CHAPTER4
Nat then went round and put them all around the pitch to where they were supposed to be standing. The elves looked petrified and stood perfectly still, not daring to move a muscle. "Right then, erm.who wants to bowl?"
No-one put their hand up. "OK then, I'll bowl then shall I?"
Nat took up her place in the bowler's square, and looked Andurinal in the eye. Andurinal gulped and began to shake. Nat drew back her arm and bowled it. Andurinal closed his eyes and swung the bat in front of him. He hit the ball and it sailed past and landed at an elf's feet. Nobody moved. "Run!" Nat shouted to Andurinal. A look of panic and confusion swept over Andurinal and he ran and leapt into the nearest tree.
"NO!" Nat bellowed, as she saw Andurinal peering out from the canopy of the tree, "bah! Never mind! Never mind!"
Then Nat turned to the elf that had the ball at his feet. "Pick the ball up! Throw it to me! Quick, quick! Pick it up and throw it to me!"
The elf bit his lip and cautiously picked up the ball as if he expected it to bite him. He held it away from him, eyeing it suspiciously.
"Throw it!" Nat insisted. The elf looked at the ball one last time and threw it wildly in the air. The ball flew back down and the elf ran out of the way shrieking,
"The thing that you call a ball! It's attacking me! ARGH!" then he leapt up the tree which Andurinal was cowering up.
Nat rolled her eyes and faced the elves that were fielding, "Look," she said, "when the ball comes your way, you catch it, or pick it up, and then you throw it to me! And you are allowed to move to catch it!"
She then looked up at Andurinal and the other elf in the tree. "Are you two coming down?" When they shook their heads, Nat sighed and yelled, "We need another batter!"
This time Legolas stepped forward. He picked up the bat and turned to face Nat. Nat took aim and bowled, and Legolas swung the bat so that the ball sailed in a perfect arc, landing somewhere near the last fielder. "Now RUN" Nat shouted. Legolas ran forward, and past where he was supposed to run. "STOP!" cried Nat, "you only run to there and back again!"
Legolas did a kind of pirouette in the air, as he turned around and sprinted back the other way. Meanwhile the fielding elves had picked the ball up, ran to Nat and put it into her hand. Jennie laughed as Nat rolled her eyes. As she turned round to bowl to Legolas again, she saw him still running. "STOP," she shouted, almost bored, "you have to stop running and get ready to hit it when I have the ball in my hand."
Legolas stopped running and went back the batting area. Nat bowled again, and Legolas hit it again. A young elf had his hands out and the ball fell neatly into them. "OUT!" Nat yelled.
"What?" asked Legolas, clearly confused.
"That elf, er. Doeiviel? Caught the ball and so you are out,"
Legolas shrugged and went off the pitch and sat under the tree where the other two elves were hiding. This time a rather grumpy old female elf picked up the bat and took her place. She successfully hit it, which resulted in three more elves up the tree. "Come on everyone, we can get her out!"
Nat then went round and put them all around the pitch to where they were supposed to be standing. The elves looked petrified and stood perfectly still, not daring to move a muscle. "Right then, erm.who wants to bowl?"
No-one put their hand up. "OK then, I'll bowl then shall I?"
Nat took up her place in the bowler's square, and looked Andurinal in the eye. Andurinal gulped and began to shake. Nat drew back her arm and bowled it. Andurinal closed his eyes and swung the bat in front of him. He hit the ball and it sailed past and landed at an elf's feet. Nobody moved. "Run!" Nat shouted to Andurinal. A look of panic and confusion swept over Andurinal and he ran and leapt into the nearest tree.
"NO!" Nat bellowed, as she saw Andurinal peering out from the canopy of the tree, "bah! Never mind! Never mind!"
Then Nat turned to the elf that had the ball at his feet. "Pick the ball up! Throw it to me! Quick, quick! Pick it up and throw it to me!"
The elf bit his lip and cautiously picked up the ball as if he expected it to bite him. He held it away from him, eyeing it suspiciously.
"Throw it!" Nat insisted. The elf looked at the ball one last time and threw it wildly in the air. The ball flew back down and the elf ran out of the way shrieking,
"The thing that you call a ball! It's attacking me! ARGH!" then he leapt up the tree which Andurinal was cowering up.
Nat rolled her eyes and faced the elves that were fielding, "Look," she said, "when the ball comes your way, you catch it, or pick it up, and then you throw it to me! And you are allowed to move to catch it!"
She then looked up at Andurinal and the other elf in the tree. "Are you two coming down?" When they shook their heads, Nat sighed and yelled, "We need another batter!"
This time Legolas stepped forward. He picked up the bat and turned to face Nat. Nat took aim and bowled, and Legolas swung the bat so that the ball sailed in a perfect arc, landing somewhere near the last fielder. "Now RUN" Nat shouted. Legolas ran forward, and past where he was supposed to run. "STOP!" cried Nat, "you only run to there and back again!"
Legolas did a kind of pirouette in the air, as he turned around and sprinted back the other way. Meanwhile the fielding elves had picked the ball up, ran to Nat and put it into her hand. Jennie laughed as Nat rolled her eyes. As she turned round to bowl to Legolas again, she saw him still running. "STOP," she shouted, almost bored, "you have to stop running and get ready to hit it when I have the ball in my hand."
Legolas stopped running and went back the batting area. Nat bowled again, and Legolas hit it again. A young elf had his hands out and the ball fell neatly into them. "OUT!" Nat yelled.
"What?" asked Legolas, clearly confused.
"That elf, er. Doeiviel? Caught the ball and so you are out,"
Legolas shrugged and went off the pitch and sat under the tree where the other two elves were hiding. This time a rather grumpy old female elf picked up the bat and took her place. She successfully hit it, which resulted in three more elves up the tree. "Come on everyone, we can get her out!"