Hello! Here is chapter 3! I hope you enjoy! More coming soon.promise!
Disclaimer- I own nothing of Tolkien's!
Chapter 3
Lost and Found
Narelle traveled along the Old Forest Road for nearly two days before turning south and venturing deep into the dense wood. She knew that Thranduil's kingdom was hidden deep in the wood in the more southern most part of central Greenwood the Great. All she had to do was ride around until she found it. Right?
Narelle let out an exasperated sigh as she slid off of Isilme and landed softly on the ground. It had been three days since she left the Old Forest Road, and there had been no sign of any living beings except for the occasional bird or bug. Being very inexperienced, Narelle had no idea where she was or even how to find her way home.
Narelle was shaken from her thoughts as Isilme nudged her in the back. "What! I don't know where we are any more than you do! "
Isilme stared at her master with wide eyes, before she turned and began to walk in the direction from whence they had come from. Narelle's eyes widened as she watched her horse leaving her. Finding her fee, she took off after the horse and quickly shot out in front of her, bringing the horse to a stop.
"I know that you can find your way back to Imladris, but that is not where I wish to go." Narelle gracefully swung up on Isilme's back and directed her back in their previous direction.
"We have to eventually run into something, I hope." Narelle muttered under her breath as she continued into the dark forest that seemed to stretch for miles.
***********
Another day passed and there was still no sign of anything that even remotely indicated a kingdom near by. The trees where so close together that only occasional small patches of warm sun could be seen. The spring wind blew the leaves, creating a soft inner song that only the trees could understand. In any other circumstances, Narelle would have enjoyed the mystical song, but as she and Isilme pushed their way through the deep wood the song only seemed to dampen her spirits. The trees seemed to sneer and laugh at her as she rode through their branches.
Growing tired of riding, Narelle slid off of the mare and onto the soft ground. Finding a small, rotting log she took a seat and opened up her bag. An empty canteen of water and a small piece of lembas were all that she found. Throwing the bag down in anger she rubbed her tired head and looked out into the wood, hoping to see her brothers, Glorfindel, or any other elf from Rivendell coming to her rescue. Seeing no one, she sighed deeply and placed her small head into her hands, awaiting the tears that she knew would come.
She would have stayed like that for hours if a loud crack of thunder hadn't hit her ears. She looked up into the thick branches of the surrounding trees and noticed that what little sky that could be seen had suddenly gone black.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, causing Narelle's pupils to shrink quickly before going back to their normal size. Soon thunder and lightning were erupting everywhere, causing Isilme to prance around. Another bolt hit and the skies seemed to open up after it. The rain began beating down hard and fast. Narelle ran over to Isilme and jumped on her back. She ushered the horse into a trot and began her search for shelter.
Almost an hour later the pair came upon a cave. Without knowing better, Narelle slid off of Isilme and ran under its shelter. The cave was not large but it easily fit the horse and its rider. Narelle was soaked and extremely uncomfortable. Her hair was plastered to her back and face while her tunic and trousers were nearly falling off.
Narelle frowned as she watched Isilme. The horse was looking towards the back of the cave with wide eyes and perked ears. Shaking her head, Narelle inched back until her back hit the soft cave wall. Soft? Narelle's eyes widened as she realized that not only was the cave wall soft, but it was warm. Swallowing she turned slowly and looked up. Two large eyes stared down at her in confusion. The eyes belonged to a creature that was gray in color, was nearly eight feet high and looked to be as dumbfounded as Narelle.
Narelle threw open her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, startling the creature into grabbing a massive stick and swinging it at Narelle's head. Screaming again, Narelle leapt out of the way and began to run out of the cave. All Narelle saw as she ran out of the cave was the back of her horse as it disappeared into the woods.
"Isilme!" She screamed trying to get the animal's attention. But it was to no avail, for the horse has already vanished deep into the forest.
Narelle turned around, remembering her earlier problem. The beast was now coming at her, swinging its club as it went. She ducked out of the way as the club grazed the top of her head. She tried to run into the woods but the beast seemed to be everywhere at once. Narelle smiled as she saw a small clearing and began to run for it. She gasped as she felt the club come into contact with her back, causing her to fall onto the wet earth with a thud.
Minutes passed as Narelle fought to regain her breath. Finally she turned over on her back and stared up at the beast as it looked down on her with confusion. She closed her eyes expecting another blow, but it never came. Instead she felt the creature's rough fingers push her body a little.
