2. Chapter: First 'Talk'
Em crouched at the trunk of the tree, rolled into a tight ball, shuddering, but not opening her eyes.until she heard a soft voice speaking in a language she could not understand. It was soft and musical, calming her body and mind. For a moment she thought about opening her eyes to see the stranger, whom she thought the cause of the flowing words.
Inside of her fought her unsatiable curiosity and caution - and of corse her paralizing fear. The man continued his musical speech, obviously expecting wether answer nor question from her, for about five minutes...
It took her a while to scrape for all the courage she had, then she opened her eyes slowly, still cautious and full of mistrust. He stood where she`d last seen him and hadn`t moved one inch. When he saw her open eyes he send her a small encouraging smile; as if saying 'See, that wasn't that difficult'. Em didn't smile back, instead her gaze flickered to the bow in his hand and the quiver full of arrows straped over his back...and she shut them again fearfully. His eyes followed her gaze. For him it was obvious that the girl before him was terrified of his weapons.
Cocking his head he listened into the wood, determined to detect even the slightest noise indicating danger, as far as there was one. His sharp eyes scanned the trees and the thicket for a great distance in every direction, looking for anything that resembled a threat. Only when he was sure they were safe he crouched down on one knee, coming to the same height as the girl before him. Carefully, slowly, as not to startle her further with sudden moves, he layed down his bow on the ground and then took of his quiver, also laying it down next to him.
The whole time his eyes did not leave her shivering form.
The human looked young, very young for his standard, perhaps 18...20 at maximum. Her face was buried in her knees and was even further covered by a curtain of dark red hair. Her hands wound themselves around her shins, hugging her legs to her body. She looked greatly distressed, he would even go as far as saying she was scared out of her wits, for he could hear her muffled sobs, that shook her whole body. But regarding what just happened to her it really didn't surprise him. He had seen and fought orcs and other dark creatures more times than he could count, but the air of pure hatred that enveloped them still disturbed and sickened him every time he came across it - he would probably never get used to this, despite his many years of life.
He focused on the girl again. "Do not fear Aier (Little One). I will not hurt you, I promise you this." He spoke softly as not to scare her further. Also he used the Common Tongue, for it was obvius that she did not understand Sindarin. And why would she, she was a human after all.
Em's head snapped up and she looked at the man, now crouching before her. Relived she noticed that he had discarded his weapons which laid on the ground some feet away. *Guess that means, that he does not want to kill me...does it?* But what surprised her were not his weapons, but his voice. *He speaks English?* Em wondered. When the stranger had spoken to her the first time he'd spoken a strange language she'd never heard before this day. Back then she had accepted, that she would not be able to understand him....but - regarding the fact that she had expected him to shoot her with another, more acurate, arrow - this had not bothered her at all.
*He really doesn't look like he wants to kill me.* She reassured herself. *He would have done that by now, wouldn't he?* But only because the stranger did not threaten her anymore and spoke a language she could understand did not mean she should, nor would trust him just like that. Her gaze flickerd back to his bow and quiver. He saw it and frowned. "I removed my weapons. Why are you still afraid of me? One could think I tried to shoot you or something!" He smiled at her, to show her he was joking, but his smile dropped, when he saw the fear flicker in her eyes once more. Then realization hit him. " You do, don't you? You think I tried to kill you back in the clearing!" His blue eyes bored into her green ones; it seemed as if he tried to get a look at her very inner being, her soul.
Spellbound she nodded, unconsciously raising one hand to her right ear, remembering the rush of wind she had felt when his arrow whizzed by.
The man sighed, still locking his scrutinizing gaze with hers.
"I have not tried to shoot you!" he stated slowly, emphatizing every word. "If that indeed had been my plan you would lie in the grass now, an arrow in your heart. But this arrow was meant for the orc behind you. I am sorry if its sudden appearance and nearness scared you, but you were not in danger. Please belive me that I did not intend to harm you.... nor do I now. Trust me, Aier!"
Unsure Em sized him up. What should she do? She did want to trust him now. Not only because she simply needed a person of this vincinity to find out where she was and most of all how she got here, but also because his blue eyes shone with a sincernity she'd never seen in any person she had ever met.
He would not hurt her. He said so....and she believed him.
