According to my Dragon Flame Sindarin translating program, and the definition I chose, Guruthos means "Shadow of Death."
Chapter 41
Outline
The pursuit was a swift one as the black stallion attempted to ride the wraith's horse down and little by little the distance between the two was lessening. The race was presently in the wraith's favor as he now rode in fear of his own life and he would do whatever he could to keep that life, no matter the miserable nature of it. His destination was the Lair and he knew if he could reach it, and could get to the massive cave system connected to it by a secret passageway, he could lose his pursuer and could then become even more certain of his own survival. His luck held for the moment and he reached his destination in front of his pursuer. His luck, however, did not last much longer than that.
He heard the horse behind him slide to a stop then the soft noise made when the she-elf's feet came in contact with the ground as she dismounted. He took the steps two at a time, desperately trying to get to the cave in front of him.
"Turn and face me wraith!" Her voice was hoarse with emotion and hatred.
He knew that if he were to successfully reach the cave system behind the Lair, he would have to dispose of this meddlesome elf first. He stopped and slowly turned, drawing his sword as he did so and prepared himself to fight for his freedom as well as his life.
The two warriors, she-elf and wraith, stood on the wide landing in front of the cave and stared at one another, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Then they began to circle silently, assessing skills, and looking for strengths as well as weaknesses. The wraith held both hands out to his side hoping to distract the she-elf but she did not fall for the ruse and kept her attention focused on an area near the middle of the creature's chest, a trick that many expert swordsmen used. By doing this, she could see all parts of the wraith's body at the same time and would not be surprised by any move he would make. Not for one moment, did she let her eyes stray, or let her attention wander elsewhere.
Anayah held her sword in front of her body with both hands. This would not be a finesse fight and she had no illusions as to the strength of her opponent or her own abilities to match that strength. Rather, when the fight finally began, it would be an all-out brawl and she would do well to fight with two hands to more securely hold her sword. She knew that if she was to be victorious in this final battle, she would have to fight a very smart fight and to win would be a difficult but not impossible achievement.
Then the wraith took the initiative and stepped toward her and their swords met several times as they attempted to judge each other's strength, agility, speed and skill. The blows they exchanged were no more than tests of these things as the conflict had yet to begin in earnest.
Anayah did not try to impress her opponent with fancy moves or daring, rather, she matched his basic moves, adding nothing that might alert her opponent to the skill she actually possessed. To this point the fight had been mental and to this point, it had been a draw.
Suddenly, the speed of the wraith's moves increased and though she managed to block each blow, one downward stroke slipped passed her block and cut a thin line down her left forearm. First blood had been drawn by the wraith. She stepped back and saluted him and in turn, the wraith nodded.
The twins, Legolas and Aragorn had arrived at the Lair just before first blood had been drawn and all four had winced, but when they saw Anayah step back and salute the move they knew that the wound was merely a scratch and would not be a hindrance to her ability to defend herself. The four dismounted and moved toward the Lair where the two fought.
Seeing the arrival of the elves and man and knowing that he had no hope of defeating all of them, he created a magical windstorm to detain them. High winds swirled around the four where they stood, pressing them back against a tree that stood nearby and where they clutched at one another to keep from being blown about while trying to shield their eyes from the debris flying through the air. They knew they would receive no help from their sister as her attention was focused on the evil being in front of her. If they were to escape the windstorm, they would have to do it on their own. By the time they finally managed to reach the outside of the funnel, the landing in front of the Lair was empty. The fight had been taken inside.
The only light inside the Lair came from the many torches hanging in brackets on the walls and where bright sunlight outside the Lair had provided sufficient light to fight by, the dimmer light of the cave was in sharp contrast and it took some moments for her eyes to adjust. For a few seconds, she was fighting blind. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to the one who had spent so much time teaching her to fight blindfolded. Though not one of her stronger skills, her training served her well now as she managed to keep the wraith off her until her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.
