Disclaimer: Middle Earth and any familiar characters belong to Tolkein.
Thanks Meltintalle for the review. I try to make my writing grammatically correct, so I'm glad that readers like that. If you keep reading, I'll keep updating!! ;)
Chapter 2
Tinfea trotted Mithril to the castle and met Vitralth near a small side door.
"Ready for a lesson?" he asked.
"Of course, let me just grab my knives and I'll meet you in the clearing." Mithril cantered to the base of a towering tree. Tinfea jumped off and climbed up into the tree.
Her parents were visiting Mirkwood from Rivendell and were staying in Tinfea's home. As much as Tinfea loved them, her father was against her knowing things like fighting, unladylike things to him.
"Morning Mother," Tinfea called, "I'm going out with Vitralth."
"Okay dear, but you know how your Father feels about him teaching you how to manage a sword."
Tinfea sighed, "I know, but I have gone over this before with him. I want to learn more and he can't stop me."
"Alright, alright," Mother consoled. She turned back to the fruit she was chopping, deciding it was best to leave Tinfea to herself.
Tinfea turned into another room and grabbed her two knives off of the hook. They were Elven-made, delicate yet strong. The blades were thin and long, sharp as is could be and ready to cut into anything. At the base of both hilts shone one gem, a bright green stone. This had been a gift from the castle, mainly Vitralth and Legolas. She gazed admiringly at them for a second, then blinked and darted down the tree, careful not to drop her weapons. Mithril was waiting for her there, whickering when she saw Tinfea. Tinfea pulled herself onto Mithril, and then singled her to canter into the forest.
The clearing was one not known to many. Legolas and Vitralth had found it when they were young and showed it to Tinfea when she became their friend. It was surrounded by massive oaks. The land in the middle was almost perfectly flat, no holes or bumps. It was a big clearing, consisting of hand-made archery targets on one end.
Vitralth was already there, sitting on lower branches of a tall pine tree. When he saw Mithril, he dismounted easily, sliding gently to the ground. Tinfea was jealous of her silvery-blonde friend. He had all the gracefulness an elf should have. She halted Mithril and slid to the ground, hitting a branch underneath her and falling against her horse. Mithril turned her head and nudged Tinfea, putting her more off balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vitralth grin.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes, I am ready," Tinfea answered, "but don't expect me to do well, for it has been too long since our last lesson."
Vitralth smiled, "Okay, I will go easy on you." They got into their stance, facing each other readily. Vitralth brought up one knife in a swing towards Tinfea. She blocked and danced away, tripping over a rock on her way. Vitralth brought his knives to her neck.
"You really need to get over this clumsiness," he said, holding out is hand. Tinfea took it and pulled herself up.
"I know, but gracefulness doesn't come easily." Vitralth opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind at Tinfea's glare. He motioned to the middle of the clearing. They started up again and fought into a heated battle, neither one neither giving nor taking. Tinfea glanced up at Vitralth's face and saw a battle light in his eyes. He looked determined to win. On her next move, Tinfea was a half second too slow. Vitralth took this chance and swung his knives into an arc above their heads and cut near Tinfea's neck. She leaped away quickly, hitting her arm into a tree. She heard a crack and gasped in pain. Tinfea fell onto the ground, dropping one knife and throwing another one. Vitralth was there, his knives cutting towards her neck.
"Vitralth!" Tinfea exclaimed. He didn't seem to hear her, his knives coming ever closer. Tinfea looked into his intense gray eyes and closed hers in fear. She was ready for death when she heard a pounding of hooves. Mithril was there, kicking out at Vitralth. Before Tinfea could yell no, he was on the ground, clutching at his stomach. Mithril walked over to her and put down her head. Tinfea grabbed Mithril's neck with her good hand and was raised up. She stood there leaning on her horse, warily watching Vitralth get his breath back. He stood up and reached towards Tinfea.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled, pulling back in fear. Vitralth flinched in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
Tinfea's eyes opened wide. "You were going to kill me, if Mithril had not come."
Now his eyes opened wide. "I was?"
"Yes, you were. You had that battle light in your eyes. This has never happened before, Vitralth. I do not know what came over you, but whatever it was it had better not come again."
"I am so sorry. Whenever I get into a heated fight, I just want to kill the one standing before me. This blasted temper of mine." He reached out to Tinfea again, but she backed away. His eyes changed to worry, wondering if it had been so bad that he would have killed his friend.
