Okay, due to the delay of the response of my contest winner, I will give her a rain check on her cameo appearance as soon as she responds (of course that could be never). I just couldn't wait any longer to write my next chapter, school has delayed me too. So without further adieu (is that what they say?) here is my next chapter: The Journey to Gwathdore.
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Kasumi trudged through the forest following Aegnorion in the dark of the wood. She could hear the strained breathing of Manwein beside her, and could feel the cold stares of Agarwaent and Dhaeraow walking behind them. She could faintly hear Aegnorion and Delduwath chatting quietly above the pounding of the blood in her ears. Haydn marched silently to her right.
She had never remembered all of her muscles aching as much as they did now, and she had never remembered ever being this tired. Her eyelids were heavy and drooped to the middle of her eyes. She struggled to stay up, but her figure began to sway drowsily. Manwein glanced at her moving frame, and caught her shoulder as she strayed too much to the side.
Haydn gazed at her from the corner of his eye. "Aegnorion," he addressed their commander. He nodded his head over at Kasumi's wavering physique to show him that she was about to fall asleep.
"Can you travel any longer?" Aegnorion asked Kasumi as he stared at her.
She shook her head. Regularly not sleeping for three days wouldn't be a problem, but even the orcs didn't give them a decent night of sleep. So three days of no sleep and a week of barely any sleep was a problem. "Can we please stop and make camp," she whined, her dignity was still important, but right now sleeping was her number one priority.
"If you must," he said, reluctantly dropping his pack.
Kasumi didn't even unroll her pack she plopped right onto the ground and fell asleep instantly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kasumi awoke, her eyes were closed- a sign of being in deep sleep. She didn't bother opening her eyes, she was still too tired. Something was moving underneath her, bouncing up and down as if it were walking. As if… she was being carried. She opened her eyes in shock, she was being carried! She looked up from her head's perch on the stranger's shoulder.
Before her was a stern, young elf. She knew him, or so she thought. 'Oh yes! He was Haydn…and he was carrying her!' she remembered why she was angry. She pounded her fists on his back and he glanced down at her struggling body. Her feet squirmed trying to get free. But his left arm under her knees just held on tighter, and his right arm on her back did the same.
She struggled, his hold was uncomfortable, and but then again it wasn't. He wasn't carrying her in the way she hated –not in the way the King had carried her away from her previous and more favored life. But she was still being carried!
"Let me go!!!!" she cried angrily.
Stunned Haydn dropped her suddenly, and Kasumi fell onto her back.
"Oh forgive me lady!" Haydn pleaded, bending down to help her up.
"I'm fine," she said getting up on her own, dismissing his outstretched hand.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
" Nevermind that," she said discarding the incident. "But I thought we stopped to make camp?"
"Oh yes, about that…" he said, "We didn't. Once you fell asleep Aegnorion told me to carry you. We're only several hours away from Gwathdore though, so you needn't worry."
"That's a relief," she said happily. "As soon as I can stop walking I'll feel so much better. Now where's Manwein?" she asked looking around, she couldn't see him anywhere.
"He is up further talking to Delduwath, do not worry. He is healing quickly," he looked at her. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know each other?"
Kasumi looked back, wondering what she would say. "Well…it's kind of a funny story. Umm…" suddenly Kasumi had a feeling that she should tell him the truth, she felt she could trust him. "Well I ran away from…where I used to reside, over a hundred years ago," she added amazed that such a short time could affect her so much. "Soon after I did, I met Manwein and well, since then we've been like this," she said crossing her forefinger and middle finger to symbolize how they were inseparable.
Haydn looked at her inquiringly. "Are," he looked from her to Manwein walking ahead, "you two…?"
Kasumi interrupted him quickly, "Oh no! You mean sweethearts? Of course not!" She thought for a second. "Why? What made you think that?"
"Well it just seemed so, because of how you wouldn't leave him, and how you said you two were," he mimicked her symbol of crossing her fingers. "And he…"
"He what?" Kasumi asked suspiciously.
"Well, he said he was courting you. Why? Is that true?" he asked seeing that she was enraged about something.
"First of all I am not aware that I am being wooed, second why would he say such?" she frowned and turned to him. "When did he tell you this? Why did he tell you this? Did you ask him?" she pulled furiously at her hair.