She had been able to determine from the onset of the fight that the heat and high humidity of the Lair would prove to be the biggest hindrance to her. Both would leech her strength, she would quickly become dehydrated and if the fight lasted too long under these conditions, her chances of survival would be minimal. The wraith seemed to sense this and continued to press her, his sword strikes coming faster as he attempted to tire her. She continued to strike and block, now forcing the wraith to retreat then herself retreating.
When Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas and Aragorn entered the main entrance of the Lair, they saw their sister and the wraith engaged in deadly combat. While it was impossible to determine the condition of the wraith, they could see the sweat running down Anayah's face as well as how flushed her face was and seeing this, all four knew that she was already in trouble.
The wraith was irritated that the elves and the man had escaped his wind storm and were now inside the lair. Quickly he pressed his attack and when the she-elf went down to one knee, he took advantage of the brief reprieve to throw a lightning bolt at the intruders. Aragorn and Elladan threw themselves to one side of the entrance and escaped the bolt. Elrohir and Legolas were not so lucky as they had to move around a portion of the cave wall to escape the spell that had been cast at them. Both elves fell to the floor, stunned.
Aragorn and Elladan moved to their friends' sides quickly but by the time the two reached them, the stunned elves were already sitting up, shaking their heads, trying to get the ringing in their ears to stop. All four of the friends knew that they would be powerless to help their sister and that they could do nothing more than act as silent witnesses to her struggle, a fact that frustrated all of them greatly.
For the next hour the three elves and the human watched as the fight became a 'down and dirty' brawl. Time and again the wraith would cast a spell to hinder his opponent and time and again the she-elf would counter both spell and sword-strike. Though her skill was not diminishing, her strength was, and more than once she found herself going to one knee as her opponent powered passed her block, driving her down.
At one point, after physically closing with the wraith, the evil being had punched her in the jaw and she had stumbled backward, the wall of the cave being the only thing keeping her standing. Quickly she shook her head to chase away the flashes of light and black spots that were attempting to obscure her vision then pressed forward once more.
The second time she got punched in the jaw, she got angry with herself for allowing it to happen again and used her anger to not only recover quickly but to reply to the attack with a strength and vigor she was definitely not feeling.
She was starting to breathe much heavier now, a sure indication of her weakening physical condition. More often she found herself down on one knee and each time she did so, she would reach deep inside herself and draw energy from its deepest source to sustain her, to help her get to her feet once again.
The wraith was surprised each time she got to her feet. A normal opponent would long ago have succumbed to the conditions of the cave, the length of the battle and the ferocity of the attacks. When the wraith saw her struggling to her feet once again then stand weaving unsteadily, he hissed at her, "Why don't you just stay down she-elf?"
Her only response was to smile tiredly at him and shake a finger. Uncertainly, he backed up a few steps wondering for the first time whether the being in front of him was something more than just an elf.
The battle continued to wage furiously all around the chamber. More than once their swords had connected with the soft, clay-like walls, gouging out chunks as the two warriors continued to fight each other.
The natural denizens of the Lair, cave bats, were being disturbed by the fight and would occasionally fly about the heads of the combatants. At one point, the two warriors had almost walked into a small pool of "refuse" (bat guano) that lay beneath where the flying rodents were roosting. Suddenly, a spark, brought to life by the meeting of the swords, fell into the pool and ignited the gasses the pool was producing. Flames quickly rose and spread until the whole pool as well as a third of the cave's surface was engulfed by the fire.
Frantic bats launched themselves from the ceiling and flew through the cave trying to escape the danger, occasionally flying through the flames then continuing on for a short time as small balls of fire before finally falling lifelessly to the cave floor. Even the elves and the human closely watching the battle had to duck as the creatures flew frantically around their heads.
Then the unthinkable or perhaps the inevitable happened. The wraith managed to carry his strike passed her block and buried his sword in her side. He savagely jerked the sword free as she fell to her knees.
"No." Aragorn spoke the word softly, fearing that his worst nightmare was taking place in front of his eyes. He looked at the others around him. Elrohir had buried his face in the shoulder of a stern-faced Elladan and Legolas sat silently, a stunned expression on his fair face.
