The Elven Powers

Chapter Eleven: First camp ( Galandria )

The wind blew in my face carrying my scent upwind, away from my prey. Leaves rustled as a few birds took to flight. I hardly stirred, I was too aware to jump at birds. I drew my bow. Every muscle in my body was taught with concentration. I breathed in.

"-So how's dinner coming along? " Elrohir shredded my concentration. The buck I had been leapt into the brush. 

" There it goes. " I sighed. " What did you really want? "

" Simply some company " He smiled.

" The men hold no favour with you? " 

" They are silent, for the most part. They speak only of what we might encounter when we arrive. "

" Will their nerve hold? "

" They are well trained. The only difference between them and us is we have titles. Do you believe we can hold our nerve? "

" I suppose they will be OK then. " I was certainly not sure about my nerves. 

I began to search for new prey. After a while wandering through the trees, Elrohir broke the silence.

" What troubles you my lady? "

I lowered my bow. " That I keep hoping we are going to find the third kingdom intact. "

" What does your heart tell you? " He asked without a glimmer of emotion. He seemed to have sensed my discomfort.

" That It may have, in fact, suffered a fate worse than occupational war. " I sounded out slowly as if the thought disgusted me. 

" I know how you feel, as it has also been on my mind. " He seemed to stare off into the distance.

I grabbed his arm trying to be comforting. " Your brother will be fine... If there is an enemy, he will have evaded any death sentence they could throw at him. "

" You have never met my brother. " He sighed.

" I know he is strong. "

" How? " 

" Because he is related to you. Some fraction of your strength must dwell in him. " He smiled down at me on the brink of tears. He seemed to be holding together for my sake, probably because he wouldn't be able to stop himself.  

After a while we managed to catch a few rabbits that had been so unfortunate as to cross our path. We then began to head back to camp. 

" What's that? " Elrohir mumbled spinning around. 

Turning quick as a flash I was just in time to see a group of Goblins enter the thicket. Their smiles, sneers and screeches told me but one thing. They weren't here to welcome us into their homes and offer us provisions. Somehow they must have caught wind of our movements throughout the forest. A sinking feeling made me think they may have been tracking the army. 

Without thought I quickly shot the lead Goblin as he was about to tell the host to attack us. Elrohir charged the mob, my projectiles whistling past him into numerous Goblins. Together we made short work of the small group. A Goblin snuck past Elrohir's guard but before I could stop him he blew into a signal horn. Not good. Shrieks and snarls ripped through the air. It sounded like there was at least 500 of them, maybe more. OK, so they weren't spies. They were scouts which is even worse. I shot the remaining Goblin and made a break for it, Elrohir right behind me. 

We soon caught sight of camp, the hundreds of embroidered white tents, with purple banners caught high in the morning breeze. At the edge of camp we ran headlong into Morgel.

With an angry stomp he sneered down at me. " And just where do you think you've been? "

Elrohir caught up and explained the situation in short bursts before I could say anything. " Hunting. Goblins. Army. Coming from the north. " and then louder " Defensive positions! "