Out of Mirkwood
Scribbles-on-Parchment
September 19, 2020
Chapter 59 – The Fight Begins
Estel watched as Legolas's face immediately went pale. Tamír's words hung heavily in the air for a moment as everyone tried to fully comprehend them. The young human shielded his eyes from the bright morning sun and squinted in the direction the Silvan had pointed in and cursed.
He saw nothing but dark ominous trees and fading fog.
"Do you see them? Do you see where the yrch are?"
Besides him, the human heard his brother's grim response to the question,
"Sadly yes. It appears to be a rather large company, but I cannot tell how many for sure as they are fast disappearing into the forest. They are not but four leagues off yet I do not think they saw us - thank Eru."
Estel cast a glance over at the obviously distressed Maer who was staring worriedly at Mirkwood before saying,
"But they have a head start on us. I would say it is now a ten to one chance that we would make it to Thranduil before they do. That is unless Legolas knows of a faster way to get to his adar."
"Then we shall be ready to fight our way through."
The man looked skeptically at the younger twin, but there was no jest this time in Elrohir's dark brown eyes. The ellon was serious.
"There are but thirty of us and Valar know how many of them," Estel protested, "It is a fight we would never win. We will be slaughtered."
"You are not scared, are you?"
This earned the Noldo a fierce glare from his younger brother.
"Of course not. I am merely thinking rationally about our situation."
"Then I guess if this were to happen then we will just have to pray that the soldiers of the Greenwood will come to our aid."
This did not serve to make Estel feel any better, but he did realize when there was no point in discussing something any further. It was obvious Elladan and Elrohir had already decided on this course of action long before.
"Legolas! Dartho!"
Tamír's voice caused all heads in the group to turn towards the direction of the Silvan. To everyone's surprise, the ellon was running after the young prince who, when they had all been distracted, had taken off running towards the trees.
"Maer, what in the Valar's name are you doing?"
Estel's shout, oddly enough, caused Legolas to slow his pace and hesitate for just long enough to allow Tamír grab his arm. The elfling immediately began to struggle and spit words at the older ellon. While the man could not hear exactly what was being said he was sure the language was not fit for that of a prince.
"This ought to be enjoyable," Estel jolted at the voice; he had not noticed Elladan come up next to him, "The Sindar may be a noble race, but Eru sure did not seem to have blessed them with any common sense."
Legolas struggled in the Silvan's tight grip, but he knew it was pointless. Tamír began to drag him forcefully back towards the escort as many pairs of ellyn gazes watched them intently.
"You don't understand," the young prince protested, "I must get back. You need to let me go; the forest is not safe."
"Exactly why we need to go with you," Tamír growled in response.
The Silvan could not, for the life of him, figure out why the Sinda was so determined to travel the rest of the way on his own. But there was no way in arda he was going to let it happen,
"No doubt you would just end up a dinner for one of those spiders or worse an orch. If that were to happen because of your own stupidity I would not come to help you."
"Good because I don't need nor want your help. I can protect myself just fine. I grew up in these woods, remember?"
"And yet you still managed to get poisoned and almost killed by a giant spider."
Legolas's eyes darkened a shade.
"I was not thinking straight at the time and I was frustrated. I do not lack the skills to defend myself."
"Yet you are not thinking straight now either. You wish to charge after an army of yrch with no weapons and no one to watch your back. Show me how this makes any sense? And for the last time we are not trying to keep you from returning to your home, penneth, despite what you seem to think."
Legolas did not respond but allowed the Silvan to lead him back to the escort. He knew that the ellon was right and there was no way he would ever get home by himself. Yet he felt agitated and desperately wanted to get back to his adar as soon as he could. There were yrch invading the Greenwood for Eru's sake.
"Fine," he said at last, "But we already have two problems that I can see. The first is that the horses will never make it and the second is that I know of no path that leads to the palace."
Legolas felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around to see Elladan and Estel standing behind him.
"Then we shall leave the horses here," the older twin stated, "I expect you know the forest well and can take us on the fastest and safest way to your home."
The young ellon felt his face go blank. They expected him to lead them.
"I cannot do that," Legolas glared at both of Elrond's sons.
"Come on Mear," It was Estel that spoke now, frustration evident in the man's voice, "We must get you back, preferably before the yrch arrive."
The Sinda's gaze hardened.
"You do not understand. It is not that I do not want to but that I cannot. I do not know how to lead you to my adar. I was already lost before you found me. I can take you in the general direction, but that is all."
"I thought you said that you grew up in these woods," Tamír's words earned him a sharp look from Elladan, "How can you not know your way back?"
"Because I was never permitted to travel but a league away from the palace," the elfling's face now showed resentment, "I was never allowed to explore the forest, even to go out on my own. So yes, I did grow up here in the Greenwood, but I grew up in the palace, locked in there with the rest of my people."
