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Eruwaedhen awoke early the next morning; the sun was yet below the horizon. She arose and walked about the camp. Some of the menservants were about, but all was quiet. Eruwaedhen greeted Aearon and Gondithen, who were alert despite having kept watch a good part of the night.

"Mae g'ovannen," greeted Eruwaedhen.

"Aur vaer," replied the two.

"My heart forbodes me that evil is nigh," Gondithen said. He closed his fingers about the hilt of the sword at his side, and his glance became anxious and far away, as though his eyes spied things that walked not in the world visible. "We must be vigilant."

"Aearon, you said that the pass was safe," Eruwaedhen said, turning to her friend.

Aearon shook his head. "I said not that it is safe, only that it is long since Orcs were last encountered there. But, alas! that is their way: they strike where least expected."

The travellers broke their fast quickly, and set out once more. The Misty Mountains loomed before the company in the distance.

"We now come to the Redhorn Pass," Aearon told Eruwaedhen. He urged his horse forward to walk beside Celebrían's. "My lady, the Pass may be dangerous, if my counsel may avail at all to alter our course. Last night's skulking wolf is, I believe, a harbinger of worse things yet to come."

Celebrían turned to her manservant. "Where else would you have us go? Through Moria? Or perhaps the Gap of Calenardhon?" Celebrían sighed. "There are no safe paths in this part of the world. We must go through the Redhorn Pass, which is not safe, as you have said. But we must be wary, and keep our eyes and ears open."

The company continued on for a little way. Suddenly harsh, fierce cries arose from seemingly every direction at once.

"Yrch!" shouted Gondithen. The Elves formed a tight circle facing outward, the women at the centre and dismounted.

Arrows began flying towards the company, striking several horses, who let out neighs of pain and fear. The keen eyes of the Elves soon descried among the trees and rocks the dark shapes from whom the darts issued, and what few archers the company had were soon busy in returning the favor.

"Alas for our horses, that these craven foes make war upon dumb beasts!" cried the Lady Celebrían. "Doubtless they mean to slay our transports. Would that we were in open country, and could ride free out of this snare. Ill have been my choices of late."

Gondithen, holding aloft his arrow-riddled shield, turned to reply. "My lady, do not – awrllgggh!" He was smitten mid-sentence by a black-feathered shaft in the neck.

Then a great press of Orcs, apparently confident in their numbers and desirous to overwhelm the defenders, rushed down upon the company in a dark wedge, with iron helms, jagged blades, great black shields, and iron-shod feet. Aearon was right, thought Eruwaedhen miserably; they were horrid creatures that Eruwaedhen wished she had never lived to see.

The defenders, already reduced by missiles, were hard-pressed to stem the tide of goblins to their front. The Orcs' momentum and sheer weight of numbers actually forced open the tight ring, which began to fragment, the valiant courage of the Elves notwithstanding. Several of the remaining steeds squealed and kicked at their attackers, buying Aearon, still unhurt, enough time to entreat the Lady Celebrian.

"Go now, hiril vuin, while time is! See, their attack is in our front, and our rear yet but lightly assailed, and that by poor archery!"

"Nay, lad, I shall die here with blade in hand rather. Maidens! Drego!"

Uidor and the other servant maidens were already pulling Eruwaedhen away to the only way of escape they could see, though where it led, they knew not. The archer servants at the rear stepped aside to let them pass, then sent a cover of arrows ahead of the women against the few orc archers that remained in the way of the fleeing womenfolk. Eruwaedhen glanced back as she ran and saw the flanks and rear being scattered by the fierce onslaught. She glimpsed Gondithen, even while on his knees dying from his wounds, cleaving the head of a great Orc-chief and receiving three mortal spear-thrusts in return. Now some of the nearer Orcs yelled as they became aware of the fleeing women. In sudden terror Eruwaedhen found the strength to run faster than ever. But she saw not the cliff that lay ahead of her until it was too late.

But the main force of the goblins now assailed Aearon, now alone with the Lady, who was herself fighting with sword and dagger. All horses were now slain, save for one who had bolted. The orcs had shot at the beast, but it had evaded their arrows. No matter. The she-elf and her small band of followers would be dealt with speedily. The few servants that remained had been forced apart and scattered, pursued this way and that by fierce bands of orcs, fighting desperately as they ingloriously withdrew.

Celebrían cried out as an Orc seized her from behind by her hair. She turned and dispatched him with a swift stab from her dagger.

Aearon flung down his bow and swept out his sword, which seemed to glow with white fire. He beheaded one goblin, then smashed another in the face with the pommel, before stabbing a third through the torso. The Lady Celebrían slew two more Orcs.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aearon, fighting for his life against five or more assailants at once, only just saw the Lady being seized upon by at least a dozen Orcs, though she fought as fiercely as a lioness from the grasslands of the far South, kicking and hewing at their arms. He could do nothing for her now. The Orcs had succeeded in isolating them.

Celebrían was able to cripple one more goblin before one of them stabbed a long, needle-like blade into her side. Immediately a wave of sickness and chill swept over her. Her consciousness began to fade.

"That'll keep it quiet," the Orc laughed.

Aearon, wounded with many wounds, was brought down at last by a vicious blow to the head from the iron boss of a great Orc-shield. He let out a pained moan through clenched teeth, falling to the ground in a bleeding daze. Through blurred vision, his last sight, as his captives departed, leaving him for dead, was that of the Lady Celebrían being carried away by a multitude of her foes, groaning and futilely striving to free herself from her captors' grip. Now I shall go to the halls of Mandos, he thought as his vision left him.

A/N: The Gap of Calenardhon is the Sindarin name for the Gap of Rohan, in case you didn't know. Anyway, I hope you liked the story so far! One of my friends especially helped me with this battle scene, so shouts out to him! My apologies for the long delay-I was really busy for the longest time, and haven't had much time left over to work on this story. Aber bitte bewerten Sie!

German translations:

Aber bitte bewerten Sie! = But please review!

Sindarin translations:

Mae g'ovannen = Well met

Aur vaer = Good morning

Hiril vuin = My lady

Yrch! = Orcs!

Drego! = Flee!