Disclaimer: I do not own lotr I only own Nefaratoiel, Lhunrothien, and
Mariel.
Chapter 6 - The First of Many
It was late and the moon was high. Most were asleep in their beds and those who were awake were groggy. Everyone had attended the feast. In the aftermath of the feast Rivendell was vulnerable. Nefaratoiel lay in her room. Her eyes were open wide but she was asleep. The guards, she didn't know about, stood alert outside her door.
Silmaneero twitched in her sleep. She edged away from Nefaratoiel. Silmaneero awoke with a growl when she heard two faint thumps. Something large and heavy had fallen to the ground just outside of Nefaratoiel's room. There were shadows moving in the darkness. 'Danger' was the only thing going through Silmaneero's mind.
Nefaratoiel began to stir as she sensed Silmaneero's uneasiness. She began to wake as a rough hand clamped about her mouth, bringing her to her senses. Nefaratoiel fought the grip, but whoever it was held on. Nefaratoiel's hand brushed over the Dagger of Night's Calling and she stabbed the person holding her. In one graceful and swift motion she withdrew her dagger, stepped away and turned about. An orc. Nefaratoiel stepped forward and slit its throat in one movement.
She looked about her there were five more orcs in her room. She opened her mouth to scream but the orcs were quicker. The quickly grabbed her and gagged her. They began to drag her away when Silmaneero made herself known. With a vicious growl Silmaneero leapt for one of the orcs. The orc merely swatted Silmaneero away. Silmaneero was knocked into the wall, unconscious. Nefaratoiel's knife was picked up by a really ugly orc and he put it away somewhere on him. Nefaratoiel was pissed and worried about Silmaneero.
They dragged her away, Nefaratoiel fighting them every step of the way. They bound her hands and feet. Nefaratoiel continued to struggle. The really ugly one pushed her down so that she was sitting and he stood over her. Nefaratoiel glared at him and swiftly moved her feet to kick his own feet out from under him. He reached over and slapped her across the face, hard. Nefaratoiel's vision swam as she felt Mr. Ugly picked her up. Everything went black.
*******
Silmaneero shook her head as she woke up. It was past dawn but still early morning. The orcs had left hours ago. Silmaneero was out of the room like lightning looking for the others. She raced through the halls till she came to the dining hall. The others were there, eating breakfast. They weren't worried about Nefaratoiel's absence due to the fact that she rarely broke fast with them. They were having a friendly chat when Silmaneero jumped right onto the table upsetting food and drink. They jumped back and looked at Silmaneero in shock. She cried out impatiently as they just stared at her. Silmaneero jumped off the table and rushed over to the dining halls exit. Avath and Willow who had been under the table walked over to her. They watched as Silmaneero ran back to the others and back again to the door.
"I guess we should fallow." Haldir stated. They approached Silmaneero who took off like lightning. They all ran to keep up with the little tiger till they came to Nefaratoiel's room. Mariel and Lhunrothien entered the room in a heartbeat.
"No!" Lhunrothien cried out. The room was in shambles and Nefaratoiel was no where to be found. Mariel left the room to inform the others who waited outside just as Haldir and Legolas came in. Legolas hugged Lhunrothien, trying to calm her down as she cried.
Haldir inspected the room, "Orcs," he stated, anger and frustration laced through his voice.
Legolas had Lhunrothien leave the room before he walked over to look at the dead orc. Its throat had been slit. "I'm glad that Nefaratoiel was able to kill at least one of her captors." Legolas stated his voice hard.
"We must find her," Haldir insisted.
Legolas looked at Haldir; 'He's falling for her.' He noted shocked. "We will find her my friend."
True Nefaratoiel preferred to keep her distance, but she was kind. She listened to others and was loved by them. She returned what she could, they understood that her past still haunted her. She could be cruel but she cared. She was blunt but soft-spoken. Tough but graceful. Swift and sure, knowing what had to be done. Nefaratoiel didn't pause to question herself. She had learnt that that was a weakness long ago. She was bossy and commanding, yet meek and vulnerable. She listened well and was willing. She had her faults, no one is perfect, not even elves. Yet they loved her the way she is because she loved them the way they are.
