"Do you know of which path you plan for us to travel?" The words
interrupted Aragorn, as he sat on a rock in the clearing, the smoke from
his pipe circling him as he stared into the distance. The sun was slowly
setting and shadows were beginning to grow and encircle the party.
"Well, I-," the man began, but was cut off as Legolas quickly raised his hand and turned his head slightly to the left. Aragorn followed his elven friend's example and began listening for any unnatural noises.
There it was again. Leaves rustling, but it wasn't on the ground. Unidentifiable by human hearing, the sounds only confused the elf. What kind of creature uses the trees to travel, but is too heavy to be an elf? The creature took to the ground running. Now on the earth, the foot beats were clear. The creature was running straight for them and quickly. There was no doubt of the creature's lack of elvinity as it gave up silence for speed. And it had that speed. It was coming fast, recklessly so. There were heavier footprints behind it now. They were farther away, but already within hearing range for the elf. Orcs. They were chasing it. Soon even Aragorn could here the enemy's approach.
Legolas was somewhat impressed as the men readied themselves for the nearing encounter. The dense foliage of the forest was not friendly to travelers, but it barely impeded their visitor. A cloaked boy broke out of the woods, heading straight for the warriors.
"Danger! They're coming!" he screamed. When the boy was about five feet from us, he stopped and turned his back to us. The child took out a sword from under his cloak and took a fighting stance. Did he really think he could help? Even the elf who did not know greatly of the world of men could tell from the human's stature that this one was young. The child's head would not even reach his chin.
"Get back boy!" Aragorn said as he grabbed the youth and pulled him behind. At this time, the orcs began to pour out of the woods. The elf began shooting as soon as they were visible and then joined his friend with his swords when the orcs were within reach. Although both men were mighty warriors, the sheer numbers of the enemy forced the pair to not be able to handle themselves and protect the child fully. They were doing their best, but time would wear the men down. Legolas noticed out of the corner of his eye, the child step out from the blockade that had been made on both sides of him and begin to fight as well. He couldn't help pondering over the unusual weapon and the boy's obvious skill with it. There was no chance for him alone against the orcs, but he was, none the less, fairly capable in swordsmanship.
Aragorn sliced clean through the neck of the last orc as the boy and elf cleaned off their blades. The boy's cloak was still perfectly in place, showing nothing of him besides his worn boots. Like the sword, it too was unusual. Legolas couldn't help comparing them to elven products, yet there were obvious differences. The sword was clearly thin and lightweight with a curvy scrawl embedded in the side. The thing of it was it was thinner than an elven sword and those designs were not elvish. Most humans would not have noticed a difference, but any elf would. The same with the cloak as it looked identical to Legolas and Aragorn's own, except darker and slightly thicker. Legolas couldn't help wondering about this peculiar human.
Suddenly there was a crash. An orc had been hiding in the woods and had attacked when Aragorn turned his back. The boy and elf turned towards Aragorn and the sound. With his turn, the boy had thrown a knife into the center of the orc's forehead. Legolas curved his lips up. It wasn't everyday that he got to see his friend's life saved, especially by a mere child.
Aragorn thanked the boy, who nodded in acknowledgement. The boy didn't seem to want the companions company now that the orcs were gone. He glanced at the woods and Aragorn decided to give introductions.
"I am a ranger. Most call me Strider. This is my friend, Legolas Greenleaf. Who might you be?"
"Most call me Morcath." he answered belligerently.
The two men exchanged looks. "Child, where are your parents? We will escort you back home."
"That is unnecessary. I live on my own in the woods." the child stated in a soft voice.
"Eat dinner with us and we will discuss your situation." Aragorn finally conceded. The boy sat down on a log and watched as the men prepared dinner.
"Will you not lower your hood?" Aragorn tried yet again to prod the child into conversation.
"I'd prefer not to," was the boy's loquacious response.
"I'm not sure I can trust someone who won't show their face," Aragorn joked.
"I know I can't trust someone who travels with elves." the boy said gruffly. Legolas had been observing the human closely, not sure what he was looking for, but feeling that something was off. With this comment, the elf raised an eyebrow but was otherwise unaffected. It wasn't unusual for humans to feel prejudice against something they didn't know.
