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A/N: Warning for graphic violence. This chapter will contain a wolf attack and will be pretty violent so if you think that might upset you, you might want to skip this chapter.
In defense of wolves I must say the following: Even though most of us were raised with stories like Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf; and even though the wolf has been demeaned and denigrated in both literature and film, there is not one, verified or documented instance of wolves attacking humans in the United States. While wolves who are starving or have had their territory encroached on by humans have been known to munch on beef, mutton and an occasional fried poodle (sorry), these animals are culled so their behavior patterns will not be passed on to their offspring or other wolves.
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"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
-- Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-68), US Attorney General
Chapter 34
Only a Dream
He had not yet opened his eyes and already he knew that his doom approached. Soft footfalls … two … no, there were definitely more than two – perhaps four great wolves were coming towards him and were now just beyond his field of vision. Thin and half-starved, the creatures had smelled his blood and sensing his weakness had come for what they believed to be an easy meal.
He could hear them panting and licking their lips noisily in anticipation of the coming feast but as hard as he tried to move, to push himself into a sitting position, he could not and moaned in pain as his injured body protested his efforts. Hearing him cry out, even though his cry was softly uttered, the wolves paused, staring at him, trying to determine if this new element of danger was worth facing just to fill their bellies for the night. They could see the injured being move his hand but sensed no aggression in the movement – the movement was random – and toothless.
Closer they crept and when the being on the ground in front of them raised his head and tried to make a sound, his lips moved soundlessly for he was too weak to do more than whisper. The attention of the alpha male was immediately drawn to the fresh blood that dripped from the being's mouth and growling deeply, he and the other three wolves advanced.
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Greyfell tried once again to raise his head to look at the four wolves that were moving ever closer to where he was laying but could barely manage the task. His effort to speak, to try yelling at the animals and possibly drive them away had drained him of what little strength he had left. He tasted the blood in his mouth but didn't even have the energy to spit it out.
He looked beyond where the creatures were standing and saw the cave called Sanctuary, a place hollowed out over the millennia by natural means and one of the few natural occurrences in the entire tunnel system that ran beneath the city. He saw humans inside the cave and he saw the elves. Anayah was sleeping on a palette while the elf called Rahan sat beside her, bathing her fevered face with a cool, damp cloth.
He saw the young Dúnadan sitting quietly beside the thin, blonde-haired elf, the one called Legolas, as he restlessly moved in his sleep, still haunted by the nightmare of his captivity.
"Help." He called to them softly.
They did not hear him – could not hear him. A growl from the largest wolf brought Greyfell's attention abruptly back to the present danger as the big male and his pack-mates, who like their leader were getting bolder, advanced on him, heads lowered and hackles raised. He once more tried to move away, but lacked the strength to do more than draw his outstretched hand closer to his body.
Then the alpha wolf was right in front of him – no more than a foot away. The upper lip of the beast curled away from the sharp, yellowed incisors and even from that distance, the hot, rancid breath of the big animal was repulsive and made his own stomach churn.
Suddenly, it attacked and Greyfell barely had time to get his hands over his face before the wolf tore in to him. The animal's sharp teeth cruelly gouged his forearm to the bone then emboldened by their leader's attack, the other three members of the hunting pack moved in and started tearing at the elf's downed body. Soon, his thigh, stomach and upper arm had been ravaged and his blood had begun to flow heavily.
He tried to curl in on himself but was unsuccessful for they had mercilessly and savagely attacked him from four different directions which took away any options or thoughts of self-defense. Then the inevitable happened – the big alpha male sank his teeth into his throat and he immediately started to choke on his own blood. Soon after, his pain disappeared and lethargy took over both body and mind, then his heart started to slow and his vision darkened. A single tear tracked its way down his bloody cheek.
As he felt his life slipping away, he looked toward the cave one last time and saw Anayah sitting up on her palette looking at him. He tried to smile at her, to let her know it was all right and that he wasn't afraid to die but the effort was too much. As the wolf snapped his jaws shut and its teeth met, he closed his eyes and let the darkness take him to a better place.
