Mountains loomed in the distance. Niriel gazed up at them, but the peaks were concealed by thick mist. With each step Niriel and her horse took, the mountains grew larger and larger, and the Sun grew lower and lower. They had followed the Great East Road, a dirt track, through Imladris and now the road took them towards the Misty Mountains. Niriel felt the path steepen and the East Road began to change from a mud path to a path full of pebbles. Niriel and her company had been travelling through the afternoon, and now, as the Sun had finally sunk behind the mountains, dusk was upon them. Since they had left Imladris, they had not come across any other travellers. The road remained quiet, well, save for her companions' chattering.

"Oh, Iestil," came Glaeron's voice from behind her. "Even if I were to turn every star into one bright, beautiful one, it would still not compare to the beauty of your hair." Niriel sighed. When Gil-galad had introduced her to her companions, she had thought Glaeron to be a pleasant, cheerful elf. There was no doubt whether he was cheery or not, but after listening to his poetic descriptions of Iestil throughout the entire afternoon, Niriel was not sure about the pleasant part.

Iestil laughed in response, a sound Glaeron had previously described as being 'akin to the sweet tinkering of gentle, tiny bells'. Niriel wrinkled her nose at the memory. "And once again, you flatter me, Glaeron," Iestil said.

When Niriel turned her head over her shoulder, she saw Glaeron beaming. As well as him, one of the brothers, Farion, was also staring starry eyed at Iestil. Niriel turned back to gaze out into the horizon and shook her head in disbelief. It was almost as if Iestil was working some kind of magic over the two elves. She was not, of course. Niriel hated to admit it, but even she could not deny the fact that Iestil was attractive. She suspected that Iestil only had to walk into a room, and would have every male elf attempting to woo her attention. Niriel frowned. Well, perhaps not everyone; Andir, the stern looking warrior, appeared to be unaffected by her charm. Then again, his face had worn the same neutral look since she had met him in Imladris. Niriel was surprised that Taranir, the other brother, was also unaffected. A few moments later, Niriel took another glance behind her, and saw that the two elves were still entranced by Iestil. Niriel raised her eyebrows and followed their gaze to Iestil. How had such a dainty elf come to be handpicked by Gil-galad and Elendil? Niriel doubted Iestil had ever seen war, let alone participate in it. But, of course, it was none of her business and she certainly did not care. Niriel rolled her shoulders back. Being respected and honoured was far more meaningful than having a few elves infatuated with you. Niriel nodded.

The sky glowed with orange, then pink and then began to take on a dark purple hue. When Niriel arrived at the crossroads, she dismounted and then tied her horse up against a nearby tree. After watching her, Iestil blinked and then, did the same. Once she had finished tying her horse up, she turned to Niriel with a frown carved into her brows. "Captain, are we to stop for the night?"

Niriel folded her arms. "No, I merely wanted to let the horses rest a moment." She turned to face the two paths that lay before her. "It is here that the High Pass separates into the lower pass and the higher pass. I believe we should travel down the lower pass, for it is a far quicker route if we are heading to Eryn Galen."

Andir nodded at her words. "King Elendil ordered us to act with haste. If we were to take the higher pass, we would take a detour round the mountains. The lower pass is much more direct. I agree, Niriel."

Niriel frowned. Andir was the only member of the company that referred to her as 'Niriel' rather than 'Captain'. She cast her eyes to the ground. Did he believe she was a poor leader? She hoped not. Niriel turned her eyes back up to gaze at her company. "Then it is settled. We shall take the lower pass."

Iestil stepped forward and knitted her fingers together, writhing them around. She swallowed. "Captain?" she said, and bowed her head. "I have heard recent reports of orcs surrounding the lower pass. Perhaps it would be best if we were to take the higher pass, instead?"

Niriel bristled. She held her head high above her shoulders and looked at Iestil. "We have no time for excursions around these mountains to merely avoid a few meagre orcs!"

Iestil paused and bit her lip. "But, Captain, the orcs may delay us further than taking the higher pass would."

"Perhaps Iestil has a point, Captain," Glaeron said. He was sat on a rock and gazed up at Niriel, frowning. It was no surprise that Glaeron had come so readily to Iestil's defence.

Niriel shook her head. "I do not fear a rogue band of orcs." Niriel turned her back to Iestil, who was stood behind her, and faced the rest of the company, instead. "If you do, then I suggest you take the road back to Imladris. And then, to Lindon. You will face far worse than a few orcs in Mordor when we finally march upon that foul land."

"I…" Iestil bowed her head. "I understand, Captain."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the company. Iestil gazed at the floor. Andir closed his eyes. The two brothers glanced at each other. Even Glaeron did not attempt to lift the tension with his cheery words. Niriel stared at the sky. By now, all colour had left and it was a blanket of darkness.

