Defenders of Middle Earth: A Middle Earth Story(Book 3)

Chapter 20: To Keep Them Safe

The wild howls of the orcs and the terrified cries of elves filled the air. From a small crack in the defenses they had erected behind the door, Caledorn could see that the entire city was aflame. Orcs lumbered past as they raided and killed up and down the streets. So far they hadn't bothered to check the tower that Caledorn and his companions were barricaded in, but it was only a matter of time.

Little Gelmir sat next to the dark clad elf, his wide eyes darting back and forth between Caledorn and his parents.

"Are the crooked elves gonna kill us?" He asked suddenly, tugging on Caledorn's cloak.

By crooked elves Caledorn assumed that the boy was talking about the orcs. The comparison made him flinch.

"No, child. So long as we're in here we shall remain safe." He ran a finger absently on his bowstring, knowing just how untrue his words were.

"And bird man's beard will keep them away!" Lithiel, who was on the other side of the room with Flicker, laughed. The ranger's mouth turned up on one side in a grin.

"Aye, lass. You're all safe here." Flicker was repairing an arrow as he spoke, and Lithiel curiously pointed at it.

"What're you doing?" She asked.

Flicker beckoned her closer and showed her the arrow. "Sometimes when you use arrows too much they lose their usefulness. I'm making sure that I'll be able to use this one."

"I wanna learn!" The elf lass exclaimed.

"I suppose you do!" Flicker replied with a laugh. "Elves love their bows and arrows. Here, take this brush. It's for fixing the feathers on the end."

"What do I do?" Lithiel asked, holding the brush and looking at it in confusion.

"See how the feather is frayed? Run the brush against it."

The young girl began brushing it, but she quickly grew frustrated when it remained uneven.

"Help?" She asked, looking at Flicker and batting her big blue eyes at him. The ranger laughed and took her little hand, guiding it along the feathers.

"Now you try," He said encouragingly, releasing her hand to let her try it herself.

She began again, this time repeating what Flicker had shown her, and when the feather went back into place she smiled and raised a fist triumphantly.

"I did it!" She exclaimed.

"Aye, that you did lass! You're better at it than most of my ranger friends, too!" With that he gave her a wink, and handed her several more arrows. "Want to fix these too?"

"Yes," She replied, grabbing the arrows greedily.

"Remember what you say," her mother reprimanded.

Lithiel gave Flicker a sly smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome lass." He went back to work on his bow, but Lithiel leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Will you be my uncle?" She asked.

Flicker burst out laughing, and gently pulled her off of his neck. "Definitely! I've never had an elf niece before!"

Lithiel giggled and ran off to work on her arrows. Flicker shook his head in amusement and began to restring his bow.

"She's an energetic lass," he said, giving her mother a grin. "Must be a handful."

"That she is," the mother, named Elwin, replied with a nervous smile. She was clearly frightened by their predicament, but was trying to keep distracted by looking over the bookshelf that sat in the room.