Alfýkin: The Last of the Elves

The White City

Illeandir shivered when an icy droplet of rain slid down the inside of his hood across the back of his neck. Briefly he glanced up at the cloudy grey sky earning a faceful of cold water. He grunted and shook the water from his face. A warm, dry bed of leaves with a thick canopy above his head would be perfect right now. Alas, he was a long way from any forest.

Skirting the edge of a puddle Illeandir muttered quietly to himself. He didn't care what he said at the time, just took note of what was around him and spoke quietly to himself. It wasn't often he spoke to himself but the practice kept the memories at bay for a while longer. His attention slipped and he stepped in a puddle splashing his legs. Startled, he jumped clear reaching for his bow but quickly realized he was alone. No one would travel in this weather, still, he looked around carefully for signs of life.

When, after several minutes of scrutiny, nothing showed itself Illeandir trudged wearily on, leaving behind but a ghost of his presence.

§§§

The wind howled across the plains sending sheets of rain driving into the ground. Lighting struck the dry grass, igniting fires that were quickly suffocated by the rain. Peals of thunder rolled across the clouds, deafening in might and sound. Buffeted by the gales, Illeandir pulled his hood further over his face in an attempt to shield his eyes from the driving rain.

A flash of lightning blinded him and the ensuing crack of thunder vibrated deep within his chest. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling but his ears rang after each pounding leaving his head aching dully. In the brief span of time that had passed he had gone from enjoying the cooling rain to really hating it. The cold didn't bother him as much as the stinging welts left by hail which fell from the sky at random intervals as the storm surged ahead with no sign of stopping. The was no place for mile to take shelter in. Not that he would have been able to see any as it was. Heavy rainfall prevented him from seeing further than one hundred feet.

Thunder cracked, leaving a bitter scent on the air. The hair on Illeandir's arms rose and he dove to the ground just as a blade of lightning stabbed the ground not thirty feet from where he had been standing. Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Illeandir rose. Smoke swirled up from where the lightning bolt had struck, quickly torn to shreds by the rain.

A deep roaring noise filled the air, loud as thunder, never ceasing. He looked just in time to see a great column of air touch down to the earth. Immediately a cloud of debris rose, scattering dirt, rocks, and grass in all directions. Illeandir dodged a rock and ran from the spinning cyclone, cloak whipping about as he ran. High speed winds buffeted him backward, he fought for every step forward.

Suddenly the wind stopped and Illeandir pitched forward, almost landing on his face but at the last moment managed to stop his downward fall. He stopped and caught his breath. Behind him the cyclone slowed and receded back into the greenish-grey clouds. The air calmed but tension lay across the land, as if it were holding its breath.

The only warning was the tall grass rippling like waves on water. The wind slammed into him like a fist, driving the air from his lungs and throwing him bodily backward. Illeandir landed hard on his back and for a moment couldn't breathe as he struggled against the sheer power of the wind. He'd never encountered a storm this powerful. It frightened him.

Unable to do anything, Illeandir crawled toward a shallow dip in the ground and huddled in the meager shelter it provided. The wind howled, threatening to snatch his cloak from his hands. He lay there as the sun set behind dark clouds casting the world into darkness so deep even Illeandir could not see far. Brief flashes of lightning illuminated the land but soon the storm traveled on and the darkness was no longer broken. Clouds still concealed the stars and moon as Illeandir fell into a fitful sleep brought on by sheer exhaustion from fighting the storm.

Illeandir woke with a start. Something had woken him that wasn't quite right. He listened carefully for any noise. Then it hit him, there was no noise. The wind had died completely and the sun rose in the East warm and bright. He rose to his feet brushing dirt and grass from his damp clothes. A quick breakfast of stale lembas, they had been fresh weeks ago, and he set off toward Minas Tirith.

Tipically he would run the whole way but some days he preferred to walk and this was one of those days. Breathing in the smell of overturned soil from the cyclone and enjoying himself for a while. He came across a wide swath of land where the earth looked as if it had been stirred by a giant finger. A cold shiver ran down his spine despite the heat of the day. If something could do this to the earth what would have happened if he had been caught in it?

He shook the thought away and continued on with mountains to the north, vast grasslands to the south and Minas Tirith before him. For three days he traveled, sometimes running and other times walking but always moving. Late in the morning on the fourth day he approached the White City from the southwest.

The white stone walls gleamed in the sunlight, so bright the city seemed to be made of light, pure and beautiful. Illeandir stared at it for a while, shielding his eyes from the glare. It had been a long time since he had been here last. An old friend waited within the walls. One he hadn't seen in almost two-hundred years.

******************************

Really hot on Thursday. Like 104° hot! Of course, of all the days to go shopping for whatever, my mom decides

"Hey! Let's go do a "fun" shopping spree in town today in a car where the AC doesn't work half the time."

I hate shopping. I didn't even get anything good. Like books. Just shirts. Meh.

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I was busy working on Dragon Nymph and watching the Harry Potter movies. Band camp starts next week too and then after that school. Fun. Which means slower updates from here. Darn.

Any way! Have a lovely day! *explosion*