When Niriel had decided that that their horses had been allowed an adequate break, she mounted and took the path on her right that lead through the lower pass. The road began to climb up, into the Misty Mountains. Niriel could not see far into the distance, for her vision was blocked by the mist.

Niriel turned her head over her shoulders. Her companions were all gazing up at the stars, as if they were in a meditative trance. The stars glistened and shone brightly against the darkness, lighting the company's way through the Mountains, and the elves' green-gold armour glimmered in the starlight. Unlike before, their silence was no longer tense. Instead, it was relaxed. The elves all stared up at the beautiful sight of the heavens above.

Eventually, Niriel felt the steep path level out into a much flatter one. Niriel looked up at the road ahead. The path began to descend, twirling round the mountains. The lower pass was still filled with trees and greenery. Had they taken the higher pass, they would have gone up and over the mountains, where the terrain would have been mostly made up of snow and rock.

Niriel heard a twig snap on her right and stopped. She squinted, staring at the bushes where the noise had come from. Andir raised his eyebrows at her. Niriel shook her head and began to move again. But, before she could, something charged at her. She leapt off her horse, and drew her sword and shield. The creature that she had evaded now turned back towards her, its sword pointed at her. When it attacked, she parried and then pushed her sword into its flesh. Niriel peered at her attacker. "Orcs," Niriel shouted to her company. But when she turned round, it appeared that her warning had come late. The elves were already busy defending themselves.

More orcs launched themselves at Niriel. She smashed her shield against those on her left and swung her sword against the ones on her right. No matter how many she and her company cut down, several more sprung up out of the shadows. The orcs leapt out at all angles, forcing Niriel and her company into a tight circle. One of the orcs slashed their sword against her arm, where the gap in her armour was. The blade cut through the fabric and then, through her flesh. Niriel hissed in pain, and gripped her sword's hilt tighter.

The orcs formed a circle around the company, blocking their way out. Where had this large group of orcs come from? She had heard that the orcs of the Misty Mountains had been growing bolder in recent times, but she had not expected them to be this bold. Nor had she expected them to have such an organised ambush. How long had the orcs been watching them? Had the orcs' strength grown at the same time as Mordor's? And how far had their kingdom expanded through the Misty Mountains?

Eventually the orcs moved in on them, pointing their warped, foul swords at the company. Niriel frowned. Why were they hesitating? The one that held a sword pointed at her neck took a step back, and lunged forwards to strike. But, before he reached her, a shout came. An orc barged his way to the centre of the circle - where Niriel's company stood. He squinted his eyes, peering at their armour. He scrunched up his already wrinkled nose. "Lindon elves," he hissed. "What's that foul Gil-galad planning now?" He frowned. "The King will want to hear about this. Drop your weapons."

Niriel's company looked to her, and she nodded at them to do so. When they had, the orc leader turned to his horde of orcs. "Take their belongings, their weapons and their horses. Then bind them." Upon his command, several orcs grabbed Niriel. They wrapped a crude rope around her wrists. Niriel turned to the rest of the elves, and see the same happening to them. Then, the orcs grabbed the elven weapons that lay on the floor, and lead their horses away from them.

"Trying to send a message to Gondor?" the orc leader said. The company did not reply and their faces remained blank. The orc sneered. "The King will force it out of you!" The leader pointed at the orcs to follow his lead. They pushed the elves forward.

The orcs continued down the road for a while and then turned off to the left, through the trees. They led the elves down a small, narrowing path that went downhill. At the end of the path was well hidden cave. Inside, the cave was small and damp. The orcs held onto the elves whilst their leader pulled open a wooden door on the floor. The orcs followed their leader through the door, whilst the ones behind pushed the elves through it.

The door had led them to a tunnel that Niriel guessed would eventually bring them to the orcs' kingdom. Niriel made a note of every turn. The dark tunnel was lit only by torches on the wall, and the floor was made up of wooden panels.

The orcs stopped when the tunnel split into two. The leader shouted something in black speech and pointed towards the tunnel on the left. Half of the orcs went down that way, carrying the elves' belongings and horses away. The leader shouted something again, and led them down the other tunnel.

Like the previous one, this tunnel was lit by the torches on the walls. Niriel moved closer to the wall on her left. When she passed one, she stopped, and peered at how it was connected to the wall. The torch was held in place with a metal holder, and she was sure she could easily pull it out. An orc behind her edged her forward, although Niriel remained close to the wall.

Again, the tunnel split into a few, and the leader directed more orcs to turn off. Although the elves were still heavily outnumbered, Niriel was sure they had a better chance than before. Well, if they had had their weapons that was.

