Chapter 4: Horse Ride to Nowhere
( ) = translation * * = thoughts " " = speech
Estel read and re-read the note a few times. This horse knew the way to the way to the next clue? How long would it take? Would he be back before dark? Where was the next clue? What is the deal with the white arrow? *Too many questions, but I'm never going to get any answers just thinking about It.* Setting his resolve to ride the horse to the next clue he began to search through the packs to see what supplies he had been provided. In the pack, there was a water-resist cloak, a thick blanket, a spare tunic, a pair of boots, a small meal and a small med pack with a few bandages and two needles. After memorizing the contents of the pack he emptied his pockets of the two notes, the horse hair and the wine and placed them inside the pack also. He kept the stones in his pocket, not wanting to part with such beauty. He walked up to the horse, hoping it understood common.
"Okay, I was directed to you, can you take me to the next clue?" The horse bucked its head in what can only be interpreted as a yes. "Thank you my friend. Please ride like the wind, speed is of the utmost urgency." He climbed up onto the horse, as soon as his feet were secured in the stir- rups, the horse took off, bolting through the trees and almost dislodging his rider in the process. After the shaky start, Estel managed to regain his bearing and hold on to the horse as it flew through the trees.
***************
Legolas watched on from the dense forest with glee as he saw the graceful horse galloping off towards the Blue Falls waterfall, near the borders of Mirkwood but far enough away to avoid the patrols. Estel was hanging on for everything he was worth struggling to regain his bearing before he fell off.
This display of ungraceful and unorthodox riding was found extremely amusing by the elegant, graceful prince. *He did ask Fire Light to make haste.* Legolas smiled at the idiocy of the young ranger.
" (Ride fast, Moonlight my friend, we must match your brother's speed) " The prince urged his snow white horse to ride hard. Taking off along a straighter, easier path that was running parallel to the curvy path that Estel took. *By taking this path, I should arrive before Estel with enough time to set up my little welcome.*
***************
After almost an hour of hard riding, Legolas had finally reached the top of the Blue Falls waterfall. *I hope Estel encountered as many detours as I did. I should have come here more often, it has changes too much. Even th trees feel different.* " (Stay here, Moonlight, stay quiet) "
The prince elf then removed a length of thick, sturdy rope and tied it around a tree. The strong knot was tightened as legolas gave a mighty heave against the rope to ensure it could hold his weight. Satisfied that it could, he took a small pouch out from the pack on the horse.
" (I'll be right back my friend) " Legolas reassured his stead. He then walked over to a rock and pushed it aside. *Strange, it seemed much heavier when I was younger.*
Pushing the rock far enough, Legolas dropped the rope down the hole and Legolas lowered himself down. Once on the ground Legolas began working on igniting the candles. Being 2.900 years old, Legolas had plenty of practise using the night stones and soon the light was burning bright. Leaving one lit candle beside the rope, Legolas moved down the short path to the waterfall entrance, where Estel should enter the cave, he placed the second lit candle close to the entrance. He then pulled another note from his hidden pocket in his sleeve and placed it beside the candle. After he was sure the candle could draw the attention of the young ranger, he went back to the first candle and placed the carrying case and two more night stones, then climbed the rope.
*See you soon Estel!*
***************
Estel arrived at the waterfall within approximately one hour. As he was directed to by the note found on the horse, he immediately secured the horse to a nearby tree and began to search the surrounding trees for a white arrow. After a fruitless search around the forest close to the waterfall, Estel remembered the note didn't say 'where' the arrow was. After a quick scan on the river bed, Estel concluded he needed to swim underneath the water the find the arrow. Removing his cloak he placed it into the pack on the horse. He left his quiver and bow on the saddle of the horse, hoping that they should be safe within the Mirkwood borders. He then wrapped the water-proof cloak that he found in the pack around it and secured it to his belt. After ensuring that all his swords and daggers were secure, Estel dove into the water and was soon rewarded with the discovery of an arrow made from white river stones. Following the direction of the arrow, Estel had discovered an underwater path. Following the trail, Estel had found a cave.
