Ten years on (Autheil is Twenty five)
Hiding behind the tree, Autheil tried to steady her breathing; her heat was racing so face it felt as if it would burst. Carefully she drew an arrow from her quiver and fitted silently into her bowstring. She stood, glancing round the tree to see if the trap was set. The sound of singing stopped her breathing in her throat. The sound of a cart pulled by horses drew closer and Autheil tightened her bow string. The cart rounded the bend and then fell into the trap. Authiel ran forward leaping over the hole and shot the driver of the cart; a fat dwarf with a gigantic beard and ran on shooting the group of dwarves that were following behind. The shock on their faces was evident and they raised their axes to throw but fell before they had time. Soon enough, they all lay on the earth like gory dolls. Autheil shook her head pityingly and pulled the scarf down from around her mouth.
"Sorry lads, those who fight for what they want, live" Autheil murmured, walking back to the pit, the horse still whinnied pathetically. Autheil sighed; she loved horses but there was only one thing to do. She raised her bow and fitted another arrow and let it fly into the horses' skull. In the mud and blood, gems of all shapes and sizes lay. Chests of gold that would have made King Thranduil mad with greed. Autheil smiled and scooped it up, feeling smug that it was her and not the woodland king who had the right to claim them. This was the wild and the wild belonged to her.
She soon realised that the chests of gold could not come with her. They were too big and heavy for her alone. Sighing Authiel pulled out her knife and began cutting and pulling anything of value off them and stuffing them in her bags. Hiding the rest in the truck of a tree for safekeeping she scurried off the path into the forest again, humming an old outlaw song,
"When the world is burning
and there is no light left
When the sun has failed
We will meet again
I can hear your name
Upon the soulless wind
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall and burn
When the days end and night begins
when darkness is my enemy once more
I will return once more"
The song she sung was sung by many outlaws but as she sung it her heart sank. She had left everyone she loved for a life of crime and would not see them again.
"But it's what I chose" Autheil sighed, remembering Elladan's face when she said she was leaving. She had been thinking of him often of late. Shaking off her heavy heart she headed off up the track to the nearby tavern, she would be welcome there. As she approached she heard the singing of the men from within, the drunken shouts and laughter calling her home to her true friends and family.
She made her way in and booked a room before going in search of a place to dry of from the abysmal weather that had started out of nowhere. Pouring water from her boots she counted the coins, it was more than enough for a few years but it was never enough to fill the pain it brought her in attaining it. Elladan's childish smile played on her mind, their games in the courtyards of Rivendell where she had been moved for safety after the attack on Hollin. Outside the moon shone bright and smiled in peaceful rest. Autheil stood and gazed up at it through the thin glass before letting her eyes follow a shadow in the stable block. The shadow was watching and waiting but for what? Unperturbed she went back to her bag and hid the treasures beneath the bed before leaving the room to get a drink.
Authiel sat hidden in a corner. The tavern stank of pipe weed and though the fog of smoke made it hard to see, she glimpsed a cloaked figure enter and walk in her direction.
"Are you lady Autheil?" The figure asked removing is hood.
"I might be what it is to you?" she asked warily, studying the man's face. He would have been handsome, but half of his face was burnt away, and his eyes were blank, he had no lips or if he did they were not visible.
"I have a job for the lady Authiel, a highly paid job" he said dropping a bag of what sounded like gold on the table, and then he sat down. "Now are you lady Autheil daughter of Nendir or not?" he asked is tone menacing.
"I am, and what is your name" Autheil asked, watching him coolly, her face not visible from beneath her hood.
"I am Dûrion, of the dale"
"Never heard of you" Autheil said, wondering who he was.
"I tend to make it a first time habit of meeting people, no second meetings, if you know what I mean" he said. Autheil saw he was studying her, sighing she pulled back her hood,
"What was the job you spoke of" she asked, she was tired of this man's attempts to make conversation and wanted rid of him.
The man glanced around him and lowered his voice, "I need you to do away with someone" he whispered.
Autheil felt her stomach twist, this was not the first time this request had been made and it wasn't her first kill but the job put her far too much in danger for her liking.
"Who would this person be?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable.
"My brother, Lord Alyan, I will pay you greatly."
"Your brother?" Autheil asked quietly, suddenly interested in this man and what he had to offer.
"Yes, you will find him in the prancing pony in Bree; he is staying there on business for a month, when you find him, I want you to tell him who sent you, then kill him a slowly and painfully as possible, then return here for you pay.
" Autheil nodded and stood up to leave, it was not her place to question the motives of others. Only to do the job required of her.
"Here take this for lodging and food" Dûrion said, handing her the bag of gold on the table. Autheil took it, checked inside. There was plenty of gold, more than enough, but she said nothing and left the tavern.
It was a long way to Bree from the little tavern at the base of the misty mountains, worse still the rain poured down constantly, and the wind blew up gales every night. Authiel sat under a rock face, shivering, cursing her luck at having been asked to travel miles to kill someone. What would Elladan say? Autheil laughed bitterly, Elladan was not with her and he was probably safe in Rivendell surrounded by young elleths and had forgotten her existence. The thought of it made her feel sick. Bile rose in her throat and she cursed herself for thinking of him.
"It's better for me here, I cannot be hurt by any emotion's here, he will settle down with a normal maiden, have children and I will be forgotten, it's how it should be" she told herelf, trying to convince herself. The pain that she carried in her heart grew and she pushed Elladan from her mind and began to light a fire. The wood was damp but it lit and the little flame flicked weakly before growing stronger. Autheil huddled close to it, thinking back to the warmth of the kitchen fire and the safety of her home. She knew that a fate awaited her there, one she would not accept. Her life in exile was better; she was free to do as she willed.
The next day the rain had ceased to a light drizzle, and the sun was trying to come out from the clouds, the once green fields were now a boggy swamp and streams had turned to rivers. Autheil spent most of the day wading through bogs and rivers until she came to weather top. Smiling to herself she ran up the steps to the top on the lookout. The sun was setting and the rain had stopped shadows played across the fields and marshes, Autheil leaned against one of the turrets, remembering the stories of gallant warriors that had trained and fought there. It was too late to go any further so she went below to find shelter. After a meal of bread and venison, Autheil sat thinking. Why did Dûrion want his brother dead? What was his gain in his death, and why pick her out of all the assassins in middle earth? She turned over the questions in her mind. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen, something that would change everything. Across the long expanse of grassland the shadow from the inn wandered and Autheil reached for her blade, finishing the last of the wine. The shadow stopped moving and stood still once again watching and waiting, leaving Autheil to huddle up in her furs to rest.