Disclaimer: I am not J.R.R. Tolkien!

Chapter 20

(Glorfindel POV) We travelled for eight days, guided by Fariza and Jakira's incomplete memories. The days were similar and unimportant, fading in my thoughts as more days of travelling within my long lifetime. Little occurred during those days though we rode swiftly, passing sand dune after sand dune yet always seeing another on the horizon. The view was largely unchanging, though sometimes there was a unique rock formation or, once, an oasis.

My wound healed quickly and it soon came time for Jakira to remove the stitches- which she did with joy as it signalled the end of her responsibilities as a healer. Even I could tell that healing was not a role Jakira enjoyed. She was awkward and hesitant, though evidently well taught and certainly gifted.

The journey had been tiring but all throughout it I could feel my strength returning and, now, I was able to keep riding all day, even through sunhigh. The dizziness that I had once felt because of the heat had disappeared and, though I certainly wasn't at my strongest during that time, I was no longer as weak and my head did not pound. Jakira was still far more comfortable than I but she had had twenty-one years to grow accustomed to it, as I learned from Fariza.

Often, it was just Jakira and I, as it had been in the beginning, because Fariza did not always stay with us. Most days she rode ahead, scouting and then leaving marks and signs for Jakira to find, decode and follow. When her horse grew tired she left him behind and would continue on foot. At first, I had feared that we would leave her far behind but Jakira had laughed at the suggestion.

"She has been trained to run day and night without ceasing, swift as an arrow and tireless as a river. She is nearly as quick as some of our horses, though not as quick as the fabled ones of Rohan or the elves. We will not lose her, Glorfindel".

"Truly," I had asked in disbelief, because the skill which she was describing was one of the Eldar, particularly the Elven warriors. We were trained to run fleetly and tirelessly across all terrains, disregarding all weariness and continuing on for days if necessary. The gift of elven stamina was helpful in those instances, though I supposed not crucial. But I had not heard of those outside the Dúnedain acquiring that skill in large groups (and even they had their limits), and I knew of no one who could be teaching it. It was not an easy skill to learn and mortal bodies were ill fashioned for it.

"She is a Rikajir guild member and they are taught such things. The weak are quickly driven to be strong amongst the guild- that or dismissed," Jakira had said with a shrug, dismissing the conversation.

As Fariza had easily kept pace with us and continued to tell us what awaited ahead, I was forced to believe her, though I still wondered how the Rikajir had gained this skill.

It was lucky that Fariza did scout ahead because two days ago she had found a small patrol of ten orcs- which she had easily slaughtered despite being alone. When she had discovered something of interest amongst the orc's things, she had left Jakira signs leading to the impromptu battlefield.

We had found her there, mostly untouched by blood and wholly untouched by wounds. Her veil had been covering her face, a paper was crushed in her hands and she had been pacing, looking more like an assassin than I had seen her since speaking to her that night during the watch.

There were ten dead orcs around her, stinking and letting their blood seep into the sand which the wind would doubtlessly soon blow to bury them. Four of the ten had been killed by arrows to the throat, the others had gaping wounds caused by knives or daggers.

I had watched quietly as she paced, uncaring of the blood, her movements as smooth and graceful as a dancer. When we had approached, Fariza had whirled towards us with drawn weapons, her muscles tensed and ready. Her eyes, being the only part of her face visible through the veil, were furious and coldly burning. For the first time since I had met her, they looked like the true eyes of an assassin, ruthless, frigid and merciless.

Jakira halted and spoke quietly in Haradaic, her voice soft and comforting, reassuring and gentle. It was the voice that one would use to calm a frightened animal and it held no fear or hesitation despite the anger that Fariza displayed.

Fariza responded sharply, the Haradaic sounding guttural and fierce, no fire but instead deadly ice, cutting and chilling. I could hear the threat and fury in the words despite understanding none of them. Undaunted, Jakira spoke again in that soft voice and finally Fariza stilled. She was still plainly furious but she had stopped pacing and shifting and she had stowed her knife.

Fariza spoke and her tone was calm, precise and clear. It was all the more dangerous for that because it held no madness, only purpose; straight, deadly purpose. It trembled in anger, though the fury was restrained by her will. I wondered what had upset her to this degree.

"They have disobeyed. They have dared disobey one who speaks with the voice of the Rikajir," Fariza announced and some of the fury broke through her will, making her voice sound as thunder and storm and darkness. She spoke not with the blind fury of a child but the calculated one of an adult and her voice was filled with crackling power. I could see why the common folk feared the Rikajir so much, if this was what all looked like angered. They were more here than the whispers in the darkness and the shadow in the night.

"Who has disobeyed," I asked, wondering who had been foolish enough to have dared disobey and risk the wrath of the Rikajir.

"That army camp. They have ignored my orders and sent messages telling of your escape and how I am pursuing. Three patrols of orcs have been sent after us, supposedly to assist me. Their private orders are to then take me captive, along with you. The Lord of Gifts could use a captured Rikajir guild member and he will doubtlessly be interested in you. They will be rewarded more richly if they can bring Jakira in alive but that is not necessary. They do not know who we are".

"How do you know this," I pressed urgently, seeing no live orc nor one that had been tortured and made to reveal these details. You could be sure that none would do so willingly. She waved the paper that had reappeared in her hands and so I dismounted and went to glance at it.

