It didn't take long before Ordmir returned. He dismounted with surprisingly lithe feet. ”They are coming soon.”
Now Hellrien could hear it too - the hollow rumbling of hundreds of boots pounding against stone. Slowly the rumbling grew stronger.
”We're screwed, aren't we?” Hellrien asked Burwod quietly - almost in a whisper.
”Cheer up, Hellrien. We will hold. It will not be your last battle.”
Hellrien lacked Burwod's confidence as her eyes scanned around the troops huddled behind the fortifications. There could not have been more than a few dozen defenders on their side.
”They're here!” Aaverie shouted suddenly.
”Behind the barricade, Hellrien!” Burwod commanded. ”Get an arrow ready!”
Hellrien did as she was told. She could see other recruits fighting for a vantage point behind the field fortifications. A minute later they came - a host of warriors clad in leather armors, carrying broadswords, lances, bows and crossbows. There had to be hundreds of them. And in the front, a grim, swarthy, gangly figure, holding a staff surrounded by a sphere of black mist.
”Hold!” Burwod shouted. The sorcerer made a signal for his army to stop, but kept approaching himself. He struck the point of his staff to the ground, causing a loud crack like thunder. Hellrien could feel the ground vibrating beneath her feet. Then he spoke, his rumbling voice sounding like thunder itself.
”Who is the leader of this stronghold?”
”I am”, Burwod said confidently as he stepped to the fore, facing the sorcerer in the open yard. The warlock looked down upon Burwod, his eyes like red-hot burning embers.
”What is your purpose to your master, Sauron the Great?” he rumbled. ”Speak up!”
”He's no master of mine”, Burwod said calmly, ”and you are not welcome here.”
Somebody released an arrow towards the evil sorcerer, but the arrow stopped in mid-air before reaching it's target like it had hit an invisible wall and dropped to the ground, burning up in a blaze. The wizard raised his staff in anger and threw his arms forward, and the poor bastard who had released the arrow flew backwards, crushing against a stone wall with terrifying force. Hellrien winced at the crunching sound.
”I will go where I please, Man of Middle-Earth”, the sorcerer assured to Burwod. ”I will now inspect your numbers. You are a concern to those who see you as a threat. If any of you hold the blood of the broken line, you will be removed from this land that belongs to my Lord, Sauron the Great. Just like the fool who just defied me.”
Burwod didn't say anything to that. The sorcerer walked past him and begun slowly walking past the lines of defenders, like a general inspecting his troops. He stopped in front of Aaverie and looked her from head to toe, like she was some kind of exotic but ultimately harmless animal.
”The woman of the wild is no threat”, he said. ”There's not many of her kind left no more. She, too, will fall like leaves in the autumn, like the men and elves fell before the tower of Barad-dûr.”
Hellrien couldn't quite make out of Aaverie's response, but it seemed to anger the wizard.
”Silence! Hold your tongue, worm, or I will cast a spell that will make it wither and rot and fall off your mouth!”
Aaverie opted to hold on to her tongue just a little longer. Hellrien craned her neck over the fortification to see better what was happening. Burwod saw her peaking and made a gesture for her to keep her head down. The sorcerer noticed both the gesture and Hellrien and slowly walked over to her, smirking.
”What do we have here? A child. A little girl, cowering in the grip of fear...”
”You want me to shoot you, don't you”, Hellrien couldn't prevent herself from hissing between her gritted teeth, angered and embarrassed both by the warlock's words and the unwanted attention.
”Don't touch her!” Burwod snapped.
”Be still, man!” the wizard rumbled, shaking his staff threateningly in Burwod's direction. He then turned his attention back to Hellrien and said in a cloying tone:
”You may try, child. But it will only lead to your death. Your lifeless body will lie still and never move again, worms and insects will feast on your rotting flesh until you are nothing but a pile of bones. Those, too, will turn into dust as time passes by.”
The sorcerer turned his back on Hellrien and focused his attention back to Burwod. ”Now for you... I sense strength in you.” He walked over to Burwod who was clenching the hilt of his sword, real close, and leaned his head even closer. Hellrien could swear she heard sniffing voices!
”Yeeesss...” the wizard drawled. ”Much strength. You are from Gondor. Your blood reeks of the fallen line. I can smell it!”
”What of it?” Burwod grunted.
”Let us see if it burns, too!” Suddenly the warlock raised his staff and struck Burwod on the face with it. Burwod had drawn his sword, only to wince and drop it down immediately - not because of the slight scratch on his face, but a terrible heat searing through his glove of metal. His sword had turned searing white-hot incandescent in a matter of seconds! The sorcerer took a step back to examine the drop of blood his staff had drawn.
”Yes... your blood burns”, the sorcerer muttered. Burwod made a move to dash for his sword.
