The Last
By: Kael Wind
Asaryn galloped through the elven forest of Mirkwood as fast as his legs could take him, hooves thundering on the leaf covered grounds. His hands fingered the bow and arrow he held in his hands. He slowed when he reached a large clearing and stopped in the middle of it.
He spun around readying his bow in the process. He let fly arrow after arrow hearing an unnatural scream every time. After using up every arrow in the quiver he reached for the sword at his side and galloped forward. He was halfway to the treeline when the orcs emerged.
There looked to be over a hundred of them. He knew he had no chance but he wouldn't let them have him without a fight.
The first he charged at lost its head quickly. After nearly an hour he was tiring and the enemy forces kept coming.
He faltered; that one mistake nearly caused him his life. The orcs sword missed his heart by mere inches. Instead is pierced his right shoulder. From there it only went downhill. He had to switch the sword to his other arm and in those seconds a carefully aimed arrow hit one of his legs.
He heard words in the dark language cried out. Asaryn fell completely to the ground dropping his sword on the way. The orcs quickly surrounded him.
He pulled the long bladed dagger from its sheath in his belt and yelled out, "You will never take me alive!" He brought the dagger up and thrust it deep into his stomach. He cried out in pain and before he surrendered to the shadow he whispered, "The centaurs are through."
He awoke when he heard voices yelling out. He opened his eyes and glanced around him. He saw mostly fallen orcs. There were some elves(around five or six) fighting the remaining orcs with daggers and small swords. When they were through over thirty minutes later, he chose that time to try and sit up, but could only lean on his elbow because of his leg injury.
"Damn it. Why can't any of my suicides work?" He hissed out over the pain.
"Maybe because you were not meant to die yet."
His head snapped in the direction of the voice which, thankfully, was right in front of him and he wouldn't have to hurt himself to figure out who it was.
He recognized the elf as the prince of Mirkwood. He quickly lowered his eyes to the ground and whispered, "Your highness…"
He sensed as the elf knelt beside him and ran his hands over the centaur's body, gently checking for injuries, and tensed slightly.
The elf felt this and paused before resuming its original path once he knew the centaur was relaxed, if only slightly.
Asaryn winced as the prince's hands found the wound on his shoulder and jerked away.
"Please your highness, don't. Just leave me here. At least I'll die knowing that Karaneown was avenged and…"
"No." The elf said almost harshly. "I will never leave an injured soul such as yourself out here to die. Not after fighting so hard to prevent the orcs from getting you."
Asaryn closed his eyes tightly and after a few minutes, asked with a weak voice, "Why?"
"Why what?" Asked the prince back.
"Why did you bother to save me when I am dead anyways?"
"How so?"
Asaryn opened his eyes. They were glowing with a burning fire, but he dared not raise his gaze to the prince. Having learned from past experience.
"I am the last of the centaur. They were all hunted either by the men, for some reason or another, or by the orcs. All are dead. Except one."
"You." The prince finished.
Asaryn nodded and fell forward crying out as a bolt of pain shot through his body.
'Which form would be the best in order to ease the pain? Human would ease my leg but not my shoulder or stomach. Horse would not help only the leg. And from what I have seen, I don't think that his highness would be willing to leave me here like I am right now. Human would be best right now. It would have the most pain of the two but it would lessen the elf's load, and I certainly do not want to be a burden right now.'
A faint light was emitted from the centaur and his body was, within seconds, entirely human. He promptly passed out.
He missed the elf prince's smile.