When Legolas awoke and learned of what happened to Lina, he sided more with Glorfindel than with Aragorn on the matter. He had seen first hand how well Lina could defend herself and had no worries about the young woman. Once seeing the dragon in his vision, Legolas discovered that the sight had created a crushing fear in his heart about what was to come. He spoke naught of it to Aragorn or Glorfindel but he felt it pressing in on him as they rode towards their next destination. The shadows he saw were somehow deeper and more intimidating than before and the night almost suffocated him. Despite her tendency to talk constantly, Lina had been a welcomed companion when he traveled with her. She questioned things that he assumed was correct and made him look deeper into the simpler things. Living in Mirkwood, where there were dangers outside the protected inner borders, he had grown accustomed to fighting with a few she-elves. Most were the wives of other warriors and trained to travel with their husbands and go on patrols with them to be closer to their loved ones. There had been a few times when Legolas was amazed at the cunningness and lithe movements that the majority of the she-elves possessed. They were obviously a bit more light-footed and physically lighter then their male counterparts and this allowed them to move quicker than some other male warriors. He would never forget seeing one elf-maiden kill six orcs on her own because one had called her a weakling. Legolas learned to never underestimate a she-elf that knew how to wield a weapon and wield it well and especially one that could be easily ticked off. He would readily admit that seeing Lina kick Aragorn's ass would be interesting; he also wouldn't be able to resist telling Elladan and Elrohir when he meet up with them again. He did realize that Aragorn thought that his pride was injured and taken a bruising when Lina helped save him and provide medical attention. Legolas would have felt the same way if he was in the same position but he saw that Lina was a warrior in her own right. She would never think that anyone she helped was weaker just because he hit a streak of bad luck and got caught in a bad situation. It was probably because she had found Legolas trapped in a net that she had set and had found him in the company of dwarves. Legolas shrugged his shoulders at the idea and turned his attention back to their task.
He looked up at the sky and cast a wary eye at the darkening sky. His sensitive ears heard thunder a ways away that was slowly getting closer to their location. Glorfindel looked at him and nodded to confirm that he heard it too and that it worried him also. They had been riding hard for two days in hopes to reach the next town and replenish their supplies and their horses were exhausted. Knowing that the town was nearby, they kept pushing to reach the town before nightfall and the storm reached them. It was about thirty minutes later when the rain started in on them and came down in pounding sheets. Legolas cast a wary eye towards the mountain range that they rode along and watched as the water ran down the hillside in small rivers. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and closely watched the back of the human riding ahead of him.
Aragorn swore vehemently at the weather to himself as he guided his horse around the trees and bushes. He was wet, cold, hungry, and irritated. Irritated at what, he wasn't sure of. He wanted to think that it was because of Lina but he knew it wasn't. True he had snapped at her when he first woke up but that was the side-affects of his pounding headache and his worry for Legolas. He also didn't like it when anyone acted like a mothering hen over him and a female mothering hen was far worse than Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir, or Elrond could ever be. The females just always seemed to be able to see through all his excuses and see what was really paining him; that and they had the female version of Elrond's look which was absolutely horrifying when the look was turned on the poor person who earned it. The fact that she yelled at him and lectured him really didn't help improve his bad attitude so he really wasn't that surprised when she did leave; provably to avoid hurting him. He didn't have anything against women warriors and found that women sometimes came up with better plans then the males do but it still didn't assure him. Countless battles had taught him what could happen to women in a battle situation and the horrors that some endured at the hands of the enemies. Aragorn wanted to spare everyone women that pain and fear and if it meant getting a few of them pissed off at him then that was it. The end justified the means as he heard an army captain say once. So it was really a combination of things that had set him off. He hoped that she had found a safe place to stay and then headed for her home.
