A/N: Sorry I'm a bit late getting this chapter up.. I've been rather busy.
It won't ever happen again, I swear! Actually, I was almost done typing it
up when suddenly my computer froze and I lost pretty much the whole thing.
Gahh.
Aragorn forced us to get up as soon as the first light of dawn peaked across the sky. While I was definitely less than happy, I knew that I had gotten myself into this in the first place. Hence, I was in no position to complain. So I kept my mouth shut most of the time, unless I needed something.
Súltal returned sometime during the night, which pleased me greatly. I had been forced to leave her about a mile from my cousin's camp because I feared that she would make too much noise when I approached them. And I knew that they did not have a high tolerance for strangers and would probably have not hesitated to shoot me. So I chose the safer road and instead decided to approach on foot.
We mounted our horses as the sun had risen only a little bit above the horizon. Our breakfast had consisted of no more than a half a piece of lembas bread each. The stores that we had brought were already beginning to run low and I began to hope that Lothlorien was not far off. I had never had a chance to look at a map while I was in Rivendell, though I had begun to wish that I had.
The whole rest of the day passed by in silence. Obviously, during the night Aragorn had strictly instructed Elrohir and Elladan not to speak with me due to my disobedient ways. I thought this rather harsh but did not feel like wasting my energy by arguing with him. It would probably only bring me an even harsher punishment than I already had coming to me once we returned to Rivendell.
For now, I sucked up everything that I saw like a sponge. All the sights and wonders that Aragorn and the twins had grown so used to seeing were new and amazing to me. Naturally, I did not mention it. Since they had not talked to me, I vowed to never once speak to them. Instead, I began to work on a long list of excuses for my extreme disobedience. But time after time my eyes could not help but glance toward the extravagant forest that we passed through. It was more elegant than anything I had ever seen before.
The trees stretched up way past where they normally did and the roots reached deep down into the ground and then stretched back up, which formed little bumps in the path that we trod along. From the branches of these great trees hung tiny, teardrop-shaped crystals that glimmered magnificently in the faint light that managed to sneak in-between the treetops. The leaves on these trees were like nothing I had ever seen before as well. They were a deep shade of green and shaped like stars.
My mind was free and my heart was at ease while we followed the path through this forest. It was only after some time that my whole body began to ache and I yearned to stop and just stretch. Aragorn pressed on, for he had concentrated his whole mind on reaching Lothlorien by midday tomorrow. Apparently that meant non-stop riding, something not even I had gotten used to yet.
We finally stopped on the edge of the forest perhaps an hour after sunset. A large plain lay stretched out in front of us and reached on for as far as I could see. (though I will admit that I am horrible at judging distance in the darkness) Everyone pulled the horses in together around us and Elladan got a small but cheerful fire going. Aragorn had still not spoken to me, but I hardly cared. This night was just as beautiful as the last, with the stars high up in the sky and the moon no more than a half circle. I knew that no artist that walked in all of Middle Earth could ever portray such beauty.
Elrohir took the first watch and allowed both me and his brothers to catch some much needed sleep. I struggled to keep my eyes open for as long as I could but in the end I submitted to sleep. It was a silent, dreamless sleep that made me restless and nervous all over.
I woke way before any of the others, even before the sunrise. Aragorn had taken over watch sometime around midnight and allowed Elrohir to sleep. Yet now even Aragorn had submitted to his own weariness and he sat against a tree with his head and shoulders slumped down over his chest. If I had not been able to see his chest faintly rise and fall, I would have thought him dead.
The predawn hour was quiet spare the occasional bird that chirped back and forth to each other. The morning air was cool, so I snuggled down deeper in the light blanket that Elladan had kindly loaned me. I was just about to close my eyes once more and get another hour or so of sleep when I heard a branch crack in the forest.
I jumped to my feet instantly and grabbed the sword that I had found hidden in the stables. Luckily, I had thought to leave it by my side while I slept. Evidently neither Aragorn nor the twins had heard the noise, for nobody stirred. The hand that held the sword shook a little as I waved it back and forth as I tried to see into the darkness.
