Disclaimer: All facts and characters related to Tolkin's works are his
Muddled Minds
Chapter IV - Bait
Bits of the moon peeked at Legolas from between the canopy of the trees.
Mustering up all his strength and will, Legolas began to inch forward, pulling himself towards the nearest tree. Its branches were spread wide like arms welcoming him into its embrace. Just a little more… it seemed to coo comfortingly.
What would be just a few steps in normal circumstances had stretched to a mile for the injured elf. His breath caught as waves of pain crashed over him every time his leg was dragged forward
He made it to the base of the tall trunk and reached out trembling fingers to stroke the rough bark. His chest heaving with the effort, he somehow managed to pull himself into a sitting position with his back resting against the tree.
He took a few breathes to steady himself and closed his eyes. A sheen of sweat had formed on his face and neck. With trembling fingers, he tore off a strip from his undershirt.
Carefully, he probed the wound on his left thigh. The spear had cut through muscle and almost come out through the other side, leaving a gaping hole in Legolas' leg. He wondered if any amount of bandaging would stop the bleeding.
He wrapped the piece of cloth tightly around the injury, his face contorting in pain. Blood quickly seeped through the white cloth.
That tended to, Legolas rested one arm tiredly on his stomach, his other lay limply at his side. He felt too exhausted to move another inch.
His head throbbed painfully and he tilted it back to lean against the rough bark. The cool air soothed him a little and drew him into a light sleep.
x
His hands flew to the hilts of his white knifes which were unfortunately absent. Muttering a few curses he waited for whatever he had sensed was approaching to appear. He tried to pull himself more upright but decided it didn't really matter when his body reminded him of his injuries.
Slumped against the tree his eyes scanned the area for the presence he felt. He wished he had something more than his bare hands to defend himself with.
Large paws padded up mere meters away from him and stopped. Legolas could not prevent a surprised gasp from escaping.
The animal in front of him seemed to be a warg, but it was much bigger than any warg that the elf had encountered in his long life.
The stiff hairs that ran from the top of its head, along its spine, all the way to the beginnings of its short tail stood in the air. Its dark brown fur bristled and its front legs were bent.
Legolas swallowed nervously. Adrenaline lent him the strength to rise and he got to his feet, swaying dangerously where he stood. He braced himself against the trunk of the tree and stared at the ugly face of the warg.
Its head had been turned in another direction but now it moved sharply to stare fixedly at the elf.
The powerful muscles on the beast rippled as it advanced slowly. One swipe of those long, sharp claws was enough to kill. It entered the circle of blood and paused.
Legolas saw its nostrils flare as it sniffed the air. For some reason the creature seemed to be on edge. That was probably what had prevented it from already attacking.
A wild yell burst through the trees along with the missing Madman.
He waved his spear wildly in the air as though beckoning to the warg to follow him. Its attention was diverted from the elf.
With his last remaining strength he began to climb the tree. He only made it to a branch about the height of two men off the ground when he stopped.
The sounds of a scuffle had broken out below.
The man seemed to have some bone to pick with the beast. He looked it straight in the eye, challenging it to attack.
Surprisingly, it did not.
The man slowly moved towards the left and the warg's head followed him unwaveringly.
Both were crouched and ready to attack at the slightest provocation. With a speed faster than the keen sight of an elf could follow, the man threw the spear. It pierced the warg's thick hide and came out through the other side.
The animal gave an almighty roar and snorted angrily. It shook its head as if the clear its senses. In that moment of distraction, the man leapt forward and pulled out the spear.
Blood spurted out of the wound and stained the ground. The warg jerked around to face the man and reached out with one massive paw. Using all its fading strength, it swiped at the man.
The man did not react visibly although from his precarious perch in the tree, Legolas could see clearly that deep gashes had been opened across his chest.
The warg swayed from left to right on its feet, before falling with a loud thump onto its side. It gave a pitiful whine and raised its head several times before going quite still.
Legolas was lying on his belly on a branch but it was taking all his strength to remain on it. His vision was beginning to blur. He strained his muscles, trying his best to balance himself.
His gaze fell to the bottom of the tree once more and his eyes met the eyes of the man. He was amazed at the lucidity of the bright green eyes that stared furiously up at him. His head was beginning to pound worst than before.
Darkness was creeping over his vision and he was powerless to stop it. Within moments he was lying limply on the branch.
TBC…
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So, the mystery continues. More should be resolved in the following chapter or two… so stick around. BTW, school reopens for me on Monday so updates might not be so frequent.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS. I was beginning to feel that maybe this story wasn't such a great idea but the reviews chased away some of my doubt.
Anyway, please review!!!!
xxx