Chapter Nine
The last faint rays of the sun sank into the treetops of the forest, the bright red and orange bleeding together with the deep blue indigo of the night sky. The first of faint stars were out now, glimmering softly through the smoky wisps of clouds that passed overhead. She closed her eyes, hearing the small crackle of their fire, enjoying the cool night air. The minutes passed by slowly, one by one, and the acute sensation that she was being watch made her slightly uneasy. Opening one eye, she found Legolas staring at her from across the fire.
"Is there something you want Legolas?" she asked as she sat up; she had dispensed of calling him Prince, finding it somewhat cumbersome to say every time she talked to him.
"No. I thought you were sleeping." he said it as if it was the strangest thing he had ever seen.
"Well, we all have to sleep at one point or another." she paused as something occurred to her. "Do Elves even sleep? Like go to bed and sleep for the night?"
"As humans do; no. We sleep, yes, but in a much different manner. For a minute, I thought you may have died." a small amused smile crossed his face briefly.
"Funny." she said rubbing her neck absentmindedly. "Perhaps then you would have to see if I was still breathing."
"What happened there?" he asked as he stirred the stew in the small pot she brought with her; the faint scar didn't escape his vision.
"Someone nearly cut my throat once." she said before she could stop herself. 'Great...' She glanced up at Legolas to see quiet shock on his face. Lowering her eyes, she pulled the hem of her cloak higher and hunched her shoulders. "It's nothing really; just forget I even mentioned it."
"Part of the tale you don't wish to speak of." he stated a fact.
She swallowed rubbing her face briskly. "A better part to be sure. Is the stew almost done?"
Legolas nodded as he seated himself cross-legged. "Why would someone try to slit your throat?"
Kayla shrugged as she watched the flames. "It was a dark night and the town was burning. He probably thought he could kill me and collect money for my head. I was masquerading as an Irish princess despite the fact that I lived with the Vikings."
"Vikings?" Legolas' voice held a tinge of curiosity.
"Not of this world. They basically lived like brutes, if you could see them now. Ships to raid from the richer countries, fend for yourself in the village...that's one time I nearly died."
"You almost died more than once? How many wars have you been involved in?"
She gave a dry laugh. "To be honest Legolas, I lost count after my one thousandth one. It doesn't matter what time period I recall or what year I look upon fondly, there was always a fight for one reason or another."
Legolas didn't say anything, simply rising and coming over and seating himself beside her. He looked at her with a question in his eyes, his hand half raised. She nodded her head before tilting her head to the side slightly. The silence was broken by the occasional popping sound from the fire as Legolas looked at her scar more carefully, his fingers trailing down it to the middle of her neck. He finally turned away, the look in his eyes much different from before.
"I see why you don't wish to talk about it."
She gave a small understanding smile as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Not everything was bad about that world. Maybe later, once we continue along, I'll tell you some of the tales I knew and lived through."
"Actually, I find myself more interested in the cultures." he gave her a smile. "Perhaps you could start with something varied with many threads in it?"
"Then I have the perfect one to start with when we finish here." she said. "But now, shall we attend to dinner?"
Kayla found herself looking up into the thick dark canopy of trees that screened out all the light leaving their path covered in murky darkness. "I see why it is called Mirkwood."
Legolas nodded. "Stay close. It is far too easy to become lost in these woods if you aren't familiar with them."
Kayla gave a small snort, staying beside Legolas as he followed a near invisible path. "Now then; where was I?"
"At the part when the Romans went down into the land called Africa."
"Ah yes. Africa..." she remained silent, evoking the bright yellow sun and the myriad of scents upon the thick humid air. "It was something else. I think you would have been very interested there Legolas. The port cities had the most exquisite things you could think of."
"You've travelled upon a sea?" he glanced at her, hearing the word 'port'. "Was it wide?"
