AN: Hi everyone! I'm in a slightly better mood this week due to the fact my
Physics class was cancelled for Wednesday. Physics is supposed to be
science but I believe it's just a clever way to teach more math. Anyway,
keep those reviews coming. I'm always shocked, and slightly nervous, when I
get them.
Chrystyna: You shall see what happened to Emma. Thanks for the review and I'm going to try to update a lot now because the dreaded end of the semester is coming. That means lots of papers and finals.
Elleiadrieal: I hope you're feeling better. Being sick is kind of lousy. Thanks for the complement.
TitanicHobbit: I've had some really horrid teachers in my day. My Storytelling professor-the bane of my existence these semester-ranks up there with them. He now wants us to read six essays he wrote about The Matrix films for a lecture he won't even be attending! Anyway, being anxious and confuzzled is never good. I hope this chapter helps.
kurleyhawk2: Again, you'll see what happened to Emma. Arwen's daughter has her very own story that I'll be posting soon. It's kind of a sequel to this one.
PixiePea000: Thanks! I wasn't feeling all that confident about this chapter. I like cliffies, they keep you reading and wondering. By the way, GOLLUM and watch out for Agent Elrond Smith!
Lightning Rain: Thanks for reading my story! She doesn't come into the story as a character but she does have her own story coming up.
Elainor: Thanks! I can assure you that she'll get to Middle Earth eventually and meet her parents but that's another story. It really is!
littlesaiyangirl: Updating as we speak! Sorry, it's getting close crunch time at school. We just had to register for our classes for next semester.
Lomiothiel: I can tell you that plot bunny hopped off into a different story. This was kind of my way of foreshadowing that story. Yeah, there's fiberglass in Pointe shoes. Most dancers still prefer wood but, out of necessity because Pointe shoes are blasted expensive, I had to get fiberglass.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Emma was confused, blood rushing to her head as she hung off of the older man's shoulders. Everything had changed in an instant. One moment she was in the middle of a rising lesson-learning how to ride bareback no less. There was a noise and, before she knew it, she was being carried back into the citadel.
The noise sounded akin to the one she had heard in the woods before she had entered this city. This time, though, it was magnified a thousand fold. It frightened her but, given her current position, there was not a whole lot she could do about it.
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn placed Emma on the ground, standing her up. She stumbled a bit, a wave of dizziness passing over her as the entire world righted itself around her. It was almost like coming out of backbend---one that she had held for a very long time.
"A minor rabble of orcs and unsavory men has appeared on the borders," Aragorn replied.
He added, after a few beats, "I would have gone off with Captain and the guards but I felt I should return her safely first."
He turned to go, nearly at a run. Despite being the high king, he felt the need to defend his kingdom; to fight alongside his people.
"Allow me to come with you," Legolas requested, running to meet his friend.
Bow, full quiver of arrows, and two long knives were on his back already, a by-product of his earlier ride with the guards.
"Your help is always appreciated, friend," Aragorn told the elf.
Legolas froze. Someone would need to keep a close eye on Emma. Having her go missing was the last thing he needed. Her mother---technically her foster mother---would have his head on a silver platter if he "misplaced" her daughter.
As if reading the Mirkwood prince's mind, Arwen offered, "I will keep a close watch on your sister."
Legolas nodded and, at a true full run now, left the throne room.
The two were replaced by seven guards. Each wore armor of bearing an orange, blue, and black symbol. One had an additional symbol, made of white stones, on its breast plate. The guards stood at all exits and in between windows. Despite the small number, Emma got the impression that these guards could keep this entire room safe.
"We should be out there," one guard called to the other; the one with the extra symbol on their breastplate.
"Captain gave us orders," the other countered.
"The Captain gave you orders. You gave the orders to us," another guard prompted, as if that was explanation enough.
"Can we not," the guard with the extra symbol started.
Helm head shook sadly as she took in the look of the guard that was currently giving the figure trouble. It was in that guard's nature to challenge authority. It appeared to be the reason it existed.
"I do not think it is fair," the other guard started.
The guard was interrupted by a banging on the door. Words were spoken, words that would discern friend from foe. The door opened a crack.
"His Lordship orders you to take the queen and that child someplace more secure," the figure at the door said.
"Understood," the guard said.
The entire conversation had taken place in a matter of moments and in something that sounded vaguely like elvish. Elvish spoken so quickly that is seemed more like singing than anything else.