His eyes snapped open, for the sound of his own voice crying out into the night, had drawn him from his fevered dreams back into the real world. His hands flew to his throat, his leg, his upper arm and his stomach, searching for ravaged flesh but found no evidence of the attack by the four wolves. When his eyes peered into the darkness around where he lay, he saw no eyes maliciously staring back at him and so lay still for a few moments, trying to slow his breathing as well as his madly beating heart.
"Anayah?"
There was only silence.
"Anayah?"
Anayah's eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up but the strong arms of her Captain prevented her from doing so. Her hands flew to her throat, her leg, her stomach and her upper arm, searching for ravaged flesh but found no evidence of the attack she felt sure she had just suffered through. When she looked around her, all she saw was the cave and the worried looks of her family and Guards.
"Anayah? What is it, child?"
She looked at Rahan with tears in her eyes.
"I … he … I …"
Rahan caressed her head comfortingly, trying to get her to relax.
"Slow your breathing, Anayah. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly."
She did as her Captain suggested and immediately began to cough violently. Rahan carefully lifted her upper body into a sitting position then held her and rubbed her back until she quit coughing and lay still, weakly holding on to his big arms and panting in distress. Aragorn appeared with a cup of tea and after he had helped her drink it had sensed her need for privacy and had gone back to sit with Legolas.
"Talk to me baby girl." Rahan said quietly.
Anayah sighed as the tea she had just drunk began to take effect and she finally relaxed.
"I was Greyfell – or I was seeing through his eyes. I … he was attacked and killed by wolves. I felt his pain, his fear … and his despair. He looked beyond the wolves and saw us here. At the end …"
Rahan wiped the tears off her face.
"… at the end, he looked towards the cave and I saw … he saw me sitting here looking at him … and then he woke up."
Her eyes kept trying to close and Rahan laid her back down then pulled her blanket up to her shoulders.
"It was only a dream, young one. Now go back to sleep." He said as he pulled her blanket up a little higher on her shoulders. "It was only a dream."
Her eyes finally closed and she slipped into a deeper, dreamless sleep.
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When Rahan saw that Anayah was once more asleep and resting peacefully this time, he rose and after motioning to his Guards, walked a few steps away from the sleeping she-elf.
"Semoro and Saeros, I want the two of you to go out and find out what you can about Greyfell and what may have happened to him after he left us. I fear that Anayah's nightmare may have been more than just a normal dream and since the Captain sacrificed himself for Anayah, I think she would want him found."
The two Guards nodded then turned to leave.
"Be back at dawn."
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The cave was silent in the hours just before dawn and though they had no physical reference to go by, when the sky outside the tunnel system began to lose its inky blackness layer by layer, the elves who were still awake sensed the change.
Aragorn had been sleeping on the palette next to Legolas when his friend began to stir restlessly in his sleep, mumbling softly and turning his head from side to side. He could tell that Legolas was reliving the horrors of his captivity and his heart broke for the Prince, as he realized what living in that dark, dank room in the bowels of the Palace had done to the wood elf's tender spirit. He tried to soothe him out of his bad dream and for a time was successful as his friend once more stilled his frantic movements and seemed to slip into a more restful sleep.
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He was alone in the darkness – utterly alone – and that fact frightened him more than anything he had ever experienced in his life. The stone walls of his prison confined not just his physical being but his mind as well. He yearned for just one glimpse of the sky and the stars or for just a few moments to be able to stand in the sunlight so that its soothing warmth could touch his skin and heal his spirit. His deepest desire was not to be and so he sat, in the dark – alone – with just the silent stones of the walls around him to witness his grief.
He could not hear Ilúvatar's song in the cold stone of his prison and that fact more than any other was killing his spirit and putting out the light in a heart that had relished each individual note of the song. He couldn't stand the silence and rising to his feet he walked quickly to the door and grabbed the metal bars of his prison, shaking them and in his panic, trying to tear them apart.
Then, sensing someone standing in the shadows, he paused his frenzied movements.
