Hanging out in Fangorn

Lorien carefully placed the shiny red apple so it dangled from a small tree limb a few feet from the ground. It was the perfect bait. Apples were very rare in Fangorn, in fact there were only a couple of apple trees that he knew of, and they weren’t in this area. Any apples this low to the ground would be snatched up by deer very quickly, and this one looked so plump and juicy he was tempted to eat it himself. The shiny red skin reflected a shaft of light across the small openings in the brush beautifully. It was fairly close to what you could call a path in Fangorn, so setting up the net trap was quite easy.

Carefully covering the trap and adjusting the surrounding brush to make the area appear untouched, he walked over to the opposite side of the clearing and began climbing the tree. He didn’t have to worry about being upwind or downwind, since there was almost never any wind in this part of the forest. Once he climbed up to a suitable high point that was out of sight, he settled his back against the trunk and stretched his legs out across a tree limb. Crossing his legs, he reached into his small pack and pulled out his pipe. The tree behind him groaned and seemed to shift ever so slightly. Lorien leaned back against the trunk, “Don’t worry, I’ll be carefull.”

The trees hated fire, understandably so. They only allowed him to smoke his pipe because he did promise to be extra careful, but it was still unsettling for them. He once tried to get Treebeard to smoke, but he would have none of it, something about being labeled as a cannibal or some such. Lorien very carefully lit his pipe and took a few tokes. He acquired this weed from a village in Westfold, and it has not disappointed. Taking a few more tokes, he sighed in delight and let his mind wander.

The woman who sold the various herbs and spices in Westfold, where he purchased the weed from, asked him if he was a ranger. She had this look in her eye, something between awe, fear, admiration, or maybe that was just Lorien’s imagination and he wasn’t as good as he thought he was with reading expressions. He just shrugged, not providing much of an answer because he didn’t have one. He had heard about rangers before, and from what he gathered he could be considered one. He lived off the land, he hunted orcs and goblins. Yet he’d never met another ranger, he didn’t know if there was any sort of initiation, or even if he wanted to be one. He simply was who he was, and that was that.

The forest was perfectly still, not a single sound. No bugs buzzing, no birds chirping, just dead silence. He suspected most men would find it unsettling, but Lorien was used to it, even enjoyed it. Total silence, it was relaxing. Or was that the weed? Either way. It also meant there weren’t any deer around yet. Even though they were as quiet as any creature in the forest, he’d hear some sign of them once they got close enough. So for the time being he was safe to enjoy his herb and let his mind wander further.

Serethiel had thought she had seen the orcs come this way. She had been hunting them for days and while someone else might have given up by now, Serethiel never did. She had parted ways with Aragorn, or Strider as he was known, a few months ago. War was coming. They could both feel it. Dark forces were stirring and creatures like orcs were becoming bolder. They each had left to gather more information, if there was any to be had, and since parting ways in Bree, Serethiel had traveled far south on a lead that Sauraman was being influenced by Sauron, the creator of the One Ring. It terrified Serethiel to think what would happen to Middle Earth if Sauron did return to power. It could not happen. Two days ago, she had spotted a group of orcs from afar and had decided to follow them. It took every ounce of will in her body not to outright kill them, but she needed to see where they were going.

Standing on the edge of Fangorn Forest, Serethiel hesitated slightly. Serethiel had explored many places in Middle Earth, but this forest was not one of them. The forest was dense and ancient and the young elf could sense the trees were alive. Finally, she stepped over the threshold and disappeared amongst the trees. Dressed in her brown leather and forest green cloak she blended in almost seamlessly with the trees about her. She walked without a sound, even among the leaves. She remained vigilant, but saw no sign of the orcs. Around her the trees almost seemed to be whispering to one another...following her every move. Her keen elven eyes scanned the woods around her and her ears listened for any movement....there was none. She sighed and turned to leave the forest when suddenly something caught her eye. It was an apple. Serethiel had not eaten in quite sometime and slowly reached for the apple, momentarily letting her guard down. However, just as her fingers closed around the apple the smell of a pipe hit her nose...but it was too late...

Lorien had his hood up over his head as he took another toke. He moved his head from side to side as if he was stalking on the ground, “I’m a stealthy ranger, moving…..stealthily.” He heard a groan from the tree behind him and Lorien chuckled in amusement. Just then he heard his trap spring as the netted rope captured something. That’s odd, he thought. He didn’t hear anything approach at all. Maybe it was just because he was distracted in his thoughts.

Lorien took out a rounded stone and used it to put his pipe out. He continued mashing the ashes well past the point the flame went out. Then he showed the pipe to the trunk face to the tree. The tree gave no response, which was good enough. Lorien put his pipe away and began climbing down the tree. When he was about 15 feet from the ground, he dropped the rest of the way, landing easily, and looked up at his trap. What he caught was surely not a deer.

