Livewire[LOTR]

Chapter nine- Witch and wonder

Chapter nine

Now, I had one of two choices.

Run like a bitch, or show my face and try to explain what I was doing. Both of those options where terrible, but I decided to stand up rather than run. Damn, I was going to regret this. They both stared at me as I crawled from the bush. "Yes?" I ask gruffly, shoving the arrow I had loaded into the bowstring back into the quiver. The princes face tightened as he saw me, even without the helmet on I was easily recognizable from the plated armor coving my chest. "You, you where easedropping!" he roared stalking towards me. "I was passing by." I replied, glaring at him. Naia cooed and jumped over towards me. "You, you.. You!" he snarled waving his hands and stomping his feet like a five year old. The fox woman stared in confusion at him. "Please, Thranduil- calm-" She tried but he spun on her. "This is the guy I was talking about- the one sister defended over me!" The fox woman placed her hand on the elven princes face and ran her hand threw his hair. "Hush." She said, that silenced him to my surprised. "I understand that you are angry, but you should not be angry with this man- he did not do anything wrong." Her words where soft like vanilla tea, they made me want to sleep.

I had to fight myself to keep my eyes open. She turned towards me and let the prince go, he was calm now. "What is your name welp?" She asked. Circling me. "... Iviaan Rath." She continued to pace me, silently. I got a good look at her dress- well coat. It was a fur long and white and a cape like dress covered her body from neck to foot. A white staff was on her back. A witch! Of course.!

~-~-~-~

That god damn, elf? Again. Of course he would be the one to eavesdrop on me, son of a bitch was probably out to get me. I glared at the rider, his features where strangely female. A round face with a soft chin, freckles on his face. Large pale lips and deep-set blue eyes to go with his striking auburn hair. He glared at me, decorated in furs and armor and I glared back while Tova circled him. Tova was a white witch, like the wizards but female. Her real name was Actually Tovella but I'd started calling her Tova because it was easier and the name Tovella didn't really fit her personality. Unlike the Wizards, witches where far and few. Rarely where they shown the same respect as a wizard because most did not realize what they where. Tova was a special case, she had decided to help my father with the war. He of course, did not like the idea of having a witch on his side. They where known.... To be "unloyal" but so far she had only been kind towards me. Unlike wizards, Witches had a mass supply of strange spells. Like her transformation magic. She could become anything she saw, a fox was most common so she was mostly in that form around me. It made it easier to have her around, rather than having a witch trailing me a fox was less "suspicious " according to my father.

Now, this ass knew what she was and I finally had an excuse to gut him. The second we made eye contact in the courtyard was the second I knew I would not like him. Unlike the other recruits whos names I could not remember his one stuck with me. Iviaan Rath. A rider who had caught the eye of my sister, not to mention he looked like a damned woman. He was becoming nervous as Tova stalked around him. "What are you doing out here little rider?" She asked. "Hunting." He said gruffly. My hand went to the blade on my side, tapping the silver surface and waiting for my change to strike. "You have made enemy's, with the prince. You realize?" She whispered. The elf held my gaze, his wild blue eyes flaming. "I realize, but that is not my fault. The prince is a spoiled child." He snarled. "And he best keep away from me else I'll rip his tongue out and feed it to my bird." I was taken aback by his lack of grammar in the angry sentence. He seemed to be slurring words while hissing angrily like a cat in heat. "I'd like to see you try." I growled stalking forward to get face to face with the elf boy. He was shorter then I'd expected, and his scent was surprisingly sweet...? Like, warm milk and honey. He launched back from me and with the blink of an eye an arrow was pointed at my armor. "Say when." He growled. I drew my sword as he released the bow string. Time seemed to slow as my sword came up and hit the very back of the arrow moving it from its trajectory. It hit just above the weak point in my armor.

Tova snatched our hands in hers. "Stop this. You fools, you'll both kill eachother." She growled, pushing the rider away from me. "Return to camp recruit, do not let us catch you again." She ordered. He cast a final angry glare at me before mounting his eagle and taking off with a burst of air. "Son of a bitch." I snarled. Tova looked over at me. "Just Because you don't like him doesn't give you an excuse to get yourself killed." I furrowed my brow. "Me killed? You mean HIM killed." I snorted. She touched my shoulder. "You are a prince, soon to be king. You cannot act like that. You will loose the ones who believe in you." She said. I nodded, her words flowing into me like soft silk. She had a way of calming me down. "I know, I'm sorry." She smiled then a fox replaced her form. The white creature nodded to me and I started to head back towards the palace. I passed the eagle roosting trees, I knew he was up there but I would not give him the satisfaction of looking up.

Subjects and warriors bowed to me as I passed. I pushed open the wooden doors and retreated to my room. My sister trailed me. "Your still angery?" She asked. I scowled back at her without a word. "Yes. Leave me be." I growled. Stepping into my room and slamming the door in her face. I would not be undermined by anyone, ever. Not even my own sister. I changed and crawled into my bed. The last thing I remembered before I slept was the scent of that elf... Milk and honey.

-~-~-~-~

I sat in the tree with Naia and watched the prince enter the palace. Oh how I would love to stick an arrow in his face, but I suppose I would have to learn to live with his putrid existence. The fires slowly went out below me as darkness claimed the land. Silence plagued the camp and palace halls. No one moved, aside from the silent guards that watched over the sleeping world. Peaceful silence, I loved it. The quiet solitude. Naias quiet breathing slowly lulled me to sleep, I dreamt of my family and my fathers- but the scent of the prince filled my nose.