Hello everyone, I know this is my third update since Friday, but since this part of the story has a lot of cliffhangers, I thought I would try to shorten the gaps between postings so you wouldn't have to wait so long. For those who are subscribed to my story, I wish to apologize for flooding your email inboxes with all these notifications.

As always, I want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter: leeward1992, SmallLittleCagedBird, durinsdaughter2469btw, Blue1258, Hansloch, AshleyLeigh, and leelee202. Your kind words have been the best motivation.

This one's for you.

Friendly reminder: This story is rated [M] for battles and eventual love scenes.


CHAPTER XVII

BLOOD AND SNOW

The Orcs were laughing, taunting her and testing her skills with quick lunges and feints.

Annalyn was outnumbered two to one, without shield or armour. A clear disadvantage. She knew it. The Orcs knew it, too. This was mere sport for them, an opportunity to mock and taunt her, to amuse themselves. That they hadn't bothered to sound the alarm told her just how much of a threat they believed her to be.

Let it be your downfall, Annalyn thought bitterly, breathing hard.

The Orcs took turns engaging her. As the three of them circled around a small clearing, somewhere in the heart of the forest, stirring snow and leaves with their boots, Annalyn swung her sword laterally, cried out with the effort.

The point swept oh so close to the Orc's exposed throat, but failed to graze skin.

"Got some bite in her after all." The other creature laughed, showing a set of filthy, rotten teeth.

The clashing of steel echoed throughout the tiny clearing, fading until blades crashed together once more. How long they fought? Annalyn could not say. It felt like a long time, though.

As Annalyn strained for advantage, she locked her blade with the creature's scimitar. Somewhere to her left, the other Orc was spitting vile words at her.

Intent on staying alive, Annalyn paid it no heed. Instead, she slid her sword against her opponent's, seeking then finding the leverage needed to dislodge the offensive blade.

"Let me have a turn." The other Orc suddenly lunged forward, its weapon almost hitting its mark.

Gracious me! she almost yelled, somehow deflecting the blow. That was too close!

And so it went. As the snow continued to fall, blades collided again and again… and again. This is not how it ends, Annalyn kept telling herself, breathing through gritted teeth. She was not going to die out here, killed like a dog by these vilest of creatures.

Even as she fought, channeling her remaining strength into simply staying alive, her thoughts flickered to both Haldir and Aldin. I am sorry. A thrust and a parry. I failed.

As her strength waned even more, her opponent unwittingly gave her the reprieve she had been hoping for. Betrayed by over-confidence, the Orc momentarily dropped its guard. Seizing the advantage, Annalyn swung her blade in a downward stroke, finding the vulnerable area between its neck and shoulder. The attack caught the Orc by surprise, the blow strong enough to cleave through skin and flesh, hitting bone.

Both hands trembling around the hilt of her sword, Annalyn watched with a feral gaze as the Orc fell to its knees. Its mouth hung open. A horrible gurgling sound rose in its throat.

Then deafening silence.

But as the creature crumbled to the ground, a hissing growl reached her ears, and she looked up in time to see the remaining Orc's furious advance.

Eyes filled with rage, the creature charged, its weapon high and at the ready.

She blinked.


Haldir's heart had dropped like a lead weight, fear seizing him as he'd caught the one sound he hadn't wanted to hear: the unmistakable clattering of swords, from somewhere out in the forest.

At hearing it, he had looked up for the briefest of instants. A mere blink. But that was all it took for the Orc to seize its chance, striking Haldir square in the face with the heel of its hand. The jarring force sent him staggering backward. For a dizzying moment, pinpricks of light filled his vision. He had to blink them away.

Inhaling sharply, he straightened in time to see the Orc reaching for his previously discarded weapon.

Haldir was fuming, consumed with a level of rage he had rarely felt before. His blade now in a two-handed grip, he clenched his jaw, and scowled at the Orc. Oh, you will sorely regret this.

Before the creature could attack, Haldir sprung forth, his curved blade glinting as it sliced through the air before colliding with the much cruder weapon. The Orc deflected the blow, yet Haldir managed to snag the leather cord which held the sounding horn. With a yank of his sword, the leather gave way, and he sent it flying into the brush.

Determined to bring an end to it, and quickly, Haldir doubled his efforts until the Orc was straining and trembling. Blades locked, Haldir looked the Orc straight in the eye. "Time to die, filth!"

And with that, he spun on his feet, and swung. The blade sang. A dull thud followed.

The Orc was dead, its severed head rolling to a stop before its body had even hit the ground.

Without a moment to lose, Haldir turned at once, and ran deeper into the forest, his ears guiding his way.

He could still hear it. The fighting continued, albeit at a slightly slower pace. Hold on. His silent words directed at Annalyn, Haldir ran as fast as his feet would carry him.

While the Orcs were known to fight amongst themselves, he felt certain that this wasn't the case. Without being able to explain it, he just knew. Annalyn had been discovered. She was in trouble.

His heart pounding wildly in his chest, Haldir followed the sounds of battle, heard them grow louder and louder.

He was getting close, but had yet to see anything.

When the ground suddenly dropped before his feet, the angle like to slow him down, he reached for a nearby branch, maintained his momentum by swinging forward and breaching the gap.

And so he ran, hurrying between the trees, mustering all the speed he could.

The sounds seemed really close now. But then, to his horror, the clangs ceased, yielding to complete and absolute silence.

"No…" Having lost his only clue to her location, Haldir slowed his pace and searched the forest with stricken eyes. His breath swirled and fogged as he listened. Nothing. As despair mounted, he called Annalyn's name, but his throat felt so tight, the word was scarce more than a breath.

Desperate to find her, Haldir came to a halt, turning this way and that. But then another sound reached his ears, a dull thump, faint but traceable.

He was moving again, his body filled with dread and apprehension.

A set of footprints suddenly drew his gaze, then another one. And one more. Eyes trained on the ground, he followed the trail.

And then he was there.