Dire Needs: Chapter Eight
Author's Note: Okay, here you'll get a a vague idea why Harathiel and Legolas seemed ill at the beginning. But it'll get clearer later on.
For all other notes: See previous chapters.
*********
Chapter Eight: Saved by the Ents
"H-Harathiel?" Legolas slowly lowered her down on the branch. She moaned. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed.
Legolas looked around for something that might help. Unfourtunately, even if you're an elf you can't find alot of help from a tree.
Legolas slowly walked down to the end of the branch. He got ready to leap to the next branch, but just as he was about to jump he was hit by a dizzy spell and swayed. He lost his balance and fell. He fell right onto the lower branch, which was a few feet down. As his back made contact with the wood, a horrible snap was heard. Legolas let out a sharp hiss from the extruciating pain radiating from his back. He tried to move, but he couldn't. With that, he lost conciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was glowing.
For the past five minutes, the pendant was glowing a light blue. The pendant was placed in the center of the table.
And for the past five minutes, the people who witnessed the pendant "hovering" before dropping dead in mid-air were now staring at the strange blue light, trying to figure it out.
"I never saw a pendant do that before," Pippin whispered.
"That's because pendant's don't usually glow, Pip," Merry replied, smacking Pippin across the head.
"Some magic must be going on," Haldir said. "Something evil."
"Well what could the magic be doing?" Pippin asked.
"Anything," Aragorn replied.
Elrond stood up. "I think it's time we pay a little visit to Mirkwood."
~~~~~~~~~
The orc leader smiled.
Everything had gone according to plan, just as his master said it would. "Go and gather them!" The leader shouted.
The orcs barely went a few feet when suddenly, a huge thing stomped down on them, crushing them into the forest floor.
"The trees are moving!" Some of the orcs yelled.
It was an impressive sight. Several of the "trees" opened their eyes to all the noise. They saw many orcs, and they could even see the two hidden elves unconcious in the tree.
That made them mad. They had to do something.
They stepped on the fleeing orcs as they tried to make it past the circle of ents. None of them survived. Their weapons were useless against the think bark that made up the ents.
"Hoom," a deep voice said, drawing the attention of the ents. "What have we here, now?"
One of the ents stepped forward. He looked at the two unconsious elves in the tree, and carefully picked them up. "Hoom, we have to take care of these two."
"Let's take them to the glen, Treebeard," another ent said.
Treebeard nodded. "Good idea."
~~~~~~~~~
Legolas blinked.
The grinding pain in his head and back caused him to return to the unruly world of consiousness. He slowly opened his eyes.
He was under the shade of a huge tree. His eyes surveyed the scenery. There were alot of trees and shrubs. He was in a beautiful glen.
He tried moving his head a little bit. He could without pain. But he didn't want to try to move any further. His ribs hurt as well, and he didn't want to cause more damage to himself.
"Hoom, you're awake young one," a deep voice said.
Legolas suppressed a laugh. "I'm hardly young," he said in a teasing voice.
He watched as a huge figure loomed over him. "Perhaps so," he said. "But you are very young to me. How are you feeling, Master Elf?"
"I feel fine," he said, "other than my back and ribs hurting. But I don't know what came over me."
Treebeard nodded. "Yes, I think some dark magic has been affecting you for quite some time. And you are feeling it's effects now. Can you move?"
Legolas slowly sat up. His back still hurt, but he was able to move. It would mend in time. "You will have to be careful from now on."
"Yes, I know," Legolas replied. "W-where's Harathiel?"
Treebeard sighed. "You must understand, we are doing all that we can for her, I assure you--"
"Where is she?" Legolas asked angrily.
"Now calm down, Master Elf. She is safe with us. But she is ill."
"I want to see her," Legolas stated.
"Aye, you will. But first I would like it if you eat something."
Legolas opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it. "Alright, then."
~~~~~~~~~~
"The horses are ready," Haldir reported.
"And our things our packed," Elrohir said.
"I'm ready as well," Elladan chimed in.
"And our weapons are better than ever," Aragorn said.
Elrond smiled. "Good. I think we're ready to go then," he said. He mounted his horse, a brown stallion called Seridae. "Glorfindel, I trust Rivendell will be in good hands while i'm away?"
Glorfindel nodded. "Yes, my lord," he said, bowing.
Aragorn and the others mounted their horses an set off for Mirkwood.
