TEoV Excerpt #7

Malladryl ran ahead, jumped onto the edge of the cliff and stared down, her elf sense kicking in she saw far down in the valley below.  “There he is! But—who is that with him?” she thought, she ran back to the group huddle by the fire, “I’ve seen them! They’re down in the valley below! We must not tarry here any longer,” She explained to them, Pippin nodded, “Let us go,” He said.

“I feel we are being watched, we must move on, I don’t like being in this open area,” Frodo said looking around, Cirindiel sat up from the fire and stretched, “Sounds good, the sooner we find Malladryl, the better,” He said picking up his staff and setting it in its now familiar holster.  The four set out, walking briskly towards Bree, “I told Malladryl if we ever got lost that we should meet there,” Cirindiel said, “Right,” the hobbits said and continued walking.  Cirindiel caught Winnie’s eye, she smiled, looked away and walked on.

“Hurry hobbits! They’re leaving camp!” Cried Malladryl ushering the hobbits down the cliff one by one, Pippin, who was huffing and puffing, laughed, “Easy for you to say Miss Elf, you were born with cliffs, what I wouldn’t do for my after breakfast muffins!” Merry nodded in agreement, Malladryl raced ahead; she somersaulted off the side of the cliff to land on a boulder near the bottom, “Come on hobbits almost there!” She exclaimed, “They’re close,” Atti said picking his way through the brambles, the hobbits ran from out behind a boulder mumbling something about midday snacks, Atti stopped and suddenly they ran into him, Pippin fell down, and Merry shouted, Atti smiled, “’bout time,” He said.

Cirindiel kneeled down, examining a track, “Orcs went by this way, fresh too,” He told the group that walked up behind him,  Sam shivered, “Hope they’re gone,” Cirindiel stood up, Winnie was gone, “Winnie! Winnie where are you!” He shouted, Sam and Frodo, frightened drew their swords.

“What’s that!?” Asked Merry who picked his pace up to walk beside Atti, “I don’t know, I heard it too,” He said, he stopped, “Malladryl! Come quick! Are these Cirindiel’s footmarks?” he asked, Malladryl ran up, “Yes! I knew he came this way!” She replied, a groan came from Pippin, “No, not them again,” Merry’s voice behind them, they turned, there! Fighting was Cirindiel! And three others that she did not recognize, Pippin gasped, “Frodo! And Sam!” he exclaimed, Pippin and Merry ran towards them, “Hobbits!” Malladryl called and ran after them, Atti followed.

Winnie screamed, Cirindiel drew his staff as she slid from behind a boulder, “Orcs!” She cried, she stopped next to Cirindiel, breathing hard to catch her breath, she then grabbed her bow and readied an arrow, an Orc flew around the corner with sword raised above his head, she let loose her arrow, it whizzed past Cirindiel’s head an inch away and struck the Orc down.  Several more followed, she loosed arrow after arrow, “Yeeeaaaaaah!”  Sam shouted, charging into the fray.  Cirindiel summoned his fire and wind; Orcs fell to flames, and wind slowed them severely, arrows struck hard, and Sam’s warrior like blows also met their mark.  A loud yell made him turn, two more hobbits were charging toward them, swords drawn, a man followed behind wielding a flute.  Then he saw her, Malladryl ran after the hobbits, runes in hand. Already her eyes were turning red.  Lightning shot out of the ground, and from the sky, striking the Orcs down, Cirindiel turned to continue fighting.  Swords clashed, fire and wind and lightning blew and zapped.  Frodo and Sam, Pippin and Merry fought side by side.  Winnie and Malladryl nodded to each other, acknowledging a fast friendship.  They fought side by side also, as did Atti and Cirindiel.  Orcs fell, one by one.  When all of them were finished off, the group wearily sat down.  Winnie gathered wood and made a fire, “I’ll go hunting, since I’m the only one with a bow,” Winnie announced, she got up and left.  The gathered friends hugged, and introduced each other; “Mae Govennan” Malladryl said politely, Frodo and Sam nodded.  They all sat down and waited for Winnie to return.  Cirindiel fell asleep.