"Very. All you see for miles around you is bright blue and white. Sometimes, there are birds circling out over the water, where fish are. And the faintest of silhouettes appears suddenly, rising from the depths before they sink back down to who knows where. The horizon is so flat, it's almost like someone created it from a perfectly straight ruler. Sometimes at night, you can't tell where the sky ends and the waters begin. It's smooth like dark glass with diamonds trapped inside."
"And the air? I've heard that sea air is somewhat salty; is that true?"
"It is. But I find it to be rather invigorating. Legolas, there's just something about the sea that I can't explain." she shrugged somewhat helplessly. 'Odd...it was only the Anduin...never the seas...' "Anyways, I was supposed to telling you about Africa, wasn't I?"
He nodded. "But I would like to hear more of the sea eventually. We're almost at the city."
"Really?" Kayla looked ahead, noticing a glow coming from in between the trees, like guiding beams.
She glanced over at Legolas who looked at her with a smile before he urged his horse forward. 'He's glad to be home.' She spurred her horse after him, the light becoming stronger. She stopped suddenly, a gleam from the shadows making her peer into the black depths more. The slightly visible orb moved the light bouncing off of it. 'Go away. You aren't needed here.' She started at the sphere until it melted back into the shadows, only the dark remaining. Feeling oddly buoyed by this, she hurried after Legolas, not wanting to make a terrible impression on her first visit.
"Where are we off to now?" she asked as she dismounted from her horse and gave the reins to the waiting groom.
"To see my father." Legolas replied. "He'll be very pleased to meet you. At least I hope-"
They both turned seeing Kayla's horse start to make a ruckus, curling his lips back to show very large teeth that he clacked together threateningly. Irritated, Kayla stomped back to her mount and yanked on the reins, looking the animal straight in the eye.
"I suggest you behave yourself or you can stay in the woods my friend. We are guests, so act like it. If I hear you've been giving trouble to these nice young men here..." she let her sentence hang in the air as she arched an eyebrow. "Good." she released the reins as the horse gave a loud, and somewhat resigned, snort. "We'll go out tomorrow; I get the feeling you don't want to be cooped up once more. For now behave." she patted the side affectionately before walking back to the stable door.
"That is a fairly interesting horse you have there." Legolas commented as they walked down the hallways. "Always so...'spirited'?"
"I suppose." she shrugged. "He only seems to really listen to me, aside from Midori. He didn't give this much trouble at Lothlórien." she looked around as they approached the caves. "Is that your home?"
"Yes." the pride in his voice was evident. "For caves, they are actually quite comfortable and spacious. They are actually fairly deep inside the mountain but we manage to help the trees grow there."
"Trees in a mountain...hm, I guess I could give it a try." she murmured. "And then when the introductions are said and done, you can explain this sleep thing to me. I'm still rather lost."
"Not a problem Kayla. This way; Father is most likely in his study right now."
Kayla nodded as they turned down the hallway, her hand settling on her dagger hilt in a defensive gesture. There were many hidden eyes watching as they walked down that hall; and her instincts told her that one of them certainly wasn't friendly in the slightest.
"Are you in there Kayla?"
She looked up from her book, hearing a voice at the door. "Enter." she said rising. "Ah Legolas, what are you doing here?"
"Surely you didn't mean to spend your entire visit here in you room?" he asked.
"No." she tucked the book away, a bit guiltily; she was somewhat busy trying to figure out Elvish. It had irked her to no end that King Thranduil mainly spoke both the Elven languages and knew very little of Westron, leaving Legolas to translate the bulk of her kind words. "Just doing a bit of reading, that's all. Why?"
"Come. We are going out into the forest today."
"Really?" her face lit up. "Give me a few minutes."
As soon as Legolas closed the door, she whipped out of her spare clothes and changed into her more settled in outfit of traveling clothes. Walking out, she spotted Legolas at the end of the hallway, talking to the rather stern person. Walking up, she caught the oblique glance that was thrown her way.
"Ah. You truly did take a few minutes." Legolas said. "Kayla, this is Vioviel, she's coming with us."
"A pleasure." she murmured, extending her hand. Slight embarrassment overtook her as the person simply looked at her hand and gave a curt nod. "Sorry Sir."
