Aravan {A Lord of the Rings Story}

S•I•X

Sorry for the wait! Here's chapter six! I'll try to have chapter seven written and uploaded tomorrow. I will be unable to update as frequently starting Wednesday, since I am starting school. But I promise that I will update when I can. :)

S•I•X

Upon waking the next morning, Blue and Artanis discussed their plans for the next few days.

‘We seem to have come out on the opposite end of where we need to be,’ Blue observed, examining the landscape before him. ‘We are fairly close to Edoras; probably about a day’s journey or so.’

‘How are far are we from Lothlórien now?’

‘About three days walk the opposite way. We strayed rather far from the path.’

Artanis ducked her head. ‘I apologize, Blue. That is my fault.’

‘Oh, no, dear girl. None of this is your fault. You didn’t choose to be taken away by an Ent. We knew the danger upon entering the forest.’

Artanis nodded, but she wasn’t fully satisfied. She couldn’t help but feel partly guilty for their delay. After all, she was the one who wandered away from their camp, even if it only was a few meters. Had she stayed there instead of trying to clear her mind, none of this would’ve happened. But I cannot be sure of that, she thought to herself. I was surrounded by trees. Any one of them could have taken me.

Blue continued to survey the land. Artanis could see the wheels turning behind his eyes as he figured out what to do.

‘I think we should stay here for another day,’ he finally said. ‘It is best that we lay low for a little while longer, and I feel that it would be best to teach you a few combat skills before we move onward. I have a feeling that this final stretch will be the most dangerous of all.’

‘What makes you think that?’ she asked.

‘We have been traveling for some time now, which has given the Black Riders plenty of time to catch up to us. Of course, I am unsure that they are following us for certain, but it seems as they are. Whatever your true identity is, it must be a threat to Mordor if the Black Riders are here. I need to keep you hidden; keep you safe. But I have a feeling that they will be waiting for our entrance to somewhere safe, like Lothlórien or Rivendell.’

Artanis nodded. ‘Then I agree; we should wait here for another day.’

Blue smiled at her. ‘Well then. With all this extra time on our hands, shall we begin your training?’

And so, they did. First, he taught her about stance. Second, he taught her about blocking. Third, he taught about thrusting blows at an opponent. They worked throughout the day: ducking, blocking, stabbing, jabbing, moving, all the way until the sun sank beneath the horizon. Exhausted and sweaty, Artanis slunk back over to the camp and collapsed on the dirt, near her blanket.

‘I…’ she began, ‘have never been…so tired…in all my days of traveling with you.’

Blue chuckled and sat down in a more flattering manner. ‘You did well, my girl. You are not an expert, by any means, but I have faith that you will be able to hold your ground should we be attacked.’

Artanis sighed and looked up at the stars. ‘The idea of that scares me.’

‘Why is that?’

‘Because I was trained fighting against you. You had no intention of hurting me. If we are attacked, they will have every intention of hurting me. How am I to know that I will be able to hold them off?’