The Golden Warrior
Shouts and screams and the clash of weapons were to be heard even from far away as they approached the borders. The feral screams in themselves were enough to make her tremble. You shouldn't be here. Turn back now before it is too late. A voice at the back of her mind warned. Afraid of the small fragment of her mind that wanted to run away, Erenien jumped off of the stag as soon as they reached the edge of the fight and rushed into the fray. Twin knives angled at her hand, she proceeded to slash through the multitude of Orcs flanked by Feren. They fought back to back, each one covering the other's weak spots as the battle raged around them.
A heavy weapon slammed against her side, causing her to lose balance and fall. Feren spun on his heels quickly and managed to stab the creature before it executed the killing blow. She met his eyes, gave a wordless thanks and dragged herself back to her legs, well aware of the throbbing pain emerging at her right side. A bruised, if not broken rib. Her mind supplied. But she had no time to sit and rest. She had a battle to fight in the midst of a sea of orcs.
They were suddenly interrupted as one of the guards came flying through the air and landed just beside Erenien. He moaned in pain when she dragged him back by his shoulder, just in time to prevent being smashed by a mace.
"Are you alright?" she asked, sparing the fraction of a second to take a look at him.
"Yes my lady", he said. "It is their leader, a foul one. He killed my friend."
Through the flashing swords and axes, her eyes scanned the battlefield. She saw orc leader the guard had mentioned, the sight itself causing a fraction of her mind to recoil in terror, recognizing him as the one who ended her family. The image of her parents choking on their own blood flashed in front of her eyes. Breathing came in short gasps as at last the need for revenge subdued the coward in her mind. I have lost a lot to this evil. I must end him, once and for all. Head held high she strode forwards, twin daggers slashing on their own accord, creating a path for her as the confused exclamations of Feren drained out in the battle cries.
A horn blasted in the distance. The spirits of the soldiers rose in joy for their king had come with a great host. The enemy got greatly outnumbered by the arrival of Mirkwood's army, turning the tide of the battle.
Erenien had not much time to watch this as, suddenly, soulless eyes flashed dangerously in front of her.
"Well, well, look who we have here. Why are you here, may I ask?" He turned fully to face her.
"To put an end to your miserable existence." She muttered in her breath and gripped the knives tight, ready to strike.
"You have high aspirations, elfling. But I am afraid you too have come to your mother's fate. At least she had her powers to defend her."
"I don't need any of it to cut off your filthy head, scum." Erenien cried out, despite the screams of her inner self or the desperate craving in her mind to turn and run away to safety.
"I would like to see you try. Come to die." He roared, pulling out his sword from the chest of a guard.
She ran forwards with a battle cry. He swung his sword. Erenien ducked, the blade passing mere inches above her head. The next hit she blocked with her long knife. His whole weight crashed onto it, cleaving it into two. She stared at the hilt, the broken pieces lay scattered at her feet. He roared a laugh, causing her to snap back to the present. She barely managed to dodge the next blow and the next. They landed heavily on her thin frame. Her remaining knife screeched as it cut across his armour, barely coming in contact with his unprotected skin. The game continued for a while, him teasing her into losing her energy.
Finally, her last reserves drained. With one final blow, she lost her grip on the knife. The flat side of his sword slammed against her leg, bringing her to her knees. Without a moment to spare, his hand curled around her throat and raised her from the ground. She kicked the air, arms flailing uselessly. The last thing she saw was the pitch-black eyes and the darkness that crept up the corners of her vision.
"No, no... don't pass out now, what is the fun in it?" he eased the grip and shook her harshly. She blinked, trying to focus her eyes and mostly failing. "I want you to see someone," he whispered in her ear, which made the hairs at the nape of her neck rise and her breath to quiver. He turned her towards the battlefield, with her back facing him, without easing the iron grip at her throat, rooting her in place.
"Watch." The command was impossible to disobey. His sword pointed towards the fray, where pale hair flashed among the sea of dark armour. Please, let this not be Ada or Legolas. The part of her mind which still managed to remain conscious let out a silent prayer.
Thranduil froze at the sight, eyes widening in horror. He barely missed a killing blow, only because one of the guards shielded him with her body. Her blood splashed across his face, scarlet staining the side of his silver armour.
"Nobody interrupts the Elvenking." The orc leader roared and Thranduil was spared.
"Leave her. Take me instead. Leave my daughter," Thranduil cried out, meeting her eyes. Erenien shot a pleading look at him, at the desperate tone of his voice. Ada... please... don't.
"Since when did this witch's daughter become yours, Elvenking," the orc sneered.
"From the day I received her in my arms. Now leave her. I challenge you to try me rather than the weakest."
"I am most compelled to accept your challenge. But I can't deny that there is a certain joy in taking this one's life with my own hands in front of her loved ones, just like I did to her mother," he said, tightening his grip on her throat. Erenien tried to squirm, but in vain. "Then I shall come to you," he said, pointing his sword at Thranduil. The king's eyes flashed dangerously, causing the orcs to cower before him.
"Do you have any final wishes, dear? The orc whispered in a voice as smooth as honey. "I don't have much time to spare."
She looked at Thranduil, whose face was a mixture of wrath and utter helplessness. The orcs surrounding him had stopped holding back and were pouring down on him from all sides. The guards around him were desperately trying to defend their King, even on their last breaths. Thranduil was hacking down everyone in front of him in a hopeless attempt to reach her.
"Just give me a moment, my child. I am coming."
She closed her eyes, unable to watch anymore. "Ada...it is hopeless. Let go of me..."
"No!" Came an anguished cry through their mental bond. "I will never let you go..."
Erenien pressed her eyes shut, waiting for the sudden eruption of pain and the blooming of scarlet.
"I love you, Ada..."
As a single tear trailed down her cheek, she shut out the mental bond with Thranduil. He reeled on the impact, a raw-throated scream erupting from him in one last attempt to delay the slowly rising sword aimed at her throat. She felt him struggle to regain the connection, yet it remained shut.
"Seek that which lies hidden," somebody whispered in her ear, in a voice all too familiar yet strange. Time moved slowly. She sagged, feigning being unconscious. He eased his grip just a bit to prevent that, wanting her to feel the pain. Stealthily, her right hand found her boot and felt the tip of a knife, small yet wickedly sharp. With one swift motion, it embedded itself in the Orc's knee. With a cry of pain, he let go of her neck. She fell forwards on all fours. Without sparing any time to catch her breath, she scrambled away from his reach.
Her opponent was quick to recover, against her expectations. Before she could be further away, he caught hold of her ankle and dragged her back. Her fingernails dug into the dirt, clawing the ground. Blood oozed from her fingertips where the sharp stones cut. The orc retrieved his sword and aimed a good kick at her side to turn her over. Agony flared in her mind at the assault on her broken rib, causing her body to curl protectively. His one hand pressed against her shoulder, pinning her to the ground. The last rays of the sun flashed golden-white above her. She closed her eyes tightly shut and tried not to hear the last anguished cry as the blade came down.