Estel broke through the surface of the water, gasping in lungfuls of damp cave air into his oxygen-stricken lungs. Climbing out of the water, the young ranger lay on his back, gasping for breathe as he tried to slow his rapidly beating heart. *When I get back to the northern training facilities, I'm going to work on holding my breathe underwater and swimming with shoes on.* After wringing as much water as possible from his clothes and emptying the water in his boots into small pools on the cave floor, Estel looked around the cavern and noticed a light.
Walking towards the light, he noticed that it was a candle, a candle that looked suspiciously like the candles that often lit the tables and halls in the palace. *Maybe the person works at the palace.* Beside the candle was yet another note. Drying his hands as best he could on his damp tunic, he picked up the note. It read:
"Ranger boy,
Dry yourself off. There's a spare tunic in the pack you should have bought with you. Don't want you to freeze before you find me, now do we? Clue: Light to Light then twice up you go."
Estel mulled over this for a few moments. * 'light to light'? Well, that must mean this candle, but to another light Must be another candle somewhere. An maybe an exit, or another clue.* Estel dried himself with the thick blanket as best he could without trying to saturate the blanket in case he needed it dry for later. Stripping off his wet tunic, Estel quickly changed into the spare tunic that was in the pack. This spare tunic at first looked heavy and tough but when he put it on, it was surprisingly light, *of course, it's an elf tunic, plenty of room and flexibility to accommodate the elven lifestyle and tough enough to remain sturdy.* He quickly changed his shoes to the dry one's he found in the pack, they were too big for him. *maybe the elf thought I had big feet.* Estel wrung the rest of the water from his old tunic and shoes, then wrapped them in the water proof cloak to stop the water from wetting the other contents in his pack.
Wearing the new drier tunic and boots, and all his possessions in the pack, he shouldered the pack, picked up the candle and set out to find the other 'light' the note talked about. However, not far down the track, Estel ran into a division in the path. Two tunnels that went in opposite directions. *If I go the wrong way, who knows how much of a detour it would be, or how long it will take to get back on track. Better choose carefully* Putting down his pack and the candle, Estel closed his eyes and threw his senses into the atmosphere around him. As Estel could depend on his eyes to guide him, he used his other senses to aid him. His hearing caught the sound of rustling leaves, but due to the close quarters in the cave, he couldn't be sure of were it came from, he moved to his next sense, touch. He placed his hands on the wall and felt for any type of vibration that could signal the way out. Again he felt nothing. Then he moved to his next sense, smell. He walked several steps into the tunnel leading right, took several deep breaths and memorized what he smelt on the air. Then he walked several steps into the tunnel leading left. Again he took several deep breaths and let them out. *This tunnel has the freshest air, I'll go down this one*
Estel walked for what seemed liked an age. His shoulders were still sore from the archery practice with Legolas and his legs and buttocks were saw from the fast paced horse ride on the way hear, and the sudden jumps the horse did when they ran into a fallen tree or a small mountain slide. He had to back track more than a few times. Finally, as the smell of fresh air became more distinct, Estel saw the flickering of light around the corner, anticipation caused his steps to go longer in an attempt to reach the light sooner.
Rounding the corner, Estel was confronted with a candle identical to the one he was holding. And directly beside the candle, Estel saw a pack with two more beautiful stones. Both black but one had red veins and the other had white. Estel finally discovered the significance of these stones. These were the Night Stones that elves used to light their way if they don't have a candle, or they could be used to light a candle or torch. They emit heat and light when the elf holding it says a special phrase which no one but the rightful owner of the stone can ever know.
Placing the two new stones next to the two stones had found earlier with the clues, he shouldered his pack yet again and began the climb up the rope.
*****************
He reached the top with only a small pain in his toe that was caused when the rocks he was using to help pull him up came loose and he tried to regain his footing too fast and kicked his toe. Scrambling out into the sunshine, Estel had to cover his eyes and squint into the bright mid- afternoon light. When his eyes had become accustom to the light, Estel looked around for the next clue; all he saw was a pile of junk. A larger search of the area showed there was nothing out of the ordinary.
