You guys ready for another post? You sound it! :D Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!! More twists to come, so brace yourselves.
*****
Legolas looked back into the cave from where he was keeping watch. Verald was sitting next to Luminal, who had awoken again, gently coaxing her to drink some water. Legolas could dimly hear Verald talking about some animal he had shot on his last hunt proudly. Legolas couldn't help smiling. Verald hadn't turned out to be all bad. In fact, he had helped Legolas in many ways as they waited for nightfall to come again. If they had met under different circumstances, Legolas had a feeling he and his sister become good friends with this human child.
Verald looked up to him, and smiled slightly. Legolas returned the gesture thankfully, going back to watching the foliage for any signs of Verald's kind. So far, they had seen nothing, and Legolas' hopes were rising that they might leave this area undetected.
He stood, stretching. "Verald, I am going to feed the horse. I'll be right back, all right? Call me if Luminal needs me." He called back to the child.
Verald looked up, and nodded his understanding. He was currently changing the bandaging on Luminal's wound. Legolas was amazed at how good Verald was with that particular area. He had expected the child to be disgusted by the wound and unable to touch it, but if Verald had felt anything, he certainly hadn't said a word.
Legolas looked for a long moment at his sister, who was quietly listening to Verald talk, wincing occasionally as he worked on her shoulder. The bleeding had slowed, but Luminal was undoubtedly getting worse. He frowned, and went outside to tend to their horse, who had been quiet the entire time they were here, seeming to understand the danger.
Legolas turned the corner to where they had left the horse…and froze. The beautiful butterscotch horse lay lifeless on the ground, a stab wound deep in its throat. Legolas's eyes went wide, and he turned quickly to go back to the cave. Someone knew they were here.
As he was going back, he heard dim calls coming his way. He followed them for a while until they were very close, and then pulled himself into a tree until he could see the source of the cries.
A large group of humans stood in the clearing. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, their swords drawn and held in clenched fists. One particularly large, dark-haired man turned slightly to face the forest in Legolas' direction. "Verald!" He called loudly.
Legolas' heart stopped. The Turs were looking for their own, and it was only a small amount of time before they found him, and Legolas and his sister as well. He jumped back down from the tree soundlessly and ran full speed back to the cave. There was nothing for it now. They had to leave this instant.
He reached the cave and did not stop, rushing up to his sister and lifting her into his arms. Verald stood worriedly. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Legolas looked down to him. "Your family is looking for you, and they are close." He said simply. "They killed our horse. We will have to go by foot." Would it be worse for them to bring Verald or leave him? He tried to decide.
Verald's eyes turned dark, and he looked to the opening of the cave, and back to Legolas desperately. "Legolas, let me go to them. I will tell them I simply wandered off, and lead them away from you. It is your only chance!" He said, his eyes wide and pleading, laying a hand on Luminal's limp arm. "If my family finds you…"
"I know what will happen if they find us." Legolas returned darkly. He looked down to his sister, and back to Verald. The boy was right. They could never outrun the Turs. But could he be trusted?
Finally, with a sigh, he nodded. "All right, go." Verald grinned, and turned to leave. Legolas' voice stopped him. "Verald…my sister's life depends on you." He admitted.
Verald nodded his understanding, and left the cave. The voices were almost at the cave by that point, and Legolas carefully laid his sister down, going silently to the entrance of the cave to watch.
Verald ran forward to the group. "I'm here, I'm here!" He cried.
The men looked to him and sighed slightly, returning their swords to their place. The dark haired man Legolas had seen before frowned at Verald. "What happened to you?"
Verald flinched. "I wandered off and got lost, father. I'm sorry." He said, eyes on the ground.
This answer did not seem to satisfy the man. "Did you see any elves in this area, Verald?" He asked.
Verald did not look up. "No, father." He answered.
The man walked forward and grabbed Verald's arm harshly, in a grip hard enough to bruise. "You lie! We killed an elven horse just this morning, I know they are here. Why are you hiding elf scum?!!" He demanded.
Verald squirmed. "Please, father, I didn't see them." He begged.
The man's eyes narrowed. "Worthless, ungrateful child. Scaring your mother out of her wits, hiding with elves, and lying to me on top if it all!!" He cried, and struck Verald solidly across the face with the back of his other hand.
Verald cried out. "Please, papa, please, I didn't see anything, please…" He begged. His only answer was another strike, and great tears started down his cheeks as his father threw him to the ground.
Another man came forward and placed a hand on Verald's father's shoulder. "Revenhal, stop!" He urged.
