When the Great Winter began the land of the Horse-Men of Rohan was under snow for five months. News of a great famine reached Lothlorien, but there would be no help from the Golden Woods..The Rohirrim distrust of the Elves was deep rooted. It was the lack of contact that led to the mistrust and superstition, the Horse-Men were suspicious of Lorien, and thought it dangerous. Why would the Elves work hard to keep people out of their land ? This naturally increased suspicion among the Rohirrim.
From their part, Elves looked upon the Horse-Men as a race of rustic, superstitious, and illiterate mortals. They had no other reasons to dislike the people of Rohan, but their natural response to humans is cool at best. If a man from Rohan at the borders was behaving in a threatening manner, he could expect to be shot by arrows from hidden flets in the trees. If a non-threatening mortal from the Riddermark wandered too close to Lorien's borders, he would be watched carefully, and if necessary scared away. Humans are almost never allowed into the Golden Wood.
Gilith was sent to the southern border of the forest to support the Regiment of the Mallorn Trees in patrolling the borders. The Regiment of Starlight contingent was assigned to a small camp on the shores of the Great River. Gilith sat on watch with a young warrior. Due to the lateness of the hour most to the Elves were sleeping. Gilith was anxious, she could feel an increase danger. Suddenly her senses tingled. She stood up quietly and sounded a call to arms by whistling. The other soldiers quickly stirred, sensing the urgency of the call.
Gilith looked across the camp and saw several orcs approaching. Thankfully, her warning was in time to have everyone armed and awake before the orcs descended. The camp was now in chaos. The clashing of blades and orc's screams filled the night. The fires were out, the camp was now in complete darkness. Then suddenly the orcs retreated leaving bodies and wounded lying on the ground. Elven healers moved quickly, separating injured companions from the dead or wounded orcs. It seem they had been lucky this time. One of the officers ordered the injured to a more defensible cave. It was only then they realized Gilith was missing.
Strange noises pierced her consciousness and Glith realized that she was lying face down on dirty snow, surrounded by orcs. Her body and head ached, so she kept her eyes closed. Her wrists and ankles were bound together behind her back. "Roll over she-elf !" The orc kicked her several times with force. "We just want to play with you." The orc laughed. Gilith cleared her mind. It was only pain, she reasoned, centering her thoughts firmly on her soldiers and officers still back at the camp. Surely they had noticed her absence by now.
Rough hands pulled her hair. She rolled on her back, then she was grabbed by the throat and made to stand against a tree. Gilith kept her eyes shut, concentrating on memories of her father and the happy times they had together. The screams, the punches, and the whip, broke her concentration once or twice, but she was able to regain her balance focusing on images of Mithlond and the sound of the sea. She did not flinch. No cry left her lips, though the pain she felt could not be denied. The blood loss made her weary. She lost track of time. A hand grabbed her head roughly and she opened her eyes. The face of the orc was blurred and kept going in and out of focus. She had to escape, that to her was clear, then she lost consciousness.
Gilith awake shivering from the cold. She had been pitched over a horse that the orcs were pulling along the Great River. It was so cold, the river was frozen in places and it was snowing. Her hands had been secured behind her back again, and her uniform was toned and stained with blood. They were traveling quickly. Gilith called upon all her strength, when suddenly a horn sounded in the distance. Muffled sound of horse hoofs coming closer and closer. The orcs panicked and started to run in all directions, in the confusion the horse she was standing on bolted . A slight jingling of metal could be heard, moving steadily towards her through the snow covered trees. The rider of Rohan gave a signal and raised his sword. Then a tall figure covered in blood and topped with long hair emerged, running towards him into the small clearing.
"Halt!" The rider commanded.
Gilith stopped, looking at the man on the horse. He was dressed in rugged and dirty leather. His red hair and beard were long, and his blue eyes were fixed on Gilith. She could sense fear. The rider jumped off his horse still holding the sword. He came close enough and Gilith noticed he smelled like horse. The man of Rohan had never seen an elf before. His knowledge of them was from songs and tales. Gilith kept her eyes fixed on him but nodded gently with a smile, trying to reassure him.The sound of swords rang behind them as a group of Rohirrim ran after the orcs. As he came closer, the rider noticed Gilith's back soaked in blood, then he cut her ties. The man gently took Gilith's good arm and lead her away. She allowed herself be led away, never taking her eyes off the red-haired, bearded mortal that had saved her life.
Not far from the clearing Gilith and the rider of Rohan were surrounded by Elves of the Starlight Regiment. The man froze in terror, like if he has seen ghost.Two Elven soldiers came forth to reclaim their commander. Gilith looked at the man in the eyes. She nodded at him and smiled again. Gilith was taken back among her soldiers emboldened by the return of their commander. The man stood there, next to his horse in the snow when one tall elf warrior came back with three packing horses. These were among the finest horses of Lorien and they were carrying provisions and supplies. Gilith was guided back into the borders of Lorien where the healers could tend the worst of her wounds.
The Great Winter ended, and the distrust of the Rohirrim towards the Elves of Lothlorien endured. However one man of Rohan, his riders and their families did survive the cold and famine, thanks to a very strange encounter with an elf in the snowy forest on the shores of the Great River, a story that to this day is remembered in song in Riddermark.
