Author's note ~ Despite appearances, this chapter is not the end
of the story. Actually, after this there are to be three more
chapters. Enjoy the ride! And please review, let me know what
you think.
Thanks!
Arwen4
"Sun Star ~ Child of Light"
Chapter VIII ~ "Troubled Waters"
Anorel glanced up from her family's letters at the hesitant knock on her door. Recognizing the knock and the presence, she said, "Come in, Legolas."
He walked into the room and softly closed the door. "Are you enjoying your letters?"
Anorel smiled, leaning back against the headboard of her bed and tucking her knees under her chin. "Yes, I am. They are rather difficult to read, but I can understand most of the words."
Legolas nodded absently, sitting next to her. "Good, I am glad that you have had a taste of your true home."
Anorel leaned forward and turned his face toward hers. "Something is bothering you, Legolas. What is it?"
Legolas cursed inwardly at her ability to see through him. "Nothing of importance," he lied. "My father has decided that you are well enough to be taken to Rivendell. We will leave in two days."
Anorel blinked in surprise. "Oh. Is he certain?"
Legolas raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Do you not feel ready to meet your family?"
"No, I do feel ready. They certainly want to meet me, their letters say as much. But something inside me is holding me back," Anorel said softly. She groaned, rising off the bed and pacing the room. "Does that sound odd? I've wanted all my life to have a family, and now that the chance is placed before me, I am almost afraid to go."
"Facing the unknown is always frightening," Legolas said with a smile as he watched her stalk around the room. "But you need not face it alone. Father, Eithon, and I will be there with you."
She smiled back and stopped pacing. "Then I shall be able to face anything. Where do we begin?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Anorel sighed deeply as she cast one last look over the first place on Middle Earth that she could truly call home. "I will miss this place," she said softly, walking with Thranduil across the courtyard. "However, I will consider it a safe haven, a place that I can escape to."
"And you will always be welcome here, Anorel," Thranduil replied, leading her to her horse. "No matter what happens, I want you to remember that. You need never fear returning to Mirkwood."
She mounted her horse and took a deep breath. By studying the maps Thranduil had given her, Anorel knew that the journey to Rivendell would take approximately ten days. That gave her ten days to prepare herself for meeting her new family and seeing Rivendell for the first time. She only hoped that that would be enough time.
~~~~~~~~~~~ Seven days out of Mirkwood
Darkness had fallen an hour or so earlier, but Thranduil had chosen not to stop for the night. The area through which they were traveling was extremely perilous, filled with Orcs and other minions of Sauron. Though continuing the journey at night was certainly dangerous, stopping to rest was even more so.
The small company of riders passed through a dense patch of forest, each of them alert for any signs of attack. And despite their best efforts, the attack came swiftly.
Orc howls filled the air, screams so horrible that Anorel froze in the saddle, terrified. All the other Elves had already dismounted and were engaging the Orcs in battle.
Anorel felt herself being yanked from her horse and dragged through the clearing to a large rock. Legolas tugged her down behind it and shook her sharply. "Anorel!" he snapped, seeing the glazed look in her eyes. "Anorel!"
She jolted out of her daze and grasped his steadying arms. "What?!" she gasped, shuddering at the sounds of battle.
"I need you to stay here," he commanded, readying his bow and arrows. "No matter what, stay here. Use your knife if you are threatened. Do you understand?" When she nodded, he quickly laid a hand on her cheek and joined the fray.
After he left, Anorel's panic began to return full force. She pressed her face into her knees, hoping to drown out the horrors going on around her. After a few moments, she did not even notice an arrow embedding itself in a nearby tree.
Suddenly, large, filthy hands jerked Anorel out of her hiding place. One hand clamped down painfully on her wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. She inhaled sharply, finding herself face-to- face with Grondel. He grinned evilly at her, whispering, "Hello, princess. Look around you and see what you have brought down upon these people."
Anorel shook herself free and glanced around the clearing. Her stomach lurched at the horrific sight and tears flooded her eyes. Thranduil, Eithon, and the guards were sprawled around the clearing, each obviously dead. Anorel stumbled to Thranduil's side and fell to her knees, crying softly. "Why have you done this?" she asked, gently stroking the blonde hair away from his face.
"To cause you pain, princess," Grondel said happily, motioning to some other Orcs. They came forward, dragging a struggling figure.
Anorel rose to her feet and ran toward Legolas. Grondel grabbed her around the waist, holding her tightly. "Oh, no, princess. You see, the most pain that we can cause you is to harm the ones you love. He knows how your feelings for this Elf, so...."
Another Orc stepped forward, lifting a bow and aiming it at Legolas.
"No," Anorel whispered, struggling against Grondel's grasp. "Please, I beg of you, do not do this."
"Why not?" Grondel snarled. "Surely you realize by now that you will never be loved by anyone, not the way that you are."
"Perhaps not," Anorel snapped, squirming in his arms. "But I love him."
"Even more reason why he should be killed. Sauron will not allow anyone you love to live."
"Anorel," Legolas whispered. "Be calm, mel nìn. You will survive this."
"But what if I do not want to?" she said, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"You will."
"How sweet," Grondel said, sneering at her. "Kill him."
"NO!!!" Anorel screamed, finally breaking free of Grondel's grip.
But it was too late.
mel nìn ~ my love
Author's note ~ Yes, I know, I'm evil. :) :) But this isn't over, not by a long shot. Please review, give me your opinions, yell at me if you must. Thanks! Arwen4
Thanks!
