Chapter 6 (Elemmire's POV)
I was snuggled up beside Legolas, and my head was buried into his chest, and I was intent on listening to the sound of him breathing.
“It’s almost night.” Legolas pointed out drowsily. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A couple of hours,” I smiled lifting my head up and gently kissing him on the lips. Slowly I sat up, then got to my feet. “I was hoping to freshen up my fighting skill, now that I have both my memories back and I am in full health.”
“Alright,” Legolas said jumping out of bed. “I would like to join thee, if you do not mind.” He bowed in a jokingly manner before the both of us quickly went to go get changed into our training clothes.
I changed into a dark olive-green tunic and a pair of beige breeches, I also fixed my braid which became messy when I was resting. Then I slung my shoulder sheaths and scabbards around myself.
Legolas and myself wasted no time walking down to the training center. It was ten years ago when the two of us fought a friendly duel against each other in the same place, and it brought back warm fuzzy feelings when I thought about it.
Once we reached the armoury we chose out weapons of choice, for myself a bow, sleek arrows, a long sword, and two small daggers.
“You ready?” Legolas asked, as we stepped on to the training field.
“When am I not,” I gave a half hearted laugh. Then I refocused my energy into training.
First I pulled out my bow and arrows. There were targets placed all round the field and behind trees
~~~
After an hour of practise Legolas and myself decided to have a little rematch. The two of us fought for along time, but I was out of practise and barely keeping up.
Legolas was quicker than I was, and he knocked my weapons out of my hands. They now laid two feet behind him, I had no chance in getting them back now. All of a sudden my thoughts started swirling, fire is my strength and If I can learn to wield it I won't need a sword or daggers. I will have my own weapon… but where to find it.
The answer whirled thoughts my thoughts wildly, and I instantly snapped my fingers, a burst of flame dancing towards the sky. I raised my eyebrows at Legolas, who looked surprised as I struggled to wield it.
I needed something for it to shape around. I grabbed a stick from the ground, and the flames I had created attacked itself to the weapon. Flames dripped from the tip, and I started to advance on Legolas. “Admit it, Legolas, you’re beat!” I yelled gleefully.
“Never,” He said and swung his sword, clashing with the flaming stick I was using.
I pushed my “sword” against his, sending him back a couple steps. Just a couple more, and I’d have my real sword back. I heard the harsh cracking of the stick, and I knew I would have to make it soon.
I charged at Legolas, swinging the flaming stick around, and he took the final few steps back. Quickly, I dashed for my sword and traded it, the flames from the stick following me to the sword. I turned to Legolas, triumph in my face.
“I’m giving you one last chance, it’s now or never!” I declared, getting ready in my fighting stance.
Legolas looked a little apprehensive about my flaming sword. “Even if you cheat, I can still beat you.”
I held my sword up high, and let out a mischievous cackle. Legolas took a step back and steadied himself as I advanced forward. With a simple swoop of my sword, our weapons clashed together. I had no idea what was going to happen, never before had I been able to create flames by a snap of my fingers.
“Ouch,” Legolas yelped as he threw his hot red twin knives to the ground. My flames must have made the knives too hot to touch. At the perfect time I trip Legolas and pin him to the ground.
“Still think you can beat me?” I smiled cheekily and extinguish the flames on my sword.
“Fine. You win,” Legolas and kissed me on the cheek for my reward. I was about to lean in and kiss him back, but we were interrupted.
“Ewww Gross!” Reinya walked over to us, twirling her boomerangs idly, “Get a room.”
Legolas bowed his head, I knew he was annoyed with Reinya, but what could we do. “Sorry,” I whispered quietly in his ear so that Reinya could not hear.
I turned my attention away from Legolas, “What's up Reinya?”
“I just wanted to practice with my boomerangs,” She said, shrugging, catching the dangerously twirling boomerangs. “And bug you and Legolas, that’s always fun. I’m so bored here! I need to get out, kill something. Preferably an Orc or Ravaonna, but I’m not choosy. But I will be very sad if I don’t get to kill Ravaonna or an Orc, actually. Nevermind. I’m going to kill Ravaonna! Or an Orc! Whatever I find first!”
Reinya turned, and started to walk away before letting out an annoyed scream and falling to the ground, landing hard on her back.
Legolas stifled a laugh unsuccessfully. I shot him a look, before moving closer to my friend. “Reinya?” I asked cautiously, full aware of the boomerangs in her clenched in her fists. Whenever she got like this, in my memories as Elinya, she was unpredictable and easily irritated, more than usual.
