A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! They made me really happy, keep
them coming =)
Ithiloth sneaked from her room quietly, and past the guards. The great gates of the palace were locked, she did not even need to try them. Clothed in a dark dress and one of the Lórien cloaks the Fellowship should get many years later, she was almost invisible - almost. A rash movement, a loud footfall, and the guards had noticed that something was wrong. Now there was but the option to run. If they caught her, they would not let her go.
She could hear their calls already, and knew they were close, when she opened a door hidden behind a tapestry, and disappeared through it. Though she had not lived for long in Tranduil´s Halls, Legolas had once showed her every hidden way, and this one they had used particularly often to go outside at night.
No torches lit the pitch-black corridor here, and the walls were hewn of rough stone. With both hands on the walls, she crept forward slowly, always fearing that she might be discovered... but she was lucky, and it didn´t happen. Eventually, she could go no further - a wooden door was blocking her way - the door leading outside.
Fumbling blindly for the handle, she eventually managed to pull it open, and blinked as the cold morning air clashed into her face. The sky was still dark, but the stars were fading already, the surest sign for the approaching dawn. And after the darkness she had been in, everything seemed dazzlingly bright to her green eyes.
She had reached the courtyard, and hidden behind a bush watched the going- ons there. Stableboys were already up and about, and a maid crossed the place to fetch water. It would not be easy, this she knew, but she had to try it, for Legolas´ sake.
She walked over the yard and over to her horse without raising much suspicion. Not many people paid attention to her, as she stood by Meril. She spent no time saddling the black horse, but led her out of the stables quietly.
In the next moment she was on Meril´s back, spurring her to a full gallop out of the gates. Shouts followed her, as her hood flew back to reveal her red hair, unusual for elves. The escape had worked... now all she needed to do was to find Legolas.
"Tell your King that Legolas and Ithiloth will soon return to you!" she called back over her shoulder, and disappeared in the forest.
She turned South into the direction of the Old Forest Road, since she knew that this was the way Legolas would use on his way home. Ithiloth hoped to encounter him there, perhaps he had really been delayed... but her heart told her otherwise, she knew that something had happened to him... but she didn´t want to believe in this.
Though she knew it was not wise, and despite the search parties that Thranduil had sent, Ithiloth herself vowed to find him and bring him home safely. Tightening the grip on her dagger, she rode onward, until the day dawned, always keeping her eyes open for some, for any sign of her beloved.
When the sun set on that day, she once feared that there were riders following her, but if there were, they did not find her... after a while, the thundering of the hooves subsided, and the only sounds were those of the birds and beasts of the wood, and the gurgling water of a little river beside the moss-covered path.
Soon the darkness had fallen - it was autumn already, and the first leaves fell from the trees. In the night, she lit a fire, hoping that if Legolas was near, he would see it and come to her. Holding her bow and arrows in hand, ready to shoot, she stayed awake through the night, and watched the one star she could see through the strong boughs of the trees, that formed a roof overhead of her, through which not much light came, not even at day. Even then it was dark there, as if night clung to the trees by means of some foul magic....
"Earendil, please watch over him. You journeyed to Valinor forsaking your kin to save them, can´t you save him as well?"
Tears shot into her eyes at the thought that she might never see Legolas again, never feel his touch and never look into his beautiful blue eyes again. The knuckles of her hand turned white from the hard grip she had on her dagger, but despite the pain, and because of the exhaustion of riding the whole day, she soon fell asleep beside the fire, while slowly but surely burnt down to ashes, offering her no more warmth and safety. She woke up shortly after the last embers had stopped to glow. Sitting up, she looked around, puzzled and sleepy, not realizing where she was. But when the low cry of some nightly bird echoed through the dark forest, she remembered why she had departed from the palace.
She continued riding South the next day, and the wood grew steadily darker around her. The hoary old trees were tangled, and their branches gave the impression of clawing hands that tried to reach Ithiloth. She eventually had to dismount, and continue her way on foot. Not much of her surroundings changed on the next day, but eventually, the trees before grew less, and opened to what at first appeared to be a large clearing, but was indeed the Old Forest Road.
With a cry of joy she mounted Meril in one swift, elegant movement, and started riding, in the hopes of finding Legolas on his way home. She was in rather good spirits and rejoiced to see bits of sky here and there between the boughs, and able to breathe cleaner air than the moist, tomb-like air that she had been forced to inhale beneath the trees.
Her joy did not last long.
* * *
OOOH! Cliffhanger. Kinda. So, what will happen next? Can you guess?
Sorry that the chapter is so short but I had a lot to do for school, and have still. This was the only thing I was able to write in the last few months. I hope you'll like it, though! And I promise to update more often in the future!
