Elerrina

Race Against Time

All of her senses seemed to sharpen. Every color, every shape, seemed to be clearer to her eyes, her ears able to catch even the faintest of sounds. The forest flew past her, grey leafless branches sometimes dangerously close to her face, but she managed to duck just in time. Her body appeared to react before her mind, her reflexes intensified by her closeness to danger.

More blood curling cries flew in the iced wind, the sounds making her skin crawl and her heart to race inside her chest. A second arrow followed the first, this time blowing right past Elrohir's right ear. She could hear the faint sound of heavy metal boots drumming on the ground and rocks, and turned her head to glace behind, but another arrow flying by Elladan's shoulder made her quickly turn to the front again.

"Legolas!" She heard Elladan's voice yell right above her left ear as he took a sharp turn to the left in order to evade a tall tree.

Before Elladan had finished saying his name, the blond prince had already drawn an arrow to his bow, seemed to not even look as he released it, sending flying through the air past them. A nasty high-pitched cry, not too far behind, told her that the arrow had met its target. In that split second, Legolas had already sent three more arrows cutting through the wind with a skill she was sure none could match. Three other sickening cries echoed as the arrows hit their target once again.

"Four!" yelled Legolas as he turned around to face the front again, quickly maneuvering around another tree.

His infinite blue eyes sparkled with a vivid sharpness, savoring the excitement and thrill of the chase, but never lowering his guard. Out the corner of her eyes she saw Elrohir's lips curve up in a smirk for a short second, eyes sparkling with defiance, and she could almost feel Elladan's own eyes holding the same spark.

The wind hit her face like cold daggers, slapping her hair on her cheeks and deafening her ears. She could feel Elladan's breathing right over her left ear, his warm breath brushing the skin there, as he held tighter to the reins of the horse. He was hunched protectively over her, strong arms caging her at either side. Any arrow shot form behind stood no chance in reaching her.

She threw a quick glance at Elrohir, and found that he too held a bow in his hands, ready to shoot should the occasion arise. His usually kind silver eyes were once again hard, burning with a hidden fire, a deep sharp hatred that made her own heart ache. She knew the iced hatred and remorse that the twins held against those fowl, heartless creatures and was sure that the younger twin would not hesitate to slain the first orc that dared cross his path.

The cries had stopped momentarily, and she guessed that the four orcs that had found them had already fallen to Legolas' arrows. Yet, she knew that they were far from safe. In the distance, she could hear more orcs running through the forest, and silently prayed that they would make it to the passage before a larger group found them.

The rocks had become larger now, and the horses' pace had considerably slowed as they climbed the difficult ascent through the uneven ground. Elrohir rode at front, expertly knowing his way through the rocks, and she could tell that even though he usually chose to stand behind Elladan, he was as capable as his elder brother in taking the lead.

Every now and then her eyes caught sight of shimmering water, and she noticed that a small stream that branched from the mighty Bruinen ran just next to them. Small creeks dripped from the rocks as they moved, the stones so large they somehow started to create open caves around them. The vegetation had become scarce, leaving them almost completely visible, hidden only by the large rocks as they moved.

A series of more cries echoed in the distance, sending shivers down her spine, the sounds feeling like poison to her body. The cries were louder, chocking at some times as they merged with harsh noises of a fiery battle. A group of orcs had met some elven warriors already. Neither of the twins turned to glance behind although she felt Elladan tense only slightly behind her.