{"id":656,"date":"2019-09-26T17:46:05","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T17:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/matrixwriting.net\/fanfiction\/?p=656"},"modified":"2026-01-08T19:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T03:45:18","slug":"chapter-twenty-one-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/2019\/09\/26\/chapter-twenty-one-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Twenty-One – Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Birds twittered\noverhead, spreading their happiness through the leaves. Faint rays of new\ndaylight filtered down to the forest floor from overhead, painting it in\ndappled colors. All was peaceful as the sun rose over the Great Forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin walked,\nhalf asleep, leading her horse behind her. Her feet found the faint path that\nshe followed, but she was aware of little else. Only her constant motion kept\nher awake \u2013 she would have fallen asleep long ago if she had remained in the\nsaddle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Great Forest\nwas split in two by a mighty river, the Ans Aras, which widened to nearly a\nmile across at certain points. It curved, like a bent bow, pointed towards the\nEast, and the unknown lands that lay there. Within its curve, the elves had\nmade several villages. Most were within the bounds of the trees, though two, to\nthe far north and south, were in the fields next to the forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading out of the\nfarthest east of these villages was a rough path, leading to a bridge, grown\nfrom the roots of two trees. The path continued on the other side, and was said\nto lead to where Eltuthar resided. Having crossed the bridge, it was on this\npath that Ilrin now slowly plodded, trying to stay awake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She forced\nherself to open her eyes yet again. She had to stay alert. She couldn\u2019t delay,\nnot only because the council\u2019s army could have set out already, but also\nbecause if she stopped, the wolves were bound to find her instantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few elves\nventured this deep into the forest, for beyond the Ans Aras was the wolves\u2019\ndomain. Try as they might, the elves could not eradicate them, and they roamed\nthe woods, ready and all too willing to capture or kill any elf that came to them.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin shuddered\nat the thought of what they might do if they found her. It was said that the\nwolves, masters of the trees and keepers of the forest, knew of a plant, that\nwhen brewed properly, could drain an elf of his power, leaving him weakened and\nunable to use magic. Magic was the one thing that the wolves feared, and\nwithout it, an elf had little hope against them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When an elf was\ncaptured, the wolves would usually drug him with the brew, and then take him\nback to their village. There, he might wait for months until a young wolf was\nready to join the pack on a hunt. Then, to prove himself, the wolf would slay\nthe elf in combat. There were rumors of worse things the wolves had done\nthough, things that it frightened Ilrin just to think about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A faint hiss, a\nsoft rustling behind her, caused her to turn, bringing her horse to a stop. She\nscrutinized the foliage behind her, but the only thing that moved was a small\nleaf, stirring gently, as if in a breeze. However, Ilrin felt no breath of wind\non her cheek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The forest was still;\neven the birds had stopped their happy singing. Ilrin frowned. That was never a\ngood sign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncertain, she\ndrew her sword and took a tentative step towards the tall bush from which the\nsound had come. Nothing met her eyes. She took another step forward, and peered\naround the trunk of a tree which grew close to the bush, scanning the forest\nbeyond for signs of life. A squirrel dashed away up a tree, but nothing else\nmoved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then she felt\nit. Hot breath materialized on the back of her neck, and she felt more than\nanything something large, something shaggy, behind her. Without a second\nthought, she somersaulted forwards, just as the wolf\u2019s teeth clenched down on\nwhere she had stood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin whipped\nabout, turning to face the wolf. He was at least a good foot taller than she, standing\non two legs, and strongly built. His rough dark brown fur was flecked with\nstreaks of black, and his red eyes glinted evilly at her. His mouth formed a\nsnarl, and in an instant, he leapt after her, claws outstretched, mouth open,\neager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin had time\nonly to duck as the wolf came crashing down. She struck out with her sword at\nhim, and thought she felt it meet flesh, but was unsure. \u201cEser, cirith imil!\u201d\nshe cried to her horse, which had backed away at the sight of the wolf. No one\nknew why, but all creatures seemed to understand the ancient elven speech. It\nwas odd, but came in handy. Her horse turned and bolted away down the path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin arose,\nkicking the wolf back down as he struggled to do the same. This was no easy\ntask, as he was far heavier than she was, and she felt a twinge in her foot as\nit struck the wolf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though she knew\nit would pain her foot further, she then dashed after her horse, willing\nherself to go faster. The horse slowed ever so slightly as she approached, and\nshe leapt lightly into its saddle, flattening herself against its neck. Her\nleft foot throbbed painfully, but she ignored it as she felt the wind race past\nher. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

