Bard of Laketown

Part Twenty-Seven

PART TWENTY-SEVEN

AREYA'S POV

We spend most of the day resting in the tree. The atmosphere between us feels colder than the weather.

I attempted to lighten the mood once or twice, but my comments were answered with grunts or nods. I was beginning to tire of this, and I hoped that Legolas and Tauriel would soon sort out their problems.

I keep my eye on Lake-town. Hours earlier, the group of people had left, after watching the dwarves row towards the mountain. Not all of them went, from what I saw. It seems that Bard helped them after all.

The sun finally begins to set, and the lamps in the houses get turned off. I tap Tauriel and Legolas on the shoulder, and they wake quickly. I gesture towards the town, and they nod.

We climb quickly down the tree and drag the boats out from the bushes. The night is silent and calming, but my heart is beating fast in my chest.

We row the few remaining miles to Lake-town, but instead of going through the front entrance, we slip our boats under one of the houses. They are all built upon tall wooden posts, which makes it easy for us to glide under them, but difficult for unsuspecting eyes to see us.

We climb quietly up the side of the house, barely making a creak on the walls and roof. My senses are hyper-active, and there's adrenaline rushing through me. I am aware of every little sound in the night.

We crawl across the roofs of the sleeping town. I turn to my companions. All thoughts of anger are gone now; their eyes are shining excitedly in the darkness.

I hear a grunt behind me, and whirl my head around. There is a large pack of orcs following in our shadow. They are silent, yes, but not quite as much as we are. In seconds I have an arrow notched to my bow. I let it fly, and with a singing noise it plants itself in the neck of an Orc. He chokes and coughs before tumbling off the side of the roof.

My bow is releasing another arrow into a second Orc. Tauriel and Legolas are whirling behind me, their arrows and long knives slashing away at our enemies. They move together so gracefully, so effortlessly. They make killing seem like a beautiful dance.

The orcs are dead within a matter of minutes. I can see Bard's house, about one hundred feet away. We sprint along the roofs now, our feet barely touching the ground.

Before I know what is happening, a deathly cold blade is pressed against my throat. I feel drops of wetness trickle down my neck, and I gasp. I can hear heavy breathing in my ear. Another pack of orcs. They can't have been too far behind us. Maybe they were even part of the other group, they just managed to avoid being seen.

I jam my elbow into the orc's stomach as hard I can, and feel satisfaction when it grunts with pain. It loosens it's grip a little bit, but it's not quite enough for me to slip away. The blade tightens again, and more blood spills down my throat. I can hear Tauriel and Legolas grunting, and stabbing noises as well, so maybe they didn't get caught.

I lift my eyes to see Legolas aiming his bow at the Orc who holds me, his eyes hard. "Let her go, filth."

The Orc brings the knife closer, and I cry out at the pain as it scrapes my skin even harder.

Legolas puts his bow down, and it's now I understand. If he shoots, my throat will be slit.

I bring my elbow back again and again, harder, sharper, until the Orc loosens it's grip on the knife. I duck down, pull out an arrow, then stab the point into the orcs chest. He growls angrily, then drops lifeless to the ground.

"There will be more coming," Legolas says. I nod, out of breath and shaking a little, and we run towards Bard's house. It is a wonder nobody has come out, for we are making quite a bit of noise.

Already we can smell their disgusting filth coming closer. "Go!" Tauriel says to me. I pause for a second, but then run faster than ever. I turn to look behind me. The largest pack of all is upon my friends, slashing and hacking away mercilessly.

I turn away, then jump to the dock below. I land noiselessly. There is no chance that anyone inside will have woken. I push the wooden door open softly, then look inside.

A/N: SORRY BUT I'M GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALL ON A CLIFFHANGER... HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T HATE ME TOO MUCH!!

AND THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR READING, VOTING, AND COMMENTING!!! IT HONESTLY MAKES MY DAY!!

-Natasha