The netted rope tightly held some figure about 30 feet from the ground. It looked quite uncomfortable, from the way her arms and legs were spread out from the openings in the nets. If she had any weapons, which was hard to tell from Lorien’s angle, she would have a difficult time reaching them, let alone using them from that position.

Lorien pulled his dark green hood back and looked up at the figure. His basic grey leather clothes weren’t a complete mess, but they were spotted with leaves and small twigs from the forest. He met eyes with the person dangling from above, and he couldn’t help but smile. From her features she clearly wasn’t one of the men-folk.

“Well well well, what do we have here? What is it? Is it an orc? If so you’re definitely the prettiest orc I’ve ever seen.” One hand placed on the hilt of his sword,, the other on his hip, his grinned widened in amusement, “What are you doing up there?”

Serethiel was quick, but not quick enough in this instance. The net, which had been hidden amongst the leaves suddenly sprang upwards, entangling her inside. She was mortified. How could she, an elf and warrior, have been so easily caught in such a crude trap? Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. If word of this ever reached Aragorn's ears she would likely never hear the end of it. She cursed herself silently for having let her guard down for that brief moment. Never would it happen again. She struggled against the cords of the net in an attempt to pull herself free. However, the sound of someone approaching caused her to pause in her efforts. The hood of her cloak was pulled around her head, though a small part of her face was visible. She looked down at the man below her and felt a surge of anger go through her as she saw him smirk in amusement at her predicament. Through the netting, a blue/grey eye stared at him and ever so slowly he would see her brow furrow in anger. She was now like a trapped animal...cornered and ready to strike. It would be a mistake for him to misjudge her, as most men did....those men found themselves correct rather quickly. She attempted to reach one of the long daggers in her belt, but her fingers just barely touched it. She sighed in pure frustration and looked down at the young man again.

"If you must know, I am thinking of horrible things to do to you when I get myself free."

Lorien couldn’t help but smile as he put a hand to his chest in mock pain, “Horrible things, to me? Why, what if I’m here to save you from your predicament? Surely you wouldn’t do horrible things to your savior, would you?”

The trees began groaning loudly, echoing through the underbrush. Long groans changed in pitch slightly forming very long drawn out words in a nearly impossible language to understand. Lorien’s grin disappeared. Orc is the forest, this far deep? They wouldn’t come this far just for wood. Why would they venture so deep into the woods, there was nothing of value to them here? Perhaps they were searching for him, to take out the threat to their gathering parties. They have never been so bold as to try that, not in all the years he had lived here. Why grow so bold now?

Lorien turned his attention back to the figure dangling in the net. Perhaps she was a spy for them? Possibly, why else would she be here. Lorien turned and started heading in the direction the orcs were coming from, but stopped after a couple of steps, looking back up at the figure again. If she wasn’t with them though, she’d be a sitting duck up there for their arrows. He couldn’t in good conscience leave her to such a fate if she were innocent. Although if she was a spy, she could easily stab him in the back once the orcs got here. A dilemma indeed.

Lorien listened carefully, he could just make out the sounds of their heavy footfalls, the armor clanging together in the distance. Twelve, maybe fourteen of them, a good quarter mile out, closing in on them. Lorien studied the figure, trying to decern her intentions, though that was never his strong suit.

“You hear that? Orcs approaching. You with them?”

Serethiel was now practically trembling with anger. She hated every moment of this. She hated being at this...boy's mercy. However, as she looked at him something struck her as strangely familiar. As he looked away from her she got a glimpse of his profile and he looked remarkedly like Aragorn. They both had the same jawline, the same cheekbones, even the same eyes. She brushed it off as mere coincidence, although it was odd to her. However, her attention was quickly diverted as her ears picked up the unmistakable sound of orcs moving through the forest. Unlike elves, orcs were not at all quiet when they moved and they often left a path of destruction in their wake. From the noise she could ear she quickly judged them to be the same orcs she had been pursing before being caught in this net like a fish. She couldn't let them get away. She tried once again to move in the net, but found it almost impossible. As the man started to walk away from her she began to wonder if he just meant to leave her there. Did he suddenly think her a spy? She watched him with ever growing frustration as he finally stopped and turned and looked back at her. His question appalled her.

"My wish is to hunt down every single orc in Middle Earth and slaughter them with my own hands." Judging by the tone in her voice he would know that she meant it. "I was tracking this group...fortunately for them not to kill them, but to see where they were going. Cut me down and allow me to finish my work, or you may live to regret it."