She could hear\nthe wolf crashing after her, persuing her with bloodlust in its eyes, but she\ndared not look behind her. She had heard far too often of an elf subdued by an\nambush from the front when he looked back. Wolves were masters of subtly, and\nit was never wise to underestimate them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her horse turned\npast a thick tree, and Ilrin had barely a moment to see a small clearing ahead.\nThe path led through the clearing, and then up a steep outcropping of rock,\nhigh into the mountains. It was not this that drew her gaze, however. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing at the\nhead of the clearing, guarding the path, stood an elf. He raised his head as\nIlrin thundered down upon him, his eyes widening, and rolled out of the way\njust in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snorting,\nIlrin\u2019s horse came to halt upon the mountain path, eyes wide with fright. Ilrin\nturned in her saddle just in time to see the wolf dashing, not after her, but\nin the opposite direction, his tail between his legs. One look at the elf was\nenough to see why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She could see,\nas he got back up and faced her, the red emblem etched onto his armor. He was a\nDark Elf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither Eltuthar\nnor his followers permitted the elves of Eld\u2019rin to come to their sanctuary,\nthough it happened in reverse often enough. The penalty for trespassing was\nusually a barrage of spells to chase the elf out, unless he brought a message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin swiftly slid\nfrom her horse as the Dark Elf approached her, blade drawn and glinting in the\nsun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat business\nhave you here?\u201d he said, his voice sharp and rough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin looked up\nat the elf; he was nearly as tall as the wolf had been. \u201cI must speak with Eltuthar,\u201d\nshe said, willing her voice to remain steady. \u201cI bring him word from Felnir.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elf\nscrutinized her for a few painful seconds. Then, sheathing his sword, though\nhis look was still dark, he said, \u201cVery well. Follow me. But I warn you, if you\nattempt anything that you should not\u2026\u201d he left the sentence hanging, fingering\nthe hilt of his sword. \u201cYou have been warned,\u201d he said, shortly. \u201cMount.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin did as she\nwas told, and the Dark Elf, grabbing a hold of her horse\u2019s reigns, led her up\nthe steep path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turned\nout, the path circled the sheer cliff face, going up gradually, until Ilrin\ncould no longer see where it began. Only then did her eyes pick out, far above,\na grand building, grown from living wood, placed high overhead on a small\nplateau. The path led to it, curving back and forth to avoid going straight up,\nand soon, her horse was cantering between the large rocks straight towards two\nmassive doors, set into the side of the building. They were set between two\ncolumns, flowing smoothly from the ground, and a flight of smooth steps led up\nto them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elf stopped.\n\u201cDismount here,\u201d he said, holding the horse\u2019s reigns still. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin obeyed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou will need\nto leave your weapons with your horse. Both will be returned to you when you leave.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin nodded and\npulled her bow and quiver over her head, strapping them to the horse\u2019s side.\nThen, very reluctantly, she unbelted her sword, and placed it with her bow.\nDespite the fact that she could use magic, she felt nearly defenseless without her\nblade at her side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow,\u201d said the\nelf, turning his stern gaze upon her, \u201cfollow me directly, and speak to no one\nsave Eltuthar.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilrin nodded\nmutely. Only her knowledge of what at this very moment sped through the forest\nkept her from turning and running back down the path as fast as she possibly\ncould. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dark Elf\nascended the smooth steps, Ilrin close behind, and placed his hand on the two\ndoors. The vines that covered them snaked back, and then folded inwards.\nFollowing silently, Ilrin stepped into the sanctuary of Eltuthar the Black. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Birds twittered overhead, spreading their happiness through the leaves. Faint rays of new daylight filtered down to the forest floor from overhead, painting it in dappled colors. All was peaceful as the sun rose over the Great Forest. Ilrin walked, half asleep, leading her horse behind her. Her feet found the faint path that she … Continue reading Chapter Twenty-One – Approach<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dilmir-repost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2311,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions\/2311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}