✓ | 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ♡ Legolas Greenleaf

2.5 | Escaping Mirkwood

Bolg notices how close Maristela has gotten to the lever, bodies lay behind her causing him to notice how his numbers were dwindling from her experience in fighting. Bolg pulls his bow free and nocks an arrow into place before releasing the arrow as Maristela reaches for the lever, the arrow hits Maristela in her calf causing her to stumble forward from it, panting. "MARI!" Fíli screamed out in anger, he moved to rush to her but was stopped by the Orcs approaching. Maristela groans from the searing pain that tears through her leg, the burn of skin alerted her that it wasn't an ordinary arrow.

She reaches for the lever but another electric shock of pain burns through her, she fell back onto the bridge and closed her eyes wishing that she had the ability to heal herself but she knew she couldn't, not after saving Thorin's life so recently; there were always limitations to magic and power. Bolg strings another arrow while Thorin looks up at the Elleth in shock, he couldn't lose someone he deemed a dear friend. "Mari..." Thorin breathed out as an Orc leaped over towards Maristela but an arrow suddenly flies into its head. Maristela looks over and sees Tauriel running through the bushes.

"Gor'-ash! Gor golginul! (Kill her! Kill the She-Elf!)" Bolg ordered as Tauriel took out another Orc that got too close, Kíli watching Tauriel with adoration for saving his friend. Serveral Orcs rush at Tauriel and Maristela; Legolas and other Elves appear from the bushes and shoot them down. As Tauriel, Legolas, and the other Elves fight the Orcs, Maristela manages to grab the lever and pull it, opening the sluice gate letting the Dwarves in their barrels through. Maristela then falls onto her back panting from the pain that blazed within her veins, the feel of poison seeping deeper into her bloodstream.

The Dwarves in barrels fall down another waterfall and float down the river, Bolg notices straight away with a sneer. "Khozdayin obguryash! Abgurid! (After them)" Bolg ordered his remaining army, spotting Maristela as she manages to slide herself off the ledge and into her empty barrel that the brothers had been holding in place for her. As she lands in it, the shaft of the arrow in her leg breaks off on the edge of the barrel causing her to yell out painfully. Legolas distractedly looks over at her and is attacked by an Orc, but manages to kill it quickly. The remaining Dwarves and Bilbo plunge over the waterfall and continue floating down the rushing river as the Orcs follow.

The Dwarves try to paddle and steer with their hands, but to no avail; the river is running too wild. As they come to a narrow part of the river, Orcs in either side begin shooting arrows at them. Meanwhile, back at the guardpost, Tauriel continues fighting Orcs. Legolas leaps to the top of the guardpost as well, his eyes trailing off to Maristela who was being assisted by Fíli and Bofur as best as they can; the clear show of pain on her face. Maristela gritted her teeth as each wave of the river knocked her leg into the side of the barrel, the action sending the painful tingle throughout her leg; slowly the pain edge towards her hip making her unsteady on her feet.

In the river, an Orc leaps at Thorin in his barrel, but he manages to kill it with a sword he grabbed earlier. Tauriel, Legolas, and the other Elves run after the Orcs chasing the Company, shooting them. An Orc jumps from an overhanging tree branch towards Balin, but Thorin throws his sword and pins the Orc to the tree; as the Orc drops its weapon. Thorin catches it while floating beneath him, and he throws it back to Bombur, who throws it to Nori, who throws it to Fíli, who kills an Orc too close to Maristela. An Orc leaps onto Dwalin's barrel, only for Dwalin to headbutt it off and steal its axe.

The Dwarves see a low-hanging tree branch stretched across the ruver in front of them, several Orcs on it. "Cut the log!" Thorin instructed the Company; as he floats under it, Thorin hits it with his sword, then Bofur hits it with his weapon, and Dwalin, right behind him, hits the branch with his axe, breaking it and causing the Orcs on it to fall into the river. Bilbo manages to pull himself up atop a floating barrel, his eyes landing on Maristela as she manages to swing the sword in her hand, decapitating an Orc that dared to attack her but he noticed the way she struggled with the movements, the arrow wound more severe than they thought.