Elerrina

The Ring of Air

The wind hit her face like sharp cold blades, tossing her hair widely around her, golden strands slapping aggressively at her cheeks, neck and back as they ran fast through the forest. The trees flew past them in a blur of branches and trunks as they maneuvered around them, trying to stay close to the rest of the party, which had started to separate in the chaos of the run, the narrow distance between the trees making it hard to stay together.

Her heart drummed on her chest, the hard beating matching the strong galloping of the horse as Elerrina tightened her hold on Elladan. She could see some of the elves riding to their sides, the figures like dark blurs that appeared and disappeared from her sight, cut every once in a while by the lean shapes of trees that blocked the view. She could not make out any faces, did not know where Legolas was, where Elrohir was. Even the tight group of elves that closely escorted Glorfindel and the unconscious Elf-Lord had been swallowed in the chaos of branches and leaves.

Elladan was leaning forward on the horse to ride faster, his silver eyes narrowed in concentration as his sharp reflexes guided the horse expertly through the labyrinth of trees, turning from left to right at the precise moment to avoid collision.

The air felt chilled, dangerous, as her body seemed to be guided by instinct instead of mind. The high pitched screech of the black-cloaked rider still echoed in the wind, liberating in her a kind of fear she had never felt before, a fear that seemed to sharpen every single one of her senses, making her feel more alert and awake than ever.

Her eyes kept moving from left to right, scanning the flying forest around them, frantically searching for any signs of the black horses, but every shape around them seemed to fade into infinite blackness. It was hard to make out any figure in their fast run, the galloping of the horses deafening her along with the ringing wind.

Vilya cried loudly inside her head, its whispers rising in volume until it became too difficult to ignore them, calling all of her attention. She desperately tried to escape them, to pull away form the loud cries in the strange tongue she could not understand. The blue stone shone brightly now, glowing in a vivid azure at her neck as it cried and screeched in her ears, the sounds merging with the raging wind, which appeared to speak in return.

Tension hung heavily in the air, as her heart drummed widely with anticipation, with maddening fear, but nothing had yet come. Darkness swirled around them, revealing nothing but the expected trees of the moonlit forest. However, the fact that no rider had yet crossed their path did nothing to calm her altered nerves. Had the riders really not found them yet? Or were they following without their notice?

Another cry echoed in the wild wind, sending cold shiver down her back as her head instantly turned in the direction of the sound. It sounded close, to their left, but her eyes found nothing than the dark trees, which flew by in a blur. Her hands gripped tighter to Elladan's middle, her cheek against the soft fabric of his cloak, her body pressed close to his as if her scared mind believed he carried an invisible shield that could protect her from any harm.

She heard Vilya cry out again, the sound so loud it seemed to ring inside her head with an indescribable force, blurring her vision for a moment as the high-pitched sound bounced inside her skull. She could feel it calling to her, whispering loudly, sending a strange sensation through her body, like a strange tingle running through her veins.

Another iced cry. Her heart paralyzed inside her chest. It sounded so close. Too close. She turned her head to the left, gazing slightly behind her and her eyes caught sight of a dark silhouette moving fast between the passing trees, coming in their direction. Elladan's head also moved quickly to gaze behind and she could see his silver eyes now alert, worried under the deep furrow of his brow.