Chapter 15 (Elinya's POV)
I hopped my way over fire that blocked the exit, and with each step I felt pain shoot up my leg. It hurt like hell, but there was nothing I could to change it. Standing only inches away from the hot flames, I studied the fire. I felt a strange compelling sensation to heat.
"I wonder," I muttered under her breath.
"I am open to options," Reinya said standing beside me.
"Alright," I took another step towards the fire so that I was standing directly on top of it. For anyone else, the fire would have burned their skin, but I did not feel a thing.
Legolas's and Gorell's mouths dropped and Reinya mouthed, "Holy Shit."
The fire did not hurt me, if anything it soothed the pain in my leg. I felt as if I had an endless supply of energy. I could do anything, I thought to myself.
"I wanna try," Reinya said stepping into the fire for a split second before jumping back in pain. "Ouch!" Reinya had a large burn running up her arm, I knew it hurt bad, as she clutched her burnt hand to her chest.
"Give me your hand," I said reaching out. At first she was reluctant and I couldn't blame her, this was all too weird. But when she finally reached her hand out and placed it onto of mine, and ever so slowly I sent a heat wave down my arm and towards her burn. The second the heat touched her burn, the pain gave way and it started to heal, and I heard her sigh in relief.
"How the hell are you able to do that," Reinya pulled her arm away in shock, but I could also hear a little bit of envy in her voice. She studied her wound, it was almost entirely healed, all that was left was a large red blotch where the burn used to be.
"I have no idea," I shrugged.
"As cool as this is that you can stand on fire, but it doesn't help the fact that we are still stuck," Gorell stated, and I let out a little giggle.
"You might be right, but maybe there is something I can do," Thinking quickly I grabbed Reinya by the arm and together we tried to work together and figure out a way for other to travel over the fire.
(Legolas's POV)
"She has got to be Elemmire," I whispered to my brother quiet enough that he was the only one who could hear me, "What other elf would have red hair and ability to control fire."
"Two problems with your conclusion, one she doesn't even remember you and two how would she be able to possess these powers?" Gorell argued.
"Gandalf always said that there was a chance Elemmire could gain great powers," I explained, "and she would not remember me because Halidir gave her the memory loss liquid." I knew my brother could hear the bitterness in my voice when I spoke Halidir's name, he was the whole reason why I lost my love.
"Legolas, it has been ten years, GET OVER HER," Gorell no longer wished to talk about this matter, he knew it would only bring more sorrow to his brother. As if anything could add to the pain now.
"It worked," Reinya cheered, and it brought my attention off of Elemmire. Reinya stood on the on the other side of the flames, without gaining any burns. She smiled, and surveyed her skin, letting out little squeals of joy when she finds there isn't any burns to be found.
"My turn," Gorell said as Elinya grabbed his and together they walked across the fire. I was very impressed by these powers, they were like nothing I had ever seen before.
"Prince Legolas," Elinya bowed formally almost with a bit of mockery, "If I may."
"Let's do it," I forced out a weak smile. Together the two of us walked across the fire. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling shoot through me as I toughed the flames, but it did not last long because soon we were on the other side.
I then noticed something fall in the corner to my feet in the corner of my eyes, "What is this?" I said reaching down to pick it up.
"Sorry my ring must have fallen," Elinya apologized reaching down to grab the ring, but I got to it first.
I admired the ring for a second, and then I realized, like an arrow being pierced through my chest, "I had given you this ring Elemmire. Lord Elrond had given it to me in hopes I would one day give it off to you."
Elinya was extremely confused, and had almost given me a look of disgust, "Give me that back," She snached it out of my hand, ever so rudely. Then after placing the ring back on her finger she reached down to fix her boot.
I looked up to my brother, but his mouth gaped open, "The Nellas stone," he exclaimed. Elinya had the stone locked away in a small locket that hung around her neck, now broken open, and the bright blue shimmering stone on the floor, beside her hands. "You stole it!" Gorell accused her.
(Elinya's POV)
The second Gorell saw the necklace around my neck, I grabbed the fallen stone and I made a run for it, with Reinya just behind me. This was bad, this was really bad! As we exited the cave, Reinya ran to our horses, and pulled them from behind the bush. I grabbed onto Roshroch's reins, and mounted him, while running. I wish I had time to celebrate for doing such an amazing getaway.
"Reinya," I yelled, she was riding Carac two meters in front of me, "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere but here," She yelled back, and pointed to the forest in front of us. I had a sudden wave of fear roll through me for a second, but I dismissed it. "Let's ride into that forest. We can loose them in the trees."
