The Price We Must All Pay
Chapter One: Flight of the Archer
She urged her horse forward, onwards, further and faster across the wide and open plain. Bare trees and prickled bushes raced past; out here there was nowhere to hide, no foliage offering cover only rocky crags and boulders which would give no protection from the goblins and their Wargs, who could track a man for miles. She could not get caught. She would not get caught. Turning in her saddle, she drew an arrow from her quiver, notched it, aimed and let it go. It flew straight and true towards her target, hitting the goblin through its ghastly throat, the grey speckled-white fletching protruding from its dark and mottled flesh. It fell with a thud on the ground and was trampled by its companions, riding their fierce and terrible Wargs whose eyes glowed with hatred and fur which was matted with the blood of their previous victims.
"Go!" she pressed her horse faster, but she knew it would not be long before the goblins caught up with them, "Come on! We're nearly there, please just a few more minutes, please!" she pleaded. Looking behind them she could see the ever-closing gap between her and her pursuers.
The woman let another arrow fly, then another and another, smiling briefly as they hit goblin after goblin, knocking them from their beasts, though knowing that if she didn't kill a Warg soon they would tear her and her horse to apart, gorging themselves on their bodies, gnawing on their bones. She turned her gaze ahead of herself for a moment, her heart soaring at the sight of the deep ravine ahead. Rider and horse raced through the gully's mouth as she finally loosened an arrow into the eye of a Warg close behind her. It howled in pain, its terrible snout screwed up in agony as it collapsed onto the ground, creating a splash and rippling in the stream that forged the chasm they road through. But still this did not stop her chasers, the great creatures leaping over their fallen comrade, teeth bared and eye ablaze with the thrill of the hunt.
Her whole body shook in fear as she prepared to reach the end of the ravine. The high rocky walls surrounded her and looking up she could see the darkening sky and the moon which provided enough light for her to glimpse the silhouette of more goblin soldiers.
"Curse them!" she shrieked. Making sure her quiver and bow was secured tightly around her shoulders and her short-sword sheathed at her hip she pulled up on the horses reins and guided it round to face the oncoming storm of fur and teeth and claws. Patting her steed on the neck she whispered,
"Thank you, my friend, I'm sorry your journey had to end this way." and quickly dismounted hoping the brief moments the Wargs would take tearing her horse apart would give her enough time to reach the elves.
Sprinting towards the end of the valley she saw Rivendell then heard the shrieks and howls of the goblins behind her, eager to get to their prey. Already panting she pushed on trying to reach the last safe place in this bleak landscape. The elves respite lay in front of her, its many towers spiralling upwards as if trying to touch the sky, each point a magnificent beacon of ivory and light. If there was one thing the elves knew it was making art out of anything, even war. But the woman had no time to enjoy the view. Even now she could hear the goblins close behind her though it seemed there weren't as many as before. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her or maybe, just maybe, she'd killed more than she'd thought.
As she reached the path leading down to Rivendell her heart leapt at the sight, then suddenly dropped full of dread as a monstrous roar came from behind her. If the woman had been able to understand the wolfs guttural snarls and growls she would have heard it's cruel taunts and threats it launched at her.
"Little human girl!" it spat, "With your little sharpened sticks and little knives that dart and stab at us like a little eel darts out of its cave. I will bite you and rip you and tear you apart! Your blood shall be my water, the meat on your bones my meal! You think your puny little arrows will hurt me? I will break your bow in half and then you as well!" This and other hateful things it howled at her and although the woman did not understand, the growling and snarling she heard coming from the fearsome beast, it was enough to stop her heart in fright and chill the blood in her very veins. She scrambled to her feet, backing away from the Warg, panting heavily from the long sprint she had run.
She turned, just as the beasts jaw clamped around her waist. The pain was excruciating, its teeth piercing the soft flesh of her side. The Warg raised its head in triumph and shook her from side to side, her body going limp in its clutches, like a ragdoll.
"No!" she thought, "I cannot give up now!" not while she was so close. Willing her arm to move she grabbed hold of the knife on the right side of her belt and raised it, ready to stab the Warg holding her in its eye. Up close she could smell the thick stench of congealing blood and rotten meat coming from its jaws, hot and heavy on her cheek. She could see the spark of evil in its eyes, the vicious hatred that every being from Mordor had from birth. If she was going to die she would take that damned thing with her, to whatever hell came after life. A spasm of pain ran from her side to her hand and she screamed and dropped her weapon. The agony overwhelmed her senses, making her movement lethargic, her view blurred and the blood pumping through her ears deafening. Her breaths grew laboured and she could feel herself fading.
A 'twang' sounded above her and the beast roared out, dropping her from its maw, falling dead to the ground. She had just enough energy to look up and see an arrow sprouting from the Wargs eye socket, now a bloody and gory pocket of flesh. Turning her head, she saw a tall figure holding a bow approach.
"Hornburg...attacked...twenty days past...you must..." her voice wavered and her body gave out. She collapsed onto the dusty path hoping her rescuer had heard her, understood the urgency. A dark mist settled over her vision and she welcomed the peace it brought with it.