Muted protection

Chapter 8

Linwaethiel's POV
I watched as more arrows pierced Boromir and I remained on the ground. Hearing a scream I soon realised it was me. I started desperately to reach him when I felt my hood get ripped back. I continued to struggle before a fist connected with my stomach and I collapsed forward.

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I awoke sometime later to feel myself being jostled. With my ears ringing I opened my eyes to see the back of an Uruk-hai, turning my head I saw other Uruk's running and I realised I was hanging upside down from an Uruk's shoulder. As if only just realising my body started registering the pain. I grunted in pain as my hip dug into the Uruk's shoulder. I kept my head down and tried to register what was happening. We were running. That much I knew. Where were the hobbits I thought and lifted my head glancing around. Hearing cackling I turned my head to look at an Uruk behind my.
"The elf's awake!" I glared at him before I felt the Uruk carrying my dig his shoulder into my hip. I grimaced in pain but kept looking for the hobbits until I saw them a little further back talking to each other. Suddenly I see one of the Uruk sniffing the air.
"What do you smell?" Another asks.
"Man flesh." The first one answers and I instantly think to my father and feel hope begin to bloom before we set off running and the hope is quickly crushed as the pain in my thigh explodes, and I cry out earning a laugh from the Uruks around me.
"Haha that's what you get for being a female trying to be a male." I gritted my teeth as I glared daggers at him, checking to see if I still had mine, trying to reach for one I realised my hands were bound behind my back. I grunted in frustration and lowered my head again.
At nightfall I awake again and find myself lying on the floor the Uruk's and Orks above me arguing over something.
"What about them? They're fresh!"
"They are not for eating!" I quickly realised they were talking about the hobbits and struggled to roll over onto my feat.
"What about their legs? They don't need those. Ooh! They look tasty!" An orc says drooling as he looks at them. I gritted my teeth but kept still as one orc looked down at me. Temptation and list mixing in his eyes. I gritted my teeth and scooted backwards trying to hide my head further beneath my hood before I realised I wasn't wearing it. Looking back to the confrontation I caught the eyes of the hobbits and nodded my head checking if they were alright. Their faces marred in confusion before brightening and nodding. Behind them I see an orc sneak up brandishing a knife.
"Just a mouthful. A bit off the flank." Panicking I roll to my feet and run at him but am stopped by an orc who throws me to the ground. Looking up I see an Uruk cut off the Orc's head which bounces off Merry's shoulder and rolls to a stop in front of me. I shift away, gagging in disgust.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" The Uruk-hai pile on the dead orc and begin pulling at the carcass. I glance at the hobbits and give them a pointed look. Merry seemed to get the message and turned to Pippin.
"Pippin, let's go!" The hobbits try to crawl away, but Pippin is caught by an ugly orc, who sneers down at them.
"Go on, call for help. Squeal! No one's gonna save you now!" I rush to my feet, my balance impeccable for having a bleeding leg and my hands tied. I rush towards the creature and right before I reach it a spear pierces the orc's back. I scramble backwards as riders burst out and attack the orcs. Realising the predicament I quickly grab a knife from behind my waist and cut the ropes shaving it into an Uruk's heart before pulling it out and throwing it into an orcs head that goes to attack a rider. Whipping around I cut at an orc and start throwing knives out the surrounding orcs. Still with my knife in my hand I don't notice someone behind me until I feel them touch my shoulder. Whirling around I stop my knife before it can impale the man behind me. I breathe heavily and watch him take a step away from me, his eyes staying locked with mine. Realising that he must be uncomfortable with my knife in his face I lower it and try breathing normally. Relaxing I look around and try to find the hobbits. When I can't see them I start freaking out. I started running around checking under dead orcs and covered carcasses. When I couldn't find them I looked up and saw a giant forest before me. 'No!' I mouthed and tried running towards it but my wrist was grasped from behind me by the rider.
"Are you alright?" I glare at him and try pulling my wrist from his grip. His grip tightens and he tugs lightly. "Answer me."
I ignore his demand and try pulling away. Again his grip tightens and my eyes widen in surprise as he tugs me harder, wrapping an arm around my waist and pinning me against him. I struggled and wordlessly swore at him.
"Gredwal!"
"Yes sir --!" The soldier that came up stopped as he saw me and his eyes widened. I thought I recognised him but I couldn't quite place him. He was old and had a beard starting to brush his chest.
"My Lady?!" He gasped and I stopped moving, staring at him. "You are Lady Linwaethiel are you not?"
I nodded silently and kept an eye on him as I felt the riders grip loosen. I tried push him off but he tightened his grip again.
Seeing the guard raise his hands I stopped moving again.
My lady, please do not struggle we are trying to help. My eyes widened as I stared at him before finally realising who stood before me.
Gredwal? Little boy? I motioned back once the rider had released me. Seeing a known face I felt relieved and darted forwards to hug him.
"Gredwal, what is happening?" The rider behind me demanded and we turned to face him.
"My apologies my Lord Eomer. This is Lady Linwaethiel. I knew her back when I was a young lad, though I have never truly seen her face as she chose to keep her face hidden."
My eyes widened as I realised the rider was the young Lord Eomer of Rohan. I looked at him before bowing my head.
My apologies, My lord, I did not know who you were. I was separated with two of my companions from the rest of my company. I gestured and saw him looking confused.
"Gredwal, what is she saying?" The guard steps forwards and translates what I said.
Looking relieved, he turned back to me. "Though I do not know where your other companions are, there is a risk of them having been killed in the skirmish."
I shake my head, refusing to believe it.
They were hobbits! There should have been no doubt if they were killed! I gestured agitatedly and Gredwal took some time to translate.
"I'm really sorry my lady. But we can offer you safe passage to somewhere for you to stay until you are well." He says nodding at my leg. I looked down and saw my leggings had ripped showing my gash on my thigh. It was bleeding and my leg shook from fatigue. I felt sad but nodded in agreement.
Reaching for me, Eomer led me towards a horse and helped me up.
"Again you have my apologies, My lady." Eomer said again and I shook my head.
Please, call me Linwaethiel for I am not a lady. He looked confused and turned to look sideways and seemed to realise Gredwal was not present. Looking back he looked hopeless.
Call me Linwaethiel. I murmured in his mind and his eyes widened as he stared at me. I stayed calm and kept looking at him.
"Was that you?" I nodded.
It is a gift I was born with and developed to speak when others do not understand or my hands are busy. I smiled and shrugged before gasping when I saw Gredwal walking towards us. In his hands were my twin long knives, bow and quiver. He lifted them up and smiled at me.
"I found these on the body of a dead orc and thought you might want them." I grinned and nodded silently. He nodded to his Lord and climbed in the horse, sitting in front of me. Soon we set of, I wrapped my arms around the man in front of me and i fell asleep feeling the familiar motion of the horse below me.