Realization hit her; it thought that she was dead. Thanking the gods, Narelle kept her eyes shut tight and waited for the creature to leave. One of her eyes slid open when she felt the ground shake beside her. Soon the other followed as she raised herself up and watched as the beast walked back into the cave. Sighing heavily, she slumped back down and relaxed as the cool rainwater continued to hit her.
********
Narelle awoke to the soft song of birds and the warmth of the sun. She winced as her eyes came into focus, finally seeing the bright light of a new day. For a moment she forgot that she was in the deep of Greenwood the Great, for the sun was warm and cheery. Soon she sat up, rubbing the back of her neck, and looked around. What small warmth that had been inside her was gone. Her brow furrowed as she realized that she was indeed still in the woods and the patch of sun she was lying in just happened to be the only scrap of warmth and light around.
Narelle pushed herself up from the ground and looked about for any sign of her horse. Finding nothing, she sighed and began to walk in the direction that she last had last seen her horse. After walking for hours and finding nothing, Narelle sat down on the soft ground and stared up into the long branches of the trees. An occasional flash of blue could be seen, giving Narelle a tiny bit of hope.
Narelle tore her eyes away from the sky and stood up. She refused to look like a helpless she-elf and sit around awaiting her rescue. She would rescue herself! Determination filled her as she once again ventured forth into the unknown.
*********
The sound of a horse's hooves beating their way through the forest was the only thing that could he heard throughout the thick wood. One lone messenger elf rode quickly towards the kingdom of Lord Thranduil. Lord Elrond had sent him over a week earlier to the Lord bearing a message of dire importance. Soon the elf's sharp eyes caught sight of the entrance to the kingdom. The elf pulled his horse to a quick stop as two elves, cloaked in green and brown, dropped down in front of him. Both elves had their arrows pointed directly at him.
"State your business," one of the elves shot at him.
"I come bearing important news for your King from Lord Elrond."
"What news is this?" The other elf asked.
"Your King will share it with you when he sees fit." Nodding, both elves put down their arrows and stepped aside, allowing the rider through. Nodding to them both, he shot off at a gallop and quickly covered the remaining ground between him and the entrance to the kingdom. As soon as he reached the gates two more elves approached him.
"I have an urgent message for your King." Nodding, one of the elves took his horse while the other motioned for him to follow. Soon the elf found himself climbing up a rope ladder and through two great doors. It was here that the other elf left him.
"Through these doors is where you shall find our Lord." The elf soon disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Straightening himself up, the messenger elf walked through the doors and down the great hall that led to the King.
Lord Thranduil looked up as a strange elf walked towards him. The King cast a quick gaze towards his son, Legolas, before giving the new elf his full attention. Lord Thranduil nodded his head as the elf bowed low before him.
"Milord, Lord Elrond sends word from Imladris. His daughter, Lady Narelle, went missing over two weeks ago. He has reason to believe that she has found her way into your woods and asks for your help. He gives his word that he will grant your Lordship any favor you wish if you would only send out a few of your sharp-eyed scouts to search for her."
Lord Thranduil's brow furrowed at the news. "What information does he have that points to my land as her hiding place?"
"I know not my Lord. I have only been sent to bear Lord Elrond's message."
"Very well, I will think on the matter, for the time being I shall give you some food and rest."
"I thank you Milord." Soon two elf maidens were by his side, leading him off into a small door that was at the far end of the room.
Lord Thranduil waited for the three elves to disappear before he turned to his son. "Now tell me Legolas, what would you do?"
Legolas looked surprised at his father's question but hid it by averting his gaze. After pondering the question for a moment he returned his gaze to his father's. "I would send four scouts, one in every direction to look for the maiden. I see no reason not to, and four scouts would not be missed."
Lord Thranduil gazed at his son for a moment before replying. "Very well, Legolas, you and three others shall go and search for this lost maiden. Look for only a few days, if she isn't found by then, then she shall not be found."
Nodding, Legolas rose from his spot beside his father and set off to gather three more scouts.
*********
Narelle had admitted to herself hours ago that she was lost. She walked for two hours short of a day and found no trace of her faithful steed, or anything else for that matter. She came to an abrupt stop as she heard a small twig snap. Casting a quick look over her shoulder, she shook her head and continued on. A strange rustle of trees made her stop again and peer up towards the sky. Seeing nothing she once again shook her head and stepped forward. A small gasp escaped her lips as her eyes focused on the tip of the arrow that was pointed directly at her head.
