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A Rocky Ride
One morning Elimay woke and her head felt so much clearer. The pain in her leg was almost gone and she found she could stretch without almost passing out. She sat up taking the blanket with her for it was cold, and found that the cave was empty. She looked around sleepily, rubbing her eyes and then stood, wrapping the blanket round her bare legs. The fire was just embers now but still gave off a warm glow so she stood by it, looking out into the dull morning before her. The sky was a dreary grey and the last stretch to the pass above could be seen clearly. A sound from outside alerted her and she quickly grabbed her sword. Legolas stopped suddenly, the blade zinging through the air freezing just millimetres before his eye. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise and let his eyes focus on the attacker. Elimay grinned back at him. "You should have made yourself known," she said, lowering the sword and propping it back against the wall. "Where have you been?" "Scanning the area for any danger," he answered, giving her a look of amusement then going to his bag. "Sit down and I'll have a look at that leg. It seems to me that you are well enough to continue the journey." Elimay smiled slightly and sat back down on her bedroll. After drawing some clean bandage from his bag he knelt beside her and pulled back the blanket. When he had removed the old bandage he saw that the wound was healing well and had stopped bleeding. "When we get to Edoras, I'll have to stitch it up but for now keep the bandage on so it doesn't get infected," he explained, wrapping the clean gauze round her thigh. "Yes doctor," she mocked. He rolled his eyes and threw her leggings to her.
"Do you think you can travel?" She nodded and pulled on her trousers and then her boots. "Ah, it feels good to be decent again." He laughed and helped her stand again. She braided her hair so it was out of her face, and pulled her bag onto her back. "Lead on, prince."
They continued up the mountainside and soon found themselves entering the pass. The walls of rock rose up on either side closing in on them and only a slit of grey sky could be seen above. The scene was colourless and drab and the end could not been seen from where they entered. A cold wind cut through the fissure and both elves pulled their cloaks tighter. "How you coping?" Legolas asked, turning to look at her. They were now about halfway through the pass and there was a glint of the end ahead. He could see Elimay was limping ever so slightly but knew she would not admit defeat. She shrugged. "Fine. I feel like there is something not quite right here though." Legolas nodded. He had said nothing, hoping she had not noticed it. "Yes. I feel it too..." Suddenly he froze and Elimay nearly walked into him. She too stopped, listening. The ground seemed to shake slightly, though it was only detectable by them as elves. Both looked up and saw the source of the vibrations. Great crags of rock had appeared over the gap and moved with an unbelievable fluidity for rock. "Rock giants," Legolas hissed. Elimay's brown eyes widened in fear and then she was running even before he told her too. There was a loud growl and a teeth-rattling crash as the giants threw rocks down into the gap, aiming for the fleeing elves. Ahead, she saw Legolas stop and raise his bow. He released an arrow faster than lighting and then another and another, raining the two rock giants. The arrows could not possibly break the giant's thick hide but it succeeded in confusing them for they were not bright. They swatted at the onslaught, pausing in their throwing for a minute. Legolas turned and followed behind Elimay, listening for the next rock. It just missed him and shattered on the ground in front of him. He rolled, dodging the shards but one cut his cheek. He did not pause for one second though, and raced on. He saw that Elimay was slowing from her injury and as he came up beside her grabbed her hand, pulling her onwards. She almost fell but he pulled her up again.
And then they suddenly came to the end, and out onto the mountainside. They did not stop running though until they were sheltered behind a high rock face. Legolas knew the giants would not bother to venture out of the territory beyond the pass. They were safe.
Once he had caught his breath he looked over at Elimay to find she was sat on the ground, clutching her leg. "You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her to rest. She nodded and lifted her head from the rock face. "Yeah." She looked at him and saw the cut down his cheek. Blood dripped down his face so she ripped a piece of material from her tunic and pressed it to his face. He seemed momentarily surprised at the gesture but did not protest. With her other hand supporting his head, she was amazed to feel how soft his skin was. A section of his hair blew over her hand and brushed against her skin like silk. She suddenly felt guilty that she had tried to kill such a beautiful being as this. She looked up to his eyes to see that he was watching her. She blushed and quickly looked away, taking the cloth from his cheek. It had stopped bleeding and all that was left was a scratch across his flawless skin. "There you go," she said, her voice just above a whisper. "We should get going before something else catches us up." She got to her feet and Legolas rose before her, still looking at her. "Are you sure your leg's okay?" She laughed at him and shook her head. "You should not worry so much. I am your assassin don't forget." He snorted and followed after her, now making their way down the mountain. Below they could see the grassy plains of Rohan and the towering turrets of Edoras. Beyond were the snaking Anduin River and the dark green blur of Fangorn.
