In the Shadows | Legriel

Thorongil (1)

Snaps, we need a revival. Pls, Legriel, come alive.

I should probably post a Sindarin handbook with phrases, but I'm feeling... so lazy rn...

~~~

Tauriel's brow furrows as she takes careful aim. Yes, she's hunting a pack of thirty orcs on her own, but what choice does she have? She's alone now. The ghastly creature before her takes no notice of her, going about its business without any concern for the fitted bow aimed straight at its head. Releasing the arrow, Tauriel grimly watches as it pierces her target's throat. It lets out a gurgling choke before dropping to the ground, its load of firewood falling with it.

There were so many of them now... So many orcs since Sauron reclaimed Barad-dûr. Quickly, Tauriel takes account of her arrows... Sixteen... Not quite enough for the whole orc pack unless she goes hand to hand, which she won't do since she wishes to remain unseen.

So she slips into the night, picking off several of the other straying creatures without attracting the notice of any of the others. Her footfall is light, and she decides to make the welcoming arms of a willow her berth for the time being. She will construct new arrows on the morrow, using the dead fallen branches she would find during walks through the forest.

This forest, she knows, is alive, and she doesn't want to hurt any of the trees by thoughtlessly stripping them of their arms. They are sleeping, yes, but she does not wish to awaken them for any reason at all. The amount of orcs, though, that come stumbling into the forest is becoming more and more, and Tauriel fears that the awakening will be soon. Will the trees - the Ents - welcome her? Or will they banish her from their realm as well, just like Thranduil? She doesn't quite know, nor does she want to take a chance.

Securing herself in the arms of the weeping willow, Tauriel longs to see the stars. She can't see them from her low-hanging berth, yet she knows that they're there. Somehow, that fact comforts her, and she allows the sound of the wind to lull her to sleep.

No different from any other night, she dreams of Kíli... the dwarf she held so dear to her heart had passed near thirty-eight years ago now... mere moments in the life of an Elf, but they felt like an eternity to her.

Awakening that next morning to the sound of voices and a cursed language, Tauriel quiets her breathing and carefully loads her bow.

More orcs who wandered into Fangorn Forest - Either they never heard the tales of this sleeping forest, or they're choosing to ignore them. Taking aim, shooting, and reloading her bow with practiced ease, Tauriel is able to end three of the four orc scouts from the comfort of her resting place. Dropping down from the tree, she holds the remaining orc in a headlock with a knife to its throat. "Where do you come from," she breathes.

The orc struggles, attempting to break free from her grip. It spits at her and curses so she presses the knife even firmer again its throat as a little reminder of who is in charge. "Tell me," she commands, her voice hardening.

"I curse you," the orc replies instead. "I will tell you nothing."

Steeling herself, Tauriel puts an end to the vile creature before searching through its belongings and then moving on to its companions'. She counts herself lucky to find more arrows, tipped with an orc poison, as well as several new daggers.

But then she finds something she doesn't wish to see... a dwarven moon rune, so similar to the one Kíli gave her for promise so many years ago. It's clutched in the hands of one of the orcs so she pries it from its grasp. She wonders for a moment where it came across such a precious stone.

Pocketing the smooth stone, she decides that it's time to leave Fangorn... A groan from a nearby oak tree startles her and only confirms her sudden desire to flee the forest. Fixing her handcrafted bow and quiver of arrows on her back, she begins her flight, knowing the way of the forest well.