Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR.
A/N: Thanks to all of you who favourited or followed. You people are awesome.
WinnieFawn: Haha, I'm glad that you love them both. I'm trying my best to make her an authentic character with any possible character improvement. It is just the start and there's lots more to come. I hope you enjoy!
La Femme Absurde: What's life without a little suspense? ;) I'm trying my best to sketch out a whole adventure for her before the timeline connects with the fellowship of the ring. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Marie0907: Honestly, I'll say that it's impossible to dislike him, really. Thank you so much :) I'm trying to make her a Mary-sue less character and I hope it'll work out. I hope you enjoy this chapter too :)
Narylfiel: Thank you :) I haven't read the tunnel series but will surely add it to my to-read list. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Enjoy! RR.
Chapter 7: The Encounter.
I screamed. My voice shrill, high-pitched. I was terrified and trembling. I moved unsteadily back a few steps, my legs feeling like jello in front of such terrible monsters. If I thought that these monsters won't react to me moving or some knight in shining armour would come to save me just as these things came in a two-metre radius of me, I was wholly mistaken. Just as I moved a few steps back, one of the monsters came at me with speed that wasn't supposed to be possible with its mass. It caught me by the arms, it's claws digging into my skin and drawing out blood where they sank particularly deep. I cried out in pain, tears pricking in my eyes. Shaking my arms forcefully I tried with all my strength to free myself. My heart sank when I heard their amused snorts. I inhaled deeply so I could at least scream once more. I knew I was being pathetic but I had no weapon. My only hope was that Èohere might somehow hear me and come to my rescue. After all, it was he who kept a sword and not me. Before I could though, I was kicked harshly in the back so that I fell forward. My chin collided painfully with the hard ground. It all became hazy, my mind clouding with the extreme pain in my back where the kick had connected with my skin. Coughing out the dust I went up shakily on the fours. My heart constricting in horror as I saw blood, more specifically my blood, dripping onto the ground. Touching my chin slightly. I winced as the dirt irritated the wound. It was maybe due to the force of the kick or the power of these creatures that I realised I didn't stand a chance. I drew in a shaky breath as I felt them tying my hands and feet together. One of them took an extremely greasy small piece of cloth and bought it for my face. I realised with a jolt that it was meant for gagging. In my last desperate attempt to call for help. I drew in another long breath and screamed again on the top of my lungs. It wasn't a good idea. I felt something connecting with my face before my brain processed the sharp tingling of the slap. I closed my eyes in a lost attempt to keep a little bit of my mind working. I was picked up like a sack of garbage and thrown against a tree. My back, already beginning to bruise from the earlier kick, connected with it and I sharply inhaled, feeling as if a hundred hammers were pounding on my back. I felt a greasy, dirty piece of rag being stuffed into my mouth.
It was all hazy. All I could hear was the loud pounding of my heart. My brain was becoming foggy. I was totally, utterly lost. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard the frantic neighs of Barnaby who was tied to a tree a little ways away. I closed my eyes tightly, willing it all to go away.
Those monsters rummaged through our spot. They kicked at the fire, emptied our bag and famished our supplies. In the time they were distracted I tried rubbing my tied arms against the tree to free them. They were tied by what seemed like a thick cloth. I rubbed and rubbed, trying desperately to free my hands. The wood scratched and bruised my hands. The cuts were bleeding bright crimson. My hands were dripping with blood. I continued, hoping against hope that Èohere detected something and will now be making his way back.
After those beings had eaten all the food that they could find, they picked up their weapons. One of them took out its blunt dagger and moved towards me.
Sheer panic overtook my body. I rubbed my arms harder, the cloth was loose but it would take a bit more time to fully open the binds. I looked around, my eyes wide with fear. Nothing. Not a single thing that could help me. The monster reached towards me. Just as it slashed its dagger downwards I jerked sideways. In my constricted condition, I couldn't move away so well and the edge of the dagger sliced through my left arm. I cried out, pain exploding in my arm. It was not extremely deep but it had sliced through the skin. Blood gushed out of the wound, matting my shirt with my skin. The monster was annoyed and as a result, kicked me sharply in the gut. I felt the air rushing out of my body, blackness erupting around my eyes. It grabbed my hair sharply and yanked me forward. I could see the madness in their eyes. I was tired. I was bruised and bleeding. I was hurt. I snapped my eyes shut and dreaded the next slash of the dagger. I had no hope. I knew I couldn't save myself now. 'Maybe it really was the end.' I mused bitterly. What good did it do to come out of Bree? Was I only here to die like this? In that fleeting moment, I regretted my decision more than anything. Why was I so insistent? Why couldn't I be content with what I had? Just why?