"Come now, take down your hood or I shall have to remove it for you," Aragorn stated, not understanding the disobedience of this child and losing his patience with the lack of civility. The boy slowly reached his hands up and lowered his hood. The strongest feature of the boy would probably be the fact that this was not a boy at all, but most definitely a girl. Unobvious in her layers of black clothing and under the dark cloak was her petite build and dainty bone structure, which would have immediately given her away. She looked somewhat like the mythical creature, the pixie, with the relatively short hair she had for a female. Her hair was a half- hearted attempt to make her look somewhat more boyish, but no matter how short it was cut, her face was much to pretty. Pretty may not have been the right word for it. She definitely wasn't pretty with that scowl on her face and eyes that looked like she was wanted to rip the elf apart, piece by piece. She had a tough and gruff exterior, but there was a definite beauty in her fine bone structure that her attempts could not thwart. Elves in particular easily identify natural beauty.
"Come child, this is enough foolishness. A girl your age should be preparing to get married, not running through forests and fighting orcs. Where are your parents?" Aragorn prodded.
"My family is my own business." she hissed.
Aragorn sighed and set his jaw. "You are too young to live on your own, much less in this wilderness. You will join us and at the first town we pass you shall be dropped off."
"Males my age can acceptably go off to live on their own." she dogmatically refused.
"This is not a debate about gender roles in society. A male would not have been so foolish as to have come out here to stay. Now eat! And be quiet for the rest of the night. If you need something just ask one of us. Legolas, I'll take the second watch." Aragorn stalked off and set out his sleeping pallet.
His face remained the picture perfect example of elven blankness, but inside, Legolas couldn't help smiling at how his friend had gotten frustrated by the girl so easily.
"Don't mind him. He's had a lot on his mind." Legolas tried to make conversation, "So, why were you being chased by orcs?" The girl ignored the elf and refused to respond. Legolas didn't seem to mind though. After cleaning up, he sat down and leaned his back against a tree. His star gazing only ceased when he noticed the girl finally get up and stalked to the edge of the clearing. "And where do you think you're going?"
She pulled a pack out of a whole in a tree and came back, pointedly ignoring the elf yet again. She set up what she considered a satisfactory bed and laid down, but made it a point not to drift into sleep until the human was put on watch.
The next day the group was tramping through the wilderness of Middle Earth. Aragorn and Legolas were in the lead with the child reluctantly following. They came across a clearing and stopped.
"You two stay here and I'll scout ahead." Aragorn commanded. Legolas would have been the better candidate to go scout ahead, but the elf knew that Aragorn was just trying to escape the glare that the girl had been sending towards his back throughout the day.
The ranger continued, "Besides, the girl must be tired by now. Females have no stamina for such things." The elf glanced at the girl. She wasn't even winded. She actually was surprisingly fit. Not many people are capable of out running a pack of orcs for as long as she did. Aragorn quickly darted into the bush and became one with nature, undetectable by the human eye.
"Would you like some water milady?" Legolas asked politely.
"I'm no lady." the girl retorted.
"All of the female gender are noble and fair creatures." Legolas commented.
"You talk of us as if we were horses," the girl, 'Morcath' as she was called, rolled her eyes and continued, "Besides I take no stock in nobility and no credit for fairness, so place your elegant words and titles elsewhere, where they may be appreciated for the nonsensical things they are."
"You are quick- witted, young one," the elf smiled and stated. Legolas had learned in his millennia of living that, although resistant, women all loved compliments.
"Hmmf. I don't take compliments from elves," she spat, "Words tend to lack value when repeated so often. And elves do tend to have that unnerving trait- complimenting someone for mediocrity that is. You must think the rest of humanity is pretty stupid for me to be so smart, elder. On the other hand, you'd know, being immortal and all. I can't help finding it amusing how racist you creatures are." Legolas was always amazed by the sheer rudeness of humans and could feel the waves of animosity coming off the child.
"If you haven't noticed, my traveling companion happens to be human and you don't seem so fond of him either. And aren't you accusing me of the same prejudices that you, yourself, are exhibiting? If we are such a bother to you, why don't you just leave? I'll tell Aragorn you escaped. It's not like you owe him obedience or anything." Legolas said.
'Morcath' glared at him, but did not say anything. She turned her head and began to observe some trees in the distance. "I may not be a citizen of Gondor," she paused before continuing, "but I have no desire to refuse Isildur's heir." She stood and started walking in the direction Aragorn had disappeared in.
How could she have known? Legolas had noticed how the man had shied away from titles during introductions and neither of them had done anything or shown anything that should have made her aware. On top of that, most people thought Gondor's true king was merely a myth. This child from the forest was most unusual. 'I'll have to inform Estel of these events," the elf thought as he kept a close eye on the suspicious girl.
