Arín rode to the front and stopped her horse next to her father. She looked
at him. He looked tall, handsome and powerful in his armor upon his white
steed.
"I see that you did not put your armor on," he said without looking at her.
"I had no time," she replied.
"Arín," he said slowly.
"Okay, so I had no help."
"Why did you not ask Arwen for help?"
"She was with Legolas."
"Oh."
"I do have a mail coat on." She unbuttoned the first three buttons of her tunic. Underneath there was a shining coat of mithril. Elrond gasped.
"Arín, that coat is made of mithril! Where did you get that?"
"Grandmother gave it to me for my birthday."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think you would care this much, it is just a coat of mail, well it was just a coat of mail." Just then an arrow zipped past their heads, cutting Arín's cheek. They looked up at the hill and saw hundreds of Orcs running down. Arín saw her father unsheathe his sword and she readied her bow. The Orcs kept advancing. As soon as they were in firing range, Elrond shouted the commands.
"Fire!!!" he yelled and a stream of arrows came from behind them. Arín aimed and fired. Her arrow hit an Orc right between her eyes. She fired until they were too close. She jumped off her horse and told it to go hide somewhere. Then she drew her sword, Ilánor, and waited.
~*~
Legolas and Arwen sat quietly. Legolas was staring out the window and Arwen was staring at the floor.
"I do hope they are all right," she said suddenly.
"Who?" Legolas asked.
"Father and Arín and Elladan and Elrohir and Aragorn and Glorfindel and all of them," she answered.
"So do I, so do I."
~*~
The Orcs kept coming until the Elves were in hand-to-hand combat with them, using swords and knives. Ilánor gleamed in the torchlight as Arín beheaded two Orcs in one sweep. There were pools of black blood everywhere. Arín wiped the sweat away with her sleeve just as she felt raindrops. Soon it began to pour. Arín killed three more Orcs when she yelled to Glorfindel who was closest.
"How much worse is this going to get?"
"I don't know," he yelled back. There was a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder and Arín had her answer.
~*~
Arwen got up and went to the door to the balcony and looked out.
"It's really raining hard," she said. Legolas looked out the window. She was right. The rain was coming down in sheets and lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Suddenly there was a big gust of wind and the candles went out.
~*~
Elrond brought his sword, Gïládàn, down through an Orc's head, spattering black blood everywhere. The rain and sweat made his hair stick to his face and it was a pain to keep off. He heard a scream behind him and turned to see Arín finish off an Orc. Her hair, like all the others, was no different, stuck to her face.
"Watch your back," she said.
"Don't worry, I will."
~*~
"Arwen, are you all right?" Legolas called into the pitch darkness.
"Yes, I'm fine," came her voice from across the room. "I need a candle to relight the others, I'll be right back."
"Okay." The door opened and Legolas saw Arwen's figure in the light. The door closed again and he was left alone in the darkness. A flash of lightning right outside the window suddenly illuminated the room. A loud clap of thunder followed it. Then it was dark again. The door opened and Arwen stepped in with a candle in her hand. She walked around and lit all the other candles. Soon the room was bright like before.
~*~
Arín stuck Ilánor into the last Orc, yanked it out again and it fell to the ground, dead. A great cheer rose from the Elves. Arín did not join in the cheer, but rushed to Elrohir's side. An Orc arrow had hit him in the shoulder. She helped him to the ground. He was breathing heavily and there was blood all over his left arm. Arín gently eased the arrow out. Elrohir flinched in pain.
"Don't move," she whispered. She opened a pouch on her belt and pulled out the herb she used for healing and crushed it. Then she put it on the wound then wrapped it with clean dry cloth from her horse's saddle. The horse had come to her right after the last Orc fell. Then Arín made a sling for Elrohir's arm and gently put his arm in it. Then she helped him to his feet as Elrond walked over to them.
"Are you two all right?" he asked them.
"Yes, I'm fine now," Elrohir answered, "thanks to Arín."
"No, don't thank me," she said.
"I have thank you, little sister."
"Why?"
"Because you are my little sister," he answered. Arín smiled. Then she turned to Elrond.
"Father, what are the casualties?" she asked.
