Disclaimer: Standard

Author Note: Nearing the end of this story, but I've already started working on The Ring's Keeper (which is the second in the series of Four). Unfortunately...well fortunately for me, my hours at the part time job (I make very little money teaching) have increased and I keep getting the closing shifts which keep me up until the wee hours of morning. So when i come home, I'm dead on my feet and I just fall asleep at the wheel when I "try" to drive home. Heh. But I found time! So...my point in saying that was...I forgot...ummm...oh, The Ring's Keeper is going to take a bit longer to write. I do, however, have FOUR chapters already! *celebrates* Anyway, thanks to Jay. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it. You really did make my day! I was having a lousy day. Teaching is not a very rewards occupation at times. Sometimes it can be...but the fruits are harvested at a much later time. *sighs* Anyway, read and review and most importantly...enjoy.

~Raven "Siren's Muse"

Chapter Eight: The Swift Tides of Battle

There were lights in her dream. Lights and the noise of battle. The scent of death hung heavy in the air. Verity herself was lying on the ground. She had been hit, she assumed. Someone was shaking her. "Lady Verity! Verity please!"

Verity's eyes fluttered open and fixed on the face of the elven guard, Thalion. Seeing she was finally awake Thalion thrust a sword at her. "It's the goblins!" he hissed. "They've struck"

"There's a battle."

"A massacre. Hurry!"

Verity stood, wrapped her long hair in a large knot near the top of her head, straightened out her sleep wrinkled clothes, grabbed the sword and ran out into the night followed closely by Thalion. War cries rang throughout the air. She saw Bard sitting atop his horse and ran to him. "Highness! King Bard!" she called.

"Lady Seer!" he cried, jumping off his horse and meeting her halfway.

He grabbed her arms and shook her slightly, in the light of the setting moon, she saw his face was covered in blood and dirt. "Did you not see this coming? Why did you not warn us instead of letting us be murdered in our sleep?"

"It was not revealed to me!" gasped Verity, trying to shrug his arms off of her.

"What worth are you then, seer?"

Verity succeeded in breaking free and slapped him roughly. "I am not all-powerful! I do not see everything! Hurry, your people are dying! Fight for them!"

He glared at her. "Had we not been at war..."

"Complain later, fight now."

Verity turned from the king and looked about. Elves, Men, Goblins, and Wargs battled ferociously around her. The dead fell in droves. She glanced to her right to see Filli fall. He was dead. She barely noticed the Warg leaping at her. A sword flashed and the creature was stopped. She spun to see Glorfindel, shining like the sun, both terrible and wonderful at the same time. She broke out of the spell and nodded her thanks, then she ran for the battle. She did not take notice of the results of her sword, but only that it was striking the enemy. Flashes of light and steel and another foe fell, but two more were behind it. A Warg leapt from behind and tackled her to the ground. Up went her sword, slaying the beast. "Bane!" she cried. "Bane of the evils! Cower at the feet of the one who yields the Bane!"

With a new, mad vigor, she brought her newly named sword around to connect with the skull of an approaching goblin. but another was yet ready. She did not see his axe flash. But she saw it connect with another blade. A tall man, with hair the color of darkness flashed her a grim smile. "Calen!"

"Aye, love." she barely heard him over the noise of battle.

Another goblin attacked and she spun around to take him out. "Fly to me!" cried the voice of Bard.

Calen and Verity ran for the king. Bard was surrounded by more Wargs and goblins than he alone could handle. Glorfindel was already there, glowing with a fury unmatched by any other warrior. Verity ran into the fray with Calen right behind. It was a sea of bodies. Stinking of sweat and blood. Blades pressed from all sides. Verity barely had room to swing Bane. She hacked through, seeing her comrades fall around her. Her head swam and her arms ached terribly. She couldn't take it anymore. The battle was too long. Too much for her body. She couldn't bring Bane up to block an attack. She waited for it. Death. A body jumped in front and caught the sword in his arm. Thalion! The elf staggered slightly, but brought his sword around and killed the creature. He turned and look sadly down at Verity, His arm was mangled and bloody. A deep wound poured blood. Verity could vaguely see white bone amid the blood. She grabbed his good arm and pulled him out of the battle. "Thank you, that was very brave."

"You are the Lady Seer and the Dragon Slayer. All of us here are sworn to protect you."

Verity felt like weeping. "I am nothing without the trust of you and everyone else. Thank you all the same."

Thalion nodded and lay back against a blood stained tree. He was pale and exhausted from loss of blood. Verity glanced around for something to staunch the blood flow with, but had only the beautiful cape that Thorin had given her. Quickly, she yanked it off and wrapped it tightly around his arm. "Rest here." she soothed before running back into the battle.

She was just as weary as before, but Thalion's sacrifice had given her new strength. Bane felt heavier than ever as she forced her body to go beyond it's limits. Jelly-like muscles protested bitterly as she raised her sword again for a shaky sweep. Suddenly there was a great wind and the sound of giant wings. Verity looked up to see the eagles. "Better late than never." she muttered.

Aloud she cried, "Have courage men!"

There was a weak, but present, "Hurrah!" from the warriors around.

The tides of battle turned swiftly as the eagles worked their powerful talons and beaks and slew many of the wargs and goblins. Verity was parrying an attack when she heard a bone-jarring snap and another equally terrible sound. She spun around, looking for the source to see Calen, lying on the ground. His legs were bent at unnatural angles, there was a grave wound to his chest. He was coughing up blood as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "CALEN!" she screamed.

She ran for him and fell to the ground at his side. "No Calen! Don't do this! Come on!"

Calen's eyes focused on her for a moment and he gave her one of his famous grins, it was filled with pain. He tried to speak, but blood gurgled in his mouth. "No, no, no, no." Verity ordered.

Calen breathed his last.

Verity felt lightheaded. Things spun around her. The battle collided in a mass of colors. Tears came in gasps. Her shoulder shook uncontrollably. She choked, gasped for air, and sobbed. The battle grew far off as time seemed frozen for the woman. Light banished the colors and a hand grasped her shoulder. "Verity." it was Glorfindel. "The battle is ours. The eagles have saved us."

"Not all of us." Verity spat with a ringing sob.

"No, not all of us." Glorfindel agreed quietly.

Verity buried her face in the dirt and mud and shook with great racking sobs that tore through her very being. She sank into the deep, emotionless abyss of unconsciousness.