Chapter 6
"How far away are we, Legolas?" Joey asked as they broke camp. The sun was already up and they were still a long way from Rivendell, it seemed. "Just three more weeks," Legolas said as he packed up his things. They had already been travelling for three weeks, but it's felt like no time at all because after the incident with Atheral, they had become better friends and enjoyed each other's company. Legolas paused in his motions and listened intently to the noises around him. "Stay here, I can hear something," Legolas said as he put his bag down again. "I'll be back soon," he said as he leapt into a tree and was out of sight. Joey continued to break camp and finished packing Legolas' bag for him, noting that he had only taken his elven blades and had left his bow, quiver, and sword by a tree. When Joey was finished, she sat down and waited for Legolas to get back.
A couple of hours passed and Joey was starting to get worried because Legolas hadn't come back yet. She wanted to go looking for him, but she didn't know which way he had gone.
"I'll just have guess," Joey thought to herself as she got up. "He's been too long. Now, where should I start?" As if to answer her question, a wind blew west, in the direction of Rivendell. "West it is, then," she thought to herself, picking up both packs and slinging on Legolas' weapons. The bags were surprisingly light, so it was easy going for Joey as she searched for Legolas.
~*~
After about forty minutes of walking, Joey was starting to wonder if she had gone the right way.
"Trust in nature," Joey thought to keep her hopes up. Suddenly, she saw something white and gleaming in the green grass of the forest floor. Curious, Joey walked over to take a closer look at what it was. As she got closer, her fear increased. The gleaming object was one of Legolas' daggers. She picked it up and looked around. there was no sign of Legolas, but the other blade was lying over to her left with a piece of paper attached to it. She opened it to find a note written in Elvish, but it made little difference. Joey could read Elvish as if it were her first language:
Head north and you will find a cave. In the cave, you will find your missing friend.
Joey turned the note around, but found nothing else written on it. Picking up the blades and adding it to her load, she headed north in search of a cave.
~*~
After another hour of walking, Joey found the cave. Not knowing what to expect, she walked slowly in. The cave was lit and was spacious. The area she walked seemed almost like a hall that led to a room, but it didn't. At the end of the corridor, she could make out someone standing there, but the person didn't move. As she got closer, she realized who it was and started to run.
"Legolas," Joey whispered as she ran. "Legolas!" she shouted, as the elf didn't respond. She realized he wasn't standing on his own free will. His arms were bound to a slab of wood behind him, forcing him in an upright position. His head lulled over to the left and he appeared to be unconscious. "Please, please be alright," Joey thought to herself as she put down her stuff and went over to him. Joey took a look at him and discovered a lump on the back of his head as if he had been struck form behind. She placed a hand on his cheek and heard him moan slightly and stir. "He is strong," a voice said from behind Joey, making her jump. "I didn't expect him to wake up soon." Slowly, Joey turned around and when she saw who it was, she gasped. "Atheral?" Joey said in a whisper. Atheral smiled, but there was something dark about the smile that made a chill run down Joey's spine. She eyed the weapons she had abandoned on the ground but knew she couldn't move as quick as the elf. "Hello, milady," Atheral said with an exaggerated flourish. "I am pleased you could join us." "What do you want?" Joey said, trying to get to the point. "You know what I want," Atheral said, his eyes looking at her hungrily. Joey closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping a look of disgust at bay. She opened her eyes again with a determined fire within them. "If I give you want you wish," Joey said slowly, eyeing the waking Legolas. "You will release Legolas and I afterwards, and never bother us again." "I will do what you wish, milady," Atheral said, placing a hand on her waist as she tried not to flinch. He turned her towards another corridor, but she stopped before they went any further. "I wish to say something to Legolas, first," Joey said, turning back to the injured elf. "Legolas, I will be back for you," she said slowly, making sure Legolas heard her. "No," Legolas said, struggling to de-fog his brain. "Don't do it, Joey." Joey placed a hand on his cheek and he raised his head to look at her, pleading with her to stay. "You have sacrificed much for me on our journeys together, my friend," Joey said, her voice stronger than she felt. "Let me do the same for you." "No," Legolas said, struggling against the restraints. "No!" he shouted as Atheral led Joey away. "Don't go."
As soon as they were out of sight, Atheral led Joey towards a wall, pressing her back towards it as he held her upper arms and looked down at her. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, but it didn't matter to him. He bent and kissed her deeply, but Joey didn't struggle. He kissed her deeper, his hands traveling form her arms down to her waist. His lips travelled down to her neck as his hands travelled to the sides of her thighs, and still she didn't struggle, though her brain was crying for help. In one motion, there was a loud crack and Atheral was suddenly on the floor, unconscious. Joey's eyes flew open to see what had happened.
