Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story are mine except for Kaylen. She indeed is mine and mine alone.
----
Chapter Four
Horse hooves beat the ground as if they were drums, ever quickenning. Sweat formed in dew-like droplets on the two rider's foreheads as they sped across the landscape, through forest and meadow, with the hobbit Frodo on the saddle of the dark horse. They were running out of time, and if they did not reach the elven realm of Imladris soon, this small man would do far worse than die. He would become a wraith, like the Nazgul, and great shame would come to those that failed to save him.
Though it was not long until they saw the gates of Rivendell, it seemed to take all too much time. When they the openning, both quickly dismounted, and Kaylen took the hobbit swiftly and gently into her arms, running as fast as her legs deemed possible to the House of Elrond. She prayed that Elrond's gift of foresight, which was said to be so great a gift, showed him the approaching halfling as they came upon the house's door. Thankfully, her prayers were not in vain, and Elrond came rushing out from the door, gesturing for her and Arwen to come inside. They placed the sickened hobbit on a bed, and as Feaelen prepared to join Elrond in healing the hobbits spirit, Arwen found a needle and thick thread that was meant for closing wounds and placed them on the bedside table. When all was ready, both Feaelen and Elrond lowered their heads, and began to lift Frodo's soul out of the Shadows that it sank so far into.
It took an entire day of their joined attempts to finally prevent him completely from becoming a wraith, and it had not been simple. By the time the deed was done, Kaylen had been weakened so that she could not stand and walk by herself, and so help was needed. Elrond had also been weakened, though it did not seem as though it had strained him as much in body. He stayed behind, and began work on Frodo's physical wounds. By the time that Kaylen could once again stand and walk by herself, the tip of the Morgul Blade, which had broken off of the dagger and began to dig towards his heart, had been removed, and so she took part in sewing and dressing the wound. The last she saw of Frodo Baggins that day, he had been washed and clothing had been found for him, and he lay in a bed in Elrond's house. He would now rest, most likely for many days.
Some days later, Aragorn and the remaining hobbits arrived in Rivendell, weared by the burdens of exhaustion and anxiety. Upon being informed of Frodo's situation, however, their attitudes lightened considerably. The hobbit whose name was Samwise Gamgee immediately demanded to be take to Frodo's room, and Kaylen, after nodding to the others, led him to Frodo's bedside. She admired Samwise in his sheer devotion to Frodo, how he would stay by the halfling's side without rest, food, or drink. She prayed that it would stay this way, for such devout friendship was not often to be found in this world. She then nodded, and took her leave.
The next night, after the sun had fallen from the horizon and Elbereth's stars were allowed to burn so brightly in the sky, Kaylen left her quarters. Her lady was calling, and the servant of Varda could not refuse her summons. She dressed this night in light robes of dark green, fastening a wide leather belt about her middle and hanging her simple longsword in it's sheath on the belt. She stepped onto a balcony on her way down the stairs, only to see a dark figure, a man of the South, judging by his garments, being led away towards the guests' quarters area of the realm. Curiosity stayed her for a moment, at who this new visitor could be, but it quickly left her mind as she found Gilgwath in the stables, and mounted him bareback. The Glade of Elbereth was hidden half a league North of Rivendell, and was a place unknown to her fellow elves. She frequently visited it, whether to speak to her Lady or to simply sit in the center of the glade, relaxing to the sound of the glade's spring gurgling it's water over stones. As she rode away from the realm of Imladris, heading North, the thoughts of the visitor left her mind.
Yet the same could not be said of the visitor. Since he had arrived here in Rivendell, the man had thought the realm to be deadened, empty, save for the elfman who greeted him at the entrance. When he saw the strange Elda (he assumed she was of elvenkind) leave, he was intrigued by her. And so, instead of retiring to his quarters and having to deal with silence for the remainder of the night, he returned to the stables for his horse and rode out, following her as quietly as one can on horseback, for this way perhaps there would not be silence tonight. He kept the hood of his cloak up, following her through wood and field, until she stopped.
The woman stopped at a clearing of trees, and when he saw her dismount, he stopped his horse and did likewise, though a good ways away from her, and hopefully, out of earshot. He stepped lightly, trying not to make his presence known until a time which he saw fit.
Kaylen was no fool. She may not have heard it at first, but eventually her keen ears picked up the sound of a second set of hoofbeats, and after she dismounted, a second pair of footsteps. However, at first the summons of Elbereth kept her in a daze, and it was not until she had only a few feet left to walk before reaching the Glade that her mind spoke to her of this stalker. Immediately,she drew her sword, and silently climbed one of the trees that lined the outside of the glade. Her prey neared it's predator (or perhaps it was the other way around, depending on whose point of view one was seeing from) soon after, and as he stood below the tree she hid in, she lept down, attempting to slide her blade around his neck, and press it against his throat in a threatening manner. However, this man's senses were keen enough to hear the sound of her leap, and her blade stroke was met by another blade, backed by an equal, if not greater, amount of strength. She leaned into the parry, forcing him to step backwards, into the moonlight. It was the same man that she had seen being led to guest's quarters in Rivendell. So he was a guest to her people. She could not now, in good conscience, slay him. However, she was in such a mood that she would not deny herself a sparring match. She stepped forward, and was almost relieved to see him step back in defense. She smiled darkly, her deep green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Her smile was returned with an equally dark grin, and his dark eyes had the same intent in them.
And so the match began.
-------
This is a much better chapter, I feel. And look! More action is surely to come. Review if you like, but please do not flame. I do not take kindly to insults.