Ithiloth sneaked from her room quietly, and past the guards. The great gates of the palace were locked, she did not even need to try them. Clothed in a dark dress and one of the Lórien cloaks the Fellowship should get many years later, she was almost invisible - almost. A rash movement, a loud footfall, and the guards had noticed that something was wrong. Now there was but the option to run. If they caught her, they would not let her go.
She could hear their calls already, and knew they were close, when she opened a door hidden behind a tapestry, and disappeared through it. Though she had not lived for long in Tranduil´s Halls, Legolas had once showed her every hidden way, and this one they had used particularly often to go outside at night.
No torches lit the pitch-black corridor here, and the walls were hewn of rough stone. With both hands on the walls, she crept forward slowly, always fearing that she might be discovered... but she was lucky, and it didn´t happen. Eventually, she could go no further - a wooden door was blocking her way - the door leading outside.
Fumbling blindly for the handle, she eventually managed to pull it open, and blinked as the cold morning air clashed into her face. The sky was still dark, but the stars were fading already, the surest sign for the approaching dawn. And after the darkness she had been in, everything seemed dazzlingly bright to her green eyes.
She had reached the courtyard, and hidden behind a bush watched the going- ons there. Stableboys were already up and about, and a maid crossed the place to fetch water. It would not be easy, this she knew, but she had to try it, for Legolas´ sake.
She walked over the yard and over to her horse without raising much suspicion. Not many people paid attention to her, as she stood by Meril. She spent no time saddling the black horse, but led her out of the stables quietly.
In the next moment she was on Meril´s back, spurring her to a full gallop out of the gates. Shouts followed her, as her hood flew back to reveal her red hair, unusual for elves. The escape had worked... now all she needed to do was to find Legolas.
"Tell your King that Legolas and Ithiloth will soon return to you!" she called back over her shoulder, and disappeared in the forest.
She turned South into the direction of the Old Forest Road, since she knew that this was the way Legolas would use on his way home. Ithiloth hoped to encounter him there, perhaps he had really been delayed... but her heart told her otherwise, she knew that something had happened to him... but she didn´t want to believe in this.
Though she knew it was not wise, and despite the search parties that Thranduil had sent, Ithiloth herself vowed to find him and bring him home safely. Tightening the grip on her dagger, she rode onward, until the day dawned, always keeping her eyes open for some, for any sign of her beloved.
When the sun set on that day, she once feared that there were riders following her, but if there were, they did not find her... after a while, the thundering of the hooves subsided, and the only sounds were those of the birds and beasts of the wood, and the gurgling water of a little river beside the moss-covered path.
Soon the darkness had fallen - it was autumn already, and the first leaves fell from the trees. In the night, she lit a fire, hoping that if Legolas was near, he would see it and come to her. Holding her bow and arrows in hand, ready to shoot, she stayed awake through the night, and watched the one star she could see through the strong boughs of the trees, that formed a roof overhead of her, through which not much light came, not even at day. Even then it was dark there, as if night clung to the trees by means of some foul magic....
"Earendil, please watch over him. You journeyed to Valinor forsaking your kin to save them, can´t you save him as well?"
Tears shot into her eyes at the thought that she might never see Legolas again, never feel his touch and never look into his beautiful blue eyes again. The knuckles of her hand turned white from the hard grip she had on her dagger, but despite the pain, and because of the exhaustion of riding the whole day, she soon fell asleep beside the fire, while slowly but surely burnt down to ashes, offering her no more warmth and safety. She woke up shortly after the last embers had stopped to glow. Sitting up, she looked around, puzzled and sleepy, not realizing where she was. But when the low cry of some nightly bird echoed through the dark forest, she remembered why she had departed from the palace.
She continued riding South the next day, and the wood grew steadily darker around her. The hoary old trees were tangled, and their branches gave the impression of clawing hands that tried to reach Ithiloth. She eventually had to dismount, and continue her way on foot. Not much of her surroundings changed on the next day, but eventually, the trees before grew less, and opened to what at first appeared to be a large clearing, but was indeed the Old Forest Road.
With a cry of joy she mounted Meril in one swift, elegant movement, and started riding, in the hopes of finding Legolas on his way home. She was in rather good spirits and rejoiced to see bits of sky here and there between the boughs, and able to breathe cleaner air than the moist, tomb-like air that she had been forced to inhale beneath the trees.
Her joy did not last long.
* * *
OOOH! Cliffhanger. Kinda. So, what will happen next? Can you guess?
Sorry that the chapter is so short but I had a lot to do for school, and have still. This was the only thing I was able to write in the last few months. I hope you'll like it, though! And I promise to update more often in the future!