NOTES: Legolas's POV. The Sangwafaire is my creation.
A Secret Untold - Chapter 17
Aragorn had bent over me, and I had spoken to him. Then he had gone away, and
I fell asleep on the ground. Waking up, I found myself in a cave. I stood up and
looked around for a way out. Seeing a light shining down a tunnel, I began to
make my way towards it. As I reached the tunnel, a hand grabbed my arm. The
touch of the hand sent a piercing pain along my whole arm, which spread across
my body. I drew a sharp breath as the pain took a hold, and pulled away from the
hand. The pain went almost instantly. I turned to see who it was, and saw a
strange blackened creature with long bony fingers and sharp nails. Hair bristled
from its ears, and it looked at me evilly as it poked me with one finger. The
pain returned when the creature made contact, and I dodged away, gasping in
pain. A strange animalistic cackle erupted from the creatures mouth, and then it
spoke. "Give yourself up, elf," it croaked.
I stepped back cautiously.
"Who...what are you?" I asked, casting one eye about the cave for a weapon. My
bow and quiver were gone, as were my knives.
"I am what you might call a
Sangwafaire," it grinned horribly as I realised what it meant
"Poison
Phantom," I spoke the words aloud to myself, not taking my eyes off the
'phantom.'
The Sangwafaire stepped forward, leering, and I stepped away, not
wanting to be near the terrible thing. Backing against the wall of the cave, I
was trapped. The creature got closer and closer, its pain-causing hands
stretched out to me. I looked around frantically for a way of escape, but could
see none. The Sangwafaire smiled malignantly, flashing rows of sharp teeth, and
gripped my arm once more. Pain shot through my body; I tried to pull away but
was weak in the phantoms grasp. It released my arm and I fell to the ground, all
my strength and energy drained from my body.
I lay on the ground, my knees drawn up to my chest. Watching the phantom on
the opposite side of the cave, I tried to think of a way to get away. But my
chances were slim. My arm was still throbbing in pain, I could barely move it;
although the pain in the rest of my body had subsided I still felt as weak as a
human child.
Where was Aragorn? If he came here...the creature would get him
too. As a human, it may harm him more than me. He can't come in here.
I
imagined he would be close by, returning soon. I could not wait and find out. I
had to escape.
Pulling myself up I looked cautiously around the cave. It was
stifling, I had to get out of here. A few rocks lay several feet away. Shifting
carefully towards them, I picked one up, and, though my head was already
spinning from sitting, stood. Before the Sangwafaire had a chance to move, I
hurled the rock at it with all my might, and forced my legs to work as I ran to
the cave entrance. But with strength still drained, the creature outran me,
grabbing my arm once more, and digging its claws through the material of my
tunic and into my skin.
"That won't work," said the Sangwafaire.
"Of
course," I chided myself. "Phantoms aren't solid."
I couldn't believe that
hadn't crossed my mind. But now as I fell to the ground once more, the most
important thing on my mind was Aragorn.