"Good idea!" I yelled back, remembering back to when we evaded wolves on a daily basis until Reinya had a chat with them...with her boomerangs.
Just as we entered the forest, I heard the hooves of Legolas' and Gorell's horses hitting the soft ground behind us, galloping like bats out of hell to catch up to us.
"Hurry!" Reinya yelled at me, beckoning me to the forest, and again, I felt the pang of...unease. I didn't want to go in there, every fibre of my being wanted not to ride into the dark forest. But my heart told me to stick with Reinya, as did my mind. I would be caught by the Princes if I decided to stop.
Once inside the woods, I wished I turned back. The feeling had crawled from the pit of my stomach to my throat, and I was having a hard time breathing, and had a persistent urge to turn tail and run.
"Reinya, I don't think this a good idea!" I yelled at her, as we galloped past trees, barely evading some.
"Of course it isn't! Running from Princes? Into dark woods?" Reinya yelled back, and I could tell from her tone that she was panicking. "Of course it is a terrible idea, but there wasn't any other option other than giving up. I never give up, so we headed into the woods. Well, I did. You followed."
Suddenly, Carac reared, and Reinya went flying to the ground, landing hard on her side. "Carac!" She cried desperately, just as Roshroch reared as well.
I landed beside her, and hissed out in pain as I landed on my butt. I looked up to see Roshroch and Carac disappear into the brush ahead of us, neighing in fear. I turned to Reinya, who looked a little shell-shocked. "Reinya!" I said, shaking her shoulder.
"Oh my god! Carac!" She screamed, suddenly back into it. "Come back here! I need you! Roshroch!"
After a moment of silence I spoke. "They aren't coming back."
"I know that now, thank you very much! Now let's get moving and try to catch them before Legolas and Gorell catch us." Reinya said bluntly in a tone that meant she didn't want to accept that she didn't know.
Typical Reinya.
"I hear water!" She exclaimed, "Maybe the sudden sound of water spooked them."
"I know for a fact that Roshroch doesn't spook easily, and you have fought off wolves astride Carac. I think it was something more than pure water."
I turned as a screaming yell alerted us from behind.
"Shit! Orcs!" Reinya yelled, jumping to her feet, and grabbing for her boomerang. Immediately she hissed in pain, a sound I thought I'd never hear her emit.
"What is it?" I asked, backing away from the growing Orc horde as it approached us cautiously, as if they were trying to size us up.
"I forgot to put on my gloves and I cut my hand!" Reinya informed me, holding her bleeding hand, and large cut down the middle of it, and her boomerang lay in the grass a couple feet away from her boots, it's edges now tinted with her own blood, instead of her enemies.
I grabbed for one of her gloves, and slid it over my right hand, and snatched the fallen boomerang from the ground, and tossed it carelessly at the Orcs, who all stepped back as the whirling metal flew at them.
Turning to Reinya, I pointed towards the sound of rushing water. "Let's get out of these woods!" I yelled at her.
Reinya's face mixed with the desire to flee, and the want to retrieve her boomerang, but the first won. She turned, and we ran towards the bank of the river. We stopped short, and Reinya swore loudly.
"I hate heights!" She yelled, as if it would make a difference. I looked over the cliff's edge, down into the swiftly moving river below.
"We have to jump." I said in a tight tone, hating heights as much as Reinya did, or more. At the moment, it didn't really matter.
"I'll kill you if you-"
She cut her words off with a scream as I pushed her over the edge, seeing the approaching Orcs. I turned around, my back facing the drop, and gave the Orcs one last timid smile before throwing myself off the cliff.
The last thing I heard and saw before my senses were surrounded by water was the Princes out of the corner of my eyes, Gorell looking like he wanted to murder me, and Legolas like he just had his heart ripped out.
Part of me wanted to stay.
~~~
(Reinya's POV)
I somehow managed to grab Elinya, who had become unconscious when hitting the water, probably because the girl fell backwards onto the water, and saw both of us to shore. I lay on my back, breathing hard. "Elinya?" I asked when I heard her move.
"What happened?" She asked, sounding exhausted. "My head really hurts! Did I hit my head against something while I was in the river? I can't remember ever being in water!"
"Well, you owe me your life again." I informed her, between catching my breath. "You fell into the river, and knocked yourself out. I grabbed you, held your head above water the whole time, which is not easy feat, and swam to shore. I think I deserve some credit in the whole keeping you alive!"