Lina pulled the hood of her cloak further over her face as she easily guided her horse, Anil, through the forest as she followed the horse tracks by eye. The rain had made the ground moist and soft allowing the horses' hoof prints to stand out so following wasn't that hard. She munched on some dried meat as she rode and occasionally looked up in the direction she was riding to ensure that she wasn't following too closely. Her charges had ridden hard for the past two days and she had a feeling she knew why. Three people ate more than one; especially when that one was a female and the three were males. Her supplies were enough to last her for a few more weeks but she knew the others had to replenish before they continued to Annúminas. Their pace hadn't allowed her the luxury of stopping and making a real meal so whenever they did stop; she made enough for at least several days and would pack it away for later. Anil snorted softly and shook his head to sling water everywhere, even managing to get some under Lina's hood.
Wiping away the few drops of rainwater, she thought what might happen when she caught up with them at Annúminas. She knew Aragorn wouldn't be happy to see her there; Glorfindel would look like he wasn't happy but he would be; she didn't know about Legolas. Frankly, she really didn't care. Perhaps she should just stay away until they actually needed her and then maybe Aragorn wouldn't have enough time to yell at her while they were fighting something. She snorted at that thought, he would probably make the accident of thinking she was an enemy and kill her just in spite of her. Finishing the dried piece of meat, she took a sip of water and shoved the water skin back in her small pack before stopping her motions. Cocking her head to one side and being mindful of not getting water under her hood, she listened closely to what her ears were just picking up. Anil's ears perked up and he also stopped to listen to the distant sound. Suddenly making sense of what she was hearing, she picked up the reins and kicked Anil into a gallop, hoping she wouldn't be too late.
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled to catch the human's attention as he stopped his horse.
Aragorn and Glorfindel continued to ride until they realized that Legolas was not behind them. The pounding rain made it hard to hear even when you were only a few feet from each other. Turning his horse around to face Legolas, Aragorn tuned his ears to the elf's voice to hear him.
"I think we need to find high ground for the night! This storm is not letting up! We will ride into the town tomorrow morn!"
"The town is at the bottom of the hill! Just a few more minutes more!" Aragorn yelled in reply. "We can find dry accommodations there and rest!"
He turned his horse and urged the beast on as the other two followed reluctantly. Legolas and Glorfindel cast worried looks at each other and followed the human as he led them along the path. Legolas shook his head in frustration and finally decided to set his foot down when his horse slipped in the mud. Stopping his horse, he yelled for Aragorn and waited as the human turned his horse.
"The footing is getting too treacherous Aragorn! We have to find someplace to wait this out!" Legolas yelled as he glanced around.
"I agree, Aragorn! We should find high ground and wait this storm out!" Glorfindel yelled as his ears picked up a disturbing sound.
None of them could say anything quick enough to warn the others as a dark wall of something swept towards Legolas. The horses neighed shrilly in freight and almost unseated their riders as several of the trees farther up on the hill crashed to the ground. Aragorn saw what it was too late and quickly followed the path it was taking to gasp in horror.
"Legolas! Move!"
The elf's gaze snapped up hill as a mountain of mud crashed towards him. The relentless and pounding rain had apparently been too much for the small mountains and had started a massive mudslide. The three unlucky travelers had been unlucky enough to stop directly in its estimated path, especially one of the travelers. The ground under Legolas' horse suddenly gave away and slid down the slope as the animal scrambled to find a purchase and stay upright. Legolas could do nothing except clutch to the horse's mane and try to not upset his horse's balance. Aragorn and Glorfindel struggled to control their horses as they tried to turn and run. Aragon watched horrified as another wave rushed towards Legolas and succeeded in knocked the horse off his feet and catapulting the elf into the raging mud. The last sight Aragorn had of his friend was the elf's wide and shocked eyes before he plunged into the mixture of freezing water and thick mud. Aragorn's wide eyes stared at the spot where Legolas landed and expected the elf to emerge while only one thought ran through his mind.
'This is all my fault.' And he knew it was true.