Haldir nodded they left to reconvene with the others. They had left, some to inform Elrond, some to talk to the guard, and Aragorn and Eomer went in search of the orcs tracks. They met back at the gazebo where Nefaratoiel had always sat. Silmaneero had been staying close to Haldir, as her mistress was gone. Elrond entered the gazebo with Gandalf on his heels.
"Come ladies." Gandalf ordered softly. He ushered Rin, Lhunrothien, Mariel and Arwen away with him.
Elrond turned to those still present; "We must rescue Nefaratoiel. Take whatever you need. You know where they are headed." Elrond turned to leave purpose in his stride. His only thought as he left was 'Galadriel must know.'
Haldir, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and Eomer prepared to find Nefaratoiel. They packed a weeks worth of provisions. They would travel on horseback. Legolas and Gimli would ride on Arod, Aragorn rode Hasufel, Eomer chose a light cream colored stallion named Raumo , and Haldir had a dark gray stallion with a black mane, tail, and socks named Mahtar . They mounted and rode off after the orcs and in search of Nefaratoiel.
*********
Galadriel sat beside her husband Celeborn contemplating what Elrond had just told her that had befallen Nefaratoiel. "Celeborn, lle merna aut nna Rivendell ?" Galadriel questioned.
"A'maelamin we shall do whatever you desire." Celeborn answered.
"We leave in an hour." Galadriel stated. She stood up and prepared to leave.
********
After riding hard for 3 days straight. Aragorn and the others finally caught up to the orcs. The orcs were making camp at the top of a waterfall, a little ways in. They prepared their ambush. 5 orcs meant one each.
*********
Nefaratoiel leaned back against a boulder she had been set by. Still in her nightdress she drew her knees up to her chest for whatever warmth she could get. Nefaratoiel closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her. There were a couple horses in a distant meadow, she couldn't make out as to how many. There were soft footsteps, some four-legged animal was creeping around. She heard short steps of a two legged creature and four long sets of footsteps from two legged creatures. Some of the last four footsteps were heavier than others. Nefaratoiel titled her head to one side. That was odd, she'd never heard such an arrangement of footsteps so far from a village. Her eyes snapped open as hope fluttered in her heart. 'Have the others come to save me?' Nefaratoiel questioned herself.
She got the answer a second later as she felt the ropes binding her hands begin to loosen. Nefaratoiel looked shocked to her right. There was Silmaneero chewing through her bindings. Nefaratoiel smiled, but then frowned when she saw Mr. Ugly walk off towards the river to get her water. The stupid orcs had offered her no food but gave her water, which she would drink greedily. Nefaratoiel had managed to get free of the bindings before so they made sure to check them when they gave her water.
Nefaratoiel looked worriedly down at Silmaneero who was almost done chewing through the ropes. She pulled her hands apart when Silmaneero finished and rubbed her wrists to restart the circulation. Nefaratoiel wasn't sure what the others had planned so she remained where she was. She untied her feet while she waited. Suddenly Gimli jumped out of the forest with a cry and hacked one of the orc's head off. Three arrows and one spear followed. Nefaratoiel stood just as the last arrow was fired and didn't even flinch as it swept just past her head. Missing by a millimeter.
Nefaratoiel remembered that Mr. Ugly had her knife and turned towards the waterfall. He lay on the ground, the arrow embedded deep into his gut. Nefaratoiel hiked over to him and crouched down. She reached under his chain mail and into his tunic. She grabbed her knife and drew it out. She turned to face Haldir who had come up beside her. "Thanks for coming to rescue me." She told him sincerely.
Haldir looked down in her hands where she held the Dagger of Nights Calling. The crystals were glowing softly. Haldir looked back up at her a little surprised that she had powers of night. Legolas saw the glow out of the corner of his eye and turned to look just in time to see the orc punch at Nefaratoiel. "Look out!" He called too late.
Just as the words left his mouth the orc punched Nefaratoiel in the back of the knee causing her to fall backwards and into the river. Legolas reached for an arrow, knocked it and loosed all in one movement. He shot too late. Haldir moved to catch Nefaratoiel but the orc knocked his feet out from under him and Haldir ended up following Nefaratoiel into the river. As the two plunged into the river they grabbed the others hand. Together they were swept under by the current and dragged over the falls.
