"Get me Orophin," Haldir screamed at the elves in his company. "Quicker... the mortal seems to fade quickly. The poison streams through his veins."
An elf, Vanir, approached him. "A mortal at the edge of our forests, pursued by orcs no less, why... why would those vermin dare to come near the Golden Wood just to attack this man?"
"We won't know unless he wakes," Haldir said even though the same questions troubled him. What was a mortal doing here of all places? And why was he pursued by an entire battalion of warring orcs?
He laid the man sleeping against the tree and asked Vanir to take care of him.
Haldir himself walked to a nearby fallen orc, who somehow still breathed despite two arrows in its gut. He pulled it by the scruff of its neck and asked, "Why do you come here? Why do you pursue this mortal?"
"This two-legs set fire... to... the... Morgul Vale," the orc answered with a raspy tone. With every word he spoke, he gurgled a fair amount of black ooze. "Our king... wantsss... him... dead..."
Morgul Vale.
And this man set fire to it!
Every elf nearby had heard the orc say it. Their eyes were bulged wide open and stared at the orc and then at the wounded man. It was clear that they held him in high esteem and admiration. Even he could not believe his ears. A mortal had dared where nobody would go and challenged the sorcerer-king. Who exactly was this man?
As the orc died, he let it fall to the ground and stared at the mortal. He did not look like one of the Rohirrim.
A Gondorian perhaps. A man of Gondor would have every reason to hate the Morgul Vale. Ever they bore the brunt of the Dark Lord who ruled in Mordor.
Even so, he seemed different somehow. He had this strange light about him, a star shining ever so often on his brow. His clothing was that of a forest ranger.
Could this be one of the Dunedain?
Maybe a Dunedain of Gondor. They patrolled and guarded the realm of Ithilien, his queen had told him.
He had fought so many orcs here, stayed ahead of them all the way from the Morgul Vale.
But if he was from Gondor, why had he run here? Wouldn't it have been better if he had run to the cities in the south, which were closer? Why then had he journeyed northward?
Unless he was not a Gondorian.
Maybe he was one of them rangers from the North. There were stories and rumors of descendants of a long-lost kingdom of men roaming the wilder-lands, defending the western lands of Middle Earth from the menace of the Dark Lord.
"I've brought Orophin, Captain," an elf said.
Haldir looked at Orophin, his brother, and was relieved. "Good to see you, brother!"
"Good to see you too, brother!" Orophin remarked. His eyes then fell on the wounded mortal. "What have we here?"
Orophin bent down and examined the man. "He's still breathing, that's good. Definitely good. Orc poison runs through his veins, a more potent kind. It acts fast, but this man fights it with all his strength, whatever's left to him. It's strange to see such strength in a man."
Haldir nodded. "He set fire to the Morgul Vale, it seems."
Orophin's eyes widened. "Then this man has a daring I have not. The evil towers terrify me."
"Exactly who's this man?" asked another elf, coming up behind him.
The elf was Rumil, his other brother, who usually patrolled the northern borders.
"I do not know, brother," Haldir said. "He arrived here with an army of orcs behind him. We were late in coming as we were tasked with watching the Great River. The fortress on the other side is stirring with evil once again. Black clouds tower over it. But something bright was fighting it, something from our lands. And then suddenly word comes from Caras Galadhon that we are needed to the south-east."
"And now you know why..."
"Could this be that the Lord and the Lady expected this man here?" Haldir ventured a question.
"Perhaps... or maybe only the Lady did. We all know that she's very perceptive of many things... She can also foretell, I believe. Maybe she sent the word."
Haldir shrugged. "But what do we do of this man once he is able and well?"
"We send him on his way, brother," Rumil said. "Mortals are not allowed to step foot inside the Golden Wood."
Haldir nodded.
Orophin removed an ointment from his sacks and began to administer elvish medicine to the man. He groaned as the salve began to take effect.
"I think he will be all right," Orophin said. "I've tried my best to take out the poison from his body, but the ravaging effects remain. The ointment should take care of it. But it all depends on the man himself. He has fought well till now... I hope he doesn't give up."
"That's well and good," Haldir sighed. "But we have to decide what needs to be done."
Orophin handed over his medicinal pack to Rumil and said, "If and when the mortal wakes, apply this medicine twice. And then feed him some of our lembas."
Rumil bobbed his head.
Haldir then looked at the man and wondered who this man really was. Did the Lord and the Lady knew of his coming? Did this man have their favor?
He sat down on a rocky outcrop and waited for the mortal to open his eyes. He had much to ask, and the mortal, much to answer.