*how is a pile of junk supposed to help me?* Estel rummaged through the pile heartlessly. All there that was in the pile was an old grapple hook, two pieces of curved, thick, hard metal and 5 small rusty metal pieces in the shape of stars among a large assortment of broken orc armour, broken weapons. *What an odd combination. This is supposed to get me somewhere?? There must be a clue, grapple hook, curved metal and stars. There's no connection. Wait, the last clue, I've only done half of it. 'light to light, then twice up you go.' I've gone the light of one candle to the light of another, and went up the rope, but I'm supposed to go up twice.* Estel turned around and saw that there was indeed another place that he had to go up. It was a very steep, mean looking mountainside wall. Looking at the vertical seemingly unclimbable wall, Estel gulped at the task he was supposed to do. He walked over to the wall and looked it over for the first few hand holds.
*It's sheer rock, no holds of any kind for quite a while up, certainly way out of my reach. I could use the rope to climb up but it hasn't been attached to the cliff already. It isn't anchored properly. I must have to use something. The grapple hook!! I'll have to attach the rope to it, toss it up then climb up, oh man, that means I'm going to have to take my pack with me and it's already heavy enough. I'll just take what I think I'll need, if I don't need it, I'll pitch it somewhere. Man my pack is going to be heavy. Shoulders, I hope you're ready for this.* Estel moved over to the tree that held the rope secure. Quickly undoing the elf knot, Estel attached the grapple hook onto the rope. Securing the rope to the hook was the easy part, getting the grapple caught on a steady piece of rock so that he could climb was not.
After several attempts, Estel finally caught the grapple on a seemingly stable rock, but on the first tug, it quickly became dislodge. It took Estel many attempts and many failures before he finally got the grapple lodged in a wedge of rock and it seemed to be stuck fast. Estel quickly heaved himself up the rope, going as fast as he could so as to save his shoulders from the pack that was now packed full of junk.
Finally reaching the place that the grapple had finally caught on, Estel tried to dislodge it to help get him up the rest of the mountain. However, the grapple wouldn't budge. It was caught in a crack in the rock and having to support both Estel's weight and the weight of all the junk, it had become deeply imbedded in the rock and Estel had no chance to get it free. Admitting defeat, Estel finding just untied the rope, curled it up, tied it to his belt then set to the new task, getting up the wall without a grapple. Feeling the rock, he was surprise to feel it fall away. The rock here was very soft. It moved away as he dug his hands into the rock.
*This isn't rock; it looks like stone but feels like sand. Unusual, if I should be able to climb this easy as I can make my own hand and foot holes.* Trying to test his theory, Estel kicked the wall to see how far his foot would go in and if it could support his weight. It went in easy enough; however, it didn't stay in, as soon as he put any weight on it, the sandstone beneath it gave way. *If only I could manage to get my foot in further, then it should support my weight. But how? If I do it too many times, my feet will be so sore I won't be able to walk, let alone continue on this quest.* Thinking to the junk in case, he remembered the two curvy pieces of thick metal. If he slid them into his shoes, they should make it easier to climb. Setting his pack on the narrow ledge, Estel quickly found the two pieces and slipped them into his shoes. *This elf is smart; it saved enough room for these pieces as it knew I would need them. I just thought it thought I had big feet. I look forward to meeting this elf very much.*
*********************
Estel had finally finished scaling the wall. It had taken an hour, but he got there. Estel stood up as straight as he could to stretch every muscle in his body and give it some time to recover his strength and have something to eat. He took out the now squashed bread and slightly stale cheese and sat down to relax as he enjoyed the simple meal. He had only a few hours left until it would be completely dark. He finished the meal much too fast for his liking. It wasn't very filling, just enough to keep him going. Shouldering his pack again, Estel set out to find the next clue.
