*Okay, I borrowed a couple of ideas from FOTR and TTT, not to mention the
whole premise of Middle Earth!
Chapter 3 - UNDER ATTACK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A half dozen wargs swept down the hillside toward the Elves, the wargs were accompanied by Orcs of varying sizes running behind them. Immediately, the Lorien guards released the first volley of arrows taking down three of the wargs and many of the Orcs.
Taelyra drew her sword, Artanis. The distinctive ring of elvish steel made Haldir glance her way. He did not trust this strange Elf and he did not want her armed. She had a strange hold over him that manipulated his thoughts and made his nerves edgy.
The surviving wargs swept past and made a broad turn around to make another pass. Haldir grabbed Taelyra's arm, harder than he intended but he did not want his or his Sentinels' backs to her while she wielded that weapon.
"Sheathe your sword!" he commanded.
Taelyra's eyes registered both pain and surprise at his sudden grip of her. Haldir felt momentary guilt then swept it aside, deciding it was more of her mind tricks.
"Sheathe that sword!" he repeated.
Steel rang out around them as the Orcs met the Elvish Sentinels. Taelyra dropped her sword to her side and Haldir released her arm. She stumbled back slightly and looked truly ready to drop from her feet.
Haldir turned to face a large Orc preparing to swing a crude blade at him. Haldir's sword passed through the Orc's abdomen coming out his back. He withdrew his sword swiftly and the Orc fell away dead.
Haldir spun around to see Taelyra's whereabouts but she was no where to be seen, as though she had simply disappeared into thin air. He knew there was an ill intent about her.
A great deal of the Orcs lay dead around the party of Lorien Guards but the wargs were making their second approach. The Elves drew their bows and prepared to launch another barrage of arrows. Haldir caught a glimpse in the woods of a small skirmish and heard the ringing of steel against steel. He ran towards the sound.
He saw Taelyra behead a short Orc and swiftly stab the one next to it. She turned to face Haldir and as she did her eyes grew wide with terror. Haldir could sense the warg bounding up behind him, he knew he had little time. He spun around bracing for the powerful impact that never came. He smelt the stench of the beast as it passed and could almost feel the wiry, matted hair brush his face. The warg lunged past him and caught Taelyra's cloak with its teeth. She screamed as it pulled her from her feet and dragged her over the cliff.
Haldir ran to the cliff's edge and looked down at the river cascading far below. Both Taelyra and the warg plunged into it and were difficult to follow because of the overgrowth on the river's banks and the foaming violence of the water.
Haldir ran back to his guards. All seemed to be all right with them, he shouted that he was going down to the riverside and they followed him. When they got to the river's edge they could see neither the warg nor Taelyra. Haldir commanded the Sentinels to fan out and head down river. He himself crossed the river at a shallow point and went down a side tributary.
His feet crunched on the gravel as he followed the curving shoreline, he could not see around the bend. Behind him on the main river he could hear steel ringing out again and he knew his guards were embroiled in another fight. There must have been a second party of Orcs trying to sweep round and flank them during their battle with the wargs.
Haldir could smell the disgusting warg and hear its ragged breathing before he saw it. His nerves jangled as he pushed through the dense underbrush and prepared to meet it. What he met, was the warg's last laboured breaths as it died from its sword wounds presumably delivered by Taelyra who lay very still by the water's edge.
Haldir ran to her side and knelt down beside her. Before he turned her over he saw the blood seeping from her into the clear water. He set his sword aside and gently grabbing both her head and shoulder he turned her towards him slowly. Her eyes were even more glazed now but they vaguely focussed on him. She still gripped Artanis, her sword, her hand was still tight about its hilt and its tip was in the water.
Haldir brushed her wet hair back from her face and looked at her as she tried to form some words. He encouraged her to stay quiet and still but she attempted to speak again. They could both hear cries down the river, it sounded as though the fight was escalating and coming towards them.
Softly Taelyra said, "Get your people out of the river."
Haldir's brow furrowed as he tried to understand her meaning. She repeated the message urgently and as she did, he could feel an unmistakeable power emanating from her sword. It sort of made his ears ring and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He thought he had guessed her meaning and he stood up. As he did so, he could see the extent of her injuries and panic coursed through him. He ran down the shoreline and shouted to his guards to get on the riverbanks.
The command had barely left his lips when he heard the roar behind him. He jumped up onto the riverbank as a wall of water cascaded past sweeping the remaining Orcs away, far down the river to their watery deaths.
Haldir blinked in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. The sight of Taelyra's wounds returned to his mind and he yelled for his guards to call for his horse, Nénharma. He ran back to Taelyra's side. Her eyes were closed and her face was extremely pale. He feared the worst as he bent over her mouth to feel if she still breathed.
