"Orcs," Evelyn whispered to herself. She took to the air and flew high in the air, making a sharp turn that would bring her back to the tiny camp where she and Nightshade were sleeping.
They still had not left the lands surrounding Imaldris. After the incident where the elf, Elladan, attempted to speak to her, she had been terrified. She thought that she was being careful, that she and Nightshade were being discreet... but I suppose the orc bodies were giving us away.
So, she did the only thing that she could, she stopped killing them. Nightshade had a keen sense of smell and thus was always quick to determine the location of the orcs. This had become a necessary measure as orcs were trickling in, crossing the Brunin and making towards Imaldris. The parties were small, two to three orcs each time and Evelyn was nearly certain that they were scouts. She had been doing her best to kill them off and prevent them from returning to their hoard, but she had to stop after she was made by Elladan.
Now the orcs were back, and there were a lot of them.
From a distance, she watched as the horde of orcs marched across the Brunin and straight towards the city. There was nothing that she could do. She turned to Nightshade and the wolf gazed back at her with those patient eyes... waiting. In truth, they should have returned home weeks ago. Glorfindel was fully recovered and there was no point in them sticking around. Now, the elves were looking for her. Now, orcs were invading.
"It's not our fight," she whispered to Nightshade, stroking the wolf's coarse outer coat. The nights were going cold and her companion was growing in a thick layer to battle with the snow which would inevitably fall. "They would not do the same for us."
Despite her words however, there was a tinge of worry in Evelyn's heart. She knew that Glorfindel was out on patrol, and if they had kept to schedule, he should be directly in the path of the orcs. Now, the orcs could kill the elves for all Evelyn cared, they weren't her responsibility. But, a tiny part of her wanted to check on Glorfindel, to make sure that the stupid blond elf would make it out alive. I did put a lot of effort into him... it would be a waste. She used the same excuse each time, but it was enough for her to climb atop Nightshade's back as the wolf ran silently in the same direction as the orcs.
They traveled at an easy lope, a pace at which they would still maintain a modicum of silence and secrecy. They didn't want to participate, they didn't want to fight. They just waned to watch.
Soon, they could hear the sounds of battle ahead. The cries of the elves were rapid and tense for the orcs had the advantage of a moonless night and the element of surprise. The sounds of swords clanging, flesh tearing, and soldiers screaming was unmistakable. Evelyn pushed Nightshade to hide beneath a layer of brambles whilst she took to a nearby tree, climbing silently so that she could watch the chaos from above.
The fires that the elves had lit to cook their food were blazing brightly and several casks of oil appeared to have spilt near them, creating massive blazes that were perilous to battle amidst. Yet battle they did. Orcs and creatures which Evelyn knew to be Uruk-hai used clubs and crude blades to strike down upon the elves. The elves, though slight, were strong and swift. Even in the chaos they moved with no small amount of grace, flitting through the battle, striking back with swords, spears, and bows.
As the battle raged, firelight reflected the gleaming metal of their blades and for a moment, Evelyn's heart stopped as a memory of steel bars and shining blades surfaced. She gasped grasping her chest and sucking in rapid breaths until she could force herself to calm. It would do no good to have a flashback now, the elves were not fighting her. In fact, they appeared to be losing the fight.
All around the battle field, more elves fell beneath the sheer numbers of orcs. None of their archers had been able to break away from the main fight and thus they were forced to wind knives and swords against the orcs. Some of the Uruk-hai however were clever. They hung back at the rear of the battle and fired off arrow after arrow into the fray. There was little that the elves could do to dodge these missiles while attempting to avoid blows with blades.
In the center of the battle was Glorfindel, the elf, fully healed was magnificent and terrifying to behold. He carried no shield and instead bore a broadsword with two hands. He made massive arching swings at the orcs, severing limbs and heads as he went. His gashes were crude but effecting, a massive slice across the chest of one Uruk-hai cut through the beast's chainmail and tore his heart. The turned and swung at a beast creeping up at him from behind, golden hair loose and bound only by his delicate side braids, he seemed to glow in the fire light. Evelyn did not know if she admired or feared the gleam of anger in his eyes. He knew the situation, she could see it. He saw how they had no archers, how the enemy had them surrounded and pinned down. He thought that he was to die.
From the corner of her eye, Evelyn noticed an Uruk-hai at the edge of the battle field. He was knocking an arrow to his bow and then drew back, leveling his gaze at the back of Glordindel, locked in battle with two more orcs. She saw the way the beast smirked as he drew his bowstring further back.
With thinking, Evelyn pulled her own bow and let loose and arrow straight between the eyes of the beast. The arrow he had drawn flesh uselessly sideways, hitting nothing as the orc collapsed. Then, still not really thinking, Evelyn began to release volley after volley of arrows, watching as the Uruk-hais bearing bows slowly collapsed, one by one they fell to her arrows until none were left.
At one point, she was forced to shoot an arrow past Glorifndel's head in order to kill another beast aiming an arrow at the elf. Glorfindel however, heard the wind whizzing past his ear and he turned to loop upwards, into the trees where Evelyn hid. He cocked his head to the side in suspicion, but was quickly drawn back into the fray of the fight. Evelyn released the breath that she had been holding in.
