Legolas emerged from the clearing, his face grim, moments later. "Did you
kill it, my lord?" one of the young warriors asked apprehensively, but
Legolas shook his head, his mouth pressed into a firm line.
"Nay," he answered shortly in displeasure. "There was nothing there."
"But the captive--"
Legolas shout him a quick, pointed look and the words died on his lips. The wind fluttered through the trees, as Legolas glanced around. "Where is she?"
Sindatil glanced up. "Where is who, my lord?"
Legolas took a breath, slow and steady to cool his rising temper. "The girl, where is the girl? The captive?"
Sindatil glanced around, but he too, did not see any trace of her. "She was just here, my lord."
Legolas bit his lip in frustration and hissed, "I do not care where she *was*, Sindatil, I want to know where she is." No one answered him.
"She has disappeared, my lord. She ran out of the undergrowth because of the lhug, but we did not watch her because we were so intent on killing the serpent."
Legolas closed his eyes slowly and raised a hand to his throbbing temple. "Do you mean to tell me she has escaped?"
Sindtail glanced down to the ground, and then raised his eyes dutifully. "I suppose so, my lord."
"You suppose?"
"Yes, my lord. She has escaped."
Legolas whirled around, reaching roughly for his mount, hopping onto it with such speed and grace that several mouths dropped open. "Find her," he spat, disgusted that the mighty warriors of Mirkwood had been duped by a young, treacherous female. "We cannot go back without her."
"Yes, my lord." Sindatil immediately turned to the elves surrounding him and gave hushed, whispered instructions and soon the party had broken up and rushed into the wood.
Legolas waited for Sindatil to give the orders before his friend caught up with him, and together they headed into the forest. Awkward silence passed before Legolas finally spoke. "I'm sorry for my shortness, Sindatil. It just riles my temper that Mirkwood warriors, tried and true, were so easily tricked - myself, among them."
Sindatil nodded understandingly, but relief was evident in his face that Legolas was not holding him alone responsible. "Understandable, my lord. But fear not, she cannot have gone far and we will find her."
Legolas nodded. "Yes, I don't doubt that we will." He agreed softly.
His eyes darted down to the path, his eyes racking over leaves and through the undergrowth. Tiny, light footsteps made their way through a mossy area, and he smiled slightly. This would be easier then he expected.
----------
Seasa let out a sigh of frustration. She had worked her way into a dead end - in front, to the sides, and even slightly in back of her thick thorn bushes rose up and blocked her path. She had no choice but to double back and go around - precious minutes that would be lost.
Suddenly, her elven earing picked up several voices. They sounded like elves, though she could tell from the high-pitched squeak that it wasn't Legolas, she knew they were from the scouting party that had been holding her captive. Daring a peek behind her, she saw they were still a good distance off, but closing fast. If she turned back around to avoid the nettle of thorns, she would walk directly into them. She had no choice but to push her way through.
She gritted her teeth firmly and as quietly as she could, threw herself into the bushes. Thorns caught and dragged on her flesh, ripping her dress and cloak. Several long braches reached out and yanked at her neck as she struggle through, but soon, she had made it through the thick underbrush.
She paused, breathing heavily, and dropped to her knees for a moment. Her arms were bleeding freely and her neck and back had also come out the worse of the ordeal. But her cloak and dress covered the rest of her body, so the material had taken the beating instead. Long strips of black cloak, and light sea green material from her dress were caught tangled up in the thorns, but she could do nothing about that. Straightening up and brushing herself off, she frowned as the voices became louder, and more excited as they tracked her footsteps. Without looking back, she began to run.
---------
Legolas and Sindatil followed the footsteps obediently, but they soon met up with three other elves, all of which had paused at a large thorn bush. The bush spread around the area, meeting up and mingling with others until it was almost impossible to go through, and time wasting to go around. Legolas frowned.
"What is the delay?"
One of the elves stood up proudly and nodded in respect. "Forgive us, my lord. But her tracks seem to indicate that she has pushed her way through the thorns, but that seems highly unlikely."
Legolas's eyes narrowed as he sighed, his eyes racking over the bushes in question.
"What is that?" he asked curiously, pointing to several long strips of clothing, black and green.
One of the elves frowned, and delicately reached in and plucked it from the prickly thorns grasp. "It is cloth, my lord." He answered upon closer inspection. "From the captive's cloak, no doubt."
Legolas nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still racking the bush. His eyes zeroed in on something, and his mouth fell open slightly. He dismounted quickly, and made his way over, leaning in carefully and with his finger tips, picking it up.
In his hand, he held a necklace. It was not fancy, or ornate, nothing he was used to seeing in the palace, anyway. It consisted on a single, emerald ribbon, torn at one end. He held it up to the light. From the ribbon, dangled a single, glass star. The sunlight hit the charm fiercely, and the world around them burst into color as the beams streaked through the tiny star.