The orc leader turned round to look at the elves, still walking whilst he did. "Does your foolish Gil-galad believe he can defy the Dark Lord of Mordor?" He laughed and then spat. "All of Middle Earth will fall." He laughed again, and then returned his eyes to the road ahead.

Keeping her hands as angled towards the left wall as she could, Niriel tugged on the rope that bound her. The orcish rope was certainly not as strong as elven rope. Instead, it was coarse and scraped at her hands as she twisted her wrists round. And, as well as the orcish rope being lesser to elvish, the orcs' own skill at tying ropes was no match for the elves. Had it been a fellow elf that had bound her, Niriel doubted she would have had any chance at freeing herself. Fortunately, the orc that had bound her had been especially bad at tying knots. When Niriel tried to pull hands apart, she felt the rope loosen. She tried again, but this time, it did not loosen. Niriel's fingers reached up to the knot around her wrist, tugging on it. When an orc looked at her, wondering what she was up to, Niriel stopped. When he looked away, she continued.

The further down the tunnel they went, the louder the drums and chanting got. If Niriel did not manage to free herself soon, then they would be surrounded by even more orcs than when they'd been ambushed. This was the only opportunity she had to break free. If she failed, the orcs would have them tortured until they revealed information and then, killed.

Niriel pulled frantically on her bindings, caring less than before whether or not her intentions were discovered. She continued to scrabble at the knot. Finally, the knot was undone. Niriel held the rope in place. Then, when they came to the next torch, Niriel let the rope fall on the floor and grabbed the torch. She threw it at the orcs in front of her. The wooden floor caught fire. The orcs behind her charged at her. She dodged one and then, when he swept back round to strike at her, she grabbed his fist that held the sword. She pulled it off him and struck him. Whilst she was doing so, another began to charge to at her. Niriel pulled the sword out of the orc she'd slain, realising that her reaction would be too slow.

But Andir, still the same stern look on his face, leapt at the orc. He knocked the orc to the ground and began to kick him. Another orc went for Andir, but Niriel parried its blade. The orc that lay on the ground dropped the sword. Andir grabbed it and cut through his bindings. Niriel's other companions hadn't been simply watching, either. Whilst the orcs had been focused on Niriel and Andir, the two brothers had helped untie each other. Like the other two, they had also seized weapons off the orcs and were holding their own against them. Farion moved to cut Iestil's and Glaeron's bindings whilst Taranir watched his back.

The fire spread even further across the wooden floor, edging its way towards both the elves and the majority of the orcs. Some of the orcs tried to step through it, but screamed as the flames engulfed them. Some made it towards the elves, but they were writhing in pain as they walked and were no challenge to the elves. Niriel gestured for her company to follow her back the way they'd came, away from the fire.

Orcs jumped out from all corners as the company raced back to the surface. Niriel gripped the crude orcish sword she'd taken, and used it to defend herself against her attackers. Once they had defeated that group of orc, Niriel continued to run, knowing that more orcs would soon be on their way.

The company finally arrived at the surface, at the hidden cave that was the entrance to the orcish lair and soon, back to the road. Niriel frowned. The orcs would surely expect to find them continuing their way down the Mountain Pass. But if they turned around and chose the higher pass, instead, it would add a lot of extra time to their journey - especially since they were now travelling on foot. Niriel sighed. She'd just taken a huge risk that had resulted in them losing all their belongings, including their horses and weapons. Niriel glanced down at the shoddy blade. Now, she had to rely on this blade to protect herself. Hopefully the elf-king of Eryn Galen would grant them weapons for she no longer had money on her since the orcs had taken everything. No, it certainly wasn't worth taking another risk in the name of haste.

But when Niriel looked up, she realised her company had already begun making their way down the road.

"Hurry along, Captain," Glaeron cried out whilst continuing down the road through the lower pass with the rest of the group. Niriel nodded and followed their lead. Perhaps they'd be able to outrun the orcs. Besides, the orcs would be able to take them by surprise and corner them again.

The elves continued their speed through the small remainder of the night. When the sky began to grow light, they slowed their pace. Eventually, when the Sun could be seen above the mountains, Niriel gestured for the company to stop. They turned to her, peering at her.

"I believe we have lost them," Niriel said. "And orcs prefer the shelter of the night. If we manage to make it through the High Pass before dusk, we will be fine." Niriel leant against a rock and breathed in heavily. When she did so, Niriel saw the others also take a moment to rest. Though the company were elves, who had more endurance than men, running away from their pursuers for so long had taken its toll on them.