Looking around, Estel finally found the next clue. Unfortunately, it was in an unclimbable tree and was hanging by a piece of rope that went across a wide gap and was attached to a target on the other side. The rope was positioned in the dead centre of the target.
*Oh great, that's just fantastic. I couldn't bring my bow and arrows or they would have gotten wet. I need something shape to throw at it. The stars! This is freaking me out slightly now, this elf has set every task for me to use the items that it arranges me to. I've never even seen one of these before let alone used one. Can't be too hard, after all, it did give me...* Estel counted them quickly. *TEN!!! TEN!!! Oh man, this elf must have little faith that I'll be able to do it. Ok, I'll just pretend it's like a bow and arrow. Lock the wrist, square the shoulders, guide the star to the target. And throw...* Estel threw the star, it landed just below the target. Estel repeated this 8 more times. Each time he was just short of it. *One left Estel. If you miss this, then you'll have to depart with one or possibly all of your daggers, better get it right.* Estel breathed slowly, calming himself, and he focused on the target, and threw the star and quickly closed his eyes. He knew that he had hit the target when he felt like a bunch of rocks hit him on the head. It was the next clue. Another note accompanied by more stones. There stones however weren't the special Night Stones, they were boring ordinary stones. The note said:
"To the ranger boy,
Climb down, from your place now, and head towards the sun set, you will find me on the way waiting for you."
*That's it, I climbed up a huge cliff just to get a note that says to climb down again and head west. Oh man, that is so not fair.*
**************
Estel had finally made it to the bottom of the mountain. His pack was considerably lighter as he assumed that he no longer needed the other junk items. But he kept the caps in his boots, as it made walking easier when he didn't have to worrying about his boots slipping.
*Soon* Estel promised himself *Soon I will know my tricky little elf friend.* Estel was so preoccupied with his triumph that he didn't pay attention to his surrounding. As he walked through a particularly thick piece of shrub, on the other side, he came face-to-face with a group of 30 ugly orcs. *AHHH!!!!!!* Estel was frozen with shock. He felt the rough ugly hands of the orcs grab him before he could gather his thoughts again. He felt himself being tied and his pack and weapons taken from me. Estel was in shock. This was his first encounter with an orc. Sure he had seen them at a distance. But the other rangers had always made him stay behind, at a safe distance. The stench was over powering. He couldn't think with that smell. Or the sight of such a hideous face in front of him. What was he going to do? No one but the tricky elf had the faintest idea where he was. He had heard the pleasure that orcs got out of torturing people that were stupid enough to stumble upon them. *Stupid people like Me.* Estel chided himself, he should have heard the orcs, they aren't the most quiet of creatures. Even if his hearing wasn't working properly, his nose was. The smell was enough to warn the creatures, why didn't he smell it?
"Such a pretty, little, human child. I wonder why he decided to visit our modest camp. He's not an elf. Maybe he was with an elf friend. We could use him as bait to lure any elf friends he had out there. They would be more fun to torture then a mere human child." Said the orc that he first ran into, at least, Estel thought it was the first orc Estel ran into when we emerged from the dense vines, Estel couldn't be sure; all the hideous creatures looked alike.
"A good idea, a much better prey then a stupid child. Tie him to the large boa pine tree that Yuikli tied the last one to, it has a good view." Said the orc, what Estel assumed was the head orc in the group, with a malicious smile on his face. "And if he has no friends, then we can ensure that he never will make any. Make sure you tie him properly, and gag him, don't want our little piggy to squeal on us." At the lack of response from Estel the head orc laughed. "He's still too stunned to respond. Probably never meet an orc before, let's make it an experience he'll never forget." The head orc still laughed as Estel was dragged off and fastened to a tree just outside the camp. *Nice going Estel, now what are you going to do?* Estel pondered to himself, not quite sure on how to answer it.
