Aaron Bopp English 9 I woke up to find myself lying in the nook of a tree root. I could barely see the sky through the branches above me. The forest was quite dank and dark. It was not frightening but there was an ill sense of foreboding that engulfed me. I sat up and looked around me, trying to get my bearing. There was no clear path but the forest was quite open. As I stood up I heard a noise. "Who's there?" It was quiet, not a single sound. "Whoever you are just know that I don't want any trouble." I was not scared but I did not think I could take on a full-sized man. I am a good three foot three inches the last time I checked, and most of my people don't get passed that. "Peace little halfling," the man said as he stepped out from behind a tree. He was clothed in a dark blue cloak covered in dirt. I looked up at his face. It was shadowed, but I could see his eyes. They glowed dark brown out from the shadow of the hood. Beneath the cloak I could see some worn travelling boots and leather trousers, and in his hand he held a staff. It was just a bit taller than he and seemed to be made out of maple, but his voice was the most interesting thing. It rang through the air and hung there for a little after he spoke. It had the warmness of a mother and it made you want to trust the person who had spoken. "Who are you?" I said, "and where am I?" "I am Morinehtar, a wizard you might say, and you are in the great forest called Mirkwood." When he said this his voice changed and became dark and cold like the creaking of a great oak. But it was gone in a second leaving only the goose bumps on my arm "Tell me of yourself," he said. "I am called Adelard... I was travelling through Greenwood the Great." "That is what it was called of old, but now it is infested with evil things. Dark magic has turned it into a spiders den. Come, I will take you somewhere safe." I considered protesting but I did not know where I was, and he seemed to be in no inclination to kill me. "What if we are attacked?" I said. "Don't worry. No one will find us in these woods." We walked for quite awhile not exchanging any words. We travelled by a path that I would not have found myself. The sun shone down through the branches above us, but when I looked past the path, it was not green and golden; rather it was dark, black, and ominous. But I could tell Morinehtar knew this path. "Where do you come from Adelard?" It was this question that brought my predicament to the forefront of my mind, for I did not know how I got here. "It's all so hazy. I don't quite remember now. I believe I used to live by a a great river." "The Anduin perhaps?" "Yes, yes that sounds right. But I must have been on some sort of trip because I think I was very far from home. I was travelling through a forest. This forest! And then I fell into some creek\--" I stopped with a start. That was where my memory ended and I did not know why. "But in those days this forest was still called Greenwood not Mirkwood." "Well little halfling you must have fallen into the arms of that oak a long time ago because this forest hasn't been called green for hundreds of years." With this our conversation ended. I had a great deal to mull over in my mind and Morinehtar seemed content with my story. After a while I asked. "Where are we going?" "My camp is right ahead." He pointed, and we went on for a few steps, but suddenly he motioned for me to stop. "What is it?" I whispered, but he quieted me. We stood there for ages, waiting, not hearing anything. Slowly my companion started to move. "Did you hear that?" he said quietly but no longer whispering. His body tensed, and he sprung about pushing me to the ground. It was then that things started happening that I can still not explain. There were flashes of light and what looked like fire flying through the sky. Morinehtar was moving quicker than I thought a man of his age could. He swung his staff like a sword, deflecting all the projectiles coming at him. It was then that I noticed that the attacker was arrayed in the same garments as my friend. But instead of dark brown eyes beneath the hood they were bright blue, and there was fire in them. "*Get behind me,*" he whispered, pulling me to my feet. "Let this man leave, Sath, he has no quarrel with you or I. He is a simple traveller" "Yes, let him leave so that he can get help from another one of you *Istari!*" She said this last word with such ferocity that I stepped back. I did not know who the Istari were but they certainly did not seem to keep very good company. "He will do nothing of that sort. Let's just talk this out." His voice was calming, and it made me feel strangely at ease but it did nothing to help Sath. "NEVER!" she screeched. With that she took some dark powder and threw it onto the ground. We were engulfed in darkness and I felt a hand on my arm pulling me away. The darkness seemed to go on forever but I kept running with the dark figure ever in front of me. We burst out of the forest into a small clearing. "Who was she?" I said still coughing out the powder I had inhaled. The figure took a moment to respond, but then there came a voice that was not the one of my friend. "I was an... old friend," With that she turned and attacked me. She threw something into my face and I fell into a world of darkness. