Another installment of my semi-disastrous story. Ah well, I hope those of
you who have gotten this far enjoy. It does get better...
~*~
Arín awoke before the sun was up. She sat in bed debating with herself whether she should get up and take a walk or stay in bed and sleep for a while longer. She decided to take a walk. She got up and put on a light gown and grabbed her bow and quiver just in case. She walked to the river and sat for a while with her feet in the water. Then she heard a horn in the distance that signaled that breakfast was being served. Usually people stopped in at any time to get a bite to eat but it seemed the whole of Rivendell was there at the moment. She walked to the head of the table where her father and brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were eating. She sat next to her father. She wasn't hungry yet so she bid her family good morning and went to find Arwen, who was missing from the table. She found her in the hall in deep conversation with Aragorn, a very close friend of their family's. Aragorn wasn't an Elf, but had been raised in Rivendell by her father. He was a man and the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. He was tall and had dark, shoulder length hair and brown eyes. Then again, wasn't almost everyone she knew tall? The one exception was Bilbo. Bilbo was a hobbit from the Shire. His cousin, Frodo, was given all his possessions when he left, including the Ring. She knew from listening to her father's conversations that the Dark Lord was becoming ever more powerful as the time passed, searching for the Ring. She was deep in thought when she bumped into a passing Elf.
"I am sorry," she apologized, turning. It was Legolas.
"That is quite alright, Arín," he said. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I wasn't hungry."
"I am going to eat. Would you like to join me?"
"I would love to."
Legolas offered her his hand and Arín accepted. They walked into the dining hall and Arín led the way to the end where her father still sat. Arwen and Aragorn where there now, her brothers had left. Aragorn was talking to her father and Arwen was eating. She greeted them and introduced Legolas. She felt very embarrassed to know that Aragorn already knew Legolas. As she sat she grabbed a lemba from one of the dishes on the table.
"Is that all your going too eat?" Aragorn asked.
"I might have a little something later."
Legolas grabbed a biscuit and some butter and started to eat. Arín sat quietly, resting on the back of the chair, legs crossed, taking in her surroundings while munching on the round wafer in her hand. She got up and told everyone she was going to practice for a while. As she left, she noticed that Legolas had left the table. Arín walked up to her room to change. As she walked, she thought of something Aragorn had said. She then walked to the clearing where she practiced. She didn't hear anything.
Good, she thought, I will be alone today. It is not that I dislike Legolas or anything; it is just that I need to practice alone. The tournament is in three days and I cannot lose concentration if I want to win, as charming as he is. Stop it Arín, your doing it again. You have to stop thinking about Legolas for a few days and after the tournament you can think about him all you want.
She took an arrow from her quiver and fitted it into her bow. Then she raised her bow and took aim. Just after she let the bow loose she heard a scream. She did not bother to look where her arrow had hit the target as she broke onto a run in the direction she heard the scream. In a clearing a few feet away she saw her sister backing away from something in front of her and a few seconds later an Orc came into view. Arín quickly readied her bow. She raised it and let go. The arrow hit the Orc in the shoulder. He turned. There was something different about this Orc. It was taller than usual and could walk in daylight. She grabbed another arrow and fitted it into her bow just as the Orc fired his. Arín felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder where the arrow had struck. She quickly pulled it out and fired hers and this one hit the Orc's other shoulder, but her left arm burned like fire. As she dodged another arrow, she unsheathed her sword. She ran forward to attack and her blade was met by another. She fought intensely for what seemed forever. Just then she was able to chop off the Orc's sword arm. Then as fast as lighting she beheaded it. The Orc fell to the ground. Around the body there was a pool of black blood. As she fell to her knees, Arín saw Arwen run up to her.
"Arín, are you all right?" she asked, sounding very worried.
"I am fine, it's just a scratch."
"It is not just a scratch. I saw the arrow pierce your shoulder," she said sternly. Arwen tore off a piece of her gown and wrapped it tightly around Arín's shoulder.
"There. That should stop the bleeding." They were quiet for a moment.
"What was that, Arín?"
"Some kind of Orc. To tell you the truth, I really don't know. It looked somewhat like an Orc, but it could travel in daylight, and was taller than a normal Orc and it didn't fall on the first hit. My arrows did not seen to effect it at all and that is very unusual." Arwen seemed to look even more worried and somewhat scared. "But it is dead now, you don't have to worry."
They heard shouts and Elrond, Legolas, Aragorn, and Glorfindel burst into the clearing.