The guard who had taken the order walked briskly over to the one with the extra symbol. He or she repeated what had been told.
A sharp nod was the guard's only reply.
The guard with the extra symbol---the one Emma was now assuming was in charge of this small cadre of guards---ordered, "Come along you two. We have been told to move you to a safer location."
"Where are we going?" Emma asked, panic in her voice.
"Somewhere more secure," replied another guard, coming over to flank her.
From where the guard had come from, Emma saw that it had been the guard who had tried to pick a fight with the one in charge. All seemed to be forgiven and forgotten as she and Arwen were moved to a building just off the citadels grounds. There they waited for what seemed to be an eternity.
It was nearly sun set when Legolas and Aragorn returned. Both were covered in dirt and, what Emma decided, was some kind of slime.
Aragorn gave an order and the guards trickled out.
"Did she behave herself this time?" he asked the guard in charge.
"Fire? No, not this time. Disrespecting authority is in her nature," the other said.
Aragorn shook his head ruefully.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on these two, Ice," he said in an honesty laced voice.
"It was our pleasure, sire," Ice replied, sketching a bow before leaving.
Emma watched her brother carefully. She went over to hug him, they way her mother would after an acrobatics or a gymnastics lesson. It was her way of making sure everything was still alright, and most of all, in once piece.
Legolas, realizing what Emma meant to do, pushed her away. She gave him an expression that read half hurt, half insulted.
"There are far too many things on me to allow a fair child to touch me," Legolas explained.
"I'm confused or scared, not sure which," Emma whispered.
"I know, little elf. We will leave as soon as we can," Legolas promised his sister.
It was the wee small hours of the morning when Emma found herself standing in front of the citadel waiting to go back to Mirkwood.
"And to mom and dad," she, happily, though.
No guards would be escorting the two back to Mirkwood. Ice, Fire, and Wiggy were staying to aid their Captain.
Legolas appeared, free from whatever grime that had been covering him before.
"What are you going to tell your father when we get back?" Emma asked.
"I am not sure yet, little one, but he has quite a lot of explaining to do," Legolas replied, nodding as Fire and Ice brought over two horses and a length of wood.
Then he added, "We have to talk to your mother and father as well."
"I know," Emma said, unsure of how she was going to break this news to her parents.
Chrystyna: You shall see what happened to Emma. Thanks for the review and I'm going to try to update a lot now because the dreaded end of the semester is coming. That means lots of papers and finals.
Elleiadrieal: I hope you're feeling better. Being sick is kind of lousy. Thanks for the complement.
TitanicHobbit: I've had some really horrid teachers in my day. My Storytelling professor-the bane of my existence these semester-ranks up there with them. He now wants us to read six essays he wrote about The Matrix films for a lecture he won't even be attending! Anyway, being anxious and confuzzled is never good. I hope this chapter helps.
kurleyhawk2: Again, you'll see what happened to Emma. Arwen's daughter has her very own story that I'll be posting soon. It's kind of a sequel to this one.
PixiePea000: Thanks! I wasn't feeling all that confident about this chapter. I like cliffies, they keep you reading and wondering. By the way, GOLLUM and watch out for Agent Elrond Smith!
Lightning Rain: Thanks for reading my story! She doesn't come into the story as a character but she does have her own story coming up.
Elainor: Thanks! I can assure you that she'll get to Middle Earth eventually and meet her parents but that's another story. It really is!
littlesaiyangirl: Updating as we speak! Sorry, it's getting close crunch time at school. We just had to register for our classes for next semester.
Lomiothiel: I can tell you that plot bunny hopped off into a different story. This was kind of my way of foreshadowing that story. Yeah, there's fiberglass in Pointe shoes. Most dancers still prefer wood but, out of necessity because Pointe shoes are blasted expensive, I had to get fiberglass.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Emma was confused, blood rushing to her head as she hung off of the older man's shoulders. Everything had changed in an instant. One moment she was in the middle of a rising lesson-learning how to ride bareback no less. There was a noise and, before she knew it, she was being carried back into the citadel.
The noise sounded akin to the one she had heard in the woods before she had entered this city. This time, though, it was magnified a thousand fold. It frightened her but, given her current position, there was not a whole lot she could do about it.