"Is there somebody there?"
When he received no answer, he called out to the shadowy figure again.
"Please, come to where I can see you and talk to me for I am desperate to hear the sound of another's voice."
Slowly the shadowy figure left the anonymity of the shadows and stepped forward into the dim light created by the elf's own fading glow. It was Aragorn. There were tears in his friend's eyes as he walked up to the door of the cell and gently tried to massage the tenseness out of his hand. Looking down, Legolas saw that indeed, he was grasping the bars of the door so tightly that his knuckles were white and when he finally loosened his grip and once more looked into Aragorn's eyes, he saw that they were smiling.
"Estel, can you please unlock this door for me for I very much want to leave this place before the darkness steals away my immortal life. Please?"
Aragorn shook his head.
"I cannot unlock the door, mellon-nín."
Tears sprang to the eyes of the Mirkwood Prince for he couldn't understand why his best friend would not help him.
"Why won't you help me, Estel?"
Aragorn reached through the bars and laid his hand on the side of his friend's face.
"I cannot unlock the door Legolas, because I do not have the key."
"But can't you find it? Please, Estel, do this little thing for me for I cannot abide this place and want to be free to walk under both starlight and sunshine. My spirit is starving and will die if I linger here much longer."
Aragorn's face grew sad once more.
"I'm sorry Legolas, but I cannot do this thing for you."
"Why, Estel? Tell me why so that I may understand."
"I cannot because you have the only key and it is only you that can unlock the door."
Legolas paused, thinking on what his friend had just said.
"But what if I cannot turn the key? What if I am not strong enough?"
The young Dúnadan once more smiled at his friend.
"You are the Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas, and my brother and I know that you do have the strength to endure this – I have faith in you. Turn the key, Legolas, and step through that doorway. I will be waiting on the other side."
Legolas looked at the glowing key he held in his right hand for just a moment before he inserted it in the lock and turned it. The door silently swung open and he stepped across the threshold and stood in front of his friend. Neither of them spoke, then finally Aragorn put his arm around his brother's shoulders and they both turned and walked away.
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Aragorn smiled when Legolas sighed and opened his eyes.
"Thank you Estel?"
"What are brothers for?"
Legolas just nodded his head then his eyes glazed over and he fell back into a much more peaceful sleep.
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Aragorn was just about to go back to his sleeping palette when Elladan and Elrohir came back to the cave having finished their patrol of the area around the tunnel entrance.
"Is he well, Estel?" Elladan looked at the sleeping Prince.
"Aye. I think he will be, Elladan. He will not soon be rid of the horrors of what he has undergone but I believe he now has more power over them than he had before."
Elrohir nodded.
"You are good for him, little brother. He will need your strength to help him get through this."
Aragorn nodded.
"I know – and I accept the challenge."
He thought a moment before he spoke again.
"I have always been puzzled when I encounter beings who would treat others with such callous disregard, for races as old as ours should have learned by now never treat others with such barbarity just because they look different. Why can't the different races just accept each other? I know that I am mature and should already understand these things, but they still remain a puzzlement and probably always will for it seems that humans refuse to change."
Taking the flight bows and quivers off their backs and laying them aside for the moment, both twins sat beside their brother and his sleeping friend. Elladan frowned as he tried to think of an appropriate answer.
"Estel, I believe that as hurtful as it may be to contemplate, what we have seen and encountered may be the natural order of things and is the way it will always be. It is a challenge for each race and each being within the different races to overcome this problem, to make the personal choice to change. However, I feel that as long as there are differences, there will always be those that feel threatened by those differences and who will react and act the way the people in this town have. It is a monumental defect in the grand design of Arda and those who live on her and unfortunately, all we can do about it is pick away at the problem the way we are doing now."
Aragorn nodded his head.
"But that doesn't make it any easier to bear – especially when I see how Legolas suffers."
The twins rose but before they left, Elrohir laid a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder.
"But you will help him get through this, little brother. Just have a little faith in yourself."
