Fìriel

so we face them

I must go back, I cannot stay here any longer.

Théodred was like a brother to me since mine are so far away, he consoled my in my saddest times, protected me from Gríma. I found a friend in him, he and his family took me in when I was far from home. They helped me know Edoras as home. I knew I had to be home to console his family as he had done for me many a time.

No farewells from the people of the Citadel, we left in a hurry, it was well past midnight when we were ready to leave. Silently and swiftly we had gone, like shadows escaping the light.

"When we get home, they would already have buried Théodred, you know." Henadan stated solemnly as we trot thought the grasses, letting our horses rest a bit.

"I know, we also have to be there to help his family though this," I reply, "We are like family to them, and them us."

We push on into night, much to our mounts dissatisfaction. Nothing is hardly said between Henadan and I, we were obviously too busy on our own thoughts.

"Henadan?" I ask meekly.

"Hmm."

"We have been friends for nigh seventeen years, right?"

He pauses, "Aye."

"And yet I know nearly nothing of your past, how you became the Henadan that I know and love." I state with a smirk, he could be the most annoying person on the world, and he could also be the person I most relate to.

His head turned to me, the night darkening his features, almost silhouetting them. But his eyes refracted the light of the moon, a light grey they were; and the bore holes into me as we rode.

"I'm not from Rohan, as you probably know," He started, "I came from the north. No one knows this though, and I'm only trusting you because I know you have a similar history as I.

"We had to leave, the area around the Ettenmoors was dying. We did not live close by, though things were still fading, less birds we could hear, game was almost non-existent, my father's crops failing. So my family left." He turned his gaze to the dark pink sky, envisioning the afore mentioned birds in his mind.

"After wandering nearly everywhere, we stopped to Gondor; my parents settled there in a little cabin near the woods, for the rest of their lives. They had good lives; they were good parents." He smiled, still with that distant look upon his features.

"I wandered to the gold fields of Rohan after my mother had passed and I saw the Rohirrim riding in the distance. I then knew I wanted to do something in life that would make my family proud. The people here in Rohan have this sense of honor that cannot be shaken, I admire them for that."

"That is a quality I admire as well," I agreed, "Their courage and truthfulness are other things that always impacted me." Then I add, "Much like our ancestors, the Nùmenor were like; though the Rohirrim might not be as wise, they sometimes remind me that not all of the race of Men are corrupt and weak." Oh joy, I have to put a positive twist to everything, I instantly regret my mouth running.

"Sorry." I mutter softly.

He laughed, "No! I completely understand, do not apologize, Fíriel, I have thought that as well. It's just a common observation now for me. Though, Gríma Wormtongue is surely not the best of humanity. If that's who you are mainly basing your observations." He ended with a low chuckle.

I laugh with him, "Mainly him, yes." I admit. Though, it is becoming more apparent: I still have this growing faithlessness of the will and hearts of Men.

We had slowed more as we conversed, therefore we picked up speed once again though the night. The silence again making me take to my thoughts and making miss Théodred all the more.

We finally decide to break for food and a bit of sleep, Fwalda gladly enjoying his sweet reprieve from the nearly-constant riding. I volunteer to be first watch as Henadan slept.

I stare up into the stars, as I sat apart from Henadan in the night. Bright and shining the white spots in the sky were, on top of a nearly black velvet-looking entirety, never-ending and forever as it always is.

I turn my head as I heard a distant noise, perhaps three hundred yards away. Whoever it is they aren't being quiet, I muse. As I stand to wake Henadan, I heard a much louder and closer crash on my left.

I gasp, I see the silhouettes of a few large orcs. "Henadan, rise; I see orcs." I whisper frantically, shaking him none too gently. He murmurs softly, then it seems as though my words sunk in finally, and he jumps up and gathers his weapons. "Gather what you can, I'll go see."

"They are in the northwest and the east," I instruct, pointing him in the right direction.
He goes to move making a louder sound then necessary, "And go quietly. You aren't sneaking up on me this time." I admonish him lightly. They haven't spotted us yet, and I was determined to keep it that way. He chuckled lightly and moved more carefully.

I quickly gather what we had then I loosen my sword in my scabbard and my arrows. Bow in hand, I follow where Henadan had been, I see the band of orcs, they are the ûruk-hai, they are much larger and more tolerant of the sun than other orcs I have heard.

"Henadan!" I call softly as I saw him, he was much too close to them. He sees me and backed away quietly. "We need to leave," he states and leads me to our ready horses.

As we are about to mount, one orc finally spotted us. Immediately that one started to make ruckus, screeching and bellowing in, what I guess was Black Speech. Henadan and I mount and force our horses into a gallop, all of our stealth from before forgotten.

I twist my head behind me, great, they have wargs. I start aiming and releasing my arrows into the the heads of either orcs or wargs. The mad chase led into a more woodsy part of the territory, therefore, getting a clear shot was difficult.

There were only a little more than a half-dozen orcs and two wargs, from what I could tell, left. Henadan realized this and halted his horse, drawing his long sword, calling me to make ready.

So we face them.

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So here's a cliffhanger aha

see? I'm trying to be better about publishing..
'Do or do not, there is no try.'
Shut up, Yoda, I can do this. >_<

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