*Before Meleth could ask Taenor any questions about his life prior to joining his companions, her whole body froze completely still at the sound of someone screaming. Taenor immediately stood up with his daggers already twirling in his hands, and Tholgin and Esau followed suit, removing their own weapons, Tholgin with an axe and Esau with a long sword and silver hilt.
"I think they've finally caught up to us," Taenor said, his voice tinged with unmistakable worry.
"Who?" Meleth asked.
"The Black Fang," Tholgin replied.
"That is the name of their leader anyway. His group is known as the Ravagers, and they are going the same way as you are," Taenor explained as they slowly moved along the wall of the building they were behind.
"Mirkwood?" Meleth asked.
Taenor grimly nodded, causing Meleth's spine to rattle. If Taenor was telling the truth, then that meant her journey was a lot more dangerous than she thought.
"This way," Esau urged, motioning for them to follow him. They ran up a set of stairs along the side of a building to reach the roof. They lied low, and Meleth looked down at the streets, trying to find the Ravagers.
Then she saw them. In the milky white of the moonlight, she saw the black figures carrying swords as dark as the night sky. But there was something else much more unsettling about them. Something that she had never seen in her life until now, and even though she saw them in her dreams and heard many stories about them, she realized how far from ready she was to actually see them in the flesh.
The Ravagers were Orcs.
They were as revolting as she heard they were. Their skin looked like lethally burnt flesh, some of which looked as though it was peeling away like dry paint, with shiny yellow eyes that stuck needles in Meleth's skin when she stared at them. Their rotting, gore-caked teeth glinted and cracked, hungry to feast upon man flesh.
In the grip of the tallest leader in the group, evidently the Black Fang, was a man hopelessly struggling to break free.
When the Black Fang spoke, he spoke in a different language that Meleth had never heard someone speak in before, but somehow she knew what he was saying.
"We know that three travelers were coming through here. An Elf, a Dwarf, and a Man. Where are they?" The Fang asked.
"I—I don't know. I've never seen them—we're all locked inside—ah—."
"Shut yer mouth or it comes off! Now try to be of some use to me!" The Fang ordered.
"That's all I know—I swear it!"
The Black Fang raised the black sword he held in his other hand. Meleth's hand bolted for one of her daggers, but Taenor stopped her, clutching her hand with his own.
Meleth could only watch on in horror as the Black Fang swung his sword and decapitated the man.
The Fang spat at the headless body on the ground. "Spread out and find them! I want them brought to me alive—and unspoiled!"
"We've got to get out of here," Taenor whispered.
"I'll lead the way. I'm the shortest, so I can find us a way out easier," Tholgin pointed out.
"Of course you can. I was just about to suggest that," Esau replied.
"No you were not."
"Go," Taenor snapped, waving his hand to spur Tholgin on. He throws him a roll of rope, knowing they couldn't go back down the stairs.
"Lead Meleth and Esau on. I will join you shortly," he said.
"You cannot be serious," Esau said.
"I am this time. Now go."
Without arguing with him further, Tholgin throws the rope over the back side of the building and ties one end to one of the wall posts. After climbing down first, Meleth and Esau followed him. Meleth looked at Taenor quickly before going down.
"Be safe," she said aloud. She wondered if Taenor heard her.**
*"Be safe," Taenor heard the Elven girl say before she disappeared. Despite the circumstances, Taenor smiled and his hand strayed towards one of his daggers. The Black Fang was standing in the middle of the road alone, surveying his surroundings and trying to pick up a scent. Taenor's scent.
"I know you're here, Taenor. I can smell your air. Come on out and face me, like you dared to do before," he cried out.
Taenor stayed low, not daring to show himself yet.
"Your overconfidence dooms you. What do you hope to gain from killing me?" Taenor asked.
The Black Fang laughed, rattling his heavy, cracked armor forged from Mordor. "You are from the Woodland Realm, yes? That is what me and my soldiers are headed to extinguish. Your people have been in hiding for too long."
"They are not my people," Taenor replied.
"Then you won't mind if I make you watch them burn," the Fang mocked.
Well, I cannot let that happen either.
Taenor leaped from his hiding place on the roof, plummeting towards the ground with his daggers out and ready.
Swinging one dagger to slash the Fang's stomach, the giant Orc jumped back with a roar that revealed the only four teeth he had which was encrusted with dry red blood. He came forward with his long black sword and slashed downward, attempting to cut down Taenor's face.