"You read Black Speech," I asked, for that is the language that the letter detailing the orders, if it was such, was written in.

"I am a member of the guild," she said simply. I took that for a 'yes'.

"But where did you learn," I pressed, for in the North at least, it was rare that one could speak or understand the language of Mordor, let alone read it.

Looking exasperated and vexed, Fariza said, "I am a Rikajir guild member! We are taught as apprentices to speak, read and write Black Speech."

The thought of so many men being able to speak the tongue of orcs sent a shiver down my spine. Fariza said that the Rikajir were not allied with Sauron, and certainly rumour agreed with that, but seeing her now I could picture the opposite all too easily. They were not allied with the Free People either. Yet I could picture her again as we had spoken that night and I remembered her sincerity and light in the Unseen world.

She was not yet taken over by darkness so she was not yet one of his. But that didn't mean that she was one of ours either. She belonged to the Rikajir and I could see her loyalty to it with every breath she took and word she spoke. The question was: to whom were the Rikajir truly allied?

Turning, I asked Jakira, "Do you know Black Speech as well?"

"I can read simple messages and understand basic commands but there my knowledge ends. I know less than a first year apprentice among the guild! The language of orcs is a strange one and it feels as wrong on my lips as it tastes on my tongue."

I was pleased by that for some reason that I could not name. Fariza muttered something in Haradaic that caused Jakira to scowl but we all knew that we had more important things to worry about.

"How many orcs are in each patrol," I asked, hoping that this had been one of the patrols and they were all this small. Twenty orcs we could handle.

"There are fifteen orcs in each and this was merely a messenger, not one of the patrols sent. It was travelling to the army camp with a message among other things," Fariza replied confidently.

I frowned, forty five orcs would be harder for three people to handle, particularly if they happened to have archers.

"What other things," Jakira asked, her fingers drumming a tattoo into the hilt of her scimitar as her eyes scanned the desert for foes.

"Just more news, doubtless messages intended for someone," Fariza glanced again at the paper before reading out, "some Rhûn tribe has been causing trouble, Dalamyr remains strong despite a probing attack, there were three wargs found dead with the marks of a skilled killer upon them. They believe that the killer was a talented mercenary and are considering hiring the Rikajir to dispose of him or her".

Fariza smiled at that possibility and interrupted herself, commenting, "I must mention to the guildmaster that there is an opportunity for profit. We can raise the price for mercenaries".

"This time you will have to survive without the profit," Jakira said dryly.

Fariza frowned, "do not tell me that you were foolish enough to risk yourself by taking on three wargs at once".

Jakira's pride, alike to the pride of most the Haradrim, was quickly roused and she bristled at the suggestion that she would be unable to defeat them. "Do you believe me incapable," she asked.

"On the contrary, I believe you capable of both killing and avoiding the wargs. They would never have found you unless you were soaked in blood, extremely careless, or you had allowed them".

Her pride satisfied, Jakira admitted, "It was not me. Glorfindel gained his cut by fighting those three, even after he was already half dead from exhaustion, dehydration and sunsickness".

For a second, Fariza looked almost impressed before she caught herself. "Come," she said briskly. "Gather your things, I travel now with you. We have forty five orcs trying to find us and even I would not like to stumble across them alone. Let us hope to reach the fortress soon".

So now all three of us travelled together, despite Fariza's grumbling about our speed and her complaints about staying with us. As an assassin, she was used to travelling alone and she did not enjoy journeying with a group- even if that group numbered only two. Jakira had assured me that it was normal and not merely my presence that was turning her away.

"She is an assassin, Glorfindel, bound only to her code of morals and her guild. She is usually free to roam where she pleases, fight what she wishes and flee when she must. We slow her down and prevent her from doing those things.

"Because of us, she must not be so reckless as she now sees it as her duty to protect us and deliver us safely to the Rikajir. Because of us, she may not journey so fast or go where she pleases. She is no longer free as the wind, and she hates us for it. She is not one who enjoys being bound, even if it is only by love and care. Make no mistake, she does not like you. But she harbours some love for me and it is by that she is bound". I accepted that as it rang true.

Yesterday, as we had passed as certain rock formation, I had caught Fariza leaving a paper inside of it. She had also relaxed while scanning the landscape, though I had seen nothing. She had disappeared at sunhigh that day, telling us not to move. She had also handed us (or, rather, Jakira) a whistle and said to blow it if we ran into trouble.

"The usual signal," she added before running into the sands and merging with the rocks. Half an hour later she returned, refused to answer any questions and took back the whistle. We continued riding.

Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy! We are getting very close to the Rikajir and now we have discovered that several patrols of orc on on their tail as the army camp commander didn't listen to Fariza. Is she ever mad at that! I would not like to be the commander when she comes back for revenge... if she gets a chance... So, this chapter please tell me what you are liking, disliking, more ways to improve, reasons why you wouldn't review, things I could do to change that :), which OC characters you are liking and why, as well as anything and everything else you would like to share! Again, a huge thank you to Toraach, Guest, and ishkaqwiaidurugnul for reviewing.

Guest, I'm glad that you are continuing to enjoy the story and that you like my attention to detail. Glorfindel will show his worth very soon and I think you will like what we discover when we meet the Rikajir. Hope you enjoy this update!

That's about it, thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing, following or favouriting. Please review! :) Have a great night, Samuel La Flame