((((On with the story, yes? Lol, sorry, I'm only tired, my computers back,
Yay!!! I haven't updated in so long 'cause our old one (and by that I mean
my old computer, if you could call it that,) couldn't even support
Internet. Anyway, yeah. here ya go! And thank you to everyone that
reviewed!!! I so enjoyed that! I love it when you guys review!!! ^_^".)))))
~ I was beat, and I was tired. I was so not used to sword fighting, period. I wasn't sure I ever wanted to do it again. Let me explain. . .
I'd started out well enough, but unfortunately, had used all of my energy too soon and left little left to spar with. Oh, pardon me. Practice. I snorted inwardly. Yeah, right. I looked at the newly acquired cut in my left arm. You'd think they'd be a little more careful, but it had been my fault. Or so I'm told. The cut was shallow and painful, but covered nonetheless.
Of course, I wasn't very happy about the cut, but eh, I had to get cut up sometime, I suppose. I shrugged. Arwen had even given me a sympathetic smile. God help me, I have idiots pitying me. This cannot be good. I mean, really. . . I walked down a garden path, smiling as I saw the various kinds of flowers there. The thing people always forget is that in the fictions that Lord of the Rings fans write, the flowers aren't always just one kind or another, there's a variety.
And since it was a different world, then some of the flowers may not even exist in the world of Middle Earth, and vice verse. I bent down and touched the tender petals of a black flower with bright blue and pink stripes in the center and gold on the very edges. The center was a kind of deep blue that reminded me vividly of the color of the sea.
I stood back up, leaving the flower and it's hoard of buddies alone. In a few moments, I saw more of them, but in a pattern. Maybe I would be able to paint it later. Or draw it. I was much better with pencil and paper than I was with paint and paper. I did love the look of the flower, and it's pattern.
I suddenly smiled. Something about being here reminded me of something, and now I knew what. . . it was stupid, but I was reminded of the old Indian movies I had seen, and how the Indians had always liked to keep things natural, the way that the elves did. It made me smile. I picked some grass, and rolled it in my hands slowly, thinking.
I must have stood there for a while before I came out of my trancelike state. I looked at the sky, and then back forward, and continued to walk through the foliage, wondering what to do. My grass stem was dying out, so I plucked a taller one, and then rolled it between my hands as I walked.
Things kept on changing as I walked, like when I was passing a sea of grass, and realized I was right on top of the elvish city yet again. I shook my head, and went forward, and now, I was wandering around, by the archery practice area. I leaned back against a pillar of wood, watching them practice, and being too shy to ask I could try for myself.
I watched one elf in particular; he had a young look to him, and was actually pretty tall. Of course, I'm only five foot four, so a lot of things seem big to me, but the way he stood was different, and seemed to be able to draw, aim and shoot faster than anyone else. I wondered if he were trying to show off, or if he was really just that fast.
"Enjoying the show?"
I jumped, I couldn't help it, I was startled by a strange voice, behind me, and damn close, at that. I looked behind me so fast that I actually hurt my neck in the process. I winced, both physically and mentally. It was Lord Elrond, come to be curious. He was smirking, looking as though he were about to laugh, but had thought better of it. It was two days after the spar or "training" that I had had.
"You can make noise, I know you can. I just wasn't listening."
Okay, that just sounded dumb. Even to me. And I was the one saying it, how sad is that? He ignored what I had said, even though I knew that he'd heard me. Instead, he looked thoughtful. I wondered what he was thinking about. With Elrond around, there was always cause for a little worry. I had learned that the hard way.
"So why are you sneaking about, scaring girls and everyone else?"
"I was not sneaking about." He protested, looking back to me. He had returned to watching the archers practice, but the look I got was indignant. I would have bet that he was faking it, too. I gave him a small push.
"Would you lighten up? Even Gimli is more cheerful than your being. Say, why are you just watching them, when you could be practicing with them?"
"Because I can always practice later, dear Jessica."
I gave a false glare. Yeah, he could.
I spent the next four hours doing noting but watch the archers, accidentally run into, a hobbit, literally, for not watching where I was going, (that had been Pippin) and now I was trying to climb a very tall, unsteady tree. Why? Well, I was bored, and thought while I was here, I'd try the tree thing out.
I gripped the limb tightly, hoping not to fall from the tree as my balance steadily worsened from my silent laughter. I also kept getting these looks like "What the hell is she doing?" it made me smile to get this looks, because it reminded me of what a goof I could be. So I sat on a low branch, kicking my feet, watching what I could of the world.