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Please review. Due to my slow posting of chapter 3, I decided to postpone my studies to bring you this chapter as fast as humanly/elfingly possible. (is elfingly even a word??) Hope you's enjoy it! (
( ) = translation * * = thoughts " " = speech
Estel read and re-read the note a few times. This horse knew the way to the way to the next clue? How long would it take? Would he be back before dark? Where was the next clue? What is the deal with the white arrow? *Too many questions, but I'm never going to get any answers just thinking about It.* Setting his resolve to ride the horse to the next clue he began to search through the packs to see what supplies he had been provided. In the pack, there was a water-resist cloak, a thick blanket, a spare tunic, a pair of boots, a small meal and a small med pack with a few bandages and two needles. After memorizing the contents of the pack he emptied his pockets of the two notes, the horse hair and the wine and placed them inside the pack also. He kept the stones in his pocket, not wanting to part with such beauty. He walked up to the horse, hoping it understood common.
"Okay, I was directed to you, can you take me to the next clue?" The horse bucked its head in what can only be interpreted as a yes. "Thank you my friend. Please ride like the wind, speed is of the utmost urgency." He climbed up onto the horse, as soon as his feet were secured in the stir- rups, the horse took off, bolting through the trees and almost dislodging his rider in the process. After the shaky start, Estel managed to regain his bearing and hold on to the horse as it flew through the trees.
***************
Legolas watched on from the dense forest with glee as he saw the graceful horse galloping off towards the Blue Falls waterfall, near the borders of Mirkwood but far enough away to avoid the patrols. Estel was hanging on for everything he was worth struggling to regain his bearing before he fell off.
This display of ungraceful and unorthodox riding was found extremely amusing by the elegant, graceful prince. *He did ask Fire Light to make haste.* Legolas smiled at the idiocy of the young ranger.
" (Ride fast, Moonlight my friend, we must match your brother's speed) " The prince urged his snow white horse to ride hard. Taking off along a straighter, easier path that was running parallel to the curvy path that Estel took. *By taking this path, I should arrive before Estel with enough time to set up my little welcome.*
***************
After almost an hour of hard riding, Legolas had finally reached the top of the Blue Falls waterfall. *I hope Estel encountered as many detours as I did. I should have come here more often, it has changes too much. Even th trees feel different.* " (Stay here, Moonlight, stay quiet) "
The prince elf then removed a length of thick, sturdy rope and tied it around a tree. The strong knot was tightened as legolas gave a mighty heave against the rope to ensure it could hold his weight. Satisfied that it could, he took a small pouch out from the pack on the horse.
" (I'll be right back my friend) " Legolas reassured his stead. He then walked over to a rock and pushed it aside. *Strange, it seemed much heavier when I was younger.*
Pushing the rock far enough, Legolas dropped the rope down the hole and Legolas lowered himself down. Once on the ground Legolas began working on igniting the candles. Being 2.900 years old, Legolas had plenty of practise using the night stones and soon the light was burning bright. Leaving one lit candle beside the rope, Legolas moved down the short path to the waterfall entrance, where Estel should enter the cave, he placed the second lit candle close to the entrance. He then pulled another note from his hidden pocket in his sleeve and placed it beside the candle. After he was sure the candle could draw the attention of the young ranger, he went back to the first candle and placed the carrying case and two more night stones, then climbed the rope.
*See you soon Estel!*
***************
Estel arrived at the waterfall within approximately one hour. As he was directed to by the note found on the horse, he immediately secured the horse to a nearby tree and began to search the surrounding trees for a white arrow. After a fruitless search around the forest close to the waterfall, Estel remembered the note didn't say 'where' the arrow was. After a quick scan on the river bed, Estel concluded he needed to swim underneath the water the find the arrow. Removing his cloak he placed it into the pack on the horse. He left his quiver and bow on the saddle of the horse, hoping that they should be safe within the Mirkwood borders. He then wrapped the water-proof cloak that he found in the pack around it and secured it to his belt. After ensuring that all his swords and daggers were secure, Estel dove into the water and was soon rewarded with the discovery of an arrow made from white river stones. Following the direction of the arrow, Estel had discovered an underwater path. Following the trail, Estel had found a cave.
