The Quest

Chapter IV

So, Chapter 4! Two uploads in one day, I think you should fall over and worship at my feet :D

Or you know... voting and commenting would be a nice present instead... :P

Chapter IV

As soon as the sunbeams began to trickle through the thick canopy and the elves could run without fear of harming themselves they did; covering extensive ground, the leagues falling away beneath their fleet feet, their hair whipping out behind them as they ran, leaping over the occasional log and stream which lay in their way, in vain attempts to slow them down.

Very quickly they settled into a rhythm, their feet pounding the earth and their breathing slowing down and deepening, allowing them to run for days without stopping. As they Anamaia's thoughts wandered, dwelling on her reception by her mother, and the mountain stranger's words. She dismissed his odd messages as random ramblings, and focused instead on what Gaea could possibly want her to do, and why it involved having to go back to Sifalath, because there was no doubt, if Gaea really was watching them, then she must have orchestrated Anamaia's discovery as part of her plan. 'If it involves more travel, I will not be happy. I don't want to have come all the way back from Carrahill only to have to travel all over Braithe to fulfil Gaea's instructions,' Anamaia thought to herself, nimbly dodging a low-hanging branch. As they ran, her thoughts continued on in never-ending circles, as if they were caught in a whirlpool, always drawn back irresistibly to the same things and ideas, turning them over and over as if trying to decipher a meaning from anything, like a smooth stone is turned over in your hand.

They kept on until nightfall, when they slowed down marginally their strong eyes still providing enough information to allow them to keep going, but the substantial leafy covering overhead preventing enough moonlight from the waxing moon reaching them to stop them from continuing to run at the punishing pace that they had set during the day. Eventually they arrived at a miniscule clearing, nothing more than a small grassy space with an ancient rock standing alone in the centre, like a lone soldier after a battle. Ellaime directed Anamaia to the rock and, halting for a while, they each retrieved some bread, water and cheese from their bags, which were strapped to their backs and hurriedly ate the plain meal.

"Webh've shmabde bood gime I tshinkt," Ellaime mumbled through a mouthful of bread.

Anamaia looked at him puzzled, "I'm sorry I had absolutely no idea what you just said; that was disgusting."

Ellaime swallowed quickly, red painting his face as he repeated, "I think we've made pretty good time, we'll probably reach Deheyol in three days, maybe one and a half if we can keep going at this pace."

Anamaia turned away confused. On one hand she did want to get back, she wanted to know what Gaea wanted, she wouldn't mind seeing her mother again and she was getting bored of travelling, she had already been going for about three weeks by foot before she had been forced into returning with Ellaime, which added up to almost a month of travelling just to get from Sifalath past the mountains and back again, albeit going south from the capital and around the bottom of the Eirabails. However on the other hand, she also didn't want to know what Gaea wanted and she was nervous that it would be tough, as the birdman had said, what Gaea wanted was never easy; she was also apprehensive of seeing her mother again, and she didn't want to know what her reception by the general Duine population would be.

"Sounds good, travelling is wearing me down," she said, a fake smile pinned on her face as her thoughts jumbled around, fighting for space. Having finished her scanty meal she stood up fluidly, packing away her bag and swinging it up over her shoulders. She rested her foot on the abandoned rock and tightened up her left boot, it had been irritating her for a while but she hadn't been able to stop and fix it until now, then stared up at the stars while she waited for Ellaime to finish, watching them as they winked down on the world below from their velvet carpet like benevolent gods. She was roused from her stargazing as Ellaime tapped her on the shoulder, startling her and making her jump - she had been totally engrossed in the sky, lost in the stars as they flickered.