She was running in a maze, everything was black around her. She couldn't see anything around her. It was pure darkness. The air was cold and she was freezing. Somehow, she felt a throbing in her right ankle and she moaned in pain every times she walked too hard on her right foot. She was sweating from her run, she was hungry and cold, but she ran nonetheless.
Suddenly, she felt a peacefull warmth cover her and the dark maze slowly disappeared from around her. She shivered when a warm breeze hit her sweaty skin. She suddenly realized that she wasn't touching the earth any longer. She took the last of her strenght to open her eyes and she groaned in pain.
"Shh," a soft voice whispered. "You're safe now."
She tried to see the owner of the protective's arms, but everything was blury. The only thing she could see was the long blond hair and the glowing light around *it*. She closed her eyes again and grabbed the person's shirt in her fist. She fell asleep once more.
* * *
Legolas looked at the small woman whrapped in his coat. Her hair seemed even brighter in the firelight. She was one curious creature. She had hit him harder than he wanted to admit that same morning near the beach on the west side of the island. At first, he hadn't wanted to run after her. She was just a bunch of troubles. But then, he thought that she was far away from the city and could easily get lost in her way there.
He rested for an hour before taking off after the red haired woman. Following her was easy as she didn't hid her tracks behind her. At night fall, he finally found her. She had fallen into a deep hole and was lucky to not have broken her pretty neck. Her ankle was twisted into an odd angle though.
He had picked her up and found a small clearing in the woods where they could sleep off the night. He had built a fire and craddled the redhead next to him, close to the flames and the warmth. Her forehead was sweaty and she shivered, a sign that she was building up a fever. He touched her skin and hissed. She was too hot.
Willow felt like she was in a dream. She knew she was partly awake, but she could move or see straight. She felt cold and hot at the same time. She shivered when a hand touched her forehead. The same hand then stroked gently her hair. She felt a calming peace take over her mind. She felt safe.
Legolas was worried when he saw her shift in her sleep. She seemed to be in the middle of a nightmare. The fever was making her a bit delirious. He had finally fell asleep when she had woken him up while screaming. He was able to make out some words like "storm", "faith" and "drowning", but the rest was just some muttering. He managed to understand that the ship she was in had apparently sunk and she was probably the only survivor. No wonder she was acting a bit crazy when he found her that morning.
He put a hand on her forehead and she imediatly calmed down a little. He pulled her shivering body in his arms and stroked her back until the dreams stopped and she relaxed in her sleep. Just then did he allow himself to join her in slumber.
* * *
When Willow woke up, the first thing she was aware of were the strong arms around her shoulders. She was surprised when she saw the blond guy she had met... the morning she had woken up on the beach, whenever that was. She remembered falling into a hole and twisting her ankle. Looking down, she saw that her feet were bare and that her right ankle was covered in a green substance.
Gently, she pushed the man's arm away and jumped on one foot to a bush to pee... she just hoped he wouldn't chose that time to wake up. When she jumped back to the small clearing, the blond was starting to wake up and she fought the urge to bolt away. If he was dangerous, he could have let her down that hole.
When Legolas opened his blue eyes, he saw a pair of green ones watching him with curiosity. "I see you're feeling better."
"Hum, yes. Thank you," she said softly, blushing under his gaze. She was quite embarassed to have been caught staring. She jumped toward him.
"You don't have to jump. I've put some elven medicine on your ankle. It should hurt a little still, but you can walk on it with no problem." He nodded to her and she walked to him, limping a bit. "Let me have a look at it."
She jumped when he touched her ankle. She wasn't used to men touching her legs. It was improper for a young lady of her status to let herself be touched there, but with Faith's help, she was used to just ignore the most ridiculous high society's rules. "Thanks for getting me out of the hole," she said suddently.
"I couldn't let you down there. You hit me pretty hard yesterday morning, but it was no reason to let you die. I may be different than you, but I do know the meaning of honnor."
She winced when she understood he was making a reference to when she had called him a freak. "I'm sorry about that. Usually, I'm not so judgemental, but... I wasn't feeling very well."
"I understand. You talked when you slept. I understood enough to know that your ship sunk and that you are alone."