Revenhal threw off the hand, and kneeled down, pulling Verald's face up to look at him. "Where are they, Verald?!" He screamed in the boy's face.
Verald just shook his head and tried to pull away, crying harder. In the cave, Legolas clenched his fists. If he had known this would be Verald's welcome, he would never have let the boy go. What kind of father was this, beating his own child to get what he wanted? For a split second, he almost ran out to kill Revenhal, not caring whether he was caught, so great was his anger.
Then, he came to his senses and remembered his sister. She needed him. He frowned and looked back to her. Luminal was barely awake, but knew something was wrong, and her eyes were worried as she returned his gaze. Legolas did not go to comfort her as he usually would have though. He needed to see what was happening.
Revenhal had given up on getting the information out of Verald, and had stood, leaving the boy sobbing on the ground. Now, he was searching the forest with keen eyes. "They cannot be far from here. Search."
Verald looked up, and the tears intensified. All he had done; it had not been enough. They were going to be found anyway. He let his head drop in defeat.
Legolas stood quickly, heading back to his sister and trying to decided what to do. The Turs were right in front of the cave entrance, there was no way to get out without being seen. If they stayed, they would be found. If they left, they would be found. Finally, he grimly set his jaw, and pressed a quick kiss to his sister's forehead. "I'm sorry, Luma. I tried." He turned and went to the cave opening quietly, getting his weapons prepared.
He readied an arrow as the men got closer. He would take down as many as he could before they touched him or his sister. He spotted Verald, now sitting on his calves, looking downtrodden as he watched the men searching.
One came too close for comfort. He looked in the cave, and suddenly, his eyes stopped on Legolas'. Turning, he started to call out that he had found him, but never got to finish as an arrow lodged itself in his throat.
That alerted everyone to Legolas' presence, but they would have known soon anyway. Arrows flew out of the cave, and quickly, the men took cover, losing three of their kind in the process.
Revenhal carefully inched his way closer, gesturing for two of his men to follow. When they were close enough, he drew his sword and gestured for them to do the same. Standing swiftly, they simultaneously flung their swords into the cave in the direction the arrows were coming from. There were two clatters of metal hitting stone…and a deep grunt of pain. The arrows ceased.
*****
Agh! Evil cliffhanger!! Will any readers survive to the next chapter? *evil laugh* We shall see.
*****
Legolas looked back into the cave from where he was keeping watch. Verald was sitting next to Luminal, who had awoken again, gently coaxing her to drink some water. Legolas could dimly hear Verald talking about some animal he had shot on his last hunt proudly. Legolas couldn't help smiling. Verald hadn't turned out to be all bad. In fact, he had helped Legolas in many ways as they waited for nightfall to come again. If they had met under different circumstances, Legolas had a feeling he and his sister become good friends with this human child.
Verald looked up to him, and smiled slightly. Legolas returned the gesture thankfully, going back to watching the foliage for any signs of Verald's kind. So far, they had seen nothing, and Legolas' hopes were rising that they might leave this area undetected.
He stood, stretching. "Verald, I am going to feed the horse. I'll be right back, all right? Call me if Luminal needs me." He called back to the child.
Verald looked up, and nodded his understanding. He was currently changing the bandaging on Luminal's wound. Legolas was amazed at how good Verald was with that particular area. He had expected the child to be disgusted by the wound and unable to touch it, but if Verald had felt anything, he certainly hadn't said a word.
Legolas looked for a long moment at his sister, who was quietly listening to Verald talk, wincing occasionally as he worked on her shoulder. The bleeding had slowed, but Luminal was undoubtedly getting worse. He frowned, and went outside to tend to their horse, who had been quiet the entire time they were here, seeming to understand the danger.
Legolas turned the corner to where they had left the horse…and froze. The beautiful butterscotch horse lay lifeless on the ground, a stab wound deep in its throat. Legolas's eyes went wide, and he turned quickly to go back to the cave. Someone knew they were here.
As he was going back, he heard dim calls coming his way. He followed them for a while until they were very close, and then pulled himself into a tree until he could see the source of the cries.
A large group of humans stood in the clearing. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, their swords drawn and held in clenched fists. One particularly large, dark-haired man turned slightly to face the forest in Legolas' direction. "Verald!" He called loudly.
Legolas' heart stopped. The Turs were looking for their own, and it was only a small amount of time before they found him, and Legolas and his sister as well. He jumped back down from the tree soundlessly and ran full speed back to the cave. There was nothing for it now. They had to leave this instant.
