I so love getting all your thoughts on my story; some even make me laugh!!!
I really appreciate it. Thanx. At the moment I'm trying to think of another
idea for a story, so keep an eye out for it. For now though I will keep
posting the remaining chapters to this one!!
Back on the Road and into the Water
The day was perfect for travelling. The sun was out and the air was warm but not too hot. Legolas was stood at the base of Calas Galadhon beside Gimli, both with their packs on their backs, filled with new supplies. The elf sighed with annoyance and shifted on his feet restlessly. Gimli raised his eyes to look at the elf and chuckled.
"She will be here," he said. He had not seen the argument between the two but he had certainly heard it. Most likely the whole of Lorien had.
Moments later Elimay came jogging down the steps with her bag with her. Her hair was up in a braid and her cloak was packed on top of her bag for it was warm enough to go without it. Just before she got to the two waiting, Haldir appeared from one of the flets and she stopped to greet him. Gimli could hear the prince's teeth grind.
"You are leaving," Haldir said.
Elimay nodded. "Yes. Though if it was my choice I would have stayed here a little longer."
Haldir smiled and briefly looked to the prince before turning back to face the beautiful maiden. "You are most welcome to visit again. I will be here as always."
"Thank you March Warden. I hope that I am able to take up the offer." He grinned and then paused before saying, "Would you be offended if I kissed you goodbye?"
Elimay let out a loud laugh and patted his arm. "Only if it isn't as full on as it was last time."
To her surprise, Haldir reached out and took her hand, kissing it very lightly. "I shall miss you my lady."
"Good bye March Warden," she said, before running down the remaining stairs to join the prince and the dwarf. She intentionally avoided Legolas' stare of disapproval and walked off into the trees, leading the way.
The day dragged on uneventfully, mostly filled with the chatter of Gimli. Even the weather was unchanging as they neared the Anduin River to cross it.
The afternoon sunlight lit the swirling waters of the great river and from where they stood on the western bank; they could see that the eastern side was a long stretch across treacherous waters. Legolas attached his elven rope to one of his arrows, and shot it into a tree on the opposite bank. He then tied it round a tree on their side to make a line that they could pull themselves across the river on. They threw their bags across, which only just made it without getting wet and then Legolas went across to test it. He managed to keep his top half dry, and got to the other side safely. Secretly Elimay breathed a sigh of relief. She had seen the water pull at him, threatening to snatch him away but he was strong enough to hold on. Gimli went next and gave an exasperated grunt before taking the rope and stepping into the cold water. Slowly but surely he managed to pull himself across under the close watchful eye of Elimay. She could see Legolas on the other bank doing the same. Despite being smaller than the two elves, he was heavier and had the highest risk of being swept away.
Suddenly their worst fears were realised. The dwarf had reached the middle of the rope and he let out a sharp shout before being snatched from his hold and swept down the river. Without hesitation and before Legolas could do anything, Elimay had dived into the water. The cold did not shock her as it did Gimli, for she was an elf, but it was still breathtaking. The swirling waters pulled her under but she let it. Through her vigorous training to be an assassin, she had been taught how to deal with a river's powers. She let the water take her, knowing that it would bring her to the surface again. It would not do any good to struggle against the pull for she would be instantly tired. When she resurfaced she found with relief that she was not far from the dwarf. He had been pulled near the far bank and was flailing madly trying to fight the waves. Elimay took another deep breath as she was pulled under again, and swam under the current, making her progress quicker. She saw the dwarf's legs beneath the surface and as she resurfaced she was just an arms length from him. She heard someone shout and looked up to see that Legolas had shot the rope across the river further down so that they could grab onto it. She forced herself through the water now to reach Gimli. She could tell he was tiring for his protests were not as urgent. She clasped her fingers round his arm and pulled him towards her, lifting him up out of the water. Thankfully the water had calmed somewhat and as the rope came up in front of them, Elimay was able to grab it and pull them both along.
