I Will Always Come Back

Chapter 8

When I woke the following morning, I saw the sun just starting to rise in the distance. Míreth was still keeping watch, and hadn't woken anyone up yet. I walked over to her. She started when I touched her shoulder as I sat down, but she didn't pull away. "I didn't know you were awake," she said.

"I didn't know you liked watching the sunrise," I told her. Míreth laughed quietly, her tinkling voice filling the air around her. Then, she looked over to me, her eyes like sapphires as she stared into mine. I don't know if it was just more, or if she was getting closer, leaning in towards me. Soon, we were only inches apart. Then, we heard Arnos's voice.

"Get a room, lovebirds," he said in his deep, calming voice. I blushed and instantly turned away, and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Míreth do the same.

"I should wake Gandalf and Tauriel," she said. As she walked away, I could tell she was still blushing. I didn't know what came over me. One minute, I'm talking to Míreth as her friend, and the next... I didn't know what to say. She's out of bounds. She wasn't royal. She wasn't one of the High Elves. She was a warrior, plain as that. Besides, my father would never agree. Not that I truly cared. It was just the thought of confessing to my father that I loved somebody who he thought wasn't good enough for me. He would either banish her, or forbid me to talk to her. The latter seemed the worst for me. Knowing the person I loved was right next to me, but I wouldn't be able to talk to her, only look at her, keeping all emotion out of my eyes, as my heart wanted me to run over to them and confess my feelings to them.

I shook my head. No, I had to keep these thoughts out of my mind. This wasn't about women. This wasn't about love. This was about the Ring. This was about defeating Sauron the deceiver. This was about the fate of this world. After that, no matter how long it took, I would be able to worry about the other things. The little thing. The unimportant things.

I got up and ate a bite of Lembas bread with the other four, then put out the fire that had somehow stayed alight the whole night. After that, we packed our things and started walking again.

As the sun started to move across the sky in the morning, I realized that Tauriel was walking beside me, copper hair glowing like fire in the morning sun, contrasting so nicely with her vivid green eyes. I felt myself wanting to go talk to her, but then thought to myself that she was out of bounds, too. No matter her high status, she was only a warrior, as with Míreth. But the sun shone on her hair perfectly, and walked over to her anyways. "The mountains are getting close," I said, putting a nervous tone into my voice instead of a lovesick one. As I switched the tones, I realized I loved her, too. Why does love have to be so complicated?

"Yes," she replied, and then paused, but I could tell there was more. After waiting a moment, she decided she wanted to tell me. "It's just another sign that things are changing in this world. Terrain, evil, good... Love," she added as an afterthought. Then, she looked at me with that same look in her eye, and I still couldn't figure out what it was. It was probably obvious, but I was just so dumb I couldn't understand it, even after what she just said.

I didn't respond for a moment. I just enjoyed the fact that it was a beautiful day and I was walking with the woman I loved. Wait, wasn't the woman I loved Míreth? No, I loved them both. No, I can't love them both. In fact, I can't love either of them. It would hurt too much to leave them. Also, I would be too vulnerable with someone I loved wandering around. Enemies could use that against me.

Just as I was finishing that thought, I heard a clank from the left, not too far off. It sounded like armour. I looked towards the source of the noise, and saw Orcs - about a hundred of them. And they were heading straight toward us. I pulled out my bow and fit an arrow into it. Letting out a slow, steadying breath, I loosed the arrow, killing the Orc in the front of the group. When the rest of the group saw me do this, they did the same, over. And over. And over. Until the Orcs finally reached us. Then, we pulled out our close-range weapons.

I slashed and stabbed and sliced. It was a frenzy of killing and defending. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, all the Orcs were dead. I looked around at the rest of my friends: Gandalf, Arnos, Tauriel, and - wait, where was Míreth? I looked around the battlefield. No Míreth, which I guess was a good thing. I looked onto the horizon and saw a few Orcs which we must have let get away. They seemed to be carrying something - a struggling, tied-up something.

"Míreth!" I said out loud. I looked to the rest of the group. "We have to go get her," I ordered, but then realized how childish I sounded, and added, "We have to stick together if we want to get anywhere!"

The group eyed me warily. Then, Gandalf finally said, "I fear we don't have the time."

I looked at him incredulously. "We never got a precise date we had to be there! Besides, it would only take a couple days." When he still didn't appear convinced, I insisted, "We can't just let her die! What would that make me, the Prince of Mirkwood? I would be known as the Prince who left an elleth to die!"

Gandalf seemed to struggle with himself, then he gave in. "Fine," he said, "but we will not risk our lives for a small hope we do not know exists. The Orcs could be taking her straight to Isenguard itself, or even Mordor."

Satisfied with this answer, I smiled. It wasn't a warm, comforting smile, or a cold, unfriendly smile, but a determined smile. "Let's hunt some Orc," I told them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hey guys!

Sorry this chapter is so short, but I have an extreme case of writer's block. However, I really wanted to give you a new chapter and a plot twist because it's probably getting boring now. But thanks for pushing through to get to this! I promise a longer chapter next time to make up for it.

Lots of love,

12Lyster12