Livewire[LOTR]

Chapter Seven- Mice will play while the cats away

Chapter seven

Thankfully I had worn my furs, but stupidly i'd only managed to grab my bow in my haste. Naia was tiring, but we had gone far. We had reached the other side of the mountain ranges. It wouldn’t take long before we got to the woodland realm.  Maybe a day, or two. I knew we  would have to stop soon. “Lets take a rest, Naia.” I whispered. The eagle dipped down gratefully towards a rockface and landed. We where still within the mountain ranges but close to getting out of the pass. It was quick work on the back of a twelve foot bird. I collected what firewood I could and made a fire to the best of my ability. I sighed quietly and curled up with Naia. Did I honestly want to join the war, just to show myself that I was better then my brothers? I could shoot, sure- but that was nothing compared to what an orc could do with a sword. Naia cooed quietly as she draped a wing around me. I chuckled quietly then closed my eyes. There was nothing I could do now. I would show them that I was useful. With that I drifted off.

I awoke several hours later to loud stomping. The fire had gone out, so I sat up in almost complete darkness. Only a few hours till sunrise. Naia fast asleep next to me. I crept out on the rockface to look down. Below me, two trolls strolled down below. They sniffed loudly and one swung his head in my direction, I only had enough time to slip down behind the rock and nudge Naia. I Climbed onto her back as the stomping got loude- the gruff yells of the trolls echoed against the caverns. “I can smell you.” One taunted. Naia opened her wings and took a running start as one of the trolls appeared over the side of the rock face. “Ahug!” It screeched as Naia soared out of reach. “To close.” I hissed quietly as Naia flapped her wings loudly. I would be grateful when we reached the hold.  During this time that Naia and I flew I had time to reflect and choose how I would act once I reached the hold.

I would have to act, like a boy. Crude, loud, disrespectful and vulgar. People wouldn’t like me, but that was good. I was here to prove to myself that I was worth more or the same as my brothers. I would call myself… Iviaan Rath. An elven archer from a town outside Lorien. Hear to fight and draw orc blood to avenge his brothers. It quickly dawned on me that my brothers may recognize Naia. I would have to cake her nose in dirt and cover those strange white feather markings she had. The sun rose as I felt myself growing more and more tired. Naia to, stupid trolls…. Well, stupid me. I never noticed how unprepared I was. I knew how to hunt, but shooting a thing that can SPEAK? Oh god I was really doubting myself.

Within the hour we arrived at the palace of Greenwood. Where the armys where gathering. The entrance to the city was guarded by heavy weapon men covered in golden armor. The city was built into the side of the cliffface that the palace sat on, and buildings built into beautiful green trees. The arching entrance was two trees that had grown together threw out the years. “Hault.” One of the men said as I landed Naia next to them. I had caked her face in mud to hide the markings, she had not been happy- but I had told her it was the only way we could remain invisible. Of course, I was an Eagle rider- but there was more then one hold across the land aside from the one I was from. “State your business.” The man said. I coughed, I'd also begun practicing talking in a low monotone voice. “I'm here to sign up for the army.” I said.

The man nodded and moved out of the way. Naia followed me threw the wooden gates and into the city. Cobblestone and dirt roads busy with elven people moving about, going through the motions. They didn’t notice the “man” in the green mask and iron armor. The camp was up on the hill close to the palace so the king could give direct orders in training and instruction. I wandered up the path, it struck me how clean the city was. Marble towers built into the trees without a speck of dirt or rain-wash.  A scribe greeted me at the entry to the camp and handed me a scroll. “Sign here and you will de directed to your quarters to wait for further instruction.” I nodded and signed the fake name then followed him to one of the tents. Bunks on either side, a elven man with short black hair sat on one and another sat to the left- a human? He had brown hair and blue eyes- Oh! Fehanaro, that guy from my village. He glanced up at me and smiled. “Nice to meet you, I'm Fehanaro.” I grunted in reply. I would minimize my speaking for now, my voice still had a feminine ring to it. “Not much of a talker, eh?” he chuckled. “That’s fine.” Then he looked back down at the paper in his hand.

I said nothing as I sat my things down next to the bed, there was nothing to say- I had to start planning how this would go. My hand went to the back of my helmet where a small amount of my auburn hair was seeable threw the green metal.  I would have to cut my hair, because no doubt someone would knock my helmet off or I would have to take it off. I left the tent as a group of recruits past by, I wondered how they coped with this- being away from there wives and families surrounded by a bunch of strange men. I crept away down from the group towards the towering forest. Naia was nesting in a tree with a lot of the other eagles. I looked around for my brothers companion, but I didn’t see the brutish beast. Naia soared down and landed next to me trailing me into the trees.

It was a beautiful forest, trees that tangled into each other with there branches like they were hugging.  Birds sang and the creatures of the forest jumped from branch to branch while the dappled golden light painted the forest to look like something out of a childs story book. “Ok.” I said, slipping an arrow into my hand from my back and yanking a lock of my auburn hair. “Off it goes.” I muttered as chunks of my hair landed on the ground. It took me a while, because there was a lot of it- finally I had a short cut haircut almost shaved. The front was slightly longer then the rest, like bangs? I guess. I didn’t do hair. I slipped the helmet back on then returned to the camp. Naia crawled up to her tree.

The trainees had lined up outside there tents. I rushed to a place beside Fehanaro and a short human man. A elf, was walking down the line of human and men. He had long blonde hair and a crown on his head. Furs and silks lined his elegant body. He appeared aged, even for an immortal. Scars on his face and one in particular that stretched from his chin to his hooked nose. Behind him walked a young woman and another young man.  Oropher- right. The king of the woodland realm. That must have been his daughter and his son behind him then.

Llevelen- The daughter, was beautiful. Long blonde hair and large blue eyes. A silver dress sweeping out behind her and furs along the arms- I was surprised to see elves wearing furs. Since they where “vegetarians.” But alas… Beside the girl walked his son- Thranduil. Handsome, as to be expected. Long blonde hair like his sister and father. Wide blue eyes, and silver armor with a matching helm that covered the outsides of his face. They walked down the rows while the king made a speech- but I wasn’t really listening- my attention was on the nervous shaking of the men he passed. He didn’t seem that scary to me, just- large. Eventually he got to me. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I made eye contact and stood straight. While the man beside me had avoided the kings gaze I met it. “Hm.” The king said raising one of his eyebrows while I felt the stares of his children on my shoulders.