The Misadventures of Caladriel and Rinnalaiss
By Ellie in ElfPajamas
Starring: Caladriel, Legolas, Thranduil, Rinnalaiss, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Halbarad, and an Elf named Faelon Beriorgan.
Okay, major no-no here, Rinnalaiss is an extra daughter to Elrond, Caladriel is Legolas' younger sister. Rinnalaiss might be adopted, I'm not real sure, but her older brothers Elladan and Elrohir dote on their tomboyish little sister. She's the baby of the family sort of, although older than Estel in years, she is still quite childish. Caladriel is not allowed to be the tomboy she wants to be, and is only Legolas' half sister. This is preLotR, Estel is only about thirty or forty. Why all this guessing? This is a transcribed dream, that's why. Oh, and a groom in this story is not a groom in the sense of bride and groom, a groom is actually someone who takes care of the horses.
And this switches from Third person to first, usually Caladriel's POV. I kinda dreamed it as an onlooker that they didn't see, but sometimes I was in her head. Couldn't think of Gondorian names, I have a list of Elvish names, but I wasn't able to locate a Gondorian and Numenorean name generator.
I should mention that the reason Legolas is so rotten to Faelon is that he's majorly overprotective of Calad. It isn't a predjudice thing thing entirely, although he distrusts anyone with a hidden past, he's really just trying to be a good older brother and protect Calad.
Chapter seven: Heirs.
A goodly sized procession caught up with Erestor and Glorfindel, who escorted Legolas. Legolas recognized Elrond, Elladan, Estel, Elrohir, Rinn, and his own sister, but the dark-haired noble beside Calad didn't ring a bell. Calad was dressed in her proper robes, mounted on a bay horse that was actually bridled, while the nobleman was riding a grey stallion, his cloak falling neatly over its back and rump, dressed in blue and gold. His hair was unusually short, but braided in the usual Elven fashion. He looked strangely uncomfortable, and Legolas wondered why that was. He halted his horse and waited for the riders to catch up, falling in beside the nobleman.
"Suilad, mellon nin." Legolas said. "How goes it?"
"Very well, prince." the noble replied, fidgeting a little as though he wanted to keep the hood of his cloak over his head.
"Of what house are you? I have seen those colors before, but I do not remember whose they are." Legolas said.
"Beriorchan." said the noble softly.
"Ah, the missing one! Well met! How did clever Lord Elrond ever find you?" Legolas exclaimed.
"I was right under his nose the whole time." said the Elf in blue and gold, fixing the prince with an intense stare.
Legolas' breath and words were stolen. He had never seen any of the house of Beriorchan with eyes such as those. Clear and jewel-like they seemed to him, with a familiar fire. The shape of the face was begininng to become familiar as well.
"It seems to me that... I have met you before." Legolas said slowly.
A smile graced the lips of the strangely familiar noble.
"Surely not, my prince. I have only now come from the house of Peredhil." he said softly, then turned his attention back to the road before him.
"You are heir to vast lands to the south, Beriorgan. Your kin have long fought back the Spiders there. They were doing well when last I saw them." Legolas said cheerfully. "They are a fine house, distantly related to my own."
What a difference a title and lands make! thought the noble.
"That is favorable news, Lord Prince." the noble said.
"How is it that you know me and I have no recollection of you?" Legolas asked, mystefied.
"Surely, my lord, you have noticed that your sister, the princess, rides in this procession, scarce a minute goes by that she does not talk of you." said the noble, a smile spreading across his face.
Legolas conceeded that this was probably true.
Glorfindel rode up to the noble's left at a speed fast enough to spook his mount. The silver stallion reared, letting out a deafening scream. The noble hung tight to the horse's mane, his cloak's hood flopping back. He patted the horse's neck, trying to calm the frightened animal. Glorfindel looked smug. Legolas' jaw was in a most unattractive position.
"Glorfindel you samwise!" Elrond thundered. "You could have killed them both!"
"Faelon is a horse himself, why would his kin kill him?" Glorfindel laughed.
