WAY that girl can defend herself.*
Haldir caught the look and smiled. "My cousin is a fair aim with a bow, swift knives, and is a skilled healer. She can bring you great pain if you do not respect her." He leaned forward and whispered. "Don't push her, Cal."
Callórë smiled at Nileth. "If you have a fair aim with a bow and swift knives, why run back here?"
Nileth looked at Callórë coldly. Then she tossed her golden hair back, as if contemplating her answer. "I wasn't carrying my bow and knives. All I could think of was Haldir." She smirked at the elf. "Besides, you wouldn't be alive if I had had them. You would be dead." She glanced at her cousin. "I am going to see to the wounded now. Unless you have other torture to inflict on me."
Haldir smiled as if amused. "Not right now cousin, not right now." He watched her walk away. Then he turned back to Callórë. "So what do you think of her?"
Callórë shook his head. "Beautiful." He sniffed. "Just so touching the way you deal with your cousin." He grinned. "Actually, she is a lovely maid. I doubt every word you said about her being able to defend herself-"
Out of nowhere, an arrow flew and pierced Callórë's leather waterbag.
Haldir grinned. "She also got extremely sharp hearing even for an elf."
Callórë rolled his eyes. "Now he tells me."
Oh, what is this? A little flirting? Is Haldir actually encouraging it? What about the other two? Are they still in one piece?