Elinya laughed. "I think you do. I owe you my life twice now. Thank goodness I am an elf, so I have forever to pay you back."
"If I don't get tired of you before that." I told her, making her laugh again.
We both sighed a little, and I shivered from the cold, as our clothing was still soaked through from the dip into the river. Naturally, I placed my hands on my boomerangs, and felt, in dismay, I was missing one. I remembered when I cut my hand, and Elinya threw it at the Orcs to buy us some time, but the bitter loathing of losing one of my prized possessions I had received from a close friend was like losing the friend themselves.
"Why did you throw my boomerang?" I whined, closing my eyes in fatigue. "Now I am going to be lopsided!"
Elinya sighed. "You've never told me why you're so attached to those darn things. They're just-"
"Hunks of sharpened metal?" I finished for her, a little bluntly. "Yes, the only thing is they are enchanted hunks of metal. From a friend. In Rohan."
"Who?" Elinya asked, sounding interested. I opened my eyes, looking into the now dark sky, stars bright against the backdrop of the darkest indigo.
"Someone. A close friend. I haven't seen him in years, but I know he's still alive. He was quite young when I first met him." I nearly laughed. "Unlike many of my old friends, he was one of the only I didn't watch grow up, other then my adoptive parents."
I sat up, now looking across the river, to the other bank. "My parents...They loved to travel. My real ones. One day, they decided to leave me in Rohan, when I was still really little. They never returned, and a couple years later, after I already had been taken in by one of the human families living in the area, I found out they had been killed by a huge horde of Orcs, and they had been without weapons. I lived with the human family for quite sometime."
I took a deep breath before continuing, getting to the harder parts to come to terms with, "I watched as my adoptive siblings grew up, married, had kids, and then also had their lives taken from them by Orcs, or died of age and disease. After my human parents died, I took care of their horse ranch for a while, and I became quite good at it. I met this wizard and during that time, and we became good friends, the one who gave me these."
I touched the boomerangs to show her what I meant. "Because I said I wanted to go home. Where my parents had lived, where people who knew them lived, back in Mirkwood. But I was scared Orcs would find me and kill me. They did find me, but they weren't the ones to kill. I murdered ten or more Orc the first day I rode out to find Mirkwood because I went through the forest my parents had died in, and they had smelled me. Then I managed, somehow to get to Mirkwood." I continued, shivering as a strong gust of wind whipped around us.
I smiled, remembering the village, and how the elves reacted when I had asked if they knew my parents. "Many though I had died with my parents, and they welcomed me back into the village with open arms. I had started the barn so I could help elves in the village take care of their horses. It was my forte and upbringing after all. I mainly kept to myself, because..."
I stopped, and looked away from Elinya, the bitter memories of death coming back, too soon, too fresh. But the reality of it all was the memory of death of my friends could never fade. It would always be too soon. Too fresh. "I didn't want anyone I cared about to die again. And for Gandalf, I knew aging wouldn't affect him as quickly as it did to humans, but I haven't talked to him in ages. And for elves, they...can be killed."
I turned back to look at Elinya. "But you, Elinya, are close enough for me to protect. And as your friend, I promise to protect you with my life, because I cannot see another person die that I care about. Otherwise, I promise on my life, I will kill myself."
Elinya's eyes watered, and she pulled me into a hug. "I didn't know! How terrible!" She whispered, her voice breaking a little with emotion.
It was then I noticed the tears slipping out of my eyes. "Oh, how embarrassing, my eyes are sweating." I said, my voice also slipping with emotion.
"It's called crying!" Elinya said, getting up from the rocks we sat on, and offered her hand to help me get up, and a kind smile through her tears.
I took it, and hoisted myself up. "Let's get a fire going."
Elinya smiled, looking more lively now that I said the word fire. "I'll get right on that!" She exclaimed, moving quickly into the forest.
I followed her, helping her pick up kindling and other sticks and branches to create a nice size fire to warm up and dry off with. When we found a spot suitable for a bonfire, I dumped my wood in the center of the clearing, and fell to my butt, and laid down in the short grass. "I just want to sleep, and dry off!"
Elinya sighed, falling to her knees beside me, letting the wood she collected fall out of her arms into my pile, scattering small pieces I had collected. "I can't agree with you more, but I need to make-" She attempted to say, before cutting herself off with a sneeze.
"Lovely. You just snotted on me." I said sarcastically, too cold to be in the mood to be nice...to anyone.
