Hello again! So, everyone thinks they have it pretty much figured out? *whistles* I'm not saying anything! *evil grin* Time will tell, but let me just say…I do have a FEW tricks up my sleeve yet, I think. J
Oh, and BTW, the idea of the Turs belongs to Neon Star, who thought up the idea for another story we're writing. Thanks Neon for letting me use it!
*****
Legolas slowed the horse as he saw a small cave up ahead near the bank of the river Bruinen. If he followed the rive long enough, it would lead him into Rivendell, but right now, he was in Tur territory, his sister was getting worse, and night had fallen hours ago. Dawn was approaching, and Legolas did not want to move in this are during the day, for fear of being seen. The constant movement was not helping Luminal, and her shoulder kept getting jarred, so it was not clotting. Much as he hated the idea, they would have to stop.
Legolas carefully climbed off the horse, and lifted his sister gently off as well. Luminal's eyes fluttered open, and she looked dazedly to Legolas, who did his best to look reassuring. "Why are we stopping, Las?" Luminal asked, using her brother's nickname that she had dubbed him back when saying his entire name was a burden for the young elf. She wrapped her left arm around his neck, unwillingly to use the other because of the pain it caused, and buried her face into his chest, shivering slightly.
Legolas held her closer. "The horse needs to rest." He lied, not wanting to tell her the truth, that he was afraid for their safety. Luminal had been told many things about the Turs, most of them true, and he didn't want to frighten her.
Luminal looked over to the horse. "Ok." She whispered, putting her head back on Legolas' shoulder and closing her eyes against the pain.
Legolas worriedly scanned her face, not missing the lack of color to her features, nor the dullness to her eyes that he had noted before. He led the horse to a corner just outside the cave near some trees that he hoped would make it less visible, and went in the cave, setting Luminal down carefully. She was unconscious now, her eyes closed, which in itself worried Legolas, as her eyes should have been open. Luminal shivered and moaned slightly. Legolas sighed. There was nothing to do but light a fire, which was a danger of itself, but Luminal need the warmth it would provide.
Going out, he began gathering wood, his bow ready for any disturbance, and his keen senses alert. Fortunately, all seemed quiet, so his worry was momentarily quelled. He continued to gather wood, until he heard something snap behind him. Whirling, he dropped the wood and, his bow held at ready, he looked around. There was nothing.
Frowning, he turned in a quick circle, looking for what had made the sound. Suddenly, something dropped down from a nearby tree. Legolas quickly aimed his bow at it.
A small human boy stared wide eyed at the arrow aimed at his heart. He was probably only 10 or 11, with black hair and gray eyes. Legolas scanned him quickly, looking at the dark clothing and color of his skin. His suspicions were confirmed. The boy was a Tur.
The boy stared at the bow, and finally, his eyes wandered up to Legolas' face. "Elf…" He breathed, his eyes huge. Then, disregarding the weapon aimed at him in his fear, he turned and ran. "FATHER!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, dashing through the foliage.
Legolas should have shot him then and there. He knew that. However, there was something about killing a child that he could not accept. Quickly, he dashed after the child, who was still screaming, easily catching up. He grabbed the child by an arm, and pulled him to his chest, wrapping one arm around his waist and another over his mouth.
The child's eyes were terrified as he looked up into Legolas' stern face. Legolas frowned down at him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said slowly and clearly. "I am just passing through here with my sister, who is wounded. I mean no harm to anyone. You will have to stay with me until I reach the borders of Rivendell, but I will not harm you." He finished. "Now…Are you going to stop screaming, or do I have to gag you?" He asked, a dangerous glint in his blue eyes.
The boy looked at him for one more long moment before nodding slightly against Legolas' grip. Legolas slowly released his grip on the boy's mouth, and moved his other hand from the boy's waist to his wrist. "Are you going to try to run away again?" Legolas asked.
The boy looked really frightened, but shook his head. Legolas nodded his satisfaction. "All right then, I am going to trust you, but if you try anything, I will have no choice but to tie you up and carry you." He said. The boy nodded his understanding, his eyes huge.
Legolas let go of the boy's wrist, wondering what had come over him that he was trusting a Tur, child or not. He brushed that thought away. "Come on." He nodded to their right, coaxing the child to walk in front of him. After a long silence, he sighed. "My name is Legolas. What is yours?" He asked, trying to put the child at ease.
The child's walk slowed, and he was quiet for a moment before answering. "Verald." He said.
Legolas nodded his satisfaction, picking up his discarded wood and continuing to the cave. "Are you a Rivendell elf?" The boy asked hesitantly.
Legolas looked at him, deciding whether to answer, but so no harm in doing so. "No. I am merely journeying there. I am from Mirkwood." He answered.
They had reached the cave, and Legolas hurried in. Luminal was awake, and looked frightened. "Las, I woke up and you weren't here…" She sobbed as he made his way over, and clung to him. "I was so scared." She whispered.
Legolas quieted her. "I went to get firewood, but I am back now. I am sorry to frighten you." Verald came closer behind them, and Legolas looked up at him. "Verald, this is my sister, Luminal. Luma, this is Verald." Luminal looked up, and seemed confused, but said nothing as she buried her face in her brother's chest and fell into unconsciousness again, now that she was soothed.
Verald was frowning. "What happened to her?" He asked, seeing the dried blood all over her dress.
Legolas gently laid her down and stood. "She was bit by a warg." He replied, and turned to get a fire started. "We will be reaching the border of Rivendell tomorrow night, and then you can go back home. Until then, you must stay here with us just to be sure. My sister will not survive if I do not get her to the elves to be healed." He said almost apologetically, as he WAS sorry that he had to keep the child from his home. He didn't seem to bad…for a Tur, that is.