Suddenly, a black tipped arrow flew through the air and landed tip-up in the soil directly beside me. I could not stop the scream that erupted from my mouth and woke Aragorn and the twins up. Elladan and Elrohir grabbed the bows that lay beside where they slept, and Aragorn reached for his sword.
A whole hoard of orcs spilled out of the forest. I could hear them as the screamed and bellowed in the black speech, muttering curses and foul language, The only words that I could understand was that they were coming for me, coming to take me back and return me to the evil men that were my keepers. My arm went limp with fear and I dropped the sword in the dirt.
Aragorn leapt forward with a loud yell and slashed at orcs both left and right, his blade shining brightly in the tiny ray of light that dared to curse this evil moment. I ran and sought cover behind Elladan and Elrohir, who both shot arrows as fast as they could fit them in the quiver.
But still the orcs came. The sun had peaked over the horizon by now and a huge pile of dead orcs had built up by Aragorn's feet. I began to wonder why they had gone through all the trouble to get me back. I was nothing to them, just a useless child that was the result of a kidnapping. They had no reason to come for me.
As could only be expected, Aragorn began to grow weary. He was not as quick with the sword and he soon found himself surrounded by a circle of orcs. The twins had run out of arrows long ago and had resorted to using small daggers that were usually used to bring down rabbits. I knew that they would not last much longer.
"Kaurea! Pull out of here! Ride to Lothlorien; we cannot defeat them!" Aragorn cried to me as the orcs closed in around him. I could see the foul beasts all over him as they crushed him down but I barely heard myself as I yelled to him, as I cried and watched in pain.
The next thing I know, I had sunk down to my knees and begun to rock back and forth. Memories flooded my mind and I watched as the orcs fell, one by one until they were all dead, every last one of them. The world swam in front of my eyes as I struggled to remain conscious and to keep my eyes on the twins as they pulled Aragorn out from under the huge pile of dead orcs.
The tears streamed down my face faster and faster but I made no noise that I could hear. My whole body was numb and I finally collapsed into a huddled ball as I called out in elvish for someone to please help me.
Aragorn forced us to get up as soon as the first light of dawn peaked across the sky. While I was definitely less than happy, I knew that I had gotten myself into this in the first place. Hence, I was in no position to complain. So I kept my mouth shut most of the time, unless I needed something.
Súltal returned sometime during the night, which pleased me greatly. I had been forced to leave her about a mile from my cousin's camp because I feared that she would make too much noise when I approached them. And I knew that they did not have a high tolerance for strangers and would probably have not hesitated to shoot me. So I chose the safer road and instead decided to approach on foot.
We mounted our horses as the sun had risen only a little bit above the horizon. Our breakfast had consisted of no more than a half a piece of lembas bread each. The stores that we had brought were already beginning to run low and I began to hope that Lothlorien was not far off. I had never had a chance to look at a map while I was in Rivendell, though I had begun to wish that I had.
The whole rest of the day passed by in silence. Obviously, during the night Aragorn had strictly instructed Elrohir and Elladan not to speak with me due to my disobedient ways. I thought this rather harsh but did not feel like wasting my energy by arguing with him. It would probably only bring me an even harsher punishment than I already had coming to me once we returned to Rivendell.
For now, I sucked up everything that I saw like a sponge. All the sights and wonders that Aragorn and the twins had grown so used to seeing were new and amazing to me. Naturally, I did not mention it. Since they had not talked to me, I vowed to never once speak to them. Instead, I began to work on a long list of excuses for my extreme disobedience. But time after time my eyes could not help but glance toward the extravagant forest that we passed through. It was more elegant than anything I had ever seen before.
The trees stretched up way past where they normally did and the roots reached deep down into the ground and then stretched back up, which formed little bumps in the path that we trod along. From the branches of these great trees hung tiny, teardrop-shaped crystals that glimmered magnificently in the faint light that managed to sneak in-between the treetops. The leaves on these trees were like nothing I had ever seen before as well. They were a deep shade of green and shaped like stars.
