Title:Under the Innumerable Stars Author:Earwen of Alqualonde Rating:PG Feedback:undomiel_evariel@hotmail.com Disclaimer: I own only Ariel and none of Tolkien’s characters and the song belongs to Tolkien too. Chapter 4 Voices of orcs. Approaching. Flee, Ariel Flee! Urged her mother. Too late, they caught up. Run, Ariel. No! Screamed Ariel inwardly as her mother was carried of by the orcs. Ariel awoke, the dreadful nightmare still fresh in her mind. She felt numb and horrified. (So would you if you dreamed of your mother being captured) She had been so helpless then, unable to do anything to help her mother as she was pulled into another world. Burying her face in the pillow, Ariel wept like she never done before. All saddled and ready, the horses snorted in impatience, eager for the long journey that awaited them. “Naamarie, son.” “Naamarie, Lady Evariel.” Words of farewell were exchanged between King Thranduil and the escorting party. An escort of two other elves, Lildor and Arriane were to travel with them. Food enough for five days was packed. Ariel saw the excitement and anticipation in Legolas’ face of what lied ahead. Mounted and ready, they rode off into the forest, keeping in the middle of the road. They rode on for five hours, stopping only for brief breaks. It was noon, and they dismounted for mid day meal. Ariel wearily sat upon a rock, as she was about to eat her package of cram, her keen elven ears picked up the sound of rustling. She peered into the gloomy and dark forest, trying to make out what caused the noise. “Legolas!” She shouted in warning, and saw he too heard it. His bow was drawn, taut and ready, and he cautiously approached the forest. It was worse than an orc. It was the foulest spider Ariel ever saw. Though Legolas warned her of spiders, she never thought she meet one. (A/N: If you really want to know, it was one of Shelob’s descendants *suppresses a shudder*) Legolas shot it between its eyes, but it did nothing to pierce the tough hide, and increase its wrath. Ariel, being weaponless, backed off, while Lildor told her to mount the horse. “Let’s go!” Legolas shouted as he leapt onto his steed, when a gasp distracted him. It came from Ariel, who was being dragged off her horse by a strong spider thread. Burning with fury at the sight of something hurting Ariel, Legolas drew his blade and hacked away at the thread. Very strong it was, for it was no ordinary spider that produced it, but the elven blade was stronger. The spider thread drew back like a whip recoiled, Legolas took the opportunity to scoop Ariel up into his arms and jumped up onto his horse. “Noro lim, noro lim, Luinfel” urged Legolas to his horse. And away they sped, the last horse rider less for a few hours, until Ariel insisted she ride on her own. Legolas reluctantly agreed, for a fierce surge of protectiveness came over him, and he wanted to be assured Ariel would be safe. So it came to be Ariel found herself flanked by the two escorts, with Legolas at the rear. She thought this to be extremely disconcerting and unnecessary, though she did not say so. It was not as if she was one of royalty, she grumbled silently. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They were fast approaching the Misty Mountains. Lildor informed her earlier that they were taking the High Pass. For four days they traveled into the narrow valley of the uneven path on foot as the rocky terrain did not allow the use of horses. On both sides loomed tall mountains, their snow peaks were covered with mists, hence their name. Thickets grew and weeds flourished, here and there the sounds of a mountain stream could be heard rushing down. “Mithrandir is a grey wizard. One of the Maia sent by the Lords of the West. He is the only one out of the three I respect. He has helped my father by clearing out Dol Guldor, the Nameless Enemy’s holding in southern Mirkwood.” Legolas was telling Ariel, and continued by telling her all the great deeds he had done, Ariel could see he held utmost reverence for the wizard. “And there is Aragon, son of Arathorn, true heir to the throne of Gondor. He is also Arwen’s love.” Ariel listened to this with great interest. And she wondered what would happen when an elf and a mortal shared a love that could never be. The elf could only watch the other grow old while he led an immortal life. She asked Legolas. “Such was the fate of Luthien Tinuviel and Beren the one-handed.” He told her the story of Luthien and Beren, Ariel was enraptured by the sound of his voice and the tale, as he spoke about the ill-fated love between both of them, and how they traveled to the Dark Lord’s pits just to reclaim a jewel, in order for Beren to have Luthien’s hand in marriage. “Farewell sweet earth and northern sky, For ever blest, since here did lie And here with lissome limbs did run Beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun, L?thien Tinuviel More fair than mortal tongue can tell Though all to ruin fell the world And were dissolved and backward hurled Unmade into the old abyss, Yet were its making good, for this- The dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea- That Luthien, for a time should be.” From: The Silmarillion Legolas sang, and Ariel was captivated, his voice was beautiful, and all who heard it felt all weariness lifted from them. Hearing him sing was joy enough to Ariel. A faint yet delightful strain of music floated by, Ariel was drawn to the direction. Nothing could have sounded sweeter. She began running, and the closer she got, realization dawned on her as swift as the coming of dawn. “Father.” She uttered and behold! There in a valley lay Rivendell, the Last Homely house, dwelling of elves. Waterfalls splashed and rivers gushed. Lush greenery surrounded the slopes of the mountains, pleasing to the eye. She was home. End of chapt 4