Chapter 3
Lost and Found
Narelle traveled along the Old Forest Road for nearly two days before turning south and venturing deep into the dense wood. She knew that Thranduil's kingdom was hidden deep in the wood in the more southern most part of central Greenwood the Great. All she had to do was ride around until she found it. Right?
Narelle let out an exasperated sigh as she slid off of Isilme and landed softly on the ground. It had been three days since she left the Old Forest Road, and there had been no sign of any living beings except for the occasional bird or bug. Being very inexperienced, Narelle had no idea where she was or even how to find her way home.
Narelle was shaken from her thoughts as Isilme nudged her in the back. "What! I don't know where we are any more than you do! "
Isilme stared at her master with wide eyes, before she turned and began to walk in the direction from whence they had come from. Narelle's eyes widened as she watched her horse leaving her. Finding her fee, she took off after the horse and quickly shot out in front of her, bringing the horse to a stop.
"I know that you can find your way back to Imladris, but that is not where I wish to go." Narelle gracefully swung up on Isilme's back and directed her back in their previous direction.
"We have to eventually run into something, I hope." Narelle muttered under her breath as she continued into the dark forest that seemed to stretch for miles.
***********
Another day passed and there was still no sign of anything that even remotely indicated a kingdom near by. The trees where so close together that only occasional small patches of warm sun could be seen. The spring wind blew the leaves, creating a soft inner song that only the trees could understand. In any other circumstances, Narelle would have enjoyed the mystical song, but as she and Isilme pushed their way through the deep wood the song only seemed to dampen her spirits. The trees seemed to sneer and laugh at her as she rode through their branches.
Growing tired of riding, Narelle slid off of the mare and onto the soft ground. Finding a small, rotting log she took a seat and opened up her bag. An empty canteen of water and a small piece of lembas were all that she found. Throwing the bag down in anger she rubbed her tired head and looked out into the wood, hoping to see her brothers, Glorfindel, or any other elf from Rivendell coming to her rescue. Seeing no one, she sighed deeply and placed her small head into her hands, awaiting the tears that she knew would come.
She would have stayed like that for hours if a loud crack of thunder hadn't hit her ears. She looked up into the thick branches of the surrounding trees and noticed that what little sky that could be seen had suddenly gone black.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, causing Narelle's pupils to shrink quickly before going back to their normal size. Soon thunder and lightning were erupting everywhere, causing Isilme to prance around. Another bolt hit and the skies seemed to open up after it. The rain began beating down hard and fast. Narelle ran over to Isilme and jumped on her back. She ushered the horse into a trot and began her search for shelter.
Almost an hour later the pair came upon a cave. Without knowing better, Narelle slid off of Isilme and ran under its shelter. The cave was not large but it easily fit the horse and its rider. Narelle was soaked and extremely uncomfortable. Her hair was plastered to her back and face while her tunic and trousers were nearly falling off.
Narelle frowned as she watched Isilme. The horse was looking towards the back of the cave with wide eyes and perked ears. Shaking her head, Narelle inched back until her back hit the soft cave wall. Soft? Narelle's eyes widened as she realized that not only was the cave wall soft, but it was warm. Swallowing she turned slowly and looked up. Two large eyes stared down at her in confusion. The eyes belonged to a creature that was gray in color, was nearly eight feet high and looked to be as dumbfounded as Narelle.
Narelle threw open her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, startling the creature into grabbing a massive stick and swinging it at Narelle's head. Screaming again, Narelle leapt out of the way and began to run out of the cave. All Narelle saw as she ran out of the cave was the back of her horse as it disappeared into the woods.
"Isilme!" She screamed trying to get the animal's attention. But it was to no avail, for the horse has already vanished deep into the forest.
Narelle turned around, remembering her earlier problem. The beast was now coming at her, swinging its club as it went. She ducked out of the way as the club grazed the top of her head. She tried to run into the woods but the beast seemed to be everywhere at once. Narelle smiled as she saw a small clearing and began to run for it. She gasped as she felt the club come into contact with her back, causing her to fall onto the wet earth with a thud.
Minutes passed as Narelle fought to regain her breath. Finally she turned over on her back and stared up at the beast as it looked down on her with confusion. She closed her eyes expecting another blow, but it never came. Instead she felt the creature's rough fingers push her body a little.