"We have to do something!" He reached over Legolas and grabbed Elladan by the shoulder and gave him a gentle shake, but it was the Mirkwood archer who finally came up with the idea for the only thing they all had the power to attempt.
"We can give her our strength."
His words were spoken softly but the keen ears of his friends caught his words and instantly understood what he meant. Putting their arms around each others' shoulders, they closed their eyes and offered their own strengths, sending it to their wounded and exhausted sister on a gentle wave. Even Aragorn joined in but when he closed his eyes, he saw someone who looked like, but was not, his foster-father, and who helped him send his life-strength along with the others.
Anayah laid a hand on her wound where she could feel the warmth of her blood as it escaped and flowed down her side. When she removed her hand and looked at it, she saw that it was red. She stayed where she was for a moment, panting, tired and in pain, not only from this wound but from every wound she had sustained thus far.
Then she felt a new strength flowing into her, making her forget her pain and her fatigue. Turning her head, she looked into the eyes of those who loved her and who were doing the only thing they could to help, sharing with her their own life-force. She smiled then silently mouthed the words, 'Thank you.'
With renewed energy, she rose quickly and gracefully from the cave floor and advanced on the wraith. She spun her sword once in her right hand, loosening muscles and tendons which would enhance the flexibility of her strikes.
Then, she attacked, this time taking the fight to the wraith, striking and pounding at his defenses. This time it was she who powered passed his blocks, cutting and wounding with a ferocity he had never before faced. From one end of the cave to the other the two fought each other until at last Anayah got passed his block and plunged her sword deep into his black heart. Even when she saw the wraith go to his knees with his back to the wall, she knew that she would have to take his head before it would finally be over.
The Shadow Wraith knew he was facing the inevitable, his own death, but as he watched the she-elf step closer he felt something inside himself react. It was almost as if he were remembering something and in the last moments of his life he spoke to his executioner.
"We have met before have we not, she-elf?" The evil creature hissed at her.
When she did not answer him yet continued to advance, he spoke again.
"Who are you?" Breathed the wraith. "If I am to perish, tell me by whose hand I am being sent to my doom, being the last of my kind."
As she stopped within striking distance of the evil being in front of her, she carefully considered whether or not she would answer him. Then, with her mind made up, she responded.
"You were right about one thing you piece of filth. We have met before."
"Then tell me, what is your name?" The creature's breathing was raspy and labored.
"Remember this ... A long time ago on a forgotten path a little south of here. It was nighttime. You rode a steel-grey stallion and the first move you made was to try and blind side me with a blue fireball."
Though she could not see his face, she could tell he remembered, just by the way he suddenly straightened up. He remembered, and he was afraid.
Then Jett, whose secret name was Guruthos and who was the brother-sword of Gurthang, began to burn with an internal fire and just before Anayah brought the sword around in a double-handed arc to cleave the wraith's head from his shoulders and end his miserable existence, she said these words.
"Yes, foul creature, you know me well, for I am the Black Rider. And my name is Death."
The wraith's head came to a rest against the far wall of the cave at the same time the evil spirit of the creature escaped into the air to be dissipated by the sudden breeze that rose within the cave. It was finally over. Exhausted more than she had ever been in her life, Anayah sank to her knees on the cave floor, her head hanging weakly.
As if released from some spell, the four friends quickly ran to her side, dropping to their knees in front of her. Gently Elladan put a hand beneath her chin and raised her head so he, and the others, could look into her eyes. They were rewarded by a weak smile, just before she toppled forward.
"We must get her outside into the cooler air." It was Legolas who spoke. Elladan, being closest, scooped her up in his arms and, followed by three other worried 'mother hens,' left the cave at a run. Once outside, her brother sat her on the ground beneath the tree where the four of them had once been trapped by the wind storm.