"What is it, my lord?" Sindatil asked quietly.
Legolas frowned in thought. "A necklace," he answered finally. "Belonging to our captive." He glanced at the thorns, and then at back at the slightly torn ribbon. "It must have been torn from her neck as she made her way through the undergrowth."
No one said anything for a moment, then suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Ai!"
Legolas glanced up sharply, recoiling his hand and swiftly emptying the necklace into his vest pocket. "what is it?"
One of his elves had cried out, and now, backed swiftly away from the menacing looking plant. His palm was bleeding.
"Those are no ordinary thorns, my lord." He said after a moment, his voice quivering a little. "They are poisonous."
Legolas brow raised. "Poisonous?" he questioned. "What do you mean?"
"The thorns are poisonous." The elf repeated. "They are matted into a sap, which contains very dangerous toxin. The orcs use it for the blades, my lord."
Legolas took a startled step back from the plant, as did all of the other elves gathered there. "Do we have an antidote?" he asked immediately, his eyes riveted on the bleeding palm of his friend.
The elf did not answer, his eyes too, latched on the blood slowly dripping from his palm. Legolas turned to Sindatil, his captain. "Sindatil? Do we have the antidote?"
Sindatil nodded warily. "I believe so, my lord. I believe one of the healers with us should have some in their saddle bags."
Legolas eyes widened. "Well, where are they? What healers do we have with us?"
Sindatil answered calmly, "Hodorea and Elear are two of the best healers in the realm, your highness. I am sure they are more than able to deal with Astalder's injuries," he assured the elf, giving a nod in his direction.
Legolas relaxed visibly, and nodded, his eyes on the thorns once more. Something gleamed from them, caught in the still early morning light...something red. Blood.
"Sindatil," Legolas said immediately as the elf began to walk away in search of the healers. The elf paused. "yes, my lord?"
"What does this look like to you?"
Sindatil took several steps backwards, then paused. Softly, he replied, "it is blood, my lord."
"And it is not Astalder's." Legolas replied. It was not a question.
"And it is not Astalder's." Sindatil repeated softly.
Legolas turned to him. "Go, fetch the healers. Give Astalder the antidote and then hurry back." His eyes went once more to the forest beyond as he added quietly, "We must find her, now. The poison is quick."
Sindatil studied him for a moment, before turning and nodding. "Ai! Elear! Hoderea!" he called out, loudly, and several other elves echoed his call. "Elear!"
Legolas frowned, and his hand strayed to the necklace in his pocket. "We must find her," he muttered. "Soon."
"Nay," he answered shortly in displeasure. "There was nothing there."
"But the captive--"
Legolas shout him a quick, pointed look and the words died on his lips. The wind fluttered through the trees, as Legolas glanced around. "Where is she?"
Sindatil glanced up. "Where is who, my lord?"
Legolas took a breath, slow and steady to cool his rising temper. "The girl, where is the girl? The captive?"
Sindatil glanced around, but he too, did not see any trace of her. "She was just here, my lord."
Legolas bit his lip in frustration and hissed, "I do not care where she *was*, Sindatil, I want to know where she is." No one answered him.
"She has disappeared, my lord. She ran out of the undergrowth because of the lhug, but we did not watch her because we were so intent on killing the serpent."
Legolas closed his eyes slowly and raised a hand to his throbbing temple. "Do you mean to tell me she has escaped?"
Sindtail glanced down to the ground, and then raised his eyes dutifully. "I suppose so, my lord."
"You suppose?"
"Yes, my lord. She has escaped."
Legolas whirled around, reaching roughly for his mount, hopping onto it with such speed and grace that several mouths dropped open. "Find her," he spat, disgusted that the mighty warriors of Mirkwood had been duped by a young, treacherous female. "We cannot go back without her."
"Yes, my lord." Sindatil immediately turned to the elves surrounding him and gave hushed, whispered instructions and soon the party had broken up and rushed into the wood.
Legolas waited for Sindatil to give the orders before his friend caught up with him, and together they headed into the forest. Awkward silence passed before Legolas finally spoke. "I'm sorry for my shortness, Sindatil. It just riles my temper that Mirkwood warriors, tried and true, were so easily tricked - myself, among them."
Sindatil nodded understandingly, but relief was evident in his face that Legolas was not holding him alone responsible. "Understandable, my lord. But fear not, she cannot have gone far and we will find her."
Legolas nodded. "Yes, I don't doubt that we will." He agreed softly.
His eyes darted down to the path, his eyes racking over leaves and through the undergrowth. Tiny, light footsteps made their way through a mossy area, and he smiled slightly. This would be easier then he expected.
----------
Seasa let out a sigh of frustration. She had worked her way into a dead end - in front, to the sides, and even slightly in back of her thick thorn bushes rose up and blocked her path. She had no choice but to double back and go around - precious minutes that would be lost.