"Well, I-," the man began, but was cut off as Legolas quickly raised his hand and turned his head slightly to the left. Aragorn followed his elven friend's example and began listening for any unnatural noises.
There it was again. Leaves rustling, but it wasn't on the ground. Unidentifiable by human hearing, the sounds only confused the elf. What kind of creature uses the trees to travel, but is too heavy to be an elf? The creature took to the ground running. Now on the earth, the foot beats were clear. The creature was running straight for them and quickly. There was no doubt of the creature's lack of elvinity as it gave up silence for speed. And it had that speed. It was coming fast, recklessly so. There were heavier footprints behind it now. They were farther away, but already within hearing range for the elf. Orcs. They were chasing it. Soon even Aragorn could here the enemy's approach.
Legolas was somewhat impressed as the men readied themselves for the nearing encounter. The dense foliage of the forest was not friendly to travelers, but it barely impeded their visitor. A cloaked boy broke out of the woods, heading straight for the warriors.
"Danger! They're coming!" he screamed. When the boy was about five feet from us, he stopped and turned his back to us. The child took out a sword from under his cloak and took a fighting stance. Did he really think he could help? Even the elf who did not know greatly of the world of men could tell from the human's stature that this one was young. The child's head would not even reach his chin.
"Get back boy!" Aragorn said as he grabbed the youth and pulled him behind. At this time, the orcs began to pour out of the woods. The elf began shooting as soon as they were visible and then joined his friend with his swords when the orcs were within reach. Although both men were mighty warriors, the sheer numbers of the enemy forced the pair to not be able to handle themselves and protect the child fully. They were doing their best, but time would wear the men down. Legolas noticed out of the corner of his eye, the child step out from the blockade that had been made on both sides of him and begin to fight as well. He couldn't help pondering over the unusual weapon and the boy's obvious skill with it. There was no chance for him alone against the orcs, but he was, none the less, fairly capable in swordsmanship.
Aragorn sliced clean through the neck of the last orc as the boy and elf cleaned off their blades. The boy's cloak was still perfectly in place, showing nothing of him besides his worn boots. Like the sword, it too was unusual. Legolas couldn't help comparing them to elven products, yet there were obvious differences. The sword was clearly thin and lightweight with a curvy scrawl embedded in the side. The thing of it was it was thinner than an elven sword and those designs were not elvish. Most humans would not have noticed a difference, but any elf would. The same with the cloak as it looked identical to Legolas and Aragorn's own, except darker and slightly thicker. Legolas couldn't help wondering about this peculiar human.
Suddenly there was a crash. An orc had been hiding in the woods and had attacked when Aragorn turned his back. The boy and elf turned towards Aragorn and the sound. With his turn, the boy had thrown a knife into the center of the orc's forehead. Legolas curved his lips up. It wasn't everyday that he got to see his friend's life saved, especially by a mere child.
Aragorn thanked the boy, who nodded in acknowledgement. The boy didn't seem to want the companions company now that the orcs were gone. He glanced at the woods and Aragorn decided to give introductions.
"I am a ranger. Most call me Strider. This is my friend, Legolas Greenleaf. Who might you be?"
"Most call me Morcath." he answered belligerently.
The two men exchanged looks. "Child, where are your parents? We will escort you back home."
"That is unnecessary. I live on my own in the woods." the child stated in a soft voice.
"Eat dinner with us and we will discuss your situation." Aragorn finally conceded. The boy sat down on a log and watched as the men prepared dinner.
"Will you not lower your hood?" Aragorn tried yet again to prod the child into conversation.
"I'd prefer not to," was the boy's loquacious response.
"I'm not sure I can trust someone who won't show their face," Aragorn joked.
"I know I can't trust someone who travels with elves." the boy said gruffly. Legolas had been observing the human closely, not sure what he was looking for, but feeling that something was off. With this comment, the elf raised an eyebrow but was otherwise unaffected. It wasn't unusual for humans to feel prejudice against something they didn't know.