"You didn't know it was Faelon, and what if Mithy had knocked Legolas and his horse into that ravine?" Elrond scolded.
Glorfindel looked cowed.
"I apologize, my lord. You are right, as usual." Glorfindel said softly. "But I do want to know, why is Faelon dressed like a lord?"
"Because he is one!" Elladan quipped.
Faelon looked down at Mithy's neck.
"Valar be praised! Really?!" Glorfindel burst out. "I always knew you had a noble heart, Faelon. What lands have you?"
"Southern Mirkwood!" Legolas laughed. "He's an exterminator!"
Faelon's eyes flashed, as did those of Erestor. Both were giving the other lords looks of disdain.
"Just because we come from humble beginnings gives you no license to taunt us, prince Legolas." Erestor spat. "We are self made lords, you'd be a miserable failure if you'd been born without a title!"
"Hush, Erestor. I know how you feel about such things." Elrond soothed.
"I most certainly will not hush! This young Elf has been my bane for weeks! He has done nothing but torment me with his ridiculous rantings and mutterings! I am tired of being stepped on by the great and the small. I have worked hard all my life to gain my title and my position, and I will not have anyone discount it!" Erestor fumed.
There's only so much a stressed advisor can take. Erestor had reached his limit. Elrond knew it.
"Until you knew who I was, Legolas, you treated me with respect." Faelon said. "I am a lord, on both sides. I grow weary of being taunted and made sport of, just as you would. I have never done anything to deserve your distrust and scorn, and I am tired of working so hard to please those who I don't really need to. I give it up. I will no longer try to please you. It is not my duty. I love your sister, or I would have long ago decided to stay with Elrond. You would do well to learn courtesy, Legolas, make friends with those you meet on your way up, because you will surely meet them on the way down."
With that Faelon laid his heels to Mithy's sides and the horse was off like an arrow.
"Would you treat me like that?" Calad asked Legolas, tears in her eyes. "You are a prince! It is YOUR duty to aid your people! Were I a simple peasant maid, would you treat me as badly as you have treated him?"
"No, Calad, you're my sister, I would never..."
"I am your sister? There have been so many times I wished I were Faelon's sister, rather than yours. You show all the other servants the respect they deserve, but you refuse to show a lord the respect he is owed?"
"Calad, you don't understand." Legolas said, reaching for his sister's arm.
She slapped him.
"Don't touch me until you can act in a manner befitting a prince of our realm!" Calad hissed, reining her horse in the direction Faelon had taken.
"Legolas...." Elrond said sternly.
Legolas gulped.
"Yes, my lord?"
"What exactly do you have against Faelon? His life has been a difficult one heretofore, you needn't make it worse."
"I hate him because he influences Calad! Calad is MY sister! I don't want him so close to her! Why could she not have bonded with one of the maids?!"
"None of the maids offer her what Faelon does." Glorfindel said, with his strange insight. "Faelon offers her companionship, love, and a wildness she wishes she was allowed to keep. She can confide in him and know it will not be palace news twenty minutes later. Much like Elladan and Elrohir."
Elrond looked surprised.
"Is that it, Glorfindel? I didn't realize that." Elrond said. "Would that you used your powers of insight more often."
Glorfindel looked at Elrond with a mystefied expression.
"What exactly did I say?" Glorfindel asked. "It has flown my mind already."
"Ai! Valar!" Erestor rolled his eyes and looked skyward.
"Legolas, I know you're overprotective of Calad, and well you should be, but that's not a good enough reason for you to be horrible to Faelon." Elladan said softly. "Elrohir and I are overprotective of Undomiel as well, but we don't pick on you for being close to her."
"I just don't want her to get hurt." Legolas murmured
"I understand that. But Faelon doesn't want her to get hurt either. He cares about her as much as you do, if not more." Estel said, finally joining the conversation. "Now that he has a title and he has lands, he wants to ask for her hand. He wants your blessing too, Legolas, and he wants to be your friend. Even though you pick on him he doesn't hold a grudge."
