Chapter Nineteen
Serafina stood ready. She listened to a constant inner monologue of encouraging thoughts. She prayed.
The company didn't have to wait for long. The instant the first animal came into sight Serafina made a mental note – wargs, not wolves. In that same instant Boromir, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn swept into motion. The five of them moved with such confidence that Serafina became distracted with their complicated dance, however her distraction didn't last long. There were more wargs than warriors, it was only a matter of time before one crept through.
Serafina adjusted her stance as a warg closed in. She realise that Aragorn had been right about the fire when she saw the warg hesitate as her weakened right hand struggled to hold the torch steady, making the fire dance around in front of it. Taking advantage of this the girl waved the torch towards the over large animal. He snarled in answer. Suddenly he decided that her torch was of no concern to him, and lunged forwards to attack. Serafina swung her blade down across the wargs neck, imitating a swing she had watched both Aragorn and Boromir use to behead the animals. To her intense dismay, her short sword had only partially cut into the warg's flesh, making it about a quarter of the way through. The warg's blood was everywhere, and he was not dead. The warg made for her arm but Serafina was able to dodge the attack. With great effort the thief drew her short sword back and made a stab for its heart. She missed and watched as the warg's now displaced and mutilated shoulder attempted to bear its owners weight. Thoroughly disgusted with the entire business of battle, Serafina stabbed again at its heart. Whether she hit it or not, the animal fell. Before she had time to comprehend the fact that this warg was likely dead, the thief heard her name yelled from across the fire; someone was trying to get her attention. Serafina spun to see why she was being called. As she was spinning her sword embedded itself in something hard and hairy that soon became sticky. Wide eyed, she realised that another warg had been on the attack, and had luck rolled a different number she would have been dead.
Quickly she surveyed the scene. Legolas was moving so quickly she could barely see him; he was a blur of deadly grace weaving his long knives with skill that no human could ever possess. Gimli fought with noise and visible effort – yet his method was every bit as effective as the elf's. Boromir and Gandalf were guarding the hobbits, each locked in their own battle. Aragorn was fighting two wargs at once, not once did he seem out of depth. For a split second the girl felt the same fear she had felt earlier that day. At least five of her company were deadly warriors, possibly six – who knew what the wizard was capable of. Serafina shook her head, if anything right now she should be glad for it.
Serafina dashed hastily to join the hobbit guard. Boromir, it seemed had been drawn slightly away from his post – Serafina readied herself for the next onslaught. It came quicker than she had expected. It was running towards them, the four hobbits behind her yelled and the group split. Three of the hobbits dashed towards the fire. Serafina and Frodo ran mindlessly in the other direction. The warg followed. To Frodo's credit he didn't lag, they still had some yards ahead of the warg. Serafina glanced ahead, there she saw a tree. Silently she sent up a heartfelt prayer of thanks, while she yelled to the hobbit, "The tree Frodo – the tree!"
Frodo and Serafina reached the tree together, the warg behind them had slowed to a walk, he was prowling like a cat, biding his time, enjoying the moment when fear consumes the pray. Serafina turned to ward off the warg, "In the tree Frodo!" She directed hysterically.
"I'm trying Serafina! I can't make it, I can't make it!"
"You have to!" The thief screamed back at him. She was now waving her torch spasmodically at the warg, all thoughts of prayer forgotten.
"It's too high Serafina, I can't!" Frodo's voice was becoming even more frantic.
Suddenly Serafina aimed her short sword at the warg and threw it as a spear. It struck the animal in its side and it growled ferociously, but the thief could not be distracted. Hurriedly she drew a dagger and thrust it behind her into the tree trunk, then another a little higher up, all the while waving her flaming torch menacingly at the frightening animal and shouted, "Climb!"
The moment of time she had bought herself with the spear-sword was over and the animal began to lunge. The thief swung with the torch at its face and it fell back. The scurrying of the hobbit behind her ceased and Frodo cried, "Quick, Serafina!"
But the thief had nowhere to go. She had no way out. If she turned her back to climb the warg would rip her apart and if she turned to run it would catch her. She had nothing to do but wave the torch in defiance at its face. Fervently she wished for her sword back. With one last surge of will power the girl drew another dagger; this one was even shorter than those embedded in the tree that Aragorn had dismissed earlier. It would not reach the warg unless he already had her arm in its jaws, but she felt better with it in her hand. Desperately the girl decided to go on the offensive. She swung the torch again into the wargs face, but her weakened wrist meant that the blow did it no damage. The warg lunged at her torch and in a shockingly familiar way tore it out of her hand and threw it into the air. Suddenly, before Serafina had a chance to feel the next level of panic set in, a fierce yell came from somewhere to her right. There was a flash of silver and a sickening sound and it was all over.
A mad rush of relief swept over her as she looked up. It was Aragorn, he had beheaded the beast. He was covered in blood and hair. Serafina looked down at her own body and saw the same. Suddenly she realised she could taste blood in her mouth, blood that was not hers. A flash of images came rushing back to her – hacking away at the first beast, the warm sensation of blood on her hands from the second. She looked down and saw the decapitated head of the animal that had stood here ready to eat her seconds before. Bile rose in her throat and the thief was sick where she stood.
She heard laughter coming from the direction of the fire; clearly Gimli found her illness amusing. Serafina wiped her mouth on her left sleave and straightened to look at Aragorn and attempted a shaky smile. He was most certainly not amused. He walked past her to the tree and lifted Frodo down, they exchanged some words and Frodo made his way back towards camp.
Aragorn rounded on the girl, "I told you to stay close to the fire." His voice was little more than a fierce whisper, his face twisted with emotion.
"I didn't plan to get separated!" Serafina countered defensively.
"I had no idea where you were! Frodo could have been anywhere. You have every right to endanger your own life as you see fit, but Frodo must live." Aragorn paused and looked down for a moment before continuing with his attack, "What were you thinking throwing your sword away? What would you have done if I had not been there?"
"Well, Strider, probably much the same as last time – I would have stuck my hand in its jaws so that I could reach to stab it in the heart until it died!" Serafina could not believe his hide – to fault her when nothing had gone wrong. She turned her back on him and began trying to yank her daggers out of the tree. "If I had not thrown my sword Frodo and I would most likely be dead," she paused to yank again at the first of her daggers, it held fast. "Would you have preferred that?" She asked giving up on the dagger and rounding on him.
Aragorn sighed and pulled her daggers swiftly from the tree.
"No," he answered taking another deep breath in, "No, what you did was fine."
A moment passed and suddenly he laughed, "You truly look terrible," he said between grins. Then he sniffed, "And I think you were sick all over your tunic."
He glanced back at Serafina's face and laughed outright again. The thief was appalled, but a look down confirmed his story. Her tunic was covered in hair and blood, except for where her vomit had rinsed some of it off.
"I won't live this down, will I?" she asked the ranger in a defeated voice.
"It's not likely, Serafina." He said with a wicked grin, "Come, there are carcasses to be pilled and then I believe Samwise will have made us a celebratory supper!"
The look on Serafina's face had him laughing all the way back to the fire.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you are enjoying these belated new chapters. Review if you can!