As they reached the bank, Legolas helped her pull the now unconscious dwarf onto dry ground and retrieved his rope before picking the dwarf up. Elimay caught her breath and shivered from the long period in the icy waters. Her clothes clung to her and she was so tired. She almost stumbled as she ran after Legolas, but managed to make her legs work.
They found a place to camp and Legolas lit a fire while Elimay took her wet top tunic off to dry. She wrapped her dry cloak round her and shivered as she watched the prince. She did not realise that she had fallen asleep until the prince shook her awake. She jumped and looked over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'll live," she murmured. The fire was now blazing and she got up to sit nearer it. She saw that Gimli was asleep wrapped tightly in blankets. "How is Gimli?"
"He'll be okay," he said, sitting beside her. "What you did for him..."
"It was the least I could do for a friend. Plus, I need to put my training to good use, other that killing a prince."
He laughed and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I wasn't completely immersed in the water." He handed her some lembas and she ate it hungrily.
"You're hurt," he said, touching her arm just above the elbow, where blood had seeped through the material of her under tunic.
She didn't remember injuring herself. She must have caught her arm on a rock below the water. She rolled up the sleeve and saw there was a nasty gash just above her elbow. He tended to it with elvish medicine, making the stinging pain go away.
Elimay smiled when he had finished. "You know what?"
"What?" he asked, raising his head to look at her.
"You can be real nice sometimes."
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Other times you can be a right pain in the neck."
He glared at her but there was still a smile on his lips. She turned her body to face him fully and grinned at him, looking upon him with admiration. He reached up and tucked the loose stands of hair that had fallen from her plait, behind her ear. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll watch over the camp for while."
She would usually protest but she was so tired that she accepted his offer.
"Yeah, thanks," she said, getting to her feet and laying out her bedding. She lay down with a long sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. Her thoughts wondered as she listened to Legolas building up the fire. Why was she coming with him to Mirkwood? She knew that because she was his 'captive' she had to but she could always escape. But why was she going freely? She shook her head, to rid her of the thoughts and curled tighter under the cloaks. Life was a confusing thing.
Back on the Road and into the Water
The day was perfect for travelling. The sun was out and the air was warm but not too hot. Legolas was stood at the base of Calas Galadhon beside Gimli, both with their packs on their backs, filled with new supplies. The elf sighed with annoyance and shifted on his feet restlessly. Gimli raised his eyes to look at the elf and chuckled.
"She will be here," he said. He had not seen the argument between the two but he had certainly heard it. Most likely the whole of Lorien had.
Moments later Elimay came jogging down the steps with her bag with her. Her hair was up in a braid and her cloak was packed on top of her bag for it was warm enough to go without it. Just before she got to the two waiting, Haldir appeared from one of the flets and she stopped to greet him. Gimli could hear the prince's teeth grind.
"You are leaving," Haldir said.
Elimay nodded. "Yes. Though if it was my choice I would have stayed here a little longer."
Haldir smiled and briefly looked to the prince before turning back to face the beautiful maiden. "You are most welcome to visit again. I will be here as always."
"Thank you March Warden. I hope that I am able to take up the offer." He grinned and then paused before saying, "Would you be offended if I kissed you goodbye?"
Elimay let out a loud laugh and patted his arm. "Only if it isn't as full on as it was last time."
To her surprise, Haldir reached out and took her hand, kissing it very lightly. "I shall miss you my lady."
"Good bye March Warden," she said, before running down the remaining stairs to join the prince and the dwarf. She intentionally avoided Legolas' stare of disapproval and walked off into the trees, leading the way.
The day dragged on uneventfully, mostly filled with the chatter of Gimli. Even the weather was unchanging as they neared the Anduin River to cross it.
