Athëa - Queen of the Savages

A mere Ellon

The sun was setting over the grass covered hills, sending piercing golden rays across the lands. Two horse masters followed the deep gap, to find a safe passage to descent into it, though it seemed that they never would.

Legolas kept looking to the ravaging stream below, seeking desperately for a sight of the elleth, but she was nowhere to be seen. He could only dare to think of how far the river had taken her. She was alive, she had to be. He could still feel her presence, though he started wondering if this was only so because of his foolish hope.

"Oi! Legolas!", Reignar's voice rang further down the river.

Legolas rode fast towards him, as he watched the man step off his horse and look beyond the edge. He joined him on the ground, as he reached the man and followed his gaze. Sloping down the rocky side, he saw a steep staircase, reaching the riverside.

It was obvious to the ellon that the man by his side had newfound hope of finding his queen. Reignar began his fast descent to the bottom, and despite of the length of the drop, he reached the stony shore in a matter of minutes.

Legolas on the other hand stood as frozen on the top of the cliff. He longed to go after him and find her, though he was afraid of what they might find when they reached her.

"Afraid of a bit og heights, elf boy!?, Reignar called tauntingly ripping Legolas out of his gloomy thoughts. "You want me to come and hold your hand?"

Legolas rolled his eyes as he without effort ran down the stairs gracefully, giving the man an indifferent look as he reached him at the bottom. He couldn't help but nudge his shoulder as he passed him, leaving the man in respectful surprise.

"Well I guess not then," the man laughed as he started following the ellon down the stony riverside.

They ran back to where Athëa had fallen off the edge, as Reignar struggled to keep up with the fast elf.

"Keep up, savage boy!" Legolas called from far ahead. "Or do you wish for me to carry you?"

Reignar started laughing heartedly at the ellon's words.

"I guess I deserved that", he called, but Legolas did not turn to offer him any reaction, though Reignar noticed him to stop abruptly. He had found something.

The view that met Reignar as he reached the elf, made shivers run down his spine. About twenty feet in front of them, lay the warg dead, still his queen was nowhere to be seen. They carefully started walking towards it, weapons raised, but stopped quickly as the warg started moving slightly.

"It's still alive", Reignar whispered to the ellon by his side.

But Legolas had already released an arrow, embedding it in the neck of the beast. He sent another arrow to follow, as the warg kept moving. And then another, and then another. But the warg did not stop its twitching. The pair looked at each other in wonder, and carried on approaching the orc beast. They walked around it to discover a long blade protruding though the dirty brown fur, between the eyes of the warg.

"Could I bother you for a hand..." a voice was heard from under the beast. "...or are you too busy killing an already dead animal?"

The sound of her calm voice, lifted the heavy weight that had formed on Legolas' soul, and he could not help but smile as he and Reignar pushed the warg off of her.

"Puppet!" Reignar cheered, as Athëa appeared on the ground in front of them.

But Legolas saw her pain, though she tried her best to hide it from them. He kneeled beside her and looked her up and down to find any apparent injuries, but beside from the obvious skin abrasions, he found none.