Taenor lifted both his daggers and felt his arms vibrate as the blade came down on them with a sharp clang.
The Fang grinned. The foul stench of shredded flesh and dry blood from his mouth that assaulted Taenor's nostrils was so overpowering he could also taste it as if it was in his own mouth.
The Fang pushed back, wrenching Taenor off his feet. Taenor landed on his back, dropping one of the daggers at his side. He managed to roll to the side as the Fang brought his sword down, intent on slicing the Elf's stomach. With an impatient roar, the Fang reached down and grabbed Taenor, lifting him up into the air like he was lifting the villager not too long ago. Taenor felt his daze explode into searing pain as the Orc head-butted him and dropped him like a rag doll.
Taenor landed on his face this time, feeling fresh pain course through his skin as if it had become part of his bloodstream.
Not a great start.
He could hear the Fang's sword whistling through empty air to stab him in the back, but he rolled again and leaped to his feet, ignoring his body's cries of pain in order to focus.
Your feet are stumbling, stop stumbling!
Taenor then realized that the Black Fang had removed a large, black bow from his back and was stringing an arrow in to fire it at him.
The arrow went sailing and whistled all the way towards Taenor. Taenor managed to bat it away with one of his daggers. It flew and struck the ground, flipping over in a wild arc. In a rage, the Fang lashed out again at Taenor with his sword behind his head.
With one fleeting thought, Taenor grabbed the arrow the Fang had shot at him and stuck it straight through the Fang's shoulder as he came at him, watching the tip stick out from the other side. The Fang whimpered like a wounded puppy, staring down at the place where the arrow was stuck in him. Taenor grinned with satisfaction while a heavy stream of black blood spurted out from the wound and pooled at the Fang's feet.
He twirled his daggers with the determination to finish the Black Fang off, only to get struck in the side of the head by the Fang's other hand. Heavy rocks of pain exploded across his cheek and he felt himself go flying across the cobblestone street. The place where he had been struck felt slick and wet when he checked. Through blurry vision he could see the Fang sprinting towards him, with the arrow still in his shoulder.
The Black Fang laughed. "You Elf filth. You dared to challenge me, and in the end, you are not standing over my body laughing."
"I am laughing actually. You have an arrow in your shoulder," Taenor replied as he struggled to get back on his feet.
The Fang reached up and yanked the arrow right out of his shoulder. His blood trickled and dripped from the tip.
"Goodness," Taenor said.
"I will use this to kill you," the Fang replied.
Finally back on his feet with his right ear ringing, he turned and bolted to climb up the first building that was closest to him, keeping himself steady and watching his feet as he leaped up onto one of the windowsills and then jumped for another one above him to get to the roof. He finally reached the top just as another one of the Fang's arrows flew and struck one of the rooftop posts directly next to him.
"I hope the others are faring better than I am."**
*Meleth followed Tholgin and Esau through their own confusing path between the buildings and across the cobblestone streets. It was a big city, but it was so empty and lifeless at the same time.
"Where are we going?" Meleth whispered close behind Esau.
"To the north gate. We can meet Taenor there and get out of here," Esau replied.
"There they are! Kill them, boys!" An Orc cried out.
Meleth jumped at the sound of the thing's voice, and her hands pulled out her daggers, instinctively twirling them in her hands. On one side of her and the others was three Orcs running after them with their swords high in the air.
Meleth ducked as one of the Orcs attempted to behead her. Straightening back up, Meleth stabbed one of her daggers into the Orc's forehead. The Orc froze, its jaw agape as it processed the screaming pain exploding through its head. Meleth twisted the dagger in the Orc's head, hearing a disgusting crunch as she did, and then pulled it out. The Orc fell, leaving Meleth to feel shocked at what she managed to do. She gazed down at the blood and gore staining her blade.
She wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was an Orc she killed, but it didn't make it any more tolerable to her.
She looked to see Esau crouch down for Tholgin to leap onto his back, then jump to plunge his axe into the head of another Orc. The Orc screamed and tried to keep his footing, struggling to stay up despite having an axe lodged in his head, but Tholgin kicked it off its feet. The Orc collapsed and its head cracked open like a half-chopped watermelon, spilling blood and innards all around him. Tholgin reached down to retrieve his axe, and Esau threw a throwing knife at the third Orc, which sank into its neck.
