Chapter 10: Shield
Thranduil led the company south as fast as the deer would carry them. Caladhel had a solid head start, but Thranduil was confident the deer would catch her horse. They were surer of foot and this was their forest not the open field. When the riders reached the turn onto the Forest Road Thranduil slowed and called out to the wardens in the trees.
"The rider?"
"She turned west on the road, sire!" a voice called down to them.
"How long ago?" Iordor asked.
"Not thirty minutes!"
Thranduil urged Taurhîn onward and they raced along the Forest Road. The deer began to slow after an hour. It was not in their nature to sustain such speeds for hours on end. Thranduil tried not to let frustration overtake him and he took comfort in the knowledge that Caladhel's horse would also be unable to sustain a great speed for long. They rode the miles to the next watch post. When they neared a figure appeared on the road to hail them.
"What news, my lords?" the warden asked.
Thranduil ignored the question. "When did the rider pass this post?"
The warden shook his head. "There have been no riders all day, sire."
Thranduil cursed silently and turned back to Iordor. "She must have turned off the road onto one of the southern paths."
"What was she thinking?" said Haldor.
"She's thinking we're more likely to catch her on the main road," Iordor replied. And to the King he added, "There are three paths between here and the previous post."
Thranduil knew that, of course. He had not been sitting on the throne so long that he had forgotten thousands of years scouting the wood. His mind raced back to his conversation with Caladhel in the library.
"Split up the guard," Thranduil commanded. "Twenty will ride with me along the third path. The remaining riders will check the other two."
"Why the third path?" Haldor asked.
"Because she was studying our maps and the third path will take her south and west to where the Gladden River meets the Anduin."
"Our scouts reported orc activity in that area of the forest less than a fortnight ago," said Iordor.
"Then we must hurry," Thranduil replied.
Iordor divided the riders up quickly and they were off. Thranduil's company broke off two miles back where the third path turned south. It was far narrower and more uneven than the Forest Road. Thranduil was certain Caladhel's horse would slow further in order to navigate the terrain. They would catch up to her in an hour, maybe two. He only hoped it was soon enough.
Caladhel had felt far more confident in her escape plan before she turned onto the southern path. The further south they rode the more she regretted her decision. Sídhel stumbled more than once on the uneven ground and was forced to slow to maintain steady footing. The forest grew denser south of the road and darkness closed in as the sun began to set below the trees. There were few breaks in the canopy and she was certain the dense leaves would blot out what little light the moon and stars offered.
Caladhel ran her fingers through Sídhel's mane in an attempt to comfort the animal's nerves. "We should have stayed on the Forest Road. Is that what you're thinking?"
Sídhel made a high pitched, anxious noise that sounded the way Caladhel felt. "I'm starting to agree with you."
The path turned westerly and soon a small stream came to run alongside it. Caladhel decided it was as good a place as any to rest. She slid from Sídhel's back and allowed the horse to drink her fill. Caladhel rummaged through the bag she took each day to the field. She pulled out a carrot for Sídhel and a piece of lembas for herself and the horse. She had carefully acquired the bread from the kitchen while Cendil was busy chatting with his lady friend. She brought the bag with her each day when visiting Sídhel so she would be prepared when her chance came to escape.
Caladhel fed Sídhel her carrot and a bit of lembas. She took a small bite herself before tucking the remainder of the bread back into her bag. She was about to say something to Sídhel about moving on when she realized something was wrong. The wood around her had grown unnaturally quiet. There was no noise but the rustling of the wind and the water tricking over stones. The birds had fallen silent and too the tiny insects that chirped and rustled ceaselessly beneath fallen leaves. Sídhel noticed, too. She began to snort and nicker with urgency. Caladhel swung herself astride Sídhel and turned her back in the direction they came.
"Get us out of here."
No sooner had she spoken then a roar echoed from the forest and one or more beasts came crashing through the trees. Sídhel needed no further encouragement. She was off as fast as her legs would carry them down the narrow path. Caladhel could hear the creatures pursuing them, and knew well what they were. Wargs. She doubted they were alone, and doubted further that Sídhel could outrun them in the woods.
