I was sure i was going to die. Really sure. My body went on instinctive and I jerked my head to the side before the knife would take out my eye. Then I grabbed onto his wrist and hand with both hands and began to wrestle the knife away from my exposed throat and face. I turned the knife so it was facing up at his own throat and I began to heave. He began to shout in a guttural language and at least that didn’t put me off. I heaved up with all my strength and the blade sunk into his throat. He let out a guttural shriek and began to drown in his own blood. I pushed him off me just as the sounds of battle started. It was three of us against gods knew how many.
I picked myself up gingerly and picked up the dead mans sword. It was a curved blade and it was clumsy in my hand. Then the back window flew open and another jumped through he was wearing a black bear skin cape and had a dagger in his left hand and a sword in his right. The sword was Rohirrim steel and most likely he stole it off someone. He began to laugh and gesticulate wildly and pad towards me. I was sure once more that I was going to die. The blade feinted at my head and the dagger dove in towards me. The movement came naturally to me and I spun away from the dagger and slashed at his head. He spun his head out of view and slashed at me two hands. I spun away once more and stabbed at his chest. There was a sickening wet sound and then a loud crunch as it slid into his ribs. He gasped and fell backwards and lay on the wooden tiles. Then I realized I was overcome with battle fever. The fever where nothing else matters except for the next sword to cross and kill. I walked into the street and watched Bodor and Falkas get rid of them.
“Gods be good Dernhelm!” Bodor exclaimed loudly “Are you okay? We thought they were over here.”
“I’m good Bodor..” I said but my voice was no more then a whisper.
Falkas laid a hand on my shoulder and expected the ruined helm on my head.
“You were lucky boy. You could have died.” Falkas gently undid the buckles and brought up the helm. He winced as he glanced at the wound.
“There’s a cut but not too much blood. You’ll be fine.” Bodor nodded his satisfaction and pulled out some bandages and began to wrap them around my head.
Swiftfire gave me a nuzzle of sympathy with his muzzle and I patted him back in return. The way back was going to be hard. There was no way I could wear my helm and I was going to need it for helms deep. I scratched at the bandages warily as we settled down for the night. I placed the kings banner high on the hill so it blew gently in the wind. Bodor set up a campfire and Falkas asked for silence.
“What are you doing old man!?” Exclaimed Bodor with a hearty laugh
“Telling you of the first blood.” Falkas replied sereiously and he gave out a low cough.
“When I was your age Dernhelm and newly blooded. I was called out on a rangers meeting. Orcs were amassing near the border and we were called there to fight them. As we were getting there the day seemed brighter. We were filled with hope that the orcs were gone but we were wrong. They had stumbled upon an ancient burrow. There was at least five hundred of them against twenty of us. It was large enough to ride in four abreast and we did. We cut a hole from them, but not before they had shot arrows at us and taken down a few horses and us. My first horse, Rake was killed underneath me, but our company commander Fallow pulled me up onto his own horse. We managed to lock ourselves into the greatest room I had ever seen! By the gods it was excellent. We had sent forth a messenger before asking for reinforcements and the barrow could hold against them. There were runes on the wall. Great runes
“But up ahead set in a stone was a gondorrian sword. On its pommel was a magnificent gem cut into the shape of a horse. The blade was blue at the base and we all thought we cut pull it free. None of us did. Then to the right was a statue of a horse in bright golden armour. Like the rohirrim armor. And on it was a statue of the man in rohirrom armour aswell. Except everything about him was golden. We each tried to get it off but we couldn’t. Then Fallow saw some runes that said; “The rider of the sun shall come forth and sweep the orc’s from rohirrim lands after the third age.
“Needless to say reinforcements came and from that day ive been taken young blooded warriors to those barrows and I promise you Dernhelm, I shall take you to those barrows if we survive this madness, Now Bodor has first watch and I have second. You Dernhelm have third watch. Then we ride out to Theoden and we report what we say.” Falkas rolled onto his back and fell asleep in seconds.
I laid on my back looking up at the stars and wondered who this rider of the sun was. I fell asleep thinking of the sword and I dreamed of a figure in golden armour. Sweeping towards minas tirith on foot, through an army of orcs.
