Thankyou for all the nice and constructive reviews I have received. Sorry
this chapter is short; I wont be long in posting the other. XxX
Charybdis- you go girl!!! (unless of course you are male in which case it wud be u go boy!!!)
Calm before the Storm
When they woke again in the morning, they found with relief that Gandalf was back. When they asked him where he had been, he just smiled and said, "Oh, just for a walk."
And so they rode on, southwards down the river, past Lorien and towards Fangorn. At the southern point of Lorien they had to leave the side of the river though, for it started to run southeast.
It took them a day's hard riding to reach the northern boarders of Fangorn and Elimay remembered all to clearly her escape attempt into the dark forest. They crossed the Limlight River the next afternoon, travelling along the eastern boarders of the forest. Thankfully the weather stayed warm and sunny, but there was still a biting wind that swept down from the mountains. The nights were cold and the fire hardly pushed back the wind.
But they made progress and by the third day after reaching Fangorn, they had come to its southern boarders. They had now entered Rohan and went west, still not leaving the line of Fangorn. They could vaguely see the Gap of Rohan in the distance where Isengard lay in the mountains. They had to be more careful about lighting fires, as they grew closer.
A cold biting wind whipped at her cheek as she stood on the mountainside, looking down at the tower of Isengard. It seemed so long since she had come here to find out whom she was to kill. The sight of the place brought a shiver of fear to her and she clutched her cloak tighter round her. They had left the horses down at the bottom of the mountain for it would be more discreet and faster along the shale without them. She felt Legolas' hand on her shoulder and looked to him, searching his eyes for any emotion. They showed fear for her and she drew her eyes away, not wanting to see that. Most of all she wished that he would show belief that she could do this.
Gandalf led the way down into the valley, gradually growing nearer and nearer to Isengard. From the outside it seemed almost dead but Elimay knew better. It was just a disguise.
The wizard stopped about a mile from the tower, and grabbed a handful of soil, throwing it into the air in front of him. It hit an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. "We can not go any further," he stated. "We will stay the night here and wait for morning until I open a gateway."
Elimay gulped and tried to see the barrier, as Gandalf went a distance up the mountain to where there was a cave. She reached out her hand and her fingers touched something unseen that felt as smooth as steel. Pushing hard against it she found it was completely solid and impenetrable. Her eyes rose to look at the black tower that rose out of the earth and then she made herself turn her back to it, and follow the others up to the cave.
They could not light a fire that night for they would have been spotted instantly. They could see the hoards of orcs that swarmed around the tower within the barrier. How Elimay was to get past those once through the invisible defence, she had no idea.
Elimay sat at the entrance to the cave, examining the surroundings for any way through. She knew from her time here in the past, that the crevasse that snaked out across the rock from the tower were bottomless but in some there were narrow shelves along the side that she could go along without being seen. If she could get to one without being noticed, she would be able to get into Isengard. She sighed deeply, feeling her head beating painfully from all the hard thinking. She could hear Legolas and Gandalf in the cave, making a cold dinner and setting out the beds.
She stood up and turned to observe her companions. Gandalf was smoking his pipe while setting out the dinner in their tin bowls, and Legolas was now sat cross-legged on his bedroll. A new frightening thought suddenly crept up on her; this might be her last night alive. Her last few hours alive. She shivered at the thought and quickly pushed it away, seeking serenity in observing Legolas. His actions as his fingers flickered over his arrows brought her back to her centre. As if he could sense her looking, he lifted his gaze to lock with hers. He could see all her fears and longed to take her in his arms, but the presence of the wizard prevented him.
Unexpectedly though, Gandalf got to his feet. "The dinner is ready. I will return in a few hours; I need to examine Isengard's defences."
Elimay smiled to him as he went past her into the night and then she looked back at the prince. She found that he had already risen and was before her in a breath. His eyes regarded her for a second then leant down touching his mouth to hers. If this were to be her last night alive, this would be the last time she and Legolas would have their own time together. She kissed him like she would never kiss him again, and felt his hands roving over her body with longing. She could feel his jaw working beneath her palm and it sent a thrill through her. Her groan of pleasure made Legolas want more and he felt the urgency of it.
Suddenly he tasted salty tears in his mouth and realised that she was crying. He pulled away just enough to look upon her tearful face. Taking her hand he pulled her over to her bedroll and made her lie down. She was so tired, he could see plainly. He knew what she felt; that this might very well be her last night on earth, but he didn't want to make the thought solid by tiring her out.
"Sleep, melamin," he whispered, pulling a blanket over her. She had already closed her eyes and so he did not seek to tell her to eat. She would benefit better from sleep. He sat by her side, waiting for Gandalf to return, eating his dinner in a sorrowful silence. What tomorrow would bring he did not know.
