Chapter 3: The Ambush
Chapter Synopsis: Henduluin continues to try and remember just who he is while picking up on some clues as to what kind of person he was. But when he and Valaina are ambushed by another group of orcs, he decides that drastic measures must be taken.
& Key Points: The deleted scene was nothing that needed to be read, I just decided to post it in case anyone was interested. Also, trust me, Valaina won't end up being an annoying Mary-Sue who is somehow the best fighter/best at using magic/basically good at everything kind of character. Just read this chapter and you will see she is not perfect. &
soFitting999: Hopefully you end up liking the story because I'm putting everything into it. Trust me. As for the Mary-Sueness, let me explain that Valaina is far from perfect. Remember, there have only been two real chapters so far. Give me a chance to develop her a bit more and you will see that she does have flaws. As for her sword fighting and magic, believe me she is highly mediocre when it comes to the both of these. However, have you ever noticed that when you really want something you tend to work harder and sometimes even better, for example, when she was saving Legolas from the orcs? Well there you go.
Two days had passed since Henduluin and Valaina had gone to the Anduin. Since that time, Valaina had continued to take Henduluin into the forest to speak with the trees. She could see that when he did he was very happy, very peaceful. It was as if he was a part of them. She hoped that if he continued to connect with the trees that perhaps memories would begin to return. He had been hoping the same thing though he was perfectly content with just conversing with nature instead of worrying about the past. But somehow he always managed to find himself dwelling on it.
He and Valaina had become friends in those two days. She had taken the best care of him, somehow managing to coax him to fall asleep in her bed though he protested and insisted that he sleep in her place on the floor. She cooked dinner for the two of them every night with whatever Henduluin brought home.
That was something else. He had also found that something else he seemed to click with was the bow. The beloved bow. He had seen Valaina's father's bow beside the door and something inside of him seemed to recognize it as though the two were familiar with one another. He had decided that, with Valaina's permission, he would give it a try.
Taking it into the forest he had notched an arrow, the feeling coursing through his veins exciting and seemed so new and yet a familiar feeling. It was as if he had become possessed by his former self, a stranger, for he was able to connect the arrow's head with a deer in the blink of an eye with hardly any effort. It was magical.
On that third day, he awoke at dawn. It was easy for him to rise that morning and he was quite pleased. He was always grateful that elves healed much faster than humans. The bandage on his head had been removed upon seeing that the wound was scabbing over, hidden mostly by his hair.
He moved his shoulder around in a circle as he sat up, moving a hand over the bandaging. There was no burning pain, not even a slight ache. He smiled, leaning with his back against the headboard. Finally he would be able to remove the bandaging and his shoulder would be free.
His eyes fell upon the floor beside the bed where Valaina had been sleeping the past couple of nights. The quilt she had spread out on the floor was empty, the sheet she had been using to cover herself up with was balled up and wrinkled. He furrowed his brow and sat up, throwing off the quilt.
"Valaina?" He wondered if she had gone up into the tree house or if she had gone out back to the garden. He had found that she spent most of her free time in that garden, tending to the plants or simply sitting in the middle of it with one of her large books. He had also found that she liked to read old books, all thick and with worn covers and torn pages. But she didn't seem to mind that they were old and falling apart.
He took his shirt from hanging over the back of one of the chairs. She had fixed it very well, so well in fact, that he could hardly tell that there had ever been a tear. He pulled it on over his head. He left his boots beside the bed and instead went barefoot. He liked the feeling of the ground beneath his bare feet, it was liberating.
And then he heard the scream. His head jerked up at the sound and looked towards the door. It was most definitely a female and from the way it pierced Henduluin through, he knew that she was in pain.
"Valaina." He breathed, somehow knowing it was her. In all the time he had been in the forest he had not seen any other elves or she-elves. He was fairly sure that they were the only two living out there.
He darted for the door, hesitating only when he had flung it open. He looked to his side and saw Valaina's father's bow leaning against the wall with the quiver filled with the arrows that she had taught him to make inside. He didn't know whether or not he would need it but decided it was better to have it then to not.
Once he was equipped he did not hesitate again. With his keen hearing he deduced that the scream was a little less than fifty yards away. His legs carried him silently through the forest though he moved fast. He could hear the trees calling to him, begging him to help her. When he heard them mention more orcs he became angry with himself. Somehow he knew that they were after him. It was a feeling in his gut and he trusted it.