Lina urged Anil faster through the forest until she saw the raging river of mud. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Glorfindel trying to pull Aragorn away from the widening river. She didn't see Legolas with them and the look that Aragorn was giving the river told her that the elf had been unlucky to be caught in the spectacle of nature. Galloping Anil along the edge, she searched for anything that resembled the fair-haired archer. Up ahead she saw Legolas' horse standing at the opposite edge of the river with his head sagging near the ground in exhaustion. Not seeing the elf anywhere near the animal, she galloped past and continued to look frantically. Her eyes finally caught the sight of someone holding tightly to a small log and looking like he was about to lose the battle. Remembering something her brother and she once talked about, she scanned the forest floor as she raced along until she caught sight of what she wanted. Stopping Anil, she swung off and strapped all her weapons to the horse along with her cloak and quickly gave him his directions. Anil didn't look too pleased but snorted his compliance and galloped down the way to find higher ground and remain there till she called for him. Picking up the sturdy piece of bark that was about the size of a shield, she climbed up a tree with a branch reaching over the mudflow and crawled out with the piece of bark under her arm.
Holding the bark tightly, she jumped into the mudslide and used the bark to cushion her fall. She was immediately swept away as she balanced her weight on the piece of bark. Smiling as she got the hang of it, she slowly stood and held her arms out to balance as she started to look for Legolas again. She would have to remember to write her brother and thank him profusely for his idea and tell him the story of how she employed it. She might wait and tell him face to face over a mug of ale or a mug of warmed wine. It would make a great tavern story. The contraption, or piece of bark, moved faster than both of them imagine it would in this type of situation as she swung around the limbs and bit of trees. By leaning her weight to one side, she could make a sharp turn and head directly where she wanted to go. Smiling despite the conditions, she almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea but set her mind to other things when she finally saw Legolas.
He was struggling to stay above the crushing power of the mudslide as she carefully navigated towards him. The shock of being tossed off his horse had been quickly replaced with an immediate sense of panic when the mudflow swept him away and tossed his body like a rag doll. Branches and rocks had banged into his body and left him gasping in pain and for air. A rock had caught him at the back of his head and left stars in his vision as he felt his grasp on consciousness start to slip. The cold water had left his lower body numbed as well as his fingers and those were vital to keeping him above the mud line. Hearing someone call his name, he looked up without seeing the large branch hurtling towards him.
Lina gasped as the branch struck the side of his head and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Swerving sharply to the side, she grabbed the back of his tunic just as he slipped from his log and hauled him up. Biting her lip in concentration, she wobbled a bit on the bark before gaining her balance again. Pulling the limp elf into her arms, she held his upper body in front of her and tried to steer the heavily burdened piece of bark. She felt the piece of bark shudder under their combined weight and glanced down to see a crack streak through the length of the wood. Narrowing her eyes, she carefully aimed for dry ground and prayed that the bark would hold till she reached it. It seemed, however, that luck wasn't on her side when the bark snapped in half and sent both of them tumbling head first into the mud. Lina twisted her body and took most of the brunt of the landing to feel several ribs snap in protest of the sudden added weight on her chest. Thankfully, they landed close enough to the edge that the pull of the flow wasn't that powerful and she was able to get her feet under her. Dragging Legolas up the edge and carefully laying him on the ground, she wiped away a glob of mud from her cheek in disgust. Turning towards the forest, she whistled twice sharply and listened for Anil.
Wrapping an arm around herself to protect the broken rib, she carefully knelt next to Legolas and pushed away the muddy hair. The side of his head was bleeding from where the branch struck him and his breathing was shallow. Gently prying his eyelid open, she noted the dilation and moved to check his heart rate. It was fast but strong and she moved to check him for any other injuries. He was starting to shiver from the combination of cold mud, cold rainwater, and shock but that was about it as Lina looked up at the approaching horse.