"Sorry!" Elinya sniffed, starting to work on setting the fire, sneezing every once in a while, and knocking over a couple of lightly placed sticks and kindling. I groaned, and sat up to help her.
"Just rest for awhile, alright?" I told her softly, elves don't just get sick which slightly worried me.
"You're obviously not in the best of health, and you need to recuperate. Go sleep. I'll do the fire."
"Really?" Elinya asked, shivering from the cold.
I nodded, and set back to work with the wood, and pulled the flint I had found from my pocket. With two quick hits of the stones, the sparks caught on the dry pine needles I had collected, and started the fire.
"I could of done that faster..." Elinya pointed out tiredly, sounding like she was half asleep.
"Sure you could have," I told her proudly, smiling down at my flickering fire. "But you're sick, and I'm just cold. So shut up and become healthy again."
"But...Nellas stone?"
I sighed, and rubbed my forehead. "We'll deal with that when we're all in full health again. And that means you."
Elinya nodded, and slid her fingers into the flames, which lapped at her skin, not blistering it, but healing the small cuts that ran along the creases. "Seriously, you're a weird elf!" I told her tiredly.
"I know..." She murmured, eyes fluttering close.
She looked healthier, touching the fire like that. But it also worried me. What if her 'powers' went away in the night, and her fingers burnt off? I pulled her and from the fire, and placed it next to her face.
"Goodnight, Elinya."
(Legolas POV -- A couple hours earlier)
I watched as Elinya plummeted over the side of the cliff, taking with her my heart. I only saw Elemmire, plummeting down into the swift waters below, which would inevitable carry her to her death, if she did not swim strong enough.
"ELEMMIRE!" I yelled, knowing it would be too late anyways.
Gorell grabbed my arm, and cursed. "Stupid brother! You've attracted the attention of the Orcs!"
"I don't care! Elinya...She reminds me of Elemmire so much!" I explained, taking a step towards the cliff.
"Don't you think it was hard for me too?" Gorell asked suddenly, confusing me.
"Sorry?" I asked, puzzled. "I know, losing expert warriors must make you want to grieve, as you seem to only think about winning this war, but when I see Elinya fight, or when I see her at all, I see Elemmire. You cannot know what it's like, watching the love of your life, plummet over a cliff."
"You're wrong." Gorell said gravely, going back to his horse. "But let's get out of here before the Orcs can catch us. We can search for Elinya and Reinya tomorrow."
"What?" I asked, furious, going to mount my horse as well. "Did you have a secret love who threw herself off a cliff when I was away?"
"No. Just recently have I been so..." Gorell paused, thinking. "...in love."
As we cantered away, I looked at my brother's troubled expression. "Who is this lady who entrances you?" I asked, before making my guess. "Is it Princess Tari? Or her little sister? I see you talk with that Princess a lot."
"Neither guess is correct. Princess Tari...seems a little off. I've met her before, only briefly." Gorell told me, "I think...I've fallen for Elinya's friend. Reinya."
"Isn't she the elf that hit you? When you took her horses away, am I not correct?" I asked, a little shocked my brother would go for such an elf. Rude, ignorant, hard-headed, and unpleasant to be around.
"Yes."
"Why in the world would you like such an elf?" I questioned, shocked. "She's rude, and ungrateful."
"Careful what you say!" Gorell said bitterly, staring me down. He sharply halted his horse before continuing, "At least my love is still alive."
I was taken back, how dare my brother say such a thing. Elemmire was alive, she had got to be. I tried to stay strong, but I could feel my eyes water.
Gorell bowed his head in shame, when he realized how hurtful the comment was to me. "I-I am so sorry Brother. I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright," I reassured, holding back the tears. "It has been 10 damn long years, if she was alive, I would have found her by now."
"I know I always told you to give up on her, but know I have felt a hint of what it must be for you. I change my mind." Gorell looked back towards the river from where we had came. "Watching Reinya jump off the cliff into river, away from me and into her possible doom is worse than having my favorite horse die."
"I am sure Reinya would disagree with you on that," I laughed, "From the sounds of it, she'd push you off the cliff rather than letting any of her horses die."
Gorell smiled, and distant, content smile. "That is what I like about her. She treasures people's lives like she treasure everything, and even when she pretends to not care, and punches you for it, she still cares. She may be rude and all, but she is hard headed and knows what she wants, and is stubborn in her decisions."
