Author's Note:
Thanks so much for the reviews! They're extremely helpful. A short post for tonight, just before I go to bed. Enjoy!
The familiar cry of the orcs sounded nearby. Legolas pinpointed the location of the sound and fired an arrow into the blackness; the sound of a dying orc could be heard, and violent screams of many more foes sounded in the dark. Suddenly, orcs swamped the dimly lit glen, leaping out from the blackness of the spiralling tree branches above. Éomer charged forwards and threw himself into the flood, bringing his sword down upon any orc-neck that faced him. Legolas drew arrow after arrow, sending them sailing into the air and watching them fatally pierce their targets. Faramir drew a long log from the fire and swiped at his opponents, the power of fire in one hand and the might of the sword in the other. Aragorn and Imrahil teamed together against the orcs that assaulted them.
Orc archers, although yet to be seen, were still firing arrows. Their shots were poor – most likely due to lack of practice – yet they still posed their dangers. Legolas observed that the arrows were tipped with a black substance that oozed upon impact; the twisted and grotesque-looking trees of the small glen were now saturated with it.
"Do not touch the trees!" Legolas shouted over the uproar of battle. He noticed that all but Faramir were safe from the poison-covered foliage. The Steward had heard Legolas's call, indeed, yet his actions were not under his control. As he fought off two orcs with fire and steel, an arrow sailed through the air and pierced the centre of his chest. Faramir staggered backwards against a tree and dropped the burning log. The arrow was lodged deep in his chest; it hurt to breathe. He could feel the poison seep into his veins. Was this how Boromir felt when he died?
"FARAMIR!" Éomer shouted frantically. He slew three orcs on his way to his brother-in-law's side, catching the Steward of Gondor just as he slid away from the tree.
"Get him away!" Aragorn commanded, simultaneously beheading the orc before him. "Away, Éomer, away!"
Éomer struggled to carry Faramir from the battle scene; he was forced to single-handedly fend off several orcs. Legolas came to his aid from afar, slaying the pursuing orcs with his arrows, but the orcs numbered too greatly and Legolas's arrows were too few.
Just as Legolas reached his final arrow, there was a new sound in the wood. Voices could be heard, battle cries were sung. From seemingly nowhere, arrows flew in and collided with the orcs in the glen: feathered arrows – Elvish arrows.
Before any of the company could react, dark-haired Elves stormed the glen. The remaining orcs were slain by hand, swiftly and with great skill. As quickly as the battle had begun, it was ended. Silence filled the glen; Aragorn, Legolas and Imrahil looked on in astonishment.
"Mapa sen," called out a fair voice. The Elves took hold of the surprised Aragorn, Legolas and Imrahil. Two Elves approached Éomer and Faramir, one with a bow and arrow pointed dangerously in their direction.
"Mapa carnantya," the same hidden voice called. The company's weapons were seized and tossed among the dead orc bodies.
"We come here in peace," Aragorn called out to both the darkness and the Elves that held him. "We mean no harm. We were-"
"Quildë se."
The Elves surrounding Aragorn nodded. Two drew arrows and pointed them at his head; the Elf that held him fastened a silvery cloth around his mouth. Infuriated by their lack of respect, Aragorn struggled against the bindings, his voice muffled considerably. He was truly silenced, however, when the source of the hidden voice made it's appearance.
A female Elf emerged from the blackness of the forest. She expressed disgust at the dead orcs littering the ground, but quickly turned her attention to her captives. Her long golden hair was tied tightly back; it contrasted strangely with the Elves she surrounded herself with. She spoke in hushed tones to three Elves that held no person captive, until Éomer called out to them.
"My comrade needs medicine," the Rohan King said, the urgency great in his voice. "He has been pierced by one of the poisonous orc arrows."
The two Elves that stood before him glanced at the golden-haired Elf, whose conversation was cut short. She stared wordlessly in the direction of Éomer and the ailing Faramir.
"Will you not help him?" Éomer begged after she still remained silent. Faramir coughed and wheezed in his arms; even by the dim moonlight, it could be seen that Faramir's face grew paler. A white foam trickled slowly out of his mouth.
"You must help him!" Éomer cried.
The Elf holding the bow and arrow let down his weapons. He turned in the direction of the golden-haired Elf and said something in unintelligibly fast Elvish. The golden-haired Elf looked pensive for a moment, then hesitantly nodded. The Elf before Éomer slung his bow across his chest and reached out for the fading Faramir.
"What are you doing?" Éomer asked him, resisting to let go of his brother-in-law.
"We will help," the Elf stated. His voice was neither kind nor harsh. He gently took Faramir, as though he were as light as a feather, and bounded off into the forest. His comrade took Éomer's arm and led him away from the battle scene; the others followed with their respective captors. They each passed by the golden-haired she-elf, looking on, curious to her identity. She stared back at them; her grey eyes pierced their gazes in a strange way, one that Aragorn could not quite understand.
Translations:
"Mapa sen." - "Seize them."
"Mapa carnantya." - "Seize their weapons."
"Quildë se " - "Silence him."