"He doesn't? Where do you get that idea? He holds a grudge, he's not friendly with me either." Legolas scoffed.
"He doesn't want to say anything to you that he'll be ashamed of later." Estel said. "That's why he more often says nothing."
"How do you know?" Legolas asked. "When does he talk to you?"
"He's my cousin, Legolas, albeit a distant one, but he is still my cousin." Estel said. "Everytime he brings messages to father, we spend time together. He talks to me a lot. He is a true friend and companion, you know not what you are missing."
Legolas looked like he knew his arguments would be no success.
"Legolas, Calad is an adult now, she can love those whom she will. Isn't it time that you become her friend and not just her brother?" Elrond asked.
Legolas nodded slowly.
"Come, let us press on toward the palace. I wish to make an apology to my sister and my brother-in-law." He said, urging his horse on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad couldn't find Mithy's hoofprints. Shadow was growing nervous, smelling silk in the air. Calad knew she was lost.
"Faelon! Faelon, where are you?" she called, becoming uneasy in the silence of the dark forest. "Faelon! I'm lost!"
Shadow spooked as a branch snapped, taking off without his rider. Calad sat in terrified silence. She knew Spiders picked off stragglers and loners, and she fell into both categories.
"Faelon, come and save me." she whispered, her voice no louder than the rustling leaves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faelon felt uneasy when he saw that Calad was not among the riding party. He knew every shortcut in Mirkwood, and had made better time than the others. He rushed forward to Legolas.
"Legolas, where is Calad?!" he asked, worry in his eyes.
Legolas looked startled.
"I thought she was with you!" he exclaimed. "She left the path to follow you!"
"Sweet Eru! She cannot ride those paths! They will be her undoing! She doesn't know where they lead!" Faelon groaned.
Shadow galloped into the clearing minus his rider.
Faelon's face lost all of its color.
"Shadow! Where is Calad?!" Faelon screamed at the horse.
Shadow shied, knowing he had done what he'd been trained not to. Faelon approached the horse at the speed of light, seizing its reins.
"Get on Shadow, Legolas." Faelon said. "He'll lead us back to Calad."
Legolas looked warilly at the mount offered to him.
Elrond leveled an accusing glance at him.
Legolas quickly mounted.
Faelon mounted Mithy and the two were off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad was terrified. She was staring down three Spiders, with only a dagger to defend herself. If they all rushed her, she would be as good as dead. Their multiple eyes were evil and red, their legs ending in a talon- like foot.
"Such fine silk is wasted on Elves." hissed one Spider, touching Calad's hair.
"She-Elves especially. Should we not reclaim it?" another hissed back.
"Go! The vengence of Faelon and Legolas will be terrible if you harm me!" Calad said, with more confidence than she felt.
"Who are they that we should fear them?" the first Spider taunted.
"Faelon Beriorgan of the house of Beriorchan and Legolas Thranduillion of the house of Elvenkings." Calad said.
"Beriorchan? They have found the one that was lost? Not likely. We know what became of him." hissed the Spider cruelly.
"Aye, the White Wizard got him, he didn't want the parents, so we got them." hissed Spider two.
"Yes, the Wizard wanted the whelp, said he had power. He didn't, so the Wizard must have slain him." hissed the leader.
Calad's heart was in her throat. Faelon's family had been attacked by Spiders? What a cruel way to die. If she ever saw him again she would never ask him any questions about his past.
The leading Spider stepped toward her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faelon heard a shrill scream and kicked Mithy to run harder. Somewhere, Calad was playing with spiders. Legolas saw the pain on Faelon's face and wondered what he was associating with the screams and Spiders. The natural glow of the Elves seemed to become more intense, especially for Faelon, who was going into battle against a long time, ancestral enemy. Beriorchan had always fought the Spiders, bravely, valiantly, though not always successfully. Faelon's eyes flashed with a deadly fire, one that Legolas had come to know. It was only there when Calad was in trouble.
