Eduwiges of Faldham surveyed the clearing ahead of her. Wood smoke curled up into the sky like mist through a barrow. A shabby camp with moldy tents and bedrolls were strewn behind an old retaining wall like a refuse pit. A bald-headed being strutted back and forth in front of the fire. Three others in worn gear sat around the flames watching him. One looked as if he had seen one two many winters. The other had greasy slicked back hair and a shabby beard down to his chest. The third wore some kind of watch cap and as the bald man ranted he tossed his knife into the dirt, pulling it out then tossing it back again and again. Each of them were armed with something that looked like a cross between an axe and meat cleaver with a long handle. All had squinty eyes and protruding foreheads.
Against one of the tents four large bows were set aside next to quivers of black, crudely made arrows beside them. The remnants of some kind of half-eaten animal still roasted over the fire. In one corner of the slipshod camp a glittering box covered with Elvish runes gleamed by the light of the moon ghosting down through the mists and smoke. Beside it were smaller cases and a beautifully crafted valise.
Eduwiges had been on the trail of these creatures ever since the morning after she had learned a party of elves had been scattered from the trail and slain close to the Midgewater Marshes a fortnight ago. She had been bored as usual, drinking in the Prancing Pony and learned of the murder from Celebreneth, an elleth sworn to watch the roads between Imladris and the Havens. The elves were certain orcs or goblins had attacked the party and had stamped out several orc-camps from the goblin-hole ruins to one of the valleys of the Lonelands but no trace of the elven party's belongings were ever found.
She had promised Xanderian and Calidis she would stay out of trouble and stay close. However, the length of time they had been in Bree was wearing on her. Xan and Calids were off Bema knows where. Lif was doing what Lif did when they came to town, vanish until they started home. Finch was out and about making friends and finding new sources of food. Rana, Lord Elrond’s emissary to the group, had taken to the woods. Addie and Anna could not be pried out of the Scholar’s Stair, the great library of Bree. Last but not least, Nethrida had ridden off to Fornost. So feeling alone, depressed and bored she thought, ‘What could it hurt?’
She rode out of Bree in an early dawn chill, cool enough for her to breathe white puffs of air as Oenone stepped out onto the trail. Drunks were staggering home, the watch were dozing in their stations and the lamps grew dimmer as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. Oenone was powerfully muscled and stood 15 hands. She was stocky rather than lean, curried to perfection and her feathered mane and tale swung gracefully at the trot. She loved to break trail in the mornings and Edu had to hold tight to hold her back. Eduwiges’ curved greatsword, Badu Drut was in a scabbard strapped to the saddle. Her bow and quiver on the horse’s rump.
By mid afternoon the pair arrived at the outskirts of the Midgewater Marshes. The trail of the elven patrol was easy to pick up. Clods of earth torn by their mounts as they rode north towards the Midgwater Pass. Each camp Celebreneth’s elves came across was obliterated. Most were mainly goblins but as she moved further north orcs became more prevalent. The bodies had been piled and burnt and each mound carried a warning; an orcish head impaled on a spear. Eduwiges chuckled grimly. ‘Those elves aren’t too far removed from ages past.’
Most folks thought of elves as wise, benevolent beings but Eduwiges knew better. Many elves still carried the brutality of their youth with them into this age and were not far removed from the Elfhelm riding the borders of the Mark. Revenge and justice always crossed racial lines, human, elf, or dwarf. She thought for a moment of hobbits and laughed softly, even halflings.
Celebreneth had said there were weapons and other items recovered from the orc and goblin camps but orcs always carried spoils away. What made the elleth think those particular items were from the murdered elves? These were elves traveling to the havens to go west. They obviously felt safe enough to travel with no guard which was odd. The Lonelands had dangers enough to justify being well armed. Something felt odd about the whole affair. She knew if she continued north she would find more of the same so she circled back south swinging wide of the mounds of burning orcs and swarming crebain.
She noticed something odd as she came close to the Midgewater Road. Off to the east she could spy the Forsaken Inn and to the west there were human settlements, a few farms and stockyards. Angling off from the road were what appeared to be human tracks. They left the road abruptly and meandered close to a farmhouse. She gently booted Oenone and followed the trail which veered off next to a creek bed then up into the hills towards Cardolan. The going was steep as bare rock broke through the earth like jagged teeth. A time or two Eduwiges climbed off and led Oenone up steeper inclines.
Suddenly the pair summited the caprock and the entire lowlands behind them opened up and the vista encompassed almost all of the Midwater and the Lonelands. She could spy the ruins in the marsh and the mesas behind the Forsaken Inn. Weathertop was shrouded in mist and people looked like ants working down on the farms below. To the south the country opened up. She could see sunlight glistening off a creek to the east and brilliant red poppies lay like carpet all the way down into the bowl of the valley. The trail was easy to pick up again after she lost it in the rocks. Grass and poppy flowers were mashed into the ground. The light human tracks were joined by something heavier and more abusive to the land.
