The Witch of Mirkwood

Chapter 5 - Orc Attack

As night fell they stopped to set up camp at a small clearing in the forest. Nicassius remained caged as she watched the Elves prepare a fire and food. They did not look at her, they must have had orders not to she thought. They spoke quietly among themselves in Elvish. She searched for the blond leader but could not see him, she longed to speak to him again.

The Elves settled in for the night and rested, but she could not sleep, she was cold and her stomach felt empty from hunger. She wondered how long it would take to reach Rivendell, days probably. She did not know if she had the endurance for such a journey. Just then, Legolas passed some water and a biscuit like food though the bars of her temporary prison and placed them on the floor. Her back was turned so she did not see him, he had gone by the time she moved around to face the other side. She took the food and ate, it tasted similar to the honeycake that the local villages made. Afterwards, she lay down on the floor and tears stung her eyes again as she looked up at the night sky

Legolas stood guard at the edge of the camp looking up towards the moon, it was full and the sky was clear, he listened intently as he thought he could hear rustling beyond the trees, he raised his nose and sniffed the night air, he could smell something familiar, rotten flesh, dirt and sweat filled his nostrils and he turned and called out to the group,

"Orcs!" he shouted "we are under attack"

As his words echoed through the air, the branches of the trees began to move and the Orcs came quickly and noisily out of the darkness. The fowl smelling creatures began to fight with the Elves as they drew their bows and arrows. The Orcs dropped iike flies but there were more coming out of the trees like locust swarming

Nicassius sat up and looked on in horror from behind the bars, she was unable to defend herself as the orcs surrounded the cage and began to shake it, trying to force it on its side. Her eyes bounced around looking for Legolas, she spotted him in the distance fighting Orcs with his two daggers. He moved around them gracefully like a cat, slicing and stabbing as he went. She called out for help as the cage was forced over on its side, the hinge on the door gave way exposing her to the group of orcs who were now grabbing at her ankles trying to pull her out

"Man flesh" one of them sniggered

"And a tasty looking one too" another drooled

She kicked at them trying to free herself from their grip. One grabbed her wrist and before she knew it she was pulled out and thrown down onto the grass outside the cage. She kicked an Orc in the face as another ones head was suddenly pieced with an arrow. He almost fell on top of her as she rolled out of the way and tried to scramble to her feet. Then another came forward with a knife and lashed out, catching her cloak at the top of her arm, she jumped backwards and he stumbled and fell at her feet, she saw two arrows protruding from his back. She wiped her hand across her arm and saw blood, red blood, her own blood. She turned to run but felt a sharp pain run through her side as she was hit in the ribs, she saw a pice of wood raise up in the air as an Orc swung it her way again hitting her in the face. The blow hit her hard and she fell to the ground and everything went black.

Legolas could see the commotion around the cage out of the corner of his eye, he drew his knives and began slashing through the orcs as he moved towards it, he saw the witch get dragged onto the grass and drew his bow, he shot one of the orcs in the head, then pulled out two more arrows shooting another in the back, then another through the chest. He went to run forward, when suddenly a familiar figure jumped out from the trees and began fighting the orcs along side him.

"Aragorn! what are you doing here?" He shouted surprised.
"I have been tracking the orcs, for days, i came to warn you of an attack" he shouted back In between slashing his sword through the filthy creatures "I am a little late in alerting you my friend, I am sorry".

"Late vee' ilyamenie"Legolas replied with a grin (late as always)

The two males continued to fight along side each other until the orcs began scattering in defeat, Legolas looked around, some of the elves lay wounded, and only a few of them were left standing, He looked towards the overturned cage and the cloaked figure that lay still on the ground. he saw Aragorn had already made his way over and was kneeling next to the witch.

"Aragorn no" he shouted "she is a witch, she is dangerous".

He ran towards them but stopped in his tracks as Aragorn turned her over onto her back. He gasped as he looked at the face that was no longer covered by the hood, it was soft and smooth, her long dark hair cascaded along the grass and shone in the moonlight, his eyes were transfixed on the womanly features of her face and the curves of her body that was no longer hidden. She wore a long purple dress that was embroidered at the edges with deep blue swirls and tied at the waist with a blue sash, soft brown leather ridding boots covered her slender legs,

Legolas studied her as he knelt down next to Aragorn. Her wrists were red and sore from the rope that bound her. She had cuts and scratches up her forearms were she had been fighting off the Orcs. Her forehead was bruised and she had a cut above her right eye. She lay there beautiful and motionless, he thought she was dead.