Chapter 4: Close Encounters
The horses bolt. I felt like screaming but I was too scared to even do that. I felt my heart stop. What was out there? I knew it had to be bad. After all, the elves have all taken off with their weapons ready.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The sounds are getting closer. I see a dark figure moving in-between the trees, getting closer and closer. Then out of the darkness I am confronted with the intruder. There we stand, staring at each other.
The big wild dog starts edging that bit closer to me. Snarling, with his teeth on show. I don't know why but I shouted "Gilthoniel A Elbereth!" As the dog lunged forward, with it's mouth open. I closed my eyes, I could not bear to look anymore. . .
The animal let out a sharp cry of pain before landing motionless on the ground.
I opened my eyes and looked down at the animal. It had been killed by an arrow, but this arrow I had not seen before. It was different to the arrows carried by those that I have been traveling with. It looked more practical and less elegant.
Before I know it someone grabs me from behind. I try to free myself but it is impossible. Each time I tree to free myself, their grip tightens even more sending excruciating pains up my arms. I can hear two people speaking to each other behind me. I can tell that there is more than one person.
"Let her go or we will shoot. You are surrounded". It was Haldir. Thank goodness I thought. Help has arrived. "Haldir? show yourself, my friend" said the person that was restraining me. Were these people friends of Haldir, I wondered. Some friends he has.
I felt the strong grip release me. "Ouch" I said rubbing my red sore wrists. I looked behind me and saw three more elves.
"Are you OK?" Haldir asked. "Yes" I replied.
"We had been tracking this beast here, it attacked some of our companions. When we heard a voice calling to Elbereth, we came here straight away". "We shot the animal before it had a chance to maim her" said another. "Thank you" said Haldir.
"Why did you grab hold of me like that?" "So you wouldn't run away, we didn't know if we could trust you. We couldn't have you telling others what you had seen" replied the one that had grabbed me. "Thank you for helping me".
"Let me introduce these elves to you" said Haldir. "These twins here are Elladan and Elrohir, the sons of Elrond Halfelven and over here we have Legolas, son of Thranduil". "You certainly have a strong grip Legolas" I said.
"Will you not join us for the night? We have plenty of food and drink to go round." Said Rumil. Great I thought, I am famished. The three new elves agreed to stay.
Haldir went with Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas. They started discussing something in elvish while glancing at me. I was sitting with my back against a tree watching everything that was going on. The incident before had pretty much set my mind against trying to escape with Asfaloth.
After a delicious meal, I started to feel fatigued after the days events. I started to close my eyes and dream.
The horses bolt. I felt like screaming but I was too scared to even do that. I felt my heart stop. What was out there? I knew it had to be bad. After all, the elves have all taken off with their weapons ready.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The sounds are getting closer. I see a dark figure moving in-between the trees, getting closer and closer. Then out of the darkness I am confronted with the intruder. There we stand, staring at each other.
The big wild dog starts edging that bit closer to me. Snarling, with his teeth on show. I don't know why but I shouted "Gilthoniel A Elbereth!" As the dog lunged forward, with it's mouth open. I closed my eyes, I could not bear to look anymore. . .
The animal let out a sharp cry of pain before landing motionless on the ground.
I opened my eyes and looked down at the animal. It had been killed by an arrow, but this arrow I had not seen before. It was different to the arrows carried by those that I have been traveling with. It looked more practical and less elegant.
Before I know it someone grabs me from behind. I try to free myself but it is impossible. Each time I tree to free myself, their grip tightens even more sending excruciating pains up my arms. I can hear two people speaking to each other behind me. I can tell that there is more than one person.
"Let her go or we will shoot. You are surrounded". It was Haldir. Thank goodness I thought. Help has arrived. "Haldir? show yourself, my friend" said the person that was restraining me. Were these people friends of Haldir, I wondered. Some friends he has.
I felt the strong grip release me. "Ouch" I said rubbing my red sore wrists. I looked behind me and saw three more elves.
"Are you OK?" Haldir asked. "Yes" I replied.
"We had been tracking this beast here, it attacked some of our companions. When we heard a voice calling to Elbereth, we came here straight away". "We shot the animal before it had a chance to maim her" said another. "Thank you" said Haldir.
"Why did you grab hold of me like that?" "So you wouldn't run away, we didn't know if we could trust you. We couldn't have you telling others what you had seen" replied the one that had grabbed me. "Thank you for helping me".
"Let me introduce these elves to you" said Haldir. "These twins here are Elladan and Elrohir, the sons of Elrond Halfelven and over here we have Legolas, son of Thranduil". "You certainly have a strong grip Legolas" I said.
"Will you not join us for the night? We have plenty of food and drink to go round." Said Rumil. Great I thought, I am famished. The three new elves agreed to stay.
Haldir went with Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas. They started discussing something in elvish while glancing at me. I was sitting with my back against a tree watching everything that was going on. The incident before had pretty much set my mind against trying to escape with Asfaloth.
After a delicious meal, I started to feel fatigued after the days events. I started to close my eyes and dream.