Anil neighed happily as he walked up to his master and nudged her head as she reached for her cloak and small blanket. He was also covered in mud from his chest and down to coat his legs with the thick muck. She quickly checked him for injuries that he may have acquired before shaking her head as a bout of dizziness and exhaustion almost caused her to stumble. The cold was starting to affect her as well as the broken ribs, which were painfully piercing something inside her. Kneeling next to Legolas, she carefully dragged him towards a tree and rested him against the trunk as she arranged the cloak to act like a small tent. Pulling off Legolas' muddy and wet outer tunic and attaching his weapons to Anil, she pulled off her outer clothing and sat behind Legolas under the small tent. Wrapping her arms around him, she wrapped the blanket around the both of them to insulate any warmth while trying not to flinch at her painful rib cage. She pulled a dagger out and held it in one hand that crossed Legolas' chest while the other hand rested above his heart. If there were any changes in his condition, she would feel it as she looked up at Anil.
"Anil, guard us," she ordered and the horse immediately perked his ears forward at the command and turned his gaze towards the forest.
Lina smiled tiredly and allowed her eyes to drift shut, knowing that her horse would do what she asked. Horses had more intelligence than most people gave them credit for.
"I am sure Legolas is fine, Aragorn. He is a strong warrior," Glorfindel stated calmly even though he worried for the younger elf himself.
He had been shocked to see Legolas be carried away by a mudflow that seemed to come out of nowhere. It had taken him a few minutes to drag Aragorn away from the edge as the flow seemed to get wider and threatened to take away the ground they stood on. After seeing Legolas be swept away, Aragorn hadn't said a word to the Imladris elf and instead he stared at the banks of the mudflow to look for his friend. If Glorfindel could hear what was going on inside the human's head, he would have been shocked at the severity of his lecture to himself. Aragorn knew that if anything happened to his Mirkwood friend that it would be his fault for not stopping when they advised him to do so. His anguished eyes drifted over towards Legolas' horse that they found a few minutes ago. The poor animal was exhausted from his struggles in the mudflow but had been willing to follow the other two just as long as they proceeded slowly. The animal had escaped with a few scrapes and cuts and was surprisingly still sound. Aragorn hoped that the fate of the horse's master was just about the same as the fate of the horse.
Aragorn scanned the opposite banks while Glorfindel scanned the bank they were on for any signs of their friend. The rain was just starting to let up and nighttime was falling quickly on them as they searched for their friend. Glorfindel's eyes narrowed when he caught movement between a few of the trees a bit up the bank and ahead of them. Moving forward more, he recognized the horse and felt his jaw drop in shock.
"Aragorn!" he called and urged his horse into a canter towards the movement.
The human snapped his head around and quickly followed the elf to where he was heading. He met with Glorfindel just as both of them reached the horse that had caught Glorfindel's eye. Aragorn sighed in relief upon seeing Legolas safe, or at least somewhat safe. He cast a cautious eye towards the dagger that was clenched in someone's hand and resting against the elf's chest over the blanket. The other person's head was resting on Legolas' shoulder and the elf's hair effectively covered the person's face. Moving forward silently, he felt Glorfindel grab his arm and jerk him back just a moment before the horse lunged at him with teeth bared. The horse lunged at him again as he scrambled back with Glorfindel's help. Satisfied with the distance the human now had, the horse slowly retreated and stood in front of his two charges to guard them. Anil glared at the two as his ears slowly revolved to listen to the surrounding sounds and for any other dangers.
"Aragorn, I believe that horse is guarding them. The dagger is for protection, she is not going to harm Legolas," Glorfindel advised softly and held onto the human's arm.
"Tell me who he is and I will tell you if he intends on harming Legolas," Aragorn ground out and kept his eyes on the two sleeping figures.
"That is our friend young Lina. I recognize her horse."
To prove his point, Lina murmured something in her sleep and shifted her head to lean it against the tree. Her face was revealed to both of them and Aragorn swore his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it.