The anger fueled him to run faster and soon he could hear the sounds of a battle. He could hear metal against metal, he could hear animalistic grunts and snort, and he could hear a she-elf's frantic breaths. He came to a slope and paused at the top when he could see what he had heard at the bottom. There was a slain orc in a heap on the ground, beheaded. But there were two more, both hideous and wielding mighty weapons. And Valaina was fighting them though Henduluin saw that she was injured.
He pulled out an arrow, notching it in the bow and taking aim for one of the two orcs. He had a clean shot of its grotesque head and immediately released. He was worried that if he waited too long, something might happen to Valaina. The arrow hit its target, flying clear through the orc's head and protruding from the other side. The remaining orc didn't seem to notice and continued to badger Valaina, who had been backed up into a tree.
Henduluin reached back for another arrow but couldn't seem to find one. His fingers searched the quiver until finally he realized that that must have been the last one. He swore aloud, throwing the quiver and bow aside while he started down the slope. He pretty much slid down the entire length of it, nearly stumbling as he reached the bottom.
As he caught himself, something captured his eye. He looked closer and saw Valaina's sword lying a foot away from him. He figured that it must have been thrown from her hands and looked up to see that the last orc had taken her dagger and she had been knocked to the ground. And he was about to strike her with his own sword.
His fingers curled tightly around the hilt of the sword, he ran towards them, leaping over the log that stood in his way. The blade came crashing down just inches from Valaina's head, blocking the orc's blade from her.
She had braced herself, eyes squeezed tight and hands thrown up as if they would actually protect her. But then she had heard the sound of two swords meeting and got up the courage to open her eyes, seeing two trembling blades in front of her. She watched as one was thrown backward and the other pursued. It was Henduluin.
He fought off the orc, bending in all sorts of different ways to dodge the angry thrusts and swipes. Henduluin knew that soon his opponent would tire from the violent swinging and knew that then would be the time to end it. Until that time he continued to block his sword and duck to miss it. And then he saw his chance, hurling his own sword forward to cut a passage clear through the orc's abdomen. He twisted his sword, reassuring the orc that now the wound would not close. Blood trickled from its mouth before falling, his body being yanked from Henduluin's sword.
He dropped the sword upon seeing this and went to Valaina's side. He kneeled beside her. She was slumped against the tree, both hands holding her thigh. An incision about six inches long was made along her right thigh. Blood was flowing steadily from the cut though she was trying very hard to apply enough pressure to control it.
"By the Valar." He muttered upon seeing the red river that was overflowing, flooding the material of her dress. He reacted quickly without a second thought, gathering the she-elf into his arms to carry her back to her home.
"Wait, the sword. My father's bow." She protested tiredly. He was already carrying her towards the slope, stepping over the log and leaving the orc bodies behind.
"I will return for them later. Go to sleep Valaina and I will take care of your wound." He urged her. He looked down and saw her eyelids already looking heavy, consuming more and more of her eyes with every blink. Soon they had closed completely, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder.
The trees thanked him on his return to the house, grateful that he had rescued her from the orcs. The sound of birds singing sounded through the air to show their happiness. He spoke back briefly, walking faster as he felt the blood now soaking his own clothing. The house had come into view and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He went into the house and laid Valaina down on the bed. Her head tilted to one side, her loose braid lying out behind her. Henduluin awkwardly pushed up the end of her dress until it was positioned just below what made her a she-elf. He was glad that she was asleep for had she been awake she would have seen how nervous he was about being so close to her sensitive area.
He took one of the rags from the cabinet and wet it in one of the jugs of water, holding it to the injury. As he did she came awake, eyes flying open and hissing in pain. He nearly pulled the rag away for fear that she would be angry but kept it in place.
"Go back to sleep." He whispered, though he hadn't really needed to tell her twice. Just as soon as she had opened her eyes they were closed again and she was sleeping once more. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically.
He tied the rag around her thigh, keeping the cut covered, and went to the door. He knew she needed something from the garden but couldn't pinpoint the name. It frustrated him and he began to doubt that he could treat her. But he was surprised when he went into the garden and spotted a plant, knowing somehow that that was what he needed. Trusting his gut once again he pulled a handful of it loose from the ground and returned to use it for Valaina's injury.