My mind was free and my heart was at ease while we followed the path through this forest. It was only after some time that my whole body began to ache and I yearned to stop and just stretch. Aragorn pressed on, for he had concentrated his whole mind on reaching Lothlorien by midday tomorrow. Apparently that meant non-stop riding, something not even I had gotten used to yet.
We finally stopped on the edge of the forest perhaps an hour after sunset. A large plain lay stretched out in front of us and reached on for as far as I could see. (though I will admit that I am horrible at judging distance in the darkness) Everyone pulled the horses in together around us and Elladan got a small but cheerful fire going. Aragorn had still not spoken to me, but I hardly cared. This night was just as beautiful as the last, with the stars high up in the sky and the moon no more than a half circle. I knew that no artist that walked in all of Middle Earth could ever portray such beauty.
Elrohir took the first watch and allowed both me and his brothers to catch some much needed sleep. I struggled to keep my eyes open for as long as I could but in the end I submitted to sleep. It was a silent, dreamless sleep that made me restless and nervous all over.
I woke way before any of the others, even before the sunrise. Aragorn had taken over watch sometime around midnight and allowed Elrohir to sleep. Yet now even Aragorn had submitted to his own weariness and he sat against a tree with his head and shoulders slumped down over his chest. If I had not been able to see his chest faintly rise and fall, I would have thought him dead.
The predawn hour was quiet spare the occasional bird that chirped back and forth to each other. The morning air was cool, so I snuggled down deeper in the light blanket that Elladan had kindly loaned me. I was just about to close my eyes once more and get another hour or so of sleep when I heard a branch crack in the forest.
I jumped to my feet instantly and grabbed the sword that I had found hidden in the stables. Luckily, I had thought to leave it by my side while I slept. Evidently neither Aragorn nor the twins had heard the noise, for nobody stirred. The hand that held the sword shook a little as I waved it back and forth as I tried to see into the darkness.
Suddenly, a black tipped arrow flew through the air and landed tip-up in the soil directly beside me. I could not stop the scream that erupted from my mouth and woke Aragorn and the twins up. Elladan and Elrohir grabbed the bows that lay beside where they slept, and Aragorn reached for his sword.
A whole hoard of orcs spilled out of the forest. I could hear them as the screamed and bellowed in the black speech, muttering curses and foul language, The only words that I could understand was that they were coming for me, coming to take me back and return me to the evil men that were my keepers. My arm went limp with fear and I dropped the sword in the dirt.
Aragorn leapt forward with a loud yell and slashed at orcs both left and right, his blade shining brightly in the tiny ray of light that dared to curse this evil moment. I ran and sought cover behind Elladan and Elrohir, who both shot arrows as fast as they could fit them in the quiver.
But still the orcs came. The sun had peaked over the horizon by now and a huge pile of dead orcs had built up by Aragorn's feet. I began to wonder why they had gone through all the trouble to get me back. I was nothing to them, just a useless child that was the result of a kidnapping. They had no reason to come for me.
As could only be expected, Aragorn began to grow weary. He was not as quick with the sword and he soon found himself surrounded by a circle of orcs. The twins had run out of arrows long ago and had resorted to using small daggers that were usually used to bring down rabbits. I knew that they would not last much longer.
"Kaurea! Pull out of here! Ride to Lothlorien; we cannot defeat them!" Aragorn cried to me as the orcs closed in around him. I could see the foul beasts all over him as they crushed him down but I barely heard myself as I yelled to him, as I cried and watched in pain.
The next thing I know, I had sunk down to my knees and begun to rock back and forth. Memories flooded my mind and I watched as the orcs fell, one by one until they were all dead, every last one of them. The world swam in front of my eyes as I struggled to remain conscious and to keep my eyes on the twins as they pulled Aragorn out from under the huge pile of dead orcs.
The tears streamed down my face faster and faster but I made no noise that I could hear. My whole body was numb and I finally collapsed into a huddled ball as I called out in elvish for someone to please help me.