Chapter 2: The Long Road
*Tolkien owns all characters and places
The black cloak he wore only made him warmer as it absorbed the fading sunlight. The sky was beginning to darken into nightfall and Darenth felt a cold come to him. He opened his eyes and stretched his arms. He put one foot on the ground and stretched his legs. With that he hoped up to his feet and grabbed his sword and his pack. He looked back down onto the ground and saw the lone pack and the thoughts of his mother surged through his head like water rushing from a river. He shook the thought from his mind and grabbed her pack. As he went to pick it up the surprising weight of it knocked him off balance. "What was she carrying a supply of bricks with her?" Darenth thought out loud. He sat down and opened her pack and listed the things he took out: Food, Water, Papers, and what looked to be several thousand gold pieces. Darenths eyes shot open when he saw the gold shimmering in the fading sunlight. He stuck his hand into the pile and felt something. He pulled a long Elvin knife, closer to a short sword than a knife. Grabbing the knife he put it on his belt with his sword and stood up. He left most of the papers, he didn't think they were very important, and some of the food, mostly the bread that looked like it had seen better not so green days. He emptied the rest of the things into his pack, which was now packed full and looked up at the sky. After standing there for a few moments he turned around to the north and began to run in that direction. He ran non-stop for about two or three hours and pulled out some bread and ate it as he ran. Once he had his fill he threw the bread to the side and continued to run at a steady pace.
The sound of a high-pitched scream filled the air. Darenth stopped immediately and looked around. He crouched down on one knee and dropped his pack along with his bow and arrows. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and slowly drew it. He heard the sound again, it sounded like laughter, but not that of a human or an elf. He slowly stood up and saw what he hoped wasn't true. The two orcs stood over a small fire behind two rocks roasting some dead creature. He walked silently to the two rocks to get a better look. Even if they had noticed him they wouldn't have cared. Satisfied they weren't going to bother him Darenth turned around to walk right into the third orc. "Elf." muttered the orc and some other talk that wasn't understandable by an elf ear. Before he could respond the orc pushed him against the rocks and drew its sword. Darenth raised his sword just in time to block the orcs first strike. He dropped his left hand down to the hilt of the short sword and drew it. He pushed the orc's sword back with his and lunged the knife forward into the beast's chest. The orc let out a howl and fell to one knee than onto its back releasing the knife from its new sheath in the creature's chest. Darenth instinctively turned to meet the other two orcs who were still looking for their weapons. One orc grabbed a flaming stick from the fire and swung it at Darenth. He brought his right hand down and let the flaming stick hit the blunt of the side of Elvin sword. Going with the force of the blow, Darenth swung around and brought the glimmering blade of the knife around across the orc's back. The creature let out a pained yell that was silenced with a jab from the long Elvin sword. The third grabbed its sword and looked up in time to see the knife cut through the air into his eye. Darenth looked around making sure there was no more lurking somewhere. Satisfied that he hadn't missed any he pulled his knife from the orc's skull and wiped both of the blades clean and sheathed them. He walked over to his pack and picked it up. He looked to the north and began his run once again.
"All these hills are starting to look the same." Darenth thought. After several hours of running he came to what looked like a fork in the river. He looked one part went North East another part went South, the way he had come, and the last part went North West. He took the map and looked at it. "I need to cross the river that goes to the North West." Darenth mumbled. He looked over at the sun beginning to rise. "First thing tomorrow." He thought looking for another cove in the rock wall. Finally he found one and threw his pack in it and lay down and shut his eyes and felt the warmth of the sun climb his body.
The black cloak he wore only made him warmer as it absorbed the fading sunlight. The sky was beginning to darken into nightfall and Darenth felt a cold come to him. He opened his eyes and stretched his arms. He put one foot on the ground and stretched his legs. With that he hoped up to his feet and grabbed his sword and his pack. He looked back down onto the ground and saw the lone pack and the thoughts of his mother surged through his head like water rushing from a river. He shook the thought from his mind and grabbed her pack. As he went to pick it up the surprising weight of it knocked him off balance. "What was she carrying a supply of bricks with her?" Darenth thought out loud. He sat down and opened her pack and listed the things he took out: Food, Water, Papers, and what looked to be several thousand gold pieces. Darenths eyes shot open when he saw the gold shimmering in the fading sunlight. He stuck his hand into the pile and felt something. He pulled a long Elvin knife, closer to a short sword than a knife. Grabbing the knife he put it on his belt with his sword and stood up. He left most of the papers, he didn't think they were very important, and some of the food, mostly the bread that looked like it had seen better not so green days. He emptied the rest of the things into his pack, which was now packed full and looked up at the sky. After standing there for a few moments he turned around to the north and began to run in that direction. He ran non-stop for about two or three hours and pulled out some bread and ate it as he ran. Once he had his fill he threw the bread to the side and continued to run at a steady pace.
The sound of a high-pitched scream filled the air. Darenth stopped immediately and looked around. He crouched down on one knee and dropped his pack along with his bow and arrows. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and slowly drew it. He heard the sound again, it sounded like laughter, but not that of a human or an elf. He slowly stood up and saw what he hoped wasn't true. The two orcs stood over a small fire behind two rocks roasting some dead creature. He walked silently to the two rocks to get a better look. Even if they had noticed him they wouldn't have cared. Satisfied they weren't going to bother him Darenth turned around to walk right into the third orc. "Elf." muttered the orc and some other talk that wasn't understandable by an elf ear. Before he could respond the orc pushed him against the rocks and drew its sword. Darenth raised his sword just in time to block the orcs first strike. He dropped his left hand down to the hilt of the short sword and drew it. He pushed the orc's sword back with his and lunged the knife forward into the beast's chest. The orc let out a howl and fell to one knee than onto its back releasing the knife from its new sheath in the creature's chest. Darenth instinctively turned to meet the other two orcs who were still looking for their weapons. One orc grabbed a flaming stick from the fire and swung it at Darenth. He brought his right hand down and let the flaming stick hit the blunt of the side of Elvin sword. Going with the force of the blow, Darenth swung around and brought the glimmering blade of the knife around across the orc's back. The creature let out a pained yell that was silenced with a jab from the long Elvin sword. The third grabbed its sword and looked up in time to see the knife cut through the air into his eye. Darenth looked around making sure there was no more lurking somewhere. Satisfied that he hadn't missed any he pulled his knife from the orc's skull and wiped both of the blades clean and sheathed them. He walked over to his pack and picked it up. He looked to the north and began his run once again.
"All these hills are starting to look the same." Darenth thought. After several hours of running he came to what looked like a fork in the river. He looked one part went North East another part went South, the way he had come, and the last part went North West. He took the map and looked at it. "I need to cross the river that goes to the North West." Darenth mumbled. He looked over at the sun beginning to rise. "First thing tomorrow." He thought looking for another cove in the rock wall. Finally he found one and threw his pack in it and lay down and shut his eyes and felt the warmth of the sun climb his body.