*****
Well? What do you think of Verald? Should Legolas be trusting him? Hmmmm…
Oh, and BTW, the idea of the Turs belongs to Neon Star, who thought up the idea for another story we're writing. Thanks Neon for letting me use it!
*****
Legolas slowed the horse as he saw a small cave up ahead near the bank of the river Bruinen. If he followed the rive long enough, it would lead him into Rivendell, but right now, he was in Tur territory, his sister was getting worse, and night had fallen hours ago. Dawn was approaching, and Legolas did not want to move in this are during the day, for fear of being seen. The constant movement was not helping Luminal, and her shoulder kept getting jarred, so it was not clotting. Much as he hated the idea, they would have to stop.
Legolas carefully climbed off the horse, and lifted his sister gently off as well. Luminal's eyes fluttered open, and she looked dazedly to Legolas, who did his best to look reassuring. "Why are we stopping, Las?" Luminal asked, using her brother's nickname that she had dubbed him back when saying his entire name was a burden for the young elf. She wrapped her left arm around his neck, unwillingly to use the other because of the pain it caused, and buried her face into his chest, shivering slightly.
Legolas held her closer. "The horse needs to rest." He lied, not wanting to tell her the truth, that he was afraid for their safety. Luminal had been told many things about the Turs, most of them true, and he didn't want to frighten her.
Luminal looked over to the horse. "Ok." She whispered, putting her head back on Legolas' shoulder and closing her eyes against the pain.
Legolas worriedly scanned her face, not missing the lack of color to her features, nor the dullness to her eyes that he had noted before. He led the horse to a corner just outside the cave near some trees that he hoped would make it less visible, and went in the cave, setting Luminal down carefully. She was unconscious now, her eyes closed, which in itself worried Legolas, as her eyes should have been open. Luminal shivered and moaned slightly. Legolas sighed. There was nothing to do but light a fire, which was a danger of itself, but Luminal need the warmth it would provide.
Going out, he began gathering wood, his bow ready for any disturbance, and his keen senses alert. Fortunately, all seemed quiet, so his worry was momentarily quelled. He continued to gather wood, until he heard something snap behind him. Whirling, he dropped the wood and, his bow held at ready, he looked around. There was nothing.
Frowning, he turned in a quick circle, looking for what had made the sound. Suddenly, something dropped down from a nearby tree. Legolas quickly aimed his bow at it.
A small human boy stared wide eyed at the arrow aimed at his heart. He was probably only 10 or 11, with black hair and gray eyes. Legolas scanned him quickly, looking at the dark clothing and color of his skin. His suspicions were confirmed. The boy was a Tur.
The boy stared at the bow, and finally, his eyes wandered up to Legolas' face. "Elf…" He breathed, his eyes huge. Then, disregarding the weapon aimed at him in his fear, he turned and ran. "FATHER!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, dashing through the foliage.
Legolas should have shot him then and there. He knew that. However, there was something about killing a child that he could not accept. Quickly, he dashed after the child, who was still screaming, easily catching up. He grabbed the child by an arm, and pulled him to his chest, wrapping one arm around his waist and another over his mouth.
The child's eyes were terrified as he looked up into Legolas' stern face. Legolas frowned down at him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said slowly and clearly. "I am just passing through here with my sister, who is wounded. I mean no harm to anyone. You will have to stay with me until I reach the borders of Rivendell, but I will not harm you." He finished. "Now…Are you going to stop screaming, or do I have to gag you?" He asked, a dangerous glint in his blue eyes.
The boy looked at him for one more long moment before nodding slightly against Legolas' grip. Legolas slowly released his grip on the boy's mouth, and moved his other hand from the boy's waist to his wrist. "Are you going to try to run away again?" Legolas asked.
The boy looked really frightened, but shook his head. Legolas nodded his satisfaction. "All right then, I am going to trust you, but if you try anything, I will have no choice but to tie you up and carry you." He said. The boy nodded his understanding, his eyes huge.
Legolas let go of the boy's wrist, wondering what had come over him that he was trusting a Tur, child or not. He brushed that thought away. "Come on." He nodded to their right, coaxing the child to walk in front of him. After a long silence, he sighed. "My name is Legolas. What is yours?" He asked, trying to put the child at ease.
The child's walk slowed, and he was quiet for a moment before answering. "Verald." He said.
Legolas nodded his satisfaction, picking up his discarded wood and continuing to the cave. "Are you a Rivendell elf?" The boy asked hesitantly.
Legolas looked at him, deciding whether to answer, but so no harm in doing so. "No. I am merely journeying there. I am from Mirkwood." He answered.
They had reached the cave, and Legolas hurried in. Luminal was awake, and looked frightened. "Las, I woke up and you weren't here…" She sobbed as he made his way over, and clung to him. "I was so scared." She whispered.
Legolas quieted her. "I went to get firewood, but I am back now. I am sorry to frighten you." Verald came closer behind them, and Legolas looked up at him. "Verald, this is my sister, Luminal. Luma, this is Verald." Luminal looked up, and seemed confused, but said nothing as she buried her face in her brother's chest and fell into unconsciousness again, now that she was soothed.
Verald was frowning. "What happened to her?" He asked, seeing the dried blood all over her dress.
Legolas gently laid her down and stood. "She was bit by a warg." He replied, and turned to get a fire started. "We will be reaching the border of Rivendell tomorrow night, and then you can go back home. Until then, you must stay here with us just to be sure. My sister will not survive if I do not get her to the elves to be healed." He said almost apologetically, as he WAS sorry that he had to keep the child from his home. He didn't seem to bad…for a Tur, that is.
*****
Well? What do you think of Verald? Should Legolas be trusting him? Hmmmm…