A Place to Belong

Chapter 27: The Chase

The King smiled at his words and nodded, "And so we shall..." Thranduil approach Legolas with a gleaming smile and rested his hands on his son's shoulders, "First we shall retrieve the Guardian and then we shall show the world what we are truly made of!"

"And what would that be?" Legolas questioned, fearing the worst had come of his words.

"Why... the stuff of legends my son!" Thranduil quipped sharply, turning away, "GO! Find her for me and bring her to me, we need her and I will not have anything stand in my way! GO! HURRY! Make me proud!"

Legolas knew better than to argue and made short work of leaving the hall and speedily made after the guards that had left minutes before him. He wouldn't break the promise he made to help the Guardian but he also wasn't going to disobey his father and king. All he had to do was find the guardian and help her without helping her; if that was possible.

"How hard can it be?" he asked himself, with already the makings of plan forming as he sped down the halls.

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Braerka spurred the horse she rode onwards, kicking its hind harder every time she did. The calls of the elves behind weren't friendly to say the least and she didn't want to face Thranduil's wrath should she be captured and returned to him. For her this was a victory or death endeavour, and the latter wasn't her preferred outcome.

Just then an arrow shot past her head barely missing her and the horse, she dared a glance back and saw that they were gaining on her. She turned forward and kicked the horse harder, encouraging speed and gaining it second by second. The wind blasted in her face, her hair swept back and curled around her head. The never-ending drumbeat of the horse's hooves hard against the earth counted the time for her, and her heart raced ahead of it at tenfold the speed.

She raced against the elves that clearly handled the horses better and they were gaining on her, fast.

Several more arrows darted past her, each one missing their mark as her steed gained speed and galloped full canter down the riverside. She pressed onwards, following the water's flow and staying close to it, it would be an easy way to lose them should the occasion call for it and would keep her on the company's track too.

Just as she concluded that in her head, her horse buckled and faltered right into the trees of Mirkwood. It whinnied in pain to her as she urged him forward still. She turned on the saddle, seeing a small even dagger embedded in his hind.

'Someone's clearly not a good shot!' she sighed mockingly. To spare the animal pain she yanked it out, just in time for another smaller throwing knife to come flying forward like a dart and strike her.

She wasted no time in removing it from were it lay nor took the time to even acknowledge where it had fell. Angered, she flipped the dagger she held and flung it back at her pursuers. The elf unfortunate to be closet to her fell from his horse with a mighty thud, his horse carried onward riderless and so did the others behind him.

Smirking at the meagrely small victory, and oblivious to all other sensations, Braerka turned forward on her steed, and pushed it just a little harder. The beast huffed and whinnied again as she did, the creature was becoming exhausted she could tell, the persistent ask of speed from her and its recent injury was bound to be taking its toll.

She could feel the steed slowing, she whipped the reigns but still he slowed. She heard another arrow shoot past her, scoring her cheek as she moved to dodge the fatal shot.

"Come on!" she cried at the horse, "Please! Come on! Just a little farther!" The horse slowed a fraction and then raced onward faster than ever before, making the sharpest of turns through the tightly packed trees of Mirkwood.