"She sounds like she would get along just fine with Elemmire," I admitted, slowing down to a trot as we had lost the Orcs finally, "If she..."
"Elemmire is still alive, at least in soul." Gorell told me, and my heart lifted a little, and he pointed to my chest. "She still lives in your heart, so don't say she's dead until you love her no more."
"That's impossible!" I gasped, "I could never stop loving Elemmire!"
Gorell nodded, "That is what I thought, brother. So, Elemmire, dead or alive, will always be alive for you because you keep her safe in your heart. And so keep her there until there is no reason for you to keep her there. That is only if we find her alive."
I nodded, and we rode into camp, our warriors ignoring our battered states, and welcoming us back to camp. "Prince Legolas, Prince Gorell!" One of them yelled, approaching us, "Did you retrieve the Nellas Stone?"
Gorell shook his head. "An elf disguised herself as a male to fight with us, and has stolen the stone, taking her friend and fleeing. Many of you know this elf by her fake name; Elinyon!"
The camp suddenly turned into roars of disapproval, and I couldn't help but feel a bitter aftertaste towards their dislike towards Elinya, but I brushed it off. It was only because she looked so like Elemmire. She had skills like Elemmire, hair like Elemmire, and the ring...
I turned away from the crowd, stricken with realization.
Elinya was Elemmire!
The elf Gorell seemed so in love with, Reinya, seemed like a cunning elf, someone capable to wind a story believable enough for me and Gorell to fall for it. Now, mentioning this, I remembered in the cave, when Reinya was telling us the story that Elinya had dyed her hair, not only did she look a little lost, as if she was hearing it for the first time, but horrified at the thought of dying her hair.
"Elinya, as she is really called, has taken the stone, with her friend Renyon, better known as Reinya. There is no immediate threat, as both elves are extremely good warriors. The only thing is that should concern us is that Elinya is unarmed, and Reinya only had her boomerangs." Gorell informed them. "Tomorrow, we shall set out to find Elinya. Do not concern yourselves with finding and capturing Reinya, as she is no threat to us getting the Nellas Stone."
"Why can't we apprehend her as well?" One of the warriors yelled out, looking a little angry about the statement Gorell had made.
"Because we have reason to believe Elinya was the mastermind behind the whole plot to take the Nellas stone." Gorell yelled, and I grit my teeth, trying to stop myself from punching him in the face for saying that about Elemmire. "Reinya was probably brought into her plot after she realized she needed someone else with her, or someone to draw the blame."
I turned to Gorell. "Stop it." I hissed lowly, so no one else would hear, and keeping my face neutral so no one would think I was threatening my brother. "Elinya is most likely the one who was dragged along by Reinya!"
Gorell turned to me, and mimicked me a little. "Then why would the Nellas stone be hanging around Elinya's neck?" he asked, "And why are you protecting her so suddenly?"
"Because she is Elemmire. I've come to this assumption because she fights like Elemmire, she acts like a nicer, toned down version of Elemmire, and she has Elemmire's ring. Not to mention she has red hair. I've seen her carry the knife of Lord Aerandir, something Lord Elrond had given to her, Elemmire." I told him, "Do you think Reinya is capable of telling us a story that would cover for Elinya?"
Gorell froze up a little.
"Are you just going to whisper up there, or are we going to ride out to find this elf?" A warrior yelled from the crowd.
Gorell turned and smiled, brushing off all the doubt I had seen in his eyes a couple moments before. "Yes!" He yelled, "Saddle up with your horses, and ride out! We shall meet on the east side of the Anduin river!"
Cheers arose from the crowd and it disbursed. "What the hell Gorell? So you are going to capture Elemmire?" I asked, rage barely keeping down to a boil.
"Yes. I want you to accompany her back to Mirkwood. Once we capture her, I charge you with her safe-keeping of sorts, it'll give you a reason to be close to her at all times." Gorell said, "Accept this now, or I'll order you to leave for Mirkwood right now."
"I guess I will meet you at Mirkwood, because I am not going to participate in capturing her." I informed him, before galloping away to Mirkwood.
"Please don't leave," Gorell yelled, and I didn't even turn around, "Legolas!" He persisted.
I finally turned around, "What?"
"Travel safe, will you brother?"
With that I left, with no regrets and no hesitations.
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I am having some technical problems with Wattpad!!!!!!! I am trying to post this chapter from my phone.... Sorry about posting two chapter 15s, then deleting them both (by accident) then reposting it (hopefully for the last time!!!!!)
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