Of course, this meant that the branch I was sitting on was almost too thin for my weight to be on it. So I held onto the branch above me.
I suddenly wondered how Mm and Dad were. I bowed my head down some. While I was here with Eves, Rangers, Hobbits and Half Elves, Mom and Dad were probably scared out of their mind for me. That and I missed my cats, Precious, Pinstripe, and Oreo. Well, at least they were safe in their dimension. . . even though I knew I wasn't safe here, and that beauty could be a mask for safety. Just because a cat has white fur doesn't mean its soul is white, sort of thing.
"I can see you in my mind- In the palm of my hand- I can see you in the sand. Every where that I am, Is this where you are? Are you in my storybook land. . .?"
I hummed the tune after I was done singing it, looking at the sleeve of the shirt that the elves had given me, and then looking up to see a bird about five feet from me in a branch. It looked like some kind of finch. Cool, I thought, watching it preen itself.
Maybe someday, I can get a pet bird. Or maybe a hawk. . .? It'd be a nice fast way for anyone else I know to get news quickly. She was interrupted by the sound of a wild horse neigh. It sounded terrified, like it had been caught in fire. This was more than enough to get her to peruse (investigate) the situation. She climbed down quickly, not wanting to lose the sound of the neighing horse.
'I hope it's okay,' she thought, running quickly in the direction of the neighing. There were elves trying to restrain a large horse that looked nearly as large as a Clydesdale. She gasped as it reared; tossing it's head and neighing again, loudly.
"Get away from that horse, you dolts! Do you really want to be crushed?" She yelled in sudden anger and concern at and for the Elves that were trying to capture the huge beast.
"Mani?" said an elf, looking over his shoulder to me in surprise.
"You heard me, release it! Your only scaring him more, and you might even get killed if you don't."
I watched in soft awe as they actually listened. The horse had huge eye's, showing too much white, panic was written in his too white eyes. The saddle that covered back was heaving heavily from his breathing, which was deep enough for me to guess as his panic and exhaustion. It snorted, and stabbed the earth with an angry hoof, sending dust flying up into the air.
He seemed to calm down slightly after that. It was when an elf came closer that the horse cried out, snorting again afterwards. It reminded me of a person who was afraid of people because he/she had been beaten as a child. I felt like crying at the thought. I took a step forward, and I was suddenly the new center of attention, the huge horse was watching me, and I paused, I didn't want to scare the horse.
For one, a horse that big can literally crush you. For two, a scared one will do the same, but faster, and probably will hurt you and everyone else around you as well if they're in the way. There was more, but I was busy walking cautiously forward, and reached out my hand, to the beast could smell my palm, knowing that if it wanted, one of it's nips could take my hand, practically.
"Shhh. . ." I whispered softly to the horse, and yet, myself. It lowered its head slowly, cautiously sniffing my hand it made a kind of grunt, and nudged its nose in my hand. Taking that as permission, I touched its long nose, and smiled. I could scarcely believe that it liked me after the elves had tried to restrain it. I looked at his fur, though damp on his head, he looked okay, say for his neck and what I could see of his side, he'd been whipped.
There was a mixture of comments coming from the elves, some were rude, and most I didn't understand. I looked to the elf that I'd startled earlier.
"What do we do with him now that he's been calmed down slightly? He can't go to the stalls; the other horses could frighten him and start him in another panic. Better yet. . . where did you find him?"
"That devil horse, the Valar curse him, merely appeared from behind a pair of elves and nearly ran Lord Elrond over." I looked down, still petting the horses' nose and scratching his ears gently. It made a harrumph sound, but it sounded like it was more comfortable. I looked and for the first time, I collected something.
It had just appeared, it had a real saddle, and reins that included a bit. But there was no travel ware and it had whip marks.
This horse wasn't from Middle Earth, I was damn near sure of it. How could it be? I took the horses reins in hand and lead him away from the elves. They had no idea what to do with him anyway, so I'd take him with me, and see if I could find somewhere near to put him, till I made sure that Lord Elrond was alright.
"Stay here, Beleger (strength). Try not to flip out, okay?" I told the horse as I tied his reins to a tree. I didn't want to lose him. If he had found a way here, there was a chance that he'd find the way back. And if he ever went back, I wanted him to be with me, so I could find and maybe kill his owner.
I don't approve of animal cruelty. Could you tell?
I found my way to his room easily enough. Arwen and his tree sons plus Aragorn were there with him, as another elf dressed what seemed to be a very bruised and cut up side. I winced merely at the sight. That HAD to hurt. I simply could not imagine what kind of pain he was enduring, yet when he saw me, he even managed a light smile and a raised brow.
