Voices of orcs. Approaching.
Flee, Ariel Flee! Urged her mother.
Too late, they caught up.
Run, Ariel.
No! Screamed Ariel inwardly as her mother was carried away by the orcs.
Ariel awoke, the dreadful nightmare still fresh in her mind. She felt numb and horrified. She had been so helpless then, unable to do anything to help her mother as she was pulled into another world. Burying her face in the pillow, Ariel wept like she never done before.
All saddled and ready, the horses snorted in impatience, eager for the long journey that awaited them. They stamped their feet on the ground, and
"Navaer, son and daughter of Elrond." Ariel felt strange being addressed as such.
Words of farewell were exchanged between King Thranduil and the escorting party. An escort of two other elves, Lildor and Arriane were to travel with them. Food enough for five days was packed.
Ariel saw the excitement and anticipation in Legolas' fair face, and she knew being cooped up at home made him restless.
Mounted and ready, they rode off into the forest, keeping in the middle of the road. They rode on for five hours, stopping only for brief breaks.
It was noon, and they dismounted for mid day meal. Ariel wearily sat upon a rock, as she was about to eat her package of cram, her ears picked up the sound of rustling. She peered into the gloomy and dark forest, trying to make out what caused the noise.
"Legolas!" She shouted in warning, and saw he too heard it. His bow was drawn, taut and ready, and he cautiously approached the forest.
It was worse than an orc. It was the foulest spider Ariel ever saw. It was one of the many descendants of Ungoliant, who devoured the light of the Two Trees. It stood on its many legs, spittle dribbling from it's mouth as it opened it to reveal a set of menacing jaws.
Legolas shot it between its eyes, but it did nothing to pierce the tough hide, and increased its wrath. Ariel, being weaponless, backed off, while Lildor told her to mount the horse.
"Let's go!" Legolas shouted as he leapt onto his steed, when a gasp distracted him.
It came from Ariel, who was being dragged off her horse by a strong spider thread. Burning with fury at the sight of something hurting Ariel, Legolas drew his blade and hacked away at the thread. Very tough it was, for it was no ordinary spider that produced it, but the elven blade proved stronger.
The spider thread drew back like a whip recoiled, snapping back. Legolas took the opportunity to scoop Ariel up into his arms and jumped up onto his horse.
"Noro lim, noro lim, Luinfel" urged Legolas to his horse. And away they sped, the last horse rider-less for a few hours, until Ariel insisted she ride on her own. Legolas reluctantly agreed, for a fierce surge of protectiveness came over him, and he wanted to be assured Ariel would be safe.
So it came to be Ariel found herself flanked by the two escorts, with Legolas at the rear. She thought this to be extremely disconcerting and unnecessary, though she did not say so. It was not as if she was one of royalty, she did not need protection, grumbled Ariel silently to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were fast approaching the Misty Mountains. Lildor informed her earlier that they were taking the High Pass.
For four days they traveled into the narrow valley of the uneven path on foot as the rocky terrain did not allow the use of horses. On both sides loomed tall mountains, their snow peaks were covered with mists, hence their name.
Thickets grew and weeds flourished, here and there the sounds of a mountain stream could be heard rushing down. Legolas was walking by Ariel's side, as he found he liked being in her company, and sought her presence often.
"Mithrandir is a grey wizard. He came out of the West with four others. He is the only one out of the five I respect. He has helped my father by clearing out Dol Guldor, the Nameless Enemy's holding in southern Mirkwood." Legolas was telling Ariel, and continued by telling her all the great deeds he had done, Ariel could see he held utmost reverence for the wizard.
"And there is Aragon, son of Arathorn, true heir to the throne of Gondor. He is also Arwen's love." Ariel listened to this with great interest. And she wondered what would happen when an elf and a mortal shared a love that could never be. The elf could only watch the other grow old while he led an immortal life.
"Such was the fate of Luthien Tinuviel and Beren the one-handed." He told her the story of Luthien and Beren, Ariel was enraptured by the sound of his voice and the tale, as he spoke about the ill-fated love between both of them, and how they traveled to the Dark Lord's pits just to reclaim a jewel, in order for Beren to have Luthien's hand in marriage.
"Farewell sweet earth and northern sky,
For ever blest, since here did lie
And here with lissome limbs did run
Beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun,
Lǘthien Tinuviel
More fair than mortal tongue can tell
Though all to ruin fell the world
And were dissolved and backward hurled
Unmade into the old abyss,
Yet were its making good, for this-
The dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea-
That Luthien, for a time should be."
Legolas sang, and Ariel was captivated, his voice was beautiful, and all who heard it felt all weariness lifted from them. Hearing him sing was joy enough to Ariel.
A faint yet delightful strain of music, undeniably from a harp, floated by, Ariel was drawn to the direction. Adar used to play the harp well. This thought suddenly formed in her mind. Nothing could have sounded sweeter. She began running, and the closer she got, realization dawned on her as swift as the coming of dawn.
"Father." She uttered and behold! There in a valley lay Rivendell, the Last Homely house, dwelling of elves. Waterfalls splashed and rivers gushed. Lush greenery surrounded the slopes of the mountains, pleasing to the eye. It came back at once, the memories hidden in the depths of her mind resurfaced, and blinded by tears, Ariel continued running, as if seeking a precious thing, that might elude her if she did not run faster.
She was home.