Airesiwe awoke to the comforting rays of the afternoon sun. She opened her
eyes, and found herself staring right at it though. She turned away,
looking to the side, and absorbed the nourishing radiation. Suddenly, she
remembered Frodo and Sam, and the creature she fought, and jumped to her
feet. She ran through the woods calling out their names, when finally she
found them, still asleep. She walked over to the lake and looked into it.
She saw her reflection, but it soon changed. She saw herself, staring back
at her, but she looked different. She had clean clothes, and was dressed up
with less armor. She had a worried look on her face again, but there was a
glint in her eye that gave a clue that she was happier than now. There was
yelling heard in the distance, and a small hobbit stood by her, with tears
in his eyes. Airesiwe looked away from the lake, and was shocked at what
stood before her. The same shadow that she fought at the ford of Rivendell
was standing by her, with a large sword in his hand. Since Airesiwe had no
arrows, she could not fight back. The shadow swung his sword, and without
thinking, Airesiwe dodged it. She tumbled to the ground and looked up at
the creature standing above her.
"You've gotten better, Airesiwe," the creature said with a raspy voice. With that, the creature took his sword, and held it about Airesiwe, ready to stab her. Airesiwe laid in shock, but not for long. For the blade came down, piercing her stomach. She let out a long howl of pain, and dared not look at her stomach. The creature laughed, then did it once more. Airesiwe did not scream that time.
~*~
"AHH!" Airesiwe cried. She looked around and saw that it was storming, and rain was falling down so hard it hurt. She gasped for breath while examining her surroundings, and remembered where she was. She peered over the cliff and saw jagged rocks at the bottom. 'Good thing I didn't fall,' she thought to herself as she slid off the rock on the face of the cliff, and walked around. She looked at her stomach, and saw there was no wound. Gasping for breath, she walked through the rain back to Frodo and Sam.
"Where were you?!" Sam shouted when he saw Airesiwe emerge from the forest. "We were worried sick! We thought you were right and got captured! Oh please don't worry us again!" Sam was on the verge of tears, and as Airesiwe looked over at Frodo, she saw that he was too.
"I'm sorry...truly...I am," Airesiwe didn't know what to say. She had been gone that night and the whole morning. She looked up at the sky, then turned her head down. The rain was loud, and the thunder shook the earth. Lightning was their only source of light. Airesiwe began to shout above the rain. "I don't think we should leave this lake!"
"What?!" Frodo and Sam both exclaimed.
"I'm sorry! But something is holding me back!"
"We cannot linger here Airesiwe!" Frodo shouted. "Time now is precious! We can't waste a minute!"
"Please! Just listen! We can't go on! An unknown fear is at the edge of these woods, just waiting for us to depart from this forest!"
"How do you know?!" Sam shouted just as loud. The rain was beating down on them at this point.
"I don't!"
With that, Frodo and Sam stopped shouting above the storm and looked at each other. Airesiwe looked around as well. She had not a clue of what she was saying, and neither did they. But by their looks, Airesiwe knew that they had agreed and were going to stay in the forest.
"Let us walk a ways along the lake!" Airesiwe shouted again. They packed their supplies and continued on their way.
~*~
After walking for about an hour, the rain started to lessen, and the hobbits and Airesiwe decided to rest. The sun had begun shining once more, and only a drizzle was ahead of them. They set their packs down and stopped near the shore of the lake. Airesiwe decided to take a few arrows with her, for the dream she had scarred her for life. Never again would she go anywhere unarmed.
Never.
"You've gotten better, Airesiwe," the creature said with a raspy voice. With that, the creature took his sword, and held it about Airesiwe, ready to stab her. Airesiwe laid in shock, but not for long. For the blade came down, piercing her stomach. She let out a long howl of pain, and dared not look at her stomach. The creature laughed, then did it once more. Airesiwe did not scream that time.
~*~
"AHH!" Airesiwe cried. She looked around and saw that it was storming, and rain was falling down so hard it hurt. She gasped for breath while examining her surroundings, and remembered where she was. She peered over the cliff and saw jagged rocks at the bottom. 'Good thing I didn't fall,' she thought to herself as she slid off the rock on the face of the cliff, and walked around. She looked at her stomach, and saw there was no wound. Gasping for breath, she walked through the rain back to Frodo and Sam.
"Where were you?!" Sam shouted when he saw Airesiwe emerge from the forest. "We were worried sick! We thought you were right and got captured! Oh please don't worry us again!" Sam was on the verge of tears, and as Airesiwe looked over at Frodo, she saw that he was too.
"I'm sorry...truly...I am," Airesiwe didn't know what to say. She had been gone that night and the whole morning. She looked up at the sky, then turned her head down. The rain was loud, and the thunder shook the earth. Lightning was their only source of light. Airesiwe began to shout above the rain. "I don't think we should leave this lake!"
"What?!" Frodo and Sam both exclaimed.
"I'm sorry! But something is holding me back!"
"We cannot linger here Airesiwe!" Frodo shouted. "Time now is precious! We can't waste a minute!"
"Please! Just listen! We can't go on! An unknown fear is at the edge of these woods, just waiting for us to depart from this forest!"
"How do you know?!" Sam shouted just as loud. The rain was beating down on them at this point.
"I don't!"
With that, Frodo and Sam stopped shouting above the storm and looked at each other. Airesiwe looked around as well. She had not a clue of what she was saying, and neither did they. But by their looks, Airesiwe knew that they had agreed and were going to stay in the forest.
"Let us walk a ways along the lake!" Airesiwe shouted again. They packed their supplies and continued on their way.
~*~
After walking for about an hour, the rain started to lessen, and the hobbits and Airesiwe decided to rest. The sun had begun shining once more, and only a drizzle was ahead of them. They set their packs down and stopped near the shore of the lake. Airesiwe decided to take a few arrows with her, for the dream she had scarred her for life. Never again would she go anywhere unarmed.
Never.