I felt it raising its arm. My head moved down slightly. In fear or dread, I wasn't sure. Suddenly there was a whooshing sound near my face as if something passed quickly in front of me. I heard more than I saw it, the arrow that saved my life. The monsters cried out aggressively and I was dropped to the ground. I pressed my back against the tree, dreading to see if something even worse was here. What I saw nearly caused me to burst out crying right then and there. Relief washed through my body as I saw Èohere on his horse galloping towards us, his bow stacked on his back and sword in his hand. The monsters due to the distraction moved towards him. I slumped against the tree trying to calm myself down before I realised that it was Èohere against six of the monsters, all attacking him simultaneously. I started rubbing at the loose cloth again, trying to get it to tear. Looking up I saw that Èohere was no longer on his stallion. He slashed and ducked against them. One of the monsters came at him and I saw with a start as Èohere's sword cleaved through its gut. He didn't even bat an eye at killing it before resuming his fight with other monsters. 'It deserved it.' I thought desperately, the modern soul in me was not willing to believe that this world thrived on killing living beings, even if it was a monster it still drew breath. Perilous times, he had said. But it was today I realised the extent of it all.
I pushed these thoughts away. The cloth tore and I didn't wait a moment before opening my leg binds with my ever-trembling hands.
I looked towards the fight and saw Èohere engaging two of the monsters, three were already dead. One was creeping behind him. With my heart in my stomach, I got up, stumbling towards the fire I picked a lone piece of firewood. The monster's back was to me. With all the strength I could muster I swung the wood. It collided with the back of the monster's head. It lost its balance and crashed to the ground. The blow wasn't strong enough to kill or even disable that creature but at least it gave Èohere enough time to slash off the necks of the remaining two. Breathing heavily he walked over to me and the monster that was unsteadily trying to gain his balance. With an angry swing of his sword Èohere chopped off its head. Blood splattered across the ground. I closed my eyes, the smell of blood engulfing my senses. I would've vomited had I not been so completely out of my mind at that moment. Breathing with no little amount of difficulty, I fell onto the ground. All I could think of was the pain. It was everywhere, my arms, my legs, my gut, my hands, my back, my face even my mind. It was consuming me. I didn't know when the tears started to fall, or when my body started to tremble like a thin leaf shaking in a storm. Èohere sat down on one knee and place his hands on my shaking shoulders. I looked up to see him staring at me with pity. I stayed like that for a moment willing the pain to subside. It was too real. It was too dangerous. I had lived my whole life in California. How was I supposed to deal with such murderous monsters? At that moment I missed my home dearly. My heart was aching. I felt my chest constricting at the thought of my life, my family, my friends...They would be devastated if they saw what had just transpired.
I was shaken out of my reverie when I heard the dripping of blood on the ground. Even in my disrupted state, I felt my medical instinct taking over when I saw the gash on Èohere's lower chest. Wiping my tears with shaky hands I inhaled trying to calm my nerves.
"You're bleeding." My voice was croaky as I gestured towards the gash. He looked down and nodded as if to ask me not to worry, that he'll take care of it. I shook my head. I wanted to be helpful. This man had just saved my pathetic life.
"I want to help," I said, clearing my throat in hopes of getting rid of the slight tremble that still existed in my body. At his uncertain expression, I added.
" I was a surgeon in my world."A moment later I realised I had spoken in English.
"I mean, this is what I did back," I drew in a sharp breath, the word seemed to be stuck in my throat. "...back home." I nearly whispered. He nodded and got up, taking hold of his dishevelled bag he moved a few paces until he reached the stream. I followed him and came to sit by the stream. Letting my hands in the cool water, I hissed when the water made contact with the cuts and bruises on my hands. I washed away the dirt, grime and blood from my hands and face. My jaw stung. A bruise was forming on it from when the monster had struck me. I took the needle and thread Èohere offered. I started sewing his wound after cleaning it with water and with the limited amount of paste that he insisted was used for such wounds. I was glad that my hands remembered how to stitch the wound. I was sure that otherwise, I would've messed up in the middle. My trembling subsided when I reached the middle. I squinted my eyes to get a better view as the gash thinned at the end. Breaking off the thread I looked at my work. It wasn't as clean as it would've been with the modern surgical threads but it was neat and precise. Èohere looked extremely surprised at the skill but chose to not delve more deeply. Maybe he saw my broken spirit through my tarnished expression. He gave me the paste to apply on my own wounds. I nodded indicating to him that I wanted to take a bath. He left without another word. Walking towards the still burning flame he sat on a rock facing away from me. The night was dark, the crescent moon giving only a little bit of shine. The stream was a few paces away from our spot. I took off my blood matted clothed and without another thought got into the stream. I inhaled sharply as the water collided with all the cuts and bruised that had formed. The cuts from where the claws had maimed my skin and the gash from where the dagger had broken the flesh. There was a large bruise forming on my back due to the kicks I had received. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to ride tomorrow. Ridding, suddenly, brought my thoughts towards Barnaby, looking around I was extremely relieved to see that it was tied with Èohere's stallion.