"Two dozen, and still counting," he answered. They were silent for a moment, and then Elrond spoke to everyone.
"Bring in what you can and tomorrow at first light, we will sort through what's left down here." Then there was a great shuffling and everyone started to head back to Rivendell. Arín helped Elrohir onto her horse for he couldn't ride on his own, then climbed up in front of him. Arín waited until everyone had started before starting herself. When she entered the gate, she saw many bodies being examined and covered, people crying over lost loved ones, others speaking in whisper about what had happened. Though she knew none that had died, she felt tears come to her eyes. Arín dismounted and then helped her brother down. She began to walk to the house when someone called her name. She turned to see her best friend Rian running towards her.
"Rian!" she called. The two of them met and embraced.
"I'm so glad you are unharmed, my friend," she said.
"So am I, but Elrohir wasn't as lucky." Rain's face became panic-stricken. "But he is fine now," Arín reassured her quickly.
"Where is my brother?" Rian asked.
"Over there, with my father," Arín replied, pointing to where Elrond and Glorfindel were.
"Good, I'm glad he is all right."
"Arín," came a voice form behind, "where's Father?" She turned. It was Elladan.
"I'm right here," came their father's voice from behind them. Arín turned to face her father and Rian embraced Glorfindel, her brother. Soon Elrohir, Aragorn and Arín's other best friend, Laylin joined them.
~*~
"They are back," Arwen said. "I wish I could go meet them, but I can't leave you alone."
"No, but you could still go. Take me with you," Legolas offered.
She sighed. "Legolas, I told you that you could not get up yet."
"Come on, Arwen, please?" Arwen was silent for a few minutes.
"Oh, all right, but first let's put your arm in a sling." Legolas nodded. Arwen went to the closet, pulled out a long piece of cloth and tied it to make a sling. Then she put it around his neck and slipped his right arm in it. Then she lifted Legolas gently into a sitting position. She felt him stiffen as he winced in pain.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, starting to lay him back down.
"No," he said quickly, "I want to do this."
"Oh, all right." Soon Legolas was sitting on the bed with his legs over the side. Then Arwen helped him into a standing position and they left the room.
"I see that you did not put your armor on," he said without looking at her.
"I had no time," she replied.
"Arín," he said slowly.
"Okay, so I had no help."
"Why did you not ask Arwen for help?"
"She was with Legolas."
"Oh."
"I do have a mail coat on." She unbuttoned the first three buttons of her tunic. Underneath there was a shining coat of mithril. Elrond gasped.
"Arín, that coat is made of mithril! Where did you get that?"
"Grandmother gave it to me for my birthday."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think you would care this much, it is just a coat of mail, well it was just a coat of mail." Just then an arrow zipped past their heads, cutting Arín's cheek. They looked up at the hill and saw hundreds of Orcs running down. Arín saw her father unsheathe his sword and she readied her bow. The Orcs kept advancing. As soon as they were in firing range, Elrond shouted the commands.
"Fire!!!" he yelled and a stream of arrows came from behind them. Arín aimed and fired. Her arrow hit an Orc right between her eyes. She fired until they were too close. She jumped off her horse and told it to go hide somewhere. Then she drew her sword, Ilánor, and waited.
~*~
Legolas and Arwen sat quietly. Legolas was staring out the window and Arwen was staring at the floor.
"I do hope they are all right," she said suddenly.
"Who?" Legolas asked.
"Father and Arín and Elladan and Elrohir and Aragorn and Glorfindel and all of them," she answered.
"So do I, so do I."
~*~
The Orcs kept coming until the Elves were in hand-to-hand combat with them, using swords and knives. Ilánor gleamed in the torchlight as Arín beheaded two Orcs in one sweep. There were pools of black blood everywhere. Arín wiped the sweat away with her sleeve just as she felt raindrops. Soon it began to pour. Arín killed three more Orcs when she yelled to Glorfindel who was closest.
"How much worse is this going to get?"
"I don't know," he yelled back. There was a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder and Arín had her answer.
~*~
Arwen got up and went to the door to the balcony and looked out.