"Faelon, I want you to know, I am sorry for the way I've acted, and I crave your forgiveness." Legolas shouted.
"Legolas, I have never stopped forgiving you. You are forgiven a thousand times over." Faelon said, offering Legolas a handclasp.
Legolas took Faelon's hand and clasped it, both of them steeling their resolve.
Faelon whipped out his sharp, bright sword and Mithy leapt into the fray, side by side with Shadow and Legolas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad reeled from the Spider poison, her head swimming, as she stabbed blindly at the taunting creatures. A bright light burst into the clearing, and she saw the two people she loved most attack the Spiders just before she hit the ground. She head a cry of dismay. A heavy darkness settled over her and she knew no more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas thrust his sword through the head of the nearest Spider, knowing Faelon would see to Calad. He lopped of another's head and turned to see Calad fall to the ground.
Faelon leapt from Mithy's back with a yell, waving his sword like a madman, running toward Calad's limp body. Legolas took up the cry and attacked a Spider with renewed fury.
Swift and terrible was the wrath of Faelon and Legolas, twenty Spiders fell to their bright swords and knives. At long last the evil creatures were driven back, and Faelon cradled Calad in his arms. Legolas looked on, his face dark with worry.
"She lives." Faelon sighed. "Let us take her to Lord Elrond, he will best know how to help her."
Faelon handed Calad up to Legolas, making sure both were settled securely on Mithy.
"Why Mithy, Faelon?" Legolas asked, holding tight to the stallion's mane.
"Mithy is swiftest and surest of foot. Haste, Legolas, take her to Elrond and your father. I will catch up." Faelon said, slapping the horse's rump.
He sprang onto Shadow's back, bringing up the rear and making sure that none of the Spiders would catch up to Legolas and Calad.
Light reflected off of Mithy's coat as he ran all out for home, a shimmering apparation amongst the trees. Shadow, silent and swift, was invisible. The Spiders liked not the light of the silver horse, and shied away. Shadow passed unnoticed, living up to his name.
Faelon lifted a prayer to Eru that Calad would not come to permanent harm.
By Ellie in ElfPajamas
Starring: Caladriel, Legolas, Thranduil, Rinnalaiss, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Halbarad, and an Elf named Faelon Beriorgan.
Okay, major no-no here, Rinnalaiss is an extra daughter to Elrond, Caladriel is Legolas' younger sister. Rinnalaiss might be adopted, I'm not real sure, but her older brothers Elladan and Elrohir dote on their tomboyish little sister. She's the baby of the family sort of, although older than Estel in years, she is still quite childish. Caladriel is not allowed to be the tomboy she wants to be, and is only Legolas' half sister. This is preLotR, Estel is only about thirty or forty. Why all this guessing? This is a transcribed dream, that's why. Oh, and a groom in this story is not a groom in the sense of bride and groom, a groom is actually someone who takes care of the horses.
And this switches from Third person to first, usually Caladriel's POV. I kinda dreamed it as an onlooker that they didn't see, but sometimes I was in her head. Couldn't think of Gondorian names, I have a list of Elvish names, but I wasn't able to locate a Gondorian and Numenorean name generator.
I should mention that the reason Legolas is so rotten to Faelon is that he's majorly overprotective of Calad. It isn't a predjudice thing thing entirely, although he distrusts anyone with a hidden past, he's really just trying to be a good older brother and protect Calad.
Chapter seven: Heirs.
A goodly sized procession caught up with Erestor and Glorfindel, who escorted Legolas. Legolas recognized Elrond, Elladan, Estel, Elrohir, Rinn, and his own sister, but the dark-haired noble beside Calad didn't ring a bell. Calad was dressed in her proper robes, mounted on a bay horse that was actually bridled, while the nobleman was riding a grey stallion, his cloak falling neatly over its back and rump, dressed in blue and gold. His hair was unusually short, but braided in the usual Elven fashion. He looked strangely uncomfortable, and Legolas wondered why that was. He halted his horse and waited for the riders to catch up, falling in beside the nobleman.