For a moment, no one spoke. Meleth was too tired already to speak, but Esau and Tholgin looked triumphant.
"What a fair fight. Each of us got to kill an Orc," Esau said. He turned to face Meleth. "Well done."
"Thank you," Meleth replied, his voice barely above a whisper between her heavy breaths. She looked around at the corpses.
"What a mess," she said aloud.
"What?" Esau asked.
"It's nothing. We should continue on to the gate."
No one argued. All three of them continued sprinting towards the north gate to leave the city. Meleth's heart rate sped up as she heard the frustrated cries of Orcs behind her. She could hear several people scream, and for a second, she felt compelled to turn around and go back to help whoever was in danger, but she knew it was foolish.
"Where is Taenor?" Meleth asked.
"Hopefully not far behind. Have faith in him. We always do," Esau replied.
They finally reached the gate, where Taenor was already waiting for them.
"What took you so long?" He asked.
"Shut up. Let's go!" Esau urged.
Once they were a safe distance from Calembel, they sat down in the field, where Meleth finally noticed the deep cut in Taenor's cheek.
"You're bleeding," she pointed out.
Taenor wiped the spot on his cheek and stared at the crimson smear on his hand.
"Oh, now that's not fair," he whined.
"You idiot, what did you do?" Esau asked as he came forward with a torn piece of his robe.
"I faced the leader, the Black Fang," Taenor said.
Tholgin sighed. "Of course you did. You're the most reckless of the three of us."
"So I am. You already knew that," Taenor said. He took the piece of robe and pressed it hard against the wound to stop the bleeding.
Despite the circumstances, Meleth couldn't help but smile. There was just something about the whole thing that she found amusing. She had never found herself in a situation like that, and it felt—refreshing. For the first time since her father left her, she didn't feel alone.
But she had to move on. She had to continue her journey to the Woodland Realm.
"I must go on. As more Orcs crowd these cities, I run out of time," Meleth said.
"But that is precisely why you need companions," Taenor replied.
"What?"
"Taenor, are you serious. Do you mean to go with her?" Tholgin asked.
"Yes. And there is nothing you can do to stop me," Taenor replied.
Meleth couldn't believe it. She was going to have a companion to continue the adventure with her. There was no way she was going to argue with Taenor. She needed someone, and Radagast told her that she would meet companions along the way. This was part of the journey she was meant to experience.
"You have my thanks Taenor, and I accept," Meleth said.
"Then we're coming too," Tholgin said.
What now?
"Tholgin is right. Where Taenor goes, we go. That's how it works," Esau said, crossing his arms in a defiant pose.
"I am not asking you to," Taenor said.
"It matters not. You're stuck with us," Esau replied with a winning grin.
"Very well, it's fine. I just do not know how you think this will benefit you. This journey is for me," Meleth said.
"Well, in this time, making sure you get to Mirkwood safely so that you can find what you're looking for would be a satisfying accomplishment to us," Esau said. Tholgin and Taenor nodded in agreement.
Meleth took a deep breath. So this was actually happening. There was no leaving them behind. "Very well."**
*For the first time in hundreds of years, Thranduil's people were standing outside the kingdom brandishing their swords and prepping each other for battle. Whether they liked it or not, war was coming, and no matter how much Thranduil wanted to avoid it, there was no turning his back on it. This was for the protection of his people's lives as well as his own.
"My king, your men are afraid. I can feel it," Elros said next to him.
"Fear has infected even the strongest of warriors in these days. Encourage them. Do what you have to do to prepare them. There is not much time left," Thranduil replied.
"I understand," Elros said with a bow.
Once Elros was gone, another person approached Thranduil.
"I know what you want me to do. You want me to be the one to speak to them," Thranduil said to the beautiful Elf behind him.
That would be the truth, yes.
Galadriel's voice in the king's head caused him to shiver, despite the warm tone it carried.
I believe your presence here should be enough, Thranduil replied.
I will not be able to stay for long.
You're afraid.
And you are too. I cannot fight the darkness as well as I once did.
Why will you not pass into the West already then? So many have already left.
Because you are still here. And because the Ring is not destroyed yet. My time here is not yet finished.
Thranduil smirked. I am unworthy to speak to my people. They must find their courage on their own, or perish.
If they are left to seek courage on their own, then they will perish.
Thranduil felt Galadriel leave him, alone with the thunderstorm in his head.