Livewire[LOTR]

Chapter Thirteen- Chase

Chapter thirteen

"Awake" A snarl greated me, I felt. Tired. Sore. Like something large was sitting on me. Cold lapping at my feet and hands. I  twitched, I felt... drained. As the memories trickled back into my skull I rolled upward. Trying to remember where I was. A guard stood before me. His long brown hair and green plated armor gave away his position. I rubbed my leg, finding it was armor less and bandaged. "W-Where am I..." I muttered. Remembering flashes of blood and the sword threw the princes chest. I choked on my breath for a moment as it call came together. I was in the palace dungeons. Being sentenced to death, for murdering the kings son. The guard yanked me up off my feet. "The king wishes to speak to you." I gulped, well attempted to. My mouth was dry, I didn't know how long I had been down here. A few days, weeks... months maybe? I'd never been in the palace so to keep my mind off my impending doom I attempted to study the beautiful stone designs. Trees grew within and out of the walls. Plants lined every floor. The guard dragged me by my arm. Threw halls, I saw woman and maids. Guards by each door. Down the huge hallway a door hidden between two huge trees that curled over the wooden frame, I guessed the throne room was behind it.

  The doors where opened on the other side and a huge throne room met my gaze. Trees and vines where the walkways, the palace was built into a tree!? Woah... I marveled at the beautiful structure. I heard a childs laugh and glanced up, a little boy crawled threw the vines and leafs above me. On the throne sat the king, his hand tapping against the wooden throne that was a series of vines and branches on the tree. His hands folded into a triangle like shape as he saw me. His thin fingers tapping one at a time. Like a villain from a childs story book. The guard dragged me up to the throne and let go. Bowing and leaving without a word. The king waited for the guard to leave, giving me time to observe the elven king fully.

His ears where pointed back, longer then I had expected. His hair long and blonde, however immortal signs of age where visible on his face. His eyes crystalline blue. A crown of wood sat on his head and green and gold armor on his body. The door slammed and he took a breath. "Do you know why you are here, rider?" he asked. My gaze faltered. As the king stood, slowly. I heard his footsteps coming down from the slightly elevated throne. He grabbed my face, squeezing it with his ringed fingers. Pinching my skin between the metal and gold on his thin fingers.

His hot breath tickled my face as he got closer, without a second his hand rose and I felt a sting on my face knocking my head sideways and making me feel lightheaded. "You... You could have killed my son!" he roared "I wanted him to prove his worth, but instead he was bested by... you! Yo-" he paused, spinning back around to face me. "I would, execute you myself but... I think I have a better idea." A wicked grin spreads across his face, evil glittering in his blue eyes. "You'll be sent into an Orc hive with a stick, string and rusted dagger." He snapped his fingers and the items appeared. "If you live, you may return... if you die. Well." He chuckled as two guards grabbed me snapping handcuffs onto my hands.

I was dragged out of the hall backwards. Outside two horses waited with a jail card behind,  I saw Naia a chain around her beak and she was pinned to the ground by ropes. The bird screeched in anger as she saw me being hulled off. I gripped the weak weapons in my hands. I would have to find a way to escape, if I tried to fight all the orcs I would surely be gutted. I was tossed into the back of the caravan and listened to the riders mount there horses. Soon we the only thing I could hear outside the carriage was the horses hooves and the sound of the ash and dirt squishing under them. It stopped and I lurched forward, the door opened and I was yanked out looking up at a huge orc stronghold. I felt the blood drain from my face as they un-cuffed me. I knelt there looking up at the stronghold. Breathing inwardly quietly, getting up as I saw torches lighting the ash and dirt. It was dark, it was possible for me to get away. Maybe.

I started running without a second thought. Up the ash hills away from the entrance. I could feel them after me, of course. Running would be to easy. They could smell me. I removed the dagger from my belt and glared back. There where only two scouts. Racing up the side of the ash hill. I had the element of surprise, perhaps one of them would have a bow on them. They never said I couldn't steal. I lurched forward the rusted dagger coming in contact with the flesh of the first scout. It attempted to screech but my hand covered is slobbering mouth. Disgusting. I thought as I stabbed it again, blood spurting onto my hand.

I searched its body and found an orcish sword, but no bow. The sword would do a better job then this shitty dagger. I tossed it forward, into the sand and ash. Moving towards the rustling sound. The second scout had a torch. So I had to stay in the shadows around it. A torch was good for a forested area, not here. It would limit his ability to see because of the brightness in one area. It would have been easier to spot me if he had just gotten rid of it. I spotted a bow with a set of arrows on his back and smiled. The thing could smell me, but it couldn't locate me. I jumped forward when it was facing the wrong way, digging my blade into  its back. It screeched and I winched. "Oh.. shit." The second its yell entered the air I could feel the ground tremble with the marching orcs. I snatched the bow and arrows from its body and started running. They would catch up with me quickly if I didn't think of something.