Lorien raised his eyebrows slightly with her response. Her tone held such anger that he doubted she was faking it. If she was tracking them that would explain why she was here. Her threat caused him to turn his head and put his hand to his mouth, as if he was stroking his five o’clock shadow of a beard in thought, but in fact he was just trying to cover his smile. He’d provoked her enough, and the situation would be serious soon enough once the orcs got here, but it was just so amusing.

“Well I surely don’t want to live to regret it, so in that case…” Lorien walked over to where the rope was tied off. Instead of cutting it, he used two hands to pull the rope downward, causing the net to lift even higher. Then holding the rope tightly with one hand, he used the slack to begin untying the rope. Cutting it would have been much easier, but he only had one rope, no reason to waste it. With the rope untied he began lowering the net. The thought of letting her drop was hard to dismiss, it would be a hilarious sight, but if she broke a limb she might be a liability in a fight. Not to mention she was already quite angry with him, she might outright attack him if he did that. Now that he thought about it she might do so anyways, once the orcs were dealt with. He’d have to keep an eye on her.

When she was on the ground Lorien approached her and opened the top of the net so she could pull it off of her, then took a precautionary step back. The sounds of the orcs were getting louder, they would be upon them soon. Lorien squared his shoulders in the direction they were coming from and drew his blade, holding it with two hands in front of him. He turned his head slightly to the figure as she freed herself from the net, trying to look past her hood to get a better look at her. “Can I trust you not to stab me in the back?”

Serethiel muttered under her breath in Elvish as this...boy took his time in lowering her to the ground. He was taking complete delight in this entire situation, but clearly he didn't know who he was dealing with. She could hear the orcs getting closer and it was all she could do to not yell at him. She couldn't lose them. She and Aragorn had been working too hard and too many lives were at stake. This wasn't a game she was playing. Finally, she was lowered to the ground and she untangled herself from the ropes while he stood by and did nothing to assist her...not that she would have allowed him. In one fluid movement she pushed back the hood of her cloak. From underneath a cascade of dark , silky hair tumbled down around her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was porcelain in color and smooth as marble. There was a natural rosy hue to her cheeks and lips and her eyes were of a piercing blue/grey color. Even without seeing her ears he would have known she was an elf. She carried slung across her back a quiver and a simple looking, unassuming bow...but nothing was simple about it. That bow in her hands had killed so many orcs that they had given her the name "Orc Slayer". Her aim was deadly and she almost never missed. Tucked into her belt were two long daggers...their handles were made from Oliphant ivory. Her body was lithe and she moved with a natural elvish grace, but it would be clear to Lorien that she was not to be underestimated.

"I have far more important things to attend to right now."

When the girl pulled back her hood, Lorien’s eyebrows raised unexpectantly. The smoothness of her skin and facial features, the fierce intense eyes, she must be an elf. Lorien had never seen an elf before, but he had heard stories of their beauty, clearly those stories were not exaggerated. His eyes looked her over up and down before he realized he was staring. He turned gaze back to the approaching orcs, “Glad to hear it.”

The orcs made such a ruckus in the quiet forest that Lorien was surprised he couldn’t see them yet, but no sooner did he have that thought that the first few came into view. They stopped, and one of them pointed at Lorien, “Him! That’s the one!”

Lorien recognized this orc as one who had gotten away from him the last time Lorien attacked their wood gathering parties. It was clear now that they were here for him, which made him frown. Why grow so bold as to enter the forest this deep just for him? From everything he knew about orcs, it just didn’t make sense, they’d sooner find wood elsewhere.

As they gathered their numbers, growling and postering at him, Lorien whirled his blade around him intricately. The speed and fluidity of the motions betrayed the size and weight of the weapon, and after a sequence of motions the blade stopped above his head, held in two hands, with the point of the blade pointed at the orc that called him out.

The orc growled at him, bolstered by their superior numbers no doubt, and they charged.

Serethiel could feel his eyes upon her, looking at her closely. For a brief moment her eyes met his and held his gaze. Something deep within her soul stirred and she knew in that moment that their journey was just beginning. Somehow he would play a part in this war. Her gaze slowly turned towards the sound of the orcs as they came ever closer. She made no move yet to grab her weapons, but was ready to spring into action within a split second. As the orcs suddenly came into view she expected them to be surprised by their presence, but what she had not expected was that one of them recognized the young man beside her. Clearly, there was previous history between him and these orcs and unfinished business. She had hoped to continue to track these orcs to provide more information to Aragorn, but it was evident that things were going to end differently than she had hoped.

