Beyond the Fords of Isen

Ambush

The night was slow and cold. Boromir had fallen asleep beside Adalmaer, his snoring soft, and his warmth comforting. The woman had fallen asleep shortly after he did. A short distance away Gimli stood with crossed arms. He was beside a boulder, seeking eyes looking over the area.

If only his ears were as good as his eyes, the Dearf might've noticed a small host of wargs circling them. It wasn't until the pack leader, a massive gray warg, let out a loud, menacing howl, that seemed to wake the forest. Gimli readied his axe, his eyes wide.

Everyone snapped awake and immediately went on the defense. Boromir pulled his sword and stood protectively in front of Adalmaer, who had drawn her own blade. Frodo scrambled up a tree, the others following, while Gandalf, Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas remained on the ground.

Like a flood the wargs burst through the trees. They attacked from all directions. There were so many it seemed like, but their focus was the six on the ground. One leapt forward, its teeth bared, and aimed at Gandalf. With a swing of his staff , the creature was knocked back, unconscious but not dead.

Legolas released arrow after arrow, his aim true, but the wargs were too many. He switched to his sword. It wasn't until the pack leader, the biggest and scariest of the lot, that things started to turn ugly. With a loud snarl, the warg tore towards the group. Legolas shot at the beast, the arrow landing right between its eyes.

It didn't do much damage though, the warg continued on, its claws digging into the dirt, and its lips pulled back into a snarl. Gimli was the closest to it, and without thinking, the Dwarf charged the beast, and swung his axe. His weapon dug into the beast's jaw, causing it to rear and cry out.

The pack leader didn't go down, however, and was ready to attack again. This time, Aragorn intervened, his sword swinging and slicing. Gimli's axe did the rest and soon the warg was down. With their pack leader deceased, they scattered and fled, save for one that remained hidden.

Adalmaer lowered her sword and let out a breath. Her small figure was shaking, her knuckles white from the death grip she had on her sword. Being attacked she was okay with, but an ambush at night. No. Frodo dropped from the tree along with the other Hobbits and they ran towards Gandalf.

The last warg, the one that was still alive, took that moment to reveal itself. It charged the running Hobbits, its jaws open and ready. Merry and Pippin turned, their eyes wide. A flash of blonde hair ran past them, a blur, and a yell was heard. The last thing they saw was the warg collapsing and blood spurting from its neck.

Aragorn rushed to the fallen animal and found that its neck had been slit. A few feet away was Adalmaer. Her eyes were wide, her breathing erratic, and she was covered in blood. Boromir ran to her side, his hands taking her shoulders. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

Adalmaer's eyes focused, and she nodded, "I'm fine." She muttered. It was a risky move she took, running to the front of the beast, sliding under its neck, and using her sword to slice its throat. Still, her actions did the trick, and the Hobbits were spared.

"Let us eat quickly and go." Gandalf said. He was looking around, his brow furrowed, and his mouth pressed in a thin line. It turned out that the birds had seen them the day before and reported their findings to Saruman. Of course he knew they left the mountain, but because he didn't know where they had rested, he sent wargs.

The sun was beginning to rise when the company made to move. It was going to be a long day, they knew that. There wasn't going to be stopping unless necessary. Aragorn was in the front, and Gandalf brought up the rear. Gimli had his axe in hand, a frown on his face.

The trees were getting denser, the underbrush thick and wild. Frodo had his cloak drawn, the hood covering most of his head. Legolas had a look of unease, and the other Hobbits were tense. Boromir walked beside the Rohirrim woman, his brows drawn.