“Go get my horse, please,” Reinya groaned. “Let’s go on a raid, let’s go kill some Orcs. I know you want to!”
I took a step back, not knowing how to answer this. “But..you’re in line for being queen of Mirkwood now. Are you sure?” I asked, trying to get Reinya to understand she couldn’t do what she normally did as she had normal once when she was not married to Gorell.
“I am frickin’ sure!” Reinya exclaimed, sitting up, sliding her boomerangs back into their sheaths in a quick, fluid motion.
I resisted scolding her with her rash language and actions. “You can go on your own if you want to risk your life.” I said dully. “Orcs and Ravaonna are armed, and they can kill you. I just suggest you don’t go out, because if you die, what will Gorell think?”
Reinya was silent. “How come you are so good at showing reason?” Reinya asked weakly, and I knew I had won.
“I am not really sure,” I said dryly, and picked up my sword. “How about to pass time we have a duel? I already beat Legolas.”
Reinya smiled mischievously. “I could use some practice,” She said honestly.
“Are you saying you’re too good to call a duel with me a challenge, or are you trying to insult me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Reinya stuck out her tongue, and pulled out a nice sword. “I’ve been learning how to use things other than my boomerangs,” She announced, and she puffed out her chest in pride.
“So you can finally use your brains as well? Ah, good. I didn’t want to have this end too soon,” I told her, a smirk finding it’s way onto my face.
I snapped my fingers and my sword was coated in flames again. Reinya’s face filled with shock. “THAT’S CHEATING!” She yelled, but she held her ground.
I smiled. “So are magically enhanced boomerangs,” I called back.
“They’re not magically enhanced… okay… maybe they are,” She muttered, before holding the sword in front of her. “I’m still giving it all I got,” She yelled louder at me this time.
“I wouldn’t expect any less!” I called back, and turned back to Legolas for a brief moment. “Watch my back, will ya?” I asked childishly, and I heard Reinya groan.
“Now that’s really cheating!” Reinya pointed out.
“Why don’t you call Gorell out? I am sure he’d love to help you,” I retorted smugly.
“I don’t like to play dirty.”
I snorted, and Reinya rolled her eyes. “Okay, that’s not true, but this duel, this challenge as you want to call it, is between me and you. Not Legolas, not Gorell. I promise I won’t hurt you...too bad.”
“Nor I.” Reinya responded, my heart starting to beat a little faster in anticipation. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and my grip tightened on my sword until the rivets around the handle cut into my skin a little.
We stood there for a long moment, daring each other to make the first move with our eyes. Reinya watched me closely, as I with her. The world around us fell away, and then I made my move.
Driving my sword down as hard as I could, fire heated metal against metal rang out, and the impact sent Reinya and I back a few feet. Reinya smiled and whipped out her boomerangs. “As much as I have learned, I think we will be more evenly matched when I fight with these,” She explained.
I made no advance to agree or disagree with her, and I swung my sword again, Reinya using one boomerang to shield herself as she swung at me with the other. I jumped back instinctively, and rolled out of the way when she through one at me. Knowing it would come back the way it had come, I stayed down, waiting for the flying metal to pass over me, clearing the air for safety to standing up.
Reinya caught the boomerang, and I jumped up, tossing my sword aside and pulling out my bow and arrows. I placed an arrow to the bow and pulled the string taut, and rubbed the tips on my fingers on the fletching, igniting it to flames, which spiraled down the arrow. “Last chance,” I called, “Give it up. Call for mercy!”
“Over my dead body!” Reinya yelled back, and I let my arrow fly. She batted the flaming arrow away with her boomerangs, and left it to smother on the ground.
She jumped at me this time, and I ducked out of the way, spinning behind her back, all the while putting another arrow into my bow. We span to face each other, and Reinya appeared a lot closer to me than I had thought she was. We froze. Her boomerangs were at kill spots; one to my neck, and one directly between my ribs, awaiting the final push to be stuck into my lungs, and hit my heart.
But my arrow was pointed at the center of her forehead, a centimeter away from skin, and the flames that licked upwards from the tip of the arrow burnt bits of her hair that danced in the wind.
“Give up?” I asked.
“Never,” Reinya breathed.
She pulled her weapons away from my body and dropped to her knees, and summer salted through my legs faster than I could react. I was about to turn around when she hit the backs of my knees, and I fell. Since I had perceived she would have done this move, as I had seen her perform it more than once before, I twisted in mid-air, and kicked one of her boomerangs from her hands, and I notched an arrow into place, just as my back touched ground.
