Gandalf staggered to his feet as Masirat hauled two orcs off of him and ran his sword through both of them at the same time. Merry and Pippin had overcome their fright and were working together to take out orc after orc, and it was apparent that Drake and Masirat had also roused the other members of the Fellowship, because Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli were fighting side by side with a group of fey warriors.
Kerra was stretched prone on the ground, pain radiating out from the stab wound low on her belly, when she saw Sam appear in front of her.
*He knew she was in danger!* she thought in astonishment. The connection between the hobbit and Anemosi ran deeper than any of them had realized.
Seeing her fellows come to her aid gave her new strength. She stood up unsteadily, and gave a ringing blow with the side of her sword to the head of an orc that threatened Frodo. It fell over, keening in pain, and the last thing it heard was Kerra's laughter as she drove the point of her blade through its skull.
The battle had grown intense. Even Anemosi had recovered enough to fight, and the fey were creatures out of a nightmare when they were fighting like this. Merry caught a glimpse of Tasla destroying a orc of special viciousness, and realized that she was using not only steel but nails and teeth to kill it.
Anemosi was weakening fast. The wounds on the back of her legs were fast draining blood from her, and her exhausted muscles could no longer hold out. She fell again to her knees, and this time there was no escaping as she saw an orc raise its sword in a great swooping arc.
*So this is how my service to the Lady ends,* she thought helplessly. *Oh Sam, I'm so sorry...* She could see him out of the corner of her eye, and hear him yelling her name as the blade descended.
"Anemosi! NO!" Frodo turned and saw Sam trying to get to her as she knelt before her coming doom. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. *Why won't she save herself?* he thought deperately. *At least for Sam, let her do something!*
Sam wouldn't get there in time, he knew, but he was damned if he wasn't going to try. Screaming himself hoarse, he slashed again and again through orc armor and flesh, trying to get just a little closer to her.
Something stirred inside her as she heard Sam's voice. *Lady,* she prayed silently in the eternity that passed before the blade hit her, *Give me the strength to defeat these creatures. Do not let your servants suffer. Do not let the Quest fail!*
Her pain was gone. She was strong now, with the Power of the Lady free and pulsing in her veins. Her eyes flew open, and they were shining and clear. In the instant before the blade struck her, her hand went up and caught the sword in an iron grip. The orc snarled and tried to wrench its weapon free, but Anemosi twisted it and slung the beast to the ground. It lay there, gibbering in fear, as she opened her mouth and let loose a few drops of barbed liquid. They flew at the creature, stabbing it in the eyes, the mouth, the throat, and it died gurgling in its own blood.
She rose, powerful beyond measure now. This Power had moved in her mother, and now it moved in her. She felt it rising like a flood deep within her body, and every orc her gaze fell upon knew fear of the Lady before they were struck down.
Kerra let out a scream of victory as she saw Anemosi standing. "All hail the Lady Radika!" she bellowed, and raised her sword in salute. Every fey warrior paused and let loose a call of triumph as Anemosi raised her arms and shouted a word of such potency that every orc within ten feet of her fell dead to the ground.
The tide of battle had turned. The orcs were dead where they stood. No matter how hard they fought, they could not win against the combined might of the Fellowship and the fey. In minutes, the grove was scattered with grisly orc corpses, and not one remained to provide a moving target for Legolas' bow.
Anemosi shuddered deeply. The Power was fading, sinking back into her deepest self, but she knew that she could now call it whenever she had need. Her eyes were open to the abilities within herself, and she could never forget what she was.
She collapsed heavily, exhaustion seeping into every fiber of her body. Sam was at her side instantly, cradling her frail body in his arms. She seemed even more delicate now that her powers had awakened, and she weighed no more than a child
"Anemosi," he whispered, and smoothed a few wisps of hair back from her forehead and kissed it lightly. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him.
"Dear Sam, you came..." Her hand closed around his. "How did you know?"
Wordlessly, he reached under his shirt with his free hand and pulled her taena out. It was cool to the touch now, and its glow had faded back to its usual silver. He smiled down at her, relieved beyond measure that she was alive, and in his arms at last.
"Will you be alright?" he asked softly. She nodded in response.
"Just a little tired, that's all. I might need some help walking, though."
"I'll carry you, if it comes to it." Sam squeezed her hand tightly, overwhelmed with emotion.
Frodo grinned to himself, and the rest of those assembled looked relieved
and happy for the first time in many days. The immediate threat was over,
and Sam was just helping Anemosi to her feet when a rider on a pony came
riding towards them.