As Edu moved into the valley below the air began to chill and she shook out her crimson cloak and wrapped it around her. Oenone pawed the earth nervously, not liking something she was hearing. She pulled up and patted the horse lovingly on the shoulder. ‘I do not like this either love.’ She said.
She sat still watching. Xandilif had pounded patience into her brain during the years she squired for the great elven warrior. ‘Often times Greyhound.’ she would say.‘The first one to move dies. So check that fecking temper you got and be patient.’
Lif had a nickname for everyone, though why she called Edu Greyhound was a mystery to her.
There was a soft singing in the wind. A mesmerizing sound. Eduwiges took in the beauty of the brilliant red poppies. They swayed gently back and forth in the cool breeze flitting through the valley. She felt the urge to move forward. Her gaze frozen on the swaying flowers. The wind singing to her. Edu was so happy. Even happier if she moved ahead. She smiled. Out of the blue Oenone snorted and bucked! Edu snapped out of her daze and grabbed the mane of the horse to keep herself from being knocked off. The horse turned her head back and gave Eduwiges an accusatory look. The woman shook her head. All feelings of happiness and safety vanished and she pulled her blade from the scabbard and layed it across the pommel of her saddle. Her eyes alert she scanned the area ahead of her. All she saw were poppies. ‘You saved me love.’ she said.
‘You are much smarter than me.’ she chuckled and patted the horse again.
‘When did it get so dark?’ she asked.
‘Something is definitely off here and we must be cautious.’
Giving Oenone her head they moved further into the valley, following the trail. Soon she began to see ruins coming up ahead. They were ancient and worn similar to the walls and ruins around Bree, only a more reddish color and stained with mold, moss and in some places what looked like blood. She pulled up again and stood in the stirrups for a better look. The ruins opened up in front of her. There was an old retaining wall that roiled out of the earth and grew larger as it ran along to the west. Then it abruptly stopped. Beyond that were broken down buildings and the doorways blocked by rocks. Something seemed very familiar about this place to Eduwiges as her eyes ranged further south she saw broken stone covered with sod and…
Tombs! These were not buildings, they were barrows! She had ridden right into it! Suddenly she understood the siren calls of the poppies. Wights must be nearby! The song of the poppies was meant to lure her in! She took a deep breath and that is when she heard the voices.
Gutterall but speaking westron, Eduwiges caught the wisp of conversations and orders being barked. Quietly she dismounted and put a finger to her lips for Oenone to be silent. Foolish, she knew but their bond transcended her teenage years. She ran the reins through a hole in the ancient retaining wall in front of her. ‘Lovely!’ she thought.
The trail led to barrows. Most likely filled with wights, considering the siren call from the poppies. Oenone munched away at grass. Edu patted her rump, reassured her grip on her sword and slowly made her way around the crumbling wall. At one time it must have been part of a massive portico but time and the weakness of men had reduced it to this. Up ahead in the light of the gloaming standing stones jutted out of the ground like the spine of some ancient sea-monster rotting on a beach. The stones were the color of burial shrouds and the stench of rotten earth filled the air.
Before Eduwiges left Bree-town she chose the most form fitting hauberk she had. One that was all leather and worn enough so it did not creak when she moved. The straps had enough wear and tear on them to cling to her body and there were no metal buckles for light to glint off of nor were they long enough to catch on anything. Edu favored black armor and this one had dark crimson colors reaching down each side over her ribcage and a silver dragon centered over her chest. She was armed with her great elvish curved sword which she called Badu Drut, Battle Friend. Secreted all over her body were a cache of all sorts of daggers from one hanging from her hip to the one strapped to her thigh and down to the one over her ankle. Edu loosened each one its scabbard, said a short prayer to Bema, the Huntsman. She stepped in from her cover and with a couple of lightning flash strokes had two of the half-orcs down in an instant! Her situational awareness was complete and she pirouetted as she recovered from her swing and lunged her sword backwards taking one of the two remaining half-orcs in the chest. She paused for a moment, the dying orc struggling caused her sword to vibrate. With one move she spun backwards pulling the curved greatsword free. Edu was just in time to block a fierce blow from the last nasty creature with her sword. She slid the sword downward and onto the hilt of the great axe thing the half-orc was carrying, taking the fingers holding it off at the hand. The nasty creature howled in outrage as Edu swung back and silenced him by removing his head.
Catching her breath Eduwiges eyed the rest of the camp with a look of satisfaction on her face. To her left the gleaming casket with the runes and other items taken from the elf camp lay just in front of her the fire. Just as she started for the elf items a loud scraping of metal on stone rent the air followed by a howl of outrage. Five more of the foul half-orcs came from around behind the tomb. ‘Feck!’ she cried and leapt to the attack. The first was stopped cold when Eduwiges swung a well muscled leg through the fire and kicked up burning hot coals which flew through the air and into his face. The second collided into the leader and fell to the ground. A knife to the throat took the third and finally the last two had the sense to spread out and approach her separately, one from each side. ‘Ces and Finch are going to kill me.’ she muttered.