So she nodded again to show him that she accepted his words. And believed them. She was rewarded with a heartwarming, genuie smile and could not help to smile back at him shyly. His smile widened into a grin, showing his pearlwhite teeth and he stood up.
While bowing he said: "I am Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood at your service my lady. Would you be so kind to tell me your name so I can adress you like you deserve it, fair lady?"
Em did, what she always did in embarrassing situations (mind you that these were of cause not to compare with this); she blushed...furiously. She lowered her gaze and looked to the ground. *Why did he call me a 'lady'? Nobody talks like that nowadays...well okay, people don't appear in strange woods they have never seen before, too. And they don't loose themselves there, get attacked by hideous beasts, don't get rescued by unknown men armed with bow and arrow. Guess we are even then, aren't we? I am probably more out of place than him.*
Legolas, like he had introduced himself to her, still looked interrogativly at her by the time she took her eyes from the ground. She blushed again. She'd forgotten that he still wanted to know her name.
The problem was that Em simply could not speak.
She was mute,....and that since three years. She had not been born without her voice, but three years ago she and her parents had had a car crash. Her parents, Jack and Evelyn Summers, had died back then and she, Em, had woken up in hospital, shocking herself and the doctors around her bed, because when she tried to explain what had happened, no words left her mouth. She could not speak anymore though her vocal chords had not been damaged. The doctors could not come up with any physical problem, that would explain her sudden disability to speak, so they put it on the shock, and mental problems; some kind of barrier in her head that prevented her from speaking.
Legolas cleared his throat to get her attention, for it was obvious to him that her thoughts were anywhere but at his question. Her eyes snapped back to him, questioning him. Ah yes....her name. Unconsiously she signed her name with her hands, using the sign language she had been forced to learn after the accident.
Legolas looked at her funnyly. *What was that supposed to mean?* he pondered. Shrugging he ignored it and asked her instead: "Do you not wish to tell me your name, lady?" Did she still do not trust him at all? Sure, she did not know him, but.... But Em shook her head, cocking it, thinking about what to do. That man, Legolas, didn't know her 'language' -obviously- and why should he? Most people didn't have to do anything with it for their whole life.
Helplessly she pointed at her throat, then shook her head.
Now it was Legolas who cocked his head a fraction.. "You...cannot speak?" he half asked, half stated hesitantly. The girl before him smiled, showing it was ok, and nodded. Realization dawned on him. "The movements you made with your hands....it is your way to ...communicate with people...a kind of language." He established slowly. Nodding again she repeated the gesture that meant her name. He observed her for a long time, contemplating what to do, when his eyes fell on her injured, now swollen left ankle. He got down before her again. Motioning for her injury he asked: "Does it hurt?"
Em looked down at it. Hesitantly she tried to move her foot - and flinched...still not better.
"May I?" Legolas asked. He took the injured limp into his hands, examining, as she nodded. His hands flew over it, pressing softly, probing carefully as not to hurt her further.
"Your ankle is not broken. You were lucky. Regardless it has to be treated or you will not be able to walk painlessly for days." He paused. " I will have to go and fetch some things....the luggage I left a mile away in the wood, where I spent the night. I also will get some herbs and leaves for your injury." He motioned at the foot he still held with one hand. "Can I leave you alone for...", he frowned, calculating, " ....about 20 minutes?" Her eyes widened.
Alone?
Here?
Again?
They darted to the forest, that somehow seemed a lot darker and more dangerous than a few minutes ago. Em shook her head vigorously. *I will not stay here alone!! Who knows what other 'things' walk around here...* Her thoughts drifted back to the beasts that had attacked her. She shuddered. Nope. No way!
Legolas gave their surroundings a look, then assured her: " Lady, please! This part of the wood is perfectly safe now. Trust me, fair lady. Nothing bad will happen!"
But Em wasn't sure of this...not sure at all. But what could she do? *If he wants to leave I cannot deny him. It probably isn't a good idea to leave one's luggage unprotected out there.* Not assured at all, but having no other choice, she nodded. He gave her a warm, reassuring smile, got to his feet and left the clearing,...noiselessly.