The person bristled visibly at that, spinning on their heel abruptly and walking down the hall. Kayla looked between Vioviel and Legolas.
"What did I say?"
"Vioviel is a woman." Legolas eyes betrayed the mirth that didn't show on his expressionless face. "Don't worry; I thought the same when I saw her first when I was younger."
"That's a small comfort." she said quietly as they started down the hall. 'Note to self: never say that Midori is too closed off and not talkative enough.' "Off on foot we go; I get the feeling that Vioviel wouldn't be too fond of my horse."
Nothing more was said as they walked down the stone hallway and down the steps to where the first of the trees stood in a forbidding semicircle. Vioviel didn't say anything as she disappeared into the thick murk, expecting them to follow. Kayla plunged in right beside Legolas, her eyes, adjusting rapidly. Yet even with that, all she saw was a vague indistinct silhouette moving ahead of them.
"Legolas-" she started.
"Sh." he whispered, leaning in close to speak in her ear. "Don't speak beyond necessary. There are creatures with hearing as sharp as ours."
Kayla nodded her head as she moved forward once more; she took a deep breath to still her racing heart. 'He shouldn't do that. I could have done something I may have regretted.' Shaking off the feeling, she watched as they walked through the eerily silent forest, the invisible strings of cobwebs trailing down from random branches. 'It's a dark type of beautiful; a macabre twist on the woodland it should have been; I rather like it. . .' A sharp tug on her jacket drew her attention as Legolas motioned to something off to the side. She followed him to find Vioviel standing in front of a tiny patch of light. There, in the pool, a single flower bloomed, its face outstretched towards the life giving light.
Crouching down beside it, Kayla peered at it carefully amazed that something with a delicate beauty could grow in such a harsh place. She looked up at Vioviel and Legolas before she reached out slowly.
A sharp crack echoed out from the encroaching darkness, making the other two Elves whip around, tense and ready to strike. Kayla didn't make any known movement, but her hand had closed around the hilt of her dagger. She relaxed it slightly as she felt Vioviel tap her on the shoulder. She looked up to see the woman make a jerking motion with her head, back in to direction that they had come. She gave a reluctant sigh, hand descending to touch the fine petals for a brief moment. It was when the next crash came from the trees that she stood, dagger drawn. She stood just in time as well for an explosion of motion came burst the trees, barrelling right towards them.
Kayla barely had time to duck and move as legs came whipping towards her, hairy and tipped with vicious looking claws. She gave a snarl before she charged right in, slashing and stabbing with quick powerful motions that left her free to defend with her other hand. 'Now is when I wish I had my lochaber.' She dismissed the thought as she saw Vioviel cornered by five of the hideous beasts, their shiny bloated bodies blocking her from seeing the faces. Legolas was somewhere off in the murk, not seen, but the sound of his battle echoed out clearly.
Slashing savagely at the leg of one of the creatures, she managed to sever the leg. The fell beast writhed on the forest floor, its voice uttering a terrible shriek as it lunged forward and sank a fang into her shoulder. With a cry, she tossed her dagger to her other hand and stabbed at its mouth, making it detach its hold on her. Then she flipped it around din the palm of her hand and made for its eyes. Her dagger sank to the hilt in its target, the beast finally collapsing to the ground.
She scrambled over its corpse, slashing at Vioviel attackers, in order to make way for her to escape. 'Shit. . .' She saw one of the animals in the process of spinning some strange white thread around the Elf who was fighting back weakly, as if drugged. With a roar, she charged in once more, dagger seeking the soft flesh and causing more eerie screams to echo out over the forest.
After what seemed forever, the rest of the attackers fled, leaving the few dead behind. Bending down, she cut the strings around Vioviel and hefted her up onto her shoulder. Coming to the small clearing, she bent down as a puddle glistened in the light. She wrinkled her nose at the smell; it reminded her too much of brimstone and many of the potions that alchemist used to concoct.
"Kayla!"