While Legolas and Elladan stayed with her to steady her in case she decided to topple over again, Elrohir ran to their horses and gathered all their water bottles. Aragorn ran to his horse and retrieved the pack which held his healer's supplies.
While Anayah was busy drinking most of the contents of one of the water bottles, Aragorn cleaned and bandaged the worst of the wounds she had sustained in her battle with the wraith. She would need a lot of care later but for the moment, what they could do would have to be enough. The best medical treatment for all of them would be to get as far away from this battle scene as quickly as possible.
The four friends watched over their sister and friend concernedly. She had begun to shake from shock, from the adrenaline that was now leaving her body and from the fatigue of a sustained battle under the worst possible conditions. She still had not spoken but had just sat on the ground with her back to the tree with her eyes closed, resting and enjoying both the silence and not having to do anything at all. The others were silent also as they showed respect for her need for a few moments of peace.
Finally, after having regained enough strength, she rose gracefully to her feet, surprising everybody. Though the others could see the strain and the pain she was experiencing mirrored in her eyes, they held their peace, allowing her to do what she would with the strength she felt she had.
"Ok. Let us leave this place!"
It was Aragorn who spoke to her first, trying to lighten her mood.
"Little sister, sometimes you scare me."
"Big brother, sometimes I scare myself!" Was her reply.
On their way to the horses, Anayah had stumbled slightly and Elladan had glanced at the path they were walking on. He noticed something grayish-white on his sister's black boot.
"What is that on your boot?" He asked her.
The others looked down but it was Elrohir who decided to take the situation to the next level.
"That's not what I think it is? Is it?"
Anayah looked down, pausing to take a closer look at what was on her boot. Seeing the bat guano, she decided to have a little fun.
"I think so. Why? Do you want some?"
Elladan, Legolas and Aragorn laughed.
"Now that was wrong. That was just plain wrong!" Elrohir said. Then he started to laugh also.
When the five of them reached their horses, they mounted, albeit with an excessive amount of moaning and complaining, then with much giggling and teasing about the amount of complaining everyone was doing, the five of them began the journey back to Arena One, this time at a normal rate of speed.
TBC
One more chapter to go!
Dazzler420: Thanks for the review. It makes me very happy that you have enjoyed this story.
Soccer-Bitch: Thanks for reviewing!
A Sly Fan: Thanks for your review. Its always a pleasure knowing that there are others who enjoy my work.
Outline
He heard the horse behind him slide to a stop then the soft noise made when the she-elf's feet came in contact with the ground as she dismounted. He took the steps two at a time, desperately trying to get to the cave in front of him.
"Turn and face me wraith!" Her voice was hoarse with emotion and hatred.
He knew that if he were to successfully reach the cave system behind the Lair, he would have to dispose of this meddlesome elf first. He stopped and slowly turned, drawing his sword as he did so and prepared himself to fight for his freedom as well as his life.
The two warriors, she-elf and wraith, stood on the wide landing in front of the cave and stared at one another, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Then they began to circle silently, assessing skills, and looking for strengths as well as weaknesses. The wraith held both hands out to his side hoping to distract the she-elf but she did not fall for the ruse and kept her attention focused on an area near the middle of the creature's chest, a trick that many expert swordsmen used. By doing this, she could see all parts of the wraith's body at the same time and would not be surprised by any move he would make. Not for one moment, did she let her eyes stray, or let her attention wander elsewhere.
Anayah held her sword in front of her body with both hands. This would not be a finesse fight and she had no illusions as to the strength of her opponent or her own abilities to match that strength. Rather, when the fight finally began, it would be an all-out brawl and she would do well to fight with two hands to more securely hold her sword. She knew that if she was to be victorious in this final battle, she would have to fight a very smart fight and to win would be a difficult but not impossible achievement.
Then the wraith took the initiative and stepped toward her and their swords met several times as they attempted to judge each other's strength, agility, speed and skill. The blows they exchanged were no more than tests of these things as the conflict had yet to begin in earnest.