I scrubbed the dirt and blood off my skin. Drying myself, I put the salve, paste and bandages on the wounds and dressed in a clean pair of clothes. I was glad that those monsters had at least not destroyed our clothes. I picked up the remaining medicinal supplies and moved towards the camp. I discarded my destroyed clothes. It wasn't possible to repair all the damage they had attained. Èohere had moved the bodies away from the campsite. As I reached he instructed me to sleep. I looked at him with uncertainty. Were we really supposed to sleep here? What if new monsters came? "They were the last of them, Miss." He said. I nodded and prepared to sleep.
I was tired physically and mentally. I was supposed to fall asleep just as I closed my eyes and yet I kept awake for a long time, my tears wetting the grass.
I woke up to the glaring hotness of the sun. With a start, I realised that it was almost noon and we usually started on the road at dusk. I sat up slowly, the bruises, now an angry black-blue colour, aching horribly. The events of yesterday came rushing back into my mind. I looked around trying to fight with the sinking of my heart. The events of yesterday had implanted a huge effect on me. Thinking that I'll be a bubbly bright person just the next day was not even a funny thought. I needed to get over it, I knew, but it didn't feel as easy as it seemed. The bodies of the orcs were piled up a little way to the west. Èohere was busy roasting something on the flame. I got up. My legs ached. It was difficult to even stand straight with the horrible bruise on my back.
"Miss Lane." Èohere greeted as I came to sit across him after refreshing myself by the stream. I nodded at him. I was quiet and so was he. Uneasiness settled over me. I sussed that a small part of me was dreading that he'll ditch me in the next town or village we came across because it was too dangerous. It was ridiculous to be angry with him if he did so. He had warned me about the dangers but still, I had insisted. I did not know how to use a sword, I was pretty sure no one just learned sword fighting in Modern Earth to protect themselves, I wasn't even sure if there was some sort of recreational course teaching people sword fighting. I was by no means capable to protect myself. If we came across these monsters again, which was more and more likely as we reached the mountains, I was just going to get in Èohere's way, unless... I toyed with the idea. It wasn't impossible to ask Èohere to teach me just until we reach Rohan. When he gets over the initial shock, he might see the use in teaching me. I knew that he also realised the problem it would make if we came across a whole pack of these creatures while I would still be clueless about what to do. I suddenly wished that I could google it.
"Èohere," I said looking at him slightly uncertain. He was busy turning the meat so he cocked his head to show that he was listening. "Teach me how to use a sword!" I said, my tone rushed. His hands froze for a minute moment before he looked up at me. He stared as if to answer something he wasn't sure about. I looked back resolutely, showing that I was absolutely certain in my point. He said nothing for a long moment. The meat sizzled on the flame, a small quantity of fat dripping down while it cooked. He seemed to be pondering. In the last few weeks, I was sure that he knew that something like Medieval propriety didn't bother me a single bit. Even then, it was slightly surprising to me when I saw him seriously considering it.
The meat was cooked, yet I was still waiting for Èohere to say something. He indicated that we eat first. I didn't complain. Last night's events had left me famished and if he needs time to think, I'll give him that.
"Fine, Miss" I jerked at Èohere's sudden voice. After eating he had placed the bones on a leaf and had gone towards the stream while I had cleaned up after myself. I looked at him surprised.
"Although not yet," he continued "when your wounds heal and until we reach Rohan, I shall train you in the art."
I didn't even try to hide my relieved smile.
The dark of the night had spread. We had travelled only a small distance today, my bruises making the galloping of the horse a real pain. Èohere had made a fire and we had eaten the leftovers of the lunch. I was just getting up to head to sleep when Èohere asked me about my medical skills.
"You know how to stitch with a skill that is beyond those of mere helpers, I would say that you were a very gifted healer, had it not been for your ignorance to medicinal plants and pastes." He had said, "You said that you did this work in your world, may I ask you miss, what was it that you did in your homeworld?" His tone had been genuinely curious.
I had pondered for a moment. Thinking of the best way to explain it. When I told him that this whole paste and salve mixing thing was not done by healers in our day he had been gobsmacked. I tried to explain that the knowledge was too advanced so that they made a whole new profession out of it. He stared at the fire a bit while inhaling his tobacco smoke.
"You are strange Miss Lane", he said a while later, when I was placing the cloth on the floor to sleep "and your world even stranger."
I smiled then, looking at him with a twinkle in my eyes I replied humorously.
"It would not have been the case, had I been born five or more centuries earlier in my own world." He raised his eyebrows in a silent question.
"I mean, my world wasn't always this..." I stopped for a moment, trying to find the right word. "...always this progressive." He willed me to continue.
"A few hundred years before I was born, men in my world lived like people in Bree, I think... aside from orcs and dwarves and elves. They did not exist." I added hastily.
He contemplated what I had just told him. I settled down in my cloth bed.
"Goodnight." I murmured before falling into a tired, aching sleep.
To be continued...