Charybdis- you go girl!!! (unless of course you are male in which case it wud be u go boy!!!)
Calm before the Storm
When they woke again in the morning, they found with relief that Gandalf was back. When they asked him where he had been, he just smiled and said, "Oh, just for a walk."
And so they rode on, southwards down the river, past Lorien and towards Fangorn. At the southern point of Lorien they had to leave the side of the river though, for it started to run southeast.
It took them a day's hard riding to reach the northern boarders of Fangorn and Elimay remembered all to clearly her escape attempt into the dark forest. They crossed the Limlight River the next afternoon, travelling along the eastern boarders of the forest. Thankfully the weather stayed warm and sunny, but there was still a biting wind that swept down from the mountains. The nights were cold and the fire hardly pushed back the wind.
But they made progress and by the third day after reaching Fangorn, they had come to its southern boarders. They had now entered Rohan and went west, still not leaving the line of Fangorn. They could vaguely see the Gap of Rohan in the distance where Isengard lay in the mountains. They had to be more careful about lighting fires, as they grew closer.
A cold biting wind whipped at her cheek as she stood on the mountainside, looking down at the tower of Isengard. It seemed so long since she had come here to find out whom she was to kill. The sight of the place brought a shiver of fear to her and she clutched her cloak tighter round her. They had left the horses down at the bottom of the mountain for it would be more discreet and faster along the shale without them. She felt Legolas' hand on her shoulder and looked to him, searching his eyes for any emotion. They showed fear for her and she drew her eyes away, not wanting to see that. Most of all she wished that he would show belief that she could do this.
Gandalf led the way down into the valley, gradually growing nearer and nearer to Isengard. From the outside it seemed almost dead but Elimay knew better. It was just a disguise.
The wizard stopped about a mile from the tower, and grabbed a handful of soil, throwing it into the air in front of him. It hit an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. "We can not go any further," he stated. "We will stay the night here and wait for morning until I open a gateway."
Elimay gulped and tried to see the barrier, as Gandalf went a distance up the mountain to where there was a cave. She reached out her hand and her fingers touched something unseen that felt as smooth as steel. Pushing hard against it she found it was completely solid and impenetrable. Her eyes rose to look at the black tower that rose out of the earth and then she made herself turn her back to it, and follow the others up to the cave.
They could not light a fire that night for they would have been spotted instantly. They could see the hoards of orcs that swarmed around the tower within the barrier. How Elimay was to get past those once through the invisible defence, she had no idea.
Elimay sat at the entrance to the cave, examining the surroundings for any way through. She knew from her time here in the past, that the crevasse that snaked out across the rock from the tower were bottomless but in some there were narrow shelves along the side that she could go along without being seen. If she could get to one without being noticed, she would be able to get into Isengard. She sighed deeply, feeling her head beating painfully from all the hard thinking. She could hear Legolas and Gandalf in the cave, making a cold dinner and setting out the beds.
She stood up and turned to observe her companions. Gandalf was smoking his pipe while setting out the dinner in their tin bowls, and Legolas was now sat cross-legged on his bedroll. A new frightening thought suddenly crept up on her; this might be her last night alive. Her last few hours alive. She shivered at the thought and quickly pushed it away, seeking serenity in observing Legolas. His actions as his fingers flickered over his arrows brought her back to her centre. As if he could sense her looking, he lifted his gaze to lock with hers. He could see all her fears and longed to take her in his arms, but the presence of the wizard prevented him.
Unexpectedly though, Gandalf got to his feet. "The dinner is ready. I will return in a few hours; I need to examine Isengard's defences."
Elimay smiled to him as he went past her into the night and then she looked back at the prince. She found that he had already risen and was before her in a breath. His eyes regarded her for a second then leant down touching his mouth to hers. If this were to be her last night alive, this would be the last time she and Legolas would have their own time together. She kissed him like she would never kiss him again, and felt his hands roving over her body with longing. She could feel his jaw working beneath her palm and it sent a thrill through her. Her groan of pleasure made Legolas want more and he felt the urgency of it.
Suddenly he tasted salty tears in his mouth and realised that she was crying. He pulled away just enough to look upon her tearful face. Taking her hand he pulled her over to her bedroll and made her lie down. She was so tired, he could see plainly. He knew what she felt; that this might very well be her last night on earth, but he didn't want to make the thought solid by tiring her out.
"Sleep, melamin," he whispered, pulling a blanket over her. She had already closed her eyes and so he did not seek to tell her to eat. She would benefit better from sleep. He sat by her side, waiting for Gandalf to return, eating his dinner in a sorrowful silence. What tomorrow would bring he did not know.