Luineraugwen: Due to the demands of my reviewers, I'm put ignoring my assignments and homework for a little while so I can post up this new chapter. Thank you for the reviews all 13 of you. I've got a story that got 27 reviews and 5 chapters, yet with this one, it taken 1 chapter to get about half of the reviews for my other story. I'm getting better. Here is my praise to all of you:
Lady Light: What do you mean harder or easier? I'm updating now so your curiosity won't kill you. Thank god I won't have a murder case on my hands. Lol Thanks for being a regular reviewer of my stories. I'll see what I can do about another chapter of Goddess of War.
ElvenStar5: Thanks. Updating now.
Ridea who is too lazy to sign in: I'm continuing don't worry.
Elvenwood: I'll try not to make it MS. If you've got any ideas don't hesitate to email me or leave them in a review.
LorienElfGoddess: Glad you like it. I'll try to keep the creativity coming.
Winter: Thank for the review and no it didn't piss me off. The story will go pretty much the way you see it. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding how she shouldn't trust the elf straight away. Any ideas are welcome.
Tidus'luvr99: I plan to keep up the good work. By the way, where'd you get your name from?
nessaVan: I know you like my story but there's no need to review the same chapter 5 times. lol. Thanks for the support.
XxgemxX: Yeah I like those kinds of stories too. Thanks for reviewing and being the first one to do so for this story.
Okay for all those people who read this story, keep in mind that you are allowed to give me ideas and I will consider some of them depending on what they are. Here's the new chapter.
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Daeron had excused himself so he could go to bed. Tonight would be the last time he would sleep next to his sister but as he opened the door and saw she wasn't there, he realized she'd run. He stood in the doorway for only a few seconds before he turned around and alerted the older men to her disappearance. They all grabbed torches, lit them and made their way into the night, bent on finding Katren
Katren had found her hidden pack by moonlight, shoulder it and began her journey. For some unknown reason she had turned to look behind her and saw three flaming torches coming towards her. Although they were a long way off she knew who they were and that thought alone was enough to shivers run repeatedly down her spine. Her feet were somehow stuck to the earthy floor beneath her, immobilizing Katren. They had gotten her before but this time they would not take her back. Katren could faintly hear their angry cries, so she ran off into the hill oblivious to the person standing just off the outskirts of the trees.
With his superb eyesight, Haldir could see the girl turning towards the rocks. He had seen her many times before. She washed food at the river three times a day, collected water and bathed there at practically every night. He had seen a young man, her brother, approach her then leave many times before. Even with his elven hearing, he could not hear what they were saying but he could tell they were not king words because of the way the man treated her. Haldir had faintly seen either bruises on her arms, her stumbling very now and then or at least seen her rubbing some part of her body which pained her. He had allowed the girl to see him for a few seconds on various occasions. Sometimes he would watch her stand on the outskirts of her village and look at the stars. After witnessing several of her beatings, Haldir had crept silently across the rocks to the bundle of clothes she'd left there while she bathed. Turning a blind eye to her naked form, he placed one of his own knives on top of the garments then melted back into the shadows unnoticed. He watched the surprised and confused look come across her face as she gazed around, probably looking for him. Haldir saw her hide the weapon under her skirt as she made her way back down to the village. She had come back to the river many times since then but now was the only time she carried the knife. A feeling deep within Haldir's body told him that tonight would be the night they would meet and that she would need his fighting abilities. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the orange torches catching up to her. He'd best get going and with that he nimbly made his way towards them.
The pack, although small, was slowing her down and Katren was having more trouble than usual making her way up the rocks. The elven knife was held firmly in her hand while the other helped her balance. Suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and spun her around, causing Katren to fall over backwards and down a few rocky ledges. She looked up to see Menol staring down on her.
"Its time to complete your marriage vows" he said, lust cloaking his voice as he undid the fastenings of his breeches. Fortunately for her, he had yet to notice the weapon in her hand. He forced her legs apart and the skirt over her knees but as he was crawling between them, Katren swiftly thrust the knife deep into the back of Menol's neck. He eyes opened wide in fear…fear of the unknown and blood began to seep from his mouth as he fell onto the rocks. She scrambled to her feet to get away from the horrid sight, the blade still in her hands. Her father and brother had yet to find her, and she hoped they wouldn't. Katren climbed back up the rocks, ignoring the blinding pain in her back.
Daelgo and Daeron had watched Menol climb over the rocks ahead of them. They had decided to yell out to the others as soon as they found her. The two left over men split up, each going in a different direction so they could circle the stones. With Menol going over the top, and Daeron and Daelgo closing in from the sides, there would be no escape from for Katren…or so they thought. What they didn't count on was the elf that skillfully tracked Daeron like an assassin as the two men went their separate ways.
Katren had climbed over the crest of the hill and she was sure they would've seen her silhouette as he went. This side of the hill would be hard to navigate because the moon had been hidden behind a cloud, while the rocks were slippery from the dew. If she were to miss a step then she would plummet down the rocks to her death. Although Katren longed for death, something told her she had to survive this night. There was a feeling deep within her that made her think that something was going to happen that would change her life forever.
Haldir hastened his pace having heard the sound of an elvish blade cutting through the air. He could easily guess who it was used on because one of the older men had followed the girl directly over the rocks. At this very moment, Haldir followed the youngest of the three, staying well out of the range of fire light. Compared to the mortal, who sounded like a herd of horses, Haldir ran lightly as if on clouds.