Out of the corner of her eye, Serethiel saw him unsheathe his sword. The way he handled it reminded her again of Aragorn...or of someone much older than he must have been. His skills appeared to be that of an expect swordsman. She was impressed...until once again his boyish tendencies took over. She rolled her eyes quickly grabbed her bow. In the blink of an eye she had pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. She aimed and then began to fire. She fired arrow after arrow in quick succession. Her aimed was accurate and deadly. In one instance she pulled out two arrows and fired them both at the same time...hitting two orcs that were charging side by side.

Lorien watched unmoving as the orcs rushed them, multiple orcs falling to the she-elf’s arrows in quick succession. He was both extremely impressed at her speed and accuracy, every arrow finding it’s mark so easily, and also quite ashamed at his own skill. He’d be lucky to hit one at all, even with them clumped up so. But the time for admiration was quickly coming to a close as the orcs closed in on him. Lorien held his stance, which wasn’t just for show. He’d never had a single day of proper weapon training in his life, his fighting style was completely his own, and although it did have it’s own unique flair, it also had practical use.

With his sword above his head and pointed forward, the first orc to arrive sensed the weakness in the stance and aimed to cleave him from the side, where Lorien wouldn’t have time to block in this pose. Lorien waited well past the time most men would move, waiting until the orc was in mid-swing before he reacted. Instead of parrying Lorien sidestepped at the last second, twisting his sword around into his turn. The orcs blade missed slicing Lorien’s hip, while Lorien’s blade cleanly cut the orc’s head off. Before the rest of the orcs could get into a proper stance to adjust to his movement, Lorien was already between them. His sword flashed upwards, slicing an orc from stomach to chin. Without a moment’s hesitation he was onto the next with a downward diagonal thrust, cutting an orc from shoulder to hip straight through his armor. The movements were seamless, and the orcs didn’t have time to react at all. In close between three orcs now, Lorien elbowed one in the face before stabbing another straight through the eye. The one he elbowed flopped backwards getting in the way of the third, and with a measured strike Lorien cut both their necks with one swing.

Two more made their way towards him, but Lorien had time to glance back and make sure the she-elf was ok. With a quick glance she seemed fine and able to hold her own. The time it took to do that allowed an orc to raise his blade and swing down at him. Lorien parried the blow to the side and at the same time sidestepped and spun around the shoulder of the orc, bringing his blade around sideways toward the second orc. The orc squealed and tried to block, but the strength of Lorien’s swing overpowered him, knocking the orc’s blade aside and cutting him across the chest. As that orc dropped Lorien continued his spin so he was behind the original orc he spun around, stabbing him in the back, his blade protruding out of the monster’s chest.
The entire thing took mere seconds. With no other immediate threats around him, he glanced back at the she-elf again.

Serethiel moved with such speed and accuracy that it was almost unfathomable. How she even had time to aim properly, particularly in this wooded area, was something one would wonder. However, she continued to fire rapidly while barely moving her feet. Her stance was strong and her form perfect. She pulled the bow string back to the point of breaking every time and barely blinked as the arrows went rushing past her face. Among the chaos, Lorien might hear one of the remaining orcs yell out "Orc Slayer" just as he was hit in the chest by one of her arrows. The others, upon hearing that name, looked fearful and turned to flee. Serethiel calmly let them start their retreat. She even seemed to pause to allow them time to think they might escape. Only after a few seconds had passed did she pull out another arrow to finish the job. The first arrow she fired hit one of the orcs square in the back of the head and pushed cleanly through his skull, coming out the other side. The second arrow struck the arrow so hard that the orc actually seemed to fly several feet through the air before hitting the ground. The last orc, believing he was going to get away, turned to look back over his shoulder. The last thing he saw was one of Serethiel's arrows coming straight at his eye.

Within moments it was all over. Serethiel stood there a moment and glanced over at the young man to be sure he was alright. A quick survey of his kills showed her that he was very skilled with a blade, although his technique was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She said nothing as she began to walk through the carnage to retrieve her arrows. However, they both might suddenly hear the sound of an orc breathing...one of them was still alive. Serethiel pulled out one of her long daggers as she located the dying the orc and slowly approached it. She kicked it and hit howled in pain. One of her arrows protruded from its stomach.

"Where were you going? If you are truthful with me I will end your suffering quickly. Otherwise I will leave you here to die slowly."

Lorien ripped off a piece of cloth from one of the orcs he killed and used it to wipe his blade clean, then tossed the bloody cloth onto the orc. As the she-elf gathered up her arrows, he again admired the accuracy of her shots, among other things. Just as he heard the raspy breathing from one orc that was still alive, the she-elf approached it and kicked it. She was not jesting about her hatred for them, it seemed.