The afternoon turned into evening and an early darkness. The sun had refused to show itself at all that day and they were forced to make camp earlier. Secretly, though she did not admit it, Elimay was thankful for the early stop for her leg was causing her a large amount of pain. Legolas noticed her trying to hide her pained expressions but said nothing of it. She insisted on making dinner that night saying that Legolas had done it for the past three days. He went to collect more firewood while she cooked.
When he returned he smiled at the rare sight. Normally a woman would be the first choice to cook but Elimay was no ordinary woman and to see her doing a 'woman's' job amused him. He was not one to stereotype genders though. She was crouched by the fire stirring the brew with a stripped branch of hazel. A rich aroma rose from the pot and his stomach growled hungrily. "Smells good," he said, dropping the wood by the fire. "Well it's the best I could come up with having just one skinned rabbit and a few herbs to cook with," she answered. He sat on a rock and watched her as she tasted the brew and smiled slightly at the result. Then she dealt it into the two bowls and handed one to him. "If you complain about it I'll eat it all myself," she warned. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, tasted it and wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "It's awful!" She reached out to grab the bowl back but he jumped out of her reach. "Only joking! It's actually very good," he smirked. "Actually? Why does it surprise you?" "No reason. I'm just glad that my assassin is a good cook." She grinned and swatted him over the head before picking up her bowl and tucking in to the brew.
When they had eaten Elimay found that she could not keep her eyes from drooping closed and when Legolas turned back to her from stoking the fire he found her sleeping in an awkward position as if it had taken her unawares. She had fallen onto her side from her sitting position and her legs had become tangled with each other. He smiled and moved to lay her out in a more comfortable position. He watched her for a long moment before standing up again.
A Rocky Ride
One morning Elimay woke and her head felt so much clearer. The pain in her leg was almost gone and she found she could stretch without almost passing out. She sat up taking the blanket with her for it was cold, and found that the cave was empty. She looked around sleepily, rubbing her eyes and then stood, wrapping the blanket round her bare legs. The fire was just embers now but still gave off a warm glow so she stood by it, looking out into the dull morning before her. The sky was a dreary grey and the last stretch to the pass above could be seen clearly. A sound from outside alerted her and she quickly grabbed her sword. Legolas stopped suddenly, the blade zinging through the air freezing just millimetres before his eye. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise and let his eyes focus on the attacker. Elimay grinned back at him. "You should have made yourself known," she said, lowering the sword and propping it back against the wall. "Where have you been?" "Scanning the area for any danger," he answered, giving her a look of amusement then going to his bag. "Sit down and I'll have a look at that leg. It seems to me that you are well enough to continue the journey." Elimay smiled slightly and sat back down on her bedroll. After drawing some clean bandage from his bag he knelt beside her and pulled back the blanket. When he had removed the old bandage he saw that the wound was healing well and had stopped bleeding. "When we get to Edoras, I'll have to stitch it up but for now keep the bandage on so it doesn't get infected," he explained, wrapping the clean gauze round her thigh. "Yes doctor," she mocked. He rolled his eyes and threw her leggings to her.
"Do you think you can travel?" She nodded and pulled on her trousers and then her boots. "Ah, it feels good to be decent again." He laughed and helped her stand again. She braided her hair so it was out of her face, and pulled her bag onto her back. "Lead on, prince."
