Chapter 4:  a nightmare unfolds

Gladhion´s POV:

The Crown prince held up his hand, signalling the warriors riding behind him to stop. They had set out an hour before to meet with the guards from Lothlórien who were escorting his mother and his youngest brother on their way home.

Galadhion was as unhappy as his father was about allowing Legolas to come with his mother, yet he had refrained from uttering anything after witnessing the heated argument his parents had already held on that matter. In prior years Galadhion had often accompanied his mother when she travelled to Lothlórien – he was always happy to visit his grandparents – yet this year with the increasing orc activities all around the stronghold he could not be spared from the guard.

It wasn’t that he did not trust Galion, he was not the chief of his father’s Royal Guards for nothing, yet he also knew his mother. The guards would be hard pressed to resist her wishes even against their better judgement.

His troops had nearly reached the gathering point now, a little clearing twenty leagues north of the river. There they would relieve the guards of the Golden Wood and travel back the way they had just come. He would only breathe easier when they had accomplished their mission.

When the ten warriors and the six guards of the royal escort had stopped Galadhion tilted his head and listened. He was under the impression he was hearing noises coming from the clearing – noises that had nothing to do with a few guards accompanying the Queen and her son back home.

In seconds he had identified the sounds, he grew pale and the blood in his veins ran cold. A look over to Galion´s face confirmed his fears. What they were hearing were the typical snarls of orcs and the agitated neighing of horses.

There was no need to give the order; the group of elves spurred their horses into a fast gallop, concern and worry speeding their approach.

When Galadhion cleared the trees he stopped his mount sharply. Surprise and horror fought hard for dominance in his mind. He was surprised to see that no guards from Lothlórien were present, and he was horrified to see his mother being attacked by orcs and a warg which were surrounding her horse.

The Queen suddenly cried out in pain, leaving the Crown prince no further time to ponder how what he was witnessing could be possible. Without wasting another second Galadhion accompanied by the guards and warriors raced into the clearing, attacking the orcs as they rode. Before the orcs recognized that new combatants had entered the battle, most were dead or were being chased by enraged elves into the woods. Too surprised and already sure of their victory over their easy prey the orcs had not given much resistance.

After Galadhion ended the life of the final orc in the clearing he heard a thud and whirled around. His mother had fallen from the great horse. The war-trained mare was swaying and already sinking down onto on her knees. Galadhion could clearly see a great wound on her belly.

During the battle Galadhion had made sure that his mother was pushed back to the edge of the clearing. As long as she was atop of the horse she was as safe as she could be in such a situation. His father had personally trained the mare finally given to his wife. A fully trained war horse was a force to reckon with and only death could part such a faithful companion from its owner.

The horse would have never let the Queen tumble from her back, yet the swaying body of the great beast showed clearly that it was gravely wounded. With much greater horror however Galadhion looked at the still body of his mother. The battle noises faded from his consciousness as he ran across the clearing.

With a cry of utter despair he skidded to a halt and knelt down next to his mother. With shaking hands he carefully turned her light body over. His mother moaned and opened her eyes and Galadhion thanked all the Belain he could think of that she was alive.

Yet his joy vanished quickly when he looked into her waxen face and the growing red stain on her gown over her abdomen.

“Do not move, Naneth,” he chocked his voice trembling like his hands. Elarynia however grabbed his frantic hands already trying to tear her gown open.

“Galadhion, stop!” she whispered while still holding his blood stained fingers. “I’m fine; you must search for your brother!”

Galadhion looked at her if she had spoken in a language he had never heard. And it needed moments for him to digest what his mother had told him. With a jerk of his head he looked around the clearing. In all the chaos he had forgotten about Legolas. All blood drained again from his face when he could not glimpse his little brother anywhere.

“Tulus, Calan!” Galadhion cried while he was gently freeing his hand from his mother’s grip. With practiced movements he pressed a patch he had ripped from the gown on the gaping wound in her mother’s belly.

The ordered elves came over at the summons and while Calan, the trained healer of the royal escort, was already kneeling and unpacking his healing supplies, Tulus waited on his Lord’s commands.

Gently prying the fingers of Galadhion away the healer looked briefly at the wound and then pressed a more suitable patch of linen against the injury, trying to ignore the pained-filled moan of his Queen. He forced a reassuring smile onto his face. Elarynia recognized the futile gesture to calm her and she closed her eyes trying to pant through the pain.

Only unconsciously recognizing that the healer had taken over Galadhion rose. “Tulus, my bother Legolas has to be here somewhere….” he informed the guard although this was not necessary. All members of their party knew that the Queen had been in the company of her youngest son and they had already started to search the clearing. The expression on the guard’s face told Galadhion that they had not found his brother so far.

“My Lord!”