The orc coughed and sputtered, looking from her to him, though visibly more afraid of her. “We...we were after him,” it gestured with its’ face towards Lorien, its’ hands holding the wound on its’ stomach around the arrow. “War is coming,” it coughed and wheezed in pain, “the enemies of the Master will all be destroyed.”

Lorien approached them and knelt down beside the she-elf over the orc, “Who is your master?”

The orc looked to Lorien and laughed with grotesque amusement. Lorien gingerly grabbed the arrow in his stomach, and the orc instantly stopped laughing. Lorien moving the arrow shaft around in a circle, and the orc howled in pain. Lorien continued, careful not to break the arrow, “Tell me, and this ends.”

The orc spasmed and howled in pain, it spoke quickly through screams, “Our master is the lord of all! He will plunge the world in a second darkness! The time of men is at an end, now begins the time of the orc!”

Lorien had heard enough, he didn’t believe he would get anything useful out of this creature. He stood up and left it to the she-elf. Rubbing his chin, he thought about what this could mean. Whoever this master was, he had embolden the orcs, which wouldn’t be good for anyone. Lorien would track this master down and kill it himself if he could, but this master would most likely be surrounded by his troops. Lorien imagined a orc sitting on an underground throne, somewhere in the mountains, sending his forces to take out isolated enemies like himself. How to track him through the mountains? From what he heard there could be hundreds of them throughout the cave networks. And even if he did manage to track down the correct cave, how to get past that many orcs on his own? It seemed folly.

Yet in his heart, he knew he could no longer do nothing. If war was coming, these forests would no longer be safe, nor would many of the villages of Rohan he had visited either. Lorien was lost in thought as he looked off into the distance, contemplating what he should do.

Serethiel stood above the orc, the blade of her dagger shimmering in the fading sunlight. She glanced over at the young man as he came up beside her, but her attention immediately turned back to the orc when it said that war was coming. She and Aragorn knew this, but hearing the words come from such a creature caused a tremor of fear in her heart. She knew which master it spoke of and images of fire, destruction, and death filled her mind. If Sauron came to full power there would be nothing anyone could do to stop him. The time to act was now. There could be no more waiting. She watched as the young man attempted to gain more information from the dying creature. However, she doubted it had the information she needed. It was a low ranking orc, destined for death and she planned to fulfill its destiny.

As the young man stood and stepped away, she slashed the orcs throat in one quick motion. The blade was so sharp it cut more than halfway through the neck, only stopping when it hit bone. The orcs eyes rolled back into its skull and after one final convulsion all movement ceased. She wiped the blade on the orcs clothing before standing. She slowly walked over to where the young man stood and was quiet a long moment before looking at him.

"I'm Serethiel."

Lorien was lost in thought, and didn’t even notice that she had approached him. When she spoke, Lorien looked at her and gave her a warm smile. “A pleasure, I’m Lorien. Serethiel, that’s a very pretty name. Certainly more pleasant than ‘Orc Slayer’.”

He looked back at the mass of dead bodies, “Perhaps we should have let some live, they may have led us to their lair. Who knows what other havoc this master will cause, for I’ve never seen orcs so bold as to enter this forest before.”

Lorien thought for just a bit more before saying, “I think I aim to end this master’s reign. You said you were tracking them here, perhaps we may be able to backtrack to where they came from. For now though, I need to eat, it’s been many a night since I’ve last fed. Now where did that...awwwwhhh…”

Lorien groaned as he gestured toward the apple that he had used as bait, trampled to pieces. “It’s not easy to find bait in this part of the forest…”

He crossed his arms and sighed, shaking his head, “I guess there’s nothing for it, have to do it the other way.”

Lorien walked over behind a nearby tree and pulled out a bow and quiver. The bow was very simple and common, as were the arrows. I hate using this thing, he thought to himself. He had no doubt he was going to embarrass himself in front of such a marksman. Markswoman? Markself? Whatever.

He looked over at Serethiel again, and paused for a minute. He found it incredibly hard not to stare at her. He could admire her beauty for hours and not grow tired of it. Days even. The longer he looked the longer he wanted to look. He forced himself to turn away, remembering something he overhead in one of the villages. Young children staring at him as he made his way into town, a mother chiding the children telling them it was rude to stare. Lorien didn’t understand why it would be, beauty should be admired, and Serethiel certainly put any woman he’d ever seen to shame. It was one of those intricacies of society that was lost on him, but still he did not want to be rude.

Pretending like he was inspecting his bow, he asked, “Are you hungry? There are deer nearby, a few at least.”

