Heart of Courage

Chapter 6: Valor

Aldith POV~

-It was not yet midday and already I was exhausted. I began to wonder what drove me to come along. At all costs Haldin must be kept safe.
I thought. I wouldn't let my brother be killed. Yes, that was the reason. My shoulder ached with a strange ferocity. As the pain grew, I wondered if I should tell someone. I grimaced. I tried to ignore the pain and listened intently to what was going on around me.

Someone had started singing and others joined in. I knew the song well. I was going to join in but thought better of it. A woman's voice would surely draw attention. So instead I listened and hummed along.

Suddenly an arrow whizzed past me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Heads turned towards me.
And
the
attack
began.

Orcs rushed out of the trees, swinging scimitars at unprepared men. Screams filled the air as precisely aimed arrows pierced our men. I stared in shock as Baril, one of our youngest recruits, was struck down. Farim, his brother, stood over him, warding off the Orc that would certainly have been glad to put him out of his misery. Tears sprang in my eyes as Baril's eyes met mine. His breathing faltered. His eyes were filled with pain. And suddenly, his breathing ceased. His eyes glazed over. Farim was struck down beside him. Neither would ever return to Ithilien.

In that moment, something came over me. Rage filled in my heart. They didn't deserve death. I would kill the creature that made them suffer. A snarl rose in my throat as I jumped into the battle. The Orc saw me coming and swung his blade at my head. I ducked, stabbing upwards into his abdomen. He shrieked and fell to the ground. I pulled my sword loose, grimacing at the sight of dark oozy blood dripping off of it. I searched desperately for Haldin, with no success.

Suddenly I found him. Beredon and a choice few of our best archers were fighting for their lives.

"Haldin!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. He turned to look at me. Confusion spread across his face as he tried to discern who I was. Suddenly he was knocked down by what I guessed to be the Orc captain. I shoved anyone who was in my way aside, racing to reach my brother before it was too late.
I ran in front of him, blocking the scimitar from skewering him. The Orc snarled at me, attempting to knock my sword from my grasp. I held on. This continued for quite some time. Sweat rolled down my face, when suddenly I had an idea.

I swiped my sword aside, twisting his wrist. He snarled in pain. I thrust my sword into his arm. The shriek that emitted from his throat was deafening. His sword clattered to the ground. I finished him off.

~Beredon POV~

I heard a bow twang and turned towards the noise. Something pierced my left shoulder.
Oh great.
I stumbled backwards. I couldn't hear anything. Haldin's lips moved, but no sound came out. What is going on? Everything was
spinning. I felt myself falling. It felt like forever before I finally hit the ground.

And the sound barrier broke.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
A horrible burning pain raced from my shoulder all the way down my back. A particularly large and ugly Orc noticed me. He grabbed a sword that was sticking out of a carcass and walked towards me.

His face filled with malice, I knew what he was preparing to do. I tried to move but it hurt too much. I cried out yet again, which I had been trying not to do. Haldin was trying to reach me, but another Orc was holding him back. Haldin continued to fight.

"If you wish for this little squealer to live, I suggest you stop struggling." A croaking voice came from the Orc that was preparing to kill me.

"What do you want?" Haldin replied.

"You will show us the way into the maggot-hole you call a home. Or else this one-"

Here he pulled me up by my shirt. I gasped for breath.

"Gets gutted. Understood?"

He threw me back on the ground.
I screamed again. I felt tears forming in my eyes.

Haldin's eyes met mine. For the first time, he really looked scared. My fearless leader, was scared.

"So what'll it be? The way in-"

He pulled me up again.

"Or his life?"

"Haldin, don't. Don't listen to him!" I yelled.

I was thrown to the ground again.
Tears rolled down my cheek.
The Orc drew forth a curved knife. He held it to my throat. I tried to reach my sword but I couldn't. My heart hammered.

"Scared, boy?"
He laughed. "You should be."

The knife was pressed further onto my throat. I didn't dare move a muscle.

"Wait!"

Haldin, no.

"No, Haldin. Let it go."
I choked.

"Alright then. If you won't talk, this one dies."

The dagger was poised above my head. Beads of sweat rolled down my face. This was the end.

"NO!" Haldin screamed.

The knife began to fly down towards me. I curled up into a ball, frozen in terror. My eyes flew shut.

Clang!

I flinched.

The Orc screamed in anger. I opened my eyes.

Aldith.

The Orc swung his blade at her. She blocked it, staggering backwards at the weight of the blow. He swung at her again. She ducked and parried the blow. She fell over. He took one step towards her, but she was up in an instant.

She swung at his head. He lifted up his shield, parrying the blow. He knocked it into her cheek. She gasped and fell over.

"Aldith!" Haldin and I screamed.

She tried to get up but wasn't fast enough. The Orc lifted her up by her neck. She gasped for air. He threw her at a tree. Her head hit the bark and she fell limp.

"NO!" I screamed.

He laughed and turned around.

"You care for her, do you?"
He snarled.

"Good. Then you can watch her die."

He ran towards her, knife raised.

She looked up weakly.

He stabbed downwards. But her sword plunged deep into the belly of the Orc. He shrieked and fell to the ground.

"Aldith!" I cried.

She got up and ran over to me. The other Orc that had been holding Haldin down was running away. In fact, the entire army was. She pulled me up.

"Oh Aldith!" I cried. She pulled me into a tight hug.-

A/N
Thank you so much for reading! I know, it's an extremely long chapter. But I had a sudden inspiration and had to write it all down. :)
What if I had killed off Beredon? Would you have been sad? He's really grown on me. It was too hard to do that. :)