And I'm back, two days later! :D
You're so very welcome, sorry for being so evil at the end of last chappie, but it got you to come back. XD Oh my evil strategies...
"Should we be worried?"
"Not until Thurin comes down with it. Come on, everybody, get moving!"
So started the long and painful trek to "Hobbiton", which nobody had ever heard of before. Except maybe Captain Rainor, but he did not bother to explain.
"What are they worried about?" I asked sleepily, pulling on my boots.
"Last night a man came down with a bad cough, and this morning another has it."
"Oh."
It was an unwritten medical law in camp that no apparently spreading illness was to be worried about until I came down with it. The reasoning behind this law: with my weak immune system I could get almost anything, and so it was assumed that if I didn't get it there was a low chance anyone else would.
What do you expect? I was living in a group of men.
"Come on, let's keep our distance." Esgalnoron steered me to the tail end of the group, away from the ill men.
The absurdness continues: it was also assumed that if I was prevented from catching something, then no one else would. This assumption had led to Esgalnoron and I camping in isolation for days on end. Ah, the joys of having Rainor as your captain.
"Do you have the slightest clue what or who Hobbiton is, and why we are going there?" I asked Esgalnoron as we made our way, quietly, in Ranger-fashion through the thick snow.
"No, none at all. I think it is a where though, not a who."
"Mm, How far is it?"
"I don not know, but it is far."
"Maybe we will meet Da on the road."
"I doubt it. He went the other way, remember?"
I sighed. I loved Thorongil very much, he was my father, the only parent I had ever known.
"Why does he always have to go? It simply is not fair!"
"Thurin, stop acting childish. We all have duties, and we must fulfill them, daughter or not."
"He could have taken me with him."
"Mayhap he will, when he returns."
I scowled at the ground.
"He cares more about his nasty duties than about me, this is not the first time he has gone."
"I know that, Thu,"
I glanced up, Esgalnoron rarely used that nickname anymore.
"he does care. But he carries a large weight on his shoulders, he has more duties than most. He tries, Thu."
I felt an icy tear drip down my cheek.
"What do you mean?"
"He has told me."
"I am sorry. I really am." I bit my lip hard, hoping he wouldn't notice my tears.
Esgalnoron slowly took my wrist in his hand, and smiled, walking faster to catch up with the others.
"It is alright, I understand. It is alright to be sad. You look beautiful when you cry, you know?"
I knocked him with my hip, frowning threateningly, before dragging him along faster.
He just smiled warmly, taking no notice of my show of violence.
"You two, keep quiet back there, we are in dangerous territory now." Amathron whispered sharply, shooting the offenders(us)very nasty glares.
::::::::::::::::::::
"What was it like being in company with lords? Do you think they would appreciate my battle hymns?" Cullastor whispered excitedly as we began to pitch camp for the night.
"Um, well," I hadn't the heart to tell him that I hadn't actually been much in the company of lords, "I am sure they would have enjoyed your songs very much."
Cullastor beamed.
"One day, I will share my songs with the world and everyone will sing them, and never forget them." He sighed happily as he lay his head down on Medlithor's shoulder.
I nodded, his songs were actually very impressive if one managed to hear them in their drawn-out entirety.
"Thurin," Esgalnoron whispered, handing me a very dubious looking dish of food.
"Oh, perfect, Heledhion on supper duty, just what everyone needs." I sighed, electing not to eat it.
"It actually did not turn out quite so bad this time, try it,"
Heledhion was actually a very good cook, but he always felt the need to experiment, to provide us with delicacies in the wilderness. Now, if he was ever cooking in a proper kitchen with a properly stocked larder he would craft wonders, except, the wilderness was not exactly a well stocked larder. He always had to substitute, leave out, and forage for his own ingredients.
"it looks like cow manure."
"It is, in fact, not. He sliced up some vegetables, and fried them over open flame with water. They are like little fritters, I guess."
I frowned, took a cautious bite, and swallowed.
"Not the best choice of vegetables, they pair terribly with each other."
"I know, but it is a miracle he found any at all."
"Is this the only choice?"
Esgalnoron nodded.
I sighed.
"I suppose the aren't too bad. Thanks for bringing me some. But where did he ever find the grease?"
"Animal guts."
I choked.
Esgalnoron smiled before leaving me to enjoy my meager, bitter dinner.
"Orcs! To arms, Orcs!"
Medlithor dashed out of the clearing to Rainor's aid.
I dropped my vegetable fritters, and reached for my sword.
It wasn't there. Ugh, I had left it with my pack over there...
Seeing three good sized Orcs charging me I reached for a large stick, for I was best at staff-fighting, though as a Ranger I rarely got the chance.
"Aaahhhhh!" I yelled as I held the large stick/staff threateningly, believe it or not, I fight better when I yell.