"Glorfindel!" Joey cried, giving her grandfather a hug. "How did you know I was here?" "My heart has been telling me trouble was following you, so I set out to find you," Glorfindel said, glaring at the elf on the floor. "I followed your tracks here," he said, turning his attention back on Joey. "Are you alright?" Joey nodded and the fire returned to his eyes. "Good. Now, there's one thing left," he said, raising his sword over Atheral. "No, Glorfindel!" Joey cried, her eyes widening. "I know he has hurt Legolas and has tried to hurt me, but he is an immortal being. I don't want to see something so pure die." Glorfindel shook his head, but he lowered his sword. "He is far from being pure," Glorfindel said, looking at the elf again. "His actions tell us that much. If you do not wish to kill him, then he will live, but he will be brought to Rivendell so Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel can decide what to do with him." "How do you expect to do that?" Joey said, looking down at Atheral. "He will wake up." Glorfindel reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. "With this on, he will not wake up until it is taken off," Glorfindel said as he stooped to put the bracelet around the elf's wrist. "Let's go," he said, picking up the feather-light elf.
~*~
"Legolas," Joey said as Glorfindel cut the bonds holding the elf. Legolas was conscious, but seemed dazed and pitched forward when his arms were freed because of the sudden lack of support. Joey caught him in her arms and wrapped them around his waist to hold him steady. "I'm so sorry, my friend," she murmured into his ear. "Glorfindel, is he alright?" Glorfindel looked at Legolas and placing a hand on his forehead, was surprised to find a light fever starting. "We need to get him to Rivendell," Glorfindel said. "I think he has been poisoned. I have two horses waiting outside, so you will have to take him with you." "But we're still weeks away!" Joey exclaimed. "How will we make it in time?" "There is a shortcut that is not known to many," Glorfindel explained as he picked up Atheral again. "By horse, we will be there in less than a week. Now come on, there is no time to waste."
Outside the cave, Glorfindel helped Legolas and Joey onto a silver- white horse before placing Atheral and himself on his own chestnut brown horse.
"Hold on, Legolas," Joey said into his ear as she grabbed the reins and kept Legolas steady in the saddle by wrapping her arms around him. With a quick word, the horses were off, feeling the urgency of their riders.
"How far away are we, Legolas?" Joey asked as they broke camp. The sun was already up and they were still a long way from Rivendell, it seemed. "Just three more weeks," Legolas said as he packed up his things. They had already been travelling for three weeks, but it's felt like no time at all because after the incident with Atheral, they had become better friends and enjoyed each other's company. Legolas paused in his motions and listened intently to the noises around him. "Stay here, I can hear something," Legolas said as he put his bag down again. "I'll be back soon," he said as he leapt into a tree and was out of sight. Joey continued to break camp and finished packing Legolas' bag for him, noting that he had only taken his elven blades and had left his bow, quiver, and sword by a tree. When Joey was finished, she sat down and waited for Legolas to get back.
A couple of hours passed and Joey was starting to get worried because Legolas hadn't come back yet. She wanted to go looking for him, but she didn't know which way he had gone.
"I'll just have guess," Joey thought to herself as she got up. "He's been too long. Now, where should I start?" As if to answer her question, a wind blew west, in the direction of Rivendell. "West it is, then," she thought to herself, picking up both packs and slinging on Legolas' weapons. The bags were surprisingly light, so it was easy going for Joey as she searched for Legolas.
~*~
After about forty minutes of walking, Joey was starting to wonder if she had gone the right way.
"Trust in nature," Joey thought to keep her hopes up. Suddenly, she saw something white and gleaming in the green grass of the forest floor. Curious, Joey walked over to take a closer look at what it was. As she got closer, her fear increased. The gleaming object was one of Legolas' daggers. She picked it up and looked around. there was no sign of Legolas, but the other blade was lying over to her left with a piece of paper attached to it. She opened it to find a note written in Elvish, but it made little difference. Joey could read Elvish as if it were her first language:
Head north and you will find a cave. In the cave, you will find your missing friend.
Joey turned the note around, but found nothing else written on it. Picking up the blades and adding it to her load, she headed north in search of a cave.
~*~
After another hour of walking, Joey found the cave. Not knowing what to expect, she walked slowly in. The cave was lit and was spacious. The area she walked seemed almost like a hall that led to a room, but it didn't. At the end of the corridor, she could make out someone standing there, but the person didn't move. As she got closer, she realized who it was and started to run.