"No!" Legolas shouted. Legolas and the others raced over to the waterfall to see if they could spy their friends at the bottom. But the mist at the bottom of the falls was to thick and they could see nothing. "We must find them." Legolas stated. Eomer was the first to move. He headed straight for the cliff face and began to scale his way down, the others following behind him.
***********
Nefaratoiel and Haldir had managed to keep a grip on each other and their belongings. They fought the fast current as best as they could until they managed to pull themselves onto the shore of the river. Nefaratoiel collapsed her strength spent. Haldir sat beside breathing heavily. Nefaratoiel lay still for a moment before pushing herself up in a sitting position beside Haldir. Haldir took her hand in his own. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips and pulled away just as quick. He did not release her hand. Nefaratoiel blushed a little and focused her attention on the river, shocked. Haldir stared at her and then at the Dagger of Nights Calling. "It glows in your hands."
"Well it is night and I do posses powers of night." Nefaratoiel stated.
"You knew?" Haldir questioned.
"About what? My powers? Of course I knew about them. My mother told me about my magic along time ago. She didn't go into detail, but she told me what it was." Nefaratoiel answered truthfully.
"I meant, you knew why Galadriel gave you the dagger?" Haldir questioned.
"I haven't the faintest idea, but I believe that in the near future I will most likely be told as to why the dagger was gifted to me." Nefaratoiel answered.
Haldir nodded. He stood pulling Nefaratoiel up with him. "We should head upstream towards the others. They will come looking for us."
Nefaratoiel nodded and followed Haldir up the bank. They soon met up with Eomer, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. "Thank the horse lords that you're alright." Eomer declared. He handed Nefaratoiel a cloak as she was not only drenched but all she wore was a white night dress, that was now partially see through. Nefaratoiel smiled her thanks and followed the others back to a clearing where 4 horses were tethered. Haldir motioned to Nefaratoiel. "You will ride with me on Mahtar."
Nefaratoiel smiled. She liked Mahtar instantly. Haldir mounted and Nefaratoiel mounted right behind him. She ignored him when he offered help. Haldir smiled at her independence. The six of them rode off on the 3-day journey back to Rivendell.
Chapter 6 - The First of Many
It was late and the moon was high. Most were asleep in their beds and those who were awake were groggy. Everyone had attended the feast. In the aftermath of the feast Rivendell was vulnerable. Nefaratoiel lay in her room. Her eyes were open wide but she was asleep. The guards, she didn't know about, stood alert outside her door.
Silmaneero twitched in her sleep. She edged away from Nefaratoiel. Silmaneero awoke with a growl when she heard two faint thumps. Something large and heavy had fallen to the ground just outside of Nefaratoiel's room. There were shadows moving in the darkness. 'Danger' was the only thing going through Silmaneero's mind.
Nefaratoiel began to stir as she sensed Silmaneero's uneasiness. She began to wake as a rough hand clamped about her mouth, bringing her to her senses. Nefaratoiel fought the grip, but whoever it was held on. Nefaratoiel's hand brushed over the Dagger of Night's Calling and she stabbed the person holding her. In one graceful and swift motion she withdrew her dagger, stepped away and turned about. An orc. Nefaratoiel stepped forward and slit its throat in one movement.
She looked about her there were five more orcs in her room. She opened her mouth to scream but the orcs were quicker. The quickly grabbed her and gagged her. They began to drag her away when Silmaneero made herself known. With a vicious growl Silmaneero leapt for one of the orcs. The orc merely swatted Silmaneero away. Silmaneero was knocked into the wall, unconscious. Nefaratoiel's knife was picked up by a really ugly orc and he put it away somewhere on him. Nefaratoiel was pissed and worried about Silmaneero.
They dragged her away, Nefaratoiel fighting them every step of the way. They bound her hands and feet. Nefaratoiel continued to struggle. The really ugly one pushed her down so that she was sitting and he stood over her. Nefaratoiel glared at him and swiftly moved her feet to kick his own feet out from under him. He reached over and slapped her across the face, hard. Nefaratoiel's vision swam as she felt Mr. Ugly picked her up. Everything went black.