"Cullastor, cover me!" I charged them, swinging the heavy stick and so knocking the first one out. My next swing was stopped by the largest's sword.
He glared at me, his evil eyes boring into me.
"Die, Ranger, DIE!" He swung his sword wildly, but Cullastor intercepted it just in time. I barely had the time to shoot him a grateful glance before the third engaged me.
Now for the hand-to-hand combat, my favorite form of fighting.
Clenching the staff on each end, knuckles white, I swung wildly, warding off each of the many blows he rained upon me.
Now, do not assume that I was an amazing fighter, for I was not, but I was still a skilled one. Growing up in the wilderness with Orcs around every turn really did something for you, let me tell you that.
Things were looking very good for Cullastor and I, we were easily defeating these last two Orcs. But then Amathron, Heledhion, and Esgalnoron darted in, pursued by eight more.
My eyes widened, we were outnumbered, and things did not look good considering that four out of the five of us were still in training.
Heledhion had soon beheaded one, Amathron had gotten another in the stomach, and Esgalnoron and I had killed one together: I knocking him unconscious, and Esgalnoron shooting him with an arrow.
Cullastor was locked in combat with a small but nimble Orc while I was busy dodging a very aggressive one's blows.
Heledhion was fighting two at once, Amathron was engaged with the other two, while Esgalnoron darted about sniping them off with his bow and arrows.
My Orc swung so quickly and wildly at my head that I did not even have time to engage him, just dodge.
"Watch out, Thurin!" Esgalnoron called as he shot him in the waist. The pain only made the Orc swing more wildly. Fear rose in my throat as I realized that it was just a matter of time before this huge, aggressive, overbearing Orc's sword made its mark. One thing I really did not do well with in fighting: Overbearing opponents.
All around me the others were hopelessly engaged, even Esgalnoron. And then the Orc saw his opening. He brought down his enormous blade, right at me. I shielded my face with my staff, praying that I would go quickly.
CLANG
Amathron's blade barely made it in time, but somehow he managed to deflect my opponent, sending him sprawling.
I opened my eyes.
I did not even have time to thank my teacher before he turned and engaged a different Orc. I quickly regained myself, whacking my stunned Orc hard on the head with all my might, and so killing him.
I quickly turned, grabbed my dead opponent's sword, and leapt back into battle.
There were only two left now. Esgalnoron shot one, and Cullastor finished him off while Amathron dispatched the last on his own.
"Is anyone wounded?" Amathron asked worriedly as we stood, exhausted, surveying the bodies strewn around us.
"Cullastor has a deep cut on his shoulder, Amathron." Heledhion indicated helpfully.
"It is nothing, I will be fine."
"That is what you always say, let me have a look." Amathron smiled at his stoic student.
"Anyone else?"
"I have a cut on my forehead."
That was Esgalnoron.
"Heledhion? Thurin?"
Heledhion indicated a shallow but long cut along his forearm, while I held up both my hands, covered in nicks, as well as my wrists. That is the drawback of staff-fighting.
Amathron nodded as he proceeded to bind up Cullastor and Esgalnoron, then Heledhion, before finally me.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving my life."
Amathron smiled.
"Any time." He ruffled my hair before hurrying off in search of the others, to see if they had been attacked as we had.
He returned a few minutes later with a troubled look on his face.
"I cannot find them. It worries me, everyone, we must search." He sighed grimly, gesturing in different directions.
We shouldered our packs, sheathed our weapons, and hurried off in groups: me and Esgalnoron, Cullastor and Heledhion, and just Amathron.
"Do not stray too far, come back immediately if you discover something."
Esgalnoron and I nodded in assent, before starting our search.
:::::::::::::::::
"I have never been in these woods before." Esgalnoron whispered uncertainly as we crept through the thick mass of trees.
"I can tell." I sighed dryly as I twisted my ankle in a rut.
"Well, it could be worse-"
"Esgalnoron," I interrupted sharply, my voice a strained hiss, "there is something wrong, someone is watching us."
"Why would anyone be watching us? Come on, just keep on walking like there is nothing the matter, maybe whatever it is will leave us alone..." He reassured, though I could tell that he was nervous as well.
"Do not move, or I run you through!" A cruel voice hissed, as two men cornered us.
The third, the speaker, emerged after them, a nervous look in his eyes.
Now, everyone does something different when surprised: some gasp, some scream, others freeze. Not me. Of course, the girl who wanted others to think her a boy had to squeak when surprised.
The man froze, unsure what had just happened.
Esgalnoron slapped a hand over my mouth, while my eyes widened, as I realized what I had just done.
"Do not try anything, Rangers." The sandy-haired man spat with contempt as he recovered from his momentary shock.
We both raised our hands in a peaceful gesture.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Esgalnoron kept his face straight, keeping his demeanor natural, trying not to let them see his fear, while he pinched my airborne wrist, making sure I kept quiet.