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From where she lay on her palette, with her back to her brothers and Legolas, Anayah reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek. Now, more than ever before, she felt guilty about not getting Legolas out of the Palace sooner, for if she had, then perhaps he would not be suffering from nightmares now. Finally, her own eyes betrayed her and closed and she also went back to sleep.
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Hours later after the new day had finally and fully arrived, the cave started to bustle with activity. Humans started arriving, slaves who were having a rest day, started walking into the cave asking what they could do to help, volunteering for any task that needed to be done in preparation for "Freedom Day" as it was starting to be called.
Aragorn began to order the activity, and in the process was sharpening and defining the skills he would later use after he became King, when he would lead and guide the free peoples of Gondor and Arnor.
Saeros and Semoro had returned and had told Rahan they had been unable to find Greyfell but had heard some humans talking about the incident. The humans had said that it had been a shame that the Captain had been taken away and had also said how he should not have been treated the same way that Ostara's dead horse had been treated. The two Guards were of the opinion that the Captain had been taken out of Hoth but to where, they had no idea. They assured Rahan that they would continue to work on the problem.
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Rahan and his elves began teaching the humans who came to the cave how to handle different types of weapons and both he and Aragorn were surprised at the skill level of most of the people, but as one man so succinctly put it, they had not always been slaves.
Aragorn had put Halgar in charge of assembling the healing supplies they would need from the present through the time of the future campaign. The young human would be their healer when the day for battle finally arrived. Lothur had been given responsibility for the assembly of the heavy wooden pikes that would be used against the Hoth cavalry and would see that such weapons were ready to be used when the time came. The twins were assigned to look for the unusual. They had both told their brother how effective the exploding firework had been on the day that they had first encountered the war chariots of the Wainrider people. That fact together with Halgar's knowledge of lore and the profile Anayah had created on the chariots, would help them deal with that facet of their enemy's arsenal.
Feeling eyes on him, Aragorn turned to find Anayah standing nearby but when she saw him looking at her, had turned and walked away. He frowned at her uncharacteristic behavior and catalogued it for dealing with at a more appropriate time.
The activity of the cave and surrounding tunnels was interrupted by the arrival of Tathrin and Aglarion. The older human was leaning heavily on Aglarion but when Aragorn checked, had found the man's wound was not physical although what he had suffered could be just as damaging and severe. Tathrin told them Ostara had found out that he had aided the elves and as punishment had torn down his house, had destroyed everything he and Aglarion had owned and had banished them from Hoth. He had nothing and nowhere to go so Aglarion had brought him to the cave, hoping that Sanctuary would be just that for the man he held as dear to his heart as he would have his own father.
Aragorn had an idea and after telling Aglarion to make Tathrin comfortable, went in search of his sister and found her sitting on her palette with her eyes closed. He sat down in front of her, taking note of the dark circles under her eyes and after feeling her forehead, also frowned at the fact that she was still running a fever.
"Yes, Estel?" She said without opening her eyes.
Aragorn smiled.
"Anayah, I have a problem and was hoping that you could help me with it."
Anayah opened her eyes and though she looked at her brother, remained silent.
"Tathrin and Aglarion have arrived and are in the outer cave. Their home and personal belongings were destroyed on the orders of Ostara and they were banished from Hoth and told not to return under pain of death. Tathrin has been deeply hurt by this and Aglarion brought him here for they had no other place to go. You have great skill in healing emotional hurts and I was wondering if you would see what you could do for the man."
Aragorn saw a new light come into his sister's eyes and knew that he had been correct when he felt that her withdrawal was due to her physical inability to assist them in their preparations for battle. While his healer's instincts told him she should not even be out of bed, his brother's heart told him that feeling useful would do more for her than any medicine could.
"Help me to my feet big brother and I will go to the human and see what I can do."
He rose then helped his sister do the same.
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Tathrin looked up as Anayah came towards him and when she put her arms around the man and hugged him he had burst out in tears then had sobbed his grief into her unwounded shoulder. Taking Aglarion by the arm, Aragorn and the young man walked away to give the two some privacy. Rahan had witnessed the understanding and thoughtful consideration Aragorn had shown toward his sister and as he walked passed the young human, had laid an appreciative hand on his shoulder.