"Lady Jessica, you have heard of my injury, then?"
"My god, that Clydesdale got you good, didn't he? Are you going to be all right? "I asked, looking from his wound to him. Aye, I'd heard but I didn't think that he was so badly injured.
"I am not alright, though I will be. Did they slay that horse yet as I have directed them to?" He gasped as the nurse continued to stitch up his side.
"Kill it!? Why? There is no reason to! It simply is a huge horse that was scared! It was running from whatever had scared it, and then it was tossed into another world, this one, and caught by elves again, I guess they had to catch him again after he got free and grazed you, but hey he's fine now. . . and he's a nice horse, too. He doesn't need to die!" I was angry. Kill a horse? Over my dead body! I would be the only one to feed it from now on. I'd make sure they didn't try to kill Beleger.
"The creature is insane! It doe's need to die. I am sorry if you are upset by this. But. . ."
"There is no but! He will either live or you will have to kill me to kill him! That creature may be my only key to get back home! And if you kill it and the horse you kill a part of me as well by killing my only chance of returning home, and THAT, I will not allow monsieur."
I turned and left the room. I heard foot falls behind me and was spun about to face Aragorn, the Ranger. I was instantly still. I knew he was good with a sword, and I didn't want to lose my head because I twitched the wrong muscle. I suddenly wished to death that I had seen Lord of the Rings and the Two Towers. Damn it. I cursed myself then.
"Why did you say and do those things? You need not die for a horse." Aragorn tried to reason.
I half snarled at Aragorn, pulling away. "It is my decision to defend and keep Beleger if I wish it. My life is my own. I sincerely doubt that you disagree with me. At least on that, Aragorn, Arathorns son."
He half smiled. "Well spoken, and well said. I will speak with Elrond of the horse, but I suggest until then that you stay near the horse, if it let's you."
It was then that I noticed his right arm had blood on it, and when Aragorn saw me look, he said nothing, but turned and went back into the room.
What was going to happen, now?
((((You guys, I am very sorry it took me sooo long to update, but like I said, I've been busy mourning the death of my Grandfather, Walter L Krueger. If you're kind, send up a prayer for him. Also, I think this is a pretty long chapter. I could add more, but it is approximately 2:11 a.m. over here in Minnesota. I need sleep. Oh, please review. What do you see happening after this? What will happen to Beleger? What of Jessica? Anyway, review, please. "^_^"
A moment of silence for the deceased.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
~ I was beat, and I was tired. I was so not used to sword fighting, period. I wasn't sure I ever wanted to do it again. Let me explain. . .
I'd started out well enough, but unfortunately, had used all of my energy too soon and left little left to spar with. Oh, pardon me. Practice. I snorted inwardly. Yeah, right. I looked at the newly acquired cut in my left arm. You'd think they'd be a little more careful, but it had been my fault. Or so I'm told. The cut was shallow and painful, but covered nonetheless.
Of course, I wasn't very happy about the cut, but eh, I had to get cut up sometime, I suppose. I shrugged. Arwen had even given me a sympathetic smile. God help me, I have idiots pitying me. This cannot be good. I mean, really. . . I walked down a garden path, smiling as I saw the various kinds of flowers there. The thing people always forget is that in the fictions that Lord of the Rings fans write, the flowers aren't always just one kind or another, there's a variety.
And since it was a different world, then some of the flowers may not even exist in the world of Middle Earth, and vice verse. I bent down and touched the tender petals of a black flower with bright blue and pink stripes in the center and gold on the very edges. The center was a kind of deep blue that reminded me vividly of the color of the sea.
I stood back up, leaving the flower and it's hoard of buddies alone. In a few moments, I saw more of them, but in a pattern. Maybe I would be able to paint it later. Or draw it. I was much better with pencil and paper than I was with paint and paper. I did love the look of the flower, and it's pattern.
I suddenly smiled. Something about being here reminded me of something, and now I knew what. . . it was stupid, but I was reminded of the old Indian movies I had seen, and how the Indians had always liked to keep things natural, the way that the elves did. It made me smile. I picked some grass, and rolled it in my hands slowly, thinking.
I must have stood there for a while before I came out of my trancelike state. I looked at the sky, and then back forward, and continued to walk through the foliage, wondering what to do. My grass stem was dying out, so I plucked a taller one, and then rolled it between my hands as I walked.
Things kept on changing as I walked, like when I was passing a sea of grass, and realized I was right on top of the elvish city yet again. I shook my head, and went forward, and now, I was wandering around, by the archery practice area. I leaned back against a pillar of wood, watching them practice, and being too shy to ask I could try for myself.