"Suilad, mellon nin." Legolas said. "How goes it?"
"Very well, prince." the noble replied, fidgeting a little as though he wanted to keep the hood of his cloak over his head.
"Of what house are you? I have seen those colors before, but I do not remember whose they are." Legolas said.
"Beriorchan." said the noble softly.
"Ah, the missing one! Well met! How did clever Lord Elrond ever find you?" Legolas exclaimed.
"I was right under his nose the whole time." said the Elf in blue and gold, fixing the prince with an intense stare.
Legolas' breath and words were stolen. He had never seen any of the house of Beriorchan with eyes such as those. Clear and jewel-like they seemed to him, with a familiar fire. The shape of the face was begininng to become familiar as well.
"It seems to me that... I have met you before." Legolas said slowly.
A smile graced the lips of the strangely familiar noble.
"Surely not, my prince. I have only now come from the house of Peredhil." he said softly, then turned his attention back to the road before him.
"You are heir to vast lands to the south, Beriorgan. Your kin have long fought back the Spiders there. They were doing well when last I saw them." Legolas said cheerfully. "They are a fine house, distantly related to my own."
What a difference a title and lands make! thought the noble.
"That is favorable news, Lord Prince." the noble said.
"How is it that you know me and I have no recollection of you?" Legolas asked, mystefied.
"Surely, my lord, you have noticed that your sister, the princess, rides in this procession, scarce a minute goes by that she does not talk of you." said the noble, a smile spreading across his face.
Legolas conceeded that this was probably true.
Glorfindel rode up to the noble's left at a speed fast enough to spook his mount. The silver stallion reared, letting out a deafening scream. The noble hung tight to the horse's mane, his cloak's hood flopping back. He patted the horse's neck, trying to calm the frightened animal. Glorfindel looked smug. Legolas' jaw was in a most unattractive position.
"Glorfindel you samwise!" Elrond thundered. "You could have killed them both!"
"Faelon is a horse himself, why would his kin kill him?" Glorfindel laughed.
"You didn't know it was Faelon, and what if Mithy had knocked Legolas and his horse into that ravine?" Elrond scolded.
Glorfindel looked cowed.
"I apologize, my lord. You are right, as usual." Glorfindel said softly. "But I do want to know, why is Faelon dressed like a lord?"
"Because he is one!" Elladan quipped.
Faelon looked down at Mithy's neck.
"Valar be praised! Really?!" Glorfindel burst out. "I always knew you had a noble heart, Faelon. What lands have you?"
"Southern Mirkwood!" Legolas laughed. "He's an exterminator!"
Faelon's eyes flashed, as did those of Erestor. Both were giving the other lords looks of disdain.
"Just because we come from humble beginnings gives you no license to taunt us, prince Legolas." Erestor spat. "We are self made lords, you'd be a miserable failure if you'd been born without a title!"
"Hush, Erestor. I know how you feel about such things." Elrond soothed.
"I most certainly will not hush! This young Elf has been my bane for weeks! He has done nothing but torment me with his ridiculous rantings and mutterings! I am tired of being stepped on by the great and the small. I have worked hard all my life to gain my title and my position, and I will not have anyone discount it!" Erestor fumed.
There's only so much a stressed advisor can take. Erestor had reached his limit. Elrond knew it.
"Until you knew who I was, Legolas, you treated me with respect." Faelon said. "I am a lord, on both sides. I grow weary of being taunted and made sport of, just as you would. I have never done anything to deserve your distrust and scorn, and I am tired of working so hard to please those who I don't really need to. I give it up. I will no longer try to please you. It is not my duty. I love your sister, or I would have long ago decided to stay with Elrond. You would do well to learn courtesy, Legolas, make friends with those you meet on your way up, because you will surely meet them on the way down."
With that Faelon laid his heels to Mithy's sides and the horse was off like an arrow.
"Would you treat me like that?" Calad asked Legolas, tears in her eyes. "You are a prince! It is YOUR duty to aid your people! Were I a simple peasant maid, would you treat me as badly as you have treated him?"