She rose quickly as Legolas came back into the clearing. "We have to head back. Vioviel. . .I don't know what happened to her. She's unconscious now."
Legolas nodded as she took a step forward, lurching a bit unsteadily. "Your shoulder!" he stepped forward quickly; it looked as if she would fall.
She glanced down to see a noxious black substance coating her upper arm. Blinking rapidly, she shook her head; whatever the substance was, it seemed to affecting her more rapidly than she thought. "I'll make it back. You don't look like you're in such great shape yourself."
Legolas didn't say anything more as he started back through the trees, walking by her side almost anxiously. She paused, looking back at the clearing. The little flower that had bloomed once was now lying crumpled on the grass, withered, bent and blackened with death, a ring of yellow grass surrounding it. She shook her head once more, trying to shake off the memory that suddenly decided to overlay itself in her mind at the moment. 'It's nothing. It's just nothing. I didn't kill it.'
She staggered sometimes, her vision staring to blur slightly at the edges. Trees loomed up suddenly out of nowhere and their roots seemed to snatch at her feet and threatened to make stumble. More than once, she found Legolas materializing out of thin air to catch her and steady her in her feet. She could hear herself mumble something in reply but the haze of her mind didn't process what she said. By the time she made it back everything had blurred together in the miasma of the light. Voices made it to her ears as she relinquished Vioviel to someone. The gasps that flew round were the last thing she heard before she crumpled to the ground.
"Wake up."
Kayla frowned at the harsh intrusion of the voice into her mind. 'Go away. Leave me be Annatar.' She felt rather exhausted and didn't wish to move at all yet.
"Wake up." the words were followed by a somewhat hard shake to her shoulder.
She paused, opening her eyes to slits. Kayla found herself facing Vioviel's usual stern look as she sat on the side of her bed. So she wasn't a figment of her mind she could banish at will. "What do you want?"
"You; you led the spiders to us."
"What?!" she sat up like a shot, rage blazing in her eyes, more from Vioviel's words than her bluntness. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?!"
"It's the truth. From the moment we, or rather you, stepped into the forest, I felt something come from far; as if it was drawn to you. It hid itself well though. Only someone as old as I could sense it; no youngling could know how."
Kayla narrowed her eyes; she clearly heard the tone behind the word 'you' and 'youngling'. "Well, let me tell you something. For all your age, it did nothing to help you. Or should I say me; I was nearly killed myself trying to save you from the spiders."
"I did not need saving." Vioviel said.
"Fine whatever it takes to save yourself a bruising. But you know as well as I do that you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me." Kayla said in a clipped tone. Shrugging, she felt the tension of a well wrapped bandage; she didn't want to picture the size of the wound. It had felt like a pike had been driven in again.
Vioviel rose looking at her with something of a cold expression. "Know that I have watched you for the past few days Lady Arlonniel. I was there when you first came and I shall be here once you leave for good."
"Fine then. Keep an eye on me for all I care; I have nothing to hide and you will soon find that your 'claims' are far from the truth." Kayla looked at her. "If you will excuse me."
Rising from her bed, she swept past Vioviel without a word leaving the infirmary. She closed the door and turned around, to find herself facing a gaggle of Elven children, looking at her with wide eyes.
"Ah...may I help you all?" she asked, managing a smile.
One small boy stepped forward. "Is it true?"
Kayla couldn't help but smile at his whisper. "Is what true?"
"That you killed a spider? With only a little Man dagger?"
Kayla floundered for a minute, thinking; her dagger was the normal size. "I killed a spider, yes. With a dagger, that is also true."
Hurried murmurs passed through the kids before the boy spoke again.
"Could you tell us the story?"
She crossed her arms slightly, watching the child. 'It seems that Elves have this partiality for tales and the like.' "Are you sure you wish to hear it?"
Fifteen eager heads bobbed eagerly.
"Come then." she said, starting them down the hall, guiding them with her uninjured arm. "We'll find a nice spot under the trees and you'll find out what happened."