The she-elf slowly opened her eyes, immediately feeling burning pain on her thigh. She sat up and rubbed her head, wondering how long she had been asleep for. One look up and through the hole in the ceiling leading up the tree told her it was night. She sighed.
Lifting her dress she saw her right thigh wrapped around with bandaging, and through it she could make out the shapes of athelas leaves tucked inside. With a smile she turned her head and saw Henduluin sleeping in one of the chairs. His arms were folded over his chest, his head hanging over the back and his breathing even and calm. His eyes were wide open.
She got out from underneath the quilt and touched her bare feet to the floor. Once she put weight on her right leg it felt much heavier and sore. But she ignored it, limping past the slumbering elf towards the trunk. She grabbed a hold of the rungs of the ladder and began to climb, keeping most of the strain on her left leg so as not to bring any unneeded pain to her right.
The tree house was smaller than the house. She and her father had built it in case of emergencies and because she had always wanted one as an elfling. She had always been proud of herself for helping him build it, save for the slat roof. He had forbade her to help him with that.
She sat down in one of the corners, holding her head in her hands. She was ashamed of herself and she was embarrassed. She had not been able to defend herself against three orcs and the elf had seen. She had beaten three before, with the use of her magic, and she had been motivated to save him. Yet she had not been motivated to save herself. What a pitiful excuse of a she-elf she was.
"Valaina?" Henduluin's voice was coming closer and she realized before she saw his head appear that he was climbing up after her. She sighed again, knowing that he was probably feeling sorry for her and annoyed that he had had to step in and save her.
He climbed up into the tree house, coming to sit beside her. He was actually feeling badly that he had not gotten to her sooner and he felt guilty that she had been hurt. He only hoped that she wasn't angry with him, and that he had treated her wound correctly.
"You should be resting Valaina. You-"
"I am sorry Henduluin." She interrupted him before he could tell her that she needed to rest for she was tired. He was surprised and curious as to why she was apologizing. He then thought that perhaps she was apologizing for being awake.
"There is no need to apologize. As long as you go back to sleep-"
"No. I mean…I am sorry that I could not fight for myself. I am sorry that you had to come and rescue me. You must be wanting to leave as soon as you can. You must be very ashamed of me." She spoke quietly, as if talking to herself. She dared not even look up at him.
Henduluin felt guiltier. He wondered if he had done anything to make her feel as though he was ashamed. He was not ashamed of her. He thought her brave for having been able to defend herself for as long as she had.
He tilted her chin up to look at him and saw the sad look in her eyes. He found that he did not like the feeling it sent slamming into him at all. He felt as though he would never smile again just by seeing them. He did not want her to be sad.
"Listen to me. Never would I be ashamed of one so brave. Not many she-elves would be able to defend themselves against three orcs, let alone one. Never would I be ashamed." He assured her in a soft, gentle voice.
She wanted to argue but he began to speak again before she could.
"I would not want to leave Valaina. You are a dear friend and I enjoy being here with you. But I fear that the orcs were here for me. I fear it has something to do with my past and I do not want to endanger your life."
Valaina became worried. She looked at Henduluin as a dear friend as well and did not want him to leave. She sensed that they had a strong friendship, that the feeling was mutual. She did not care if that meant having to fight against anymore orcs. And besides, he still had not recovered his memories. Where would he go?
"Your memories will return. Do not leave Henduluin, we can piece together your life together."
"Valaina I need to ask a favor of you. I need you to use your magic to help me to remember. If I remember then perhaps I can solve this puzzle as to why there are orcs pursuing me." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen loose from her braid.
She averted her eyes for a moment. Her magic was limited. She had only learned little. She knew simple spells and that was where her magic ended. But when she raised her gaze and looked into his eyes she saw that he had faith in her. And she decided that she would learn.
"Alright Henduluin. But I need to review my books before I try to help you." This brought a smile to his face and he moved forward, kissing her cheek.
"Thank you Valaina." His face was bright. This brought a smile to her face.
"Of course my friend." The two then descended the ladder, Henduluin helping Valaina to the bed. He then turned to return to sleeping in the chair when Valaina grabbed his hand and he turned back around to face her. "This bed is big enough for two. It would be silly of you to sleep in a chair."
Henduluin gulped but nodded, laying down in the space that was provided to him after she had scooted over. It was warm from her body heat and smelled of her too. He turned his head to watch her and saw that she had fallen asleep. And yet he felt uneasy, but it was a rather good feeling. Why?