For the first time since they had met Serethiel smiled at him. In spite of her exasperated expressions earlier, she had a lovely smile and it caused her blue/grey eyes to twinkle in the fading sunlight. Her initial thoughts about this young man were slowly starting to change. He had proved himself to be an excellent swordsman, up with Aragorn himself in terms of his skill, which was a high compliment considering Aragorn was the best swordsman she had ever seen. As she glanced around at the dead bodies she considered his thought that perhaps they should have left one alive. She very much doubted they would have been able to get any information from the creature if they had and they might have even been led into a trap. She thought it was best that they were dead. If Lorien chose to join her, they would use other means to find the information they sought. For now, though, the forest seemed quiet and still again and they could rest. Dusk was upon them and it would soon be dark. She did not know this forest and would have to rely on Lorien to guide them to food and shelter.

He pulled out a bow and small quiver and she could sense his hesitation about using it in front of her. She had no desire to judge him on his archery skills. He clearly had survived alone for sometime and one did not need her skill-level in order to kill a deer. She continued to walk around, doubling checking that all the orcs were deceased and removing her arrows from their bodies. As she did this, she could feel Lorien's eyes watching her...looking at her closely. She was used to being stared at by men. Elves did not often cross paths with that of humans and so her presence was often startling and she found herself being stared at. However, with Lorien it seemed...different. She could not put her finger on it exactly, but he was not looking at her the same way other men did. She felt more comfortable and relaxed around him despite the fact that they had only just met.

As an elf, Serethiel could go much longer than humans without sustenance. However, she had not eaten in three days and knew she needed to keep her strength up.

"Yes, I am. I can help you hunt, if you would like."

Lorien smiled again when she offered to help him hunt. Normally he would want to practice using his bow, even though he hated using it. The fact that his aim was so terrible drove him to want to improve, even if it was frustrating for him. But as hungry as he was, and as sure as he was it would take him more than a few shots and an all night chase to actually hit a deer, her marksmanship was most welcome. “I would very much appreciate that,” Lorien held up his bow, “I’m not very good with this thing, to be honest.”

Lorien looked around the dead bodies and signs of battle for the deer tracks he saw earlier when he setup his trap. It wasn’t too difficult to find, and once he had a direction he started moving quickly. He stepped and lept from rocks to tree roots, never actually touching the forest floor that was covered in dead leaves and twigs. He moved quickly and silently, not making a sound as he followed the tracks.

He had to glance behind him to make sure Serethiel was following him, since he couldn’t hear her at all. It was both inspiring and a little unsettling how silent she was. Inspiring because it was impressive, unsettling because he was used to trusting his senses to inform him of his surroundings. Having someone behind him and not being able to hear them was completely new to him.

Seeing how fresh the tracks were becoming, Lorien leapt off a rock onto a low tree limb and began jumping from one tree limb to another. Even though he moved quickly he judged each limb before he leapt, making sure it would elevate their position, hold their weight, and also not betray a sound. Living here for so long it was easy to decipher such a limb at a moment’s glance.

Lorien made his way to a branch that sat about 30 feet from the ground and stopped. There was no sign of a deer in front of them, but Lorien waited anyways. After a minute a deer gingerly stepping out from the cover of a tree. It moved slowly, not making a sound. It’s head was down, poking its’ nose through the leaves on the forest floor. Lorien had no doubt Serethiel could hit it easily from here, but no reason why he couldn’t get some practice in as well. He silently notched an arrow, then whispered ever so softly, one tick just above making no sound at all, “Same time.”

He pulled the arrow back and took aim. Making sure his aim was true, he controlled his breathing. His form was good, everything seemed in order. He very quietly whispered again, “Three...two...one…”

Lorien let loose as he exhaled, everything was going good, until the last second when he released. Instead of the letting the bowstring go cleanly, it instead rolled off his fingertips, which caused the string to twist, which caused the arrow to change it’s trajectory as soon as he released. His arrow sunk into a tree truck a good 6 feet away from it’s mark. Lorien sighed and shook his head. About what he expected. He looked at Serethiel with a wiry smile, “Better than usual for me, actually.”

Serethiel silently followed Lorien. She was as agile as a cat and never seemed to falter in her footing. She followed closely behind him, stepping where he did. He moved through the trees almost like a wood elf and she wondered how long he had been in Fangorn Forest. It was certainly a place to hide, but she could not imagine someone like himself just living there alone. She didn't sense that he was running away from anyone so she wondered why he stayed.

