Melantha of Tir'Inath: The Barbarian Queen (ON HOLD)

A RESCUE AND A REUNION

Cainda was shocked. She too was completely taken aback at the Orcs' appearance. How could they have heard of the Dragon's demise so quickly. Her people had already been travelling southwards when Melantha heard some old crows discuss the matter. "The Raven Queen", they used to call her some of them that knew her father, while still on the road to the West. Romenstamo, she heard her poor mother call him, the Savior of the East. Little did young Cainda know at the time that she would be as close as family with this fearsome Wizard's daughter. His cult was nothing about saving people. Maybe at first it was but now the Sisters in Scarlet were The Evil One's most faithful servants. She herself had witnessed them take life from one person and give it to the other. Unnatural and dark forces they handled and were only afraid of her mistress's powers, for their Eldest predicted that "The Dark Flower shall help bring death to our reign."

Cainda always believed that this was nonsense. She couldn't take those words as seriously as the others did." It doesn't even rhyme. Every good prophecy must rhyme."

So when Melantha appeared, a princess without a Crown, a young witch with what seemed at the time as utopic dreams and goals, she didn't even turn her head to look at her twice. But being appointed her personal handmaiden by Tristan, High Lord of Tir'Inath, was perhaps the one decision made by someone else for her that she didn't regret. Melantha would save her life not long after her appointment to her...

With these thoughts in mind, Cainda along with Sigrid, Tilda, Zira and Bain managed to survive the madness that followed the breaking of Melantha's shield. Cainda shifted into a red fox, attacking some Orcs from behind while Bain, although young of age, wielded his sword with enough capacity to slit the throats of  many Orcs. Bard had found them, as did Gandalf. That was when Cainda saw the sea of fire rise before her. Melantha had done it. All her sorrow tuned to a fire so hot, that even though they were pretty far from where the flames were gulping their way through the orcs' troops, everyone assembled there could feel the heat waves crushing them with their choking warmth.

Bard gave her the same order before taking off as Melantha had: "Keep the children safe" and she had to turn back into a huge fox to stop Zira from rushing along with Bard to her mother. She did feel for this child. Every time her amber eyes looked into the emerald ones of Zira, she thought for a moment that this girl was her younger self, with the same fears, the same sorrows, the same pain. She knew what losing a mother felt like. It was a wound forever open in  her heart and one that she was aware was never going to fully heal.

Melantha tried to sit up in Bard's arms, fully aware of the blood on her face and clothes. "I can't see you Bard. Are they dead? Did my fire work?" she finished in a little more than a whisper.

Bard hugged her a bit tighter, unaware of the stream of tears that flowed down his face. "We did Mel...Everyone's safe and sound. Azog's dead. Your fire was the final blow. They have all fled like cowards before it. You are a true hero, Melantha. " and he felt her body going limb in his arms.

" No, no, no...." he cried out in exasperation. He reached for her neck in search for a pulse. There was barely one. He laid her down, put his head above her heart and cried as he had cried when Ingrid died.

But exactly then he felt her draw a sharp breath. She spoke ever so quietly words that he did not understand just as a violet mist covered them both.

At that moment, a Great Eagle landed right next to them. A tall, slightly bent figure mounted off it, carrying a stuff that indicated the man was an Istari. "Her half kin", Bard thought madly "perhaps he can save her...Her heart still beats.."

"Step aside, son." called the old man to him. " You might not want to watch this."

"No, I won't leave her side. Not again.'

" Then you might need to help me a little. My name is Radaghast by the way. Radaghast the Brown.", he said, handing him a vial with some thick, blue liquid inside.

" Bard of Lake Town, my lord.", replied he.

" MY LORD? Hardly that, my dear boy. An old fool with a couple of tricks, that's all."

Radaghast knelt down and dismissing the haze away he held Melantha up and with one swift motion wiped away all the blood. He then started chanting in a tongue that Bard had never heard before and then Melantha started to whimper once more. The nerves on her neck had become alarmingly visible with pressure and Bard knelt beside her, unknowingly and took her hand into his. She was burning.

Radaghast then took the vial back and poured a small drop of the smelly liquid inside her eyes. When Melantha reopened them, everything was as bright as if a curtain had been drawn back after a long night. She no longer smelled blood, she no longer felt hurt and in pain. She looked at Bard who hugged her again, his hands going through her hair, taking in her scent. Jasmine and sandalwood. He kissed her now, feeling her soft lips against his own, her taste ever so sweet on his tongue. She didn't resist him and they stood there, kissing feeling each other's warmth.

Radaghast chuckled and mounting once more at his Eagle ,said: ' I trust you can find your own way back to the Town, eh?"

Melantha and Bard broke apart, both scarlet in the face and laughed awkwardly.

" Thank you, Uncle Radaghast. I don't think I will ever repay you..."

"You don't have to, dear. Your father did the same for me a long time ago. I only repaid him. You don't owe me anything. "

" Take care, Uncle."

"You too, niece."

They arrived to the City of Dale and the moments that followed where ones of pure happiness.

Cainda didn't stop Zira from running to her mother, for she run to her too, tears welling up in her eyes. All three hugged tightly, tears of joy escaping all their eyes.

Bard and his children rejoiced in seeing each other safe again. The past days had put them all through enough.

Tilda then hugged Melantha too and broke away the hug quickly, suddenly embarrassed of herself.

Mel picked her up and took Zira's hand in her own free one.

"Now," she said smiling up to Bard, "would you like some warm tea?"

"You drink tea?" asked Bain. He knew almost nothing of Easterners and never really trusted Melantha.

He was somehow afraid that she would cast a spell on them, like the old hags from his father's tales. Melantha, unbeknownst to her, wasn't so wrong about believing she was part of the bed time stories used to frighten the young children.

Sigrid looked up at Melantha with a look that Bain always remembered her looking that way at their mother.
Something stirred inside him.

"She will never be my mother. Easterling witch...", he thought sullenly.

"Of course we do, dear.", she said with a smile that reached her eyes making her look almost...human to Bain's eyes.

" And we have many different kinds of tea and all sorts of herbs you won't usually find here." But now it's not time for herbology lessons. We must rest and prepare.", responded Melantha, a sort of excitement and playfulness in her voice that hadn't been there moments before.

"Prepare for what?' asked Sigrid, curiosity always claiming the better of her.

"Why, for the celebrations of course! After the Fallen Dwarves' funeral there is going to be a great feast! Songs will be sung, tales will be told, there will be dancing and fooling around! Only Eru knows how much we all need some good time!" exclaimed Melantha and as she was speaking a huge smile crept up all four girls' faces.

"How do you know that the dwarf lords are dead?" inquired Bain, the tone of mistrust underlying in his words.

" A little bird told me.." answered Melantha, looking up to the sky, to the old raven hovering above them.

Cainda smiled and thought to herself: " The Raven Queen indeed."

Bain managed to return a faint attempt of a smile and kept sulking on his own.

Bard felt calm and happy for the first time in years. The way they were all assembled, they could be mistaken for a family. And he knew, that wherever Ingrid was, she was smiling down at them all...