*I wonder how he did that? Legolas did not crack one branch, rustle one leave or brush one trunk.....The guy seems to hover over the grass. He didn't even leave foot prints for heaven's sake! ....well if that's not curious....* But Em did not worry herself about that, because she woke up in this forest, got attacked and half shot and had sprained one ankle.....so what if he could move noiselessly? *But one is for sure, he IS goodlooking.* The now lonely girl thought back to the handsome man, that just left the clearing. He was taller than her, but what man wasn't? He wore long, fine blond hair that fell over his shoulders and had elegant arched eyebrows, a straight, slightly aristocratic nose, high cheekbones and a well defined jaw. His shoulders and chest were broad, not bulky though. Still promising strength, like his muscular arms and long, powerful legs. He was clad in legigngs, soft leather boots, probably a shirt and some kind of green tunic-like shirt, over which he had strapped his quiver before leaving, bow in his left hand, so that he could get his arrows when he reached behind his left shoulder.
Regardless of this all, his best features were his eyes....blue eyes by the way. Blue, like the sky looked after a storm... *I have never seen such a deep shade of blue, at least not in someone's eyes. And they are expressive! How do they say....'The windoes to one's soul are his eyes.'* She wished that she could speak or somehow communicate with him; at least to thank him for rescuing her and to tell him her name, for 'my lady' was really flattering, but something she was not used to and threw her of her line of thought everytime he said it. Normally she would just write down her name.....but the chance that some paper and pencil would come wander around here was slim...to say the least. Her eyes fell to the ground.
That was it! Damp earth! She grinned, fished around for a small stick and started writing her name clearly on the ground. Em! For a moment she contemplated if she should write down her whole name, then shrugged and scrabbled it down.
Contented she leant back, smiling, examining her masterpiece while thinking about her 'hero' Legolas. He seemed really kind, thoughtful, handsome.....
Crack.......rustle....
In no time the girl was on her uninjured foot, back pressed against the trunk, her heart beating in her throat in a rythm and speed, that it felt like it wanted to burst out of her body.
Crack!
Em whimmpered. There it was again...
Looked like she was, were she had begun this morning again....
Wow, this chapter got really long, at least longer than the first one. I can`t promise that all chapters will be this long or short (however you look at it), for it depends on where I think would be a good point to leave it. Thanks for your kind reviews! Now I feel more sure about my story.
NightLight4
Em crouched at the trunk of the tree, rolled into a tight ball, shuddering, but not opening her eyes.until she heard a soft voice speaking in a language she could not understand. It was soft and musical, calming her body and mind. For a moment she thought about opening her eyes to see the stranger, whom she thought the cause of the flowing words.
Inside of her fought her unsatiable curiosity and caution - and of corse her paralizing fear. The man continued his musical speech, obviously expecting wether answer nor question from her, for about five minutes...
It took her a while to scrape for all the courage she had, then she opened her eyes slowly, still cautious and full of mistrust. He stood where she`d last seen him and hadn`t moved one inch. When he saw her open eyes he send her a small encouraging smile; as if saying 'See, that wasn't that difficult'. Em didn't smile back, instead her gaze flickered to the bow in his hand and the quiver full of arrows straped over his back...and she shut them again fearfully. His eyes followed her gaze. For him it was obvious that the girl before him was terrified of his weapons.
Cocking his head he listened into the wood, determined to detect even the slightest noise indicating danger, as far as there was one. His sharp eyes scanned the trees and the thicket for a great distance in every direction, looking for anything that resembled a threat. Only when he was sure they were safe he crouched down on one knee, coming to the same height as the girl before him. Carefully, slowly, as not to startle her further with sudden moves, he layed down his bow on the ground and then took of his quiver, also laying it down next to him.
The whole time his eyes did not leave her shivering form.
The human looked young, very young for his standard, perhaps 18...20 at maximum. Her face was buried in her knees and was even further covered by a curtain of dark red hair. Her hands wound themselves around her shins, hugging her legs to her body. She looked greatly distressed, he would even go as far as saying she was scared out of her wits, for he could hear her muffled sobs, that shook her whole body. But regarding what just happened to her it really didn't surprise him. He had seen and fought orcs and other dark creatures more times than he could count, but the air of pure hatred that enveloped them still disturbed and sickened him every time he came across it - he would probably never get used to this, despite his many years of life.
He focused on the girl again. "Do not fear Aier (Little One). I will not hurt you, I promise you this." He spoke softly as not to scare her further. Also he used the Common Tongue, for it was obvius that she did not understand Sindarin. And why would she, she was a human after all.
