She was branded as a kin killer, cast out of her home left to defend herself, all of her kind knowing who she was and cursing her for it. That was hundreds of years ago and even now she still roamed Middle- Earth alone. She crouched near the ground reading the signs of the creatures that had past, though she ate no meat she enjoyed tracking the animals to the waterhole, it kept her skills sharp. Touching the ground she closed her eyes and was absorbed into the life around her, not even a half mile away was the sounds of the streams that fed the great valley below. A valley she never dared to step into, for fear of losing her life, instead for the last five years, she wondered the woods outside it, living in and off the land.
She listened farther still and could hear the slight sounds of music made by the inhabitants of that valley. Then a sharp cry rang out nearby, opening her eyes she found the voice was only a little ways away and that she could hear the sounds of clashing metal of battle. And what was more she could hear the frightened sounds of a small child's cry. Without thought she was running toward that cry, what she came upon was not what she expected. Taking only a glance at the situation she jumped into battle where even now the last guard was being killed. A man stood fighting off the remaining orcs, defending a woman who was clutching a tiny child to her breast.
Drawing an arrow she released it, not needing to make sure her aim was true, leaping into the battle she used her long knife and sliced through an orc that was trying to come up behind the man. He spun quickly at her appearance and jumped when her arrow whizzed past his ear and into the skull of an orc behind him. She could see in his gray eyes that he understood she was there to help and they fought back to back. The woman's cry was what tore her from the man's back as three orcs surrounded her and tried to take the child. She slew them quickly, but as she did she heard the sickening thud of flesh being severed and a grunt of pain from her comrade. Turning she saw him fall to his knees a hand at his side trying to stanch the flow of blood. She drew an arrow and shot in less than a second, the last of the orcs either dead or fleeing as she ran to the bleeding man.
"Thank you, my lady." He said in a harsh voice.
"Shhh, you are hurt, save your strength I will get you to help," Inali said and gripped his arm to sling over her shoulders but he stopped her.
"No, don't waste the time, I as well as you know it is too late for me. Those were only scouts there will be more soon." He said, and she pursed her lips already she could hear the pounding of many orc feet in her ears. "Please, take my wife and my son to safety, please." He said his grip on her arm tightening even further, his storm-gray eyes boring into hers making it so she could not look away.
"Yes, I will on my life I will protect them." Relief flashed in his eyes.
"Your name what is your name?"
"Inali."
He mouthed the Elvin name and smiled, " it's beautiful, I'm Arathorn, I am leaving those most precious to me in your care, please protect them." She nodded her head solemnly, he released her arm and began to pull off something.
"Take this, give it to my son when he is older." He placed a silver ring in her palm with two snakes and an emerald in its center. "And this for my wife." It was a matching pendant to the ring; she took them both and securely tucked them away.
"I vow to see your child and wife to safety or death take me," Inali said and he nodded again, the footsteps of the orcs even louder now. "May your end be swift and honorable, as your strength is remembered here on earth let the Valar take you into their the light with open arms." She spoke in elvish and kissed his forehead before standing and gathering the barely conscious woman and the still crying child in her arms, turning to look at the brave man once more she nodded at him and him at her.
"Tell them I love them." He said then turned to face their approaching enemy even as the ground was littered with his blood.