----
Chapter Four
Horse hooves beat the ground as if they were drums, ever quickenning. Sweat formed in dew-like droplets on the two rider's foreheads as they sped across the landscape, through forest and meadow, with the hobbit Frodo on the saddle of the dark horse. They were running out of time, and if they did not reach the elven realm of Imladris soon, this small man would do far worse than die. He would become a wraith, like the Nazgul, and great shame would come to those that failed to save him.
Though it was not long until they saw the gates of Rivendell, it seemed to take all too much time. When they the openning, both quickly dismounted, and Kaylen took the hobbit swiftly and gently into her arms, running as fast as her legs deemed possible to the House of Elrond. She prayed that Elrond's gift of foresight, which was said to be so great a gift, showed him the approaching halfling as they came upon the house's door. Thankfully, her prayers were not in vain, and Elrond came rushing out from the door, gesturing for her and Arwen to come inside. They placed the sickened hobbit on a bed, and as Feaelen prepared to join Elrond in healing the hobbits spirit, Arwen found a needle and thick thread that was meant for closing wounds and placed them on the bedside table. When all was ready, both Feaelen and Elrond lowered their heads, and began to lift Frodo's soul out of the Shadows that it sank so far into.
It took an entire day of their joined attempts to finally prevent him completely from becoming a wraith, and it had not been simple. By the time the deed was done, Kaylen had been weakened so that she could not stand and walk by herself, and so help was needed. Elrond had also been weakened, though it did not seem as though it had strained him as much in body. He stayed behind, and began work on Frodo's physical wounds. By the time that Kaylen could once again stand and walk by herself, the tip of the Morgul Blade, which had broken off of the dagger and began to dig towards his heart, had been removed, and so she took part in sewing and dressing the wound. The last she saw of Frodo Baggins that day, he had been washed and clothing had been found for him, and he lay in a bed in Elrond's house. He would now rest, most likely for many days.
Some days later, Aragorn and the remaining hobbits arrived in Rivendell, weared by the burdens of exhaustion and anxiety. Upon being informed of Frodo's situation, however, their attitudes lightened considerably. The hobbit whose name was Samwise Gamgee immediately demanded to be take to Frodo's room, and Kaylen, after nodding to the others, led him to Frodo's bedside. She admired Samwise in his sheer devotion to Frodo, how he would stay by the halfling's side without rest, food, or drink. She prayed that it would stay this way, for such devout friendship was not often to be found in this world. She then nodded, and took her leave.
The next night, after the sun had fallen from the horizon and Elbereth's stars were allowed to burn so brightly in the sky, Kaylen left her quarters. Her lady was calling, and the servant of Varda could not refuse her summons. She dressed this night in light robes of dark green, fastening a wide leather belt about her middle and hanging her simple longsword in it's sheath on the belt. She stepped onto a balcony on her way down the stairs, only to see a dark figure, a man of the South, judging by his garments, being led away towards the guests' quarters area of the realm. Curiosity stayed her for a moment, at who this new visitor could be, but it quickly left her mind as she found Gilgwath in the stables, and mounted him bareback. The Glade of Elbereth was hidden half a league North of Rivendell, and was a place unknown to her fellow elves. She frequently visited it, whether to speak to her Lady or to simply sit in the center of the glade, relaxing to the sound of the glade's spring gurgling it's water over stones. As she rode away from the realm of Imladris, heading North, the thoughts of the visitor left her mind.
Yet the same could not be said of the visitor. Since he had arrived here in Rivendell, the man had thought the realm to be deadened, empty, save for the elfman who greeted him at the entrance. When he saw the strange Elda (he assumed she was of elvenkind) leave, he was intrigued by her. And so, instead of retiring to his quarters and having to deal with silence for the remainder of the night, he returned to the stables for his horse and rode out, following her as quietly as one can on horseback, for this way perhaps there would not be silence tonight. He kept the hood of his cloak up, following her through wood and field, until she stopped.
The woman stopped at a clearing of trees, and when he saw her dismount, he stopped his horse and did likewise, though a good ways away from her, and hopefully, out of earshot. He stepped lightly, trying not to make his presence known until a time which he saw fit.
Kaylen was no fool. She may not have heard it at first, but eventually her keen ears picked up the sound of a second set of hoofbeats, and after she dismounted, a second pair of footsteps. However, at first the summons of Elbereth kept her in a daze, and it was not until she had only a few feet left to walk before reaching the Glade that her mind spoke to her of this stalker. Immediately,she drew her sword, and silently climbed one of the trees that lined the outside of the glade. Her prey neared it's predator (or perhaps it was the other way around, depending on whose point of view one was seeing from) soon after, and as he stood below the tree she hid in, she lept down, attempting to slide her blade around his neck, and press it against his throat in a threatening manner. However, this man's senses were keen enough to hear the sound of her leap, and her blade stroke was met by another blade, backed by an equal, if not greater, amount of strength. She leaned into the parry, forcing him to step backwards, into the moonlight. It was the same man that she had seen being led to guest's quarters in Rivendell. So he was a guest to her people. She could not now, in good conscience, slay him. However, she was in such a mood that she would not deny herself a sparring match. She stepped forward, and was almost relieved to see him step back in defense. She smiled darkly, her deep green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Her smile was returned with an equally dark grin, and his dark eyes had the same intent in them.
And so the match began.
-------
This is a much better chapter, I feel. And look! More action is surely to come. Review if you like, but please do not flame. I do not take kindly to insults.
