A small group of Elves were making their way through the trees close to the borders of Lothlorien; their route meandered between the large Mallorn trees. A larger proportion of the group carried provisions for the outlying camps that guarded the realms borders. To the front and rear of the procession sentinels from Caras Galadhon watched over their progress. Although they were within the borders of Lothlorien Orcs had been pouring out of Moria into the surrounding countryside and had made numerous attempts to breach the defenses of the woodland realm.
Suddenly the lead sentinel raised his hand and instantly the group halted and became silent. A column of Orcs had come into view, they had been moving swiftly along the tree line before peeling off into the undergrowth towards the Elves. The sentinals quickly formed a line between the Orcs and those carrying the provisions. The Orcs, apparently unaware of the Elves presence, ran into a hail of arrows, felling several before the Orcs could react. Once the Orcs were aware of the Elves their heavy shields were raised to form a wall of black iron as they charged at the Elves. Heavily outnumbered and with their arrows ineffective against the Orcs defenses the sentinels ordered the remaining Elves to retreat and seek cover deeper in the forest as they desperately tried to stem the tide of Orcs.
Suddenly the ranks of Orcs were engulfed in flame several fell to the ground, their armor officering no protection from the flames. The Orcs were confused by this fresh assault and this allowed the sentinals to fall back and re-group. As the Orcs ranks reformed they were dazzled by a bright flash of light and from nowhere a bear with fur of pure white leapt upon them. Two Orcs were instantly cleaved in two with a swipe of its huge paws as it gave out a great roar that shook the forest. With their foe distracted the sentinels now took aim once more and began to pick off the Orcs that fled from the immense creature’s frenzied assault. The Orcs attempted to surround the bear, the quicker of the Orcs dodged its claws as they cut through the air, and the slower quickly joined the already dead and dying.
With arrows spent the sentinels drew their swords and joined the fray. With attacks coming from both sides the Orcs retreated, throwing down their heavy shields in the hope that once unburdened they would outpace their foe. But the sentinels were quicker and many more Orcs were slain as attempted to flee. Only a handful of Orcs reached the edge of the wood and escaped into the countryside beyond had the sentinels any arrows left with which to shoot none would have survived. Returning to the scene of the fight only the bodies of Orcs and flattened and broken foliage remained to mark the site. The bear had gone. Its large paw prints were tracked for several yards before they inexplicably disappeared without a sign. As they gathered up their spent arrows and dispatched the Orcs that were too wounded to flee the figure of an Elven woman was seen watching them from a short distance away. None of the sentinels could clearly describe her features but all were overwhelmed with a sense of intense sorrow. As they stood rooted to the spot she seemed to dissolve into shadow and disappear from view.
The Elves were shaken by their experience and none spoke a word about what they had witnessed as they set off to rejoin the rest of their group to continue their journey.