He could barely feel a faint brush of breath upon his cheek but was startled when he turned his head to see her great, green eyes staring up at him. Her eyes were questioning. He nodded to her and tried to fake a brave smile to let her know her water spell had worked.
"You saved my people Taelyra," her name fell strangely but not awkwardly from his lips.
She closed her eyes in satisfaction and her chest heaved slowly. She was in a great deal of pain and her blood continued to stain the waters around her.
"Hold on," Haldir said as he gently lifted her out of the shallow water and onto the grassy bank. He had little experience in healing but he had seen it done often enough after battles that he felt he had to try something.
He placed his hand gently over the wound in her side and he began to speak quietly to Taelyra. He was both encouraging her to find the strength within herself to endure this wound and praying that her natural elvish abilities would begin the healing process. He placed his other hand gently to the side of her face and he gazed down at her.
Her green eyes brimmed with tears. The sight shook him to his core. He tried to calm her and assure her as best he could.
She whispered to him, "Please deliver Artanis to the Lady of the Wood. It is my father's command."
A panicked look invaded her eyes and Haldir desperately wanted to quell her fears.
"Please." her whisper faded, her eyelids closed and tears spilled down her cheeks, "my father will be so disappointed."
Her breath racked with her crying and Haldir's heart felt as though it was being wrenched from his chest. He tried to calm her once more.
"You must hang on. Stay with us a while longer and you will deliver Artanis to the Lady by your own hand." Haldir gently encouraged her. "You will do your father's bidding and he will be most proud."
The Sentinels came along the riverside with Haldir's horse in tow. They were shocked by the sight before them. They had seen Haldir take life many, many times. He was the most prolific fighter amongst them but never had they seen him take the role of healer.
It was strange to them, to see him crouched over the Elf maid. His heart barely hovering over hers, whispering words of encouragement to her and trying to imbue his energy into her, as though trying to loan her the strength to make the ride to Caras Galadhon where the power of the Lady could cure her ails.
Haldir looked up at them. Perhaps it was the mist still hanging about the forest but it almost looked as though his eyes were moist. He smiled at the sight of his loyal horse and spoke encouragingly again to the female Elf.
Gently he scooped her into his arms, careful to lay her sword across her. In two strides he was at the great horse's side and he stepped up into the stirrups and settled into the saddle with the Elf maid across his lap.
He grasped Nénharma's reins and leaned forward as the horse sprang up the river's embankment and through the darkening forest.
Chapter 3 - UNDER ATTACK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A half dozen wargs swept down the hillside toward the Elves, the wargs were accompanied by Orcs of varying sizes running behind them. Immediately, the Lorien guards released the first volley of arrows taking down three of the wargs and many of the Orcs.
Taelyra drew her sword, Artanis. The distinctive ring of elvish steel made Haldir glance her way. He did not trust this strange Elf and he did not want her armed. She had a strange hold over him that manipulated his thoughts and made his nerves edgy.
The surviving wargs swept past and made a broad turn around to make another pass. Haldir grabbed Taelyra's arm, harder than he intended but he did not want his or his Sentinels' backs to her while she wielded that weapon.
"Sheathe your sword!" he commanded.
Taelyra's eyes registered both pain and surprise at his sudden grip of her. Haldir felt momentary guilt then swept it aside, deciding it was more of her mind tricks.
"Sheathe that sword!" he repeated.
Steel rang out around them as the Orcs met the Elvish Sentinels. Taelyra dropped her sword to her side and Haldir released her arm. She stumbled back slightly and looked truly ready to drop from her feet.
Haldir turned to face a large Orc preparing to swing a crude blade at him. Haldir's sword passed through the Orc's abdomen coming out his back. He withdrew his sword swiftly and the Orc fell away dead.
Haldir spun around to see Taelyra's whereabouts but she was no where to be seen, as though she had simply disappeared into thin air. He knew there was an ill intent about her.
A great deal of the Orcs lay dead around the party of Lorien Guards but the wargs were making their second approach. The Elves drew their bows and prepared to launch another barrage of arrows. Haldir caught a glimpse in the woods of a small skirmish and heard the ringing of steel against steel. He ran towards the sound.
He saw Taelyra behead a short Orc and swiftly stab the one next to it. She turned to face Haldir and as she did her eyes grew wide with terror. Haldir could sense the warg bounding up behind him, he knew he had little time. He spun around bracing for the powerful impact that never came. He smelt the stench of the beast as it passed and could almost feel the wiry, matted hair brush his face. The warg lunged past him and caught Taelyra's cloak with its teeth. She screamed as it pulled her from her feet and dragged her over the cliff.
Haldir ran to the cliff's edge and looked down at the river cascading far below. Both Taelyra and the warg plunged into it and were difficult to follow because of the overgrowth on the river's banks and the foaming violence of the water.