"No, Calad, you're my sister, I would never..."
"I am your sister? There have been so many times I wished I were Faelon's sister, rather than yours. You show all the other servants the respect they deserve, but you refuse to show a lord the respect he is owed?"
"Calad, you don't understand." Legolas said, reaching for his sister's arm.
She slapped him.
"Don't touch me until you can act in a manner befitting a prince of our realm!" Calad hissed, reining her horse in the direction Faelon had taken.
"Legolas...." Elrond said sternly.
Legolas gulped.
"Yes, my lord?"
"What exactly do you have against Faelon? His life has been a difficult one heretofore, you needn't make it worse."
"I hate him because he influences Calad! Calad is MY sister! I don't want him so close to her! Why could she not have bonded with one of the maids?!"
"None of the maids offer her what Faelon does." Glorfindel said, with his strange insight. "Faelon offers her companionship, love, and a wildness she wishes she was allowed to keep. She can confide in him and know it will not be palace news twenty minutes later. Much like Elladan and Elrohir."
Elrond looked surprised.
"Is that it, Glorfindel? I didn't realize that." Elrond said. "Would that you used your powers of insight more often."
Glorfindel looked at Elrond with a mystefied expression.
"What exactly did I say?" Glorfindel asked. "It has flown my mind already."
"Ai! Valar!" Erestor rolled his eyes and looked skyward.
"Legolas, I know you're overprotective of Calad, and well you should be, but that's not a good enough reason for you to be horrible to Faelon." Elladan said softly. "Elrohir and I are overprotective of Undomiel as well, but we don't pick on you for being close to her."
"I just don't want her to get hurt." Legolas murmured
"I understand that. But Faelon doesn't want her to get hurt either. He cares about her as much as you do, if not more." Estel said, finally joining the conversation. "Now that he has a title and he has lands, he wants to ask for her hand. He wants your blessing too, Legolas, and he wants to be your friend. Even though you pick on him he doesn't hold a grudge."
"He doesn't? Where do you get that idea? He holds a grudge, he's not friendly with me either." Legolas scoffed.
"He doesn't want to say anything to you that he'll be ashamed of later." Estel said. "That's why he more often says nothing."
"How do you know?" Legolas asked. "When does he talk to you?"
"He's my cousin, Legolas, albeit a distant one, but he is still my cousin." Estel said. "Everytime he brings messages to father, we spend time together. He talks to me a lot. He is a true friend and companion, you know not what you are missing."
Legolas looked like he knew his arguments would be no success.
"Legolas, Calad is an adult now, she can love those whom she will. Isn't it time that you become her friend and not just her brother?" Elrond asked.
Legolas nodded slowly.
"Come, let us press on toward the palace. I wish to make an apology to my sister and my brother-in-law." He said, urging his horse on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad couldn't find Mithy's hoofprints. Shadow was growing nervous, smelling silk in the air. Calad knew she was lost.
"Faelon! Faelon, where are you?" she called, becoming uneasy in the silence of the dark forest. "Faelon! I'm lost!"
Shadow spooked as a branch snapped, taking off without his rider. Calad sat in terrified silence. She knew Spiders picked off stragglers and loners, and she fell into both categories.
"Faelon, come and save me." she whispered, her voice no louder than the rustling leaves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faelon felt uneasy when he saw that Calad was not among the riding party. He knew every shortcut in Mirkwood, and had made better time than the others. He rushed forward to Legolas.
"Legolas, where is Calad?!" he asked, worry in his eyes.
Legolas looked startled.
"I thought she was with you!" he exclaimed. "She left the path to follow you!"
"Sweet Eru! She cannot ride those paths! They will be her undoing! She doesn't know where they lead!" Faelon groaned.
Shadow galloped into the clearing minus his rider.
Faelon's face lost all of its color.
"Shadow! Where is Calad?!" Faelon screamed at the horse.
Shadow shied, knowing he had done what he'd been trained not to. Faelon approached the horse at the speed of light, seizing its reins.
