The Gift

The Gift Part 4

The ground shook as the advancing group neared with war cries and weapons swinging. But no more arrows flew, it was then she knew Mirkwood had joined the battle though she saw them not at all. Her personal guard had fanned in front of her and she was in the shadow of the trees, protected, her stallion blending well. She had no idea where the Mirkwood warriors were or if there were even enough to come to their aid though she was thankful they had taken care of the human archers. But it was now time to face the foe or flee, and none of her guards or their mounts had it in them to flee. Noldorian blood ran hot and fierce and it was time to join her men and meet whatever fate deemed for them.

The sleet fell harder making it difficult to see, but she knew that in a mere heartbeat they would be engaged and then... they were. Horses and men screamed, and weapons clashed, steel upon steel the sound hurting sensitive ears. Ranewen shifted in a tight circle screaming his rage and reared low before forelegs struck the ground. There were too many and her guardsmen were four to one if not more. She could not let them put their lives before her own while they engaged the enemy no matter what her captain or men wanted.

Giving Ranewen his head the fierce black stallion bolted from the shadows as if born from them, his long legs tearing up the earth as he bounded towards the nearest humans. He slammed his huge bulk into the first horse, teeth tearing at another. Dreamweaver found the thigh of one attacker and bit deep into an artery as she passed, and as she spun Ranewen his heavy hindquarters knocked into the mortally injured man's horse causing it to go down crushing its rider.

Dreamweaver glinted like moonlight as it found purchase with yet another attackers sword even as she sought to make sure her men were all still in the battle and not watching her. This was clearly a well thought out and executed attack for they were clearly trying to separate them from one another. But why? This had to be about more than wine...but who knew they had traveled so far? Why would they divert from the wine raid when so clearly it had been the focus of numerous attacks? Another human dispatched by Dreamweaver she turned her stallion towards Sadron her Master of

Weapons and as she approached three more men engaged Sadron. Sadron seeing her approach grinned at her and quickly dispatched his three as if three against one were child's play and then they both rode towards Faeron and Erynion who also grinned upon seeing them quickly dispatching their own enemy. Clearly the humans had underestimated their foe, but still there were too many humans and not enough of her men. While they were clearly elite warriors having been trained by her atar, Elrond, Glorfindel, Celeborn and Haldir and their brothers they were unmatched. Unmatched and very overwhelmed.

Terel called out a warning and Durion who had been making his way towards Natulcien turned about to see Beleg take a sword to the shoulder causing him to lose his sword and fall from his horse and he quickly swung his mount back to assist him. Seeing Beleg fall she gave a harsh cry, her sword lodging in the ribs of another and once past the dying human she urged Ranewen past her guards and quickly caught up to Durion who was kneeling next to Beleg in the cold mud. So far it seemed as if her men were being engaged and mostly she was left alone. Another curious thing that crossed her mind as she tried to put the puzzle pieces of this attack together.

Before she could dismount the thunder of hooves warned her of another attack and she spun Ranewen about losing her hood in the process, eyes of the sea during a storm swept fiercely over her soon to be attackers. Though with the icy rain and sleet falling this battle would quickly take a turn for the worse for the battlefield was now icy mud and one wrong decision would cost a life or a mount. It was time to end this and end it now before any more blood was spilled from her men.

Ranewen screamed and rose high on back legs leaping forwards, a move that was unseen for thousands of years in war horses and their riders. Front legs striking the skull of one horse before teeth bit at the human's sword arm tearing the human from his horse as Ranewen shook him about like a rabid dog with a rabbit. His screams of pain quickly dying as the stallion dropped him trampling him into the earth. Screams of warning came from the human men about the demon horse and its witch of a rider, slowly spreading out, still trying to single her out. But not for death for they could have killed her with the arrow attack, the brief sword fights were halfhearted at best or had seemed so. But now anger glinted in the faces about them, and she knew this would be the last stand and they would make it their best one. If they died here today, they would be remembered. Natulcien sat still upon her mount as he slowly lifted his front body into a crouched rear, her men fanning about as they protected Beleg and Durion who were still upon the ground behind them. Durion urging and aiding Beleg to his feet and both rapidly mounting. Beleg's face gray with pain but he was not out of the fight.