"Well, I will be damned," he muttered in astonishment.
"She does have the habit of popping up when we need her does she not?" Glorfindel asked with a faint smile.
Aragorn looked over darkly to the elf with a faint grimace. "Point well taken, mellonin."
"Now how do we get by Anil?"
"That is a very good question," Aragorn mused and eyed the horse warily.
"Why not just yell at her? That should wake her up."
"Could not hurt to try. Lina! Lina, wake up!" Aragorn yelled as Anil snorted.
Lina groaned to herself as someone yelled her name and for her to wake up. Tightening her grip on the body in front of her, she slowly cracked her eyes open just enough to see who was calling for her. The sight that greeted her caused her to immediately start laughing but had to stop when her ribs protested. Glorfindel was up in a tree out of reach from Anil who was currently chasing Aragorn around. The human was ducking behind trees and dodging around bushes in order to stay out of the horse's path. Lina had to assume that they had gotten too close to her and Legolas while they rested and had set Anil off. Combining that with the fact that Anil already had a grudge against Aragorn for ordering Lina away, the horse was probably retracting some revenge for his master. Deciding to call an end to the 'chase', she opened her eyes the rest of the way and sat up.
"Anil, halt!"
Anil slid to a stop and spun around to trot to his master with a joyful neigh. He gently lipped the woman's mud-caked hair as she reached up and gently rubbed his nose in her appreciation. Glorfindel slowly climbed down from the tree and looked over at Aragorn as he moved out from behind one large tree. Anil shot the human a dirty look but stayed next to Lina as she carefully extracted herself from behind Legolas.
"You can come near. He will defend me if I am awake, just shot you dirty looks," she said and knelt in front of Legolas.
She carefully lifted an eyelid and checked the dilation again before checking his heart rate. Both were the same as before she fell asleep to imply that he hadn't gotten any worse. When Aragorn moved up beside her, she stepped aside and riffled through her pack. Finding a spare tunic, she painfully pulled it over her head and slipped into her cloak as Aragorn checked Legolas over. Aragorn sighed in relief at Legolas' minor injuries. Despite having a nasty headache when he wakes up, the elf would be just fine with rest. He looked over at Lina as she spoke softly to Anil and kept her distance from the others. Glorfindel found a dry tunic in his pack and handed it to Aragorn before holding Legolas up and putting the dry tunic on.
"We should make for the town now Aragorn before the storm starts again and get them warmed up," he advised softly as he knelt next to the human.
"I know. Help me with Legolas," he said and moved to lift the archer.
The two placed Legolas on Aragorn's horse to allow the human to ride behind him and hold him steady. Legolas' horse remained unburdened as Glorfindel mounted his horse and Lina stood next to Anil. She looked up at Aragorn and expected him to tell her to go home. Her tiny hunting adventure was over now that she was forced to reveal herself. There had been the option of leaving Legolas for Aragorn and Glorfindel to find but her annoying little voice wouldn't allow her to do that. It was one of those times that she hated that voice that always made her feel guilty about something or told her to do the right thing.
"I guess I will be leaving now," she muttered and turned to Anil.
"I think it would be best if you came with us to the town and got some rest. You must want to get clean," he stated as she looked down at herself.
Like Legolas, she was covered with mud that didn't get washed off from the rain shower. Her hair was plastered with it and it streaked her skin and clothes. Taking a nice warm bath and getting clean sounded marvelous to her. The disbelief must have shown on her face as Glorfindel chuckled.
"I think Aragorn is implying that since you will not leave on your own and we can not make you leave that it would be better that you did travel with us on this adventure. I know that I will be greatly relieved. There will be at least two sane people on this little excursion," Glorfindel said as Lina smiled a bit but looked to Aragorn for confirmation.
The man nodded to her and let a small smile grace his lips as her expression brightened a bit. He would have to remember to apologize to her later when they had all relaxed. Seeing how protective she had been with Legolas and how innovative she could be, he felt a bit more comfortable about having her along.
