THE LAST HEIR OF ISILDUR

CHAPTER 19

꧁ Imminent Danger ꧂

Bain quickly shut the front door behind him, and leaned against it to catch his breath.

"What happened? Where's Da?"

Sigrid immediately asked him, noting the absence of their father. Fili, Arya and Oin also turned to look at him, seeking explanations.

"I don't know. The Master's guards were there and we had to part ways, but I'm sure he'll be back."

He replied, moving closer to his sisters. The older one nodded and decided to go out for a breath of fresh air and wait for her father, while the younger one held her brother tightly in a hug. Arya gave Fili a worried look, then changed the damp cloth on Kili's forehead.

Suddenly, they heard a scream of terror coming from the entrance. Sigrid ran inside and tried to close the door behind her, but an orc pushed her back violently, making his way into the house. The girl immediately took refuge under the kitchen table, while Fili parted from his brother to jump on the creature with his bare hands, in a desperate attempt to cast it out. At that moment, two other monsters entered the room, breaking the roof tiles and lowering themselves from above. The first collided with Oin, who started throwing dishes at him, while the second approached Bain and his sister menacingly. The little girl screamed in terror as her brother pushed her under the table to protect her.

Arya therefore moved away from Kili's bed, took the two swords she was holding on her back and thrust one into the orc's neck, before it could do any harm to the child. A fourth beast then fell from the ceiling and overturned the table, beneath which Bard's three sons were hidden, but was immediately stabbed in the chest by one of Arya's blades.

Three monsters descended from the roof shortly thereafter, while two more entered through the window and the main door. The latter, however, was stopped a moment after setting foot in the house: an elven-made dagger had pierced his back. The woman turned and saw the elf who had saved Kili from the spiders in Mirkwood enter the room, and then take care of the two beasts fallen from the roof. At the same instant, another elven blade pierced the orc that, passing through the window, had now reached her back. Legolas had lowered himself from one of the holes in the ceiling and had nimbly eliminated the creature, before it had the chance to hit the woman. Arya whirled around and gave the elf a surprised look.

"Are you all right?"

He asked hastily. She nodded, then looked over his shoulder and noticed another monster silently enter the window. The girl leaned forward, removed the sword from the scabbard attached to Legolas' belt and thrust it into the orc's abdomen. This time it was the prince's turn to widen his eyes in amazement. Arya pulled out the weapon, which she recognized as Orcrist, Thorin's blade, seized from him when they were in Mirkwood, and handed it back to its new owner with a smile, before turning to check the situation. There were no more beasts, at least not alive, and both the dwarves and the sons of Bard seemed to be fine, which allowed her to indulge in a sigh of relief.

"You killed them all!"

Bain exclaimed stunned, shifting his gaze from one elf to another.

"There are others."

Legolas asserted resolutely, glancing out the window to see a group of orcs moving away from the house.

"We must stop them before they reach your friends at the Mountain."

He then murmured, turning to the girl, who nodded gratefully: those creatures wouldn't get very far with two fighters like them on their heels.

"Tauriel, come."