My breath left me, and my hold on the arrow weakened. It flew from it’s notch. I let out a breathless scream, trying to warn Reinya. She had seen it, and ducked down, letting a shocked cry of surprise leave her lips. She rolled away from me, picking up her fallen weapon, and resting her back against a pole.
My forehead and arms were dripping with sweat and I am sure I felt a couple rivits of sweat make it’s way down the back of my spine. Even with the distance between us, I could see Reinya’s face shining with sweat as well. “Callin’ it quits yet?” I asked, catching my breath. I slyly notched another arrow, but didn’t light it on fire yet.
“You kidding? I am just getting started!” Reinya laughed, breathing heavily.
“Good!” I yelled back, “So am I!”
~~~
Over dinner, Reinya seemed adamant about attempting to burn a hole through my head with her stare. After the afternoon’s defeat, I am sure she’d harbour it for a while. She just couldn’t come to the fact that her best friend could beat her in a duel.
“Should I go talk to her?” Legolas asked at one point, looking a little stressed about the angry Reinya glaring daggers at me.
I shook my head. “If looks could kill,” I said idly, “I think I would have been dead the moment I walked into this room.”
“Then we would have a dead Reinya on our hands as well.” Legolas threatened, and I slapped his arm.
“Legolas!” I scolded playfully. “That’s my friend you’re talking about.”
“A friend? She framed you for theft, instigates fights, and is glaring at you like she is planning your murder. I think you need to re-think your choice in friends.” Legolas told me.
“But she did keep me alive for 10 years,” I retorted back.
Legolas shook his head, “Alright, alright, you win.” He then leaned over and politely kissed me on the cheek.
Then all of a sudden something came over me, like a cold wind passed through my body. If only lasted a couple of seconds, but it did leave me a little weaker. I shook of what happened and tried to put my focus back on Legolas.
“What’s wrong?” He gave me a worried look.
“Nothing, it must just be a little cold in here,” I smiled and hoped that Legolas would get the hint and move on to another topic.
“Here,” Legolas picked up a lit candle that was placed on the table in front of us. “Use the flame to warm yourself back up.”
I chuckled a little, it must of been awkward for the both of us, a fiancee who heals herself with fire. “Thank you.” I scoped the flame up in my hand so that the fire danced on my palms. At first I let it just sit there, but then I got curious and started to play with the flames.
I close my fingers to make a fist to extinguish the flames, then I snapped the finger together in hopes I could bring it back again. But the flames would not reappear, I snapped my fingers again and again. I received the same results.
I looked up from the food on my plate to notice my mother, Lady Galadriel was giving me a worried look. Then a clear voice rang through my head, Come with me. It was obviously my mother speaking.
“Be right back,” I announced to Legolas. Then I stood up from my chair and followed in Lady Galadriel’s foot steps before anyone could ask where I was going.
Galadriel did not speak a word as she lead me down the long hallways, even her footsteps were quiet. She lead me straight into the room where my Fire Flower was being kept warm. As we stepped inside I noticed that the fire in which my flower was placed in was burned out.
“Why is the fire no longer burning,” I asked curiously.
“As you used your newly discovered powers, the Fire Flower drew heat from it’s surroundings until there was none left.” She spoke with such wisdom, “Your flower needs a new home, it can not stay here.”
“Where am I to take it?” I paused for a second, “You can not expect anyone to take it to Mordor.”
“No one is traveling down there,” She stated before gesturing to a map laid out on a small table in the corner of the room, “There is a vulcano nestled in the mists of the Iron Mountains.”
“Thangorodrim,” I muttered under my breath, “But they were all destroyed in the War of Wrath.”
“All but one,” Lady Galadriel walked to look out the window facing the north-east, and the direction of the Iron Mountains. “You and your friends must travel there in secret, there are many unwanted eyes that would want to do you harm.”
“We will make haste for the Iron Mountains then,” I stated, picking up the map and making my way towards the door.
“One last thing,” Lady Galadriel stopped me just as I opened the door, “Be careful Orcs, dwarves, and dragons dwell the mountains. And they are no friends of elves.”
I got around to some more editing to day :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) And I also wanted to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter, I finally had the chance to reply to them :) (don't take it personally if I don't reply to your comment, sometimes I don't have the time to reply, but I appriciate every single one I get)
Please, comment, fan, vote, THANKS :)
YouCantHandle and Kt_love