Lina looked at Anil and motioned for the horse to knell so she could get on easier. Her ribs and chest were throbbing painfully which took her breath away but she covered her wheezes as best she could. She didn't want Aragorn to think that she was weak and unable to take a bit of pain. Anil knelled and she slipped onto the horse while avoiding Glorfindel's look. Aragorn led the way with Lina behind him and Glorfindel pulling up the rear. She bit the inside of her cheek as every step Anil took sent a sharp lance of pain through her ribs. Her gaze locked onto the approaching town and vowed to stay conscious until she could reach the town and hide in her own room. Just a little further, it's getting closer and closer. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she slipped off Anil and moved into the inn to pay for two rooms for the night. Her movements were slow and stiff as she paid and went out to the others and followed them to the small barn next to the inn. Taking as deep a breath as she could, she pulled her pack off Anil and carefully showed the horse into his stall. Turning, she didn't notice the stall door to Legolas' horse swing towards her. Apparently the horse had nosed the door open and it was swinging directly towards her chest without her realization. The pack was by her side and did nothing to cushion the hit when the door smacked her flat in her chest and into her ribs.
Her gasp startled the entire group and horses as she dropped her pack and curled around herself. Stars blazed in her eyesight and sounds roared in her ears as the pain swallowed her whole.
"Lina?" Glorfindel asked and moved quickly to her side.
Instead of speaking and trying to hold onto consciousness, she allowed herself to slip into oblivion. Glorfindel's voice echoed in her ears and that was the last thing she heard.
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I can not believe it! I have 84 review for only 8 eight chapters! *squeals and throws confetti up in the air* And I can not believe how long this chapter is! All of you out there in reader land are just amazing; I love you all so much! Still amazes me though, I scroll through the listing of other stories and this one that I have been reading has over a thousand reviews and that just blows me away. I get giddy beyond belief with just a few reviews. I think I would pass out or hyperventilate if I got that many. Or over a hundred, which I am actually very, close to now! Okay, I think I am better now. *squeal!* Okay, it is out of my system now.
Ah, yes! Before I forget! Some of you may have works up on fictionpress.net and I know I do also; mostly poems but they are there. Anyway, I did post a new story of mind on that site under the fantasy category. The main character is our dear Lina and the bloody plot bunny has been running around in my head and my room for several months so I finally put it down on paper and posted the first chapter. The title is 'Pure Blood on Pure Ground' and it is under my normal pen-name of Spades. I would really love it if all of you would go and read it and give me some ideas. I would really like to input and advice if you would like to give it to me.
Lauren- I needed to remember to tell you this after I got your proofread chapter so I am writing here before I forget. I suggest you read 'Wild Blue Yonder' in the LotR category; it is just along the lines of things that you wanted to see happen in ME. Hope you like it.
Ringmarciel- Oh, meanie fanfiction dot net. But you got to review this chapter! Yippie!
Elvendancer- Heehee, last night I had a late night working on the story but I stopped myself and went to bed. I finished the chapter the afternoon of the 31st so I did not stay up till all hours of the night as usual. Do you not just hate that feeling? Sometimes I just want to throttle some men thinking that we are weak and can not defend ourselves. But there is kind of a downside to it all. Along with women power have you noticed that chivalry is dying out? Guys are terrified to even open the door for us or help us out of the car in fear that we will pull out that thy think we are the weaker sex. I honestly think that the women before us went a little too far to push for women rights and that we are dependent from the males. But that is the side effects.
Snow-Glory- Well thank you so much for the compliment *bows with hand over heart before sweeping it to the side*. You must be one of the Legolas angst fans. I do not think that I will have a flashback but I will have the issue come up eventually later on in the story. I have the idea already planned in my mind, I just have to get there and write it out. Hopefully, Legolas can hold Glorfindel back from killing Aragorn even though I think it would be hilarious.