"You scared me, way too much. I must get to a healer." At that, Tinfea pulled herself onto Mithril, who trotted away once she was settled.
Vitralth looked after her, then took off at a run. When he got to the city, Mithril was nowhere in sight.
Vitralth entered the castle and walked to the healing rooms.
"Has anyone entered here lately?" He asked the head healer, Connitha.
"Yes, a girl by the name of Tinfea just came a few minutes ago," she pointed to a door down the hall. Vitralth nodded his thanks and knocked on the door. He entered the room and saw Tinfea sitting on a bed, a healer wrapping up her arm.
Tinfea saw Vitralth enter and tensed up. He had lost much of her trust in him during that battle. The healer finished her arm, glanced at the he-elf, and left the room.
"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you," Tinfea said coldly to Vitralth.
He winced at her bitter words, taking a step back. "I know, but I had to come. You know I would never purposely hurt you, right?"
"I used to, but I cannot trust that anymore. Your eyes, they scared me so much. You can't see what I saw. Nothing would have stopped you from killing me."
"Except a silver horse?" he asked, trying to smile.
"Yes, my horse. I love and trust her even more now," she replied, giving the impression that she would never trust Vitralth again. He nodded and turned away, knowing him being there would do no good. When he left the healing quarters in the castle, he went to stand on a balcony overlooking the gardens. He leaned on the railing, trying to think of a way that would get Tinfea to trust him when he heard the sound of trumpets blasting. Vitralth didn't think that any guest was coming, but he went up into the battlements to see who was here. Looking down, he noticed a blood bay horse being ridden by none other than his cousin Legolas. Vitralth quickly ran back to the healing quarters, ready to relay the news to Tinfea.
"Tinfea, Legolas is back," he called through the door before opening it up. He walked in and saw Tinfea standing up, untangling her hair with a brush. She glared at him for a second, and then walked out the open door. He followed sadly.
Everyone in the castle was greeting Legolas and his company. He was there, shaking hands with all the people. Gimli was also there, being hesitantly accepted as a friend. When Legolas saw Tinfea and Vitralth, he grinned and excused himself from the crowd. He ran over, ready to hug Tinfea when he noticed the bandaged arm.
"What happened?" he asked worriedly.
Thanks Meltintalle for the review. I try to make my writing grammatically correct, so I'm glad that readers like that. If you keep reading, I'll keep updating!! ;)
Chapter 2
Tinfea trotted Mithril to the castle and met Vitralth near a small side door.
"Ready for a lesson?" he asked.
"Of course, let me just grab my knives and I'll meet you in the clearing." Mithril cantered to the base of a towering tree. Tinfea jumped off and climbed up into the tree.
Her parents were visiting Mirkwood from Rivendell and were staying in Tinfea's home. As much as Tinfea loved them, her father was against her knowing things like fighting, unladylike things to him.
"Morning Mother," Tinfea called, "I'm going out with Vitralth."
"Okay dear, but you know how your Father feels about him teaching you how to manage a sword."
Tinfea sighed, "I know, but I have gone over this before with him. I want to learn more and he can't stop me."
"Alright, alright," Mother consoled. She turned back to the fruit she was chopping, deciding it was best to leave Tinfea to herself.
Tinfea turned into another room and grabbed her two knives off of the hook. They were Elven-made, delicate yet strong. The blades were thin and long, sharp as is could be and ready to cut into anything. At the base of both hilts shone one gem, a bright green stone. This had been a gift from the castle, mainly Vitralth and Legolas. She gazed admiringly at them for a second, then blinked and darted down the tree, careful not to drop her weapons. Mithril was waiting for her there, whickering when she saw Tinfea. Tinfea pulled herself onto Mithril, and then singled her to canter into the forest.
The clearing was one not known to many. Legolas and Vitralth had found it when they were young and showed it to Tinfea when she became their friend. It was surrounded by massive oaks. The land in the middle was almost perfectly flat, no holes or bumps. It was a big clearing, consisting of hand-made archery targets on one end.
Vitralth was already there, sitting on lower branches of a tall pine tree. When he saw Mithril, he dismounted easily, sliding gently to the ground. Tinfea was jealous of her silvery-blonde friend. He had all the gracefulness an elf should have. She halted Mithril and slid to the ground, hitting a branch underneath her and falling against her horse. Mithril turned her head and nudged Tinfea, putting her more off balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vitralth grin.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes, I am ready," Tinfea answered, "but don't expect me to do well, for it has been too long since our last lesson."
