A New World

Chapter 4: Not a bow-person

The string on the bow is tight and I pull it a bit back. On the fore piece made of wood I am holding the arrow up with my fingers. The feathers on the back of the arrow tickle between my fingers on the other hand. I am ready for my first try. And nervous as hell. Legolas sat up some piles and they all have an apple lying on the top. This is so corny that I try not to think about what I'm doing. Behind me is Legolas. Close. He is explaining how to shoot the arrow correctly. Apparently he knows his stuff.

"So when you're ready, just release the string." I can feel the tension in his words, and I take a deep breath. Then I let go of the string. The arrow flies quickly through the air and hits a pile. Not an apple but a pile. "Good. I thought you said you, what was it, sucked with a bow?" Legolas is trying to be funny and he actually succeeds. How come when he is always so serious? I wonder for a few seconds, but then it hits me that I've got four more piles to shoot.

I end up hitting no apples. But I only missed one pile. Actually that is way better than I thought I'd do. But still I don't feel comfortable with a weapon. I've never held one in my hands before, and I prefer it that way. But well. I've never talked to an elf before either. Or a King. Or heard of a wizard. This place is just different than my home. And speaking of which, Legolas has just collected all of my arrows and is on his way back to me. Who uses bows these days?

"So that was a good start, Jenna. Try again." He says, suddenly pretty optimistic. I don't understand, because the first try wasn't really a success. He hands over the arrows and I take them and put them in my bag which hangs over my shoulder.

"I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to this. I'm really not a bow-person." I say, hoping that he will let me go, but he just shakes his head.

"You are, Jenna. Or else you wouldn't be here." He looks steady at me. Once again I raise the bow with an arrow ready to be fired. I take my aim on the pile in the middle, and hold back of the arrow close to my cheek. Then I let go of the string and for once the arrow hits the apple. For a few seconds I just stand there. Absorbing the view of the apple lying on ground with my arrow right through it. I'm not used to succeeding so I don't know how to react. The only thing I've ever been good at is to paint. But I don't think they would know what that even is here. Then I start smiling. I actually hit the apple.

"I did it." I mumble with a smile growing wider and wider. "I succeeded." Legolas nods and actually looks relieved.

I didn't hit more apples than that one. And I missed three more piles before he would finally let me do something else. Afterwards I got to decide what to do, and I didn't have to think twice. I wanted to see the woods and the nature here. It is amazing. So now we're walking on a small path south from the center of Rivendell. The trees are bigger than I've ever imagined, there are flowers so colorful that just one of them looks like a small rainbow surrounded by the big green bush. Legolas says this is good cover for the orcs. They apparently come around here now and then because their former leader has been killed by an elf, and they're still angry about it.

"Why would you kill him? I mean, you must have known that hey would get angry." I ask. Very confused, because it really seems normal to just kill people here.

"It's a long story, Jenna." He answers shortly, but I'm actually quite interested.

"I've got time?" Slowly he takes a deep breath before he starts telling.

"There was a war. There was a ring, that contained evil powers, and a hobbit was carrying it, first to Rivendell, but then to Mount Doom, where he destroyed it. A wizard named Saruman made an army to stop him, but didn't succeed, and ended up getting killed, not by elves but by Grima, one of his own. Somehow the orcs ended up blaming the elves - and especially me, because I was there." My brain is working hard to understand everything he is saying. There is a lot of things I don't know about.

"So.. You were there when Saruman got killed?"

"Not on close hand. I was fighting his orcs."

"So you didn't kill him?"

"No. I killed Grima, who killed Saruman."

"That's sick." I don't understand how they can just blame him.

"They're orcs. Orcs aren't very clever. Haven't you ever seen one?" He asks. Is he dumb?

"No of course not. None of this exist where I come from. Only in stories."

"Here orcs are very real, and very dangerous if you don't know how to use a weapon."

"Is that why you insist that I learn to use a bow? To kill orcs?"

"No. To defend yourself."

"But I am not planning on g..." Suddently he raises his bow fast and turns around. Facing a bush on my left. He is calm, but ready. Still I have no idea for what. Orcs?