Anayah did not try to impress her opponent with fancy moves or daring, rather, she matched his basic moves, adding nothing that might alert her opponent to the skill she actually possessed. To this point the fight had been mental and to this point, it had been a draw.
Suddenly, the speed of the wraith's moves increased and though she managed to block each blow, one downward stroke slipped passed her block and cut a thin line down her left forearm. First blood had been drawn by the wraith. She stepped back and saluted him and in turn, the wraith nodded.
The twins, Legolas and Aragorn had arrived at the Lair just before first blood had been drawn and all four had winced, but when they saw Anayah step back and salute the move they knew that the wound was merely a scratch and would not be a hindrance to her ability to defend herself. The four dismounted and moved toward the Lair where the two fought.
Seeing the arrival of the elves and man and knowing that he had no hope of defeating all of them, he created a magical windstorm to detain them. High winds swirled around the four where they stood, pressing them back against a tree that stood nearby and where they clutched at one another to keep from being blown about while trying to shield their eyes from the debris flying through the air. They knew they would receive no help from their sister as her attention was focused on the evil being in front of her. If they were to escape the windstorm, they would have to do it on their own. By the time they finally managed to reach the outside of the funnel, the landing in front of the Lair was empty. The fight had been taken inside.
The only light inside the Lair came from the many torches hanging in brackets on the walls and where bright sunlight outside the Lair had provided sufficient light to fight by, the dimmer light of the cave was in sharp contrast and it took some moments for her eyes to adjust. For a few seconds, she was fighting blind. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to the one who had spent so much time teaching her to fight blindfolded. Though not one of her stronger skills, her training served her well now as she managed to keep the wraith off her until her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.
She had been able to determine from the onset of the fight that the heat and high humidity of the Lair would prove to be the biggest hindrance to her. Both would leech her strength, she would quickly become dehydrated and if the fight lasted too long under these conditions, her chances of survival would be minimal. The wraith seemed to sense this and continued to press her, his sword strikes coming faster as he attempted to tire her. She continued to strike and block, now forcing the wraith to retreat then herself retreating.
When Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas and Aragorn entered the main entrance of the Lair, they saw their sister and the wraith engaged in deadly combat. While it was impossible to determine the condition of the wraith, they could see the sweat running down Anayah's face as well as how flushed her face was and seeing this, all four knew that she was already in trouble.
The wraith was irritated that the elves and the man had escaped his wind storm and were now inside the lair. Quickly he pressed his attack and when the she-elf went down to one knee, he took advantage of the brief reprieve to throw a lightning bolt at the intruders. Aragorn and Elladan threw themselves to one side of the entrance and escaped the bolt. Elrohir and Legolas were not so lucky as they had to move around a portion of the cave wall to escape the spell that had been cast at them. Both elves fell to the floor, stunned.
Aragorn and Elladan moved to their friends' sides quickly but by the time the two reached them, the stunned elves were already sitting up, shaking their heads, trying to get the ringing in their ears to stop. All four of the friends knew that they would be powerless to help their sister and that they could do nothing more than act as silent witnesses to her struggle, a fact that frustrated all of them greatly.
For the next hour the three elves and the human watched as the fight became a 'down and dirty' brawl. Time and again the wraith would cast a spell to hinder his opponent and time and again the she-elf would counter both spell and sword-strike. Though her skill was not diminishing, her strength was, and more than once she found herself going to one knee as her opponent powered passed her block, driving her down.
At one point, after physically closing with the wraith, the evil being had punched her in the jaw and she had stumbled backward, the wall of the cave being the only thing keeping her standing. Quickly she shook her head to chase away the flashes of light and black spots that were attempting to obscure her vision then pressed forward once more.
The second time she got punched in the jaw, she got angry with herself for allowing it to happen again and used her anger to not only recover quickly but to reply to the attack with a strength and vigor she was definitely not feeling.
She was starting to breathe much heavier now, a sure indication of her weakening physical condition. More often she found herself down on one knee and each time she did so, she would reach deep inside herself and draw energy from its deepest source to sustain her, to help her get to her feet once again.