Arwen4
"Sun Star ~ Child of Light"
Chapter VIII ~ "Troubled Waters"
Anorel glanced up from her family's letters at the hesitant knock on her door. Recognizing the knock and the presence, she said, "Come in, Legolas."
He walked into the room and softly closed the door. "Are you enjoying your letters?"
Anorel smiled, leaning back against the headboard of her bed and tucking her knees under her chin. "Yes, I am. They are rather difficult to read, but I can understand most of the words."
Legolas nodded absently, sitting next to her. "Good, I am glad that you have had a taste of your true home."
Anorel leaned forward and turned his face toward hers. "Something is bothering you, Legolas. What is it?"
Legolas cursed inwardly at her ability to see through him. "Nothing of importance," he lied. "My father has decided that you are well enough to be taken to Rivendell. We will leave in two days."
Anorel blinked in surprise. "Oh. Is he certain?"
Legolas raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Do you not feel ready to meet your family?"
"No, I do feel ready. They certainly want to meet me, their letters say as much. But something inside me is holding me back," Anorel said softly. She groaned, rising off the bed and pacing the room. "Does that sound odd? I've wanted all my life to have a family, and now that the chance is placed before me, I am almost afraid to go."
"Facing the unknown is always frightening," Legolas said with a smile as he watched her stalk around the room. "But you need not face it alone. Father, Eithon, and I will be there with you."
She smiled back and stopped pacing. "Then I shall be able to face anything. Where do we begin?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Anorel sighed deeply as she cast one last look over the first place on Middle Earth that she could truly call home. "I will miss this place," she said softly, walking with Thranduil across the courtyard. "However, I will consider it a safe haven, a place that I can escape to."
"And you will always be welcome here, Anorel," Thranduil replied, leading her to her horse. "No matter what happens, I want you to remember that. You need never fear returning to Mirkwood."
She mounted her horse and took a deep breath. By studying the maps Thranduil had given her, Anorel knew that the journey to Rivendell would take approximately ten days. That gave her ten days to prepare herself for meeting her new family and seeing Rivendell for the first time. She only hoped that that would be enough time.
~~~~~~~~~~~ Seven days out of Mirkwood
Darkness had fallen an hour or so earlier, but Thranduil had chosen not to stop for the night. The area through which they were traveling was extremely perilous, filled with Orcs and other minions of Sauron. Though continuing the journey at night was certainly dangerous, stopping to rest was even more so.
The small company of riders passed through a dense patch of forest, each of them alert for any signs of attack. And despite their best efforts, the attack came swiftly.
Orc howls filled the air, screams so horrible that Anorel froze in the saddle, terrified. All the other Elves had already dismounted and were engaging the Orcs in battle.
Anorel felt herself being yanked from her horse and dragged through the clearing to a large rock. Legolas tugged her down behind it and shook her sharply. "Anorel!" he snapped, seeing the glazed look in her eyes. "Anorel!"
She jolted out of her daze and grasped his steadying arms. "What?!" she gasped, shuddering at the sounds of battle.
"I need you to stay here," he commanded, readying his bow and arrows. "No matter what, stay here. Use your knife if you are threatened. Do you understand?" When she nodded, he quickly laid a hand on her cheek and joined the fray.
After he left, Anorel's panic began to return full force. She pressed her face into her knees, hoping to drown out the horrors going on around her. After a few moments, she did not even notice an arrow embedding itself in a nearby tree.
Suddenly, large, filthy hands jerked Anorel out of her hiding place. One hand clamped down painfully on her wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. She inhaled sharply, finding herself face-to- face with Grondel. He grinned evilly at her, whispering, "Hello, princess. Look around you and see what you have brought down upon these people."
Anorel shook herself free and glanced around the clearing. Her stomach lurched at the horrific sight and tears flooded her eyes. Thranduil, Eithon, and the guards were sprawled around the clearing, each obviously dead. Anorel stumbled to Thranduil's side and fell to her knees, crying softly. "Why have you done this?" she asked, gently stroking the blonde hair away from his face.
"To cause you pain, princess," Grondel said happily, motioning to some other Orcs. They came forward, dragging a struggling figure.
Anorel rose to her feet and ran toward Legolas. Grondel grabbed her around the waist, holding her tightly. "Oh, no, princess. You see, the most pain that we can cause you is to harm the ones you love. He knows how your feelings for this Elf, so...."
Another Orc stepped forward, lifting a bow and aiming it at Legolas.
"No," Anorel whispered, struggling against Grondel's grasp. "Please, I beg of you, do not do this."
"Why not?" Grondel snarled. "Surely you realize by now that you will never be loved by anyone, not the way that you are."
"Perhaps not," Anorel snapped, squirming in his arms. "But I love him."
"Even more reason why he should be killed. Sauron will not allow anyone you love to live."
"Anorel," Legolas whispered. "Be calm, mel nìn. You will survive this."
"But what if I do not want to?" she said, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"You will."
"How sweet," Grondel said, sneering at her. "Kill him."
"NO!!!" Anorel screamed, finally breaking free of Grondel's grip.
But it was too late.
mel nìn ~ my love
Author's note ~ Yes, I know, I'm evil. :) :) But this isn't over, not by a long shot. Please review, give me your opinions, yell at me if you must. Thanks! Arwen4