(Chapter 4)
Step by step her search was followed by a growing symphonies of bird song and animal sounds, the further she came form the ruined village the more life seemed to be return to its normal order. The forest seemed to have grown even bigger since her childhood and were she had expected cruel enemies around each tree, she found oceans of healthy berries, tasty roots and clear chuckling brooks.
''its fantastic... no surprise my father wouldn't leave, this place has changed so much since i left..'' her voice barely a whisper, didn't seem able to disturb the balance of the life here, no animals ran away from her as she continued her search through the forest, the almost invisible tracks of her father leading her, after hours of following them, she had no doubt any longer about the happenings by the village, her father had been alone to defend it and now, he was the hunted pry for orcs and wargs.. but why..
With shaken head she sat down by the closest tree, this trip had been nothing like what she had planned, it seemed like all she had left back in the days had turned against her except the few she had actually believed to be the most cruel, this forest had grown peaceful, but the signs of orcs was still around like any other place in middle-earth.
She unfold a map before her on a large stone and followed with worried expression the path the tracks had shown her until now, there was something completely wrong with it all, her father knew the forest better than anyone else but with each passing mile she came further away from the settlements and closer to the edge of the forest..
''Why to the east... There is only more darkness there what i have heard.. No one who can help.. What are you up to Ada.. By the Valars i don't understand anything these days...''
The rest was short lived, sounds of singing strings, flying arrows and screams caught her attention instantly as she quickly gathered her few belongings, maybe it was now it should prove a smart idea that she had bought a real scale armor along for once.
A quick sip of her half empty flask sent the fatigue on the run and a moment later she were sprinting through the forest, dodging low hanging branches, jumping over rocks and dug down behind a huge stone to take a look over the scenario before her.
Seven was the orcs, all of them with nasty swords and axes, three of them kept shields up to protect them self and their allies against the flying rain of arrows from the top of the giant tree they tried to put to the ground, a single cloaked elf in its top, sent a constant shower of death down over the evil offspring of Mordor.
His hood did its job with hiding his face, but even after so long, nothing could hide the brilliant craftsmanship of his plantlike bow from her sight.
The string kept singing its deadly song until it suddenly stopped, exchanged with a short scream of surprise and the crashing sound of splintering wood as the tree tipped over and hit the ground in a explosion of flying wood darts that wounded several of the orcs.
Without a second thought, she raise from her hideout, even through the dust the orcs made sound enough for even a human to pick them out, and just as they thought they had put a end to the deadly rain of arrows, another just replaced it, one orc felt, followed by another, never managed one to raise the shield fast enough to prevent their own death and a moment later, Forelire stood over the corpses with still the bow ready and studied them with disgust, these weren't the orcs she remembered.
''Aw.. damned orcs.. I'm right here, if the tree didn't killed you ugly bastards, i will do it!'' The voice was deep, singing and calm, even in the taunt his voice seemed more like a part of the woods and he stood stunned with blood dripping from several deep wounds, as he went out of the trees shadow to face his rescuer.
Sap green eyes met his of dark umber, no one of them moved and it was first when the adrenalin faded from his body, that he collapsed to his knees, the pain rushing through every part of his being and he found his lost daughter kneeling by his side, lifting a water skin to his lips. ''Drink Ada, the orcs are dead..''
He couldn't believe it, Forelire had entered Mirkwood again..
''More will come.. There always do.. We has to be going, they has to be lead away from the elves..'' Coughing ended his words and Forelire's heart froze as blood spotted his hand ''You are in no condition to continue, lets find you a healer.. Someone else can do this instead..'' Harsh as the words left her lips, it wasn't able to hide her concern for him.
''No! I'm not going back, its too long and the elves knows nothing about me still, i'm glad all survived, but your mother made her choice this time.. There is nothing left for me back there.''
You couldn't miss the pain, as it ran over his pale face, emotional as well as physical, he meant it with all his heart..
''Ada...'' Words had left her for once, her father had always seemed like a calm person in harmony with everything around him, even the stubborn heartless woman he had spend so long time with.
''No, Iavasmeril, my mind is settled.'' Sad was the smile, but the surprise was complete, when he found himself supported by her, as he tried to stand up again.
''Fine, show the way, i am not planning to go back to tell her where you are.''
Day became night, the stars lead them with their pale light and the moon hung big and bright over the trees tops, the groups of Orcs found them more frequently, always sent back at the run, but as the hours pass, the more empty went Forelires flask and with that returned the fatigue, her fathers wounds gained company by others and when the dawn returned, it was clear to her, he wouldn't make it much longer.
Day wasn't any different from night, a small group of orcs found their little hideout between the roots of a giant oak, three orcs she kept at bay with swords in hand, arms burning with pain of exhausting and several wounds, the armor had saved her for a lot of damage, but even protection couldn't make up for the lack of sleep she had suffered over the pass days.
Without knowing how she did it, she put down all three enemies and grab her deadly wounded father, with his arm over her shoulder she forced him through the forest, not thinking of the direction any long, the sound of the wargs made a fine motivation to just move on and it was also the last sound she heard, before she pushed him into a cave and collapsed next to him, her conscience slipping from her grip.
