Livewire[LOTR]

Eighteen- Darkest before the dawn

Chapter Eighteen

I watched him fade, after the Orc raced off I went to the mans side and removed his helmet touching his side. I couldn't tell if he was dead or not, but he had lost a lot of blood. Leading me to believe the worst. So he had been right, and he had died to try and protect us. I felt, terrible. If I had just told my father, if I'd made him listen. Now the man who had warned us, all those days ago was dead. My sister went over to me, she let out a few quiet sobs as we looked into the bloody battlefield. Everything felt hopeless now. Was this all for naught? They would just kill us anyway, what was the point. No! Something told me. Don't give in, we have to fight. For everyone!

I scowled, and stood up. Grabbing the bow from Iviaans body and giving it to my sister. "We have to win. We have to." I said. She wiped the tears from her face, and nodded. Standing up and ripping the hem of her dress. Firing arrow after arrow into the sea of Orcs. I glanced at the gigantic Tunnel worms that where still spitting Orcs from their stomachs. Two of them was enough to carry an army without being detected. I ran towards Iviaans Eagle, the creature was now back to its old self. Crying for its master. I untied it. As it snarled at me I touched its head. "Please, we have to stop this fight then you can go to your master. Just work with me, this once." The eagle eyed me but opened its wings and allowed me to climb onto its back. We sored above the first worm. I fipped the blade in my hand as rain splattered onto my body splashing off me and into the air. "Catch me." I said to the eagle as I jumped from her back. The creature squeaked in surprise. As I jumped for the worm, my coat tail flying out behind me as rain pelted my body. I dug the silver blade into the worms stomach and gravity dragged me downward. It screamed in pain shaking its body, but that only caused the great sword to go deeper into its pink flesh.

When I thought I'd gotten enough, I jumped from it and plummeted towards the ground. I was still a good thirty feet from the grass, hopefully the bird would catch me. I yelled and saw it zip past me, my legs came in contact with its back and I winced as a very sensitive part of me smashed onto the birds back. I kicked it and it jumped forward out of the way of the falling worm. Now I had to find some way to set it on fire before the remaining forces could crawl out of it. I found a cannon within a few seconds and loaded it. Pointing it at the worms body and lighting the ammo on fire. Then unleashing it, it crashed into the dead worm and ignited. I covered my face as it exploded in a ball of fire causing bits of orc and flesh to land on the battlefield.

I went for the second one but noticed my sister had already taken care of it by dumping ammo around and on its back then firing flaming arrows onto its skin. This process would take slightly longer but it would worm. The worm screeched as it tried to put out the flames, but being partially submerged made it impossible for it to turn around or roll in the grass. This was a victory for us, and now that the Eagles had their riders back they would be back to picking off the orcs one by one. We finnaly had the upper hand. I landed the eagle near where Iviaan had fallen. She shrieked and raced towards her rider, sniffing and licking. Trying to get him to wake up. I lowered my eyes and touched the creatures head softly. "It wasn't your fault, you didn't know what you where doing. The Orc took your mind over... I'm sorry." The bird let out a long and sad coo noise laying down next to the body. I would take his pulse, but I decided not to because of all that blood. No one could survive that much blood loss. Anyway, I had a war to fight.

I hacked apart the Orcs that ran towards us. I saw two shapes moving above us and I looked at them, they landed neer me. Two more riders, good. We could use all the help we could get. I opened my mouth to tell them to help out but they ingored me and moved towards the body of Iviaan. "No, no no no no." Muttered one. He knelt down and shook the body of the dead rider. I turned around. "Hes dead, what are you doing. We need you out there. We are-" the bigger man cut me off by shoving me backward. "Amin feuya ten' lle" he snarled. "How can you talk about fighting when your dead lay strewn about. That is disrespectful." I stared, dumbfounded at the rider. How could he say such things, we couldn't possibly respect the dead and kill our enemy.

"We need you out there!" I yelled as orcs raced for me, I cut my sword threw their middle. One of the riders grabbed the body of Iviaan and heaved him on to their mounts. .The other remained with a human man. Both where dressed in full armor and decorated with weapons. They looked upset, but nodded at eachother. They couldn't morn on a battle field. They raced into the battlefield leaving me by myself. I went to the crying eagle, and touched its face. "I need your help, please." It looked at me with sad brown eyes. I smiled softly, trying to comfort it some. The creature stood opening its wings for me. I jumped onto its back and wiped the blood off my swords handle. There where just a few hundred left and our army was holding fast. I needed to find my father and sister, though. The eagle lowered just above the swinging axes. I scanned the ground for my family. I spotted my sister firing arrows from a tree into a group of orcs trying to climb up and get her. I flew the bird close to her and she jumped on.

Then I began to look for my father. I spotted him fighting the big orc Iviaan had shot in the eye. It was angrier then before. Hitting my fathers Oakwood shield with its mace over and over again. My father swung his sword at the creature cutting its face and body repeatedly but it seemed to be ignoring the damage done to its body. I zipped down and grabbed him. My father grabbed onto my hand, scowling at me. "I had that under control." I sighed and pulled him up onto the bird. I landed on the palace roof. A tangle of trees and branches, and some WatchGuard platforms. "You guys stay here." I muttered, looking onto the battlefield. Behind it, the rain was still poring but the night was getting less and less dark. It just have been reaching dawn.

Its always darkest before the dawn.