Estel broke through the surface of the water, gasping in lungfuls of damp cave air into his oxygen-stricken lungs. Climbing out of the water, the young ranger lay on his back, gasping for breathe as he tried to slow his rapidly beating heart. *When I get back to the northern training facilities, I'm going to work on holding my breathe underwater and swimming with shoes on.* After wringing as much water as possible from his clothes and emptying the water in his boots into small pools on the cave floor, Estel looked around the cavern and noticed a light.
Walking towards the light, he noticed that it was a candle, a candle that looked suspiciously like the candles that often lit the tables and halls in the palace. *Maybe the person works at the palace.* Beside the candle was yet another note. Drying his hands as best he could on his damp tunic, he picked up the note. It read:
"Ranger boy,
Dry yourself off. There's a spare tunic in the pack you should have bought with you. Don't want you to freeze before you find me, now do we? Clue: Light to Light then twice up you go."
Estel mulled over this for a few moments. * 'light to light'? Well, that must mean this candle, but to another light Must be another candle somewhere. An maybe an exit, or another clue.* Estel dried himself with the thick blanket as best he could without trying to saturate the blanket in case he needed it dry for later. Stripping off his wet tunic, Estel quickly changed into the spare tunic that was in the pack. This spare tunic at first looked heavy and tough but when he put it on, it was surprisingly light, *of course, it's an elf tunic, plenty of room and flexibility to accommodate the elven lifestyle and tough enough to remain sturdy.* He quickly changed his shoes to the dry one's he found in the pack, they were too big for him. *maybe the elf thought I had big feet.* Estel wrung the rest of the water from his old tunic and shoes, then wrapped them in the water proof cloak to stop the water from wetting the other contents in his pack.
Wearing the new drier tunic and boots, and all his possessions in the pack, he shouldered the pack, picked up the candle and set out to find the other 'light' the note talked about. However, not far down the track, Estel ran into a division in the path. Two tunnels that went in opposite directions. *If I go the wrong way, who knows how much of a detour it would be, or how long it will take to get back on track. Better choose carefully* Putting down his pack and the candle, Estel closed his eyes and threw his senses into the atmosphere around him. As Estel could depend on his eyes to guide him, he used his other senses to aid him. His hearing caught the sound of rustling leaves, but due to the close quarters in the cave, he couldn't be sure of were it came from, he moved to his next sense, touch. He placed his hands on the wall and felt for any type of vibration that could signal the way out. Again he felt nothing. Then he moved to his next sense, smell. He walked several steps into the tunnel leading right, took several deep breaths and memorized what he smelt on the air. Then he walked several steps into the tunnel leading left. Again he took several deep breaths and let them out. *This tunnel has the freshest air, I'll go down this one*
Estel walked for what seemed liked an age. His shoulders were still sore from the archery practice with Legolas and his legs and buttocks were saw from the fast paced horse ride on the way hear, and the sudden jumps the horse did when they ran into a fallen tree or a small mountain slide. He had to back track more than a few times. Finally, as the smell of fresh air became more distinct, Estel saw the flickering of light around the corner, anticipation caused his steps to go longer in an attempt to reach the light sooner.
Rounding the corner, Estel was confronted with a candle identical to the one he was holding. And directly beside the candle, Estel saw a pack with two more beautiful stones. Both black but one had red veins and the other had white. Estel finally discovered the significance of these stones. These were the Night Stones that elves used to light their way if they don't have a candle, or they could be used to light a candle or torch. They emit heat and light when the elf holding it says a special phrase which no one but the rightful owner of the stone can ever know.
Placing the two new stones next to the two stones had found earlier with the clues, he shouldered his pack yet again and began the climb up the rope.
*****************
He reached the top with only a small pain in his toe that was caused when the rocks he was using to help pull him up came loose and he tried to regain his footing too fast and kicked his toe. Scrambling out into the sunshine, Estel had to cover his eyes and squint into the bright mid- afternoon light. When his eyes had become accustom to the light, Estel looked around for the next clue; all he saw was a pile of junk. A larger search of the area showed there was nothing out of the ordinary.