Eduwiges of Faldham faked a lunge at the one on the right then swung back like a spring as the other leapt at her. His head came smoothly off. She spun around as the other came in and she was hard pressed to beat off his attack. Backing up, her head snapped back as the half-orc swung a fist sideways into her face. Almost falling she held herself up with sheer panic and feigned a weak blow towards the beast and when he howled and rushed in to finish her off. A stabbing thrust with her sword ended his chances. However, the dying brute was stuck on the end of her sword. His muscles clamped tight. Edu could not pull the blade out. The two remaining half-orcs rushed in as she tried. The first came straight on. Eduwiges put her foot on the chest of the orc stuck on her sword and pushed as she pulled with both hands on the pommel of her sword. Suddenly the dead thing came loose and flew backwards into the rushing monster closing in. Both went down backwards into the fire.
By now the shield-maiden’s breath was coming in ragged gasps. The extreme amount of energy required to fight had left her momentarily spent and horribly thirsty. Her tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth. ‘One more!’ she rasped. ‘Come on you fucking thing, come on!’ The live one in the fire must have had some kind of fuel on him from carrying their little bombs because he went up like a torch and his violent screams echoed through the red poppies down through the valley. The last half-orc approached cautiously. He had already learned from the death of his comrades. Eduwiges spun her sword around once in her hand. She did so to keep the obvious leader of the others attention on her sword. His heavy, iron shoes stamped through rocky soil. She again faked a lunge but the thing wasn’t falling for it. Suddenly, he stopped moving and laughed and spoke in a guttural and slobby voice, ‘You’ll not be killin’ ole Rezzo so easy! This lot ain’t smart like I am! Thas why I am the boss! Sharkey made me the Lieutenant!’
Eduwiges’ mouth was too dry to speak. She eyed Rezzo warily as he strutted through the bloody camp. Suddenly, he lunged. He came in so quickly he got in through her defenses. Again she took a blow to the face. Her left eye was nearly blinded as his mailed fist struck her. Luckily she had been able to move her head just enough to avoid severe damage to herself. She looked down in horror as his jagged dagger was moving towards her. Her panic leant speed to her movements and she caught the half-orc’s hand but she was too late. The dagger pierced her skin just above her hip bone and went in almost all the way. She could smell the vile breath of the lieutenant. ‘You be the one dyin now pale haired bitch!’
His spittle spattered her face and she felt him twisting the knife in her side. Edu reared her head back and brought her forehead down on the bridge of the half-orc’s nose, shattering the bone. Rezzy howled in pain and loosened his grip on his dagger. Eduwiges roiled backwards and to the left, gaining momentum with her sword. The hundreds of hours spent learning, training and fighting came through, what happened next was only reflex and muscle memory. Her sword lifted then came down right where Rezzy’s shoulder met his neck and cleaved through muscle, bone and sinew spattering black blood back onto Edu’s face. The blade came through the other side. Quickly Edu brought the sword to guard position. She watched as what was left of Rezzy came apart. His body split almost in half and fell to the ground.
Eduwiges slowly collapsed. The rocky soil stabbed through her leather to bite at her knees. She clenched her fists and howled at the sky. The piercing cry echoed her victory and warned any other attackers away. Sweat beaded on her rapidly swelling face. Her breath came in ragged tears. She felt pain in her side and looked down surprised to see the half-orcs hunk of metal sticking out of her. Edu staggered to her feet but used her left hand to stabilize the dagger to prevent it from doing more damage. She walked clumsily to where she had left her horse. Oenone rolled her eyes at her as if to say, ‘See? I told you so!’
Edu was too tired to argue. She untied her cloak and tore it into strips to create a makeshift bandage. She pushed it hard against the nasty wound in her side to staunch the blood and pulled the dagger out quickly. She stuck it into her belt. She swore bitterly. The pain made her swoon and almost pass out. ‘Quick, let us go before more of them show up!’
She lifted the casket with the runes onto the horse and strapped it down. She swore again as the wound was aggravated and started pouring blood again. She ripped more of her cloak and shoved it onto the wound. Edu tied the rest of her cloak and around her waist to hold the bandages in place. She shoved as many of the other items into her satchel leaving the rest. She struggled to climb onto Oenone. ‘Bema!’ she shouted.
‘I can’t climb up!’
She paused for a moment, her lungs inflating tore at the wound with each breath. The pain was coming in waves. Eduwiges reached into her boot and pulled a battered silver flask. She opened it and took a good swig of rum. She looked down at her side, gritted her teeth and poured rum on it. She howled in pain and shoved the padding harder onto it. She took another swig, capped it and shoved it back into her boot. She pulled on the reins, getting Oenone to lower her head. She made a clicking noise from her throat, ‘Cmon girl. Down!’
Oenone bent her knees forward and lowered her body just enough for Eduwiges to struggle into the saddle. With a last look at the dead half-orcs she booted the black horse just enough and galloped back north towards the main trail and the Forsaken Inn.