Haldir ran back to his guards. All seemed to be all right with them, he shouted that he was going down to the riverside and they followed him. When they got to the river's edge they could see neither the warg nor Taelyra. Haldir commanded the Sentinels to fan out and head down river. He himself crossed the river at a shallow point and went down a side tributary.
His feet crunched on the gravel as he followed the curving shoreline, he could not see around the bend. Behind him on the main river he could hear steel ringing out again and he knew his guards were embroiled in another fight. There must have been a second party of Orcs trying to sweep round and flank them during their battle with the wargs.
Haldir could smell the disgusting warg and hear its ragged breathing before he saw it. His nerves jangled as he pushed through the dense underbrush and prepared to meet it. What he met, was the warg's last laboured breaths as it died from its sword wounds presumably delivered by Taelyra who lay very still by the water's edge.
Haldir ran to her side and knelt down beside her. Before he turned her over he saw the blood seeping from her into the clear water. He set his sword aside and gently grabbing both her head and shoulder he turned her towards him slowly. Her eyes were even more glazed now but they vaguely focussed on him. She still gripped Artanis, her sword, her hand was still tight about its hilt and its tip was in the water.
Haldir brushed her wet hair back from her face and looked at her as she tried to form some words. He encouraged her to stay quiet and still but she attempted to speak again. They could both hear cries down the river, it sounded as though the fight was escalating and coming towards them.
Softly Taelyra said, "Get your people out of the river."
Haldir's brow furrowed as he tried to understand her meaning. She repeated the message urgently and as she did, he could feel an unmistakeable power emanating from her sword. It sort of made his ears ring and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He thought he had guessed her meaning and he stood up. As he did so, he could see the extent of her injuries and panic coursed through him. He ran down the shoreline and shouted to his guards to get on the riverbanks.
The command had barely left his lips when he heard the roar behind him. He jumped up onto the riverbank as a wall of water cascaded past sweeping the remaining Orcs away, far down the river to their watery deaths.
Haldir blinked in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. The sight of Taelyra's wounds returned to his mind and he yelled for his guards to call for his horse, Nénharma. He ran back to Taelyra's side. Her eyes were closed and her face was extremely pale. He feared the worst as he bent over her mouth to feel if she still breathed.
He could barely feel a faint brush of breath upon his cheek but was startled when he turned his head to see her great, green eyes staring up at him. Her eyes were questioning. He nodded to her and tried to fake a brave smile to let her know her water spell had worked.
"You saved my people Taelyra," her name fell strangely but not awkwardly from his lips.
She closed her eyes in satisfaction and her chest heaved slowly. She was in a great deal of pain and her blood continued to stain the waters around her.
"Hold on," Haldir said as he gently lifted her out of the shallow water and onto the grassy bank. He had little experience in healing but he had seen it done often enough after battles that he felt he had to try something.
He placed his hand gently over the wound in her side and he began to speak quietly to Taelyra. He was both encouraging her to find the strength within herself to endure this wound and praying that her natural elvish abilities would begin the healing process. He placed his other hand gently to the side of her face and he gazed down at her.
Her green eyes brimmed with tears. The sight shook him to his core. He tried to calm her and assure her as best he could.
She whispered to him, "Please deliver Artanis to the Lady of the Wood. It is my father's command."
A panicked look invaded her eyes and Haldir desperately wanted to quell her fears.
"Please." her whisper faded, her eyelids closed and tears spilled down her cheeks, "my father will be so disappointed."
Her breath racked with her crying and Haldir's heart felt as though it was being wrenched from his chest. He tried to calm her once more.
"You must hang on. Stay with us a while longer and you will deliver Artanis to the Lady by your own hand." Haldir gently encouraged her. "You will do your father's bidding and he will be most proud."
The Sentinels came along the riverside with Haldir's horse in tow. They were shocked by the sight before them. They had seen Haldir take life many, many times. He was the most prolific fighter amongst them but never had they seen him take the role of healer.
It was strange to them, to see him crouched over the Elf maid. His heart barely hovering over hers, whispering words of encouragement to her and trying to imbue his energy into her, as though trying to loan her the strength to make the ride to Caras Galadhon where the power of the Lady could cure her ails.
Haldir looked up at them. Perhaps it was the mist still hanging about the forest but it almost looked as though his eyes were moist. He smiled at the sight of his loyal horse and spoke encouragingly again to the female Elf.
Gently he scooped her into his arms, careful to lay her sword across her. In two strides he was at the great horse's side and he stepped up into the stirrups and settled into the saddle with the Elf maid across his lap.
He grasped Nénharma's reins and leaned forward as the horse sprang up the river's embankment and through the darkening forest.