Niriel bit her lip and stared at the floor. They would have to travel by foot now, adding extra time to their journey. If Niriel had listened to Iestil's warning and gone through the higher pass instead of the lower pass of the High Pass, they'd still have all their belongings. And, their journey would have been shorter; Iestil had certainly been right about that. Niriel felt heat rush across her cheeks and ears and was sure they had reddened. She felt that she had to apologise for her error, for snapping at Iestil when she had actually been right. Niriel clenched her jaw. She wasn't keen on the idea of apologising to Iestil. She gazed over to Iestil, who was currently chattering and mostly giggling with Farion and Glaeron. Niriel shook her head to herself. No, she really wasn't keen on that idea. But still, she felt she had to say something. Would her error cause them to doubt her leadership skills?

"Now that we are travelling by foot, our journey will not be as hasty as it would have been before," Niriel said to them. But they remained quiet, and Niriel paused. "Perhaps we should have opted for the high pass."

Andir shook his head. "That does not guarantee that we would not have come across orcs. They likely spread far across the Misty Mountains. I doubt it could have been avoided."

Niriel nodded, hoping that his words were really the truth. But she could not wave away the thought that she should have listened to Iestil instead of her own arrogance.

"Besides," Glaeron said. "Not one of us were injured and no harm was done."

Niriel shook her head. Harm had been done. "We lost all of our belongings - our horses! Our journey will be considerably harder." Niriel sighed, for they had even lost their map. She stared up at the clouds. It would be harder, but they had to press on. After all, there were circumstances far greater than themselves. Without the Sindar Kings' help, the Last Alliance would not be enough to stand against Sauron. And then, as the orc had said, all of Middle Earth would fall.

Having regained her breath and her determination, Niriel continued down the road, and her company followed her. As they travelled, Niriel kept her eyes upon the position of the Sun once again. But this time, she watched with urgency.

"Do you have a wife, Andir?" Glaeron said from behind her.

"Aye," Andir said. "We have been married for years."

"Years?" Niriel heard Glaeron ask.

"Several thousand years," Andir replied. "And we were blessed with two children." Niriel turned her head over her shoulder to see Glaeron raising her eyebrows, most likely in surprise at the elf's age. But Niriel, however, had been unsurprised. From his exceptionally calm demeanour, Niriel had assumed that he'd been relatively old, perhaps around her own father's age.

"And you, Iestil?" Glaeron said.

Niriel shook her head in disbelief. Had Glaeron started the discussion simply to ask Iestil?

"No," Iestil answered. "When I turned one hundred a few years ago, my mother and father both advised me to wed, but I decided not to."

"Why?" Farion asked. "I cannot imagine that you were stuck for choice."

"Indeed," Iestil admitted. "I did not want to rush into anything."

"What about you, Captain?" Glaeron asked.

Niriel froze. She hadn't expected them to ask her. She bit her lip and sped up her pace, away from the company.

"Captain?"

She sighed and slowed her pace. "No, I am not married."

"Are you young like Iestil?" Taranir asked. Niriel supposed they assumed she had the same reasons as Iestil for not yet being married.

Niriel shook her head. "I have seen an oak grow from a sapling into greatness, and then watched that same oak wither and die. One of its acorns took root and I watched that undergo the same, inevitable cycle." Niriel braved herself for the question of why she had not wed. When it did not come, Niriel relaxed and stared back up at the sky. After her words, the company had fallen into an uncomfortable silence.

What had she accomplished in her life so far? For one to be blessed with children, like Andir and most elves her age, that was certainly something to proud of. Niriel sighed. Perhaps she ought to be proud of the fact that she was among the elves that had helped defeat Sauron. Niriel shook her head. Sauron had returned, there was nothing to be proud of. Back then, they had simply delayed him. She supposed Sauron's defeat and return was rather like the cycle of an Oak's life. That was, of course, assuming that the Last Alliance would defeat Sauron, and unless Niriel and her company convinced the elf-kings, the odds were certainly not in their favour.

Eventually, her company began to chatter again, but they did not include Niriel in their discussions. Or, at least, Niriel hadn't heard them. She kept her eyes fixed upon the sun and, when the sun eventually began to settle behind the Mountains, she quickened her pace. Niriel glanced over her shoulder, to see her company matching her pace. She supposed they must have sensed her anxiety because, once again, they fell silent.

Their road had now begun to climb downhill, and Niriel assumed that they were almost out of the High Pass. But, as Niriel watched the sky grow orange in colour, she doubted that they had travelled quickly enough. She leapt downhill, taking advantage of its ease.

Eventually, the path straightened and in the far distance, Niriel could see a thick forest, made up of tall trees. She turned behind her, to gaze at the mountains that they had just travelled through. Niriel sighed in relief. They had made it through the Misty Mountains before nightfall. Niriel turned her gaze back in front of her. It would still be a while before they reached Eryn Galen and there was still an Orc Kingdom lying behind them. Without a word, Niriel sped up her pace.


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Thanks again to TheSortingHatsSunglasses.

Please let me know what you think of this one!