*Disclaimer* What part of "I own nothing" just doesn't sink in?
A/N: Okay, still no battle. Next chapter, I promise! I won't be updating as frequently, I apologize. I need to write more, and quickly. Read on, my faithful...readers...read on!
Chapter 33- Stage One
But when dusk finally fell, after what seemed centuries, Rosellyn was beginnning to wish it was afternoon again. She wasn't prepared as she had thought. The secret knock came. She looked up as Legolas came in, followed by Tracie and Forest.
"Now or never?" How long ago had it been since she had said that? It was when she broke out of here the first time with Legolas, when she ran into the Riders and had to fight them on the threshold of Dam's home. It seemed like a different lifetime, a different Rosellyn. Legolas nodded, his eyes locked onto hers with a frightening intensity.
"Now or never. We need to wait here for the first signal, then you're clear to leave the room and get this started." When would the signal come? It couldn't come soon enough, but at the same time, she hoped it never came.
The signal was an arrow, fletched with leaves, that thudded into the window sill. Legolas examined the fletching for a moment, then nodded.
"Leaf-flighted. All clear. Let's move. For Mirkwood, my friends." He snapped the arrow in two and hurled it out the window, where it fell with a small, wet smack in the water below. Tracie, Forest, and Legolas were already armed; Rosellyn strung her bow and shouldered a quiver. Diamondsong and Trustworthy were already at her hip, as was a small flask of miruvor, to help keep a clear head. She had even tucked her small throwing knives in her boots; one never knew when they might be needed.
Now that she was properly armed, she felt a rush of confidence. She grinned dangerously and kicked the door open.
"Ready when you are. Let's make the Riders sorry they came calling!"
Rosellyn crouched behind the doorframe, watching the night sentries. They were pretending to be asleep. At least, she hoped they were pretending. Behind them, several Elves readied their bows as speedily as they could without being seen. One of the more senior soldiers had taken command. He looked at them through half-slitted eyes, feigning sleep.
"Ready..." he hissed through the corner of his mouth, "steady...shoot!" Though the command came as a whisper, all heard it. In unison, they stood, aimed briefly, and fired. No more Man sentries to worry about. The older Elf stood and brushed himself off. "Good work. Are the boats ready, Nudringion?" A younger Elf, not long a soldier, saluted briskly. He really wasn't much older than Rosellyn herself, now that she got a good look at him.
"Ready and waiting, sir!" The older Elf, Lostisil, that was his name, nodded. Nudringion looked absurdly pleased with himself.
"Right. You all know what you have to do. Muck it up, and I will personally deal with you myself, dead or alive." As old as he looked, he put enough bite into his voice to make the threat stick. He turned his eyes on Rosellyn, Tracie, Forest, and Legolas. "We're giving you the tasks I'd give to my more seasoned Elves; I hope you're willing to shoulder it. If aught goes ill, I don't care if you're in the middle of the damn camp. You use those horns, and you blow until the air leaves you. Got that?" They all nodded, and Legolas threw a smart salute.
"Understood, sir. Can we get underway now?"
"Indeed. We're supposed to have this done before dawn, as I recall. Well, what are you all standing here for? Get into the boats, you know what you need to do!" They all hastened to obey.
Rosellyn, Forest, and Legolas slipped out of the boat and onto the opposite shore of the Riders. Tracie would be with another faction. She had protested strongly in the beginning, but her arguments quickly lost steam when she realized she was being placed with Benvenue. Who, incidentally, was fully caught up on Rose's free-as-a-bird status. And wisely stayed well out of her way.
That suited her just fine. She wished him a long and happy life with Tracie. But Men could act so strangely sometimes.
Though not as strange as young Elves. She expected some sentimentality out of Forest, but it surprised her coming from Legolas. He always seemed so stoic before a battle, but now he was being strangely vulnerable. After Forest had disappeared into the night forest, he threw his arms around her. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately. Not that she was protesting, certainly. She exerted a slight pressure on her upper arms to keep him from drawing her too close, though. She needed to keep her wits about her, and the guaranteed way to make sure she lost them was to be held by Legolas Greenleaf.
"Be careful, please. If I had my way, you wouldn't be hunting out the Warlord alone," he murmured.
"Well, you didn't get your way. Legolas, this is personal now, and I'm going to kill the bastard myself, and I'll make him sorry he ever bestirred himself from Rohan."
"I know. I know. I know you've got your heart and mind set on it. But...it's hard to let you go into danger, all by yourself...me or Tracie or Forest should be going with you." She smiled sadly.
"You've all got parts to play. This is mine. Now go, before you're late." He nodded slowly, reluctantly.
"Good luck, Stillwater." She grinned.