Suddenly, her elven earing picked up several voices. They sounded like elves, though she could tell from the high-pitched squeak that it wasn't Legolas, she knew they were from the scouting party that had been holding her captive. Daring a peek behind her, she saw they were still a good distance off, but closing fast. If she turned back around to avoid the nettle of thorns, she would walk directly into them. She had no choice but to push her way through.
She gritted her teeth firmly and as quietly as she could, threw herself into the bushes. Thorns caught and dragged on her flesh, ripping her dress and cloak. Several long braches reached out and yanked at her neck as she struggle through, but soon, she had made it through the thick underbrush.
She paused, breathing heavily, and dropped to her knees for a moment. Her arms were bleeding freely and her neck and back had also come out the worse of the ordeal. But her cloak and dress covered the rest of her body, so the material had taken the beating instead. Long strips of black cloak, and light sea green material from her dress were caught tangled up in the thorns, but she could do nothing about that. Straightening up and brushing herself off, she frowned as the voices became louder, and more excited as they tracked her footsteps. Without looking back, she began to run.
---------
Legolas and Sindatil followed the footsteps obediently, but they soon met up with three other elves, all of which had paused at a large thorn bush. The bush spread around the area, meeting up and mingling with others until it was almost impossible to go through, and time wasting to go around. Legolas frowned.
"What is the delay?"
One of the elves stood up proudly and nodded in respect. "Forgive us, my lord. But her tracks seem to indicate that she has pushed her way through the thorns, but that seems highly unlikely."
Legolas's eyes narrowed as he sighed, his eyes racking over the bushes in question.
"What is that?" he asked curiously, pointing to several long strips of clothing, black and green.
One of the elves frowned, and delicately reached in and plucked it from the prickly thorns grasp. "It is cloth, my lord." He answered upon closer inspection. "From the captive's cloak, no doubt."
Legolas nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still racking the bush. His eyes zeroed in on something, and his mouth fell open slightly. He dismounted quickly, and made his way over, leaning in carefully and with his finger tips, picking it up.
In his hand, he held a necklace. It was not fancy, or ornate, nothing he was used to seeing in the palace, anyway. It consisted on a single, emerald ribbon, torn at one end. He held it up to the light. From the ribbon, dangled a single, glass star. The sunlight hit the charm fiercely, and the world around them burst into color as the beams streaked through the tiny star.
"What is it, my lord?" Sindatil asked quietly.
Legolas frowned in thought. "A necklace," he answered finally. "Belonging to our captive." He glanced at the thorns, and then at back at the slightly torn ribbon. "It must have been torn from her neck as she made her way through the undergrowth."
No one said anything for a moment, then suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Ai!"
Legolas glanced up sharply, recoiling his hand and swiftly emptying the necklace into his vest pocket. "what is it?"
One of his elves had cried out, and now, backed swiftly away from the menacing looking plant. His palm was bleeding.
"Those are no ordinary thorns, my lord." He said after a moment, his voice quivering a little. "They are poisonous."
Legolas brow raised. "Poisonous?" he questioned. "What do you mean?"
"The thorns are poisonous." The elf repeated. "They are matted into a sap, which contains very dangerous toxin. The orcs use it for the blades, my lord."
Legolas took a startled step back from the plant, as did all of the other elves gathered there. "Do we have an antidote?" he asked immediately, his eyes riveted on the bleeding palm of his friend.
The elf did not answer, his eyes too, latched on the blood slowly dripping from his palm. Legolas turned to Sindatil, his captain. "Sindatil? Do we have the antidote?"
Sindatil nodded warily. "I believe so, my lord. I believe one of the healers with us should have some in their saddle bags."
Legolas eyes widened. "Well, where are they? What healers do we have with us?"
Sindatil answered calmly, "Hodorea and Elear are two of the best healers in the realm, your highness. I am sure they are more than able to deal with Astalder's injuries," he assured the elf, giving a nod in his direction.
Legolas relaxed visibly, and nodded, his eyes on the thorns once more. Something gleamed from them, caught in the still early morning light...something red. Blood.
"Sindatil," Legolas said immediately as the elf began to walk away in search of the healers. The elf paused. "yes, my lord?"
"What does this look like to you?"
Sindatil took several steps backwards, then paused. Softly, he replied, "it is blood, my lord."
"And it is not Astalder's." Legolas replied. It was not a question.
"And it is not Astalder's." Sindatil repeated softly.
Legolas turned to him. "Go, fetch the healers. Give Astalder the antidote and then hurry back." His eyes went once more to the forest beyond as he added quietly, "We must find her, now. The poison is quick."
Sindatil studied him for a moment, before turning and nodding. "Ai! Elear! Hoderea!" he called out, loudly, and several other elves echoed his call. "Elear!"
Legolas frowned, and his hand strayed to the necklace in his pocket. "We must find her," he muttered. "Soon."