They traveled silently for a short time before he settled on a thick branch that was about 30 feet above the ground. She made her way next to him and sensed that a deer was nearby. She silently readied her bow as the deer appeared. It remained relaxed as it foraged through the leaves on the ground for anything to eat. Serethiel patiently waited for the opportune time to shoot. Beside her she saw Lorien ready his bow as well and guessed that he wanted to have a shot as well. She focused back on the deer and took aim. She inhaled silently and waited for Lorien to give the signal. When he did she slowly breathed out and released her arrow. Her keen elvish ears heard the sound of his arrow not being released smoothly and winced as it arrow did not fly straight...and instead hit a tree trunk well away from it's intended target. Thankfully, Serethiel's arrow flew true and hit the deer through the neck. At least they had fired at the same time, otherwise they would have lost that deer and she doubted another opportunity would have come along so easily.

"Well, it appears that a little practice is in order," she replied with a teasing smile.

Together they gutted and cleaned the deer. A small fire was built and after the deer meat was portioned it was cooked. Normally elves did not eat meat, but having spent most of her life among humans, Serethiel had acquired a taste for it out of necessity. They sat in darkness, with only the flickering firelight before them. The wood popped and crackled and for a long while that was the only sound between them. Finally, having had her fill, Serethiel looked over at Lorien.

"How long have you been living here alone in this forest?"

Lorien sat with his legs crossed in front of him, leaning back, holding himself up on his hands. He felt so much better after the well cooked meal and full stomach. When Serethiel asked him how long he lived here alone, he turned his head toward her. The way the firelight lit the features of her face, the way the flickering light portrayed her startling eyes, it was by far the most beautiful image his eyes had ever seen. He took that moment to attempt to remember this sight before him forever, to burn this image into his brain, so that no matter how much time would pass and no matter what happened, he would always remember this image before him. Beauty had no true meaning before that moment.

Before he got lost in a day dream, he answered her, taking the opportunity to not look away, “I’ve lived here all my life. My mother raised me here. She told me she brought us here just after I was born. She died, when I was 15. I’ve been here alone ever since, I’ve lost count of how many years it’s been.”

After he spoke he still did not want to turn away, he still had trouble believing how gorgeous she was, even as she sat before him. Like he had to constantly remind himself every second that his mind wasn’t exaggerating. Remembering his manners, he stopped staring for a minute and reached behind him, pulling his pipe from one of his pockets. He used the fire to light it, and took a few puffs. Letting the feeling of the herb relax him further, he looked over at Serethiel again. The firelight still highlighted her features beautifully. Her eyes still sparkled. No exaggeration at all. He offered her the pipe, not sure if elves smoked or not. “Where did you grow up?”

Serethiel enjoyed the quiet, peacefulness of the night. Over the past few months she had rarely relaxed like this, but she felt comfortable in Lorien's presence and with no sign of danger nearby she indulged by allowing her guard to slip slightly. The fire was small enough that she did not believe it would attract danger and the trees offered a shield from its light. She could still sense the trees watching them and whispering to one another. As Lorien spoke, Serethiel listened silently. She could not help but wonder why his mother would choose such a place to raise a child. It seemed strange to her, but clearly she must have had her reasons. It saddened her to think of Lorien losing his mother and only companion and then continuing to live alone in the forest. Why had he not left and moved to Rohan? He was clearly skilled with a sword and she could not imagine that he would have been turned away. She allowed her thoughts to remain just that for now. They had only just met and it would not do for her to intrude on his privacy. She watched as he pulled out his pipe and lit it. Once again she struck by the similarities between Lorien and Aragorn...even in the way he held his pipe.

She politely turned down the offer with a gesture of her hand and contemplated his question. "Well, that is a rather complicated question. I suppose the simplest answer is that I grew up in Rivendell, although I was not born there. From what I have been told, my parents were traveling to Rivendell with a small group of their kin when they were attacked by orcs within the Trollshaws. All were killed except myself. I was told that I was found tucked underneath a bush and the only reason I survived was because I somehow knew to be quiet. I was taken to Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian and in a sense they adopted me. I was raised there and was quite happy until..." she hesitated and a look came over her face as if she was remembering something...something terrible. She looked away for a moment to gather herself before continuing on. "...well...let's just say until something happened and I eventually left. I then traveled throughout Middle Earth alone, until recently finding companionship in a Ranger named Strider. He and I have been working together to stop whatever darkness is coming before it is too late."

Lorien listened as Serethiel told her story. When she mentioned that her kin were killed by orcs and that she alone survived, Lorien began to understand her hatred for orcs a bit more. He had a dislike of them himself, and after hearing what they did to her his own hatred grew somewhat as well. He noticed the odd look that came over her face when she told of how she left Rivendell, and he wanted to know more, and why it affected her so much. Even though he barely knew her, the look she made caused something to stir in him, like he wanted to jump in front of whatever it was that made her feel that way and defeat it. Although he wanted to know more, he knew he had no right to pry, and he didn’t want to cause her any discomfort at having to relive the memory.

