Hi again!!! I'm SO sorry this took so long—was it really more than a
month??? Wow. You must hate me!! =( Don't! I'm also sorry if some of the details
of this one are kind of fuzzy. I figured I might as well post it, because I
might be attacked by nonexistent mobs of readers if I don't hurry. And so, if
you are confused, merely flame me (or possibly do something a little less harsh
^_^) and demand that certain ones be cleared up. As of now, I did try. Give me
credit for that!!! Also, remember that the Lord of the Rings is in NO WAY mine.
I just use Tolkien's brilliant ideas for my own ends. Bit Airië and Vanyalassë
sorta ARE mine, though ...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Help Me Win…
Chapter 4~The Red Sun Rises
Run. The thought rang clear through the elven-maid's head as she listened to the distant cries of orcs. Vanyalassë began to scold herself; she ought to have known better than to have come this way during times like these. She had to run—she needed to. But her eyes stayed glued to the Dale before her, and her feet frozen on the wide tree-limb. She hardly dared move for fear of being caught by the army she could hear but a quarter-mile off.
Run. Suddenly, she heard it again, and something in her seemed to find reason in it. This time her frozen feet obeyed before she knew what she was doing, and she was on the ground and pelting away from the Nimrodel as fast as her elven-feet would carry her.
Vanyalassë came back to herself suddenly and tried to stop, even simply slow her rapid pace. The last thing she needed was to find herself in the open, on the wrong side of the orc-army, and with no way to get home and warn her father and their people. But it was already too late.
Dimrill Dale opened before her, and still her feet refused to stop. Her hithlain cloak might have hidden her form against the grass, but for her shadow behind her, eastward, away from the sun.
Eastward? Vanyalassë turned her gaze forward and looked at the sun, slowly sinking behind the three tall, snow-capped peaks. The red light was blurred by Caradhras's swirling snowstorm, but the sun was still there, in the west.
Oh, why had she landed facing west? Why had her feet not been turned north?—she could have outrun the orcs and circled them. She could have warned her father of their coming by midnight. But now she could not return home for days, perhaps. By then, all of Lórien could be laid in waste!
But now there was nothing she could do for that. The only directions open to her now were either towards, or away. Her heart yearned away from her path, which pressed onward, but she let it remain. Though darkness should be an ally to an elf, it was not so. Orcs were as skilled by night as they were during the day, and, despite the fact that they were inclined to be rather stupid, it was one elf against an army. She had no chance, without the advantage of sunlight and a calm demeanor. The surprise had left her rather panicked.
No, it would be wisest to go on. Such an army could not go unnoticed by all the border guards. As long as she was out of the way of the battle, she would be all right. She may well be safer outside the forest than in!
A shake of her head banished that thought from her mind. The elves would win. It was unheard of for elves to lose to orcs. And Galadriel … Galadriel had her own mysterious power. Lórien would not fall, she concluded. Lórien could not fall … could it?
*~*
Glorfindel sighed heavily into the wind. The morning dawned red, as he had known it would. The red sun rises—blood has been spilled this night … his thoughts echoed a saying he remembered from long ago. He looked out across the valley of his lord's beloved Imladris.
He saw the blood that had been spilled; the valley was stained with the colors of battle. The lighter red of elven-blood mixed with the dark burgundy of orc-blood, and, though the burgundy pools were greater than the red, Glorfindel turned his face aside. None of that lighter color should stain the valley floor. None of those elves should have died at all.
Why—why had his lord not remained, as Glorfindel had advised him? For the first time in a long time, Glorfindel began to doubt his lord's wishes. The wisdom of Elrond, son of Elfwing and Eärendil, had failed. It had never happened before, so his advisor did not know what to make of it. Sighing once more, he recalled what exactly Elrond had said.
"Take care of my daughter, friend—keep her safe for me. The valley's defenses should hold; expect me home ere a fortnight has passed. I dare not linger in Lórien for fear for you all."
But their defenses had not held. Airië had not been kept safe. No more than a week was gone since the lord's departure; they were still to be expecting him for another week's time. And what if Lord Elrond did not return? Even if he did, what would he find himself returning to?