Em's head snapped up and she looked at the man, now crouching before her. Relived she noticed that he had discarded his weapons which laid on the ground some feet away. *Guess that means, that he does not want to kill me...does it?* But what surprised her were not his weapons, but his voice. *He speaks English?* Em wondered. When the stranger had spoken to her the first time he'd spoken a strange language she'd never heard before this day. Back then she had accepted, that she would not be able to understand him....but - regarding the fact that she had expected him to shoot her with another, more acurate, arrow - this had not bothered her at all.
*He really doesn't look like he wants to kill me.* She reassured herself. *He would have done that by now, wouldn't he?* But only because the stranger did not threaten her anymore and spoke a language she could understand did not mean she should, nor would trust him just like that. Her gaze flickerd back to his bow and quiver. He saw it and frowned. "I removed my weapons. Why are you still afraid of me? One could think I tried to shoot you or something!" He smiled at her, to show her he was joking, but his smile dropped, when he saw the fear flicker in her eyes once more. Then realization hit him. " You do, don't you? You think I tried to kill you back in the clearing!" His blue eyes bored into her green ones; it seemed as if he tried to get a look at her very inner being, her soul.
Spellbound she nodded, unconsciously raising one hand to her right ear, remembering the rush of wind she had felt when his arrow whizzed by.
The man sighed, still locking his scrutinizing gaze with hers.
"I have not tried to shoot you!" he stated slowly, emphatizing every word. "If that indeed had been my plan you would lie in the grass now, an arrow in your heart. But this arrow was meant for the orc behind you. I am sorry if its sudden appearance and nearness scared you, but you were not in danger. Please belive me that I did not intend to harm you.... nor do I now. Trust me, Aier!"
Unsure Em sized him up. What should she do? She did want to trust him now. Not only because she simply needed a person of this vincinity to find out where she was and most of all how she got here, but also because his blue eyes shone with a sincernity she'd never seen in any person she had ever met.
He would not hurt her. He said so....and she believed him.
So she nodded again to show him that she accepted his words. And believed them. She was rewarded with a heartwarming, genuie smile and could not help to smile back at him shyly. His smile widened into a grin, showing his pearlwhite teeth and he stood up.
While bowing he said: "I am Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood at your service my lady. Would you be so kind to tell me your name so I can adress you like you deserve it, fair lady?"
Em did, what she always did in embarrassing situations (mind you that these were of cause not to compare with this); she blushed...furiously. She lowered her gaze and looked to the ground. *Why did he call me a 'lady'? Nobody talks like that nowadays...well okay, people don't appear in strange woods they have never seen before, too. And they don't loose themselves there, get attacked by hideous beasts, don't get rescued by unknown men armed with bow and arrow. Guess we are even then, aren't we? I am probably more out of place than him.*
Legolas, like he had introduced himself to her, still looked interrogativly at her by the time she took her eyes from the ground. She blushed again. She'd forgotten that he still wanted to know her name.
The problem was that Em simply could not speak.
She was mute,....and that since three years. She had not been born without her voice, but three years ago she and her parents had had a car crash. Her parents, Jack and Evelyn Summers, had died back then and she, Em, had woken up in hospital, shocking herself and the doctors around her bed, because when she tried to explain what had happened, no words left her mouth. She could not speak anymore though her vocal chords had not been damaged. The doctors could not come up with any physical problem, that would explain her sudden disability to speak, so they put it on the shock, and mental problems; some kind of barrier in her head that prevented her from speaking.
Legolas cleared his throat to get her attention, for it was obvious to him that her thoughts were anywhere but at his question. Her eyes snapped back to him, questioning him. Ah yes....her name. Unconsiously she signed her name with her hands, using the sign language she had been forced to learn after the accident.
Legolas looked at her funnyly. *What was that supposed to mean?* he pondered. Shrugging he ignored it and asked her instead: "Do you not wish to tell me your name, lady?" Did she still do not trust him at all? Sure, she did not know him, but.... But Em shook her head, cocking it, thinking about what to do. That man, Legolas, didn't know her 'language' -obviously- and why should he? Most people didn't have to do anything with it for their whole life.
Helplessly she pointed at her throat, then shook her head.
