Daughter of a King

Chapter 4: The Hidden Bush

(Arulla's P.O.V.)

We rode on and on, going deeper and deeper into the forest, the orcs high on our tail. Trees and bushes surrounded our every side. the branches that scraped my face stung me, I reached my hand up to my cheek and I saw a little bit of blood on my finger tips.

"Uh-Oh." I said quietly to myself.

As we rounded a corner, it gave us a moment to catch our breath. my mother looked behind us and she had a worried look on her face. I looked up,

"Amad? Are you alright."

Before she could answer, she quickly grabbed my waists and lifted me off of the pony and set me down on the ground.

I looked up, "Amad, what are you-"

"I want you to run into those bushes and not come out for anything do you hear me?" I shook my head in response,

"Yes, but Amad, what about you?" She smiled and lifted her pack from her shoulders and gave it to me.

"I'm going to lead them away from you, so you can get away safely. I'll come back if I can, I promise."

I whimpered, "And if you don't?"

My voice was breaking as I tried to hold back tears. She got off her pony and ran to me and embraced me one last time. She kissed my head,

"If I don't make it back to you in time, then find a way to get to Rivendell, they will give you a home there. Because when I was lost, they gave me one." I nodded to show her that I understood.

A blood curdling screech pierced the silence, I held my mother tighter, refusing to lose her as well. She pried my fingers from her dress, and quickly mounted her pony. I looked up at her with fear in my eyes. She just smiled back at me and reached into her pocket, and pulled out a dwarven dagger and reached out her hand to give it to me. When I took it, she quickly turned her horse around and was about to run off.

"Amad..." She looked back at me, "... Will I ever see you again?"

"What does your heart tell you Arulla?"

I stared at the floor, "Yes."

She smiled,"Then we shall meet again, someday. Now get back into those bushes and don't come out until it's safe! Go!"

She pushed me into the bushes, and I quickly looked up to see her say,

"I love you my daughter."

And then she rode off. A tear escaped my eyes as I tried to focus on what to do.

"Hide in the bushes, right!"

I hid deeply into the bushes, I covered myself with leaves, mud, and dirt. I heard the noises getting closer, I lie still and I hear them so clearly. The orcs rush past me, only taking notice of my mother's galloping pony. I held my breath until they were all gone. I heaved a sigh of relief and I make a small pillow from the leaves and drift off to sleep, hoping that when I wake, my mother will be with me once again.

When I wake up its almost dusk, and my mother is nowhere to be seen. I quietly call her name, but no one answers. I call out again, nothing. Then I realized that she was never coming back, and I was all alone. My father, my mother, my home, were all taken from me the day after I turned 20. Wow, what a gift from Mahal. I crawled back into my pile of leaves and slowly cried myself to sleep. The moment I woke up, I inched my way to the edge of the Greenwood and I looked at my burnt home. The front gate was crumbled and sealed, no man would be able to fit. I cried so hard. I looked up at the crumbled door again I sniffled and wiped my tears away.

I remembered my mother's words,

"If I don't make it back to you in time, then find a way to get to Rivendell, they will give you a home there."

I nodded in consent, "I must make it to Rivendell."

I told myself. I started walking the other way, walking away from the mountain, with my eyes planted firmly at the ground as I walked. I never saw the man in front of me until I walked right into him. the man was quite taller than me. He wore a grey-hooded cloak, and a tall grey hat. He had a staff in his hand, but I saw no weapon on him. The man turned around and looked into my eyes.

"Oh, Pardon me. Oh- Well hello there little one. Where are you off too?"

I just stared at the man, I was too afraid to speak. The old man smiled,

"Maybe I should introduce myself first, my name is Gandalf the Grey." I nodded, indicating to him that I understood. He just continued to look at me,

"...And your name is?"

I shook my head no, because I didn't want to tell him my true name, that might put me in trouble, so I stayed silent. Gandalf laughed,

"Well then, I guess i'll just give you a name shall I?" A smile stretched wide across my face. I nodded vigorously.

"Alright. Alright. How about Aranel? Its Elven for "Princess". Does that name suit you?" I nod and my smile gets bigger.

"Can you help me find a way to Rivendell? My mother... She told me to go there if anything happened." I finally said.

The old man just looked at me, "And where's your mother now?" I bowed my head, tryiing to fight back tears.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. But in answer to your question, yes. I can take you to Rivendell. Swiftly and safely as a matter of fact." I raised my head,

"How soon can we leave?" I asked.

Gandalf chuckled, "Well we can leave right now if that's what you want." I laughed, "Yes! Yes, please!"

I grabbed my pack from the forest and came out to see Gandalf astride an enormous eagle, and another eagle was at it's side.

"These are very good friends of mine, and they have agreed to help us get to Rivendell."

I sqeeled joyfully and hopped onto the eagle by Gandalf. I look to my hand as I grasp the eagle's feathers. I gasp, my ring... It's gone. I search the ground around me as I frantically search for it.

Gandalf looked at me curiously

"What are you looking for?" He asked. I looked down sadly,

" My ring. My aquamarine ring. It was a gift, from my father on my twentieth birthday."

"And how old are you now?"

"20."

"Where is your father?"

I shook my head, and Gandalf sighed,

"I'm sorry but if you wish to reach Rivendell by dawn tomorrow, we nust leave now."

I nodded sadly. He kicked the sides of his eagle and the eagle flew off.

"Follow him please. To Rivendell!"

And my eagle flew off. I looked back at the wood, somewhere in that forest lay my ring. The last thing I have of my father is now gone.

I lay my head on my eagle's back and sofly cry myself to sleep. But we were on our way.

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Aranell is pronounced- Are-a-nell

Amad~ Dwarvish for 'Mother'