The questions ran unanswered through the elf's head. As of now, all he could worry about was their next assault—and he knew there would be another. He had to gather his forces quickly; the Orcs would not waste time, he did not dare do otherwise. The coming battle may well prove their victory—or their defeat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yay! I'm done! Now wait in immense anticipation for Chapter Five! See that number? FIVE! I didn't think I'd get this far!!! Aren't you proud? Of course you are! In fact, in proof of your pride, I bet you were going to review my story, weren't you? Of course you were! Yay! Thank you so much! *huggles and chocolate for everyone*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Help Me Win…
Chapter 4~The Red Sun Rises
Run. The thought rang clear through the elven-maid's head as she listened to the distant cries of orcs. Vanyalassë began to scold herself; she ought to have known better than to have come this way during times like these. She had to run—she needed to. But her eyes stayed glued to the Dale before her, and her feet frozen on the wide tree-limb. She hardly dared move for fear of being caught by the army she could hear but a quarter-mile off.
Run. Suddenly, she heard it again, and something in her seemed to find reason in it. This time her frozen feet obeyed before she knew what she was doing, and she was on the ground and pelting away from the Nimrodel as fast as her elven-feet would carry her.
Vanyalassë came back to herself suddenly and tried to stop, even simply slow her rapid pace. The last thing she needed was to find herself in the open, on the wrong side of the orc-army, and with no way to get home and warn her father and their people. But it was already too late.
Dimrill Dale opened before her, and still her feet refused to stop. Her hithlain cloak might have hidden her form against the grass, but for her shadow behind her, eastward, away from the sun.
Eastward? Vanyalassë turned her gaze forward and looked at the sun, slowly sinking behind the three tall, snow-capped peaks. The red light was blurred by Caradhras's swirling snowstorm, but the sun was still there, in the west.
Oh, why had she landed facing west? Why had her feet not been turned north?—she could have outrun the orcs and circled them. She could have warned her father of their coming by midnight. But now she could not return home for days, perhaps. By then, all of Lórien could be laid in waste!
But now there was nothing she could do for that. The only directions open to her now were either towards, or away. Her heart yearned away from her path, which pressed onward, but she let it remain. Though darkness should be an ally to an elf, it was not so. Orcs were as skilled by night as they were during the day, and, despite the fact that they were inclined to be rather stupid, it was one elf against an army. She had no chance, without the advantage of sunlight and a calm demeanor. The surprise had left her rather panicked.
No, it would be wisest to go on. Such an army could not go unnoticed by all the border guards. As long as she was out of the way of the battle, she would be all right. She may well be safer outside the forest than in!
A shake of her head banished that thought from her mind. The elves would win. It was unheard of for elves to lose to orcs. And Galadriel … Galadriel had her own mysterious power. Lórien would not fall, she concluded. Lórien could not fall … could it?
*~*
Glorfindel sighed heavily into the wind. The morning dawned red, as he had known it would. The red sun rises—blood has been spilled this night … his thoughts echoed a saying he remembered from long ago. He looked out across the valley of his lord's beloved Imladris.
He saw the blood that had been spilled; the valley was stained with the colors of battle. The lighter red of elven-blood mixed with the dark burgundy of orc-blood, and, though the burgundy pools were greater than the red, Glorfindel turned his face aside. None of that lighter color should stain the valley floor. None of those elves should have died at all.
Why—why had his lord not remained, as Glorfindel had advised him? For the first time in a long time, Glorfindel began to doubt his lord's wishes. The wisdom of Elrond, son of Elfwing and Eärendil, had failed. It had never happened before, so his advisor did not know what to make of it. Sighing once more, he recalled what exactly Elrond had said.
"Take care of my daughter, friend—keep her safe for me. The valley's defenses should hold; expect me home ere a fortnight has passed. I dare not linger in Lórien for fear for you all."
But their defenses had not held. Airië had not been kept safe. No more than a week was gone since the lord's departure; they were still to be expecting him for another week's time. And what if Lord Elrond did not return? Even if he did, what would he find himself returning to?
The questions ran unanswered through the elf's head. As of now, all he could worry about was their next assault—and he knew there would be another. He had to gather his forces quickly; the Orcs would not waste time, he did not dare do otherwise. The coming battle may well prove their victory—or their defeat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yay! I'm done! Now wait in immense anticipation for Chapter Five! See that number? FIVE! I didn't think I'd get this far!!! Aren't you proud? Of course you are! In fact, in proof of your pride, I bet you were going to review my story, weren't you? Of course you were! Yay! Thank you so much! *huggles and chocolate for everyone*