They continued up the mountainside and soon found themselves entering the pass. The walls of rock rose up on either side closing in on them and only a slit of grey sky could be seen above. The scene was colourless and drab and the end could not been seen from where they entered. A cold wind cut through the fissure and both elves pulled their cloaks tighter. "How you coping?" Legolas asked, turning to look at her. They were now about halfway through the pass and there was a glint of the end ahead. He could see Elimay was limping ever so slightly but knew she would not admit defeat. She shrugged. "Fine. I feel like there is something not quite right here though." Legolas nodded. He had said nothing, hoping she had not noticed it. "Yes. I feel it too..." Suddenly he froze and Elimay nearly walked into him. She too stopped, listening. The ground seemed to shake slightly, though it was only detectable by them as elves. Both looked up and saw the source of the vibrations. Great crags of rock had appeared over the gap and moved with an unbelievable fluidity for rock. "Rock giants," Legolas hissed. Elimay's brown eyes widened in fear and then she was running even before he told her too. There was a loud growl and a teeth-rattling crash as the giants threw rocks down into the gap, aiming for the fleeing elves. Ahead, she saw Legolas stop and raise his bow. He released an arrow faster than lighting and then another and another, raining the two rock giants. The arrows could not possibly break the giant's thick hide but it succeeded in confusing them for they were not bright. They swatted at the onslaught, pausing in their throwing for a minute. Legolas turned and followed behind Elimay, listening for the next rock. It just missed him and shattered on the ground in front of him. He rolled, dodging the shards but one cut his cheek. He did not pause for one second though, and raced on. He saw that Elimay was slowing from her injury and as he came up beside her grabbed her hand, pulling her onwards. She almost fell but he pulled her up again.
And then they suddenly came to the end, and out onto the mountainside. They did not stop running though until they were sheltered behind a high rock face. Legolas knew the giants would not bother to venture out of the territory beyond the pass. They were safe.
Once he had caught his breath he looked over at Elimay to find she was sat on the ground, clutching her leg. "You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her to rest. She nodded and lifted her head from the rock face. "Yeah." She looked at him and saw the cut down his cheek. Blood dripped down his face so she ripped a piece of material from her tunic and pressed it to his face. He seemed momentarily surprised at the gesture but did not protest. With her other hand supporting his head, she was amazed to feel how soft his skin was. A section of his hair blew over her hand and brushed against her skin like silk. She suddenly felt guilty that she had tried to kill such a beautiful being as this. She looked up to his eyes to see that he was watching her. She blushed and quickly looked away, taking the cloth from his cheek. It had stopped bleeding and all that was left was a scratch across his flawless skin. "There you go," she said, her voice just above a whisper. "We should get going before something else catches us up." She got to her feet and Legolas rose before her, still looking at her. "Are you sure your leg's okay?" She laughed at him and shook her head. "You should not worry so much. I am your assassin don't forget." He snorted and followed after her, now making their way down the mountain. Below they could see the grassy plains of Rohan and the towering turrets of Edoras. Beyond were the snaking Anduin River and the dark green blur of Fangorn.
The afternoon turned into evening and an early darkness. The sun had refused to show itself at all that day and they were forced to make camp earlier. Secretly, though she did not admit it, Elimay was thankful for the early stop for her leg was causing her a large amount of pain. Legolas noticed her trying to hide her pained expressions but said nothing of it. She insisted on making dinner that night saying that Legolas had done it for the past three days. He went to collect more firewood while she cooked.
When he returned he smiled at the rare sight. Normally a woman would be the first choice to cook but Elimay was no ordinary woman and to see her doing a 'woman's' job amused him. He was not one to stereotype genders though. She was crouched by the fire stirring the brew with a stripped branch of hazel. A rich aroma rose from the pot and his stomach growled hungrily. "Smells good," he said, dropping the wood by the fire. "Well it's the best I could come up with having just one skinned rabbit and a few herbs to cook with," she answered. He sat on a rock and watched her as she tasted the brew and smiled slightly at the result. Then she dealt it into the two bowls and handed one to him. "If you complain about it I'll eat it all myself," she warned. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, tasted it and wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "It's awful!" She reached out to grab the bowl back but he jumped out of her reach. "Only joking! It's actually very good," he smirked. "Actually? Why does it surprise you?" "No reason. I'm just glad that my assassin is a good cook." She grinned and swatted him over the head before picking up her bowl and tucking in to the brew.
When they had eaten Elimay found that she could not keep her eyes from drooping closed and when Legolas turned back to her from stoking the fire he found her sleeping in an awkward position as if it had taken her unawares. She had fallen onto her side from her sitting position and her legs had become tangled with each other. He smiled and moved to lay her out in a more comfortable position. He watched her for a long moment before standing up again.