The retreat to the Naith was not without occasion.
As they had reached the protective girdle, the fog had begun to lift. And along with it the enchantments put there by the White Lady of Lorien. With the magic of Lorien lifting, Haldir had heard the maddening rush of the orcs as they raced into the woods behind them. They were far away still, and yet so near.
To his side, Rumil's mood reminded him of a moonless sky–dark and emotionless. The elves inside the girdle raised their bows and nocked their arrows, pointing their sharp weapons to the east and north.
The attack would come soon, Haldir knew.
Although, the reason for their withdrawal into the Naith escaped him. They could have pushed the orcs back east at the border itself. Why would they have to let the orcs sully the holy ground of the woods of Lorien?
He didn't question the motives of the Lord and the Lady of Lorien, trusting in them to protect the Golden Wood, but the questions often came into his mind ever since Rumil had let out freely his opinions of those who commanded them.
His brother might have been right, but as far as he had known, the Lady Galadriel had always had the right intention–and that was to fight the Enemy by whatever means was available. In the two ages of this world, the Lady Galadriel was someone who Sauron considered his enemy. After all, it had been the White Lady of Lorien who had played a hand in foiling many of the Dark Lord's vicious plans.
He believed in her and whatever she had planned now. Perhaps there was a purpose in letting the orcs sully their feet in their beloved woods.
Orcs shrieked in the woods, their guttural roars echoing in the air around.
"A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas," he shouted.
The elves around him nodded.
"Tangado a chadad!" he bellowed.
The elves raised their bows once more and aimed to shoot.
He breathed deep while doing so with his own bow and arrow.
"Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc!" Orophin mumbled.
The orcs approached closer every second.
He stared at them with fury and disgust.
The filth of orcs had never come this close to Naith before. They never would have come so close if it had not been for the Lady Galadriel's orders. Whatever the plan was, he wished that the Lord Commander of the armies of Lorien executed them faster.
"Hado i philinn!" he shouted at the top of his voice.
The bows of Lorien sung in unison, the twanging sounds echoing across the grounds. Arrows flew and struck the first lines of the orcs, felling them.
He smiled. If there was a mirror somewhere here, he was sure his eyes would be twinkling.
"That way! That way!" he cried as he saw some of the orcs making way to the north, hoping to surround the armies of the Naith. He knew the elves had formed a circle around Caras Galadhon, but he would not let them be surrounded.
A few of the elvish archers turned and fired their arrows at the splitting company and killed them. The orcs refused to split after that.
From the corner of his eyes, he began to see a white fog begin to spread from the corners of the Girdle, slowly thickening. And then realization dawned on him. The idea was to invite the enemy into the woods and trap them here so there were not going to be any survivors.
The Enemy had not thrown the entirety of his force at Lorien. Maybe he was just testing the defenses of the elves of the Golden Wood, but with this trap, Sauron wouldn't know what he wished to know. No orc would be allowed to head off eastward. No orc who had come here would return to Mordor or Dol Guldur.
He smiled and let loose his arrows.
The weapons of the elves bloodied the orcs and kept them at bay. But the battle was not over yet. The numbers of the orcs were greater than he thought, and contrary to their usual cowardice, they were determined to break through the elven ranks.
"Hado ribed!" he shouted.
Another round of elvish arrows flew into the enemy ranks, downing the enemy soldiers.
With a subtle movement of his hands behind him, he called upon the elves who were proficient with the swords. Callon was their leader.
"Callon, I want you to send two companies of your swordsmen. One to the north and the other to the south. And flank the orc armies from either direction. We'll hold them here."
"Yes, Lord Haldir," Callon said and motioned to the company of swordsmen behind.
He then saw that one of the orc lines had come closer than intended. He brandished his sword and moved to strike, but some magic prevented the orcish band from coming closer to the Naith.
Tendrils of white fog grew from the earth below and formed a huge cage around the Naith. He could see that the orcs couldn't see the magical barrier. Only the elvish eyes could.
The orcs growled at them before squeaking as arrows pierced them head, neck and chest.
He reverted to using bow and arrow again, keeping his sword aside, knowing he might not have to use the steel blade as long as his quiver doesn't run out. And he had plenty of arrows to let fly.
From a distance, he could hear cries of "Herio!" from either side of him. Elvish swordsmen charged into the orc ranks, killing at will, confusing and surprising them.
Haldir and the elves kept firing into the orc ranks, drowning many of their cries and shrieks. The black flags of Mordor dropped to the ground and lay under many of the dead orcs. This was going to be a massacre, he thought.
The elves began to raise a cry of victory when elven cries carried from the north and the west. It looked like the orcs had attacked from those directions as well.
Dol Guldur had joined the fray.
Translations:
Elvish: A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas
English: Oh Children of Eru, Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none.
Elvish: Tangado a chadad!
English: Prepare to Fire.
Elvish: Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc!
English: Their armour is weak at the neck… and beneath the arm.
Elvish: Hado i philinn!
English: Release Arrows!
Elvish: Hado ribed!
English: Shoot continuously!
Elvish: Herio!
English: Charge!
The above elvish dialogues have been taken from the 'Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' movie from the Helm's Deep section.