Sevein walked through the forest, the soft moss tickling her feet. The
sounds of foreign animals assaulted her ears, but she was at peace. These
woods were not silent; they had life, however dark and dank in places it
might be. When she had been in Fangorn forest to the south, the trees were
so old and angry that they would not allow bird nor beast near their edge.
The silence had nearly strangled her.
Initially, it was across the expanses of plains that seemed as if they stretched for ages that she ventured. She could not tell one day from the next out in the Riddermark, until, traveling northwest, she had come to the dank but awe-inspiring Fangorn forest. She had spent about a day there when the trees began to whisper to each other, though she had only heard it as a great creaking, as if all the trees were uprooting themselves at different times. The next day, she had been on her guard, not having slept from fear, but nothing could have prepared her enough for what next she saw. An oak tree opened its...eyes? And the limbs began to move in such a way that it seemed the tree was trying to catch her. She ran out of Fangorn as fast as her legs could carry her, and never looked back.
Sevein shivered at the memory of that forest. She'd been afraid to go near trees since then. But this forest was less cruel. She'd been here for a few days, and the woods had a mysticism about them...a dark and quiet peace that she had not seen anywhere before.
She came out of the trees and stopped as the mossy ground dropped off to the narrow bank of a river. The water looked black, but she assured herself it was probably because of the dark shadow under the heavy trees. Pausing for only a moment, she slid gracefully down the mossy bank and approached the water, carefully gathering her skirts to her knees. Before she dipped her toes in, however, she noticed that the forest had become quiet. She whirled around to face the trees behind her, and as her light brown hair settled at her waist, her cobalt eyes scanned the trees. She had felt someone watching her, but no one was in sight. Shrugging, she turned back around to step into the stream.
"I wouldn't recommend doing that."
She looked up and nearly jumped out of her skin to see a man with a cloak perched in a tree on the other bank. He had a cloak and hood on, but soft blonde hair peeked out at the edges. "And why might that be?" she questioned, eyeing the bow with which he was idly toying.
He peered at the mysterious human who had stumbled into Mirkwood a few days prior. He had seen humans before, but none as curious and peaceful as this one. He had watched her from the trees in fascination, thankful she had stayed to the edges of the forest, for fear his brothers on watch would have shot her on sight.
He smirked under his hood; she could at least see his mouth, if not his eyes. "That water is foul and vicious. But a few drops of that water and you will be cast off into a dark sleep...and perfect for spider food."
Sevein's eyes widened. "Spiders?" She had heard tell of the Giant Spiders of Mirkwood. "I...well...I've sort of...lost my way."
He made a "tut-tut" noise with his tongue. "Pity."
She placed her hands on her hips. She hated to be spoken to like a child or an inferior. "Well, will you show me the way out?"
He was silent for a moment. "No, I don't think I shall..."
She growled low in her throat, but then sighed. "Fine. I shall find my way out on my own." Picking up her skirts again, she stomped off into the woods. "What a foul man..."
Initially, it was across the expanses of plains that seemed as if they stretched for ages that she ventured. She could not tell one day from the next out in the Riddermark, until, traveling northwest, she had come to the dank but awe-inspiring Fangorn forest. She had spent about a day there when the trees began to whisper to each other, though she had only heard it as a great creaking, as if all the trees were uprooting themselves at different times. The next day, she had been on her guard, not having slept from fear, but nothing could have prepared her enough for what next she saw. An oak tree opened its...eyes? And the limbs began to move in such a way that it seemed the tree was trying to catch her. She ran out of Fangorn as fast as her legs could carry her, and never looked back.
Sevein shivered at the memory of that forest. She'd been afraid to go near trees since then. But this forest was less cruel. She'd been here for a few days, and the woods had a mysticism about them...a dark and quiet peace that she had not seen anywhere before.
She came out of the trees and stopped as the mossy ground dropped off to the narrow bank of a river. The water looked black, but she assured herself it was probably because of the dark shadow under the heavy trees. Pausing for only a moment, she slid gracefully down the mossy bank and approached the water, carefully gathering her skirts to her knees. Before she dipped her toes in, however, she noticed that the forest had become quiet. She whirled around to face the trees behind her, and as her light brown hair settled at her waist, her cobalt eyes scanned the trees. She had felt someone watching her, but no one was in sight. Shrugging, she turned back around to step into the stream.
"I wouldn't recommend doing that."
She looked up and nearly jumped out of her skin to see a man with a cloak perched in a tree on the other bank. He had a cloak and hood on, but soft blonde hair peeked out at the edges. "And why might that be?" she questioned, eyeing the bow with which he was idly toying.
He peered at the mysterious human who had stumbled into Mirkwood a few days prior. He had seen humans before, but none as curious and peaceful as this one. He had watched her from the trees in fascination, thankful she had stayed to the edges of the forest, for fear his brothers on watch would have shot her on sight.
He smirked under his hood; she could at least see his mouth, if not his eyes. "That water is foul and vicious. But a few drops of that water and you will be cast off into a dark sleep...and perfect for spider food."
Sevein's eyes widened. "Spiders?" She had heard tell of the Giant Spiders of Mirkwood. "I...well...I've sort of...lost my way."
He made a "tut-tut" noise with his tongue. "Pity."
She placed her hands on her hips. She hated to be spoken to like a child or an inferior. "Well, will you show me the way out?"
He was silent for a moment. "No, I don't think I shall..."
She growled low in her throat, but then sighed. "Fine. I shall find my way out on my own." Picking up her skirts again, she stomped off into the woods. "What a foul man..."