"Good luck, Greenleaf. I know we'll need it." She planted a small kiss on his cheek and took off into the forest, not daring to look back. Della must really be rubbing off on her, she decided. Then she slowed her pace. This was a hunt, and she was out for revenge
A/N: Okay, still no battle. Next chapter, I promise! I won't be updating as frequently, I apologize. I need to write more, and quickly. Read on, my faithful...readers...read on!
Chapter 33- Stage One
But when dusk finally fell, after what seemed centuries, Rosellyn was beginnning to wish it was afternoon again. She wasn't prepared as she had thought. The secret knock came. She looked up as Legolas came in, followed by Tracie and Forest.
"Now or never?" How long ago had it been since she had said that? It was when she broke out of here the first time with Legolas, when she ran into the Riders and had to fight them on the threshold of Dam's home. It seemed like a different lifetime, a different Rosellyn. Legolas nodded, his eyes locked onto hers with a frightening intensity.
"Now or never. We need to wait here for the first signal, then you're clear to leave the room and get this started." When would the signal come? It couldn't come soon enough, but at the same time, she hoped it never came.
The signal was an arrow, fletched with leaves, that thudded into the window sill. Legolas examined the fletching for a moment, then nodded.
"Leaf-flighted. All clear. Let's move. For Mirkwood, my friends." He snapped the arrow in two and hurled it out the window, where it fell with a small, wet smack in the water below. Tracie, Forest, and Legolas were already armed; Rosellyn strung her bow and shouldered a quiver. Diamondsong and Trustworthy were already at her hip, as was a small flask of miruvor, to help keep a clear head. She had even tucked her small throwing knives in her boots; one never knew when they might be needed.
Now that she was properly armed, she felt a rush of confidence. She grinned dangerously and kicked the door open.
"Ready when you are. Let's make the Riders sorry they came calling!"
Rosellyn crouched behind the doorframe, watching the night sentries. They were pretending to be asleep. At least, she hoped they were pretending. Behind them, several Elves readied their bows as speedily as they could without being seen. One of the more senior soldiers had taken command. He looked at them through half-slitted eyes, feigning sleep.
"Ready..." he hissed through the corner of his mouth, "steady...shoot!" Though the command came as a whisper, all heard it. In unison, they stood, aimed briefly, and fired. No more Man sentries to worry about. The older Elf stood and brushed himself off. "Good work. Are the boats ready, Nudringion?" A younger Elf, not long a soldier, saluted briskly. He really wasn't much older than Rosellyn herself, now that she got a good look at him.
"Ready and waiting, sir!" The older Elf, Lostisil, that was his name, nodded. Nudringion looked absurdly pleased with himself.
"Right. You all know what you have to do. Muck it up, and I will personally deal with you myself, dead or alive." As old as he looked, he put enough bite into his voice to make the threat stick. He turned his eyes on Rosellyn, Tracie, Forest, and Legolas. "We're giving you the tasks I'd give to my more seasoned Elves; I hope you're willing to shoulder it. If aught goes ill, I don't care if you're in the middle of the damn camp. You use those horns, and you blow until the air leaves you. Got that?" They all nodded, and Legolas threw a smart salute.
"Understood, sir. Can we get underway now?"
"Indeed. We're supposed to have this done before dawn, as I recall. Well, what are you all standing here for? Get into the boats, you know what you need to do!" They all hastened to obey.
Rosellyn, Forest, and Legolas slipped out of the boat and onto the opposite shore of the Riders. Tracie would be with another faction. She had protested strongly in the beginning, but her arguments quickly lost steam when she realized she was being placed with Benvenue. Who, incidentally, was fully caught up on Rose's free-as-a-bird status. And wisely stayed well out of her way.
That suited her just fine. She wished him a long and happy life with Tracie. But Men could act so strangely sometimes.
Though not as strange as young Elves. She expected some sentimentality out of Forest, but it surprised her coming from Legolas. He always seemed so stoic before a battle, but now he was being strangely vulnerable. After Forest had disappeared into the night forest, he threw his arms around her. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately. Not that she was protesting, certainly. She exerted a slight pressure on her upper arms to keep him from drawing her too close, though. She needed to keep her wits about her, and the guaranteed way to make sure she lost them was to be held by Legolas Greenleaf.
"Be careful, please. If I had my way, you wouldn't be hunting out the Warlord alone," he murmured.
"Well, you didn't get your way. Legolas, this is personal now, and I'm going to kill the bastard myself, and I'll make him sorry he ever bestirred himself from Rohan."
"I know. I know. I know you've got your heart and mind set on it. But...it's hard to let you go into danger, all by yourself...me or Tracie or Forest should be going with you." She smiled sadly.
"You've all got parts to play. This is mine. Now go, before you're late." He nodded slowly, reluctantly.
"Good luck, Stillwater." She grinned.
"Good luck, Greenleaf. I know we'll need it." She planted a small kiss on his cheek and took off into the forest, not daring to look back. Della must really be rubbing off on her, she decided. Then she slowed her pace. This was a hunt, and she was out for revenge