Chapter 28

Lilluil watched the door close after him and headed for the small archway on the left side of the room. She had to see this spring that he had traded sanity for. She hadn't bathed for three days. Three days! Besides hot springs were rare, especially up north and any chance for a warm bath was one she was going to take.

The small archway began a short hallway which expanded into the spring. It was a clean walled cave, no intricate carvings on the visible wall. Thick green ivy had climbed up the walls to a small vent in the ceiling where a mirror carefully reflected light into the room. The spring was radiating heat and steam and as cold as she was it seemed like a dream come true. She ran back to the main room and grabbed some of her sage leaves from the belt pouch sitting on the table, she had seen him take them the day before, and ran back to the spring to warm up.

There was fuzzy cotton cloth to dry off on after she was clean, and she slipped back into her dress several degrees warmer and a world happier. Walking back down the hall she saw a small note lying on the bedside table to the right. She turned to pick it up…

Her neck hurt. Tentatively she reached up a hand only to have it snatched and pulled across her waist by the hand that had been around her waist. Holding her up. On a horse. Abruptly she blinked, the harsh sunlight tearing at the corners of her eyes. She recognized the dark part of the forest that they were hurtling through. Miles from the Palace… What had happened?

She remembered the hot spring, and then a note? Shortly after that. She had reached down to pick it up but couldn't recall actually touching the paper. Now she was going back the way she had come last night. A quick glance told her these were southerners she was traveling with. Up ahead she could see her father's straight form on another horse. They were racing at a fast clip through the forest. Trying to get away.

She instinctively slid her free hand down to her hip. Her scabbard was empty, King Thranduil had shattered it on the throne room floor. She glanced at the blade of the person she was riding with, not one of her swords. Not one of her friends. She twisted in the saddle, thrusting an elbow back and connecting with a soft tunic. Immediately she grabbed the horse's mane and jerked. Whinnying in protest the sleek brown mare reared and flailed her front legs.

Lilluil held tightly to the mane, but the person held just as tightly to her. Her hand slipped and they crashed to the ground. Frantically she leapt to her feet and made for the woods off the side of the path, she heard an odd whirring noise.

More riding, this time behind the rider with her hands bound around his waist. Needless to say it was very uncomfortable for both of them. They rode throughout the night and well into the morning hours. The next morning had them on the south edge of the northern woods. Although she couldn't see she guessed that Legolas had notified his human friend again. Humans could be the most annoying creatures.

They milled for a while, she couldn't hear or see what was happening. Her arms ached from being in the same position and her the rope was tight on her wrists causing her hands to tingle. Not to mention a day and a half of hard riding, and not being able to tend to the two bruises she knew were on the nape of her neck. With a jerk they were off. Galloping across man country towards the promise of woods on the other end of the plains.

Farming men scattered as they charged down the main road, leaping into the fields of grain and corn on either side of the road as they barreled past. Looking sideways she could see the city in the distance, the great arced doors opening as they noticed the group tearing through their country.

"HALT!" She recognized the voice, this time reassuring instead of condemning. They didn't stop though, or even slow. Instead the steeds were urged on faster, preparing to ram through whatever blockade was before them. Despite her attempts she couldn't prevent visions of being thrown from the horse and crushed under the elf she was tied to, or getting caught in the swing of a sword. She could feel the person she was holding tense, and at that knowledge she tensed too.

Whinnying resounded in the air, as well as shouts for control. Two horses and their human riders appeared in her vision to the right, galloping heedless into the farmland. Their group rode through the chaos as more stones flew from the darkness of the forest at the flanks of the opposing riders. There was a moment of hurried movement and then the forest embraced them.

They rode past the boarder flets where she was traded off onto another rider and continued on towards the seaside capital where the rest of her family, and the King resided. As they traveled she contemplated the situation. They were deep into the south now, but all she could find joy in was the warmer weather. The southern elves were even stricter and tougher on security than the northern elves. Nothing evil or even remotely dark was permitted within their boarders, if one was found it was hunted down immediately, not even slightly like the north where orc attacks still existed. If he came for her, he would find himself in a much direr situation than she had been in. Even more so because his intentions would be known by her father, who would no doubt link a northern intruder as a rescue party for her. At the best they might release him back into the plains, at the worst he could be imprisoned for any amount of years. Her thoughts turned more and more concerned until the weariness of two days of non stop travel caught up with her and exhausted, she fell asleep.

She awoke in her own bed, in her own house with the scents of tropical blossoms heavily accenting the warm breeze. Paper scraped to her right, in front of the window. She turned her head on the pillow and opened her eyes.

"Vynel what's happening?" Simvynel, her older sister sat in the chair of woven rushes, calmly reading a book. She was a good millennia older than her, cleverer, wiser, just as beautiful and detested by their father. The fact that Vynel, her nick name for her, was reading a book was evidence that their father was currently not at home. Vynel was forbidden from reading, helping visibly in family affairs, and much else. She was renounced only not in words, because to declare it verbally would mean she was a disgrace and that would damage the entire family. Emerald eyes, the twins to her own looked up somberly.

"Father went wild and then called together a small group with the King's favor to retrieve 'potentially dangerous knowledge' from northern possession. You're confined to the house and, betrothed to some insignificant relative of the crown. He's out right now, working on the wedding preparations. They figure if they can have you settled down by the time the north's messengers arrive your future is secure in their hands. You have six days to get away. Now let's hear about your adventure."

Lilluil recounted in specific detail all she could remember of the past month's events, from leaving the group to charging the barricade just outside the boarder. Vynel nodded understandingly as she accounted her new relationship with the north's prince. Horses sounded in the entrée way.

Her sister rose, noting her page number before she shut the book. "I'll see what I can do, in the meantime get dressed and eat something."

"Vynel, I don't think I can just slip back into southern life, what good will things like that do for me?"

Vynel's eyebrow quirked. "Dress in something pleasing yet durable, so when he returns you look nice and can leave immediately. Stamina is also required for travel." The sound of a door opening below them made her turn and walk towards the door. "Try to appear as if you came back willingly, it will be easier to leave if they're not watching you constantly."

Her door shut without a click behind her sister. She slipped off the bed and started on the plate of fresh fruits and warm bread left on her side table. More things she'd missed from the south. Sweet tartness of the fruit slices woke her up completely, shattering all traces of sleep onto the sharp taste. After she was full she bathed, something she had yearned for during the last two days of grungy haste, and donned a chestnut brown dress. It was of fine make, but it would blend in perfectly with the trees. The sea broke against the golden sand outside the picture of her window. She opened her door and left the safety of her room.