"Get on Shadow, Legolas." Faelon said. "He'll lead us back to Calad."
Legolas looked warilly at the mount offered to him.
Elrond leveled an accusing glance at him.
Legolas quickly mounted.
Faelon mounted Mithy and the two were off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad was terrified. She was staring down three Spiders, with only a dagger to defend herself. If they all rushed her, she would be as good as dead. Their multiple eyes were evil and red, their legs ending in a talon- like foot.
"Such fine silk is wasted on Elves." hissed one Spider, touching Calad's hair.
"She-Elves especially. Should we not reclaim it?" another hissed back.
"Go! The vengence of Faelon and Legolas will be terrible if you harm me!" Calad said, with more confidence than she felt.
"Who are they that we should fear them?" the first Spider taunted.
"Faelon Beriorgan of the house of Beriorchan and Legolas Thranduillion of the house of Elvenkings." Calad said.
"Beriorchan? They have found the one that was lost? Not likely. We know what became of him." hissed the Spider cruelly.
"Aye, the White Wizard got him, he didn't want the parents, so we got them." hissed Spider two.
"Yes, the Wizard wanted the whelp, said he had power. He didn't, so the Wizard must have slain him." hissed the leader.
Calad's heart was in her throat. Faelon's family had been attacked by Spiders? What a cruel way to die. If she ever saw him again she would never ask him any questions about his past.
The leading Spider stepped toward her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faelon heard a shrill scream and kicked Mithy to run harder. Somewhere, Calad was playing with spiders. Legolas saw the pain on Faelon's face and wondered what he was associating with the screams and Spiders. The natural glow of the Elves seemed to become more intense, especially for Faelon, who was going into battle against a long time, ancestral enemy. Beriorchan had always fought the Spiders, bravely, valiantly, though not always successfully. Faelon's eyes flashed with a deadly fire, one that Legolas had come to know. It was only there when Calad was in trouble.
"Faelon, I want you to know, I am sorry for the way I've acted, and I crave your forgiveness." Legolas shouted.
"Legolas, I have never stopped forgiving you. You are forgiven a thousand times over." Faelon said, offering Legolas a handclasp.
Legolas took Faelon's hand and clasped it, both of them steeling their resolve.
Faelon whipped out his sharp, bright sword and Mithy leapt into the fray, side by side with Shadow and Legolas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calad reeled from the Spider poison, her head swimming, as she stabbed blindly at the taunting creatures. A bright light burst into the clearing, and she saw the two people she loved most attack the Spiders just before she hit the ground. She head a cry of dismay. A heavy darkness settled over her and she knew no more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas thrust his sword through the head of the nearest Spider, knowing Faelon would see to Calad. He lopped of another's head and turned to see Calad fall to the ground.
Faelon leapt from Mithy's back with a yell, waving his sword like a madman, running toward Calad's limp body. Legolas took up the cry and attacked a Spider with renewed fury.
Swift and terrible was the wrath of Faelon and Legolas, twenty Spiders fell to their bright swords and knives. At long last the evil creatures were driven back, and Faelon cradled Calad in his arms. Legolas looked on, his face dark with worry.
"She lives." Faelon sighed. "Let us take her to Lord Elrond, he will best know how to help her."
Faelon handed Calad up to Legolas, making sure both were settled securely on Mithy.
"Why Mithy, Faelon?" Legolas asked, holding tight to the stallion's mane.
"Mithy is swiftest and surest of foot. Haste, Legolas, take her to Elrond and your father. I will catch up." Faelon said, slapping the horse's rump.
He sprang onto Shadow's back, bringing up the rear and making sure that none of the Spiders would catch up to Legolas and Calad.
Light reflected off of Mithy's coat as he ran all out for home, a shimmering apparation amongst the trees. Shadow, silent and swift, was invisible. The Spiders liked not the light of the silver horse, and shied away. Shadow passed unnoticed, living up to his name.
Faelon lifted a prayer to Eru that Calad would not come to permanent harm.