*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ONE WEEK LATER
CHAPTER THREE:
Disclaimer: Must I repeat myself?
Rana dragged herself to the realm of the Lady of the Golden Wood. She staggered, hardly capable of standing at her state and condition. Legolas lay still on the litter, and Rana feared all her efforts were too late. The horses followed her up there, so tired they could barely stand up straight. Rana looked around for someone to help her, but she saw nobody. In a minute, however, she heard the approach of elves, and whirled to meet them. She didn't speak to them, just indicated the fallen Legolas on the litter, before collapsing herself.
When Rana woke up, she saw that she had been placed in a bed in a large room. Nearby, her best friends Eruvande, Almatari, and Alataria were watching her. Sitting up in the bed, she groaned then thumped back down. Eruvande walked over to her, worry showing on her face.
"Hey, you alright now? You crashed right on the steps. Pretty embarrassing." Rana started to protest to this, then realized that Eruvande was joking. Smiling slightly, she gasped.
"Where's Legolas? Is he okay? What was wrong?" She asked in a flurry. Eruvande laughed again.
"Down the hall, yes, struck by an arrow." Rana looked at her quizzically then laughed herself.
"Can I go see him?" she said eagerly.
"Sure. Follow me!" Eruvande turned to leave, and Almatari and Alataria followed her. As they walked, Rana really looked for the first time since arriving at her friends, and how they had changed. Alataria still looked much the same, her long red gold hair setting off her freckles. As she turned to grin at Rana, her grey eyes sparkled in the light. Looking at Almatari, Rana realized that she looked older, even for elves. Her brown hair perfectly matched her striking brown eyes pierced everything. And Eruvande, her oldest friend, had grown out her wavy blonde hair and her emerald eyes had grown even brighter.
All of them, however pleasant they looked, carried weapons and had an under laid grim look. Eruvande carried her beautiful bow, Almatari had her usual bow and sword, and Alataria carried two daggers. Rana searched for her own weapons, but didn't find them.
"What did you guys do with my stuff?" she demanded. Eruvande smiled.
"Chill, Rana. We put it up, because we wanted you to get this surprise we've been keeping from you. Come on. Follow us." Walking down a hall, Almatari explained,
"We've been holding this for a while. But you haven't come to Lorien in so long..." she trailed off. Rana felt guilty. She knew she hadn't visited Lorien in at least a year, and all this while her best friends wanted her to come.
Alataria smiled.
"Don't feel bad. Here it is." Alataria turned into a room, and Rana saw inside several of her favorite things in the world. The first was Legolas, sleeping in his bed. The second was all her weapons, in their scabbards or cases, neatly put away. The third, she was delighted to see, was a pair of large wolves sitting on each side of the bed.
"Oh my god! You guys, thanks so much!" she exclaimed.
"Their names are Kala and Indo." Alataria explained. "Light and Heart. Duh." She grinned at Rana.
Rana suddenly remembered Legolas, lying on the bed sleeping. Indicating him, she whispered, "What did you guys do? I know you, Eruvande, are one of the best healers here, but he seemed pretty bad."
Eruvande smiled; her face lighted up when she did.
"Thanks. He needed some rest and food, but what happened is- well..." she trailed off.
Alataria, suddenly grim, walked to a shelf and held up a twisted, black arrow. The head was broken at the top, leaving a jagged, sharp point.
Rana paled considerably. Orc arrows had always been dangerous, but most recently, they had been made with poison in the tip. Though most were not so dangerous, as the one that struck Rana, there were some poisoned ones. If anyone was struck close enough to the heart....
"Is he okay?" Rana whispered. Almatari smiled, and nodded slightly.
"Go wake him up. He's such a lazy elf." She grinned.
Walking over to the bed, Rana shook him slightly. Cracking open one of his large, beautiful blue eyes, he smiled. Sitting up slightly, he hugged Rana tightly, and gave her a kiss. Rana smiled down at him, and sat next to him on the bed.
"Hey. Feeling any better?" Rana said, quietly.
"Much. Give me a few days, a week at most, and I'll still smoke you in archery." Rana grinned at this. She was actually better than Legolas, but they always pretended she wasn't. To be completely truthful, Rana and Legolas were both known as some of the best warriors of many elves. But Rana beat Legolas out at weaponry; as Legolas beat Rana at leadership, and ruling an area, as befit his princely status.
"There is something, kinda having to do with what you guys are talking about, that you should know about." Alataria said suddenly. Rana jumped up. She had forgotten they were there.
"What is it?" Rana asked urgently.
Looking at Eruvande, the other two decided to let her take over.
"There's been war. Since you guys have been away from Mirkwood, which is actually much longer than you think...war has broken out in Mirkwood, and the surrounding areas. Like I said, you've been away longer than you think." Eruvande said quietly.
"How long?" Legolas said dully.
"More than a month." She said, looking away from them.
Rana felt amazement bubble up inside her.
"How is that possible? At absolute most, a week and a half." Rana said furiously.
"We've been drugging both of you to keep you sleeping. You haven't been ready, and we knew that if we let you get up, and hear the news, you'd both try and get away. We couldn't let you do that. As it is, you are awake and ready to go." Eruvande handed them both sacks filled with their belongings.
Rana looked in her bag. She saw all of her weapons, except for her swords, which Almatari held, and other supplies that would be necessary for the trip to the battle.
Looking back up, she looked at her grim friends with tears in her eyes.
"It's really going down isn't it?" She said, starting to cry.