Willow looked down at her hands twisting her skirts, willing the tears back. "I just hope my friends are okay." She looked up and offered him a timid smile. "You know, this conversation is going much better than yesterday morning."
He laughed gently, glad she was already feeling better. She was maybe still sad, but at least, she was willing to forget it and try to grab some hope. "I'm glad you didn't punch me this time. What do you say we head toward civilisation?"
"There's actually civilisation on this island?"
"Yes. Nislynn does have a city, but I'm quite sure it's not one you are used to. If nothing has change since the last time I was on the continent, elven cities are quite differents from human ones. But we should go. We have a long way to go and we may have to stop often not to hurt your ankle. For now, you may holf yourself against me."
* * *
At night fall, they finally saw the lights of the city. Willow gawked at it. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"It's all made of mithril. It glows in the moonlight." He heard shouting coming from the trees straight ahead and he knew that they would have company soon enough. "Guards will arrive soon. I hope your journey through the woods wasn't too exhausting."
"It was perfect, thanks to you, Legolas." After all, the Elf wasn't too bad. He was of much pleasant company than what Willow had expected. She even liked him. She turned around when she heard shouts.
"Stay back, miss. We don't know if she is dangerous."
"Dangerous?! That's my friend you're talking about! Go that way and see if I'm waiting for you.!"
Willow's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Faith!" She ran like she could to the brunette and jumped in her arms, hugging her like there was no tomorrow. "I was so scared you had drowned."
"And you, Red?! You scared me to death when you passed overboard. Are you okay?"
"Except a twisted ankle, I'm fine. Legolas saw to it," she pointed toward the blond Elf and froze when she saw a blond female Elf attached to his neck, checking for wounds. Willow couldn't look away from the sight of the two Elves. A gentle hand shook her.
"Willow?" Faith asked.
"What? I'm okay, I'm okay. Lets go inside, shall we? I'm hungry."
"That much, hun?" Faith said, laughing. "Come on. Follow me. Soon, you won't be able to eat anymore and I'm warning, you may die strangled by Alexander because he's going to hug you until you can no longer breath."
The redhead burst in laugher. She cast a last look at Legolas before following her friend toward the glowing city.
Suddenly, she felt a peacefull warmth cover her and the dark maze slowly disappeared from around her. She shivered when a warm breeze hit her sweaty skin. She suddenly realized that she wasn't touching the earth any longer. She took the last of her strenght to open her eyes and she groaned in pain.
"Shh," a soft voice whispered. "You're safe now."
She tried to see the owner of the protective's arms, but everything was blury. The only thing she could see was the long blond hair and the glowing light around *it*. She closed her eyes again and grabbed the person's shirt in her fist. She fell asleep once more.
* * *
Legolas looked at the small woman whrapped in his coat. Her hair seemed even brighter in the firelight. She was one curious creature. She had hit him harder than he wanted to admit that same morning near the beach on the west side of the island. At first, he hadn't wanted to run after her. She was just a bunch of troubles. But then, he thought that she was far away from the city and could easily get lost in her way there.
He rested for an hour before taking off after the red haired woman. Following her was easy as she didn't hid her tracks behind her. At night fall, he finally found her. She had fallen into a deep hole and was lucky to not have broken her pretty neck. Her ankle was twisted into an odd angle though.
He had picked her up and found a small clearing in the woods where they could sleep off the night. He had built a fire and craddled the redhead next to him, close to the flames and the warmth. Her forehead was sweaty and she shivered, a sign that she was building up a fever. He touched her skin and hissed. She was too hot.
Willow felt like she was in a dream. She knew she was partly awake, but she could move or see straight. She felt cold and hot at the same time. She shivered when a hand touched her forehead. The same hand then stroked gently her hair. She felt a calming peace take over her mind. She felt safe.
Legolas was worried when he saw her shift in her sleep. She seemed to be in the middle of a nightmare. The fever was making her a bit delirious. He had finally fell asleep when she had woken him up while screaming. He was able to make out some words like "storm", "faith" and "drowning", but the rest was just some muttering. He managed to understand that the ship she was in had apparently sunk and she was probably the only survivor. No wonder she was acting a bit crazy when he found her that morning.