I watched one elf in particular; he had a young look to him, and was actually pretty tall. Of course, I'm only five foot four, so a lot of things seem big to me, but the way he stood was different, and seemed to be able to draw, aim and shoot faster than anyone else. I wondered if he were trying to show off, or if he was really just that fast.
"Enjoying the show?"
I jumped, I couldn't help it, I was startled by a strange voice, behind me, and damn close, at that. I looked behind me so fast that I actually hurt my neck in the process. I winced, both physically and mentally. It was Lord Elrond, come to be curious. He was smirking, looking as though he were about to laugh, but had thought better of it. It was two days after the spar or "training" that I had had.
"You can make noise, I know you can. I just wasn't listening."
Okay, that just sounded dumb. Even to me. And I was the one saying it, how sad is that? He ignored what I had said, even though I knew that he'd heard me. Instead, he looked thoughtful. I wondered what he was thinking about. With Elrond around, there was always cause for a little worry. I had learned that the hard way.
"So why are you sneaking about, scaring girls and everyone else?"
"I was not sneaking about." He protested, looking back to me. He had returned to watching the archers practice, but the look I got was indignant. I would have bet that he was faking it, too. I gave him a small push.
"Would you lighten up? Even Gimli is more cheerful than your being. Say, why are you just watching them, when you could be practicing with them?"
"Because I can always practice later, dear Jessica."
I gave a false glare. Yeah, he could.
I spent the next four hours doing noting but watch the archers, accidentally run into, a hobbit, literally, for not watching where I was going, (that had been Pippin) and now I was trying to climb a very tall, unsteady tree. Why? Well, I was bored, and thought while I was here, I'd try the tree thing out.
I gripped the limb tightly, hoping not to fall from the tree as my balance steadily worsened from my silent laughter. I also kept getting these looks like "What the hell is she doing?" it made me smile to get this looks, because it reminded me of what a goof I could be. So I sat on a low branch, kicking my feet, watching what I could of the world.
Of course, this meant that the branch I was sitting on was almost too thin for my weight to be on it. So I held onto the branch above me.
I suddenly wondered how Mm and Dad were. I bowed my head down some. While I was here with Eves, Rangers, Hobbits and Half Elves, Mom and Dad were probably scared out of their mind for me. That and I missed my cats, Precious, Pinstripe, and Oreo. Well, at least they were safe in their dimension. . . even though I knew I wasn't safe here, and that beauty could be a mask for safety. Just because a cat has white fur doesn't mean its soul is white, sort of thing.
"I can see you in my mind- In the palm of my hand- I can see you in the sand. Every where that I am, Is this where you are? Are you in my storybook land. . .?"
I hummed the tune after I was done singing it, looking at the sleeve of the shirt that the elves had given me, and then looking up to see a bird about five feet from me in a branch. It looked like some kind of finch. Cool, I thought, watching it preen itself.
Maybe someday, I can get a pet bird. Or maybe a hawk. . .? It'd be a nice fast way for anyone else I know to get news quickly. She was interrupted by the sound of a wild horse neigh. It sounded terrified, like it had been caught in fire. This was more than enough to get her to peruse (investigate) the situation. She climbed down quickly, not wanting to lose the sound of the neighing horse.
'I hope it's okay,' she thought, running quickly in the direction of the neighing. There were elves trying to restrain a large horse that looked nearly as large as a Clydesdale. She gasped as it reared; tossing it's head and neighing again, loudly.
"Get away from that horse, you dolts! Do you really want to be crushed?" She yelled in sudden anger and concern at and for the Elves that were trying to capture the huge beast.
"Mani?" said an elf, looking over his shoulder to me in surprise.
"You heard me, release it! Your only scaring him more, and you might even get killed if you don't."
I watched in soft awe as they actually listened. The horse had huge eye's, showing too much white, panic was written in his too white eyes. The saddle that covered back was heaving heavily from his breathing, which was deep enough for me to guess as his panic and exhaustion. It snorted, and stabbed the earth with an angry hoof, sending dust flying up into the air.
He seemed to calm down slightly after that. It was when an elf came closer that the horse cried out, snorting again afterwards. It reminded me of a person who was afraid of people because he/she had been beaten as a child. I felt like crying at the thought. I took a step forward, and I was suddenly the new center of attention, the huge horse was watching me, and I paused, I didn't want to scare the horse.