*how is a pile of junk supposed to help me?* Estel rummaged through the pile heartlessly. All there that was in the pile was an old grapple hook, two pieces of curved, thick, hard metal and 5 small rusty metal pieces in the shape of stars among a large assortment of broken orc armour, broken weapons. *What an odd combination. This is supposed to get me somewhere?? There must be a clue, grapple hook, curved metal and stars. There's no connection. Wait, the last clue, I've only done half of it. 'light to light, then twice up you go.' I've gone the light of one candle to the light of another, and went up the rope, but I'm supposed to go up twice.* Estel turned around and saw that there was indeed another place that he had to go up. It was a very steep, mean looking mountainside wall. Looking at the vertical seemingly unclimbable wall, Estel gulped at the task he was supposed to do. He walked over to the wall and looked it over for the first few hand holds.
*It's sheer rock, no holds of any kind for quite a while up, certainly way out of my reach. I could use the rope to climb up but it hasn't been attached to the cliff already. It isn't anchored properly. I must have to use something. The grapple hook!! I'll have to attach the rope to it, toss it up then climb up, oh man, that means I'm going to have to take my pack with me and it's already heavy enough. I'll just take what I think I'll need, if I don't need it, I'll pitch it somewhere. Man my pack is going to be heavy. Shoulders, I hope you're ready for this.* Estel moved over to the tree that held the rope secure. Quickly undoing the elf knot, Estel attached the grapple hook onto the rope. Securing the rope to the hook was the easy part, getting the grapple caught on a steady piece of rock so that he could climb was not.
After several attempts, Estel finally caught the grapple on a seemingly stable rock, but on the first tug, it quickly became dislodge. It took Estel many attempts and many failures before he finally got the grapple lodged in a wedge of rock and it seemed to be stuck fast. Estel quickly heaved himself up the rope, going as fast as he could so as to save his shoulders from the pack that was now packed full of junk.
Finally reaching the place that the grapple had finally caught on, Estel tried to dislodge it to help get him up the rest of the mountain. However, the grapple wouldn't budge. It was caught in a crack in the rock and having to support both Estel's weight and the weight of all the junk, it had become deeply imbedded in the rock and Estel had no chance to get it free. Admitting defeat, Estel finding just untied the rope, curled it up, tied it to his belt then set to the new task, getting up the wall without a grapple. Feeling the rock, he was surprise to feel it fall away. The rock here was very soft. It moved away as he dug his hands into the rock.
*This isn't rock; it looks like stone but feels like sand. Unusual, if I should be able to climb this easy as I can make my own hand and foot holes.* Trying to test his theory, Estel kicked the wall to see how far his foot would go in and if it could support his weight. It went in easy enough; however, it didn't stay in, as soon as he put any weight on it, the sandstone beneath it gave way. *If only I could manage to get my foot in further, then it should support my weight. But how? If I do it too many times, my feet will be so sore I won't be able to walk, let alone continue on this quest.* Thinking to the junk in case, he remembered the two curvy pieces of thick metal. If he slid them into his shoes, they should make it easier to climb. Setting his pack on the narrow ledge, Estel quickly found the two pieces and slipped them into his shoes. *This elf is smart; it saved enough room for these pieces as it knew I would need them. I just thought it thought I had big feet. I look forward to meeting this elf very much.*
*********************
Estel had finally finished scaling the wall. It had taken an hour, but he got there. Estel stood up as straight as he could to stretch every muscle in his body and give it some time to recover his strength and have something to eat. He took out the now squashed bread and slightly stale cheese and sat down to relax as he enjoyed the simple meal. He had only a few hours left until it would be completely dark. He finished the meal much too fast for his liking. It wasn't very filling, just enough to keep him going. Shouldering his pack again, Estel set out to find the next clue.