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It had been a busy and productive day for all of them and at the end of it, everyone had been exhausted. Both Rahan and Aragorn had been keeping and eye on Anayah and when the two had seen her stagger exhaustedly toward her palette, Aragorn left to prepare a special tea for her while Rahan helped her lay down. It was only moments after she had drank the tea that she had fallen deeply asleep.
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Her eyes snapped open for she had heard someone call her name – someone who needed her help. She looked around the cave but everyone appeared to be sleeping and knowing exactly what she had to do and where she had to go, she mentally summoned Elias to her. Rising from her palette, she buckled on her sword and after grabbing her flight bow and quiver, walked quietly to the smaller outer cave where the horses were stabled.
Sensing his Lady's weakness, the stallion had knelt for her and it was when she had been in the process of pulling herself onto his back that she had sensed someone else coming toward her. Turning, she looked at the young human quizzically.
"Is there something I can do for you Aglarion?"
Not to be put off by the abruptness of her question, the young man did not slow or stop until he was standing beside Elias. Anayah frowned for Elias usually stood right after she had settled herself in the saddle but this time the stallion had stayed on the ground.
"Elias, up."
Aglarion noticed that the stallion seemed to be ignoring her and staring at him.
"I think he agrees with me that you should not go alone, my Lady for we both know that you are going after Greyfell and we also know that you will need help with him if and when you find him."
Anayah nodded her head for her body was telling her that she should see the logic in the human's argument. Finally, she held out her hand to the young man.
"As you wish, young sir. Climb aboard – quickly now – for we must be off before someone notices that I am gone."
The moment the young human had settled himself behind Anayah, the horse rose to his feet.
"Traitor." She said to him as she affectionately patted his big neck.
The stallion nickered softly in response.
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Anayah had shown Elias the images that had come to her in her dream, trusting the stallion to find the spot she had seen. The three had traveled some distance before Aglarion finally broke the silence.
"I met Greyfell when I was first brought to Hoth and sold into slavery. He looked after me when he could and it was him that arranged for Tathrin to buy me. Tathrin has been like a father to me and Greyfell has been like an Uncle. The Captain's a good person and I can't truly tell you what I would do if he died. He doesn't smile much or laugh but don't let that bother you – it's not that he can't, it's more like he doesn't want to or doesn't see a reason to."
When Anayah didn't answer him he frowned and tried to get a look at her face.
"My Lady? Are you well?"
She sighed and nodded.
"Yes, Aglarion, I am well. I was just thinking about all of this."
She lapsed back into silence while behind her, Aglarion smiled, for he understood her heart a little bit better than did she.
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Greyfell lay perfectly still. Indeed, he could not do much else for his efforts to make his way back to Hoth had totally drained him of his strength. He had managed to stagger, stumble and crawl almost half the distance but now, his strength was at an end and he could go no further. His pain was so bad that he was almost numb and his fever was so high that he was continually having to tell himself that the things he was seeing, the wargs, Ostara's men, great carrion birds were not real – at least some of them weren't. He had drank the last of the water in the flask when the sun was straight overhead and now that it was the moon that was straight overhead, he was so parched from thirst and his fever that his throat hurt.
He heard the sound of a horse approaching followed by the sound of footsteps and when he raised his head was surprised to see who it was that was walking toward him. Greyfell made two attempts before he finally managed to speak.
"Oh, how I wish you were real." It was all he said before he once more lost consciousness.
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Anayah knelt at the elf's side and after carefully assessing his injuries, gently turned him onto his back. There was not too much of him that was not battered, bruised and swollen but sensing that he needed to be in the comfort and security of the cave rather than on the hard ground in the wilderness, she decided to take him back before she treated him. He was not actively bleeding from any of the many lacerations on his head and body and so Anayah decided to wait to treat those injuries as well.