*******
Silmaneero shook her head as she woke up. It was past dawn but still early morning. The orcs had left hours ago. Silmaneero was out of the room like lightning looking for the others. She raced through the halls till she came to the dining hall. The others were there, eating breakfast. They weren't worried about Nefaratoiel's absence due to the fact that she rarely broke fast with them. They were having a friendly chat when Silmaneero jumped right onto the table upsetting food and drink. They jumped back and looked at Silmaneero in shock. She cried out impatiently as they just stared at her. Silmaneero jumped off the table and rushed over to the dining halls exit. Avath and Willow who had been under the table walked over to her. They watched as Silmaneero ran back to the others and back again to the door.
"I guess we should fallow." Haldir stated. They approached Silmaneero who took off like lightning. They all ran to keep up with the little tiger till they came to Nefaratoiel's room. Mariel and Lhunrothien entered the room in a heartbeat.
"No!" Lhunrothien cried out. The room was in shambles and Nefaratoiel was no where to be found. Mariel left the room to inform the others who waited outside just as Haldir and Legolas came in. Legolas hugged Lhunrothien, trying to calm her down as she cried.
Haldir inspected the room, "Orcs," he stated, anger and frustration laced through his voice.
Legolas had Lhunrothien leave the room before he walked over to look at the dead orc. Its throat had been slit. "I'm glad that Nefaratoiel was able to kill at least one of her captors." Legolas stated his voice hard.
"We must find her," Haldir insisted.
Legolas looked at Haldir; 'He's falling for her.' He noted shocked. "We will find her my friend."
True Nefaratoiel preferred to keep her distance, but she was kind. She listened to others and was loved by them. She returned what she could, they understood that her past still haunted her. She could be cruel but she cared. She was blunt but soft-spoken. Tough but graceful. Swift and sure, knowing what had to be done. Nefaratoiel didn't pause to question herself. She had learnt that that was a weakness long ago. She was bossy and commanding, yet meek and vulnerable. She listened well and was willing. She had her faults, no one is perfect, not even elves. Yet they loved her the way she is because she loved them the way they are.
Haldir nodded they left to reconvene with the others. They had left, some to inform Elrond, some to talk to the guard, and Aragorn and Eomer went in search of the orcs tracks. They met back at the gazebo where Nefaratoiel had always sat. Silmaneero had been staying close to Haldir, as her mistress was gone. Elrond entered the gazebo with Gandalf on his heels.
"Come ladies." Gandalf ordered softly. He ushered Rin, Lhunrothien, Mariel and Arwen away with him.
Elrond turned to those still present; "We must rescue Nefaratoiel. Take whatever you need. You know where they are headed." Elrond turned to leave purpose in his stride. His only thought as he left was 'Galadriel must know.'
Haldir, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and Eomer prepared to find Nefaratoiel. They packed a weeks worth of provisions. They would travel on horseback. Legolas and Gimli would ride on Arod, Aragorn rode Hasufel, Eomer chose a light cream colored stallion named Raumo , and Haldir had a dark gray stallion with a black mane, tail, and socks named Mahtar . They mounted and rode off after the orcs and in search of Nefaratoiel.
*********
Galadriel sat beside her husband Celeborn contemplating what Elrond had just told her that had befallen Nefaratoiel. "Celeborn, lle merna aut nna Rivendell ?" Galadriel questioned.
"A'maelamin we shall do whatever you desire." Celeborn answered.
"We leave in an hour." Galadriel stated. She stood up and prepared to leave.
********
After riding hard for 3 days straight. Aragorn and the others finally caught up to the orcs. The orcs were making camp at the top of a waterfall, a little ways in. They prepared their ambush. 5 orcs meant one each.
*********
Nefaratoiel leaned back against a boulder she had been set by. Still in her nightdress she drew her knees up to her chest for whatever warmth she could get. Nefaratoiel closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her. There were a couple horses in a distant meadow, she couldn't make out as to how many. There were soft footsteps, some four-legged animal was creeping around. She heard short steps of a two legged creature and four long sets of footsteps from two legged creatures. Some of the last four footsteps were heavier than others. Nefaratoiel titled her head to one side. That was odd, she'd never heard such an arrangement of footsteps so far from a village. Her eyes snapped open as hope fluttered in her heart. 'Have the others come to save me?' Nefaratoiel questioned herself.