Alataria nodded. "Yes."
CHAPTER THREE:
Disclaimer: Must I repeat myself?
Rana dragged herself to the realm of the Lady of the Golden Wood. She staggered, hardly capable of standing at her state and condition. Legolas lay still on the litter, and Rana feared all her efforts were too late. The horses followed her up there, so tired they could barely stand up straight. Rana looked around for someone to help her, but she saw nobody. In a minute, however, she heard the approach of elves, and whirled to meet them. She didn't speak to them, just indicated the fallen Legolas on the litter, before collapsing herself.
When Rana woke up, she saw that she had been placed in a bed in a large room. Nearby, her best friends Eruvande, Almatari, and Alataria were watching her. Sitting up in the bed, she groaned then thumped back down. Eruvande walked over to her, worry showing on her face.
"Hey, you alright now? You crashed right on the steps. Pretty embarrassing." Rana started to protest to this, then realized that Eruvande was joking. Smiling slightly, she gasped.
"Where's Legolas? Is he okay? What was wrong?" She asked in a flurry. Eruvande laughed again.
"Down the hall, yes, struck by an arrow." Rana looked at her quizzically then laughed herself.
"Can I go see him?" she said eagerly.
"Sure. Follow me!" Eruvande turned to leave, and Almatari and Alataria followed her. As they walked, Rana really looked for the first time since arriving at her friends, and how they had changed. Alataria still looked much the same, her long red gold hair setting off her freckles. As she turned to grin at Rana, her grey eyes sparkled in the light. Looking at Almatari, Rana realized that she looked older, even for elves. Her brown hair perfectly matched her striking brown eyes pierced everything. And Eruvande, her oldest friend, had grown out her wavy blonde hair and her emerald eyes had grown even brighter.
All of them, however pleasant they looked, carried weapons and had an under laid grim look. Eruvande carried her beautiful bow, Almatari had her usual bow and sword, and Alataria carried two daggers. Rana searched for her own weapons, but didn't find them.
"What did you guys do with my stuff?" she demanded. Eruvande smiled.
"Chill, Rana. We put it up, because we wanted you to get this surprise we've been keeping from you. Come on. Follow us." Walking down a hall, Almatari explained,
"We've been holding this for a while. But you haven't come to Lorien in so long..." she trailed off. Rana felt guilty. She knew she hadn't visited Lorien in at least a year, and all this while her best friends wanted her to come.
Alataria smiled.
"Don't feel bad. Here it is." Alataria turned into a room, and Rana saw inside several of her favorite things in the world. The first was Legolas, sleeping in his bed. The second was all her weapons, in their scabbards or cases, neatly put away. The third, she was delighted to see, was a pair of large wolves sitting on each side of the bed.
"Oh my god! You guys, thanks so much!" she exclaimed.
"Their names are Kala and Indo." Alataria explained. "Light and Heart. Duh." She grinned at Rana.
Rana suddenly remembered Legolas, lying on the bed sleeping. Indicating him, she whispered, "What did you guys do? I know you, Eruvande, are one of the best healers here, but he seemed pretty bad."
Eruvande smiled; her face lighted up when she did.
"Thanks. He needed some rest and food, but what happened is- well..." she trailed off.
Alataria, suddenly grim, walked to a shelf and held up a twisted, black arrow. The head was broken at the top, leaving a jagged, sharp point.
Rana paled considerably. Orc arrows had always been dangerous, but most recently, they had been made with poison in the tip. Though most were not so dangerous, as the one that struck Rana, there were some poisoned ones. If anyone was struck close enough to the heart....
"Is he okay?" Rana whispered. Almatari smiled, and nodded slightly.
"Go wake him up. He's such a lazy elf." She grinned.
Walking over to the bed, Rana shook him slightly. Cracking open one of his large, beautiful blue eyes, he smiled. Sitting up slightly, he hugged Rana tightly, and gave her a kiss. Rana smiled down at him, and sat next to him on the bed.
"Hey. Feeling any better?" Rana said, quietly.
"Much. Give me a few days, a week at most, and I'll still smoke you in archery." Rana grinned at this. She was actually better than Legolas, but they always pretended she wasn't. To be completely truthful, Rana and Legolas were both known as some of the best warriors of many elves. But Rana beat Legolas out at weaponry; as Legolas beat Rana at leadership, and ruling an area, as befit his princely status.
"There is something, kinda having to do with what you guys are talking about, that you should know about." Alataria said suddenly. Rana jumped up. She had forgotten they were there.
"What is it?" Rana asked urgently.
Looking at Eruvande, the other two decided to let her take over.
"There's been war. Since you guys have been away from Mirkwood, which is actually much longer than you think...war has broken out in Mirkwood, and the surrounding areas. Like I said, you've been away longer than you think." Eruvande said quietly.
"How long?" Legolas said dully.
"More than a month." She said, looking away from them.
Rana felt amazement bubble up inside her.
"How is that possible? At absolute most, a week and a half." Rana said furiously.
"We've been drugging both of you to keep you sleeping. You haven't been ready, and we knew that if we let you get up, and hear the news, you'd both try and get away. We couldn't let you do that. As it is, you are awake and ready to go." Eruvande handed them both sacks filled with their belongings.
Rana looked in her bag. She saw all of her weapons, except for her swords, which Almatari held, and other supplies that would be necessary for the trip to the battle.
Looking back up, she looked at her grim friends with tears in her eyes.
"It's really going down isn't it?" She said, starting to cry.
Alataria nodded. "Yes."