Okay! Well, after one hell of an absence, I am back and ready with a new chapter and some excuses as to why I have not updated. Excuse #1: My internet was down. Excuse #2: I had summer school. Excuse #3: I had writers block. Yeah, yeah, I know. Excuses, excuses. But whatever (^_-) Here's your story:
Chapter 6 (Who thought I'd ever get this far in a story?!?!): Who? What? Where in Middle Earth are you?
Arianna didn't
stop running until she had reached the outside of the stuffy halls. She stood outside on one of the balconies
and breathed in the fresh air of the evening.
Her hands clutched the railing as though it were a life support
Staring at the sky and the stars outside, she willed herself to keep the tears within. To show emotion was just another sign of her weakness.
Footsteps echoed in the still air behind her. She did not have to turn around to tell who it was. She shivered slightly as hands caressed her shoulder and left prickles on her bare skin. A contented sigh escaped her lips when he whispered into her ear words of understanding.
Then, realization slapped her in the face: his hands were too rough, his voice too deep. She whipped around to look at her companion under the stars. It was not, as she had thought, Eldarion, but someone else!
A strangled scream escaped her throat as she backed away in terror. The man who stood in front of her now was frightening. His face was twisted in a smirk and his hand came forward to take hold of her wrist. Arianna jumped backwards and made to run, but too late, for he had already caught her arm.
"Arianna, no, ARIANNA! Get away from him! Run!" a voice echoed in the night.
But she was frozen in place, hypnotized by the intensity of her captor's eyes as they glared at her. The ring of cold steel being drawn resounded through the night. Arianna snapped back to reality as the man laughed. It was a chilling, harsh laugh rather like the bark of a dog.
She cowered away from him and tried to wrestle her arm free, but he had a strong grip. The tears that she had barely contained earlier came now in full force as she struggled. "Let go! Let go!," she choked out between sobs. "Help! Some one, help!"
He swung her round and pressed back against him, his thin knife held against her throat. She shuddered in disgust of being so close to him, and of the touch of cool metal. Together they backed away, or rather, the man backed away and pulled the helpless girl with him.
Several figures came forward, swords drawn, and many more popped up around them with bows ready. "Leave her," one of the men said in a low voice. Arianna's heart leapt with hope: her father! He would save her from this man.
The dark man
merely chuckled. He took another step
backwards and went closer to the balcony.
His knife still against the neck of Arianna, he lifted one leg over the
ledge. Apparently, the men thought best
to attack then, so they charged forward to free Arianna of her captor. The King pulled Arianna out of the way of
the knife. She was swung around once
more, and the man slashed out with the knife.
He succeeded in leaving a long cut down from her right shoulder to the
back of her waist.
She cried out in pain and fell on the floor where her father picked her up and handed her to one of the sentries. He took her to her mother who stood inside the hall, waiting in fear. The sounds of a fight came back to her, and she barely registered the scream made when the man fell down the three stories to the ground.
Once her mother saw her, she burst into tears. Arianna frowned, but said nothing. The sentry, on Lady Monien's command, carried Arianna to the healers. While passing through the various halls, Arianna was able to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirrors. She was a mess. Her hair was falling out of its braid, her neck was littered with scratches that she had not noticed and her face was tearstained. She looked down at her aching arm and saw a dark purple bruise forming below her elbow and at her wrist.
Numerous women were following her journey down to the healers. She looked over the sentry's shoulder to her mother behind them. Lady Monien was watching her with concern and love. When she noticed her daughter's eyes on her, she gave a small smile and stroked her hair softly. Arianna smiled uncertainly back and turned her head away again to look at her destination.
They were nearly there now. Her mind wandered back to the mysterious man. Who was he? Why did he …touch her like that before? Her shoulders still tingled from the memory. What did he want? And, why did he attack her like that and try to run when everyone showed up? Granted, of course, that when facing an army as terrifying as Gondor's, everyone wants to run. But still…
"My Lady, will you remove your dress?"
Arianna looked up, shocked at such a question. "The audacity!" The healer had the decency to look abashed.
"No! Merely asked in order to look at the cut that trails down your back," he said quickly. Looking thoughtful for a moment he said thoughtfully, "but perhaps I ought to have Leara look at your wounds, female as she is."
Arianna nodded enthusiastically with wide eyes. "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you."
"ARIANNA! Arianna! Where are you? Where in Middle Ear - oof!"
At hearing that voice, Arianna, ignoring her mother's protests, jumped off her bed in the healer's wing and ran towards her dear beloved cousin Elfwine. She flew down the corridor and turned a corner, crashing right into a civilian. "Oof! Oh! I am so sorry, please, do forgive me! Um. Excuse me? Are you alright?" she asked in sympathetic concern. The person looked up from his position on the floor and one look at his face caused Arianna to gasp in horror.
And that's all for today fellow fanficers. I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and yes, I know it was short, but my brain cells are not working, so maybe there will be a better one next time…
Thanx to:
Elvenwood
Elentari-Taure
bEhT
Klaw
Hope you're enjoying my story…lts / luv
Wannabeanelvengirl