As he moved, his mind mulled over why he was doing this. He didn't know the girl; he'd only seen her from the distance. Perhaps he wanted to save her from the horrible life she'd already lived and show her the beauty that still exists in this world. She really wasn't anything special, a goddess by orc standards, but no doubt she was one of the many precious things left in the world as Sauron moved to reclaim it. She could not be far off adulthood. Her hair was a very dark shade of black, almost like the night sky. Her eyes were silver-grey while her face was delicate, petite, yet beautiful none the less. Haldir had never seen such beauty in a mortal woman before and that began to make him wonder whether she had some race of elvish in her. Although that was highly unlikely, for some reason the idea stayed in the back of his head. Perhaps he could ask her when the night was over…if she survived that was…
Katren had finally found the bottom of the hill; she couldn't see a damn thing. Not knowing what direction she was really going in, she began walking. The lack of sleep, hunger and pure exhaustion weighed heavily on her tiny form. Her eyes would droop then snap back open at her command, her legs began to bend under her body and she began veering off towards the left. She walked up to a group of rocks, crawled into a small opening underneath and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, the blade tucked firmly under her body.
Katren came around at the sounds of voices…voices she recognized as her family. She hadn't thought to wear a cloak; she regretted that now, for the air was chilling her to the bone. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A storm was on the way. The two men were bitterly arguing over what to do. It was obvious tat they had found Menol's lifeless body and that they wanted revenge for his death. Daeron said that he should go back to the village and gather more people to look for her. A tactic they should have of long ago. The land was vast, the more men to help, the sooner they could find her but Daelgo disagreed saying that she wouldn't have gotten very far. Her keep repeating that she was probably very close by. He didn't know how right they were. Finally, to Katren's dismay, they decided on Daeron's idea and the boy ran off back towards the village, leaving Katren and her father alone in the hills together.
She could tell by the lighter from the torch that her father was getting closer…probably checking beneath the rocks to make sure she wasn't hiding. As the light loomed nearer, fear seeped though her veins. She shook from the cold and feelings coursing within her, although she managed to hold the knife steady. Katren lay there ready to strike and when Daelgo stuck his head in front of the opening, she slashed the man's throat. A gurgling sound came from his severed windpipe as rivets of blood cascaded down his neck and soaked into his shirt. His hand reached towards her but she cut his palm. He made on final feeble attempt to reach her before he collapsed in a puddle of blood. Katren edged around the ungrateful heap and stretched as she strode into the open. The two most dangerous men in her life were now dead, but Daeron had gone to collect volunteers for the search but that didn't matter, Daelgo and Menol were dead.
Haldir didn't bather to follow Daeron to the village but began to track down the father. He heard a gurgling sound as he rounded the corner and saw the old man fall to the ground, dead. He watched as the girl emerged from the opening, stretch and look around before heading for the nearby river. Haldir watched her stumble and fall as she went. Dawn was fast approaching, along with the villages. She would have to travel far before daybreak to outrun them but in her current state, that would be impossible. It seemed that if she was to have another chance in, life then he would have to intervene. Haldir shifted the weight of his bow on his shoulder before making his way towards her.
Katren collapsed to her knees on the edge of the river. Her hands, along with the knife, were stained with red blood. The girl's body shook from the shock of what she'd done while tears of relief ran down her face. The storm had caught up to her and small droplets of water had begun to fall, reflecting her change of mood perfectly. As she washed the blood of the blade, she watched the circular ripples cover the surface of the water. After cleaning the knife, she sheathed it and proceeded to wash her hands. The blood proved very difficult to take off but when it did, it lightly stained the water with its color. Katren scrubbed her hands until they were red raw and then starred at her reflection, the red blood reminding her of he sin she had committed his night.
She didn't know how long she knelt there, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain on the water. She was half dazed when she first saw the reflection of the elf standing behind her. Katren's first thought was that she was hallucinating so she blinked a few times and when he was till there, she looked over her shoulder to see if he was behind her. He was. She stared in awe at the elf. The legendary beauty of the elves was indeed true. Katren watched in wonder as the elf knelt before her and brushed a tear off her face so softly that she hardly felt his touch. His other hand strayed to the sheathed blade she held. It was then that Katren realized he was the elf that she had seen several times before and he was most probably the one who'd given the knife to her.
Suddenly the elf's head shot up and he looked behind them. Even though the wind, which had picked up, howled in ears, he could hear the approaching villages. He grabbed her hand and rose lightly to his feet, pulling her with him. The swiftness of his movement caused Katren to stumble slightly. Haldir, sensing this, gently wrapped and arm around her waist, preventing her from falling. Haldir knew that the girl was weak from the constant running during the night, so he would most probably have to protect her from the people. Her people. He vaguely remembered planning to take her to Calas Gladhon for a short time, while the Lord and Lady decide what to do with her. Haldir looked down at her from his height and, judging by the fearful expression on her youthful face, he could ell she was able to make out the sounds of the villagers. He squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture and she looked up at him, her fright evident in her silver-grey eyes. Haldir took his hand away from her waist, took the bow from his shoulder and held it firmly in his hand, before smiling at Karen and leading her back the way they came…towards.
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Luineraugwen: There this long chapter makes up for the last one. Sorry I think I may have spelt Calas Gladhon wrong. If so, tell me how to spell it properly. Tell me if you think this is going Mary Sue because I really don't want one of those. Tell em ways of not making her one of those. Thanks for reading. R&R.