Without the aide of the archers, the orcs were slowly loosing. The elves were strong fighters and they began to turn the tide of the battle, skill beating strength. Evelyn deemed that the elves would be capable of sorting things out themselves, that Glorfindel would survive eventually. She turned to Nightshade, ready to signal that it was time for them to leave, when suddenly Nightshade took off.
"Shade," she cried in alarm as the wolf sprinted straight towards an orc who was sneaking upon Glorfindel from behind. The blond elf was so engrossed in his battle with a massive Uruk-hai who was likely the leader of the hoard that he did not notice the figure of the crooked orc bearing a long dagger.
Nightshade cleared the battlefield in less than a second and with one might leap, she fell upon the orc and ripped out its throat from behind. Glorfindel turned in alarm, but was brought back to the fight by the Uruk-hai that he could not seem to hit no matter how he swung.
Nightshade then whirled around and jumped into the fray, tearing out throats and gouging deep scars into the beasts. The elves avoided the wolf, skirting back in fear but not daring to strike against the beast that was aiding them. Evelyn released an audible sigh as she realized that her companion had developed feelings for the elf. She then was forced to fix her mask and jump into the fight herself for she would not abandon her companion.
Soaring into the middle of the battle, she fought alongside Nightshade, her surgical strikes taking out each orc and Uruk-hai with precision. Not a single moment she made was wasted. Each blow served to either block, cripple, or kill. There were no careless swings, no reckless lunges. Only blood and death with each flick of her wrists.
Nightshade too battled, growls of anger and bloodlust were uttered from deep within the wolf's chest. She moved like a blur go night, like a shadow amongst the flames and beneath the darkness of the moonless sky. She was terrifying.
At one point, Evelyn was using one of her massive wings to knock back an injure orc, but another beast, and Uruk-hai slashed his blade down upon the open appendage. Evelyn cried out in pain, bringing her wing tight against her body and slashing the throat of the Uruk-hai. Her cry did however draw the attention of Nightshade who paused in her fighting long enough to locate Evelyn. That slight pause was all the distraction that was needed for another orc to catch the tip of his blade on Nighshade's shoulder. The wolf yipped in pain but was quick to push her way through the fray until she was at Evelyn's side.
The girl had received another wound to her side and was barely able to hold the blade in her left arm. Thus, she was quick to lean heavily upon Nightshade's back as the pair battles their way to the edge of the fighting. They had done more than enough, the tide of the battle had clearly turned and the orcs were a few deaths away from retreating. Just as they approached the very edge of the fighting, just when they thought that they would make a clean escape, a club was swung from seemingly nowhere, knocking Evelyn to the ground.
The last image she saw as her vision faded to black was Nightshade leaping upon an orc, ripping it to shreds as a head of blond hair and a pair of crystal blue eyes turned to her yelling out something that she could not understand as the haze of unconsciousness swept across her.
"Raven!" Glorfindel cried out as he watched the slim figure collapse.
He fought his way over towards her, slaughtering everything that stood in his path. As he neared however, he was distracted by another orc, then another of those massive orcs which were among the hoard. Eventually, he was forced to trust that Raven's wolf was keeping her safe as he continued to battle the massive hoard.
It had been a regular patrol, a perfectly standard patrol of the outer boarders. Glorfindel had not bothered to change the rotations and thus, he was on the same patrol as Elladan and Elrohir. Usually Glorfindel was delighted to be on patrol with the twins. However, he was still furious with Elladan for there had been no sign of Raven after his little stunt. Part of him feared that the mysterious maid was gone and the she would never be found again. She did always seem exceedingly good at hiding.
His admittedly irritable mood and restlessness however did find an outlet as that night, from nowhere, a hoard of orcs attacked. How Lord Elrond did not sense them, how the elves did not hear them approach, Glorfindel knew not. Yet they came from nowhere, the advantage of night on their side as they reigned down upon the camp.
Among them were orcs who were different, orcs who were larger and perhaps most dangerously- smarter. The larger orcs had the camps surrounded and were raining arrows down upon the elves. Without a chance for their archers to make for the trees, pinned down on all sides, the battle seemed hopeless.
Just as Glorfindel was certain that this was the day for him to fall, he watched as orc after orc fell, dying upon a black fletched arrow. He searched the surroundings wildly and noticed a shaking in a nearby tree, and in that instant he knew that Raven had stuck around. She was watching him, like some sort of winged guardian she was watching from afar and popping in as she was needed.
Glorfindel found himself smiling. Surly victory would be theres.
When the orcs finally did retreat, several of the fleeter archers lept atop their horses and gave chase, firing off their arrows as they went. Glorfindel knew not to worry for them as they would return once they were certain that the orcs were far beyond the boarders of Imaldris. He did a quick visual sweeping over the field, noting the surprising lack of dead, and condign up the injured.
Of their party of two score, around fifteen seemed to have severe injuries, while another thirty had minor ones that could be fixed with a quick binding and an easy ride back to Imaldris. What alarmed GLorfindel however, was the form of their rescuer.