There was a brief silence before Estel remarked,
"Then how did we find you by yourself if you were not permitted out on your own?"
At this, Legolas shut his mouth and did not respond. He did not want to relive the circumstances that led to his being found by Estel; not yet anyway.
This was a new challenge for Elladan and not one that he had expected to face. He almost felt bad for Sinda for having to grow up with so much restriction. No wonder the elfling had so much pent up frustration in him. He must have felt like a prisoner.
"We shall just have to make do with the guidance you can give us," Elladan said at last, "For I do not think it would be wise to follow in the footsteps of the yrch."
This task was already proving to be much more difficult than he had hoped. The Noldo glanced at Tamír and gave a small nod at the ellon. He knew what he needed to do next.
"Come penneth," Elladan turned and walked over to his horse, "I believe I have something in my possession that belongs to you and needs to be returned."
The ellon could feel the harsh gaze of the prince watching him intently as he reached under one of his large packs and pulled out a bow and quiver. Behind him he heard Legolas gasp. Elladan turned and smiled softly as he saw the elfling's face covered in a look of surprise and astonishment.
"My bow," the Sinda breathed as he quickly reached out and grabbed the elegant weapons from the elf's hands.
Everyone watched Legolas run his hands over the delicately carved leaves that decorated the wood of the bow. For a moment Elladan caught a glimpse of a different emotion that flashed in the prince's eyes, gratitude.
The cool shade of the great trees had started out being a great relief to Estel, but the longer that they spent in the dark and overgrown forest the more and more he remembered how much he hated it. Being a wood elf, Legolas moved swiftly and gracefully through the undergrowth making almost no sound at all. The others in the group were not as lucky. Judging by the amount of sound they made as they continued to trudge through the woods, Estel would not have been surprised if they had woken half of Mirkwood.
The air was thick and heavy which allowed the human to hear his heavy breathing ringing loudly in his ears. It was now that he almost envied the two ellyn that had been elected to stay behind with the horses. At least they did not have to worry about a surprise attack by spiders or yrch at any moment or the fact that they could end up wandering around in the forest for days if Maer could not find his way back.
Estel muttered curses as he stumbled over a rock that was hidden in the dead leaves that littered the ground. It really was no wonder it had been given the name Mirkwood. There was more mirk than green in his opinion.
After his brother had given Mear his weapons back the elf had seemed to become more confident and to almost trust them more, if that were possible. They had wasted little time in preparing supplies and weapons before heading into the forest. Based on what Elladan had said they had come further up north than they had anticipated so they were not at the southernmost tip. Maer seemed happy with his news and had begun to lead them at a quick pace through the woods; but that had been hours ago, and they had followed him as best they could ever since.
Several times Maer had stopped at the base of various trees and had placed his hands almost gently on the bark. But every time the Sinda had pulled away almost immediately as if he had been shocked. This had led to Estel growing an irrational fear of the trees and he tried to avoid them at all costs. Had he had more energy he might have asked Tamír what the young elf was doing, but it did not seem like the right time and place.
Estel stumbled for the umpteenth time and growled in frustration. He was sick and tired of this bloody forest. He was about to let out some choice words when in front of him Legolas stopped suddenly forcing them all to follow suit. That was when the human heard, up head, the faint sounds of shouts and metal hitting metal. It sounded almost like a battle was going on.
Immediately his heart rate began to pick up as adrenaline began to flood his body. Had they finally made it? Estel watched his older brother and Tamír talk quietly with the young elf, occasionally casting glancing up ahead.
The mood of the company seemed to have changed in an instant. Ellyn had now begun to fidget with their weapons and whisper amongst themselves until at last Elladan addressed them softly,
"No matter what happens or whatever we are about to come across, you will fight with honor and you will follow my lead."
A moment later Estel drew his sword as his brother and Maer led them towards the commotion. The sounds of battle became more and more clear as they drew closer. The harsh shouts of yrch, twanging of bowstrings, and yells of … of elves.
The human's eyes widened in anticipation of what they were about to come across and prayed to that Valar that this would not end in disaster. As they crept nearer, he could begin to make out a small clearing that was now littered in dead bodies and covered red in blood. There were yrch everywhere and attacking them were brown and green clad elves. The Greenwood soldiers.
Estel's hand tightened on his sword as he prepared for what he hoped would not be a massacre, when suddenly Legolas gave a great yell and charged forward. As the other ellyn around him followed suit, the human found he had no choice but to join in. As they all burst headlong into the clearing the man caught a glimpse of the stunned face of the silver-haired ellon.
Elvish Translations:
yrch – orcs
maer – golden
adar – father
penneth – young one
dartho – wait
orch - orc