~*~* A/N: Like I'd make you guys wait long after that cliffhanger. lol. Here's the next chapter, and PLEASE REVEIW! *innocent grin* ~*~*~*~
As the orcs approached the city, all fought who could; men, women, and teenagers. The children huddled inside one hut, and could only listen as their parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters, were slain.
Ugluk grinned, taking a smell of the air. Death was heavy about them.
"Burn it down," he commanded.
Forrester, Aina, and Nila were on their path back to the village. Their search for the Elves had been in vain; for they had long since left to return to Lothlorien. Aina grabbed Nila and Forrester both by the arms, squinting in the sunlight.
"Ai!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening suddenly. She could see the forms of orcs inside the city walls from their spot on the hill. She could also see the single orc guard outside the wall, and could nearly smell the scent of death.
"What is it?" Nila asked, immediately realizing that something was dreadfully wrong.
"Orcs," Aina said softly, tearing her eyes from the sight.
"Orcs!" Forrester cried, and set off running. Nila grabbed him, first taking hold of his shoulder, and then his arm.
"Do not be foolish!" she said, and shook her head. "Do you think you could stop an army of orcs singlehandedly?"
"I would be a coward if I did not try," he insisted, glaring at her. "Release me."
"You would be a fool if you did," replied Aina softly, shaking her head. "There is no hope left. For already I see the fires. They burn our city."
Nila's eyes widened. "What of our families?"
Aina looked down, sadness upon her face. She needn't answer; for Forrester and Nila had already guessed what had come.
"Most odd," said Forrester, as they slowly, stealthily, came into closer veiw of the village. "What are those?"
Aina looked up, and followed Forrester's gaze. "They look like children."
"Aina - can you shoot that orc guard from here with your bow?" asked Nila. "Perhaps they have taken prisoners, and those are some of our own."
"I can," replied Aina, removing her bow from it's place on her back. Quickly notching an arrow, she pulled the string back. Forrester and Nila watched as she released it from the taut bow, as it whistled through the air, peircing the orc and falling it.
"Nice hit," said Forrester softly, and the three quietly advanced, eager to find out what the two small beings were.
Aina looked down, her brow furrowing. "Those are not children," she said softly, noting their appearance.
"Halflings," breathed Nila. "My father has told me stories of halflings, but never did I see one before."
Forrester kneeled beside the smaller of the two, trying to rouse him awake. The small halfling groaned and turned, his arms and hands twisting against their confines.
"Cut them loose," Aina was saying, but was interrupted as she heard the voice of Ugluk.
"Well done. Now we must be on our way."
Nila's eyes widened. "Run," she whispered quietly, and the three, quickly and quietly, made for the forest. They peeked out from behind trees and stones, as the army of orcs and Uruk-Hai emerged from their smoldering city.
"I smell humans," said one orc quietly to Ugluk.
"What do you think we stand in, fool?" sneered the leader.
"Ugluk!" exclaimed one of the other Uruk-Hai, who had already reached the outside of the city walls. "Here is a mystery for you."
Ugluk strode out of the city, looking down upon the fallen orc. The two halflings were still unconscious, lost in nightmares.
"This is a human's arrow," he said, inspecting the body. "We must not have killed all of them."
"Shall we search?" asked an orc, and Ugluk shook his head.
"No; Saruman expects our return soon. We cannot stay any longer."
The three watched as the orcs picked up the two halflings, slinging them over their shoulders.
"Those are orcs," said Forrester, pointing to the smaller, hunched-over creatures. "But what are those? Straight-limbed and tall, I haven't heard of their kind."
"Neither have I," said Aina softly, pondering.
"Nor I," added Nila, and they waited until the orcs were far out of veiw, and then they waited a bit longer.
As they entered the village, they could not believe the destruction before them. What had been a prosperous, happy village only an hour before, was now charred and ruined. They saw their own family members on the ground, spoiled and desecrated.
"We will bury them all," said Aina softly, as she knelt before her sister's fallen form. The three of them cried for quite a while, and then, in the city's center, made a large mound. Within it, they placed their fallen with care, and above it, placed their swords and weapons.
They seperated then, each needing time to think things over. Nila sat outside her burned hut, her head in her hands.
"Father," she said softly, shaking her head. "Mother. Sister, brother. I now face the hardest times of my life. I nearly wish I had perished by your side; even if it was at the hands of those orcs."
Eventually, as the sun was setting, the three regrouped.
"What will we do now?" Forrester asked the question that each was thinking within him or herself. They glanced at each other; for they did not know which path now to take.
