Since when did soldiers challenge their king on the battlefield? Especially, one overrun with Orcs. Why was the King not reacting to his soldier's insubordination? Did they not realise the danger of the situation they were in? Either, they ought to leave or they ought to start fighting. Not stand there facing each other off. "He was getting old, the Elven King," the prisoner thought irately to herself.
Leaving the safety of the tree, she inched closer to the elven soldiers. Most were surrounding the King. She realised that they were poised to attack, all that prevented them was the signal of their Commander. He was still standing behind his King. She saw his fingers tremble upon his sword and realised that he was angry.
Aradan Cyredtlitharion, Commander of the Elven Army of Mirkwood. He now stood behind his King. The prisoner noted that his earlier slight of his head had his small army of elves, the last of the elves to leave Dale, standing ready to attack. An elf of gentle look and fine features, his stealth, cunningness and prowess in war could be underestimated by strangers. But no elf, man or orc who had heard of him would have dared to brush him off. His presence made his allies grateful, his foes fearful. So why was he now not defending his King? And, why was the King not reacting to this madness?
She did not have the opportunity to find out. So engrossed had she been with the elves, that she realised only seconds earlier that and orc was coming behind her. Quickly, she jumped up, growling along with him. She could feel her heart tremble at the near escape that she had had. Reprimanding herself to remain alert, she joined the orcs as they moved to surround the elves. Their scimitars and daggers were raised and they were smiling, that gut-wrenching smile that told her that they were ready to stoop to any extent to see the enemy suffer, probably as they had.
She hovered behind the orcs, hiding once again behind the safety of some rocks. The elves, realising that they had been surrounded, had encircled the King. She had known that would happen. The Elven King would not die, at least until his Commander drew breath. The two soldiers, who had challenged their King, had been pushed into the circle by the Commander. It puzzled the prisoner. But, that was not her worry now. The elves were out numbered by the Orcs. How would they escape?
As the Orcs drew their scimitars, the prisoner once again drew in her breath. It had just been a few days, since Azog had come to her cell. His whipping had been harder than usual and her body ached. Her thighs too were sore but she had to try. Summoning all the energy that was left in her, she called upon the winds once again.
As the Orcs moved to bring their scimitars down, she thanked Eru that he had not abandoned her this once. The winds blew hard, bringing the grains of sands to the eyes of the Orcs. Disoriented and unable to see clearly, the Orcs lost their control. She saw the elves take the advantage and raise their swords. Pleased, she was sure that the elves would be safe and made to creep off when she heard a growl. Only two Orcs were standing but they had taken an elf prisoner. It was the elf that had raised his sword to the King.
She watched as the Orcs mocked the Elven King to come to Dol Guldur to get his son's body. Son? This foolish soldier, who dared raise his sword to his King, the Elven Prince? The prisoner's heart sank at the knowledge. But she remained focused on the task at hand. It would be easy to fight two Orcs but they were holding the Prince hostage, their sword at his neck. "You would not dare harm him?" It was the elf who had raised her bow to the King. This time, the prisoner could not help herself. She rolled her eyes. This elf appeared as foolish in her words as she was in her actions.
The prisoner had no energy left to call upon the elements. Desperate, she looked around. An elf lay dead, a few feet from her. Hating herself for what she was about to do, she crawled over to him. Closing his still open eyes, she removed his golden armour and stripped some cloth off his body and used it to mask her face. She bowed to him before moving off quickly, asking his pardon for having disrespected him in death. To steal from the dead, it appeared that she had learnt well from her captors. Quickly, she veiled her face with the cloth, before she once again inched towards the elves. The Elven King looked as if he was almost going to obey.
"You, always so stupid and slow," the knock on her head surprised her and threw her on the ground, weak as she was. She had nearly forgotten that she was still in the Wildman's armour. The Orc, that had knocked her instructed her to take the King's sword and circlet. "He doesn't need anything for his already pretty face, does he? We will see how pretty he stays in Dol Guldur." the Orc chuckled. "I feel kind today, Great Elven King. Will it be you or your son? The choice is yours."
The prisoner saw the anguish on the King's face. The kingdom would fall with the King. The situation left him with little choice. Not daring to raise her eyes to him, the prisoner went to get his sword and circlet. As her fingers clasped the sword, she focused on the situation. The Commander was watching, what would he try to do in such a situation? His dagger would be poised to find the Orcs' head at the first possible chance. But what chance had he? Thinking quickly, she reached for the King's fingers and tugged at his rings. "What fine je..?" She did not have to finish. Her actions had disrupted the Orc's attention from the soldiers and doomed him. As she had estimated, the Commander's dagger had found him. As the second Orc tried to flee, the prisoner used the King's sword that she held in her arms. Without turning around, she aimed at his neck, decapitating him neatly.
She did not have to look up to realise that the danger was over. She heard the King and rush over and speak in anxious tones, "Legolas, are you hurt?" The prisoner did not hear the rest of the conversation. With her body already hurt, the magic she had summoned had sapped the remaining energy off her body. She fell to the ground in a dead faint.