Off to the side, he could seen Linnoril, one of their healers, attempting to approach the fallen girl. She had bandages and herbs out, her hands held up in a gesture of peace, but it was no use. The girls wolf stood above her, growling at any who approached, baring her teeth in a clear threat. The wolf's jaws still dripped black off blood from her glittering teeth, and no one wished to test the wolf's protective streak.
"Who is she?" Linnoril asked.
"She is someone very important, and very brave," Glorfindel replied. Raven's cloak had been ripped off at sometime during the fight to reveal her massive wings, one of which was leaking blood at an alarming rate. Although the girl's mask remained, it was unmistakably Glorfindel's savior who was laid out before them.
"Her wounds are severe. I must stop the bleeding and we must take her to Lord Elrond," Linnoril accepted Glorfindel's non-answer to her question and instead was focused on what she was trained in, treating her patient.
Glorfindel then attempted to approach, moving slowly and making a point to drop his sword before he neared, he watched as the wolf tensed, but did growl or bite. He gently held out his hand for the wolf to sniff, which she did. Then, he slowly moved to a crouch and attempted to reach a hand out to Raven's injured wing. As he reach for raven however, the wolf's hackled rose and she snapped sharply at Glorfindel's hand, forcing the elf to leap backwards.
"If we do not treat her soon then she will bleed out," at Linnoril's words, another elf slowly drew his bow, leveling the arrow at the wolf.
"Stop!" Glorfindel cried, causing the soldier to lower his bow. "The wolf if precious to her. If we slay it... I do not wish to know how she would react."
An idea then struck Glorfindel. She requested Linnoril to fetch her strongest sleeping draughts and mix them with whatever was left of the venison soup that they had the previous night for dinner. Once complete, Glorfindel slowly approached the wolf with the bowl of drugged soup and placed it within easy range. The wolf took a few sniffs, but Glorfindel was careful to mask the scent of the herbs with pepper and as single wolfsbane flower. That one flower was not enough to poison the wolf, but just enough to mask anything else in the soup. Eventually, the wolf accepted Glorfindel's offering and lapped up the soup with ease.
The elves watching held their breath as the wolf slowly began to show signs of sleeping. It began to sway, blinked rapidly, and eventually, collapsed into a heap atop Raven. The elves rushed in then, Elladan and Elrohir, who had watched the entire affair in silence, quickly moved to bind the muzzle and limbs of the wolf. Elrohir treated the wound on the creature's shoulder before they loaded it onto the back of one of their horses. Meanwhile, Linnoril was quick to begin attempting to staunch the blood flowing forth from Raven's wounds.
Glorindel remains frozen in place for several moments, almost not believing what was occurring.
"We must get her and other back to Imaldris... quickly!" Linnoril cried.
Glorfindel nodded in response and the company took off. When they reached the gates, Elrond must have already known that there would be trouble for he had a party of healers waiting at the the gates. Those whose injuries were most severe were quickly ushered up to the Healing Halls whilst Elrond ordered for the wolf to be locked in one of the lower store rooms with food and water.
As the elves around him rushed to obey, Glorfindel had only one concern I him mind- Raven.
"Come, we must stop the bleeding and mend the break in her wing," Elrond ordered calmly, beckoning Glorifndel to follow him through Imaldris to the Healing Halls.
"Elrond, it is her," Glorifndel gasped as he laid the girl down on the bed.
Elrond seemed to ignore this revelation in favor of simply treating her. He bustled around the bed, using poultices and powders to stop blood flow and bind her wounds. The room that Elrond had guided the pair to was set towards the interior of the Healing Halls. It bore no window for Glorfindel beloved the girl to be mortal, and mortal feel the cold through the open windows of Imaldris. The circular room was a private place on the quiet end of the halls, and Elrond truly wished for no distractions as he set about tending the creature's wounds.
As he stripped off layers of clothing, Glorfindel noticed how many old scars she had. She was certainly mortal for no mortal scars in such a way, but she seemed far too young for so many injuries. As Elrond peeled apart her sleeve to access the wound on the girl's arm, Glorfindel noticed old scars circling her wrists- manacle marks. These were however unlike the light markings that faded quickly from Glorifndel upon his release. No, these were deep-set scars, the result of ill fitting metal manacles digging into flesh repeatedly, opening up old wounds as they were never taken off. Glorfindel even heard Elrond take in a sharp breath at this realization.
"I have to know," Glorfindel whispered as he approached Raven, slowly reaching towards her face and the mask that had remained in place. With gentle hands, the elf peeled back the mask and found himself inhaling in shock.
It's her! It's really her?!
"My friend," Elrond asked in concern. He had just finished tying the last bandage and was now focused on his friend who was close to hyperventilating where he stood, plastered against the wall.
"Elenya," was all he said in response. Elrond paused in his ministrations to gaze down upon the little figure on the bed in shock.
Glorfindel's hand wandered down to trace a long scar across her calf, his fingers lingering on the clear manacle marks on her ankles and then her wrists.
"Oh my friend... what has happened to you?"