This tale take place about a month after the events in the story DEATH AND DESPAIR. Mearhe is away in Edoras for the Midsummer celebrations. Her infant son Léofara is in Aldburg in the care of a local woman named Gwenna when the town is attacked by a party of orcs. Gwenna, Léofara and other women and children are taken as hostages by the orcs.
GREAT RIVER, NEAR THE BORDER OF LOTHLORIEN - July T.A. 3011
The clearing fell silent as the bloodthirsty grunts and snarls of the orcs faded into the afternoon air. Pulling his sword free from the orc's cooling corpse the Elf captain turned around to survey the scene. Bodies lay sprawled throughout the forest floor, blood staining the green grass.
Orcs covered the ground with their dark bodies and twisted expressions. Scattered among the dark corpses were slim figures with pale faces. Rohirrim women and children bound by ropes and chains. Slaves. The Elf captain shook his head - the Elves had taken the orcs by surprise, but they had the time to kill their prisoners before getting killed. It appeared none had survived, but the orc leader had escaped.
After making sure all danger had passed the Elf captain sheathed his sword and turned towards his company. "Retrive the horses," he ordered, glancing at the mass of bodies then turning away. "We need to leave, there could be more orcs packs roaming around."
"Wait! We can't just leave them like this! It's not right." Another Elf objected, his eyes wide opened and fixed on the corpses of women and children.
The Elf captain glanced at him briefly before looking away. "We can't risk wasting time Milyawë, more orcs could be following these, more than we can handle. We need to go back to Lothlorien. "
Milyawë shook his head in indignation. Stepping forward, a younger Elf archer spoke, "He's right, my Lord. It may be a risk but it would be shameful to leave those women and children here like this. We are better."
"We don't owe Men anything." The Elf captain said spitefully.
Milyawë shook his head again sadly. "It is not about what we do or do not owe them, my Lord. It's because it's the right thing to do, the honorable thing...it is about us and who we are."
The Elf captain glared for a moment before lowering his gaze." Fine. We'll separate the bodies, burn the orcs and bury the rest. I'll send a messenger to Rohan, letting them know where we have left their dead. "
Milyawë nodded " Good! They deserve to know where their people are laid to rest." He said gently but firmly before walking towards the piles of bodies.
The company of Elves quickly got to work and spread out in the forest clearing. They made two piles, one for the orcs and one for the women and children. The orcs were dragged and thrown harshly across the clearing into their piles. After that the women and children's bodies were treated with respect. Milyawë made certain they were put in neat rows side by side.
A gasp suddenly sounded through the silent forest clearing causing heads to rise and turn towards the sound. Milyawë stood staring at a fallen woman. "What is it, Milyawë?" The Elf captain asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
Milyawë moved closer to the corpse of the woman and gently lifted her cape , a small bundle almost hidden by her side came into view. Crouching down, the Elf gently lifted the bundle to reveal a small human infant wrapped in a green blanket and fur. The child was a very young boy, dressed in a light green tunic and not making any sound, but his clear blue eyes were open and fixed into Milyawë's eyes.
The sky was slowly changing from the warm yellows, oranges and reds of a summer sunset, to the delicate violets and purple and blues of the evening, and above Middle-earth the first star began to glisten against the darkening firmament in a vision of beauty.
"It's alright, don't be scared *adaniôn, we are not going to hurt you." The Elf said gently to the baby boy in Sindarin.
* Son of man
