Melleth nîn

Prologue

       Lord Elrond despised Orcs, truly. Orc shrieks filled his ears. Their hot stench made his eyes sting, and the scent of their blood assaulted his nose. To his right he heard the ragged panting of a warg. The stench of its breath was enough to kill alone. Elrond swung around with his sword outstretched, warding it off.
       The Orc astride the warg snarled and growled. His left hand held a blunt weapon. Blood dripped from its end, staining the wood crimson. His gnarled hand tightened on the weapon.
       Elrond gripped his sword, muscles tense, ready for the attack. The Orc raised his arm and the warg snapped its jaws. Elrond sidestepped, just barely escaping its teeth.
       "Lord Elrond!"
       Glorfindel's voice took Elronds attention. An armored elf dashed to Elronds left and slit he throat of the warg as his lurched forward. The Orc fell from its back, turning his heel. Blood dropped from his black lips as he eyed the two elves before him. In an instant the Orc flung a crooked dagger at Glorfindel. But Elrond, with unmatched speed, threw his sword in the path of the blade. The two weapons crashed together and fell to the grass. Glorfindel seized the opening, piercing the Orcs shoulder with an arrow. When the Orc kept coming, Elrond took a dagger from his belt and imbedded it into the creatures thigh. The Orc dropped to hits knees, eyes glossed over with pain.
Elrond and Glorfindel watched the Orc crumple to the ground in a heap. Elrond went to pick up his blade. The Orc's black eyes trailed him. Elrond steppe over the Orc, sword in hand. He could see the fear in the Orc's eyes, becoming glazed over. With one short jerk, Elrond's sword sliced through its neck. The Orc squealed and its eyes finally became dull.
       Elrond wiped the blood of his blade and sheathed it. The remaining Eve's in Elronds scout group were all spread around the field.
       Elrond ran over to where he left Estar to look after the victims of this attack. Blood was the first thing Elrond saw. It cascaded down the chest of the fallen elf, trickled across the fair face of his wife, and stained their white robes of Lothlorien. Their faces injured beyond recognition.
       "They are gone." Estar's voice pulled Elrond from the pitiful sight.
       "Take them to Rivendell, they deserve a proper farewell", Elrond commanded Estar.   The dark-haired elf nodded and carefully picked up the male to a horse, another elf helping with the woman.
       "Why would and Orc pack be this close to our borders?" Glorfindel came behind him.
       Something clutched in the she-elf's hand caught Elrond's attention. He went to the woman in the guards arms and removed a small ribbon. Elrond's blood chilled.
       "There was a child," he turned to Glorfindel and ordered the elves,"Look for the child."
       They searched for a half hour when one archer called to Elrond.
       "Glorfindel has found the child."
       "It the child alive?" , Elrond inquired. When the elf nodded Elrond told him to show him the way. They both mounted horses and rode.
       They came to the river that encircled Imladris. Elrond stepped down onto the bank of the river, pebbles crunching under his feet. Glorfindel was crouched down, speaking low and offering his hand to a rock. Two other elves flanked his sides. He saw Elrond and stood.
       "My Lord," he gestured to a large rock,", she will not come out. Celyneth, Arveldis, and myself have tried to coax her."
       Elrond handed Glorfindel his sword. He moved to the rock and crouched low to the ground. The large rock was being supported by two smaller stones holding it up on either side, and in the small cavity of space was a small girl.
       Elrond's heart ached, she looked terrified. She was a small girl who looked very young, possibly just a year old. A mess of umber hair framed her round face. Dried blood clung hair to her forehead and sweat rolled down her cheek.
       Elrond slowly extended his hand. She whimpered and slunk back further under the rock, her legs drawn in tight to her chest.
       Elrond retracted his hand. The girl watched him with wide eyes. Elrond saw her entire body shake, her limbs trembling. He had never seen a child so afraid.
       "Who are you?" The girl stared at him. Her eyes reflected the color of the river, a peaceful shade of blue. Elrond was silent for a moment, caught by the fear in her voice.
       "I am Elrond.", his voice seemed to ease the child a bit. She let her legs slide from her chest.
       "Where is Ada, and Nana? Are they hurt?"
       Elrond's heart ached at the innocence of her question.
       "Your parents have gone my child,", he answered. The little girls eyes welled up and tears fell slowly down her white cheeks.
       "What is your name child?"
       She looked at Elrond, then at her feet. After too long a pause Elrond nodded.
       "Do you remember?" The child nodded slowly, but winced and shot her hand to her temple. Pulling it back Elrond saw it was covered in blood.
       "You are hurt." he extended his hand again,"Come, I can take you somewhere safe."
She flinched, but didn't recoil further under the rock. Elrond could tell that she wanted to resist, but she was very hurt and Elrond was not going to leave a this girl in the wild. The trembling seemed to worsen as her she shook her head.
       "You must," Elrond pleaded with her. He reach his arm further under the rock. She flinched again, then grimaced at the pain in her head. Slowly and hesitantly, the little girl reached to Elrond. Once her little palm was in Elrond's, he slowly pulled her to him. She emerged from under the rock and stood. Her knees shook forcefully as she gazed up at all the faces.
       "Tell the healers to be ready upon our return." Elrond ordered Glorfindel. He nodded and mounted his chesnut horse, taking off to Imladris.
       Elrond bent down and scooped the child into his arms. He cradled her in his one arm as he mounted his horse.  She curled up to him as they rode, Elrond still cradling her in his arm.