Vitralth smiled, "Okay, I will go easy on you." They got into their stance, facing each other readily. Vitralth brought up one knife in a swing towards Tinfea. She blocked and danced away, tripping over a rock on her way. Vitralth brought his knives to her neck.
"You really need to get over this clumsiness," he said, holding out is hand. Tinfea took it and pulled herself up.
"I know, but gracefulness doesn't come easily." Vitralth opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind at Tinfea's glare. He motioned to the middle of the clearing. They started up again and fought into a heated battle, neither one neither giving nor taking. Tinfea glanced up at Vitralth's face and saw a battle light in his eyes. He looked determined to win. On her next move, Tinfea was a half second too slow. Vitralth took this chance and swung his knives into an arc above their heads and cut near Tinfea's neck. She leaped away quickly, hitting her arm into a tree. She heard a crack and gasped in pain. Tinfea fell onto the ground, dropping one knife and throwing another one. Vitralth was there, his knives cutting towards her neck.
"Vitralth!" Tinfea exclaimed. He didn't seem to hear her, his knives coming ever closer. Tinfea looked into his intense gray eyes and closed hers in fear. She was ready for death when she heard a pounding of hooves. Mithril was there, kicking out at Vitralth. Before Tinfea could yell no, he was on the ground, clutching at his stomach. Mithril walked over to her and put down her head. Tinfea grabbed Mithril's neck with her good hand and was raised up. She stood there leaning on her horse, warily watching Vitralth get his breath back. He stood up and reached towards Tinfea.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled, pulling back in fear. Vitralth flinched in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
Tinfea's eyes opened wide. "You were going to kill me, if Mithril had not come."
Now his eyes opened wide. "I was?"
"Yes, you were. You had that battle light in your eyes. This has never happened before, Vitralth. I do not know what came over you, but whatever it was it had better not come again."
"I am so sorry. Whenever I get into a heated fight, I just want to kill the one standing before me. This blasted temper of mine." He reached out to Tinfea again, but she backed away. His eyes changed to worry, wondering if it had been so bad that he would have killed his friend.
"You scared me, way too much. I must get to a healer." At that, Tinfea pulled herself onto Mithril, who trotted away once she was settled.
Vitralth looked after her, then took off at a run. When he got to the city, Mithril was nowhere in sight.
Vitralth entered the castle and walked to the healing rooms.
"Has anyone entered here lately?" He asked the head healer, Connitha.
"Yes, a girl by the name of Tinfea just came a few minutes ago," she pointed to a door down the hall. Vitralth nodded his thanks and knocked on the door. He entered the room and saw Tinfea sitting on a bed, a healer wrapping up her arm.
Tinfea saw Vitralth enter and tensed up. He had lost much of her trust in him during that battle. The healer finished her arm, glanced at the he-elf, and left the room.
"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you," Tinfea said coldly to Vitralth.
He winced at her bitter words, taking a step back. "I know, but I had to come. You know I would never purposely hurt you, right?"
"I used to, but I cannot trust that anymore. Your eyes, they scared me so much. You can't see what I saw. Nothing would have stopped you from killing me."
"Except a silver horse?" he asked, trying to smile.
"Yes, my horse. I love and trust her even more now," she replied, giving the impression that she would never trust Vitralth again. He nodded and turned away, knowing him being there would do no good. When he left the healing quarters in the castle, he went to stand on a balcony overlooking the gardens. He leaned on the railing, trying to think of a way that would get Tinfea to trust him when he heard the sound of trumpets blasting. Vitralth didn't think that any guest was coming, but he went up into the battlements to see who was here. Looking down, he noticed a blood bay horse being ridden by none other than his cousin Legolas. Vitralth quickly ran back to the healing quarters, ready to relay the news to Tinfea.
"Tinfea, Legolas is back," he called through the door before opening it up. He walked in and saw Tinfea standing up, untangling her hair with a brush. She glared at him for a second, and then walked out the open door. He followed sadly.
Everyone in the castle was greeting Legolas and his company. He was there, shaking hands with all the people. Gimli was also there, being hesitantly accepted as a friend. When Legolas saw Tinfea and Vitralth, he grinned and excused himself from the crowd. He ran over, ready to hug Tinfea when he noticed the bandaged arm.
"What happened?" he asked worriedly.