Chapter 1.
The dark figure followed the sounds of battle until coming upon one of Mirkwood's old and forgotten paths. Lying in the center of the road, surrounded by nine hideous orcs, was an elf. He looked to be no older than 2300. Old enough to know better than to go into the orc infested forest alone, but young enough to do it anyway. He was glaring at the orcs with a defiant expression, even though his right thigh was bleeding profusely and he had a deep cut above his left eyebrow that kept dripping into his eye, blinding him till he wiped the blood away.
Climbing silently into the tree shielding her from the road, the hooded form positioned herself above the injured elf, and, making sure she was hidden by foliage, she let out a long low whistle. The orcs stopped their jeering and looked around for the source of the sound. The elf however, possessing superior hearing was able to pinpoint the direction of the sound and looked up. Though he could not see anything besides branches and leaves he knew who was there.
It was the Protector. The mysterious guardian of the forest. Not much was known about the Protector except that he had appeared about three hundred years prior and since then not a single elf had died of an orc or spider attack. There were many theories about the secretive sentinel. Some people believed that the Protector lived among them as a normal citizen while others thought that he had a secret hideaway in the forest and that that was how he always knew everything that went on there.
Needless to say the Protector was a favorite subject among the gossipers of Mirkwood. But no matter how much they discussed the topic they never even came close to the truth. For all had automatically assumed that the Protector was a man, but they were wrong. The Protector was in fact a young woman and her name was Arien.
Peeking through the cover of leaves Arien saw the orcs still looking warily around. She drew her sword, ready to jump into the middle of the group as soon as she heard her mare approaching. She waited a few seconds, and then… yes there it was. The sound of iron shod hooves hitting impacted soil. With what could only be classified as an evil grin she pulled her green hood farther down to cover her masked face and, yelling a battle cry, jumped from her hiding spot.
One orc hit the ground before she did, and the rest of them were so stunned by her entrance that she was able to cut down two more before they charged her. She was so used to this that her mind entered what she liked to call command mode. All right, three down, six to go. Block. Block. Stab. Swerve. Duck. Jump. Slice. Cut. Punch. Block. She did this until there was just one left. Turning to him she feinted a slice at his side and when he went to counter she jumped and swung her right leg up and around until it connected solidly with the side of his head. Taking the opportunity of his dazed state she quickly and cleanly beheaded him.
Letting out an annoyed sort of snort she turned to the injured elf behind her and for the first time took in his appearance. He had the usual Mirkwood blonde hair, held back by four side braids that joined in the back to form a single, thicker braid. His green eyes almost matched his tunic as they had the merest hint of brown in them. Along with the normal tunic, leggings and boots, he wore a quiver, an empty scabbard and an empty knife sheath strapped to his good thigh.
Arien wiped her bloody sword on some hanging foliage and sheathed it. Walking over to her still silent blonde she said, "Come to borrow sugar have you?" in her low, deep, male voice she always used as the Protector. The young man didn't answer; he just stared at her, an awed expression on his face.
"We best get you home before you lose anymore blood. Lúnor come help." At her call her chocolate brown mare walked out of the cover of the trees and rubbed her head in the small of Arien's back. Arien walked closer to the elf.
"What's your name?" He just looked at her for a second then said,
" Eilde"
"Do you think that you will be able ride?"
"Yes." He said immediately, not wanting to seem weak.
"Alright then," Arien walked up to him, bent down, wrapped his left arm around her neck and wrapped her right arm around his waist, "On three, one…two…three!" With one strangled cry of pain and a few well-timed encouragements, they were mounted. Eilde was loosing blood at a frightening rate, despite the crude bandage Arien had made from a piece of her cloak.
Arien leaned past Eilde who was seated in front for support, and gently took hold of a hunk of mane. "Noro lim Lúnor." Lúnor was a blood mare bred for elven life, endurance, and speed. They had been on the old King's road for barely ten minuets when they passed the first sentries.
Unbeknownst to her charge Arien was very nervous about going into the palace. It was not the fact that they were caves that bothered her, she had been in countless caves, she was worried that someone might discover that she was a female.
If more than four jump me at the same time they could easily overpower me… I'll just drop him off at the doors. No, I can't do that, that would be wrong, not to mention cowardly… but they can't find out who I am. Arien was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice three riders pull up behind her. For a panicked second she thought they were trying to ambush her, until one of them yelled up to her that he would ride ahead and inform the Healing House to prepare for a patient and she realized that they were giving her an escort. She sighed in relief.
Who knew that living in the forest with only spiders and orcs for neighbors could make an elf so paranoid. She thought rather sarcastically. Focusing again on where she was going -just in case she needed to get out in a hurry- she looked forward and saw what a moment ago had appeared to be a solid cliff wall had turned out to be a massive stone gateway. Turning her head to the side and up she saw a few dozen flets sprinkled amongst the treetops. So this must be The Village.
While the majority of people preferred to live in safety behind the stone walls of the king's vast in-mountain citadel others could not stand living in such confines. Arien also knew that the barracks were situated in The Village so that in case of an attack the defense force would be closer at hand.
Riding past the last of the flets brought Arien and the small escort to a splitting of paths. The main road continued on to the large stone doors, while a small pathway, just wide enough for two horses to walk abreast, turned right and ran parallel to the mountain wall. Arien glanced back looking for direction from one of her helpers. The man on her right motioned her to turn, so she did. Lúnor burst onto the path her sides heaving.
After two minuets of ducking low hanging branches they saw another door. This one was wooden and was much smaller, being the size of a normal barn door rather than the size of an Oliphant's backside. As they swung into view the door opened, Arien took this as an invitation, as it seemed did Lúnor who was already thinking about fresh oats and cool water. Taking a deep breath and swallowing her fear of discovery Arien rode straight through the open door followed closely by her escorts.
Once inside Arien looked around and found herself in a large stable, horses of every color being walked, fed, watered, and groomed. Well they had been anyway. All activity had stopped the moment her company had ridden in. Arien dismounted supporting Eilde until she hit the ground. Trying to ignore the tantalizing smell of hay, oats, and horseflesh, she reached up and forced her aching arms to pull the bleeding elf from the saddle.
Turning around she came mask to face with the two remaining members of her escort. The older looking one strode over and grasped the pommel of her saddle. " I will see to your horse…Pro-my lord." Arien saw him lead the mare away as she followed her own guide up a flight of stone steps and out of the livery, wryly amused at the man's uncertainty about what to call her.
Coming back to the seriousness of the moment, and her screaming muscles, she shifted Eilde in her arms thanking Eru once again that he made elves light and asked, "How much further?"
Her guide looked back as they turned into a long, well lit corridor, "The Healing House is at the end of this hall, they should have a room ready… Where did you find him?" he asked looking concernedly down at the elf in her arms.
"On one of the back paths." The young man cursed, his brilliant blue eyes flashing angrily. After a moment he seemed to pull himself back into the present.
"Amin hiraetha. I have not introduced myself. I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, and I thank you for saving my best friend." He said, before pushing open a door that read, Healing House 4.