The wraith was surprised each time she got to her feet. A normal opponent would long ago have succumbed to the conditions of the cave, the length of the battle and the ferocity of the attacks. When the wraith saw her struggling to her feet once again then stand weaving unsteadily, he hissed at her, "Why don't you just stay down she-elf?"
Her only response was to smile tiredly at him and shake a finger. Uncertainly, he backed up a few steps wondering for the first time whether the being in front of him was something more than just an elf.
The battle continued to wage furiously all around the chamber. More than once their swords had connected with the soft, clay-like walls, gouging out chunks as the two warriors continued to fight each other.
The natural denizens of the Lair, cave bats, were being disturbed by the fight and would occasionally fly about the heads of the combatants. At one point, the two warriors had almost walked into a small pool of "refuse" (bat guano) that lay beneath where the flying rodents were roosting. Suddenly, a spark, brought to life by the meeting of the swords, fell into the pool and ignited the gasses the pool was producing. Flames quickly rose and spread until the whole pool as well as a third of the cave's surface was engulfed by the fire.
Frantic bats launched themselves from the ceiling and flew through the cave trying to escape the danger, occasionally flying through the flames then continuing on for a short time as small balls of fire before finally falling lifelessly to the cave floor. Even the elves and the human closely watching the battle had to duck as the creatures flew frantically around their heads.
Then the unthinkable or perhaps the inevitable happened. The wraith managed to carry his strike passed her block and buried his sword in her side. He savagely jerked the sword free as she fell to her knees.
"No." Aragorn spoke the word softly, fearing that his worst nightmare was taking place in front of his eyes. He looked at the others around him. Elrohir had buried his face in the shoulder of a stern-faced Elladan and Legolas sat silently, a stunned expression on his fair face.
"We have to do something!" He reached over Legolas and grabbed Elladan by the shoulder and gave him a gentle shake, but it was the Mirkwood archer who finally came up with the idea for the only thing they all had the power to attempt.
"We can give her our strength."
His words were spoken softly but the keen ears of his friends caught his words and instantly understood what he meant. Putting their arms around each others' shoulders, they closed their eyes and offered their own strengths, sending it to their wounded and exhausted sister on a gentle wave. Even Aragorn joined in but when he closed his eyes, he saw someone who looked like, but was not, his foster-father, and who helped him send his life-strength along with the others.
Anayah laid a hand on her wound where she could feel the warmth of her blood as it escaped and flowed down her side. When she removed her hand and looked at it, she saw that it was red. She stayed where she was for a moment, panting, tired and in pain, not only from this wound but from every wound she had sustained thus far.
Then she felt a new strength flowing into her, making her forget her pain and her fatigue. Turning her head, she looked into the eyes of those who loved her and who were doing the only thing they could to help, sharing with her their own life-force. She smiled then silently mouthed the words, 'Thank you.'
With renewed energy, she rose quickly and gracefully from the cave floor and advanced on the wraith. She spun her sword once in her right hand, loosening muscles and tendons which would enhance the flexibility of her strikes.
Then, she attacked, this time taking the fight to the wraith, striking and pounding at his defenses. This time it was she who powered passed his blocks, cutting and wounding with a ferocity he had never before faced. From one end of the cave to the other the two fought each other until at last Anayah got passed his block and plunged her sword deep into his black heart. Even when she saw the wraith go to his knees with his back to the wall, she knew that she would have to take his head before it would finally be over.
The Shadow Wraith knew he was facing the inevitable, his own death, but as he watched the she-elf step closer he felt something inside himself react. It was almost as if he were remembering something and in the last moments of his life he spoke to his executioner.
"We have met before have we not, she-elf?" The evil creature hissed at her.
When she did not answer him yet continued to advance, he spoke again.
"Who are you?" Breathed the wraith. "If I am to perish, tell me by whose hand I am being sent to my doom, being the last of my kind."
As she stopped within striking distance of the evil being in front of her, she carefully considered whether or not she would answer him. Then, with her mind made up, she responded.
