Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1



Gilthoniel walked through the snowy forest of Lorien, with her bow in her hand and her arrows in her quiver. Her green cloak blended perfectly into the bushes as she darted in and out of the trees.

Gilthoniel was a striking young elf. She was only sixteen but she was already beautiful and many young elves and men fell in love with her as soon as the met her. She had long blue-black hair and snow-white skin. She was tall and elegant. If you looked at her, you wouldn't know what to look at first.

But most people, when they first meet her, look at her eyes. When she is happy they are a wonderful deep inky purple, framed by long, dark eyelashes. If someone were to look into her eyes, see the most beautiful of things, lilies in the summer, eagles in flight, the most wonderful gardens and light, sweet conversations. But when she is angry, or upset, they go a light hazel, almost yellowy-orange and bolts of lightning dance in her eyes. If you look into her eyes when she is angry, you would see dark places, arguments, criminals, murderers and blood. If she is extremely angry, the whole earth shakes, and storm clouds gather around her, lightning bolts zing off her in every direction the sky turns black.

Gilthoniel began running through the trees, darting behind bushes and dancing through the falling snowflakes. It felt so good to be out from beneath the eyes of her watchful brothers and leaping over bushes towards the sound of the running deer.

Suddenly, she came to a clearing, where she waited for her quarry, her breath misting in front of her face. She sat down in the snow with her cloak wrapped around her for warmth and tried to see through the fog that surrounded everything, barring her vision.

She heard a panting, and whirled around. Through the fog came a big white shape, the shape of a she-wolf. The wolf stopped and stiffed the air. Gilthoniel immediately fitted an arrow into her bow and was about to shoot, but stopped. The wolf was limping badly, and howled in pain for its companions. Terror gripped her, and Gilthoniel drew the arrow in its bow and waited for the snarling hungry animals to step out of the mist.

But they didn't come, and the wounded she-wolf's eyes rolled into its head and it collapsed. Gilthoniel looked around once more for the other wolves and then ran over to where the poor creature lay.

She saw that it had several arrows driven into its side, and Gilthoniel quickly wrapped her cloak around the she-wolf. It was only then that Gilthoniel noticed that its fur was pure white, apart from its two front feet, which were gray and the fur stained red by the blood. Gilthoniel brushed the fur away from the wound and the she-wolf growled slightly as the fur that had stuck in matted clumps to the wounds was peeled away, but it was comforted by her presence, so it allowed her to touch it.

Gilthoniel shivered at the cold and huddled close to the she-wolf's warm body. There they sat for hours, the elf-girl and the she-wolf. Gilthoniel noticed that the wolf's breathing had become steady and felt her eyes droop. She remembered what her brothers had taught her, and refused to submit herself to sleep. She wrapped her arms around herself and struggled to keep her eyes open.

Her ears suddenly pricked up, and Gilthoniel noticed the wolf suddenly tense up. Gilthoniel knew why, she too heard the voices, calling her name. Through the fog came several elves, and Gilthoniel noticed that all three of her brothers were among them. They rushed to her and helped her to her feet, wrapping what felt like thousands of cloaks around her shoulders.

She noticed two of her brother's companions approach-ing the wolf and she called at them to stop.

`Please, don't harm her, I saved her life and she saved mine. Bring her back to the city.'

The elves glances fearfully at Haldir, Gilthoniel's oldest brother. He nodded, and the four of them carried the wolf between them back to the city.

Gilthoniel sighed in relief, for she knew no harm would come to the she-wolf whilst her brother's men were under strict instructions not to harm her. Relief turned to exhaustion as the cold gripped her and all thoughts left her as she collapsed in her brothers' arms.



Gilthoniel woke up warm in her bed and saw her brothers spread around her room. They looked up and she leaned against her pillow and Rumil, the youngest of the three brothers, took a couple more feather pillows from her cupboard and put them under her head to prop her up.

Gilthoniel yawned and stretched, like a cat, and then looked at Rumil. `How long have I been asleep?'

`Three days,' Rumil answered, taking hold of her hand and holding it in his. `We were all afraid for you.'

`Gilthoniel,' Haldir cut in sharply, walking across to them from where he had stood by the fire. `What did you think you were doing?'

`Haldir,' Orophin, the second oldest, said to save Gilthoniel from being told off. `Leave her be, Gilthoniel's tired and she must be hungry. Let Galadriel talk to her before you lecture her.'

`Orophin, how is she ever going to learn if you keep taking her side every time she does something like this?' Haldir retorted, his voice steadily rising.

“How is she going to learn with you telling her off whenever she does anything?' Orophin shouted.

`Haldir, Orophin, please stop this!' Gilthoniel screamed and jumped out of bed to run in between them, but was immediately overwhelmed by this and slumped on the floor. Both brothers stopped and ran to help her back to her bed and Rumil pulled the duvets over her.

`Would you like anything to eat?' Orophin asked, looking anxious.

`No, she needs more sleep?' Haldir said, elbowing him out of the way.

`Do you want another blanket, Gilthoniel?' Rumil said, coming and sitting by her bedside.

`Stop, stop, stop!' she yelled, and instantly all her brothers shut up and looked at her. `Please stop fighting over me! I'm all right and if I need anything I will ask. Please may I have a little to eat, some bread perhaps, but not much else. I would, however, like some time alone.' She paused, looking at all of her brothers, who hadn't seemed to take the hint. `By myself.'

Rumil quickly stood up and left, and Orophin followed to fetch some food. Only Haldir remained behind.

`I was extremely worried about you Gilthoniel, I was afraid I would lose you. Please, never scare me like that again. We didn't know where you were, and you hadn't left a note or anything. No one had seen you for hours and we all feared the worst.'

`I know, but I was bored and I heard the deer running through the forest and I knew that I would be able to chase one, so I went out. I took my bow and arrows with me, just in case there were any wolves nearby.' Gilthoniel said in her own defense. Suddenly something stirred in her memory. `Oh, how is she, by the way? The she-wolf, I mean.'

`She'll be fine. She woke up hungry yesterday, but didn't seem vicious. So we gave her food and water and let her sleep by the fire. Her cuts aren't fully healed yet, only Elrond can heal wounds like hers within three days, so she is bandaged up.'

`Can you bring her in here, I would like to have her company.' Gilthoniel said, and then rested her head against her pillow as Haldir went to fetch the she-wolf.

Orophin came in with a tray and put it down on the table next to her. He kissed her lightly on her forehead and left.

The door opened and Haldir came into the room, followed by the she-wolf, who trotted at his heels. He closed the door and the she-wolf jumped smoothly onto the bed, curling up in a ball by her feet.

Gilthoniel sighed and looked at her supper. Wearily, as if it was a duty that was expected of her, she began to eat. She didn't even notice what it was she was eating, and when she was finished she put the tray back on the table, slumped against the pillows and fell deeply asleep.

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