This story takes place several winters before Redwick had suddenly found himself in Bree.
One might imagine that the life of a tower guard would be very uneventful. It is. But not as often it should be in Redwick's case, for he had his friends nigh and the knew well how to amuse each other. In that way their company was welcomed amongst each other.
A day came when Redwick was called down from his tower and was ordered to ride with an eored in attempt to assail an orc camp which had recently begun to grow significantly in size, it could not be ignored and the eored was some riders short due to an illness that had spread amongst some of them. In time all of those riders were seen to and cured of their illnesses, but it was not swift enough for them ride to battle with the eored that day. Thus Redwick had been placed upon the saddle of a horse and he held his bow firm in his hand as he watched the other riders gather all about him, readying themselves to haste forth to battle. Redwick was nervous and afraid, for that was to be the first time that he had ever seen battle and that day he had lacked the comfort of those whom he had known longest. Though he was amongst several other men he felt lonely as he very seldom would.
With a sudden cry from their Ceorl the eored was off to a trot as they began to leave the walls of Snowbourn and onto the cobble paths of the Sutcrofts. For many hours the sound of horse shoes clattering upon stone was heard before the riders passed away from the road and now went upon the grassy plain. And with a sudden signal of their Ceorl a horn was blown and the sounds of battle erupted from the fore front of their line. Then fear shook Redwick as he finally beheld the camp: In utmost center was a tall and wide tower, many orcs stood atop it and fired arrows down upon the riders. The walls were of wood like tree trunks and before them traps of sharpened planks were held aloft by the ground which kept them. In many places around the wall stood smaller towers than the great one in the center, and within those too stood orcs. Arrows whistled here and there, the sound and the cries of comrades terrified Redwick and he thought to flee whilst he still could. And before his body could enact his thought he rode into the shadow of a tower that stood beside a gate. Before he could flee from the battle he was a part of it. Now his train of thought had changed and instead of seeking to flee his desire to survive moved him, he reached for an arrow in his quiver and pulled it forth. He set it to his bow and bent it, aiming his first arrow high for the tallest tower and it struck an orc that was leaning over the edge to fire an arrow down upon an unsuspecting rider. With a foul cry the orc was struck and it's lifeless body came falling to ground only to be trampled by the steeds of the Rohirrim.
Corpses of orcs were beginning to pile upon the ground as the battle raged on, many riders were lost and the towers proved to be their bane. The Rohirrim began to burn the orc tents and slay the wolves that they have caged, a few riders were devoured by them but the wolves were outnumbered and nearly all were slain. Redwick in fear drew and fired his arrows at any orc that came into his sight, ducking every now and then as an arrow whistled close by his way. Now the battle seemed to fare well for the Rohirrim, one by one the orcs in their towers were struck by arrows and their legs set ablaze. Their raid was nigh completion and the orc camp in ruins when suddenly cruel cries and howls of great wolves were heard. Then what courage Redwick had mustered that day seemed shattered as suddenly from the gates of the camp orcs came pouring in, mounted upon great wolves. The Ceorl of the eored cried out his commands and the horn was blown again, he knew that it would be vain to combat mounted foes whilst mounted in an enclosed space, thus he had what survived of his eored pull out through the back gate of the camp that he had been discovered in the raid. Redwick followed his kin and some riders were hewn down as they fled from the camp. Once the space was great enough the ceorl brought his steed to a turn and the lines of horsemen followed, they rode straight into the flank of the wolf-riders, hewing their way through orc and wolf alike as they went through. Thus they tore their foe's line and many orcs had gone astray, making them easy to fell.
In that fight the riders too became scattered as they pursued the orcs, felling them one at a time. Redwick had kept his distance from both orc and Rohirrim alike, taking what ever opportunities that were granted to him for him to send an arrow towards a foe. But in doing so he had caught the attention of an orc that espied him as easy prey, towards Redwick he charged and he was aware of his approach as he came nigh. He spurred upon his steed and hurried forth, it seemed to him as though no riders had taken notice of him and when he reached into his quiver to draw an arrow he felt that there was naught to take a hold of. Now fear had taken him and his heart thumped hard in his chest, the orc pursued, coming closer and closer and he knew not what to do. He could hear that the orc was close by and the was snarling at the tale of his horse, and with the sudden sound of a blade swinging through the air Redwick's blonde mane had been seen waving through the air as he fell to the ground, his fear had clouded his wits that day and he paid the penalty as all went black.
....
When the darkness passed Redwick had found himself awoken with the care of the healers in Snowbourn at the barracks. He rubbed his eyes and wondered what had happened and how it was that he survived, but there were none there who knew the tale. And perhaps someday he would learn that the steed which bore had its leg hewn off by the orc and he fell to the ground and rolled several times, suffering minor injuries but he was knocked out cold. His horse struggled and shook its body as the beast lied helplessly upon the, the wolf began to feast upon the steed, slaying it with its vicious teeth. The orc had dismounted and began to approach Redwick who lied nearby helplessly, and at that moment the horn of the Rohirrim had blown again and it struck fear into the black heart of the orc. For he knew that the battle was lost for him and now several of the riders had come his way, both the orc and warg were slain before Redwick and he was borne away by another rider. He was fortunate that day, but he learned a great deal of how swiftly things can go ill in the heat of battle and that the decisions he makes can be fetal to his and his comrades survival.