She unhooked the water flask from where it was attached to her belt and after settling his head in her lap and gently wetting his dry, cracked lips with the water, she poured a tiny amount of the liquid into her hand and let it drop from her fingers into his mouth. Gently massaging his throat, she finally felt him swallow and after he had, getting him to swallow a few more small sips was a little easier.
Her attention was abruptly brought back to her surroundings when she heard faint and almost inaudible footsteps in the darkness around them. Soft footfalls … two … no, there were definitely more than two – perhaps four great wolves were lurking just beyond her field of vision. Thin and half-starved, the creatures had smelled her friend's blood and sensing his weakness had come for what they believed to be an easy meal.
She could hear them panting and licking their lips noisily in anticipation of the coming feast. Rising to her feet, Anayah drew her sword, wincing as she pulled at the stitches in her left shoulder. When the wolves saw her draw her sword, they paused, staring at her and trying to determine if this new element of danger was worth facing just to fill their bellies for the night.
"Anayah, what do you want me to do?"
Not taking her eyes off the spot in the darkness where she could hear the wolves pacing nervously back and forth, she answered the young human.
"Stay right where you are Aglarion. Elias will see that you stay safe."
Though Aglarion did not reply, his eyes widened and his heart rate quickened for not only was he very high in the air and on a horse no less, but there were wolves about. He took a deep breath, in an attempt to calm his nerves.
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The wolves crept ever closer, growling deeply. They were getting bolder and with heads lowered and hackles raised, they advanced on the one laying on the ground as well as on the one standing in between them and their prey. Then the alpha wolf was right in front of Anayah – no more than a few feet away – and for a few moments, the two stared into each other's eyes, each taking the measure of the other. The upper lip of the beast curled back from his sharp, yellowed incisors as he challenged the being in front of him.
The big male lowered his body into a crouch, never taking his eyes off the one in front of him, his muscles bunched as he prepared to leap but before he could finish the action, four arrows came out of the darkness one right after the other, each killing a wolf quickly. Anayah looked from the four dead bodies in front of her to the shadows beyond her field of sight.
"I thought I got out of there without you seeing me."
The big Silvan Guard walked out of the shadows, his eyes twinkling.
"You should know better than that, little sister. Besides, I am a Silvan elf and as are most of my kind, I am very sneaky."
With a nod toward Aglarion, Súrion went to where Anayah was kneeling beside an unconscious Greyfell and sat on his heels. The Guard frowned.
"They really did a good job on him. How is he?"
Anayah was just about to answer when a dizzy spell hit her and she almost fell over. When Súrion felt her forehead, he frowned.
"You have overdone yourself, Anayah. If he is stable, we should all go back to the cave for that way, if you pass out and fall to the ground, one of us can quickly carry you to your bed."
Chuckling, Anayah playfully hit the big Guard on the shoulder. As she started to rise, she began to cough violently and went to her knees before Súrion could get to her. He put one arm around her shoulders to steady her while he rubbed her back and when the attack was finally over and she could once more breathe easily, Súrion helped her stand.
"Master Aglarion, if you would be so kind as to go and climb aboard Gaya, I will put our unconscious friend on Elias in front of Anayah."
Aglarion quickly did as he had been asked and after everybody was where they were supposed to be, they began their trip back to Sanctuary.
Súrion could sense that the young human wanted to ask a question about something.
"Speak, young human for I do not bite."
"Not often, anyway." Anayah quipped.
Súrion smiled at her sarcastically.
There was another short pause before Aglarion had finally put order to his thoughts.
"Well … why doesn't the Lady's horse have an elvish name? I've always wondered that."
Súrion laughed.
"But he does, Aglarion. The way I understand the story, Elias was given to Anayah by a friend of hers when she was very young. She had trouble pronouncing his name and started calling him Elias and the mistake just stuck. To this day he is called Elias by everybody that knows him."
"Then what was his elvish name?"
"It is Elia (EHL-ee-awe) and in Sindarin it means Star Void."
There was silence for a time.
"That is a beautiful name."
Súrion laughed.
"Handsome, young human. We males would say it was a handsome name."