Looking around, Estel finally found the next clue. Unfortunately, it was in an unclimbable tree and was hanging by a piece of rope that went across a wide gap and was attached to a target on the other side. The rope was positioned in the dead centre of the target.
*Oh great, that's just fantastic. I couldn't bring my bow and arrows or they would have gotten wet. I need something shape to throw at it. The stars! This is freaking me out slightly now, this elf has set every task for me to use the items that it arranges me to. I've never even seen one of these before let alone used one. Can't be too hard, after all, it did give me...* Estel counted them quickly. *TEN!!! TEN!!! Oh man, this elf must have little faith that I'll be able to do it. Ok, I'll just pretend it's like a bow and arrow. Lock the wrist, square the shoulders, guide the star to the target. And throw...* Estel threw the star, it landed just below the target. Estel repeated this 8 more times. Each time he was just short of it. *One left Estel. If you miss this, then you'll have to depart with one or possibly all of your daggers, better get it right.* Estel breathed slowly, calming himself, and he focused on the target, and threw the star and quickly closed his eyes. He knew that he had hit the target when he felt like a bunch of rocks hit him on the head. It was the next clue. Another note accompanied by more stones. There stones however weren't the special Night Stones, they were boring ordinary stones. The note said:
"To the ranger boy,
Climb down, from your place now, and head towards the sun set, you will find me on the way waiting for you."
*That's it, I climbed up a huge cliff just to get a note that says to climb down again and head west. Oh man, that is so not fair.*
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Estel had finally made it to the bottom of the mountain. His pack was considerably lighter as he assumed that he no longer needed the other junk items. But he kept the caps in his boots, as it made walking easier when he didn't have to worrying about his boots slipping.
*Soon* Estel promised himself *Soon I will know my tricky little elf friend.* Estel was so preoccupied with his triumph that he didn't pay attention to his surrounding. As he walked through a particularly thick piece of shrub, on the other side, he came face-to-face with a group of 30 ugly orcs. *AHHH!!!!!!* Estel was frozen with shock. He felt the rough ugly hands of the orcs grab him before he could gather his thoughts again. He felt himself being tied and his pack and weapons taken from me. Estel was in shock. This was his first encounter with an orc. Sure he had seen them at a distance. But the other rangers had always made him stay behind, at a safe distance. The stench was over powering. He couldn't think with that smell. Or the sight of such a hideous face in front of him. What was he going to do? No one but the tricky elf had the faintest idea where he was. He had heard the pleasure that orcs got out of torturing people that were stupid enough to stumble upon them. *Stupid people like Me.* Estel chided himself, he should have heard the orcs, they aren't the most quiet of creatures. Even if his hearing wasn't working properly, his nose was. The smell was enough to warn the creatures, why didn't he smell it?
"Such a pretty, little, human child. I wonder why he decided to visit our modest camp. He's not an elf. Maybe he was with an elf friend. We could use him as bait to lure any elf friends he had out there. They would be more fun to torture then a mere human child." Said the orc that he first ran into, at least, Estel thought it was the first orc Estel ran into when we emerged from the dense vines, Estel couldn't be sure; all the hideous creatures looked alike.
"A good idea, a much better prey then a stupid child. Tie him to the large boa pine tree that Yuikli tied the last one to, it has a good view." Said the orc, what Estel assumed was the head orc in the group, with a malicious smile on his face. "And if he has no friends, then we can ensure that he never will make any. Make sure you tie him properly, and gag him, don't want our little piggy to squeal on us." At the lack of response from Estel the head orc laughed. "He's still too stunned to respond. Probably never meet an orc before, let's make it an experience he'll never forget." The head orc still laughed as Estel was dragged off and fastened to a tree just outside the camp. *Nice going Estel, now what are you going to do?* Estel pondered to himself, not quite sure on how to answer it.
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Please review. Due to my slow posting of chapter 3, I decided to postpone my studies to bring you this chapter as fast as humanly/elfingly possible. (is elfingly even a word??) Hope you's enjoy it! (