"Are you two all right?" Elrond asked as he knelt next to his daughters.
"I am fine, but Arín was hit by an Orc arrow," Arwen answered.
Elrond examined his daughter. Her left arm was bloodstained and there was a piece of cloth wrapped at the shoulder.
"Father, that was no Orc, I don't know what it was. A cross between an Orc and something else maybe, and if so I don't know what," Arín whispered to her father, so that the others couldn't hear her.
Elrond nodded. "Glorfindel," he said, "get a search party together and see if you can find anymore of these creatures."
"Yes, My Lord." He said a few words in Elvish and a group of Elves gathered and followed. Aragorn went with them. Legolas and Elrond helped Arín up.
"Let's get you attended to right away," Elrond said to Arín, "or who knows what will happen."
Elrond went up ahead a way and left Legolas and Arín alone.
"Arín, I am very glad you are all right, when I heard that scream."
"I didn't scream."
"I know this now, but then I was afraid something had happened to you."
"Does anyone understand that I can take care of myself now. Everyone thinks I am a child still."
"Arín, I'm sorry, it's just..."
"I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Why?"
"I get upset every time someone worries about me. Ever since my mother left everyone seems to try and shield me from the outside world, though they know I will have to face it sometime in my life. My father is still against my practicing archery, but has given me some freedom, knowing he can't keep me here forever. But after today, I can forget about ever practicing again."
They were quiet the rest of the way up. Her father was waiting by Arín's room for them when they arrived. They went in and Arín sat on the bed and removed the cloth Arwen had put around the wound. It was slightly bruised because of the force of the arrow and it hurt her very much. She flinched a little as her father put some kind of herb on the wound, and then wrapped it in clean cloth.
"There, that should heal fast."
"In time for the tournament?" Arín asked.
Elrond was silent for a moment. "Arín, I don't..."
"I know, you don't want me to do it because of what happened today. Well don't worry, how dangerous can it be?"
"I don't know. I was against you ever practicing it, but it is the last thing your mother said to me: 'if I don't come back, please let Arín continue her archery. It is what she always wanted and she is very good at it. It would make me very happy.' Then she kissed me and left, forever to walk among the clouds."
~*~
Yeah, I know. Corny, isn't it?
~~~*Anna Sparrow*~~~
~*~
Arín awoke before the sun was up. She sat in bed debating with herself whether she should get up and take a walk or stay in bed and sleep for a while longer. She decided to take a walk. She got up and put on a light gown and grabbed her bow and quiver just in case. She walked to the river and sat for a while with her feet in the water. Then she heard a horn in the distance that signaled that breakfast was being served. Usually people stopped in at any time to get a bite to eat but it seemed the whole of Rivendell was there at the moment. She walked to the head of the table where her father and brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were eating. She sat next to her father. She wasn't hungry yet so she bid her family good morning and went to find Arwen, who was missing from the table. She found her in the hall in deep conversation with Aragorn, a very close friend of their family's. Aragorn wasn't an Elf, but had been raised in Rivendell by her father. He was a man and the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. He was tall and had dark, shoulder length hair and brown eyes. Then again, wasn't almost everyone she knew tall? The one exception was Bilbo. Bilbo was a hobbit from the Shire. His cousin, Frodo, was given all his possessions when he left, including the Ring. She knew from listening to her father's conversations that the Dark Lord was becoming ever more powerful as the time passed, searching for the Ring. She was deep in thought when she bumped into a passing Elf.
"I am sorry," she apologized, turning. It was Legolas.
"That is quite alright, Arín," he said. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I wasn't hungry."
"I am going to eat. Would you like to join me?"
"I would love to."
Legolas offered her his hand and Arín accepted. They walked into the dining hall and Arín led the way to the end where her father still sat. Arwen and Aragorn where there now, her brothers had left. Aragorn was talking to her father and Arwen was eating. She greeted them and introduced Legolas. She felt very embarrassed to know that Aragorn already knew Legolas. As she sat she grabbed a lemba from one of the dishes on the table.
"Is that all your going too eat?" Aragorn asked.
"I might have a little something later."
Legolas grabbed a biscuit and some butter and started to eat. Arín sat quietly, resting on the back of the chair, legs crossed, taking in her surroundings while munching on the round wafer in her hand. She got up and told everyone she was going to practice for a while. As she left, she noticed that Legolas had left the table. Arín walked up to her room to change. As she walked, she thought of something Aragorn had said. She then walked to the clearing where she practiced. She didn't hear anything.