All conversation ceased when they saw the orchard ahead of them and they all knew they would be "home" in a short time and would be glad of it. Dawn was coming and with it would come new challenges. Súrion sighed quietly for he had a feeling that things were going to get a lot worse before they got any better and he just hoped they would all be up to the challenge.
TBC
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nanahalfelven: (AHA! I smell a medium to large rodent here...What's up your sleeve? lol...) Who knows? You will probably have to read on to find out! Mwahahahaha (Alariel laughing maniacally!)
(you won't leave Greyfell to his own devices) I hope this chapter satisfies your curiosity!
I'm playing around with a couple of ideas about the cameo … haven't decided which idea I like the best though.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
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CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: You poor thing. That must have been extremely traumatic for you especially considering your age. Probably out of all my grand adventures I had with the different horses I owned over the years, the worst one, besides almost being run down when I was small, was when I was about 12 or 13. I had a horse that was gate shy for some reason and he would spook and dance around. I was a good enough rider where this wasn't usually a problem.
One day, however, I was riding through a wide gate and my mind was on something else and not where it should have been, when all of a sudden and without warning the horse went right up in the air. I had never seen a horse rear that high before. Because I had not been alert, I was not prepared and instead of throwing my weight forward and making him stand down, I started pulling him backwards. I remember sliding off his butt and hitting the ground then looking up and seeing that big body coming right at me – I fainted dead away. My Dad told me that horse almost turned inside out to keep from falling on me or stepping on me and he was the one that said that normally, a horse will do everything he can to keep from hurting his rider.
We did get rid of the horse soon after because the poor thing would have ended up getting hurt or hurting somebody.
Anyway, thanks for review the chapter!
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Karone Evertree: (exams are crazy and finally DONE! but now summer and work) Ah yes … summertime. I used to love it because it always mean the peace and quiet of a country life were mine for three whole months. Oh yes, I did have to work … there's always something that needs doing, even on a small ranch.
(wait, stop you ugly woman, put him down!) You are cheering on the bad guy? Eh? That was Garm she had in her big pudgy hand. I wish she would have practiced for the "punt, pass and kick" football competition using Garm's head! Oh … sorry … getting a little carried away there.
(YESS..he got to call her a bad word:D one last payback) I had more than one reviewer comment on that part. Personally, I get the giggles every time I read it because so much was said and meant just through that one tiny word.
(ew..u threw cow poop! that is really gross) Like my old Uncle used to say … all it is, is digested grass. Heeheehee! Thanks for the review.
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Kukumalu: (Why didn't Greyfell run?) If Greyfell would have run or evaded Garm and his cronies, they would have known right away that he was trying to distract them. The chances were high that they wouldn't have fallen for that trick and would have immediately began searching the area he had just come from. Greyfell knew that Garm was stupid and so decided to make him mad enough that he would forget all about looking for anybody else but him. Smart decision although it resulted in many boo-boos.
(soldier who 'accidently' dropped the flask) Greyfell had once told Legolas that not everybody who served Ostara was loyal to her. This was one of those cases – thank goodness for our wounded Captain.
(Anayah and Greyfell, sitting in a tree) Hmmm. You will have to read on and find out.
(I managed Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers) I am soooooo jealous!
(absolutely love your ending) I get the giggles every time I read it. Although I do not like to make a habit out of using profanity, I do believe that a certain amount of it serves its purpose in its own way.
Thanks for your review … you make me laugh!
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Pestiset: (They filmed a lot of the movie in Taranaki) WOW! I am so impressed although with what I have seen of New Zealand on TV and in the movies, I can understand why so many filmmakers have filmed there. It has got to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen.
Years ago there was this one B-movie called "Grey Eagle" that was filmed about two miles from my parents ranch. I had a chance to ride in the movie as an "extra" but my mother was too afraid that I would get hurt. I was really disappointed.
I have heard that Tom Cruise was a nice man and I am glad to know that he shared his talents as well as some of his money with New Zealand.
Thanks for review the chapter, and hope you enjoy this one as well.