~*~* A/N: *grin* Hope you like it! *~*~
As the orcs approached the city, all fought who could; men, women, and teenagers. The children huddled inside one hut, and could only listen as their parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters, were slain.
Ugluk grinned, taking a smell of the air. Death was heavy about them.
"Burn it down," he commanded.
Forrester, Aina, and Nila were on their path back to the village. Their search for the Elves had been in vain; for they had long since left to return to Lothlorien. Aina grabbed Nila and Forrester both by the arms, squinting in the sunlight.
"Ai!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening suddenly. She could see the forms of orcs inside the city walls from their spot on the hill. She could also see the single orc guard outside the wall, and could nearly smell the scent of death.
"What is it?" Nila asked, immediately realizing that something was dreadfully wrong.
"Orcs," Aina said softly, tearing her eyes from the sight.
"Orcs!" Forrester cried, and set off running. Nila grabbed him, first taking hold of his shoulder, and then his arm.
"Do not be foolish!" she said, and shook her head. "Do you think you could stop an army of orcs singlehandedly?"
"I would be a coward if I did not try," he insisted, glaring at her. "Release me."
"You would be a fool if you did," replied Aina softly, shaking her head. "There is no hope left. For already I see the fires. They burn our city."
Nila's eyes widened. "What of our families?"
Aina looked down, sadness upon her face. She needn't answer; for Forrester and Nila had already guessed what had come.
"Most odd," said Forrester, as they slowly, stealthily, came into closer veiw of the village. "What are those?"
Aina looked up, and followed Forrester's gaze. "They look like children."
"Aina - can you shoot that orc guard from here with your bow?" asked Nila. "Perhaps they have taken prisoners, and those are some of our own."
"I can," replied Aina, removing her bow from it's place on her back. Quickly notching an arrow, she pulled the string back. Forrester and Nila watched as she released it from the taut bow, as it whistled through the air, peircing the orc and falling it.
"Nice hit," said Forrester softly, and the three quietly advanced, eager to find out what the two small beings were.
Aina looked down, her brow furrowing. "Those are not children," she said softly, noting their appearance.
"Halflings," breathed Nila. "My father has told me stories of halflings, but never did I see one before."
Forrester kneeled beside the smaller of the two, trying to rouse him awake. The small halfling groaned and turned, his arms and hands twisting against their confines.
"Cut them loose," Aina was saying, but was interrupted as she heard the voice of Ugluk.
"Well done. Now we must be on our way."
Nila's eyes widened. "Run," she whispered quietly, and the three, quickly and quietly, made for the forest. They peeked out from behind trees and stones, as the army of orcs and Uruk-Hai emerged from their smoldering city.
"I smell humans," said one orc quietly to Ugluk.
"What do you think we stand in, fool?" sneered the leader.
"Ugluk!" exclaimed one of the other Uruk-Hai, who had already reached the outside of the city walls. "Here is a mystery for you."
Ugluk strode out of the city, looking down upon the fallen orc. The two halflings were still unconscious, lost in nightmares.
"This is a human's arrow," he said, inspecting the body. "We must not have killed all of them."
"Shall we search?" asked an orc, and Ugluk shook his head.
"No; Saruman expects our return soon. We cannot stay any longer."
The three watched as the orcs picked up the two halflings, slinging them over their shoulders.
"Those are orcs," said Forrester, pointing to the smaller, hunched-over creatures. "But what are those? Straight-limbed and tall, I haven't heard of their kind."
"Neither have I," said Aina softly, pondering.
"Nor I," added Nila, and they waited until the orcs were far out of veiw, and then they waited a bit longer.
As they entered the village, they could not believe the destruction before them. What had been a prosperous, happy village only an hour before, was now charred and ruined. They saw their own family members on the ground, spoiled and desecrated.
"We will bury them all," said Aina softly, as she knelt before her sister's fallen form. The three of them cried for quite a while, and then, in the city's center, made a large mound. Within it, they placed their fallen with care, and above it, placed their swords and weapons.
They seperated then, each needing time to think things over. Nila sat outside her burned hut, her head in her hands.
"Father," she said softly, shaking her head. "Mother. Sister, brother. I now face the hardest times of my life. I nearly wish I had perished by your side; even if it was at the hands of those orcs."
Eventually, as the sun was setting, the three regrouped.
"What will we do now?" Forrester asked the question that each was thinking within him or herself. They glanced at each other; for they did not know which path now to take.
~*~* A/N: *grin* Hope you like it! *~*~