"You were right about one thing you piece of filth. We have met before."
"Then tell me, what is your name?" The creature's breathing was raspy and labored.
"Remember this ... A long time ago on a forgotten path a little south of here. It was nighttime. You rode a steel-grey stallion and the first move you made was to try and blind side me with a blue fireball."
Though she could not see his face, she could tell he remembered, just by the way he suddenly straightened up. He remembered, and he was afraid.
Then Jett, whose secret name was Guruthos and who was the brother-sword of Gurthang, began to burn with an internal fire and just before Anayah brought the sword around in a double-handed arc to cleave the wraith's head from his shoulders and end his miserable existence, she said these words.
"Yes, foul creature, you know me well, for I am the Black Rider. And my name is Death."
The wraith's head came to a rest against the far wall of the cave at the same time the evil spirit of the creature escaped into the air to be dissipated by the sudden breeze that rose within the cave. It was finally over. Exhausted more than she had ever been in her life, Anayah sank to her knees on the cave floor, her head hanging weakly.
As if released from some spell, the four friends quickly ran to her side, dropping to their knees in front of her. Gently Elladan put a hand beneath her chin and raised her head so he, and the others, could look into her eyes. They were rewarded by a weak smile, just before she toppled forward.
"We must get her outside into the cooler air." It was Legolas who spoke. Elladan, being closest, scooped her up in his arms and, followed by three other worried 'mother hens,' left the cave at a run. Once outside, her brother sat her on the ground beneath the tree where the four of them had once been trapped by the wind storm.
While Legolas and Elladan stayed with her to steady her in case she decided to topple over again, Elrohir ran to their horses and gathered all their water bottles. Aragorn ran to his horse and retrieved the pack which held his healer's supplies.
While Anayah was busy drinking most of the contents of one of the water bottles, Aragorn cleaned and bandaged the worst of the wounds she had sustained in her battle with the wraith. She would need a lot of care later but for the moment, what they could do would have to be enough. The best medical treatment for all of them would be to get as far away from this battle scene as quickly as possible.
The four friends watched over their sister and friend concernedly. She had begun to shake from shock, from the adrenaline that was now leaving her body and from the fatigue of a sustained battle under the worst possible conditions. She still had not spoken but had just sat on the ground with her back to the tree with her eyes closed, resting and enjoying both the silence and not having to do anything at all. The others were silent also as they showed respect for her need for a few moments of peace.
Finally, after having regained enough strength, she rose gracefully to her feet, surprising everybody. Though the others could see the strain and the pain she was experiencing mirrored in her eyes, they held their peace, allowing her to do what she would with the strength she felt she had.
"Ok. Let us leave this place!"
It was Aragorn who spoke to her first, trying to lighten her mood.
"Little sister, sometimes you scare me."
"Big brother, sometimes I scare myself!" Was her reply.
On their way to the horses, Anayah had stumbled slightly and Elladan had glanced at the path they were walking on. He noticed something grayish-white on his sister's black boot.
"What is that on your boot?" He asked her.
The others looked down but it was Elrohir who decided to take the situation to the next level.
"That's not what I think it is? Is it?"
Anayah looked down, pausing to take a closer look at what was on her boot. Seeing the bat guano, she decided to have a little fun.
"I think so. Why? Do you want some?"
Elladan, Legolas and Aragorn laughed.
"Now that was wrong. That was just plain wrong!" Elrohir said. Then he started to laugh also.
When the five of them reached their horses, they mounted, albeit with an excessive amount of moaning and complaining, then with much giggling and teasing about the amount of complaining everyone was doing, the five of them began the journey back to Arena One, this time at a normal rate of speed.
TBC
One more chapter to go!
Dazzler420: Thanks for the review. It makes me very happy that you have enjoyed this story.
Soccer-Bitch: Thanks for reviewing!
A Sly Fan: Thanks for your review. Its always a pleasure knowing that there are others who enjoy my work.