Good, she thought, I will be alone today. It is not that I dislike Legolas or anything; it is just that I need to practice alone. The tournament is in three days and I cannot lose concentration if I want to win, as charming as he is. Stop it Arín, your doing it again. You have to stop thinking about Legolas for a few days and after the tournament you can think about him all you want.
She took an arrow from her quiver and fitted it into her bow. Then she raised her bow and took aim. Just after she let the bow loose she heard a scream. She did not bother to look where her arrow had hit the target as she broke onto a run in the direction she heard the scream. In a clearing a few feet away she saw her sister backing away from something in front of her and a few seconds later an Orc came into view. Arín quickly readied her bow. She raised it and let go. The arrow hit the Orc in the shoulder. He turned. There was something different about this Orc. It was taller than usual and could walk in daylight. She grabbed another arrow and fitted it into her bow just as the Orc fired his. Arín felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder where the arrow had struck. She quickly pulled it out and fired hers and this one hit the Orc's other shoulder, but her left arm burned like fire. As she dodged another arrow, she unsheathed her sword. She ran forward to attack and her blade was met by another. She fought intensely for what seemed forever. Just then she was able to chop off the Orc's sword arm. Then as fast as lighting she beheaded it. The Orc fell to the ground. Around the body there was a pool of black blood. As she fell to her knees, Arín saw Arwen run up to her.
"Arín, are you all right?" she asked, sounding very worried.
"I am fine, it's just a scratch."
"It is not just a scratch. I saw the arrow pierce your shoulder," she said sternly. Arwen tore off a piece of her gown and wrapped it tightly around Arín's shoulder.
"There. That should stop the bleeding." They were quiet for a moment.
"What was that, Arín?"
"Some kind of Orc. To tell you the truth, I really don't know. It looked somewhat like an Orc, but it could travel in daylight, and was taller than a normal Orc and it didn't fall on the first hit. My arrows did not seen to effect it at all and that is very unusual." Arwen seemed to look even more worried and somewhat scared. "But it is dead now, you don't have to worry."
They heard shouts and Elrond, Legolas, Aragorn, and Glorfindel burst into the clearing.
"Are you two all right?" Elrond asked as he knelt next to his daughters.
"I am fine, but Arín was hit by an Orc arrow," Arwen answered.
Elrond examined his daughter. Her left arm was bloodstained and there was a piece of cloth wrapped at the shoulder.
"Father, that was no Orc, I don't know what it was. A cross between an Orc and something else maybe, and if so I don't know what," Arín whispered to her father, so that the others couldn't hear her.
Elrond nodded. "Glorfindel," he said, "get a search party together and see if you can find anymore of these creatures."
"Yes, My Lord." He said a few words in Elvish and a group of Elves gathered and followed. Aragorn went with them. Legolas and Elrond helped Arín up.
"Let's get you attended to right away," Elrond said to Arín, "or who knows what will happen."
Elrond went up ahead a way and left Legolas and Arín alone.
"Arín, I am very glad you are all right, when I heard that scream."
"I didn't scream."
"I know this now, but then I was afraid something had happened to you."
"Does anyone understand that I can take care of myself now. Everyone thinks I am a child still."
"Arín, I'm sorry, it's just..."
"I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Why?"
"I get upset every time someone worries about me. Ever since my mother left everyone seems to try and shield me from the outside world, though they know I will have to face it sometime in my life. My father is still against my practicing archery, but has given me some freedom, knowing he can't keep me here forever. But after today, I can forget about ever practicing again."
They were quiet the rest of the way up. Her father was waiting by Arín's room for them when they arrived. They went in and Arín sat on the bed and removed the cloth Arwen had put around the wound. It was slightly bruised because of the force of the arrow and it hurt her very much. She flinched a little as her father put some kind of herb on the wound, and then wrapped it in clean cloth.
"There, that should heal fast."
"In time for the tournament?" Arín asked.
Elrond was silent for a moment. "Arín, I don't..."
"I know, you don't want me to do it because of what happened today. Well don't worry, how dangerous can it be?"
"I don't know. I was against you ever practicing it, but it is the last thing your mother said to me: 'if I don't come back, please let Arín continue her archery. It is what she always wanted and she is very good at it. It would make me very happy.' Then she kissed me and left, forever to walk among the clouds."
~*~
Yeah, I know. Corny, isn't it?
~~~*Anna Sparrow*~~~