Legolas looked at me fearfully. "That sounded like Alassé!"
Immediately we both ran through the forest towards the sound of the screaming. Faintly, I could see a horse galloping away. We both started running towards it but suddenly a whole parade of horses galloped past at top speed, evidently chasing after the runaway. The last horse in the procession slowed by us and its rider dismounted. I recognised him as one of the king's attendants from the court.
"What's happening? Where's my sister?" Legolas demanded.
"Tithirön has kidnapped the Princess," the attendant said. "But we found out just in time. Our best men are after them. Do not worry. We will return her in no time."
Legolas tried to barge the attendant out of the way and get to his horse, but he blocked his way.
"Let me go! When I get to Tithirön-"
"We are under strict orders from Thranduil not to let you go. Even though Tithirön is probably going to be thrown straight into jail," he remarked wryly, "Thranduil doesn't want him hacked to pieces, all the same."
"I've got to save my sister!" Legolas shouted at him. But the attendant remounted his horse and rode off to stop Legolas from hijacking it. Legolas, defeated, slumped down on a rock and put his face in his hands.
"Legolas, it's OK, they'll get her back, they said," I tried to reassure him, but I had interpreted him wrong.
"No, that's not it, just...nobody trusts me any more," he said, kind of helplessly. "I don't know what to do. Maybe I should just leave anyway."
"No!" I shouted. Legolas looked up in surprise. "I mean...well, if you want to go, you should go, but..."
He looked at me in a strange way. "You don't want me to go?"
"No," I said quietly. "I don't."
Suddenly, without warning, the search party returned and I spotted Alassé being taken up to the castle. Legolas and I followed them back and spoke not a word between us.
Immediately we both ran through the forest towards the sound of the screaming. Faintly, I could see a horse galloping away. We both started running towards it but suddenly a whole parade of horses galloped past at top speed, evidently chasing after the runaway. The last horse in the procession slowed by us and its rider dismounted. I recognised him as one of the king's attendants from the court.
"What's happening? Where's my sister?" Legolas demanded.
"Tithirön has kidnapped the Princess," the attendant said. "But we found out just in time. Our best men are after them. Do not worry. We will return her in no time."
Legolas tried to barge the attendant out of the way and get to his horse, but he blocked his way.
"Let me go! When I get to Tithirön-"
"We are under strict orders from Thranduil not to let you go. Even though Tithirön is probably going to be thrown straight into jail," he remarked wryly, "Thranduil doesn't want him hacked to pieces, all the same."
"I've got to save my sister!" Legolas shouted at him. But the attendant remounted his horse and rode off to stop Legolas from hijacking it. Legolas, defeated, slumped down on a rock and put his face in his hands.
"Legolas, it's OK, they'll get her back, they said," I tried to reassure him, but I had interpreted him wrong.
"No, that's not it, just...nobody trusts me any more," he said, kind of helplessly. "I don't know what to do. Maybe I should just leave anyway."
"No!" I shouted. Legolas looked up in surprise. "I mean...well, if you want to go, you should go, but..."
He looked at me in a strange way. "You don't want me to go?"
"No," I said quietly. "I don't."
Suddenly, without warning, the search party returned and I spotted Alassé being taken up to the castle. Legolas and I followed them back and spoke not a word between us.