"It's really raining hard," she said. Legolas looked out the window. She was right. The rain was coming down in sheets and lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Suddenly there was a big gust of wind and the candles went out.
~*~
Elrond brought his sword, Gïládàn, down through an Orc's head, spattering black blood everywhere. The rain and sweat made his hair stick to his face and it was a pain to keep off. He heard a scream behind him and turned to see Arín finish off an Orc. Her hair, like all the others, was no different, stuck to her face.
"Watch your back," she said.
"Don't worry, I will."
~*~
"Arwen, are you all right?" Legolas called into the pitch darkness.
"Yes, I'm fine," came her voice from across the room. "I need a candle to relight the others, I'll be right back."
"Okay." The door opened and Legolas saw Arwen's figure in the light. The door closed again and he was left alone in the darkness. A flash of lightning right outside the window suddenly illuminated the room. A loud clap of thunder followed it. Then it was dark again. The door opened and Arwen stepped in with a candle in her hand. She walked around and lit all the other candles. Soon the room was bright like before.
~*~
Arín stuck Ilánor into the last Orc, yanked it out again and it fell to the ground, dead. A great cheer rose from the Elves. Arín did not join in the cheer, but rushed to Elrohir's side. An Orc arrow had hit him in the shoulder. She helped him to the ground. He was breathing heavily and there was blood all over his left arm. Arín gently eased the arrow out. Elrohir flinched in pain.
"Don't move," she whispered. She opened a pouch on her belt and pulled out the herb she used for healing and crushed it. Then she put it on the wound then wrapped it with clean dry cloth from her horse's saddle. The horse had come to her right after the last Orc fell. Then Arín made a sling for Elrohir's arm and gently put his arm in it. Then she helped him to his feet as Elrond walked over to them.
"Are you two all right?" he asked them.
"Yes, I'm fine now," Elrohir answered, "thanks to Arín."
"No, don't thank me," she said.
"I have thank you, little sister."
"Why?"
"Because you are my little sister," he answered. Arín smiled. Then she turned to Elrond.
"Father, what are the casualties?" she asked.
"Two dozen, and still counting," he answered. They were silent for a moment, and then Elrond spoke to everyone.
"Bring in what you can and tomorrow at first light, we will sort through what's left down here." Then there was a great shuffling and everyone started to head back to Rivendell. Arín helped Elrohir onto her horse for he couldn't ride on his own, then climbed up in front of him. Arín waited until everyone had started before starting herself. When she entered the gate, she saw many bodies being examined and covered, people crying over lost loved ones, others speaking in whisper about what had happened. Though she knew none that had died, she felt tears come to her eyes. Arín dismounted and then helped her brother down. She began to walk to the house when someone called her name. She turned to see her best friend Rian running towards her.
"Rian!" she called. The two of them met and embraced.
"I'm so glad you are unharmed, my friend," she said.
"So am I, but Elrohir wasn't as lucky." Rain's face became panic-stricken. "But he is fine now," Arín reassured her quickly.
"Where is my brother?" Rian asked.
"Over there, with my father," Arín replied, pointing to where Elrond and Glorfindel were.
"Good, I'm glad he is all right."
"Arín," came a voice form behind, "where's Father?" She turned. It was Elladan.
"I'm right here," came their father's voice from behind them. Arín turned to face her father and Rian embraced Glorfindel, her brother. Soon Elrohir, Aragorn and Arín's other best friend, Laylin joined them.
~*~
"They are back," Arwen said. "I wish I could go meet them, but I can't leave you alone."
"No, but you could still go. Take me with you," Legolas offered.
She sighed. "Legolas, I told you that you could not get up yet."
"Come on, Arwen, please?" Arwen was silent for a few minutes.
"Oh, all right, but first let's put your arm in a sling." Legolas nodded. Arwen went to the closet, pulled out a long piece of cloth and tied it to make a sling. Then she put it around his neck and slipped his right arm in it. Then she lifted Legolas gently into a sitting position. She felt him stiffen as he winced in pain.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, starting to lay him back down.
"No," he said quickly, "I want to do this."
"Oh, all right." Soon Legolas was sitting on the bed with his legs over the side. Then Arwen helped him into a standing position and they left the room.