"Legolas," Joey whispered as she ran. "Legolas!" she shouted, as the elf didn't respond. She realized he wasn't standing on his own free will. His arms were bound to a slab of wood behind him, forcing him in an upright position. His head lulled over to the left and he appeared to be unconscious. "Please, please be alright," Joey thought to herself as she put down her stuff and went over to him. Joey took a look at him and discovered a lump on the back of his head as if he had been struck form behind. She placed a hand on his cheek and heard him moan slightly and stir. "He is strong," a voice said from behind Joey, making her jump. "I didn't expect him to wake up soon." Slowly, Joey turned around and when she saw who it was, she gasped. "Atheral?" Joey said in a whisper. Atheral smiled, but there was something dark about the smile that made a chill run down Joey's spine. She eyed the weapons she had abandoned on the ground but knew she couldn't move as quick as the elf. "Hello, milady," Atheral said with an exaggerated flourish. "I am pleased you could join us." "What do you want?" Joey said, trying to get to the point. "You know what I want," Atheral said, his eyes looking at her hungrily. Joey closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping a look of disgust at bay. She opened her eyes again with a determined fire within them. "If I give you want you wish," Joey said slowly, eyeing the waking Legolas. "You will release Legolas and I afterwards, and never bother us again." "I will do what you wish, milady," Atheral said, placing a hand on her waist as she tried not to flinch. He turned her towards another corridor, but she stopped before they went any further. "I wish to say something to Legolas, first," Joey said, turning back to the injured elf. "Legolas, I will be back for you," she said slowly, making sure Legolas heard her. "No," Legolas said, struggling to de-fog his brain. "Don't do it, Joey." Joey placed a hand on his cheek and he raised his head to look at her, pleading with her to stay. "You have sacrificed much for me on our journeys together, my friend," Joey said, her voice stronger than she felt. "Let me do the same for you." "No," Legolas said, struggling against the restraints. "No!" he shouted as Atheral led Joey away. "Don't go."
As soon as they were out of sight, Atheral led Joey towards a wall, pressing her back towards it as he held her upper arms and looked down at her. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, but it didn't matter to him. He bent and kissed her deeply, but Joey didn't struggle. He kissed her deeper, his hands traveling form her arms down to her waist. His lips travelled down to her neck as his hands travelled to the sides of her thighs, and still she didn't struggle, though her brain was crying for help. In one motion, there was a loud crack and Atheral was suddenly on the floor, unconscious. Joey's eyes flew open to see what had happened.
"Glorfindel!" Joey cried, giving her grandfather a hug. "How did you know I was here?" "My heart has been telling me trouble was following you, so I set out to find you," Glorfindel said, glaring at the elf on the floor. "I followed your tracks here," he said, turning his attention back on Joey. "Are you alright?" Joey nodded and the fire returned to his eyes. "Good. Now, there's one thing left," he said, raising his sword over Atheral. "No, Glorfindel!" Joey cried, her eyes widening. "I know he has hurt Legolas and has tried to hurt me, but he is an immortal being. I don't want to see something so pure die." Glorfindel shook his head, but he lowered his sword. "He is far from being pure," Glorfindel said, looking at the elf again. "His actions tell us that much. If you do not wish to kill him, then he will live, but he will be brought to Rivendell so Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel can decide what to do with him." "How do you expect to do that?" Joey said, looking down at Atheral. "He will wake up." Glorfindel reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. "With this on, he will not wake up until it is taken off," Glorfindel said as he stooped to put the bracelet around the elf's wrist. "Let's go," he said, picking up the feather-light elf.
~*~
"Legolas," Joey said as Glorfindel cut the bonds holding the elf. Legolas was conscious, but seemed dazed and pitched forward when his arms were freed because of the sudden lack of support. Joey caught him in her arms and wrapped them around his waist to hold him steady. "I'm so sorry, my friend," she murmured into his ear. "Glorfindel, is he alright?" Glorfindel looked at Legolas and placing a hand on his forehead, was surprised to find a light fever starting. "We need to get him to Rivendell," Glorfindel said. "I think he has been poisoned. I have two horses waiting outside, so you will have to take him with you." "But we're still weeks away!" Joey exclaimed. "How will we make it in time?" "There is a shortcut that is not known to many," Glorfindel explained as he picked up Atheral again. "By horse, we will be there in less than a week. Now come on, there is no time to waste."
Outside the cave, Glorfindel helped Legolas and Joey onto a silver- white horse before placing Atheral and himself on his own chestnut brown horse.
"Hold on, Legolas," Joey said into his ear as she grabbed the reins and kept Legolas steady in the saddle by wrapping her arms around him. With a quick word, the horses were off, feeling the urgency of their riders.