CHAPTER FOUR

Haldir sighed in relief as he headed back towards the border. Thankfully, he didn't have to deal with that elleth any longer than was necessary. He had seen the look in her eyes; he knew that she wanted to strike him with her blade. He almost wished she had. He was confident enough in his skills that he could block any attack she made, especially since she didn't have those infernal long knives that she was proficient in. She was lucky that the match was considered over at that point, because he was definitely angry enough to strike her with his fist. He wouldn't have held back, and he would have been to close for her to use her knives effectively. He could have taken her.

In fact, he had often held back when fighting her. If he had been serious during their bicker at the archery range, he could have felled her with one blow. She was too young for her current position among the Royal Guard, and definitely too inexperienced. Haldir had been through so many battles that he had been forced to fight in all types of combat. Night, day, winter, summer, armed, unarmed. He had seen nearly all of the horrors of combat. Lothrin hadn't.

She has no right to lead an active combat unit, Haldir thought bitterly. She was a fledgling. If she wasn't in a position of such authority than he most likely wouldn't hate her. But she was there, and he knew that her inexperience would one day cause great loss among their people. She will learn as I did that war is not glorious, he thought bitterly. In fact, it is almost a return to the dark days, with naught but evils in it.

She must think me an overbearing and irate elf who has no respect for her. But no, I judge her so harshly because I need to. If I didn't then she would become lax in her duties. She must be pushed to her maximum, or she will fall. In truth Haldir didn't hate Lothrin, he might even see her as a friend, but he wouldn't admit it, not to himself and definitely not to anyone else.

"Haldir!"

Haldir jumped, broken out of his line of thought by his brother's voice. "Rumil. Why is it that your voice is laced with fear?"

"Brother, a report just came in from the northern borders! A guard unit was found slain, all twelve felled by Mirkwood orc arrows. Orcs are now within our borders, and we know not where!"

The sudden ringing sound of horns being blown wildly was heard to the east...where the Lord Elrond was. Haldir cursed violently. "Get Orophin and two other captains, and find the caravan. I head there now!"

"By yourself?" Rumil asked, concern for his brother coloring his voice.

"There is no other choice! If Lord Elrond dies or is captured, we will have lost a great ally!" Haldir snapped. Rumil frowned, but then nodded reluctantly. Without waiting another moment, Haldir turned, and sprinted towards the direction of the horn blasts.

When he reached the caravan after what seemed like hours, he froze in shock. Dozens of dead orcs littered the ground, yet dozens more still stood and fought. Two of the five Royal Guard members were already dead, but Haldir had to acknowledge that they had killed many orcs before being slain themselves.

Another glance gave him all the information that he needed. Lothrin and her two remaining guards were desperately trading blows with orcs, and Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir had joined in the melee. The three from ImladrĂ­s definitely tipped the battle scale, yet the elves were still outnumbered and therefore outmatched.

There was a sudden shout of pain, and the youngest looking guard stumbled as he clutched at a chest wound. "PILILAS!" Lothrin shouted in anguish. But Haldir knew she could not reach him in time. Only one elf could reach the young one in time.

Without hesitation Haldir leapt forward as he drew his sword. The orcs were completely unprepared for an assault coming from their rear. Haldir cut down four orcs before they could react, and reached Pililas within seconds of his initial attack.

Ignoring the look of relieved gratification that he got from Pililas, Haldir gripped the back of the Royal Guard's tunic, and lifted him clean off his feet. Slashing away two orcs that had foolishly decided to approach him, Haldir stomped towards Lothrin. "This is why we have eight elves in the Arrow Head Formation!"

"I thought that five would be proficient!" Lothrin snarled back as she lopped the head off of an orc in front of her.

"NO! Never are you supposed to break regulations! Because of your mistake, two elves lie dead here!" Haldir slammed the edge of his sword into an orc's shoulder, cleaving deep into its chest.

He sensed rather than saw Lothrin freeze in shocked pain. She quickly recovered and whipped her sword through the air, slamming against an orcs blade. "Well, how did they get in? That would be your area, would it not?"

The sudden shouts of surprise from the orcs in the rear of their unit signaled the arrival of the thirty or so Galadhrim. Arrows started to hiss and snap through the air, catching orcs in vital areas with unerring precision.

Within moments the battle was over. Haldir cleaned his blade before he slid it back into the sheath at his side. "That is how we are supposed to fight! With numbers, tactics, and stealth. Not by screwing up!" he snapped at Lothrin before he turned to Elrond and his people. "I sincerely apologize for any discomforts suffered by your party. I pray that this unfortunate attack will not darken your opinion of Lady Galadriel?"

"Do not worry, Haldir. My feelings towards my mother-in-law have not changed in the least. I hope the losses suffered by you will not hinder your morale."

Haldir remained wordless at that remark. He shook his head slightly. "My brothers and their units will escort you the rest of the way. I stay to help with the clean-up."

Elrond agreed, and within minutes they were being led on by Orophin and Rumil. Haldir turned towards Lothrin, who was turned towards her fallen men. "Their names?"

"Culas and Maegorod. Two good warriors," she said as her voice cracked.

"You can't bring them back by grieving for them!"

"And what do you know about losing men!" she snapped as she whirled towards him, tears springing from her eyes.

It took all his control not to slap her. "A lot more than you will ever know! I have lost more than two; I have lost dozens, if not a hundred! Some of them were my best friends, and I cried for them, but they never came back. You are a Captain of an entire guard, the one that protects our Lady. You have to be stronger. Much stronger! Cry when you are alone, not while on duty. If your men see your tears, they will either pity you, or think you are weak. For your sake, you have to be strong." He sighed. "You're wounded. Report back to the city, I'll take care of the orcs, and make sure your soldiers' families will learn of their deaths. I will give you that small relief. You are dismissed, Captain Lothrin of the Royal Guard. You are dismissed."