He reached the cave and did not stop, rushing up to his sister and lifting her into his arms. Verald stood worriedly. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Legolas looked down to him. "Your family is looking for you, and they are close." He said simply. "They killed our horse. We will have to go by foot." Would it be worse for them to bring Verald or leave him? He tried to decide.
Verald's eyes turned dark, and he looked to the opening of the cave, and back to Legolas desperately. "Legolas, let me go to them. I will tell them I simply wandered off, and lead them away from you. It is your only chance!" He said, his eyes wide and pleading, laying a hand on Luminal's limp arm. "If my family finds you…"
"I know what will happen if they find us." Legolas returned darkly. He looked down to his sister, and back to Verald. The boy was right. They could never outrun the Turs. But could he be trusted?
Finally, with a sigh, he nodded. "All right, go." Verald grinned, and turned to leave. Legolas' voice stopped him. "Verald…my sister's life depends on you." He admitted.
Verald nodded his understanding, and left the cave. The voices were almost at the cave by that point, and Legolas carefully laid his sister down, going silently to the entrance of the cave to watch.
Verald ran forward to the group. "I'm here, I'm here!" He cried.
The men looked to him and sighed slightly, returning their swords to their place. The dark haired man Legolas had seen before frowned at Verald. "What happened to you?"
Verald flinched. "I wandered off and got lost, father. I'm sorry." He said, eyes on the ground.
This answer did not seem to satisfy the man. "Did you see any elves in this area, Verald?" He asked.
Verald did not look up. "No, father." He answered.
The man walked forward and grabbed Verald's arm harshly, in a grip hard enough to bruise. "You lie! We killed an elven horse just this morning, I know they are here. Why are you hiding elf scum?!!" He demanded.
Verald squirmed. "Please, father, I didn't see them." He begged.
The man's eyes narrowed. "Worthless, ungrateful child. Scaring your mother out of her wits, hiding with elves, and lying to me on top if it all!!" He cried, and struck Verald solidly across the face with the back of his other hand.
Verald cried out. "Please, papa, please, I didn't see anything, please…" He begged. His only answer was another strike, and great tears started down his cheeks as his father threw him to the ground.
Another man came forward and placed a hand on Verald's father's shoulder. "Revenhal, stop!" He urged.
Revenhal threw off the hand, and kneeled down, pulling Verald's face up to look at him. "Where are they, Verald?!" He screamed in the boy's face.
Verald just shook his head and tried to pull away, crying harder. In the cave, Legolas clenched his fists. If he had known this would be Verald's welcome, he would never have let the boy go. What kind of father was this, beating his own child to get what he wanted? For a split second, he almost ran out to kill Revenhal, not caring whether he was caught, so great was his anger.
Then, he came to his senses and remembered his sister. She needed him. He frowned and looked back to her. Luminal was barely awake, but knew something was wrong, and her eyes were worried as she returned his gaze. Legolas did not go to comfort her as he usually would have though. He needed to see what was happening.
Revenhal had given up on getting the information out of Verald, and had stood, leaving the boy sobbing on the ground. Now, he was searching the forest with keen eyes. "They cannot be far from here. Search."
Verald looked up, and the tears intensified. All he had done; it had not been enough. They were going to be found anyway. He let his head drop in defeat.
Legolas stood quickly, heading back to his sister and trying to decided what to do. The Turs were right in front of the cave entrance, there was no way to get out without being seen. If they stayed, they would be found. If they left, they would be found. Finally, he grimly set his jaw, and pressed a quick kiss to his sister's forehead. "I'm sorry, Luma. I tried." He turned and went to the cave opening quietly, getting his weapons prepared.
He readied an arrow as the men got closer. He would take down as many as he could before they touched him or his sister. He spotted Verald, now sitting on his calves, looking downtrodden as he watched the men searching.
One came too close for comfort. He looked in the cave, and suddenly, his eyes stopped on Legolas'. Turning, he started to call out that he had found him, but never got to finish as an arrow lodged itself in his throat.
That alerted everyone to Legolas' presence, but they would have known soon anyway. Arrows flew out of the cave, and quickly, the men took cover, losing three of their kind in the process.
Revenhal carefully inched his way closer, gesturing for two of his men to follow. When they were close enough, he drew his sword and gestured for them to do the same. Standing swiftly, they simultaneously flung their swords into the cave in the direction the arrows were coming from. There were two clatters of metal hitting stone…and a deep grunt of pain. The arrows ceased.
*****
Agh! Evil cliffhanger!! Will any readers survive to the next chapter? *evil laugh* We shall see.