The soft, yet anguished call of the healer let Galadhion turn and again kneel at his mother’s side. He grabbed her hand and was shocked at the coldness he felt. He looked first at the healer and then at his mother. Elarynia had her eyes open and was looking at him with a detached expression. This was so out of the ordinary that the implication hit him like a blow. His mother was dying!

“No!” he cried in utter desolation looking at the healer with a partly pleading and partly accusing expression. When Tulus only lowered his eyes Galadhion could no longer hold back his tears.

“Nana, no…” he pleaded his sight blurring with tears. Elarynia reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry, my son. Please find your brother and look after your father….!”

Overwhelmed with grief Galadhion could not so much do then nod. When she had closed her eyes and her hand had fallen limply to her side Galadhion rose unaware of the many gazes following him in concern. Slowly he passed the great horse of his mother –also dead by now, relieved of its pain by one of the guards.

Before any of the elves could anticipate what he wanted to do he had swung atop his horse and raced from the clearing. He had failed to protect his mother he would not fail in bringing his little brother back.

Tulus only swore under his breath. With as quick a move he mounted his own horse and raced after his prince.

…………………………………..

Earlier, on the Path from Lorien…. (Elarynia´s POV)

Legolas was singing softly and every time when they passed a tree near enough he stretched out his hand to caress the bark or let his fingers trail over the leaves.

Elarynia smiled at her little son. Her third child was so different from her other two sons. Her oldest was always earnest, almost too much for her liking. Galadhion was taking his responsibilities serving his father very seriously, and even if her heart burst with pride, she often wished a less troubled life for him. He was overdue to find a wife and enjoy the happiness of being a husband and a father.

Her second son was the complete opposite of her firstborn. Saeron was as dutiful as Galadhion, yet his blood hummed in rhythm with excitement. He hated ever doing the expected. He loved challenges and grabbed them whenever they presented themselves to him. She loved him so much; he was very like herself.

Legolas, of course, was her sunshine, her baby, his character not yet formed but clear to glimpse. He lived in perfect harmony with nature, loved all living things and had an open and easy nature. He resembled his father greatly, and not only in appearance.

The Queen directed an amused glance at the guards of the Golden Wood flanking her on each side. Legolas was chatting happily pointing out all things his active mind registered and the guards obliged indulgently by answering and listening intently.

She was happy that she had decided to bring her young son with her. Her parents had been overjoyed to finally greet their third grandchild. Legolas had shown no shyness and had been spoiled rotten by his new grandparents.

After six weeks however she had begun to miss the rest of her family and now she was eager to return home. Through their bond Thranduil had more than once made clear how much he missed her. She could happily give back this feeling and had done so.

Now it would not take long to meet with the party of Mirkwood. She could barely wait to finally stretch her aching back and set her excited elfling onto his own feet again. Did this child never tire?

Then a sudden idea struck her. If she relieved the guards of Lothlórien she would be able to travel much faster to the point where Galadhion would be waiting for her.

She appreciated the caution the Galadhirm were displaying but since their departure no creature, beast or otherwise, had shown up and it was the best of weather in the middle of the day. What could possibly happen in the few miles still to go?

“Nana, when do we arrive home?” Legolas asked for the uncounted time and the Queen could only share her youngest´s eagerness to finally arrive.

With a determined tug she stopped her horse, eliciting a few raised eyebrows of the guards. Instantly the warriors formed a protective ring around Mirkwood´s Queen. Elarinya shook her head.

“Tharan, relax!” she chided with a laugh. “It’s alright. Yet, I do not see any necessity for you and your men to come any further. I’m at home here. I know these woods well.”

She had not even ended her last word when Tharan shook his head. “I’m sorry, my Lady but I have my orders, not only from your Lord father but also from our Lord Celeborn. We must accompany you until the Crown prince has shown up to receive you.”

As soon as the guard had ended he knew that he had made a mistake in phrasing his account. He had not to wait long for the protest.

“Tharan, I’m no child!” Elarynia said exasperated. “I do not need to be `handed over`. We are well inside the inner ring of protection and my son and I want to enjoy racing my horse to the meeting point. We cannot do that while creeping along like this.”

She did appreciate the concern shown around her but sometimes it really unnerved her. She couldn’t make a single step without being watched or reminded to be careful. She had also grown up in these woods and was no helpless elleth. Her father had trained her well in using both bow and sword.

Still angry she did not notice the shocked expressions on the faces of the guards surrounding her. Despite clear orders, when the Queen of Mirkwood ordered them to retreat, they had no right to disobey.

Tharan however did the only thing he deemed right and held his tongue. Maybe the wife of Thranduil would cool down and see reason?

But no such luck. She still looked angry and it was clear that she would not concede any time soon.

Tharan however was not swayed. “My Lady! I cannot allow this. It’s my responsibility to ensure your safety!”

His shoulders rigid now the guard prepared himself for another round of debate, yet the Queen’s eyes softened and she looked at her protector nearly pleading.