For one, a horse that big can literally crush you. For two, a scared one will do the same, but faster, and probably will hurt you and everyone else around you as well if they're in the way. There was more, but I was busy walking cautiously forward, and reached out my hand, to the beast could smell my palm, knowing that if it wanted, one of it's nips could take my hand, practically.
"Shhh. . ." I whispered softly to the horse, and yet, myself. It lowered its head slowly, cautiously sniffing my hand it made a kind of grunt, and nudged its nose in my hand. Taking that as permission, I touched its long nose, and smiled. I could scarcely believe that it liked me after the elves had tried to restrain it. I looked at his fur, though damp on his head, he looked okay, say for his neck and what I could see of his side, he'd been whipped.
There was a mixture of comments coming from the elves, some were rude, and most I didn't understand. I looked to the elf that I'd startled earlier.
"What do we do with him now that he's been calmed down slightly? He can't go to the stalls; the other horses could frighten him and start him in another panic. Better yet. . . where did you find him?"
"That devil horse, the Valar curse him, merely appeared from behind a pair of elves and nearly ran Lord Elrond over." I looked down, still petting the horses' nose and scratching his ears gently. It made a harrumph sound, but it sounded like it was more comfortable. I looked and for the first time, I collected something.
It had just appeared, it had a real saddle, and reins that included a bit. But there was no travel ware and it had whip marks.
This horse wasn't from Middle Earth, I was damn near sure of it. How could it be? I took the horses reins in hand and lead him away from the elves. They had no idea what to do with him anyway, so I'd take him with me, and see if I could find somewhere near to put him, till I made sure that Lord Elrond was alright.
"Stay here, Beleger (strength). Try not to flip out, okay?" I told the horse as I tied his reins to a tree. I didn't want to lose him. If he had found a way here, there was a chance that he'd find the way back. And if he ever went back, I wanted him to be with me, so I could find and maybe kill his owner.
I don't approve of animal cruelty. Could you tell?
I found my way to his room easily enough. Arwen and his tree sons plus Aragorn were there with him, as another elf dressed what seemed to be a very bruised and cut up side. I winced merely at the sight. That HAD to hurt. I simply could not imagine what kind of pain he was enduring, yet when he saw me, he even managed a light smile and a raised brow.
"Lady Jessica, you have heard of my injury, then?"
"My god, that Clydesdale got you good, didn't he? Are you going to be all right? "I asked, looking from his wound to him. Aye, I'd heard but I didn't think that he was so badly injured.
"I am not alright, though I will be. Did they slay that horse yet as I have directed them to?" He gasped as the nurse continued to stitch up his side.
"Kill it!? Why? There is no reason to! It simply is a huge horse that was scared! It was running from whatever had scared it, and then it was tossed into another world, this one, and caught by elves again, I guess they had to catch him again after he got free and grazed you, but hey he's fine now. . . and he's a nice horse, too. He doesn't need to die!" I was angry. Kill a horse? Over my dead body! I would be the only one to feed it from now on. I'd make sure they didn't try to kill Beleger.
"The creature is insane! It doe's need to die. I am sorry if you are upset by this. But. . ."
"There is no but! He will either live or you will have to kill me to kill him! That creature may be my only key to get back home! And if you kill it and the horse you kill a part of me as well by killing my only chance of returning home, and THAT, I will not allow monsieur."
I turned and left the room. I heard foot falls behind me and was spun about to face Aragorn, the Ranger. I was instantly still. I knew he was good with a sword, and I didn't want to lose my head because I twitched the wrong muscle. I suddenly wished to death that I had seen Lord of the Rings and the Two Towers. Damn it. I cursed myself then.
"Why did you say and do those things? You need not die for a horse." Aragorn tried to reason.
I half snarled at Aragorn, pulling away. "It is my decision to defend and keep Beleger if I wish it. My life is my own. I sincerely doubt that you disagree with me. At least on that, Aragorn, Arathorns son."
He half smiled. "Well spoken, and well said. I will speak with Elrond of the horse, but I suggest until then that you stay near the horse, if it let's you."
It was then that I noticed his right arm had blood on it, and when Aragorn saw me look, he said nothing, but turned and went back into the room.
What was going to happen, now?
((((You guys, I am very sorry it took me sooo long to update, but like I said, I've been busy mourning the death of my Grandfather, Walter L Krueger. If you're kind, send up a prayer for him. Also, I think this is a pretty long chapter. I could add more, but it is approximately 2:11 a.m. over here in Minnesota. I need sleep. Oh, please review. What do you see happening after this? What will happen to Beleger? What of Jessica? Anyway, review, please. "^_^"
A moment of silence for the deceased.
Thank you, I appreciate it.