Crossing the Isen - Part Two
The waters were faintly reflective as Khalis made his way across the Isen, with the Lady Elisbeth but a few feet ahead. The two rangers had already moved across and were awaiting the other side. The elven pair passage did go unnoticed as they crossed, it was almost as if the currents of the waters lessened as they moved to allow them to cross with less resistance. No sooner than they were greeted by the rangers on the other side did there go up a shout from behind, had they been discovered Khalis thought?
Turning in the direction of the shout they saw the Rohirrim who gave the cry, the night sky did not impede their vision as it did menkind. He was standing over the crouching form of another soldier of his company who was clutching his arm from which a long black arrow protruded. Looking downstream from their location the elves saw that a large band of Urch were moving down to the waters with many of the Uruk in their number.
The four in their own company locked gazes with one another with the lead ranger Ruadan speaking first.
“This is not our fight Lord Imieran, we must think of the greater fight in the months to come. We must remain hidden and progress to destination as we were commanded”
“I do not need to speak my thoughts to you Khalis” came the gentle words spoken by Elisbeth. “The concerns of menkind as individuals are not my care, but the shadows to the east are”. She could almost see the conflict in his mind but she already knew what his response would be before he even spoke it. Khalis’ always saw the good in menkind even sometimes after they had betrayed his offered hand of friendship.
“But Elisbeth, friends, we cannot truly stand and do nothing. We can save lives this night and make a difference to a few, but tomorrow or the next day we could fall and thus have missed this chance, this night….now to save lives and show that we do believe in the old alliances even if many of our kind do not”.
With a slight sigh Elisbeth stood up and readied herself speaking, “we need to discuss these issues Khal”. The two rangers already had bows in hand and they looked to their full quivers. Khalis stode forward into the night throwing his cloak over his shoulder, a glimmer of the moonlight sparkled off the ancient crest of the warband he had carried for an age worn at his shoulder.
As he made his way between the Urch and the men of Rohan he raised his round shield bearing the swan of Vanimar and reached to the inner strength of the eldar as he cried to the enemy to the front
“Gurth an Glamhoth, Gurth an Glamhoth!”
Looking back at over his shoulder he withdrew his sword from the back scabbard and raised it to the air his voice ringing into the night air.
“Men of Rohan, the shadows come for you but let it be remember that the elder stood with you as a beacon in the night”
As the blade of Khalis was raised to full height did Elisbeth release a glamour which illuminated with such intensity that Khalis stood out as a beacon of hope. He ran towards the enemy wondering if he was now going to be the target for many a dark flighted arrow. But he did not have time to dwell on this ill thought as his blade cleft an Uruk before him severing his arm. The Urch quickly surrounded him as his shield stood as his only defence, his blade ripping the life from any it made contact with. Every few moments some Urch would fall with green fletched arrows embedded in them. Khalis pushed forward to the Uruk ahead he was now only two ranks from them when all of a sudden there was a cry of pain, dark and full of dread as two of the Uruk burst into violent flame. This was quickly followed by the shouts of multiple men behind him and then the sudden crunch as the Urch met the Rohirrim charge shield wall.
Hack and slay, hack and slay this was a skill Lord Imieran knew well, this was a knowledge he had not lost all those years ago when Eregion had fallen and he was wounded taking with it many of his memories of two ages.
One thing was certain, the small group had made a difference to these menfolk on this night and that to Khalis was all that mattered.