"No, I did not ask him if he was your suitor. I just inquired how you two knew each other. And he brought it up. But do not be angry at him, he must have had a good reason to say such." He replied, worried that she would do something rash.
Kasumi sensed the worry in his voice and looked at him, "Don't worry," she said laughing. "I wouldn't do anything impetuous. But I won't tell him I know anyhow." She put her finger over her mouth, "Shhhh, don't tell him I know though." They laughed happily, but quieted as the company ahead of them stopped silently.
At first Kasumi couldn't tell why, but before Aegnorion could say anything, she sensed him. It was undeniable; he was there less than a mile away from her. 'Legolas,' she mouthed his name silently.
Manwein caught the glint in her eye and frowned. All this time he thought she had forgotten him, but by her look he knew she never would. He stepped toward he protectively and wrapped his arms around her. She stepped away gently, and looked at him sternly.
"I know what you said," she whispered frustrated, she couldn't help it, she had to ask why. "Why?"
Manwein gaped and thought shocked, for a moment. "I was trying to protect you…"
"Protect me!" she whispered harshly. "From what? I can take care of myself." She looked at him; he had that face again, the one where you couldn't get mad at him. She frowned, he was a young warrior, but yet, still a child inside.
Manwein clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. "Shhh," he whispered in her ear, and she looked at the other elves that looked at her sternly, signaling for her to be quieter.
She closed her eyes; she could feel it again. The feeling that she knew meant Legolas was somewhere near. She bit her lip; it took all her control to keep from wrenching out of Manwein's hold and flying into Legolas'.
He knew what she was thinking, and it made him jealous, very jealous. He looked up at the other elves, they had no clue of what she was doing, and they didn't seem to take interest.
"Get into the tree," Aegnorion commanded, and Manwein forced Kasumi up into the tree, then climbed up after her.
Kasumi looked down and watched as they pulled out their swords and stood in a fighting stance.
'Oh no,' she thought afraid, they could hurt him, and maybe even kill him. 'I have to do something, but what?' she thought thinking quickly. She cracked a dying branch off of the tree, and threw it as far as she could in the other direction, hoping to distract Legolas and stray him off of their path.
Aegnorion looked up at her, and then allowed them to come down. He did not ask her why she did that as she feared, he remained silent, motioning for them to continue their journey. The others did the same, all walking in the way they had since they started their journey. But Haydn walked over and strolled silently beside her.
Manwein looked at the young elf on the other side of Kasumi. He was about his age, a grown warrior, but still young, and in his prime. 'He had better not try anything,' he thought jealously, amazed at his own reaction. He walked frustratingly away to go ask Delduwath how much longer did they have to walk until they reached their city. He limped slightly, his back stung with every step.
"How much longer?" he asked walking alongside Delduwath.
"Not very much, the city is very near. No one but us dark elves can get inside, there is only one way to get in and one way to get out, and only we know where it is. It's our security," he said telling Manwein the information freely, there was no way he could use this knowledge to escape anyhow.
Haydn tapped Kasumi on the shoulder. "We are here," he whispered and they both looked up at what lay before them.
She looked forward, the woods ahead of them were covered in a darkness. It seemed to be protected in a shield of everlasting night, as if it were another world seperated from theirs. She gulped, dreading what this world held in store for her. Her eyes widened anxiously, and her hand fidgeted tensely.
Haydn looked at her, she was amazed, and he could see deep in her eyes that she was frightened, but she hid it well. He took her hand to stop it from shaking. "It's not as bad as you would think," he whispered.
She looked up at him, puzzled. Then it hit her; Haydn had been like them, a regular elf taken captive. She tilted her head in question.
He knew what she was thinking. He nodded, "They raided our village when I was young, they kidnapped me and as I grew up they trained me like them. Now I'm allowed out of the city, they trust that I will come back."
They stopped as they ran into the others who were standing in front of the shadowed woods. Aegnorion called out a name, seeing someone in the darkness.
A shadowed came closer in the darkness, stepping towards them…
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Hmm…what could be in store for our heroine and her companion?
Will Manwein's jealousy become too much? Will he try anything drastic to win Kasumi over? Is Haydn a threat to Manwein? Will they ever escape? Am I wearing socks?
Now wouldn't you like to know? Lol…but you can't so, deal with it!!! Lol, well I'll be hoping to update Jaded again soon so stay tuned.
If you have any suggestions, comments, questions, complaints, etc…review and/or email me. Namarie!