Shadow of Light (Uruk-Hai x She-Elf)

Rutgalgakh

She lay there, in the dark, early morning. It was a little too early to get up but too late to go back to sleep, so she just lay there silently, having nothing better to do than to think. Yet her mind never really thought about anything in particular. She just thought. The days had been going by slowly. Slower than they once had. What would her mornings be like when she would leave? She supposed that depended on if she went north or if she went back home and just hoped Legolas would help with the stigma. That might be safer, but that would run the risk of people threatening the child. So which was better? Go home and have the support of family and the protection of the city? Or head north and live freely without judgment or threats to the child. She wasn't sure. Living alone sounded nice, but she wasn't sure how she would manage to feed herself with a babe in arms.

She rolled over on her back, heaving a sigh. It didn't matter for the time. She wasn't at that point yet anyway, but she did need a plan of action. Maybe it would be best to wait and decide after telling Legolas and getting his input. How would he react? Should she tell him the truth or make up another story? That was a slightly more pressing issue. She would have to work that one out soon. But for now, she was just not in the mood to think about it. She rose from her bed, crossing the room to a mirror hanging on the wall. It was so strange to see herself now with child. She'd never thought of herself as being a mother. She had mostly expected to remain a spinster in the woods, running and hunting freely. Well, life seldom goes as expected. Shaking herself, she moved for the door making her way to the ward. Not like she had anything better to do.

The men had risen, mounted their horses, and returned to the path before them. They were roughly halfway there, and would soon see the Pale city in the distance. Honestly, he wasn't sure what it would take to end this war. He didn't see how they could defeat the Dark Lord, but that was for the lords to decide; he was simply there to make sure their plans worked. That was how it had always been. Even when he followed his master, it was just left to him to impart judgment on such topics, all Ghash had to do was see to it that his will was carried out. But it was one thing to fight a war as a soldier, it was quite another to stop a dark, god-like being beyond his understanding. 

Regardless, this was battle; he understood battle. That was all he needed he supposed. Just take it step by step, one battle at a time. It didn't matter how long it took, just so long as they reached their goal. They had survived Isengard, and while the orcish race was older and Mordor much grander, it was still a battle against orcs compared to a battle against the fighting Uruk Hai. Might as well take the silver linings when they were available. 

They raced across the fields like an unstopping wave of horses and shields. Each man had come to grips with the idea of the battle and was not going to be intimidated, certainly not by orcs of Mordor. At this point, they'd begun to forget or at least ignore that Ghash was there, simply riding with their eyes set forward. They'd worry about an Uruk in their ranks later, but for now, they had better things to focus on. Whatever his reasoning, he seemed determined to fight for them rather than against, which would have to be enough for now. The rocky terrain of Rohan slowly began to even and smooth as the fields melded into those of Gondor. They were getting close, it was only a matter of time. Soon, they would face their enemy and see who would come out the victor...

Elayin had tended the men for a while. Little of interest had occurred as she sat in the corner of the room, resting for a time before she would return to her self-assigned duties. She'd been lost in her thoughts, none of them particularly serious or important. Just stupid things, like trying to remember the ending of an old story from her childhood or whether she still disliked chestnuts. She's had far too much to think about of late, so she probably needed to just think of nonsense.

"SIR, I'LL TRY AGAIN!!" Elayin jumped in surprise at the sound of the voice until she realized from whence it had come. A young, strawberry-blonde boy, lying prone on a cot for days, sat bolt upright from unconsciousness, yelling various disjointed phrases in a state of panic. Elayin leaped from her chair, grasping him by the shoulders, trying to keep him from thrashing or standing.