AUTHOR'S NOTE: this is an extremely short chapter; I think I may have set a
new record for FF.net's shortest and 'choppiest' chapter, but I felt that
it was right for what happens here. Please review!
The Beginning of the End:
With the sight of the arrow plunging into her beloved's chest playing itself over and over again in her mind to fuel her, Kika silently gathered her bow, full quiver, sword, and the dagger she stuck in her boot before she went out on the balcony. She leapt over into the tree that she and Legolas had once used to sneak into their rooms by, and climbed down quietly, so as not to alert the guard outside her door. As soon as she was on the ground, she was running for the stable. She leapt on the closest stallion to her, and galloped away. Away to where, she did not exactly know, but she could feel something, - what that something was was yet another mystery to her - pulling her, and she went with the feeling. She *knew* that Legolas was this way, and she knew she would get there in time to save him. Not because of some unexplained feeling; because she would not let herself consider any other possibilities. She would save Legolas. She would not fail him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas signaled the elves following close behind him to follow in silence. They had followed the men's trail, but Legolas had the distinct feeling that they were walking into an ambush. There were several elves with him, though; Deregond and his men would soon be locked up or dead, he assured himself. He heard something to his right and drew his bow just as a large group of men, far larger than he had expected, jumped out at them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kika's steed was bearing her swiftly through the trees, but not swiftly enough, for she could feel her time running out. Or rather Legolas's time, which seemed much worse. She spurred her horse onward, the trees being only a blur as she flew by them. 'I am too late,' she thought at one point, 'I am not going to make it.' She refused to give in to despair, though. She knew he was still alive, and as long as he drew breath, she would not give up. Soon her persistence was rewarded with the distant sound of battle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas plunged one of his knives into a man that was trying to finish off a fallen elf, just before he turned to deflect a blow that had been aimed at his back. There were many men, many more than he had originally thought, and he had only fifteen elves with him. Or he had originally had fifteen, the number had lessened somewhat, he realized, seeing 3 elves lying lifelessly on the forest floor. He fought until his knives seemed to act of their own accord, and they were just dragging his arms along with them. Suddenly it was over. Five elves lay dead on the ground, but it was over. There were none left, every man was dead. He took a deep breath, savoring the silence. Or what had been silence; he could now hear a horse galloping towards them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The sounds of battle had stopped, Kika realized, and her heart sank. Sank, she realized, but it was still there. If Legolas were dead, her heart would die as well. He lived yet, and she would make certain it stayed that way. Suddenly she could see a golden glint through the trees and knew it was Legolas. Her horse was still racing, so by the time she had stopped her and leapt off, she was but a few paces from Legolas, her husband, her love. She could tell by the look on his face that he could not decide between being happy, relieved, or infuriated. She ran to meet him, so she was within arm's reach of him when she felt an arrow imbed itself in her back.
A/N: The end! No, wait! Just kidding! Really, come back! This is NOT, repeat, IS NOT the end! Please review; the more reviews the faster I will update and. . . well, with a cliffie like this an update would NOT be a bad thing, now, would it?
The Beginning of the End:
With the sight of the arrow plunging into her beloved's chest playing itself over and over again in her mind to fuel her, Kika silently gathered her bow, full quiver, sword, and the dagger she stuck in her boot before she went out on the balcony. She leapt over into the tree that she and Legolas had once used to sneak into their rooms by, and climbed down quietly, so as not to alert the guard outside her door. As soon as she was on the ground, she was running for the stable. She leapt on the closest stallion to her, and galloped away. Away to where, she did not exactly know, but she could feel something, - what that something was was yet another mystery to her - pulling her, and she went with the feeling. She *knew* that Legolas was this way, and she knew she would get there in time to save him. Not because of some unexplained feeling; because she would not let herself consider any other possibilities. She would save Legolas. She would not fail him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas signaled the elves following close behind him to follow in silence. They had followed the men's trail, but Legolas had the distinct feeling that they were walking into an ambush. There were several elves with him, though; Deregond and his men would soon be locked up or dead, he assured himself. He heard something to his right and drew his bow just as a large group of men, far larger than he had expected, jumped out at them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kika's steed was bearing her swiftly through the trees, but not swiftly enough, for she could feel her time running out. Or rather Legolas's time, which seemed much worse. She spurred her horse onward, the trees being only a blur as she flew by them. 'I am too late,' she thought at one point, 'I am not going to make it.' She refused to give in to despair, though. She knew he was still alive, and as long as he drew breath, she would not give up. Soon her persistence was rewarded with the distant sound of battle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas plunged one of his knives into a man that was trying to finish off a fallen elf, just before he turned to deflect a blow that had been aimed at his back. There were many men, many more than he had originally thought, and he had only fifteen elves with him. Or he had originally had fifteen, the number had lessened somewhat, he realized, seeing 3 elves lying lifelessly on the forest floor. He fought until his knives seemed to act of their own accord, and they were just dragging his arms along with them. Suddenly it was over. Five elves lay dead on the ground, but it was over. There were none left, every man was dead. He took a deep breath, savoring the silence. Or what had been silence; he could now hear a horse galloping towards them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The sounds of battle had stopped, Kika realized, and her heart sank. Sank, she realized, but it was still there. If Legolas were dead, her heart would die as well. He lived yet, and she would make certain it stayed that way. Suddenly she could see a golden glint through the trees and knew it was Legolas. Her horse was still racing, so by the time she had stopped her and leapt off, she was but a few paces from Legolas, her husband, her love. She could tell by the look on his face that he could not decide between being happy, relieved, or infuriated. She ran to meet him, so she was within arm's reach of him when she felt an arrow imbed itself in her back.
A/N: The end! No, wait! Just kidding! Really, come back! This is NOT, repeat, IS NOT the end! Please review; the more reviews the faster I will update and. . . well, with a cliffie like this an update would NOT be a bad thing, now, would it?
