Different Sense

Different Sense: 12

“For you see, wizard, Lothiriel was banished to live a life of exile, unless she was caught. See, she was not to return, not for any reason. She has returned to this place several times now, and each time she has escaped. But not this time, I shall freely admit that it has angered me how many times she managed to escape.” He paused. “As a traitor, she betrayed her father and this forest. It is because of that that I have it all so well guarded.”

“You liar!” She shouted out again and snatched her arm from Thorin's grasp. “You twisted, evil, warped man!”

“Do not speak so harshly to your Lord!”

“You are not my Lord! My father is my Lord!”

“Was,” the Lord commented with self-satisfaction while pointing up.

Lothiriel's large eyes blinked and she looked up. Her mouth opened and tears slowly welled in her eyes. She placed her gloved hands over her mouth as she shook her head.

“You committed a treason towards the former Lord,” her uncle explained while giving the decapitated head of Lothiriel's father, his brother, a solemn look.

“You liar! You twisted, and turned and warped everything. I loved my father, I would never work against him. He was the only being in this world that truly understood me, I would never, never, construct a traitorous act towards him.” Lothiriel spoke strongly. Staring at her kind she ignored the silent tears which fell. “Are you all telling me, that you believe such words from a usurper?”

“I am not-”

“Shut your mouth, or I will cut out your tongue!” Lothiriel shouted at him so fiercely that it seemed like she was a completely different person. “You kill my family, you kill my friends. If you kill my friend as a way of getting to me, then so help me...I will not be held responsible for my actions.” Lothiriel looked at him darkly. “So I shall ask you to let Mr Baggins go, or else.”

“Who said it was just Mr Baggins I intended to have killed?” The Lord managed to squeak out although his smug disposition had been sorely shot down by Lothiriel. “I planned to have them all killed and then set you free.”

“You'd punish me for your jealousy over my father?” Lothiriel questioned, there was no answer. Her uncle however waved a hand to Eruheran.

Bilbo's heart seemingly stopped for a second as the nymph before him raised his sword. He took a slow step forward only to have his path intercepted by Lothiriel. She had discarded Thorin's cloak, unsheathed her swords and charged forwards.

She stood between him and Bilbo's suspended form. “You take another step, and try and hurt my friend, and I shall slit your throat.”

“Oh!” The Lord exclaimed somewhat excitedly. “A challenge?! Come now Eruheran, raise your weapon. I did not make you Captain of the Lord's Guard for nothing.”

Eruheran looked to his master with a frown. “You said to have only the members of the company executed, you said nothing about Lothiriel's death.”

“Yes well, that was before she challenged and threatened you.” The Lord said bluntly. “Now do what I ordered!”

Eruheran looked to Lothiriel who still stood with both swords raised. “Lothiriel,” she shook her head slowly, she didn't want to hear him try and talk her out of this. It was clear all her emotions where out of kilter. 

There was a pause before Eruheran looked up at her with a hardened expression. His dark eyes seemed all the darker as his grip on his sword tightened. It was so silent that when the sound of the wind echoed through the branches both fighters charge forwards. There were no sounds from either of them, Eruheran was the first to launch an attack which Lothiriel easily leant backwards from.

She twirled both blades and took on the offensive driving Eruheran back and away from Bilbo. When the two clashed blades and they became interlocked, Lothiriel let out a yelp when Eruheran pushed her back and his sword cut across her arm. Looking at the blood quickly, she lifted her weapons up to block more attacks. Eruheran was far stronger than she was, but she had speed. Quickly she side stepped and turned, stabbing one sword into the soft ground, she turned in a blink of an eye. Reaching forwards she grabbed Eruheran by his hair before he could turn to attack her again. Slicing the back of his knees, he fell to the ground in pain, and bleeding.

Lothiriel put her blade to his neck, she looked to her uncle who looked highly displeased about his best fighter being bested. Before she could make a final move, Gandalf had raised his staff and a bright light shone from it. The blinding light made everyone squint and shut their eyes.

Bilbo half thought that he had died and that this blinding light was the other side. The only thing which made him second think was the pain of landing on the ground. Hands gripped onto him and hauled him to stand. He was still partially blinded, but he could easily hear Thorin call out for everyone to retreat. Bilbo looked confused when his little elfish blade was shoved into his hands.

It was Thorin who ushered them out as Gandalf set light to the surrounding area where the Nymph Lord sat and held his meetings. All the warriors were appearing out of the shadows now, they were climbing out from the shadows of the trees, and the surrounding foliage, even some appeared from the streams and rivers.

Thorin gave Lothiriel a shove as she was reluctant to move on, she stared as Eruheran stood painfully, the cuts she had made were after all quite shallow. She intended to injure him to slow him down, not to take his life.