Caladhel drew her bow, hoping beyond hope that she would not have need to use it. That hope vanished when she caught sight of the beasts pursuing them through the trees. She could make out three. The two in the wood bore riders and a third riderless beast followed on path behind them. Caladhel felled the warg on the path with an arrow to its eye but she could not get a clear shot at the riders through the trees. When the path widened a bit the riders came up alongside her, left and right. She shot the orc on her left who swung a sword at her head but failed to see the spear in the other rider's hand.
The orc threw the spear at Sídhel, hitting her in the neck.
"Sídhel!" Caladhel cried as the horse shrieked and reared. Caladhel had to roll away as the animal collapsed on its side, no easy feat in the dress she wore. Caladhel recovered from her fall and took out the warg as it turned back towards her and the one that followed from behind, but it would not be enough. She could hear more riders approaching from all sides, surrounding her.
One of the orc riders charged her and she shot him in the heart but at the same time another came up behind her. He snarled before he struck and she turned in time to see his blade rising. Caladhel lifted her bow to block the dagger but was half a second too slow.
The orc shrieked unexpectedly when an arrow pierced its heart and it crumpled to the ground. The creature's sudden demise surprised Caladhel, but she had no time to think about it before a third orc was upon her with a raised blade. He would have cleaved Caladhel in two, but a hand grabbed her from behind and threw her to the forest floor out of the blade's path. Caladhel's savior wielded two swords. With one he blocked the orc blade and with the other he took the beast's head clean off.
"Move!" he shouted at her.
Caladhel was too grateful to be alive to be angered by Thranduil's actions or his harsh command. She was on her feet a second later with her bow drawn. She took down two more orc as they ran toward them.
The warriors with Thranduil engaged the orcs. He had brought a company of twenty, but Caladhel feared they were outnumbered for she could hear more wargs approaching through the trees. The elves formed into a circle so their backs were guarded. Thranduil retreated a few steps, forcing Caladhel behind the guards where she was less likely to be hit by a stray blade.
"Stay behind me," he said.
"Give me a sword," Caladhel countered. He had two, after all.
Thranduil seemed to consider her request for a moment before he shook his head. "You are better with a bow."
Caladhel had no idea how he could know that, as he had never watched her wield a sword, but there was no time to argue. A roar from the wood brought forth a fresh wave of warg riders. Caladhel took three of the beasts down, but their riders leapt from their fallen mounts and into the fray. Thranduil's warriors cut down the attacking orcs while Caladhel focused her bow on the wargs. She took down four more of the beasts before a command was heard from amidst the orc ranks.
"Vras kalus!"
Thranduil had fought in enough battles against the enemy to know the meaning of those words. Kill the archer.
Thranduil sought Caladhel and found that she had moved away as the circle expanded. She was targeting a warg off to their left flank oblivious to the fact she had been marked. The orc arrow came within a foot of her heart before he cut it out of the air. He threw his left blade to the ground and grabbed her by the arm. The second arrow, meant for Caladhel's head, struck him in the back as he turned to draw her behind him. A momentary grimace of shock and pain flashed across his face, but he recovered quickly. So did Caladhel. She drew her bow and felled the orc archer who shot him.
"My Lord!" Iordor shouted as he fought his way to Thranduil's side. "How bad is it?"
Thranduil ignored Iordor's question. "Get her out of here!"
Iordor thought for a moment to argue, for the King was injured and he needed every sword they had. "Thranduil."
"Now!"
There was no room for argument in the King's command. Iordor turned and shouted loudly into the forest and a moment later a deer burst through the trees. He jumped on and held out his hand to Caladhel. "Come on!"
Caladhel did not want to leave the others but she would not dismiss the King's command this time. He had warned her about the dangers beyond his borders, but she refused to listen. It was her stubbornness and thoughtless actions that led Thranduil and his warriors into danger, and if any died, the fault would lie with her. She was a liability now. They would fight better without the need to protect her. She got off two more shots before she took hold of Iordor's hand and swung on behind him.
Caladhel kept her eyes on Thranduil. He continued to fight despite the arrow's shaft jutting grotesquely from his back. He cut down two more orc before Iordor spurred their mount forward and it carried them away into the night.
A/N: A fan made a wonderful painting based on this scene. If you want to check it out, cut and paste the website below.
lucife56.
deviantart.
com/
art/shield-454549140