Astievia- *sighs* I wish I had a horse like Lina's too. Anil is really a combination of a bunch of my horses and their characteristics. Thank you so much.
Roccovende- I was so disappointed on Christmas morning when I looked under the tree. But, I will suffer through it without him *sighs*. That happens to me quite a lot; I will see that one of my favorite stories is updated and when I try to get to it, it will say 'No such chapter.' I just want to scream and smack my computer. I hear the Scottish accent too and I love it to death. I love Scotland. Go ahead and toss the computer out of the window, it would make a lovely crashing noise outside.
Grumpy- Yes, poor, poor Glor. Aragorn was just having a really bad day, but the next chapter will be better. He will become our favorite Ranger once more.
Dha-Gal- IT IS DHA!!!!!!!!! Heehee, I am better now. Just a little hyper. It is the bloody skittles! It is perfectly fine if you could not beta it for me; I know and understand that things come up. Aragorn will be back to being his normal self in the next chapter, he was just having a bad day. *notes the Jack Sparrow reference* One of my friends is addicted to Cherry Coke, must be something in the coke.
Gwyn- Aragorn is human; therefore he is allowed to make errors. At least that is what I tell myself. Aragorn will get over his temporary male chauvinist bastard stint.
Bill the Pony2- I swear everyone is just falling in love with Lina who I at first only intended to be a minor character. She is about as stubborn as I am.
Star-Stallion- Whenever I talk to my friends from Scotland, I pick up the accent and whenever I talk to my friends from England I start talking with the British accent. It sucks because I can pick up any accent just from hearing it. My family hates it after we watch PotC because I will have the accent for several hours when it ends. *shrugs shoulders* Aragorn will be back to his normal self in the next chapter, have no fear. I am not that good of a writer, believe me. I am Spades and only Spades, no one…savvy love?
Elven Kitten- Heehee, you could always just forge one. That is what I did in school when I need one. Even forged some with my teachers' signature so I could get into class after the bell rang. I was so bad I know but that made me who I am today. Your review was long enough to make me very happy.
SilverKnight7- *squeals* A NEW REVIEWER! I just adore new reviewers. I am not a psycho, really I am not. I like skittles but not as much as I do now. Blame it on Dha-Gal, she always gave me skittles when she reviewed for 'Unspoken Words' and we always joked about them until I got my own bag and started to munch on them so now I like them again. I eat the Berry type, not the original. Original is too boring, I like the exotic flavors. Well, look around at the world they live in. There are orcs, spiders, goblins, wargs, bad wizards (not until later but still) and honestly told, if I lived during that time; I would not leave the town unless I knew how to defend myself. I understand how some men could act like the way Aragorn did and the reasons behind the action; but men should not categorize all women as weak and not able to defend themselves. But that is what I think on the subject. Personally, I know that I can kick several guys asses at the same time but that is because that I learned from a marine, know akido, kickboxing, and fencing. I am well prepared for Middle-Earth…yeah bloody right! LOL. Me, in Middle-Earth? Society at large would collapse in a puff of smoke and dust.
Legalady- Wow, you really got under the wire on this one! I was typing up the responses for the chapter and I checked my email to see if I heard back from my other two beta people and there was your review. And another one for 'Unspoken Words' but oh well. I hope that you are feeling better about whatever got you depressed. If you need someone to talk to that is no in the situation, I would be honored to listen. I am a part-time psychologist to all my friends and they say that I am good at it and that I give out good advice on matters. I think that I like the older Lina better; I fully intend to have Elladan and Elrohir come in later and meet up with Lina again for their adventure. Little Lina had that innocence that all children her age seem to grow up with. The older Lina is still young enough to have some of that innocence still but she has matured and seen what really lies out in the world and that not all people are kind hearted. I think I love the older Lina better because she is still young at heart and remembers how to joke around and act young and not stuck-up.