"It is none of your business who we are, or what we want. You are coming with us."
I swallowed hard. Not many people liked Rangers, in fact, many despised us.
"What should we do?" I whispered in Sindarin, my heart beating at a ridiculous pace.
"Act confident, above all, do not let them find out your gender, and do not reveal anything about the others."
"Hey! Stop talking in that language! Speak common-speech!" The sandy-haired man growled threateningly, raising his own blade before motioning to his companions.
A bald man began removing all of Esgalnoron's weapons, and the second man, with shoulder-length tan hair unclasped my cloak and began picking me over.
I closed my eyes tightly as he felt every part of me with his hands, probing for weapons.
"Is that all you have on you?" The sandy-haired man, apparently the leader of the three, asked with suspicion. They had removed our swords, bows, quivers, and packs.
They had, however, neglected to remove our boots, leaving us with our knives. A small comfort.
"No. That is all." Esgalnoron sighed evenly, carefully shifting position in order to hide the knife-hilt visible through his boot.
The leader eyed us warily.
"How do I know I can trust you?" He growled menacingly, as his two men proceeded to tie our hands behind our backs.
"Are there any more of you?"
"No."
I was amazed at what a skilled liar Esgalnoron was, I never could have pulled that off.
"Come. Do not try anything, or else." He picked up my sword and waved it at us threateningly.
"Stay behind me, do not speak." Esgalnoron hissed as we fell in behind him, flanked by his companions.
And we walked.
Every moment brought me more uneasiness, knowing that with every step we became farther from Amathron, from Rainor, from everyone. I casually touched my right boot with my left, just to assure myself that my knife was still there.
A small comfort, seeing as they were armed with long-swords.
"Where are you taking us?" Esgalnoron ventured softly after two hours.
"That is none of your business, you foul, double-crossing-"
"That is quite enough, thank you very much." I spat angrily, not being able to stand his insults.
"Calm your temper, Thurin!" Esgalnoron warned, shielding me with his arm as the bald man struck out at me.
Esgalnoron gasped as the flat of the man's sword connected with his arm.
"Esgalnoron!" My voice shrill with alarm, I stooped and grabbed him as he fell, stunned by the pain.
"Have you not found your man voice yet, Ranger?" The leader guffawed loudly, grabbing me by my underarm and pulling me up, staring me in the face.
"No beard yet either, your face is as smooth as a woman's!"
That was it. I reared backward, kneeing him in the groin. Before anyone could act I grabbed a small log from the path, and knocked the bald man unconscious.
"Thurin, watch out behind you!" Esgalnoron choked, eyes widening.
I whirled around just as the man with the tan hair grabbed my shoulders from behind, dodging my wild swings.
"Tie them up. I cannot imagine how they slipped out of their bonds in the first place." The leader groaned, still doubled over on the ground.
The original knots had been pretty shoddy, but this time, as the man bound my hands he did his work well.
In a matter of minutes Esgalnoron and I were up against a tree, hands behind our backs as the man with the tan hair helped the leader up from the ground.
Said leader glared at me angrily for a moment, legs in a protective stance, before stooping to the bald man.
"He is out cold. Best leave him, come on. And you, yes you, the girly with the black hair, you better watch it."
::::::::::::::::
"Thurin, ah, oh Eru..." Esgalnoron groaned as I bound up his broken arm with the bottom of my tunic which I had torn off some minutes after I had re-set the bone.
"It sure is a good thing that Da taught me a little of his healing skill, don't move for pity's sake!"
Esgalnoron made weak protesting noises as I finished, before sinking back down against the tree.
The tan haired man was sitting some feet away, trying to stay awake so that he could guard us, as the leader slept.
But there was no need, for we were bound by our waists to the tree.
As the night grew darker, the snow came down harder.
Esgalnoron tried to stifle a cough.
I removed my cloak, which proved very awkward given that I was bound to a tree, and pulled it around him.
"This is all your fault, you know." I murmured as I shivered in the snow.
"Oh is it now, do tell."
"If you had acted faster-"
I never finished my sentence, Esgalnoron's soft laugh interrupted me.
"I'm sorry, Thu."
Tears welled up in my eyes. Tears of exhaustion, of fear, of pain.
"Esgalnoron, I'm sorry, it really is all my fault..."
I lay my head on his shoulder, drained after my long day.
He put his healthy arm around me, and we drifted off to sleep.
What will happen next? Will Thurin and Esgalnoron escape? Alive? What happened to the rest of our Ranger company? Who are these strange, Ranger-hating men? Find all this out, and more, in the next installments!
Note on the Sindarin: I have it in bold, for I do not trust myself to write actual intelligible Sindarin. :/
Please review, I will not update until you do!
Question of the day: What song do you think would fit best with Thurin and Esgalnoron? What about Thurin and Thorongil?
~Thurin