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn placed Emma on the ground, standing her up. She stumbled a bit, a wave of dizziness passing over her as the entire world righted itself around her. It was almost like coming out of backbend---one that she had held for a very long time.
"A minor rabble of orcs and unsavory men has appeared on the borders," Aragorn replied.
He added, after a few beats, "I would have gone off with Captain and the guards but I felt I should return her safely first."
He turned to go, nearly at a run. Despite being the high king, he felt the need to defend his kingdom; to fight alongside his people.
"Allow me to come with you," Legolas requested, running to meet his friend.
Bow, full quiver of arrows, and two long knives were on his back already, a by-product of his earlier ride with the guards.
"Your help is always appreciated, friend," Aragorn told the elf.
Legolas froze. Someone would need to keep a close eye on Emma. Having her go missing was the last thing he needed. Her mother---technically her foster mother---would have his head on a silver platter if he "misplaced" her daughter.
As if reading the Mirkwood prince's mind, Arwen offered, "I will keep a close watch on your sister."
Legolas nodded and, at a true full run now, left the throne room.
The two were replaced by seven guards. Each wore armor of bearing an orange, blue, and black symbol. One had an additional symbol, made of white stones, on its breast plate. The guards stood at all exits and in between windows. Despite the small number, Emma got the impression that these guards could keep this entire room safe.
"We should be out there," one guard called to the other; the one with the extra symbol on their breastplate.
"Captain gave us orders," the other countered.
"The Captain gave you orders. You gave the orders to us," another guard prompted, as if that was explanation enough.
"Can we not," the guard with the extra symbol started.
Helm head shook sadly as she took in the look of the guard that was currently giving the figure trouble. It was in that guard's nature to challenge authority. It appeared to be the reason it existed.
"I do not think it is fair," the other guard started.
The guard was interrupted by a banging on the door. Words were spoken, words that would discern friend from foe. The door opened a crack.
"His Lordship orders you to take the queen and that child someplace more secure," the figure at the door said.
"Understood," the guard said.
The entire conversation had taken place in a matter of moments and in something that sounded vaguely like elvish. Elvish spoken so quickly that is seemed more like singing than anything else.
The guard who had taken the order walked briskly over to the one with the extra symbol. He or she repeated what had been told.
A sharp nod was the guard's only reply.
The guard with the extra symbol---the one Emma was now assuming was in charge of this small cadre of guards---ordered, "Come along you two. We have been told to move you to a safer location."
"Where are we going?" Emma asked, panic in her voice.
"Somewhere more secure," replied another guard, coming over to flank her.
From where the guard had come from, Emma saw that it had been the guard who had tried to pick a fight with the one in charge. All seemed to be forgiven and forgotten as she and Arwen were moved to a building just off the citadels grounds. There they waited for what seemed to be an eternity.
It was nearly sun set when Legolas and Aragorn returned. Both were covered in dirt and, what Emma decided, was some kind of slime.
Aragorn gave an order and the guards trickled out.
"Did she behave herself this time?" he asked the guard in charge.
"Fire? No, not this time. Disrespecting authority is in her nature," the other said.
Aragorn shook his head ruefully.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on these two, Ice," he said in an honesty laced voice.
"It was our pleasure, sire," Ice replied, sketching a bow before leaving.
Emma watched her brother carefully. She went over to hug him, they way her mother would after an acrobatics or a gymnastics lesson. It was her way of making sure everything was still alright, and most of all, in once piece.
Legolas, realizing what Emma meant to do, pushed her away. She gave him an expression that read half hurt, half insulted.
"There are far too many things on me to allow a fair child to touch me," Legolas explained.
"I'm confused or scared, not sure which," Emma whispered.
"I know, little elf. We will leave as soon as we can," Legolas promised his sister.
It was the wee small hours of the morning when Emma found herself standing in front of the citadel waiting to go back to Mirkwood.
"And to mom and dad," she, happily, though.
No guards would be escorting the two back to Mirkwood. Ice, Fire, and Wiggy were staying to aid their Captain.
Legolas appeared, free from whatever grime that had been covering him before.
"What are you going to tell your father when we get back?" Emma asked.
"I am not sure yet, little one, but he has quite a lot of explaining to do," Legolas replied, nodding as Fire and Ice brought over two horses and a length of wood.
Then he added, "We have to talk to your mother and father as well."
"I know," Emma said, unsure of how she was going to break this news to her parents.