When she mentioned the ranger Strider, and how they were working together to stop the growing darkness, that also peaked his interest. What was this growing darkness? He wanted to know what they knew so that he may also fight against it. It was an odd thought for him. Before today he had no interest in the otherside world as a whole. But the embolden orcs today, hearing of this new master, and this growing darkness, he again felt something inside him say that he could no longer remain idle.

So many questions, and so little experience in the etiquette to ask them properly. He took another toke from his pipe, and a distant connection suddenly sparked in his mind. “Lord Elrond? I remember my mother telling me stories of the great wars of the second age, Elrond being one of the heroes of those stories. Is this Lord Elrond a descendant?”

It was a relief to Serethiel when Lorien did not further question her about her time in Rivendell, or what it was that had happened that had caused her to leave. Only a very few knew the truth of what had happened to her. It was not a story that was easy for her to tell as she relived that pain every time she saw an orc. If only Lorien knew that her hatred of those foul creatures went far deeper than just the deaths of her parents. She looked back into the dying flames of the fire as she tried to keep her mind from going back to that horrible place. She could still smell their rancid scent. She could still feel their dirty hands upon her skin. She could still hear her own screams echoing off the cave walls. She felt herself being pulled deeper into the memory, until suddenly the sound of Lorien's voice pulled her back. She heard his question, but it took her a moment to respond as she had to shake the darkness from her.

"They are the same," she finally said. "Lord Elrond is very old. One of the oldest elves in Middle Earth. He was there when the Ring was taken from Sauron's hand."

Lorien had a look for surprise when she mentioned it was the same Lord Elrond from the stories. “Wow, I didn’t realize your kind lived so long.”

He looked over to Serethiel, the dimming fire barely lit her features anymore, though she was still striking, even in this low light. He gave a small smile, “The wonders of elves never cease, it seems.”

He looked into her eyes, still sparkling in the dim light. He wanted to ask more about the coming darkness, but didn’t want to create a darker atmosphere that this forest tended to do on it’s own. Those could be questions for another time. He took another puff from his pipe, watching the yellow and orange embers crackle and pop in the fire before them.

After a minute a turned back towards her again, “I’d like to join you, on this quest to stop the coming darkness. I’m no use to anyone here, but perhaps, with you, I could help.”

Even in the dim light, he took another mental picture of her just then. No painter was ever so skilled to paint something so beautiful. “That is, of course, if you’ll have me.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, “And also, of course, if you promise not to do horrible things to me when you have the time.”

Serethiel settled herself back against a tree trunk. Although she was unaffected by temperature, she pulled her forest green cloak around herself. Her weapons lay on the ground right beside her. They were always either on her person, or within easy reaching distance. Her bow was nothing fancy and was well worn by her hands, but she wouldn't have it any other way. That bow and quiver had been a gift to her by Lord Elrond's twin sons, Elrohir and Elladan, who had been the ones to teach her how to use it. The twins had been her brothers and she missed them terribly. The bow and quiver were her most treasured possessions.

As Lorien spoke again she looked at him. She knew what he was going to say before he even said it. She did not wish to drag anyone into this war, but she felt they could use his help, and if war came then it would be everyone's fight. She wondered how he would react to traveling well beyond his only known home, but then again she had once been in that same position herself. It was not fair of her to judge him on that basis. She was about to speak when he went on to add that he would only come if she promised not to do horrible things to him when she had the time. She couldn't help but smile at that. It was an honest, true smile and she nodded a little.

"I very much doubt I can trust you to just stay here after what has happened. You have shown true skill with a sword and I can tell that your heart is a pure one. If your wish is to come with me then it shall be so." She paused and then took on a much more serious look. "Please understand though that I cannot promise your safety...nor do I know what will happen...or even if we can stop it."

Lorien loved to see her smile. Whenever he thought she couldn’t possibly be more beautiful, she continued to surprise him. His heart was lifted when she said it will be so. As she mentioned that last bit, he nodded. “I understand, I appreciate the warning. Confronting evil is always a dangerous path. I do not fear death. My life never really had any purpose, I just lived one day to the next. If by my life I can do small good in this world, then I would not consider it a waste.”

He leaned back from his sitting position and laid flat on the forest floor, his hands behind his head. He turned his head to the side to look at her, admiring how cute she was all bundled up like that. He realized he was quickly becoming infatuated, constanting admiring her as he was. Still, it was a nice feeling, and he had to take those whenever they came.

His face matched her seriousness for a second, “And if by my life or death I can protect you,” he could no longer hold a straight face, “from falling into any more net traps, I will do so.” He was chuckling by the end of that statement. He knew he shouldn’t provoke her so, but he just couldn’t help it.