The group had been riding for some-odd 4 hours. Pippin was half-awake at
Isil's reigns, with Merry leaned against him, snoring softly. Aragorn was
alert as always, though they had seen nothing but the occasional squirrel
or rabbit, but he too seemed to be close to dozing off. Gimli seemed to be
out of it completely, waking only occasionally to make sure he didn't fall
from his horse. Legolas looked to be alert, but his eyes seemed a little
out of focus. Cailiosa looked to be sleeping soundly, her arms around
Legolas's waist and her head rested gently on his back.
Out of nowhere, Cailiosa sat bolt upright. "Stop the horses," she ordered, her voice hushed. As soon as Legolas reigned in their steed, she jumped from its back, her bow already drawn and loaded. She stood, silent and unmoving, arrow pointed at a shaded area beneath the canopy of a few trees.
"The girl's gone mad," Gimli muttered to whoever would listen, to which Cailiosa immediately shushed him.
"Quiet, Dwarf," she whispered shortly, never moving. Before anyone could blink, she let the arrow fly, and an orc, her arrow lodged in its throat, fell screaming in front of her.
"It's been following us since we left the city." She said in response to their blank stares, "and I wouldn't doubt that there are more."
Sure enough, almost before she finished saying it, the horrid shriek of an army of orcs sounded through the air, and everyone immediately drew their weapons and dismounted their horses. The sounds of hundreds of footsteps sounded, drawing quickly nearer.
"There's too many of them, we won't be able to hold them all off." Legolas yelled over the orcs' shrieks.
"I can put a significant dent in their numbers, but I will not be of much help the rest of the battle." Cailiosa answered.
"Just do it!" most of the group yelled in unison. She climbed onto one of the horses, chanting something in a language none of them recognized. Her voice rose, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and suddenly almost three quarters of the orc army fell, leaving only about 20 of them for the group to face. Her job done, Cailiosa passed out, her face and clothed soaked with sweat, exhausted.
The others prepared for the remaining orcs' attack.
Legolas released the arrow he loaded, taking out one of the leaders, and immediately loaded and released it a few more times, taking out the rest of the front row. The orcs reached the others by this time and they began hacking away with sword and ax, taking down any that got close enough.
One of the archer orcs managed to land a blow with his arrow, hitting Aragorn square in the shoulder, making him almost miss the one he was battling with. Legolas promptly took out the archer, along with any others he thought might be carrying a bow, before he concentrated on the closer orcs again. Within a few minutes, the 5 of them managed to take out all of the remaining orcs.
Gimli and Merry immediately ran to the unconscious elf maiden's side, while Legolas and Pippin went to tend to Aragorn. Aragorn pulled the arrow from his shoulder, and Pippin held a wet rag to it. Luckily, it bled very little, and the swordsman was back on his feet quickly, not going to let the wound slow him down.
Gimli and Merry weren't quite as easy off, though. Both of them being short in stature, especially compared to Elves, were trying futilely to get Cailiosa off the horse. Legolas and Aragorn went over and helped her to the ground, and Merry held another wet rag to her head.
"I've seen this before. She isn't trained as a wizard, so whenever she uses any magic it will wear her out, especially a big spell like that." Gimli stated.
"She could have killed herself with a spell like that!" Pippin almost screamed.
"But because she did it, she may have very well saved our lives." Gimli defended.
"It seems she will not be waking anytime soon, so we shall continue to travel. The sun will set soon and we do not want to still be in these woods when it does," Aragorn, taking over as leader, said, "Legolas, keep her with you, and tell us immediately if you see any change in her." Legolas nodded and picked her up, lifting her onto his horse and climbing on behind her. He held her between in his arms, and she fell back lifeless against him, her head against his shoulder.
The others climbed onto their horses as Aragorn continued to spout orders, "We will go as far as we can before nightfall, and will set up camp there." And they were off again.
Out of nowhere, Cailiosa sat bolt upright. "Stop the horses," she ordered, her voice hushed. As soon as Legolas reigned in their steed, she jumped from its back, her bow already drawn and loaded. She stood, silent and unmoving, arrow pointed at a shaded area beneath the canopy of a few trees.
"The girl's gone mad," Gimli muttered to whoever would listen, to which Cailiosa immediately shushed him.
"Quiet, Dwarf," she whispered shortly, never moving. Before anyone could blink, she let the arrow fly, and an orc, her arrow lodged in its throat, fell screaming in front of her.
"It's been following us since we left the city." She said in response to their blank stares, "and I wouldn't doubt that there are more."
Sure enough, almost before she finished saying it, the horrid shriek of an army of orcs sounded through the air, and everyone immediately drew their weapons and dismounted their horses. The sounds of hundreds of footsteps sounded, drawing quickly nearer.
"There's too many of them, we won't be able to hold them all off." Legolas yelled over the orcs' shrieks.
"I can put a significant dent in their numbers, but I will not be of much help the rest of the battle." Cailiosa answered.
"Just do it!" most of the group yelled in unison. She climbed onto one of the horses, chanting something in a language none of them recognized. Her voice rose, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and suddenly almost three quarters of the orc army fell, leaving only about 20 of them for the group to face. Her job done, Cailiosa passed out, her face and clothed soaked with sweat, exhausted.
The others prepared for the remaining orcs' attack.
Legolas released the arrow he loaded, taking out one of the leaders, and immediately loaded and released it a few more times, taking out the rest of the front row. The orcs reached the others by this time and they began hacking away with sword and ax, taking down any that got close enough.
One of the archer orcs managed to land a blow with his arrow, hitting Aragorn square in the shoulder, making him almost miss the one he was battling with. Legolas promptly took out the archer, along with any others he thought might be carrying a bow, before he concentrated on the closer orcs again. Within a few minutes, the 5 of them managed to take out all of the remaining orcs.
Gimli and Merry immediately ran to the unconscious elf maiden's side, while Legolas and Pippin went to tend to Aragorn. Aragorn pulled the arrow from his shoulder, and Pippin held a wet rag to it. Luckily, it bled very little, and the swordsman was back on his feet quickly, not going to let the wound slow him down.
Gimli and Merry weren't quite as easy off, though. Both of them being short in stature, especially compared to Elves, were trying futilely to get Cailiosa off the horse. Legolas and Aragorn went over and helped her to the ground, and Merry held another wet rag to her head.
"I've seen this before. She isn't trained as a wizard, so whenever she uses any magic it will wear her out, especially a big spell like that." Gimli stated.
"She could have killed herself with a spell like that!" Pippin almost screamed.
"But because she did it, she may have very well saved our lives." Gimli defended.
"It seems she will not be waking anytime soon, so we shall continue to travel. The sun will set soon and we do not want to still be in these woods when it does," Aragorn, taking over as leader, said, "Legolas, keep her with you, and tell us immediately if you see any change in her." Legolas nodded and picked her up, lifting her onto his horse and climbing on behind her. He held her between in his arms, and she fell back lifeless against him, her head against his shoulder.
The others climbed onto their horses as Aragorn continued to spout orders, "We will go as far as we can before nightfall, and will set up camp there." And they were off again.