A Tale of Time

Chapter 12: The Chariot

Chapter 12: The Chariot

"To the King!

Gailien's feet thud against the ground, Dwarves surrounding every side of her as they run over the rubble bridge and into the battle against the orcs. The Dwarven army separate, allowing their King to lead the way through. Thorin cries out a Dwarvish war chant and the Dwarves begin to rally.

Her running comes to a halt as she meets her first enemy, an ordinary Orc. It raises its sword, bringing it straight down on her but she blocks it with the both of hers crossed over her head. It becomes a dominance for the upper hand and though she lacks the strength, she doesn't lack the stamina.

She twists her blades, ducking her head and rolling to the Orc's side as his sword cuts into the ground where she stood. Thrusting her left arm back, she cuts through his leg sending him squealing to his knees before she rises to her own feet, killing him with a knife into his back.

"One down, the rest to go," she mutters to herself.

The Orc is replaced in less than a second only this time, the creature hooks her with the hilt of his sword in her back. Gailien grunts loudly, falling face-first into the ground, her cheek implanting itself into the dirt. She spits out the gross substance, swinging her legs around to pull herself up and out of the way of another attack.

She blocks another attack, sending one it's way and they go back and forth for a few seconds, trying to find a decent opening when out of nowhere, the Orc lets out an animalistic cry and falls to the ground dead. Gailien's mouth drops open as Fili stands behind the fallen Orc with his sword held high.

"Excuse me," she states loudly. "That was my Orc."

"Yeah, and I killed it," he shrugs, moving onto a new enemy as Gailien also starts parrying one. They both manage to kill them off and turn back to each other, the battle raging on around them. Fili raises a finger to his face, gesturing to something invisible. "You've got a little...."

Gailien glares, harshly wiping her face with her sleeve to get rid of the dirt. "Yeah, yeah. You've got something too." She leans closer as though to inspect it. "Oh, sorry, my bad. It's just your face." Fili gives her an exasperated expression, tilting his head to the side as if to say 'really?'.

"Are you two actually having a conversation right now?!" Kili cries, his own enemy pushing him back near the pair. Gailien takes a few steps forward, thrusting her sword into the side of the distracted Orc. "Thanks," he breathes.

"See, that's how you should respond when someone helps you," Fili calls out, already occupied with another. "Learn your manners woman."

"Me?" she gasps, taking a break to slide underneath an oversized Orc, slicing through its...area. "Do I need remind you which of us cannot drink without spilling half of it down their face?"

"It's half the fun!" Kili answers, walking backwards past her, killing his own enemy. "And don't lie, I saw you spill your drink all over yourself back at Rivendell."

"Only after Dwalin knocked into me," she counters, breathing heavily as the battle continues. "That hardly has to do with manners. Us Elves are refined and courteous." Gailien double-takes the brothers who pause fighting to give her incredulous looks. She snorts, smirking broadly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

There are so many enemies. More than there are Dwarves and she begins to wonder if they even have any chance of winning this battle. They are handling their own enemies well enough but with every one they kill, it is replaced by two more. Her injured side begins to hurt again, but it is nowhere near the state of inhibiting her abilities.