She got the answer a second later as she felt the ropes binding her hands begin to loosen. Nefaratoiel looked shocked to her right. There was Silmaneero chewing through her bindings. Nefaratoiel smiled, but then frowned when she saw Mr. Ugly walk off towards the river to get her water. The stupid orcs had offered her no food but gave her water, which she would drink greedily. Nefaratoiel had managed to get free of the bindings before so they made sure to check them when they gave her water.
Nefaratoiel looked worriedly down at Silmaneero who was almost done chewing through the ropes. She pulled her hands apart when Silmaneero finished and rubbed her wrists to restart the circulation. Nefaratoiel wasn't sure what the others had planned so she remained where she was. She untied her feet while she waited. Suddenly Gimli jumped out of the forest with a cry and hacked one of the orc's head off. Three arrows and one spear followed. Nefaratoiel stood just as the last arrow was fired and didn't even flinch as it swept just past her head. Missing by a millimeter.
Nefaratoiel remembered that Mr. Ugly had her knife and turned towards the waterfall. He lay on the ground, the arrow embedded deep into his gut. Nefaratoiel hiked over to him and crouched down. She reached under his chain mail and into his tunic. She grabbed her knife and drew it out. She turned to face Haldir who had come up beside her. "Thanks for coming to rescue me." She told him sincerely.
Haldir looked down in her hands where she held the Dagger of Nights Calling. The crystals were glowing softly. Haldir looked back up at her a little surprised that she had powers of night. Legolas saw the glow out of the corner of his eye and turned to look just in time to see the orc punch at Nefaratoiel. "Look out!" He called too late.
Just as the words left his mouth the orc punched Nefaratoiel in the back of the knee causing her to fall backwards and into the river. Legolas reached for an arrow, knocked it and loosed all in one movement. He shot too late. Haldir moved to catch Nefaratoiel but the orc knocked his feet out from under him and Haldir ended up following Nefaratoiel into the river. As the two plunged into the river they grabbed the others hand. Together they were swept under by the current and dragged over the falls.
"No!" Legolas shouted. Legolas and the others raced over to the waterfall to see if they could spy their friends at the bottom. But the mist at the bottom of the falls was to thick and they could see nothing. "We must find them." Legolas stated. Eomer was the first to move. He headed straight for the cliff face and began to scale his way down, the others following behind him.
***********
Nefaratoiel and Haldir had managed to keep a grip on each other and their belongings. They fought the fast current as best as they could until they managed to pull themselves onto the shore of the river. Nefaratoiel collapsed her strength spent. Haldir sat beside breathing heavily. Nefaratoiel lay still for a moment before pushing herself up in a sitting position beside Haldir. Haldir took her hand in his own. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips and pulled away just as quick. He did not release her hand. Nefaratoiel blushed a little and focused her attention on the river, shocked. Haldir stared at her and then at the Dagger of Nights Calling. "It glows in your hands."
"Well it is night and I do posses powers of night." Nefaratoiel stated.
"You knew?" Haldir questioned.
"About what? My powers? Of course I knew about them. My mother told me about my magic along time ago. She didn't go into detail, but she told me what it was." Nefaratoiel answered truthfully.
"I meant, you knew why Galadriel gave you the dagger?" Haldir questioned.
"I haven't the faintest idea, but I believe that in the near future I will most likely be told as to why the dagger was gifted to me." Nefaratoiel answered.
Haldir nodded. He stood pulling Nefaratoiel up with him. "We should head upstream towards the others. They will come looking for us."
Nefaratoiel nodded and followed Haldir up the bank. They soon met up with Eomer, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. "Thank the horse lords that you're alright." Eomer declared. He handed Nefaratoiel a cloak as she was not only drenched but all she wore was a white night dress, that was now partially see through. Nefaratoiel smiled her thanks and followed the others back to a clearing where 4 horses were tethered. Haldir motioned to Nefaratoiel. "You will ride with me on Mahtar."
Nefaratoiel smiled. She liked Mahtar instantly. Haldir mounted and Nefaratoiel mounted right behind him. She ignored him when he offered help. Haldir smiled at her independence. The six of them rode off on the 3-day journey back to Rivendell.