The afternoon sunlight lit the swirling waters of the great river and from where they stood on the western bank; they could see that the eastern side was a long stretch across treacherous waters. Legolas attached his elven rope to one of his arrows, and shot it into a tree on the opposite bank. He then tied it round a tree on their side to make a line that they could pull themselves across the river on. They threw their bags across, which only just made it without getting wet and then Legolas went across to test it. He managed to keep his top half dry, and got to the other side safely. Secretly Elimay breathed a sigh of relief. She had seen the water pull at him, threatening to snatch him away but he was strong enough to hold on. Gimli went next and gave an exasperated grunt before taking the rope and stepping into the cold water. Slowly but surely he managed to pull himself across under the close watchful eye of Elimay. She could see Legolas on the other bank doing the same. Despite being smaller than the two elves, he was heavier and had the highest risk of being swept away.
Suddenly their worst fears were realised. The dwarf had reached the middle of the rope and he let out a sharp shout before being snatched from his hold and swept down the river. Without hesitation and before Legolas could do anything, Elimay had dived into the water. The cold did not shock her as it did Gimli, for she was an elf, but it was still breathtaking. The swirling waters pulled her under but she let it. Through her vigorous training to be an assassin, she had been taught how to deal with a river's powers. She let the water take her, knowing that it would bring her to the surface again. It would not do any good to struggle against the pull for she would be instantly tired. When she resurfaced she found with relief that she was not far from the dwarf. He had been pulled near the far bank and was flailing madly trying to fight the waves. Elimay took another deep breath as she was pulled under again, and swam under the current, making her progress quicker. She saw the dwarf's legs beneath the surface and as she resurfaced she was just an arms length from him. She heard someone shout and looked up to see that Legolas had shot the rope across the river further down so that they could grab onto it. She forced herself through the water now to reach Gimli. She could tell he was tiring for his protests were not as urgent. She clasped her fingers round his arm and pulled him towards her, lifting him up out of the water. Thankfully the water had calmed somewhat and as the rope came up in front of them, Elimay was able to grab it and pull them both along.
As they reached the bank, Legolas helped her pull the now unconscious dwarf onto dry ground and retrieved his rope before picking the dwarf up. Elimay caught her breath and shivered from the long period in the icy waters. Her clothes clung to her and she was so tired. She almost stumbled as she ran after Legolas, but managed to make her legs work.
They found a place to camp and Legolas lit a fire while Elimay took her wet top tunic off to dry. She wrapped her dry cloak round her and shivered as she watched the prince. She did not realise that she had fallen asleep until the prince shook her awake. She jumped and looked over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'll live," she murmured. The fire was now blazing and she got up to sit nearer it. She saw that Gimli was asleep wrapped tightly in blankets. "How is Gimli?"
"He'll be okay," he said, sitting beside her. "What you did for him..."
"It was the least I could do for a friend. Plus, I need to put my training to good use, other that killing a prince."
He laughed and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I wasn't completely immersed in the water." He handed her some lembas and she ate it hungrily.
"You're hurt," he said, touching her arm just above the elbow, where blood had seeped through the material of her under tunic.
She didn't remember injuring herself. She must have caught her arm on a rock below the water. She rolled up the sleeve and saw there was a nasty gash just above her elbow. He tended to it with elvish medicine, making the stinging pain go away.
Elimay smiled when he had finished. "You know what?"
"What?" he asked, raising his head to look at her.
"You can be real nice sometimes."
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Other times you can be a right pain in the neck."
He glared at her but there was still a smile on his lips. She turned her body to face him fully and grinned at him, looking upon him with admiration. He reached up and tucked the loose stands of hair that had fallen from her plait, behind her ear. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll watch over the camp for while."
She would usually protest but she was so tired that she accepted his offer.
"Yeah, thanks," she said, getting to her feet and laying out her bedding. She lay down with a long sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. Her thoughts wondered as she listened to Legolas building up the fire. Why was she coming with him to Mirkwood? She knew that because she was his 'captive' she had to but she could always escape. But why was she going freely? She shook her head, to rid her of the thoughts and curled tighter under the cloaks. Life was a confusing thing.