Soon, the natives too had a small army with them, armed with whatever they
could find, anything from old pitchforks to great swords to bows. Merry
looked up at Cailiosa questioningly.
"Sorry, little one, I don't have enough energy left to try that spell again," she suddenly had an idea, "but I can confuse them a little."
"No! No more spells," Legolas snapped.
"I didn't say anything about a spell, Lord Legolas. But I will need to hold your bow, yours is stronger than my own."
She put her bow back on her back, and took his, aiming carefully, "They won't know what to do if their leader is dead. Orcs are rather stupid, without someone to tell them what to do, they are lost." She found the leader, and waited patiently for him to come into range.
"Um, Lady, I mean not to be rude, but they're getting really close..." Gimli said, more than a little nervously.
"Patience, friend Dwarf, patience..." and she let the arrow fly. It flew through the air, and hit the leader right in the neck. The orcs slowed a little, but it looked as if they collectively shrugged and kept going.
"Well, I tried," Cailiosa said, quickly giving Legolas back his bow and drawing her own again. Deciding, for some reason she did not understand, to lead momentarily, she yelled as loudly as she could, "Archers ready!" She smirked a little when all the archers, even Legolas, raised their bows, "Fire!"
They all let their arrows fly, taking out the front row of the orc army. They then let loose as fast as they could, taking out as many as they were able. "Aim for their archers!" Legolas yelled from beside her. Immediately a row of orc archers fell, arrows imbedded in them. One of the orc archers managed to land an arrow, and Cailiosa saw one of the villagers fall. She felt a wave of compassion for the man, but had to concentrate on the battle before her, for the orcs had just hit them full force.
She quickly drew one of the large knives she carried with her, and began fighting close-quarters, standing in front of Legolas, who was still using his bow, shooting the farther orcs, and Cailiosa just warded off the orcs who came closer to him, and those that managed to get past Aragorn.
She saw the villagers dropping left and right, but could do nothing about it. Quickly, she took tally of her friends, checking that all of them were present and alive. Pippin had a gash above his eye, but he was fighting with all he had. She couldn't help but swell with pride in her small friend, for it was rare indeed to find a Hobbit with a warrior's heart.
She came back to the present as she barely dodged the sword of an oncoming orc, and came up with her knife, easily finding its chest. She swiftly put up her knife and took the orc's sword. The enemy's numbers had shrunk significantly, and the small band of fighters finished them off quickly.
The surviving villagers began to care for their wounded, and the travelers, beaten, battered, and bruised, came together. Aragorn was the first to speak, "We will stay long enough to clean our wounds and tend to some of the injured natives, but then we much go. I wasn't aware the orcs were so close, and I do not wish to endanger these people any more than necessary."
"I think there's some water in one of the horses' pouches," Merry chimed in, then ran toward the stables. He returned shortly with a canteen of water and a few rags, handing one to Legolas, Cailiosa, and Aragorn.
Cailiosa kneeled in front of Pippin and carefully cleaned the cut above his eye. "I saw you fighting against the orcs, little one. You fought very bravely. Have you ever considered training in such a thing? Have either of you?" she looked over at Merry as well, who was being tended to by Aragorn.
Pippin blushed a little, "No, my lady, I just fight to protect myself, and my friends, I have no other reason to."
She smiled at him, "You do a very good job of it." She finished cleaning him up, and quickly looked herself over. Finding no serious injuries, she stood up.
Aragorn walked back over to the cluster of them from the villagers, who he had been helping tend to. "We must go. There will be more orcs coming, and I do not wish to endanger these people anymore than we already have." Without another word, he headed to the stables, the others close behind him.
"Wouldn't it work better if we split up?" Legolas suggested, "It will give them more trails to follow. There should be a three-way fork in the road just a little from here."
Aragorn nodded, "Get your horses, everyone, we will decide on details on the way."
"Sorry, little one, I don't have enough energy left to try that spell again," she suddenly had an idea, "but I can confuse them a little."
"No! No more spells," Legolas snapped.
"I didn't say anything about a spell, Lord Legolas. But I will need to hold your bow, yours is stronger than my own."
She put her bow back on her back, and took his, aiming carefully, "They won't know what to do if their leader is dead. Orcs are rather stupid, without someone to tell them what to do, they are lost." She found the leader, and waited patiently for him to come into range.
"Um, Lady, I mean not to be rude, but they're getting really close..." Gimli said, more than a little nervously.
"Patience, friend Dwarf, patience..." and she let the arrow fly. It flew through the air, and hit the leader right in the neck. The orcs slowed a little, but it looked as if they collectively shrugged and kept going.
"Well, I tried," Cailiosa said, quickly giving Legolas back his bow and drawing her own again. Deciding, for some reason she did not understand, to lead momentarily, she yelled as loudly as she could, "Archers ready!" She smirked a little when all the archers, even Legolas, raised their bows, "Fire!"
They all let their arrows fly, taking out the front row of the orc army. They then let loose as fast as they could, taking out as many as they were able. "Aim for their archers!" Legolas yelled from beside her. Immediately a row of orc archers fell, arrows imbedded in them. One of the orc archers managed to land an arrow, and Cailiosa saw one of the villagers fall. She felt a wave of compassion for the man, but had to concentrate on the battle before her, for the orcs had just hit them full force.
She quickly drew one of the large knives she carried with her, and began fighting close-quarters, standing in front of Legolas, who was still using his bow, shooting the farther orcs, and Cailiosa just warded off the orcs who came closer to him, and those that managed to get past Aragorn.
She saw the villagers dropping left and right, but could do nothing about it. Quickly, she took tally of her friends, checking that all of them were present and alive. Pippin had a gash above his eye, but he was fighting with all he had. She couldn't help but swell with pride in her small friend, for it was rare indeed to find a Hobbit with a warrior's heart.
She came back to the present as she barely dodged the sword of an oncoming orc, and came up with her knife, easily finding its chest. She swiftly put up her knife and took the orc's sword. The enemy's numbers had shrunk significantly, and the small band of fighters finished them off quickly.
The surviving villagers began to care for their wounded, and the travelers, beaten, battered, and bruised, came together. Aragorn was the first to speak, "We will stay long enough to clean our wounds and tend to some of the injured natives, but then we much go. I wasn't aware the orcs were so close, and I do not wish to endanger these people any more than necessary."
"I think there's some water in one of the horses' pouches," Merry chimed in, then ran toward the stables. He returned shortly with a canteen of water and a few rags, handing one to Legolas, Cailiosa, and Aragorn.
Cailiosa kneeled in front of Pippin and carefully cleaned the cut above his eye. "I saw you fighting against the orcs, little one. You fought very bravely. Have you ever considered training in such a thing? Have either of you?" she looked over at Merry as well, who was being tended to by Aragorn.
Pippin blushed a little, "No, my lady, I just fight to protect myself, and my friends, I have no other reason to."
She smiled at him, "You do a very good job of it." She finished cleaning him up, and quickly looked herself over. Finding no serious injuries, she stood up.
Aragorn walked back over to the cluster of them from the villagers, who he had been helping tend to. "We must go. There will be more orcs coming, and I do not wish to endanger these people anymore than we already have." Without another word, he headed to the stables, the others close behind him.
"Wouldn't it work better if we split up?" Legolas suggested, "It will give them more trails to follow. There should be a three-way fork in the road just a little from here."
Aragorn nodded, "Get your horses, everyone, we will decide on details on the way."