“Tharan, I understand your plight, yet I beg you to do me this one favour. Look down the path; we can almost see the gathering point. Please allow me my freedom for this short distance. I promise I will not stray from the path. I will head right toward the meeting point. Nothing will happen and no one will ever learn of our agreement.”

Tharan sighed and looked at his companions. The three other guards kept their mouth. They loved the elleth too much to deny her a wish, yet they were equally concerned about her safety. Maybe the fact that she was also coming from Lothlórin and not from the more dangerous part of this great forest with which the guards were not that familiar tipped the balance or it could have been another reason entirely. Finally, however, they conceded.

“All right, my Lady, but we will remain here for some time until we are sure nothing will follow you. You have but to utter one word and we will be there.”

Elarynia smiled. She almost felt sorry for the guards. They were disobeying a clear order, yet they did it for her. This was one of the reasons for her to regularly visit her home. Although it was the same forest, the part south of the Anduin was more peaceful, serene and the elves there appeared more attuned with the song.

She knew she was not entirely honest and that she was comparing situations that were not identical, yet it did her some good from time to time to get away from the depressing atmosphere further north. Six weeks in the carefree atmosphere of Lothlórien had lulled her senses into a false sense of security.

Taking advantage of the moment she winked at the guards and spurred her horse forward, Legolas cried with joy when the wind whipped his hair into his face.

Soon she was out of sight and earshot. The guards, still unsure about whether or not they had made a mistake, looked down the sunlit path and after waiting long enough they decided to return home. They had not heard any disturbance coming from the trees and hoped that the Queen had enjoyed her short time of freedom.

Had they but waited one moment longer, had they but listened a bit more intensely or had they followed their instincts they would have been able to prevent a tragedy.

………………………………….

Elarynia reined in her horse sharply when the shrieks of her son suddenly changed from delighted into fearful. When the horse had stopped she bent forward to look into her son’s eyes. Legolas´ face was pale and with wide eyes he pointed into the trees.

Before she could even ask what had disturbed him they were surrounded by a great band of orcs climbing down from the trees all around them.

Without so much as a blink the Queen unsheathed the sword at her hip with her right hand, pressing her son against her body with her left. At this short distance her bow was useless anyway.

The first orc that reached her experienced the fact that Mirkwood´s female elves were well trained in defending themselves. Elarynia thrust left and right of her killing the foul beasts that were stupid enough to come within her arm’s range.

Her faithful horse displayed that she was as well trained as her owner. Many a skull or ribcage was cracked by her heavy hooves crashing down forcefully.

Elarynia looked around frantically. She knew that she could not hold on much longer. The number of orcs was too great. One would manage to sneak up on her and with only one hand for fighting she would succumb sooner or later. Had the orcs but one archer with them she would be lost anyway.

Legolas did not make any sound. She could not look into his face, yet she felt the trembling of her babe against her. Already she regretted her decision to send the guards away. Hopefully Galadhion would arrive soon. She had already reached the gathering point. She had only to hold on a bit longer…..

Just then something heavy collided with the horse and the poor beast was pushed to the side; the Queen and her son hard pressed to stay on its back.

Dazed and shocked Elarynia looked down at a big warg readying to attack again. She swallowed. This was a foe even a well trained horse was powerless against.

She hacked at the beast, yet the great wolf eluded her blow. Attacking again, the warg tore the skin of the horse’s belly open with his sharp claws. The mare reared up in pain and shock and Elarynia had difficulty not losing her balance.

At the last moment she grabbed the mane, yet Legolas slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the ground. With panic she hacked again at the warg, turning to attack the much easier pray right before his nose. All her mother’s instincts screamed at her in terror, and this time she was successful. She sank her sword deeply into the neck of the beast killing it instantly.

Suddenly she felt a searing pain in her right side. With a nearly detached manner she looked at the orc, sneering at her while pulling his sword from her side. Her fear for her child however let her push the pain behind her. The sword fell from her numb fingers and she bent down while pressing her right hand over the wound in her side.

“Legolas run!” she cried. The elfling looked up at her with wide frightened eyes. “Run!” She repeated, already feeling how strength was leaving her.

Her heart broke at the uncomprehending expression on her child’s face. Tears were streaming down the elfling´s face and he shook his head fearfully.

Seeing the orcs advancing she looked sternly at her beloved child.

“You must go! NOW! It’s alright!”

The elfling was stumbling back incomprehension and fear still on his face. With relief Elarynia watched as the little one ducked around the orcs, scrambled to the edge of the clearing and disappeared into the trees. This child was really loved by the Belain.

One orc started to follow the fleet footed elfling, but suddenly he changed his mind and turned back again, this charge obviously not worth the effort.

The Queen let out a sigh. Her head however whipped around when hearing hurried hoof beats nearing the clearing. She closed her eyes in gratitude.

Galadhion was coming! Now she could give into the beckoning pain free darkness.

To be continued……………….