"Father!" Eldarion cried out. They stopped riding. "Where are you going?"
"We are going to Mirkwood, my son," Aragorn replied. "And I want you to stay here."
"But--"
"Eldarion, the road to Mirkwood is long and dangerous. You are too young."
"I'm not that young!"
"Eldarion, please," Aragorn stated, kindly but firmly. "Stay here."
Eldarion lowered his glare and stared at the ground. "Fine," he mumbled.
Aragorn continued riding, and the others followed suit.
~~~~~~
"There, i've eaten. May I please see my sister now?" Legolas asked testily.
"Hoom, even immortals are impatient it seems," Treebeard observed. "Very well then, come along."
Legolas walked along with Treebeard. He didn't mind the Ent's slow pace; he could hardly walk faster due to his ribs.
After a minute or so, Legolas saw a bunch of Ents mulling around a sleeping form.
Harathiel.
Legolas' pace quickened slightly, ignoring the sharp stab of pain in his chest. He reached her and let out a gasp.
Harathiel was worse for wear. She was sweating and was very pale, her eyelids almost translucsent. She was twitching slightly and was obviously having nightmares.
Legolas stroked her forehead gently. "Is there anything we can do? Maybe Lord Elrond would be able to do something."
"Hm," was Treebeard's response. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Well, if you want Lord Elrond to do something, you should head for Mirkwood."
"What? Why?"
Treebeard opened his eyes and looked at Legolas, slightly amused. "Because that's where Elrond is going, of course."
~~~~~~
"Aragorn, I think we should've let Eldarion come," Elladan said once they were out of Rivendell.
"What?" Aragorn said.
"Well, he is growing up, he's been on long journeys before and we should let him come with us for once."
"This coming from the same person who wouldn't let me out of Rivendell until I was twenty, and even so I still sneaked out many times years before, got into some trouble and you had to save me, and afterwards you would lecture me on being so careless, yet it was your fault I got into trouble in the first place?" Aragorn exclaimed.
Elrond, Elrohir and Haldir shook silently with laughter, until they couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Elladan blushed and remained silent for the rest of the day, glaring at everything and refused to talk to anyone.
Unknown to them, two people were cautiously following them in the distance.
TBC
Author's Note: Okay, here you'll get a a vague idea why Harathiel and Legolas seemed ill at the beginning. But it'll get clearer later on.
For all other notes: See previous chapters.
*********
Chapter Eight: Saved by the Ents
"H-Harathiel?" Legolas slowly lowered her down on the branch. She moaned. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed.
Legolas looked around for something that might help. Unfourtunately, even if you're an elf you can't find alot of help from a tree.
Legolas slowly walked down to the end of the branch. He got ready to leap to the next branch, but just as he was about to jump he was hit by a dizzy spell and swayed. He lost his balance and fell. He fell right onto the lower branch, which was a few feet down. As his back made contact with the wood, a horrible snap was heard. Legolas let out a sharp hiss from the extruciating pain radiating from his back. He tried to move, but he couldn't. With that, he lost conciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was glowing.
For the past five minutes, the pendant was glowing a light blue. The pendant was placed in the center of the table.
And for the past five minutes, the people who witnessed the pendant "hovering" before dropping dead in mid-air were now staring at the strange blue light, trying to figure it out.
"I never saw a pendant do that before," Pippin whispered.
"That's because pendant's don't usually glow, Pip," Merry replied, smacking Pippin across the head.
"Some magic must be going on," Haldir said. "Something evil."
"Well what could the magic be doing?" Pippin asked.
"Anything," Aragorn replied.
Elrond stood up. "I think it's time we pay a little visit to Mirkwood."
~~~~~~~~~
The orc leader smiled.
Everything had gone according to plan, just as his master said it would. "Go and gather them!" The leader shouted.
The orcs barely went a few feet when suddenly, a huge thing stomped down on them, crushing them into the forest floor.
"The trees are moving!" Some of the orcs yelled.
It was an impressive sight. Several of the "trees" opened their eyes to all the noise. They saw many orcs, and they could even see the two hidden elves unconcious in the tree.
That made them mad. They had to do something.
They stepped on the fleeing orcs as they tried to make it past the circle of ents. None of them survived. Their weapons were useless against the think bark that made up the ents.
"Hoom," a deep voice said, drawing the attention of the ents. "What have we here, now?"