Realization hit her; it thought that she was dead. Thanking the gods, Narelle kept her eyes shut tight and waited for the creature to leave. One of her eyes slid open when she felt the ground shake beside her. Soon the other followed as she raised herself up and watched as the beast walked back into the cave. Sighing heavily, she slumped back down and relaxed as the cool rainwater continued to hit her.
********
Narelle awoke to the soft song of birds and the warmth of the sun. She winced as her eyes came into focus, finally seeing the bright light of a new day. For a moment she forgot that she was in the deep of Greenwood the Great, for the sun was warm and cheery. Soon she sat up, rubbing the back of her neck, and looked around. What small warmth that had been inside her was gone. Her brow furrowed as she realized that she was indeed still in the woods and the patch of sun she was lying in just happened to be the only scrap of warmth and light around.
Narelle pushed herself up from the ground and looked about for any sign of her horse. Finding nothing, she sighed and began to walk in the direction that she last had last seen her horse. After walking for hours and finding nothing, Narelle sat down on the soft ground and stared up into the long branches of the trees. An occasional flash of blue could be seen, giving Narelle a tiny bit of hope.
Narelle tore her eyes away from the sky and stood up. She refused to look like a helpless she-elf and sit around awaiting her rescue. She would rescue herself! Determination filled her as she once again ventured forth into the unknown.
*********
The sound of a horse's hooves beating their way through the forest was the only thing that could he heard throughout the thick wood. One lone messenger elf rode quickly towards the kingdom of Lord Thranduil. Lord Elrond had sent him over a week earlier to the Lord bearing a message of dire importance. Soon the elf's sharp eyes caught sight of the entrance to the kingdom. The elf pulled his horse to a quick stop as two elves, cloaked in green and brown, dropped down in front of him. Both elves had their arrows pointed directly at him.
"State your business," one of the elves shot at him.
"I come bearing important news for your King from Lord Elrond."
"What news is this?" The other elf asked.
"Your King will share it with you when he sees fit." Nodding, both elves put down their arrows and stepped aside, allowing the rider through. Nodding to them both, he shot off at a gallop and quickly covered the remaining ground between him and the entrance to the kingdom. As soon as he reached the gates two more elves approached him.
"I have an urgent message for your King." Nodding, one of the elves took his horse while the other motioned for him to follow. Soon the elf found himself climbing up a rope ladder and through two great doors. It was here that the other elf left him.
"Through these doors is where you shall find our Lord." The elf soon disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Straightening himself up, the messenger elf walked through the doors and down the great hall that led to the King.
Lord Thranduil looked up as a strange elf walked towards him. The King cast a quick gaze towards his son, Legolas, before giving the new elf his full attention. Lord Thranduil nodded his head as the elf bowed low before him.
"Milord, Lord Elrond sends word from Imladris. His daughter, Lady Narelle, went missing over two weeks ago. He has reason to believe that she has found her way into your woods and asks for your help. He gives his word that he will grant your Lordship any favor you wish if you would only send out a few of your sharp-eyed scouts to search for her."
Lord Thranduil's brow furrowed at the news. "What information does he have that points to my land as her hiding place?"
"I know not my Lord. I have only been sent to bear Lord Elrond's message."
"Very well, I will think on the matter, for the time being I shall give you some food and rest."
"I thank you Milord." Soon two elf maidens were by his side, leading him off into a small door that was at the far end of the room.
Lord Thranduil waited for the three elves to disappear before he turned to his son. "Now tell me Legolas, what would you do?"
Legolas looked surprised at his father's question but hid it by averting his gaze. After pondering the question for a moment he returned his gaze to his father's. "I would send four scouts, one in every direction to look for the maiden. I see no reason not to, and four scouts would not be missed."
Lord Thranduil gazed at his son for a moment before replying. "Very well, Legolas, you and three others shall go and search for this lost maiden. Look for only a few days, if she isn't found by then, then she shall not be found."
Nodding, Legolas rose from his spot beside his father and set off to gather three more scouts.
*********
Narelle had admitted to herself hours ago that she was lost. She walked for two hours short of a day and found no trace of her faithful steed, or anything else for that matter. She came to an abrupt stop as she heard a small twig snap. Casting a quick look over her shoulder, she shook her head and continued on. A strange rustle of trees made her stop again and peer up towards the sky. Seeing nothing she once again shook her head and stepped forward. A small gasp escaped her lips as her eyes focused on the tip of the arrow that was pointed directly at her head.