Now it was Legolas who cocked his head a fraction.. "You...cannot speak?" he half asked, half stated hesitantly. The girl before him smiled, showing it was ok, and nodded. Realization dawned on him. "The movements you made with your hands....it is your way to ...communicate with people...a kind of language." He established slowly. Nodding again she repeated the gesture that meant her name. He observed her for a long time, contemplating what to do, when his eyes fell on her injured, now swollen left ankle. He got down before her again. Motioning for her injury he asked: "Does it hurt?"
Em looked down at it. Hesitantly she tried to move her foot - and flinched...still not better.
"May I?" Legolas asked. He took the injured limp into his hands, examining, as she nodded. His hands flew over it, pressing softly, probing carefully as not to hurt her further.
"Your ankle is not broken. You were lucky. Regardless it has to be treated or you will not be able to walk painlessly for days." He paused. " I will have to go and fetch some things....the luggage I left a mile away in the wood, where I spent the night. I also will get some herbs and leaves for your injury." He motioned at the foot he still held with one hand. "Can I leave you alone for...", he frowned, calculating, " ....about 20 minutes?" Her eyes widened.
Alone?
Here?
Again?
They darted to the forest, that somehow seemed a lot darker and more dangerous than a few minutes ago. Em shook her head vigorously. *I will not stay here alone!! Who knows what other 'things' walk around here...* Her thoughts drifted back to the beasts that had attacked her. She shuddered. Nope. No way!
Legolas gave their surroundings a look, then assured her: " Lady, please! This part of the wood is perfectly safe now. Trust me, fair lady. Nothing bad will happen!"
But Em wasn't sure of this...not sure at all. But what could she do? *If he wants to leave I cannot deny him. It probably isn't a good idea to leave one's luggage unprotected out there.* Not assured at all, but having no other choice, she nodded. He gave her a warm, reassuring smile, got to his feet and left the clearing,...noiselessly.
*I wonder how he did that? Legolas did not crack one branch, rustle one leave or brush one trunk.....The guy seems to hover over the grass. He didn't even leave foot prints for heaven's sake! ....well if that's not curious....* But Em did not worry herself about that, because she woke up in this forest, got attacked and half shot and had sprained one ankle.....so what if he could move noiselessly? *But one is for sure, he IS goodlooking.* The now lonely girl thought back to the handsome man, that just left the clearing. He was taller than her, but what man wasn't? He wore long, fine blond hair that fell over his shoulders and had elegant arched eyebrows, a straight, slightly aristocratic nose, high cheekbones and a well defined jaw. His shoulders and chest were broad, not bulky though. Still promising strength, like his muscular arms and long, powerful legs. He was clad in legigngs, soft leather boots, probably a shirt and some kind of green tunic-like shirt, over which he had strapped his quiver before leaving, bow in his left hand, so that he could get his arrows when he reached behind his left shoulder.
Regardless of this all, his best features were his eyes....blue eyes by the way. Blue, like the sky looked after a storm... *I have never seen such a deep shade of blue, at least not in someone's eyes. And they are expressive! How do they say....'The windoes to one's soul are his eyes.'* She wished that she could speak or somehow communicate with him; at least to thank him for rescuing her and to tell him her name, for 'my lady' was really flattering, but something she was not used to and threw her of her line of thought everytime he said it. Normally she would just write down her name.....but the chance that some paper and pencil would come wander around here was slim...to say the least. Her eyes fell to the ground.
That was it! Damp earth! She grinned, fished around for a small stick and started writing her name clearly on the ground. Em! For a moment she contemplated if she should write down her whole name, then shrugged and scrabbled it down.
Contented she leant back, smiling, examining her masterpiece while thinking about her 'hero' Legolas. He seemed really kind, thoughtful, handsome.....
Crack.......rustle....
In no time the girl was on her uninjured foot, back pressed against the trunk, her heart beating in her throat in a rythm and speed, that it felt like it wanted to burst out of her body.
Crack!
Em whimmpered. There it was again...
Looked like she was, were she had begun this morning again....
Wow, this chapter got really long, at least longer than the first one. I can`t promise that all chapters will be this long or short (however you look at it), for it depends on where I think would be a good point to leave it. Thanks for your kind reviews! Now I feel more sure about my story.
NightLight4