Chapter 11
Almost instantly, the wardens in the room, including Haldir, set out to find the creature while Ithilia recovered from her memories.
"What in the name of Arda is that?" Aegnor breathed as he looked into the distance, towards Dorthonion. Angrod and Ithilia stopped what they were doing and gracefully went over to their younger brother. "Sister, Brother?" Shortly after, Finrod joined his siblings to look in the distance as well.
"It is only storm clouds. 'Tis no danger. Come, brothers and sister. Tonight, we shall ready for what terrors tomorrow will bring upon us." Finrod said in his deep, calming voice as he clasped a warrior-hardened hand on each of his brothers' shoulders.
"We must never be so ignorant, onóro, to what our eyes see." Ithilia crisply stated, ghostly blue eyes flashing dangerously.
Angrod and Aegnor glanced at each other, worry evident in their eyes. They knew about their sister's sharp tongue and with Artanis always in the company of Ithilia, she inherited the sharp words as well. "Must you always be so stubborn, Ithilia?" Finrod chuckled, his silvery-blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Ahhhhh, I really think we should be heading back to our shelters now. The moon is near its peak, I'd hate to sleep in when you all are either honing your bow skills or sparring!" Angrod exclaimed with an overly-large yawn. Ithilia rolled her eyes and allowed a small smile to grace her lips.
"Ag—"
"Foalókë!" An elf on lookout bellowed, his smooth voice carrying throughout the camp, forcing everyone from their rest. As expected, everyone began dashing for their armor and weapons. "An army! Advancing this way!"
"Aegnor, Angrod, come with me! Ithil—"
"I will not stand behind you just because I am a woman!" The said elleth snarled back as she brandished her swords, Fëa-Dûr. "I am just as dangerous as you, brother. Do not think I cannot handle myself!" With that being said, she walked forward and pushed past her brothers in a brisk pace...
-Time skip-
"Angrod! Aegnor! Ithilia! Fall back! Their numbers are not dwindling." Finrod screamed as he slaughtered a pair of orcs coming up at him.
Ithilia turned around to grasp her youngest brother, Aegnor, but he wasn't there. She looked around frantically, aware of the chaos that was roaring around her. Screams of dying men and elves filled the air, the crackling whips of the Balrogs, and the fire not ceasing its bright glow. A balrog spotted her, roared, and charged toward her. Its flames seemed to enlarge tenfold. "Go back into the abyss, foul beast." She hissed, not wanting to waste time when she could be looking for Aegnor.
As if it were ignoring her, it brought down its flaming sword in an attempt to kill the elf before her. But the Balrog was not expecting the elleth to have magical powers. "Naur tinchor ostring." Ithilia murmured rapidly as her swords glowed bright blue in response to the magic. She then brought them in a defense stance just as the flaming sword clashed with hers. The strength caused her to bend her knees, but she remained unharmed. "Yala onna en' alu." She grunted as she used her strength to bring her swords up in an arc, towards the Balrog then to the ground. Water erupted from the ground suddenly, spraying the beast with its coolness, diminishing the flames.
Not even waiting to see the Balrog collapse, she turned and darted away. "Aegnor!" She screamed, desperately looking around. A scream of agony to her left caught her attention. Her head snapped to attention, silver strands stained with blood and dirt followed more slowly from the speed. "NO! Aegnor! Angrod!" She made a mad dash over to the pair laying on the ground. On her way there, she blindly slaughtered anything that had black or green skin.
"No.." She keened as she dropped Fëa-Dûr to touch a hand on Aegnor's cold face and then Angrod's.
"I am sorry... sister." Angrod choked as her gaze shifted back to him, blood spilling over the sides of his lips, rolling down his cheek. The scarlet hue mingling with the clear fluid of tears.
"Hush, Angrod.." She murmured as she placed a kiss on his brow. "Do not speak.."
But of course, him being stubborn, he ignored his sister's request. "I could not... protect Aegnor. Tell Finrod..." A strangled cough and wheezing ensued but the ellon continued to speak. "I'm sorry.. and.. tell my beloved.. Eldalótë.. that I love her.." Blue eyes fogged up and became unfocused.
"Angrod! No, you cannot die! Tell Eldalótë that yourself! Please.." Ithilia's voice lowered to a whisper as she rested her head against his armored chest. But the mourning was not to last as she could hear the heavy noise of feet coming her way. Grasping her swords, she stood up and swiftly changed the way she held her swords so they were pointing backwards. With a grand amount of force, she shoved them backward to hear a satisfying crunch of armor and bones giving way under the sharp elven swords.
Ithilia's filth-covered face was soon partially cleaned from her non-stop flow of tears. "Ithilia! Fall back!" Finrod's powerful voice bellowed in the distance. Obeying orders, she slowly made her way to her remaining brother, choked sobs escaping her from the loss of her younger brothers. Even then, their cheerful voices were ringing in her head. Oh how she was annoyed to death, but deep inside, she loved them with all her heart.
"Aegnor... Angrod.." Black fog clouded her vision...
"My Lady.." A gentle masculine voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She shifted her gaze from the table her right hand was leaning heavily upon to see Imrathon looking at her with kind and concerned eyes. "Are you alright?" By his question alone, Ithilia noticed that she was crying. Her left hand covered her mouth to stifle her sobs and her cheeks were wet with tears of grief from her memory. Gently straightening herself while wiping away her tears, she took a deep breath before answering the warden.
"I am fine, thank you." She murmured, keeping her voice soft so it would not sound hoarse. "Have you found the creature?"
Imrathon nodded and stepped aside to see Haldir carrying something she would never expect to see in her life. Nothing that would have lived in Eryn Lasgalen. In his gentle hands was a wild cat cub. It was writhing in pain as its curse intensified. "Oh Valar.." She murmured as she walked forward and extracted the baby from Haldir's arms gently. Setting it on one of the beds around the room, she touched its convulsing back and closed her eyes. "I do not think I can help him, but I will try."
Several hours later into the day, Ithilia was still in one of her incantations. It appeared as if she were speaking in some strange language, but Haldir knew it was Quenya, her mother-tongue. Some of the wardens were quietly reading a book while others were leaning against the wall, napping. Orophin and Rúmil in particular were standing beside Haldir, watching the cub and Ithilia just as attentively as he is. "Vara tel' Seldarine.." A deep breath from Ithilia, "Ama poldora, poika tuulo' 'kshapsae." After a brief moment of stillness, everything happened at once.
The cub stopped its painful mewls and convulsing, Ithilia stiffened up to the point it seemed as if she wasn't breathing, and a black fog dispersed in thin air after it detached itself from the cub. The Marchwarden immediately stepped forward, his arms enclosing around his beloved. "Meleth.." He breathed as she slowly relaxed against him tiredly.
The cub started to snore peacefully, its furry tail slowly waving back and forth. "It is done. The cub is safe." Ithilia sighed deeply. "Sauron's power is growing. We must go back to Caras Galadhon as quick as our horses can carry us. I fear for Middle-Earth's fate."
Two things.
One;
I did not take a second look at this.
Two;
...
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I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING SO DRAMATIC!