He put a hand on her forehead and she imediatly calmed down a little. He pulled her shivering body in his arms and stroked her back until the dreams stopped and she relaxed in her sleep. Just then did he allow himself to join her in slumber.
* * *
When Willow woke up, the first thing she was aware of were the strong arms around her shoulders. She was surprised when she saw the blond guy she had met... the morning she had woken up on the beach, whenever that was. She remembered falling into a hole and twisting her ankle. Looking down, she saw that her feet were bare and that her right ankle was covered in a green substance.
Gently, she pushed the man's arm away and jumped on one foot to a bush to pee... she just hoped he wouldn't chose that time to wake up. When she jumped back to the small clearing, the blond was starting to wake up and she fought the urge to bolt away. If he was dangerous, he could have let her down that hole.
When Legolas opened his blue eyes, he saw a pair of green ones watching him with curiosity. "I see you're feeling better."
"Hum, yes. Thank you," she said softly, blushing under his gaze. She was quite embarassed to have been caught staring. She jumped toward him.
"You don't have to jump. I've put some elven medicine on your ankle. It should hurt a little still, but you can walk on it with no problem." He nodded to her and she walked to him, limping a bit. "Let me have a look at it."
She jumped when he touched her ankle. She wasn't used to men touching her legs. It was improper for a young lady of her status to let herself be touched there, but with Faith's help, she was used to just ignore the most ridiculous high society's rules. "Thanks for getting me out of the hole," she said suddently.
"I couldn't let you down there. You hit me pretty hard yesterday morning, but it was no reason to let you die. I may be different than you, but I do know the meaning of honnor."
She winced when she understood he was making a reference to when she had called him a freak. "I'm sorry about that. Usually, I'm not so judgemental, but... I wasn't feeling very well."
"I understand. You talked when you slept. I understood enough to know that your ship sunk and that you are alone."
Willow looked down at her hands twisting her skirts, willing the tears back. "I just hope my friends are okay." She looked up and offered him a timid smile. "You know, this conversation is going much better than yesterday morning."
He laughed gently, glad she was already feeling better. She was maybe still sad, but at least, she was willing to forget it and try to grab some hope. "I'm glad you didn't punch me this time. What do you say we head toward civilisation?"
"There's actually civilisation on this island?"
"Yes. Nislynn does have a city, but I'm quite sure it's not one you are used to. If nothing has change since the last time I was on the continent, elven cities are quite differents from human ones. But we should go. We have a long way to go and we may have to stop often not to hurt your ankle. For now, you may holf yourself against me."
* * *
At night fall, they finally saw the lights of the city. Willow gawked at it. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"It's all made of mithril. It glows in the moonlight." He heard shouting coming from the trees straight ahead and he knew that they would have company soon enough. "Guards will arrive soon. I hope your journey through the woods wasn't too exhausting."
"It was perfect, thanks to you, Legolas." After all, the Elf wasn't too bad. He was of much pleasant company than what Willow had expected. She even liked him. She turned around when she heard shouts.
"Stay back, miss. We don't know if she is dangerous."
"Dangerous?! That's my friend you're talking about! Go that way and see if I'm waiting for you.!"
Willow's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Faith!" She ran like she could to the brunette and jumped in her arms, hugging her like there was no tomorrow. "I was so scared you had drowned."
"And you, Red?! You scared me to death when you passed overboard. Are you okay?"
"Except a twisted ankle, I'm fine. Legolas saw to it," she pointed toward the blond Elf and froze when she saw a blond female Elf attached to his neck, checking for wounds. Willow couldn't look away from the sight of the two Elves. A gentle hand shook her.
"Willow?" Faith asked.
"What? I'm okay, I'm okay. Lets go inside, shall we? I'm hungry."
"That much, hun?" Faith said, laughing. "Come on. Follow me. Soon, you won't be able to eat anymore and I'm warning, you may die strangled by Alexander because he's going to hug you until you can no longer breath."
The redhead burst in laugher. She cast a last look at Legolas before following her friend toward the glowing city.