Disclaimer: Same as chapter 1. The quote from the Matrix doesn't
belong to me either. I just had fun using it.
A/N: Here's another chapter for everyone. Hope you enjoy and please review.
Chapter 2
A Desperate Choice
Reallan lay in her tent, staring at the top of it. She pulled her blanket up closer around her and listened to the night noises. When she was younger, the noises used to scare her, but now they made her feel right at home. She loved hearing the hoot of an owl, or the whistling of the wind. She felt safe and secure, knowing that Amras or one of the others was on guard. Every night, the men would take turns watching the camp. Usually the danger was minimal and the five companions could easily defend themselves.
This is how it had been for many years. Amras would take her on his journeys through the woods. He would usually take three or four other companions along just to be safe.
As Reallan began to drift to sleep, she thought about Strider, or whom she knew was called Aragorn. She remembered the time she had spent with the elves. She wished she could visit them again someday.
Suddenly Reallan became wide-awake. She had heard a sound that she knew only too well. Orcs!
"Amras!" the guard, Salton yelled.
Reallan grabbed her sword and rushed outside. Amras, Shinway, and Igrid were already outside. Igrid and Salton had their bows ready. Amras ran over to his sister.
"Orcs are coming. I know you'll want to stay and help, but be careful." Amras said.
Reallan nodded. "As careful as I can be."
They had no more time to talk. Orc began rushing through the woods. The group began killing as many as they could. Reallan blocked a few arrows that came at her and swiftly killed a few orcs around her.
*~*~*
Aragorn sat up in his tent. He had heard something. He picked up his sword and rushed outside. Legolas stood alert looking through the trees.
"Man Cenich?" Aragorn asked.
"Orcs. They're attacking your friend's camp." Legolas replied.
"We must help them." Aragorn said as he began running through the woods.
Legolas followed closely behind. He held his bow with one hand as he pushed branches away with the other. When he was in close enough range, he began shooting at the orcs. Aragorn charged in with his sword drawn, slashing at the orcs. The battle continued for a couple minutes.
Suddenly Reallan screamed. Amras turned around. Reallan had been shot in the stomach by an orc arrow. He quickly ran to her side and fought off the orcs around her. He knelt down by his sister.
"Reallan," Amras said.
She was gasping for breath.
"Hang on, Sis." Amras said as he griped her hand. He tore a piece of his clothing and placed it by her wound. He knew the arrow needed to be removed, but he could not bring himself to do it.
Aragorn saw Reallan get shot and he quickly provided cover for Amras. Legolas was furiously fighting the orcs. He shot off arrows twice as fast as Igrid or Salton. Soon the orcs began to disappear.
Aragorn knelt down beside Reallan and quickly examined her wound. "I need to remove the arrow." He said. He looked up at Legolas. "You'll need to hold her."
Legolas nodded and bent down. Amras held her hand tightly and spoke comforting words to her.
Aragorn broke the arrow and removed it. He cringed as Reallan screamed in pain. He ripped a clean piece of his clothes to hold against her wound.
"Do you have any Athelas in you pack? Kingsfoil?" Aragorn asked Amras.
"The weed?" Amras asked.
Aragorn nodded.
Amras shook his head. "Nay, we do not have any left."
Aragorn sighed and looked at Legolas. "Bring me my horse and my pack." He said to the elf.
Legolas nodded and quickly ran through the woods.
"Is she going to be okay?" Amras asked worried.
Aragorn looked at him. "There was poison on the arrow. I am not positive what type, but I think it might be very serious. Athelas will minimize some of it, but you must get her to Rivendell."
"Rivendell?" Amras asked.
"Lord Elrond will be able to help her. It's only a days journey." Aragorn replied.
"Amras," Reallan groaned.
Amras looked down at her. "Ssh, don't try to talk."
"I'm sorry." Reallan said as she struggled for breath.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. You are going to be okay. I'm going to take you to see the elves." Amras comforted.
Reallan managed a smiled, but groaned in pain as she tried to take a breath.
Legolas returned and brought Aragorn's pack. Aragorn opened it and found his last supply of the rare weed. He quickly made an ointment and applied it to Reallan's wound.
"Does your horse know the way to Rivendell?" Amras asked.
Aragorn nodded as he picked Reallan up. He placed her on the horse. "Ride fast to Rivendell. You don't have much time."
"Thank you my friend." Amras said as he mounted the horse. He held tightly to his sister and to reins of the horse.
Aragorn looked at his horse. "Ride to Rivendell, Gwindor." He said.
Gwindor took off with great speed. Aragorn watched for a moment. Legolas stood at his side. His keen elf ears picked up the whispers of the others.
"Why did Amras trust this ranger?" Salton asked.
"He saved her life once." Shinway replied.
"But why take her to Rivendell?" Igrid asked. "The elves don't care about us mortals."
"Yeah, we don't mean anything to them. We are mere mortals to them. Why would they help her? All they care about is themselves," Salton said.
Legolas could not stand their talk any longer. His temper was raging. He turned around. "Elves are not selfish as you seem to think. Elves are kind and compassionate to all. We help mortals any time we can. Lord Elrond even raised one." Legolas said.
Aragorn turned at Legolas's comment. "You should continue traveling. After Lord Elrond has helped Reallan, Amras and her will catch up with you." Aragorn said gently.
"We don't need a ranger telling us what to do." Salton fumed.
Legolas was about to become angry, but Aragorn placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Do as you wish. My friend and I must travel to Mirkwood. May your journey be safe." With that, Aragorn walked off.
Shinway stood there for a moment. "Strider," he called out as he reached to untie his horse.
Aragorn turned around.
"Take my horse. It's the least I can do to offer my thanks." Shinway said.
Aragorn smiled. "Thank you."