"Come now, take down your hood or I shall have to remove it for you," Aragorn stated, not understanding the disobedience of this child and losing his patience with the lack of civility. The boy slowly reached his hands up and lowered his hood. The strongest feature of the boy would probably be the fact that this was not a boy at all, but most definitely a girl. Unobvious in her layers of black clothing and under the dark cloak was her petite build and dainty bone structure, which would have immediately given her away. She looked somewhat like the mythical creature, the pixie, with the relatively short hair she had for a female. Her hair was a half- hearted attempt to make her look somewhat more boyish, but no matter how short it was cut, her face was much to pretty. Pretty may not have been the right word for it. She definitely wasn't pretty with that scowl on her face and eyes that looked like she was wanted to rip the elf apart, piece by piece. She had a tough and gruff exterior, but there was a definite beauty in her fine bone structure that her attempts could not thwart. Elves in particular easily identify natural beauty.
"Come child, this is enough foolishness. A girl your age should be preparing to get married, not running through forests and fighting orcs. Where are your parents?" Aragorn prodded.
"My family is my own business." she hissed.
Aragorn sighed and set his jaw. "You are too young to live on your own, much less in this wilderness. You will join us and at the first town we pass you shall be dropped off."
"Males my age can acceptably go off to live on their own." she dogmatically refused.
"This is not a debate about gender roles in society. A male would not have been so foolish as to have come out here to stay. Now eat! And be quiet for the rest of the night. If you need something just ask one of us. Legolas, I'll take the second watch." Aragorn stalked off and set out his sleeping pallet.
His face remained the picture perfect example of elven blankness, but inside, Legolas couldn't help smiling at how his friend had gotten frustrated by the girl so easily.
"Don't mind him. He's had a lot on his mind." Legolas tried to make conversation, "So, why were you being chased by orcs?" The girl ignored the elf and refused to respond. Legolas didn't seem to mind though. After cleaning up, he sat down and leaned his back against a tree. His star gazing only ceased when he noticed the girl finally get up and stalked to the edge of the clearing. "And where do you think you're going?"
She pulled a pack out of a whole in a tree and came back, pointedly ignoring the elf yet again. She set up what she considered a satisfactory bed and laid down, but made it a point not to drift into sleep until the human was put on watch.
The next day the group was tramping through the wilderness of Middle Earth. Aragorn and Legolas were in the lead with the child reluctantly following. They came across a clearing and stopped.
"You two stay here and I'll scout ahead." Aragorn commanded. Legolas would have been the better candidate to go scout ahead, but the elf knew that Aragorn was just trying to escape the glare that the girl had been sending towards his back throughout the day.
The ranger continued, "Besides, the girl must be tired by now. Females have no stamina for such things." The elf glanced at the girl. She wasn't even winded. She actually was surprisingly fit. Not many people are capable of out running a pack of orcs for as long as she did. Aragorn quickly darted into the bush and became one with nature, undetectable by the human eye.
"Would you like some water milady?" Legolas asked politely.
"I'm no lady." the girl retorted.
"All of the female gender are noble and fair creatures." Legolas commented.
"You talk of us as if we were horses," the girl, 'Morcath' as she was called, rolled her eyes and continued, "Besides I take no stock in nobility and no credit for fairness, so place your elegant words and titles elsewhere, where they may be appreciated for the nonsensical things they are."
"You are quick- witted, young one," the elf smiled and stated. Legolas had learned in his millennia of living that, although resistant, women all loved compliments.
"Hmmf. I don't take compliments from elves," she spat, "Words tend to lack value when repeated so often. And elves do tend to have that unnerving trait- complimenting someone for mediocrity that is. You must think the rest of humanity is pretty stupid for me to be so smart, elder. On the other hand, you'd know, being immortal and all. I can't help finding it amusing how racist you creatures are." Legolas was always amazed by the sheer rudeness of humans and could feel the waves of animosity coming off the child.
"If you haven't noticed, my traveling companion happens to be human and you don't seem so fond of him either. And aren't you accusing me of the same prejudices that you, yourself, are exhibiting? If we are such a bother to you, why don't you just leave? I'll tell Aragorn you escaped. It's not like you owe him obedience or anything." Legolas said.
'Morcath' glared at him, but did not say anything. She turned her head and began to observe some trees in the distance. "I may not be a citizen of Gondor," she paused before continuing, "but I have no desire to refuse Isildur's heir." She stood and started walking in the direction Aragorn had disappeared in.
How could she have known? Legolas had noticed how the man had shied away from titles during introductions and neither of them had done anything or shown anything that should have made her aware. On top of that, most people thought Gondor's true king was merely a myth. This child from the forest was most unusual. 'I'll have to inform Estel of these events," the elf thought as he kept a close eye on the suspicious girl.