Home Soon, Love (Book 1)

31 What Has Come To Pass Cannot Be Undone Part 1

My nerves got the best of me as I put on my rider helmet. I ran my hand through Hasufel's mane to keep my shaking hidden. "Try not to worry too much. I know it has been a while since you were attacked. But I feel that next time you encounter an orc, you shall kill it as if it were muscle memory." Eomer patted me on the shoulder. I leaned into the touch, glad to be comforted.

I hopped onto Hasufel and took him out of the stables. "We check the south eastern borders" Theodred ordered from his horse ahead of us. I commanded my own horse to speed up a tad so I rode next to Theodred. "Do not let your pride get to you Latalia. You must be sharp if we come upon Orcs" he looked ahead as he spoke. I scoffed, wanting to make it known how I felt on his comment.

"I can handle this Theo, I am stronger than you may think." he did not respond, for he now rode much ahead of where I was. "He must be in a mood." I rolled my eyes at the prince's attitude. Hasufel neighed in response to my bitterness, making me proud of him. 

The ride continued for around two hours, yet the feeling of tiredness never swept over me. The area turned from grassy plains to sudden rocky territory. We were nearing the eastern border of Anorien, to the point I could see Mordor's border's from afar.

"Up ahead lies Minas Tirith, friend of King Theoden" a rider was pacing on his horse next to me. "There lies a city almost as breathtaking and filled with life as Dale used to be. That is before Smaug attacked." the rider seemed to pat the horse's side with a certain pattern to his tapping, but I shrug it off. "My name is Basilia Jones" I decided it would be best to return to my maiden name since Bennet shall no longer remember me. "Luca, at your service" I smiled at his choice of words, for 'tis what Akita had first said to me.

"Are you troubled, Miss?" I hadn't noticed the thought of Akita made me cry until I felt a single tear drip down my face. I quickly wiped it away and put on a smile to show I was okay. "Yes, just thinking of an old friend. He also often introduced himself with 'at your service'." he smiled as we continued on. Hasufel carried me with the riders for at least another hour until a group of the riddermark came to a strong hault. I commanded my horse to stop as I hopped to the ground and crouched. I lowered my ear to the coarse dirt below to use a self-taught skill I picked up in Laketown.

The ground softly rumbled. "T'is something coming, they travel in a pack." only a few seconds did I stall, hopping back onto Hasufel. Before I could announce my findings, a rider far ahead of me was shouting. "Warg scouts. We're under attack!" men all around readied their spears and bows, prepared to take down the orc pack. 

Unlike everyone surrounding me, I grabbed double sided blades from each boot. Each side was engraved with vines and stars, another gift from the Gallagtola Tribe booth in Edoras.

The warg scouts were approaching near as riders began launching spears, some charged forward with spears straight out. There must have been over thirty riders with us and around the same amount of orcs. I jumped down from Hasufel and ran towards the fight, not wanting the horse to get injured in any way.

 I ran towards a stray warg, plunging my blades into each side of its face before pulling out and stabbing the orc above. I hopped up onto the warg to pull my dagger out of the orc's forehead. I cringed at the foul smell the creature gave off as I stumbled backward from the force of my freed blade.

A spear whistled straight past my head as it landed in the chest of an orc to my left. I looked for the owner of the spear and met eyes with a sad looking Theodred. His gaze only stayed on me for a second before he rode for me.