Aragorn turned and headed back toward camp. Legolas followed closely behind.
A/N: Here's another chapter for everyone. Hope you enjoy and please review.
Chapter 2
A Desperate Choice
Reallan lay in her tent, staring at the top of it. She pulled her blanket up closer around her and listened to the night noises. When she was younger, the noises used to scare her, but now they made her feel right at home. She loved hearing the hoot of an owl, or the whistling of the wind. She felt safe and secure, knowing that Amras or one of the others was on guard. Every night, the men would take turns watching the camp. Usually the danger was minimal and the five companions could easily defend themselves.
This is how it had been for many years. Amras would take her on his journeys through the woods. He would usually take three or four other companions along just to be safe.
As Reallan began to drift to sleep, she thought about Strider, or whom she knew was called Aragorn. She remembered the time she had spent with the elves. She wished she could visit them again someday.
Suddenly Reallan became wide-awake. She had heard a sound that she knew only too well. Orcs!
"Amras!" the guard, Salton yelled.
Reallan grabbed her sword and rushed outside. Amras, Shinway, and Igrid were already outside. Igrid and Salton had their bows ready. Amras ran over to his sister.
"Orcs are coming. I know you'll want to stay and help, but be careful." Amras said.
Reallan nodded. "As careful as I can be."
They had no more time to talk. Orc began rushing through the woods. The group began killing as many as they could. Reallan blocked a few arrows that came at her and swiftly killed a few orcs around her.
*~*~*
Aragorn sat up in his tent. He had heard something. He picked up his sword and rushed outside. Legolas stood alert looking through the trees.
"Man Cenich?" Aragorn asked.
"Orcs. They're attacking your friend's camp." Legolas replied.
"We must help them." Aragorn said as he began running through the woods.
Legolas followed closely behind. He held his bow with one hand as he pushed branches away with the other. When he was in close enough range, he began shooting at the orcs. Aragorn charged in with his sword drawn, slashing at the orcs. The battle continued for a couple minutes.
Suddenly Reallan screamed. Amras turned around. Reallan had been shot in the stomach by an orc arrow. He quickly ran to her side and fought off the orcs around her. He knelt down by his sister.
"Reallan," Amras said.
She was gasping for breath.
"Hang on, Sis." Amras said as he griped her hand. He tore a piece of his clothing and placed it by her wound. He knew the arrow needed to be removed, but he could not bring himself to do it.
Aragorn saw Reallan get shot and he quickly provided cover for Amras. Legolas was furiously fighting the orcs. He shot off arrows twice as fast as Igrid or Salton. Soon the orcs began to disappear.
Aragorn knelt down beside Reallan and quickly examined her wound. "I need to remove the arrow." He said. He looked up at Legolas. "You'll need to hold her."
Legolas nodded and bent down. Amras held her hand tightly and spoke comforting words to her.
Aragorn broke the arrow and removed it. He cringed as Reallan screamed in pain. He ripped a clean piece of his clothes to hold against her wound.
"Do you have any Athelas in you pack? Kingsfoil?" Aragorn asked Amras.
"The weed?" Amras asked.
Aragorn nodded.
Amras shook his head. "Nay, we do not have any left."
Aragorn sighed and looked at Legolas. "Bring me my horse and my pack." He said to the elf.
Legolas nodded and quickly ran through the woods.
"Is she going to be okay?" Amras asked worried.
Aragorn looked at him. "There was poison on the arrow. I am not positive what type, but I think it might be very serious. Athelas will minimize some of it, but you must get her to Rivendell."
"Rivendell?" Amras asked.
"Lord Elrond will be able to help her. It's only a days journey." Aragorn replied.
"Amras," Reallan groaned.
Amras looked down at her. "Ssh, don't try to talk."
"I'm sorry." Reallan said as she struggled for breath.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. You are going to be okay. I'm going to take you to see the elves." Amras comforted.
Reallan managed a smiled, but groaned in pain as she tried to take a breath.
Legolas returned and brought Aragorn's pack. Aragorn opened it and found his last supply of the rare weed. He quickly made an ointment and applied it to Reallan's wound.
"Does your horse know the way to Rivendell?" Amras asked.
Aragorn nodded as he picked Reallan up. He placed her on the horse. "Ride fast to Rivendell. You don't have much time."
"Thank you my friend." Amras said as he mounted the horse. He held tightly to his sister and to reins of the horse.
Aragorn looked at his horse. "Ride to Rivendell, Gwindor." He said.
Gwindor took off with great speed. Aragorn watched for a moment. Legolas stood at his side. His keen elf ears picked up the whispers of the others.
"Why did Amras trust this ranger?" Salton asked.
"He saved her life once." Shinway replied.
"But why take her to Rivendell?" Igrid asked. "The elves don't care about us mortals."
"Yeah, we don't mean anything to them. We are mere mortals to them. Why would they help her? All they care about is themselves," Salton said.
Legolas could not stand their talk any longer. His temper was raging. He turned around. "Elves are not selfish as you seem to think. Elves are kind and compassionate to all. We help mortals any time we can. Lord Elrond even raised one." Legolas said.
Aragorn turned at Legolas's comment. "You should continue traveling. After Lord Elrond has helped Reallan, Amras and her will catch up with you." Aragorn said gently.
"We don't need a ranger telling us what to do." Salton fumed.
Legolas was about to become angry, but Aragorn placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Do as you wish. My friend and I must travel to Mirkwood. May your journey be safe." With that, Aragorn walked off.
Shinway stood there for a moment. "Strider," he called out as he reached to untie his horse.
Aragorn turned around.
"Take my horse. It's the least I can do to offer my thanks." Shinway said.
Aragorn smiled. "Thank you."
Aragorn turned and headed back toward camp. Legolas followed closely behind.