”Be still, fool! Do not move again!” the wizard warned, frowning. ”But... how can this be? How can you hold the blood of the fallen Kingdom? Speak up!”
”Well”, Burwod smirked, ”my father loved my mother so...”
”Silence, fool! And answer me this! Who is your father?”
Burwod said nothing. The warlock's eyes burned with red-hot rage at his insolence.
”If you fail to provide me with an answer I am seeking, one of your order shall die as punishment. I will begin with the child.” The sorcerer threw one quick glance in Hellrien direction and suddenly she started to feel a terrible tension building around her. The world looked and sounded different, as if she was inside a bubble of magic. Burwod launched himself against the wizard, but the man raised his hand and Burwod was thrown back like a breaker or a gust of storm had hit him. ”Your father's name!”
Burwod struggled to get up, but an invisible hand stayed him, like strong wind pushing him down. ”Hellrien, get inside! Now!”
”Your father's name!”
Suddenly, a sound of horse's hooves against ancient stone. A rider appeared, armor and weapons shining like moonlight. A pure white aura was surrounding the rider. Hellrien couldn't understand how the horseman had gotten past the silent army. If it was a man. The figure, tall and lithe, dropped off the horse. Ran towards them. The sorcerer saw the incomer, turning to see who it was. Burwod turned to look as well.
”Mother!” he yelled.
”Begone, she-elf”, the warlock protested, suddenly sounding a lot less smug and self-assured than a mere moment ago. ”Be still!”
”You, dark one!” said the white rider. ”How dare you infiltrate my stronghold?”
”How dare you defy the Lord of Middle-Earth!” roared the sorcerer, practically frothing.
But Haschirgael, the white rider, with a simple gesture made the sorcerer fly backwards. He crashed against the stone wall with a loud thud. Haschirgael walked over to Burwod and tapped the base of her staff to the ground. It lit up, creating a blinding white light, like a shield. The sorcerer clambered up to his feet, seething with rage.
”You have made a mistake, she-elf. I will make you a trophy for my Lord Sauron. I will deliver him your body to be burned before the great eye!”
”Naur tinchor ostring”, Hellrien heard Haschirgael say, very quietly.
”Begone elf!” the sorcerer roared, and Haschirgael dropped down to her knees.
”Mom!” Burwod yelled. The warlock moved about, but closer to his army, Hellrien noticed. He was scared now.
Haschirgael got up to her feet and ran towards the wizard. ”Tinechor”, she said, and the blinding white light lit up again.
”Your shield will not hold against the power of Mordor!” the sorcerer rumbled, and the light seemed to dim and die out.
Haschirgael was staggering, like under a terrible weight, but whispered: ”Bragol thalion!” and the light lit up again.
”You are strong, elf”, said the warlock, ”but not strong enough. And you are growing weaker. Prepare to kneel before the Dark Lord!”
Haschirgael smirked, and the light grew even stronger. The sorcerer moved and uttered terrifying words, the light was flickering. A lightning bolt struck from the warlock's staff and hit the shield of light, shattering it. Haschirgael collapsed down on the courtyard. The sorcerer roared in laughter.
”Mother!” Burwod screamed.
”Your elf was strong”, said the wizard. ”But see how she, too, fell in the end. See all your futile efforts of resistance fail before your eyes. No one will resist the Dark Lord and survive. Now see her grow weak! Watch her die! This is what happens when you defy the Great Eye!”
Burwod had managed to grab his sword and was now running towards the wizard. He wielded the sword with terrifying force, but magic stopped his hand. The sorcerer made another spell, and the sword turned rapidly white-hot again. But this time Burwod didn't drop it, but smiled, a menacing, vicious smile. ”Is that all you got?”
Burwod had gloves of steel, but Hellrien realized the red-hot searing light was burning through it, melting the metal. It would melt permanently into his hand if he didn't let go off soon!
”No, I conclude”, the sorcerer said in almost an admiring tone. ”Your blood is from the fallen kingdom, and therefore you too are a threat. Now I will finish your elf-mother and yourself, and silence you both forever.”
But Haschirgael had managed to muster enough strenght to push herself up. Holding her hands together, she yelled: ”Lanta en' kalale!” and a lightning bolt hit the wizard, striking him to the ground. The sorcerer groaned in agony, scrambling away, moaning helplessly.
”Fly, deceitful one”, Hascirgael said.
And the wizard scrambled away, crawling on all fours like a worm. ”You will die slowly in my hands, elf!” he screamed, managed to get up and run towards his awaiting troops, seething for his embarrassing defeat. The sword in Burwod's hand had slowly cooled down, turning from white to red. Hellrien realized in horror that he had never let go of it! Hashirgael grew pale and collapsed on the ground.
”Attack and kill them all!” screamed the sorcerer's grating voice in the distance.
