Estel was summoned to Lord Elrond's private chamber . He was curious
for the summon because he didn't do anything mischievous after his last
prank , several years ago .
He was barely sixteen then but now he was twenty one . He was not yet a man
but certainly he was no longer a child . The summon was longer than he was
expected .The news of his true identity shook him realizing his childish
nightmares already looming ahead of him . Elrond comforted him like a
father would and clearly told him that he was still his son - adopted or
not .
Perhaps that is why , a year later , he was wandering loosely around the edge of the border between Rohan and Isengard . His journey were for several purposes . One of the main reason was , well , he need to sharpen his skill mentally and physically for his future role as a King of Gondor . But he was also trying to organize his perceptive and thoughts back into order . The sun was sinking steadily behind him yet he seem not to notice as he struggled with his thoughts .
So preoccupied he was that only a sudden crack of a tree limb nearby arouses him from his concentration . He took out his sword and hid behind the shadow of a large oak tree . Peering to his left , he found a stupid looking orc mumbling to himself and rubbing the back of his head . His large gleaming eyes wandered from left to right before suddenly settling on the tree Aragorn was hiding behind . The creature hissed and approached with caution . Aragorn cursed himself , forgetting amidst his thoughts that Orc could smell human especially when it's so close to him . He throw himself from the protective shadow of the tree , swung his sword like an axe and met blade to blade with the orc . They struggled for a moment almost face to face . Being so close with the creature , Aragorn want to spit in disgust . It's skin patchy with blood and raw flesh , blended together with stitches of tan . Only the glinting eye could mark the creature different from a slender old tree .
It took several minuets for Aragorn before he bash the orc on the clout of his ear and stab it with his knife . Instead of tender flesh he struck a rib and almost lose the knife as his whole arm shook from the impact . The orc howled angrily and took the knife with one sweep motion . He jabs empty air several time as Aragorn dodged while retrieving backward . He could not escape any longer from the swishing of the metal and knew he had to kill the orc now or he will die . His back felt a cliff wall which reassured him of his choice . He aim for the creature's heart and for a split second he almost could hear the irregular beating of it's heart .
Nothing else matter . Aragorn threw himself with the blade and his aim struck home . The orc 's eye flickered for a moment as if in surprise before collapsing on top of Aragorn .
He grunted in discomfort and threw the creature aside . His clothes was smeared with the black blood but at least he receive no injury . He laid on the ground for a few minuets , listening to his heart pounding and cursing himself as he knew that the encounter with the orc could be easily avoided for his and that creature's convenience .After few flashback of his childhood when Elrohir and Elladan use to ambush him on the way to dinner or any meal until he has develop a full capacity for surprise attack , Aragorn cursed himself again and struggled to get up .
He was about to retrieve his fallen pack several feet away when he was greeted by loud grunting noise . He look up and swore beneath his breath . He was answered by the unmistakably glee of a pack of orcs who were hungry and found a suitable fresh piece of meat to fill their stomach . There were about ten of them , all tattered in shreds of clothing , revealing their stuck out rib and scars of all sort of shapes and sizes . They did not notices their fallen comrade at their feet . Although , in truth they were hungry enough to ignore the human and eat what's already dead on their feet , they were reluctant because their ex-mate is so thin that its skin seemed to clung on it's bone .
The worried ranger in front of them seem to have more flesh on his bone , they drool thoughtfully . Aragorn was near panic . He didn't have the time to fetch his knife from the fallen orc and he know that if it took him almost quarter of an hour to finish one orc , how long will it take and what effort will be needed for ten orcs ? He gulped hard at the different possibility . His body was pumped hard with adrenaline which seem to burn his whole body in rapture . His heart beat accelerated and he could feel the blood pounding to his head in steady Rhythm . His instincts took over his thoughts as every muscle in his body tense ready for two alternatives ; Flight or fight .
Perhaps that is why , a year later , he was wandering loosely around the edge of the border between Rohan and Isengard . His journey were for several purposes . One of the main reason was , well , he need to sharpen his skill mentally and physically for his future role as a King of Gondor . But he was also trying to organize his perceptive and thoughts back into order . The sun was sinking steadily behind him yet he seem not to notice as he struggled with his thoughts .
So preoccupied he was that only a sudden crack of a tree limb nearby arouses him from his concentration . He took out his sword and hid behind the shadow of a large oak tree . Peering to his left , he found a stupid looking orc mumbling to himself and rubbing the back of his head . His large gleaming eyes wandered from left to right before suddenly settling on the tree Aragorn was hiding behind . The creature hissed and approached with caution . Aragorn cursed himself , forgetting amidst his thoughts that Orc could smell human especially when it's so close to him . He throw himself from the protective shadow of the tree , swung his sword like an axe and met blade to blade with the orc . They struggled for a moment almost face to face . Being so close with the creature , Aragorn want to spit in disgust . It's skin patchy with blood and raw flesh , blended together with stitches of tan . Only the glinting eye could mark the creature different from a slender old tree .
It took several minuets for Aragorn before he bash the orc on the clout of his ear and stab it with his knife . Instead of tender flesh he struck a rib and almost lose the knife as his whole arm shook from the impact . The orc howled angrily and took the knife with one sweep motion . He jabs empty air several time as Aragorn dodged while retrieving backward . He could not escape any longer from the swishing of the metal and knew he had to kill the orc now or he will die . His back felt a cliff wall which reassured him of his choice . He aim for the creature's heart and for a split second he almost could hear the irregular beating of it's heart .
Nothing else matter . Aragorn threw himself with the blade and his aim struck home . The orc 's eye flickered for a moment as if in surprise before collapsing on top of Aragorn .
He grunted in discomfort and threw the creature aside . His clothes was smeared with the black blood but at least he receive no injury . He laid on the ground for a few minuets , listening to his heart pounding and cursing himself as he knew that the encounter with the orc could be easily avoided for his and that creature's convenience .After few flashback of his childhood when Elrohir and Elladan use to ambush him on the way to dinner or any meal until he has develop a full capacity for surprise attack , Aragorn cursed himself again and struggled to get up .
He was about to retrieve his fallen pack several feet away when he was greeted by loud grunting noise . He look up and swore beneath his breath . He was answered by the unmistakably glee of a pack of orcs who were hungry and found a suitable fresh piece of meat to fill their stomach . There were about ten of them , all tattered in shreds of clothing , revealing their stuck out rib and scars of all sort of shapes and sizes . They did not notices their fallen comrade at their feet . Although , in truth they were hungry enough to ignore the human and eat what's already dead on their feet , they were reluctant because their ex-mate is so thin that its skin seemed to clung on it's bone .
The worried ranger in front of them seem to have more flesh on his bone , they drool thoughtfully . Aragorn was near panic . He didn't have the time to fetch his knife from the fallen orc and he know that if it took him almost quarter of an hour to finish one orc , how long will it take and what effort will be needed for ten orcs ? He gulped hard at the different possibility . His body was pumped hard with adrenaline which seem to burn his whole body in rapture . His heart beat accelerated and he could feel the blood pounding to his head in steady Rhythm . His instincts took over his thoughts as every muscle in his body tense ready for two alternatives ; Flight or fight .