One of the ents stepped forward. He looked at the two unconsious elves in the tree, and carefully picked them up. "Hoom, we have to take care of these two."
"Let's take them to the glen, Treebeard," another ent said.
Treebeard nodded. "Good idea."
~~~~~~~~~
Legolas blinked.
The grinding pain in his head and back caused him to return to the unruly world of consiousness. He slowly opened his eyes.
He was under the shade of a huge tree. His eyes surveyed the scenery. There were alot of trees and shrubs. He was in a beautiful glen.
He tried moving his head a little bit. He could without pain. But he didn't want to try to move any further. His ribs hurt as well, and he didn't want to cause more damage to himself.
"Hoom, you're awake young one," a deep voice said.
Legolas suppressed a laugh. "I'm hardly young," he said in a teasing voice.
He watched as a huge figure loomed over him. "Perhaps so," he said. "But you are very young to me. How are you feeling, Master Elf?"
"I feel fine," he said, "other than my back and ribs hurting. But I don't know what came over me."
Treebeard nodded. "Yes, I think some dark magic has been affecting you for quite some time. And you are feeling it's effects now. Can you move?"
Legolas slowly sat up. His back still hurt, but he was able to move. It would mend in time. "You will have to be careful from now on."
"Yes, I know," Legolas replied. "W-where's Harathiel?"
Treebeard sighed. "You must understand, we are doing all that we can for her, I assure you--"
"Where is she?" Legolas asked angrily.
"Now calm down, Master Elf. She is safe with us. But she is ill."
"I want to see her," Legolas stated.
"Aye, you will. But first I would like it if you eat something."
Legolas opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it. "Alright, then."
~~~~~~~~~~
"The horses are ready," Haldir reported.
"And our things our packed," Elrohir said.
"I'm ready as well," Elladan chimed in.
"And our weapons are better than ever," Aragorn said.
Elrond smiled. "Good. I think we're ready to go then," he said. He mounted his horse, a brown stallion called Seridae. "Glorfindel, I trust Rivendell will be in good hands while i'm away?"
Glorfindel nodded. "Yes, my lord," he said, bowing.
Aragorn and the others mounted their horses an set off for Mirkwood.
"Father!" Eldarion cried out. They stopped riding. "Where are you going?"
"We are going to Mirkwood, my son," Aragorn replied. "And I want you to stay here."
"But--"
"Eldarion, the road to Mirkwood is long and dangerous. You are too young."
"I'm not that young!"
"Eldarion, please," Aragorn stated, kindly but firmly. "Stay here."
Eldarion lowered his glare and stared at the ground. "Fine," he mumbled.
Aragorn continued riding, and the others followed suit.
~~~~~~
"There, i've eaten. May I please see my sister now?" Legolas asked testily.
"Hoom, even immortals are impatient it seems," Treebeard observed. "Very well then, come along."
Legolas walked along with Treebeard. He didn't mind the Ent's slow pace; he could hardly walk faster due to his ribs.
After a minute or so, Legolas saw a bunch of Ents mulling around a sleeping form.
Harathiel.
Legolas' pace quickened slightly, ignoring the sharp stab of pain in his chest. He reached her and let out a gasp.
Harathiel was worse for wear. She was sweating and was very pale, her eyelids almost translucsent. She was twitching slightly and was obviously having nightmares.
Legolas stroked her forehead gently. "Is there anything we can do? Maybe Lord Elrond would be able to do something."
"Hm," was Treebeard's response. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Well, if you want Lord Elrond to do something, you should head for Mirkwood."
"What? Why?"
Treebeard opened his eyes and looked at Legolas, slightly amused. "Because that's where Elrond is going, of course."
~~~~~~
"Aragorn, I think we should've let Eldarion come," Elladan said once they were out of Rivendell.
"What?" Aragorn said.
"Well, he is growing up, he's been on long journeys before and we should let him come with us for once."
"This coming from the same person who wouldn't let me out of Rivendell until I was twenty, and even so I still sneaked out many times years before, got into some trouble and you had to save me, and afterwards you would lecture me on being so careless, yet it was your fault I got into trouble in the first place?" Aragorn exclaimed.
Elrond, Elrohir and Haldir shook silently with laughter, until they couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Elladan blushed and remained silent for the rest of the day, glaring at everything and refused to talk to anyone.
Unknown to them, two people were cautiously following them in the distance.
TBC