Into Dragon's Fire (Book 1)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Flashback

As Alicia fled from the room, Thranduil turned to Elrond with a scowl. " If you're going to lecture me, then get it over with." Thranduil said, but Elrond surprised him by turning away, his arms folded behind his back. " Is it guilt?"

" Guilt?" Thranduil questioned.

" That causes you to be kind to her?" Elrond stated turning back to him. " She might not see the glances you throw at her, or the hint of emotion in your eye, but the rest of us can see it, Thranduil. You care for her."

" So, what if I do?" He muttered lowly, avoiding Elrond's dark gaze. " She is human. Her life is but a moment compared to the rest of us. She is also not of this world, we might not know how quite yet, but eventually she will return to wince she came, and will be nothing more than memory."

" Do you tell yourself the same thing when it comes to-" Elrond began to say but was silenced as Thranduil's expression turned cold and he stormed from the room. Not willing to end the conversation just yet, Elrond followed him.

" She is of Dunedain lineage, Thranduil." Elrond said, and the elf king paused, but didn't glance back as Elrond continued. " Fate brought her here for a reason."

" What have you seen?" Thranduil questioned, walking back to stand before the Master of Rivendell, and Elrond glanced toward the courtyard below where Alicia was speaking with Gandalf. " Look after her, Thranduil."

Present Day

I peeled my eyes open, squinting through the darkness, only to close them again as my stomach rolled. I lie at the edge of a clearing, my mouth gagged, and my wrists and ankles bound so tightly that my fingers had nearly gone numb. I wasn't dead. 

A fire roared at the center of the clearing where the four orcs sat gorging themselves on who knows what. They grunted at each other in their strange language, one of them, the archer, who I theorized was the leader, glanced toward me every few minutes as if expecting me disappear at any moment. I couldn't move, what did he think I was going do? The worm? Maybe if I had better control over my power, but right now I was helpless, and could only hope that someone came to help me before these Orcs decided that they were still hungry?

I wiggled my wrists around trying to get circulation, before glancing over as the archer stood and made his way over to me. Reaching down he ran a thumb across the wound on my head and pressing it to his lips as I winced in pain. He smirked at me before wrapping his fingers around my jaw, digging his nails into skin. " If you scream loud enough, perhaps your elf companions will hear you." He hissed coldly before releasing me and turning to rejoin his fellows by the fire.

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears burned my eyes. Why hadn't I agreed to go with Peter? If I had, I wouldn't be in this situation. I wouldn't be in a completely different world, about to be killed by orcs in a elephant sized spider infested forest. I would be home, in my empty apartment, watching reruns of old t-shows with Peter, stuffing our faces with nachos and pizza before he had to rush out to do his day job as the friendly neighborhood hero.

I opened my eyes as one of the other orcs sharpened a large blade, and a chill went down my spine at the sight of it. I tried to look anywhere else, but the noise of the stone against the metal, made my fear rise with each passing second. The blade was passed to the archer, who inspected it before turning back to where I lie.

My eyes widened in terror as he raised the blade over his head, and I squeezed my eyes shut preparing myself for the blow. I sent out a mental final goodbye to Peter and promise to my father that I would see him soon; but it never came. 

I heard several thuds as I awaited the end and opened one eye to find my reflection staring back at me from the blade of the orc's weapon, that just seconds before had been raised to end my life. I glanced toward the archer, to find him dead on the ground next to me, an arrow protruding from his forehead. My heart raced as I looked back at my pale reflection, tears running down my face.

Someone landed next to me, and I caught the blurry image of Legolas as he knelt to cut me free. I could barely hear him as he spoke to me, the shock slowly taking hold as he helped me shakily to my feet. " Alicia-" I heard him say before it all hit me at once, and my legs gave out underneath me.

If anyone caught me, I couldn't remember.

The last thing I remembered was a pair of worry filled blue-grey eyes.