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ When I awoke I was in a dark chamber, but there was a sliver of light at one end of the room. I crawled over to it and put my mouth to the crack. "Where am I?" I croaked. My throat was dry and broken. "Do you have any water?" There was no answer. I sat for hours waiting at the door looking for the shadow of someone passing by. I was hungry, but it was nothing compared to my thirst. I could barely breathe and the light never changed. I couldn't tell night from day. I couldn't sleep, for I was so parched and I was too weak to move. After what seemed like days upon days, the door creaked open. "Water," I cried. Then a cool glass touched my lips, and I felt a beautiful liquid sliding down my throat. "Thank you." "Do not thank me you rat! Now tell me who you are." Her voice was cruel, and pained. It was as if a sweet voice was wearing a mask to hide it. "Why are you doing this to me?" "Answer the question" "I am just a simple traveller. I was travelling through the forest one day and I slipped into some creek. When I woke up, I was found by Morinehtar" "Do not speak his name," but then she got quiet and said, "he has done me much harm." "Tell me," I said. She sat there and seemed to be mulling it over in her mind. "Why should I tell you?" "I do not know who to trust, and I wish to know your side," I said. This was not quite true, but I did wish to hear what she had to say. It seemed I had been gone a long time and wanted to know more of the world. "Where did you meet Morinehtar?" "We met in the east. I hale from a family that has lived in the Ash Mountains for generations. He was just a wandering traveller, but he did us a favor once, and in return we gave him a home. In the end he became more than just a traveller. He was like a son to my father and even more to me, but he betrayed us. He was to marry me but he ran away. He dishonored my family and for that I was sent to destroy him." She ended her tale so ferociously that I was taken aback for a second, but I could see something else underneath the anger. Something that had been masked for too long. "I have been searching three long years, and I have only recently picked up his trail." "Why do you need me?" "With you I no longer have to search for him ." "What if he can't find us?" "Oh, he will. Now I am done talking. I will bring you food shortly." And so darkness engulfed me again. When I awoke it felt like it had been hours. I found next to me some bread and water. I quickly ate, and it slightly relieved my weakness. I leaned against the door, and it slid open. Perhaps Sath had had mercy on me. I was still not sure of my feet, so I stumbled out of the cold room. I heard shouting from around the corner. As I walked forward, a giant blast of fire blew through and Sath with it. I rushed to her side and picked up her hand. "I can hardly hear her breath." I looked over my shoulder, and saw the man responsible. "Morinehtar why did you do this?" "Come, let us go quickly before she recovers." He said this as if he wasn't even paying attention, like it meant nothing to him. "We can't just leave her!" I protested "She has been hunting me for weeks. She kidnapped you!" "Do not worry." I turned to face Sath. She looked weak, and was just barely sitting up "Neither of you will have to deal with me much longer." Sath held a knife to her throat. It shone in the noon day sun. We were in a small, dilapidated stone courtyard. The sun shined brightly through the trees. Nothing looked familiar. "There is no point in me living any longer. I cannot go back to my family without your head Morinehtar, and there is no way I can kill you." "What! No!" I yelled. "You can't do that Sath, there is so much life left in you." "What is the point? My family shuns me, my lover hates me. I have nothing in this world." "No!" "Let her do it, Adelad. It's her choice." "No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Sath stop this! and Morinehtar, you loved her once. How can you let her destroy herself?" "Adelad, don't you understand? I love her but I can never be with her. The Valar sent me into this world. It was not to become one of them but to save them." "Then save her." I tried to say this as a whisper but it came out a raspy gasp. "No!" Sath screamed bringing the knife to her neck. But with a flick of Morinehtar's staff, it was flung from her hand. "Sath you can't do this," he said. "And though the gods forbid it, I still love you." "Morinehtar, why\--" whimpered Sath but Morinehtar interrupted. "We'll start a new life together where no one can find us." His voice was gaining energy now. "But what about my family, Morinehtar? They will disown me." "Your family? Your family disowned you when they sent you on the quest!" "You're right Morinehtar, but Adelad, will you not join us? Your people are gone and your time is passed. Come with us to start a new life." I started mulling it over in my mind but he was right. I had no home or family anymore. "Yes." The End.