The King's Daughter

Chapter 5

She was in a forest, but she did not feel complete. Denali looked down at her hands, but saw nothing but a wisp of air. She was a wisp of air. Nothing but a simple cloud. She tried to walk, but found that she could float. It was defiantly something to get used to.

“Denali . . .”

Denali whipped her head around, but saw no one.

“Legolas . . . why?” She heard her own voice.

Denali heard the voices from just around a tree, so she floated over to where the voices were located. She went around the tree, and froze.

With Legolas, was her!

But how? Denali was confused, but decided to watch. Legolas and ‘Denali’ were standing under a canopy of lanterns that were hanging from multiple tree branches. Legolas was wearing a traditional elven suit, and around his head was a silver band that looked like a woven branch. Denali was simple silver dress, with long sleeves and a gold band around her elbows. Her hair was untouched and fell down her back.

Denali’s hands were in Legolas’, and he was looking at her with a troubled expression

“We can’t stay here, Denali,” Legolas was saying.

“Why not? I do not want to leave. I feel safe here, and I’m happy.” The other Denali said.

“Denali, please. All I want is for you to be happy, and I’m willing to do anything for that, but trust me when I say that is not safe.”

“Why can’t you tell me the straight truth instead of talking in riddles?” She wrenched her hands out of his and started to walk away.

“Denali, come back here. NOW!” He yelled.

Denali froze in her tracks. She turned back to look at him, and then ran back into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, but did not look happy. He looked over her head and right into the eyes the ghost Denali.

Legolas smiled evilly, and pulled out a deadly looking dagger.

It was her own!

“Legolas what are you—“Denali was saying.

But Legolas drove the dagger into Denali’s back. She let out a strangled gasp, and went limp in Legolas’ arms. When he looked at ghost Denali again, it was Saurman’s face in place of Legolas’.

“This is what is to come if you do not come to me by sunrise on the fifth day from now. Come alone to Isengaurd. There, we shall talk my dear Princess.”

He threw the dagger at her and she tried to move out of the way, but she was too slow . . .

~~~

Denali woke with a jolt and with beads of sweat on her forehead. She was breathing heavily, and the blankets were thrown off. There was someone in the room. She could tell by the sound of a breath that was not hers.

She rolled over to see who it was, and screamed as pain shot through her side.

Denali looked to see what was causing her pain, and screamed again, but less loud. Her dagger was about two inches in her side, with the two points digging into her back, poking a rib. The bed was slowly spreading with blood—her blood.

Legolas was at her side in an instant –that’s who was sleeping- and grabbed the hilt of the dagger. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

She nodded as Gimli came into the room then. Legolas yelled something to him, but Denali did not hear what it was. She realised with a shock that she could not hear anything. She tied to say Legolas’ name, but no sound would emit.

Legolas looked at her again, and said something, but she only saw his lips moving. Then she felt a hot pain rip through her entire body. Denali let out a piercing scream. She heard herself scream, and then all sound came rushing in through her ears.

She felt a bit of relief, but that was soon erased by fresh pain. Gimli now had clothes and bandages and there more dwarfs with him. Then something cold was pressed to her side.

“Denali . . . stay wake, Denali!” Legolas was saying, his voice fuzzy. Her vision was blurring, and soon all she could see was a black sky, filled with stars . . .

End Part 1 . . .