Ashes ⇝Legolas

†12†

CHAPTER TWELVE
POISONED

Nesryn passed a circle of shadow beneath dried leaves that had began to turn black under a growing shadow of danger the world had faced and trees whose tree branches lay interviewed, too heavy to be held upward anymore. At her front nothing was to be seen, no houses, no crops, no men— only trees and trees that as if went so far there would be no other side of that woods.

She was at the back, the last of her companions leading further beneath a fading glint of rather orange sun, soon that had left as tree branches cut its orb out of her sight and put a state of a type of cold air travelling down her poorly protected arms— Nesryn felt as if her fire could no keep her warm any longer, not like it did during the passing of Caradhras as it decayed within her veins. She shuddered.

Tingling sweat dropped down her paler than usual forehead, which made her two blue eyes visible from miles and miles away. Nesryn's being was utterly cold, shaky no matter that they spent quite some time walking, it was as if she suddenly could not feel a single trace of anything warm; nor the sun through foliage, nor her cloak, nothing— she was as cold as ice, in true words meaning.

"Are you feeling alright?" Legolas swept to a stop next to Nesryn, still hadn't he noticed her paleness or at least she hoped he hadn't.

"Yes," She lied, answering rather quickly. "Why do you insist on worrying so much?" She continued with a partial disbelief, her steps cutting over leaves and twigs.

The Elf did not answer immediately, perhaps he had been caught of guard with a question like that. "We swore to protect Frodo, correct?" He said afterward, as Nesryn nodded in answer. "We do need to care and protect each other as well. Perhaps that is why."

Legolas kept his gaze firm on the passage of tree branches, lingering each passing second longer on the sight of Nesryn beside him as it from moment to moment dropped there, left the woods to be at certain peace. "You lied, didn't you?" He said in question.

Nesryn blew off some air, turning to just briefly catch his blue eyes on hers. "So, am I suppose to admit it?" She said urgently. "Because yes, I am feeling tired. It will pass, do not worry."

Legolas however, did not look convinced at all, for he had seen many battles and poisonings of which some rather showed the same signs as Nesryn— yet he did not want to be of any further inconvenience to her, to be considered rather pushy of that subject so in the end, just as he realised Nesryn was too stubborn, he left the subject alone. Mildly unsatisfied for he had only wanted to help her, yet as she assured him it was all fine he was rather forced to believe so, despite the obvious and lack of proving the same to her.

"Stay close young Hobbits! They say a great sorceress lives in this woods, an Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again." Gimli cautiously looked around himself.

"Well, here is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox—" Gimli would have continued, if it were not for bow and arrows nocked to point  directly at his head. Legolas did the same, rising his weapon in protection at surrounding Elves.

"A Dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." An Elf stepped forward, his hair as if made of gold and tone which he had used to insult Gimli slow, only the power he held dripped from it. He stared the Fellowship over, eyes readjusting on Nesryn in the back that with certain amount of disbelief, only to find her glaring— she was shaky and rather pale, yet still she managed to appoint him with a look like that. "You brought her to our land." The Elf trailed off, for he had recognised Nesryn immediately and recoiled to his previous position at the beginning, between to elves with bows pointed to Gimli's head.