The Family Line Part 17 – The Old Veteran

Part 17 – The Old Veteran

The falling sun in the western horizon shown brightly across the planes of the Stonedeans in Rohan. The rays of the sun, in their failing light, lit all of the land in beams of light as mist from the nearby waterfall released tiny droplets of water into the atmosphere. The rays passed over the three hunters in the ruined outpost of Flodgeheld. They sat, waiting for nightfall to come.

Keymel, in his knowledge of combat, convinced Theomin that a daylight assault on the orc camp was a suicide mission. The cover of darkness would be their best defense against those in the camp as their sights would be greatly hindered by lack of light.

So they sat, waiting for the sun to fall behind the Misty Mountains, waiting for their assault on the orc camp, counting the number of stars that were visible in the sky. Eashae did not count, though. She looked as though lost in thought. She looked down at the ground, digging her finger through the dirt, making designs in the loose top soil. Designs of which had no meaning, just random doodling.

Kaymel sat next to Eashae. “Nervous about tonight?”

“No.” Eashae quickly responded, as if rehearsed many times in her head before answering Kaymel’s question. She went back to drawing in the dirt.

Theomin did not question Eashae’s feelings. He too had nerves about that evening. That was why he too was quiet. His stomach was riddled with knots he did not know how to untie. So he sat there, only thinking about the little girl he wanted to help, only thinking twice why he chose to hunt the mother down.

“I remember,” Keymel reminisced about his time with the Rohirrim Riders. “I remember a time when, just east of Marton, when it was still standing, there was a group of travelers who wanted to visit Edoras. A group of Dunlandings had broken through western gates of Rohan and ambushed the group of three. There were maybe twenty Dunlandings. They were so vicious and the three were then taken west toward Dunland. A group of no more than five of us saw this group of Dunlandings taking the three prisoner. We knew that if we waited too long the group would be in Dunland by nightfall. That day, with no horses, we snuck up on the rear of the Dunlanding group. Very quietly we loosed arrows at the rear of the Dunlanding men. One by one they fell quietly until there were twelve of them left. We then flanked the rest of the group, from the north and south. With no rear guard to help, they were defenseless. They fell quickly after that, retreating or falling to our swords. The three from Marton escaped unharmed.”

Eashae looked up at Keymel. “Why are you telling us this?”

“If we are smart and catch a group, even a large group, off guard, you can outsmart them if you have the right strategy. My brother, Kemal and I saved that group not because we had more, it was because we had the right tactics. That is all.” Keymel then looked up at the now dark sky. “And by the looks of the sky, we are just about ready to depart.”

The other two looked at the sky. Theomin breathed in nervously. It was time. He rose from his spot, shaking slightly with nerves. He closed his eyes and thought to himself how his family back on the farm would feel if he did not make it back. For just a moment, he had a feeling of fleeing and just continuing to the Gap of Rohan and on to Eriador. It was such an easy decision to flee. He looked back toward the west. He stared back, longing to continue his journey. He had so many questions that needed to be answered and to fall that day, he would fall not knowing any answers.

Kaymel tapped him on the shoulder. The tap startled Theomin back to reality and what he was doing. “Are you ready?”

Theomin paused. For that moment, he wanted to turn and leave but he went against his feelings, “Yes, I am ready.”

Eashae removed her crossbow. She led the three toward the orc camp. She was first. Next was Theomin and then Kaymel, watching the rear making sure they were not followed. They were not. “I noticed a growth of trees off west of the camp. We will stop there and plan what we need to do.”

The three walked, slowly, cautiously toward the orc camp. Twice they lowered themselves into the grass as patrolling warg riders rode past. They then continued until they reached the growth of trees and bushes, unharmed, and keeping the camp unaware of their presents.

Kaymel then assessed the camp. Looking over it for a few moments. Theomin looked at it and had no hope. It looked too well guarded with warg riders and uruk guards posted at watch towers. Dunlanding men, uruk warriors, and orcs were crawling all around the camp. There was no hope for going in there. They did not even know if the little girl’s mothers was still alive. Why were they even going in there?

“Remember my story,” Kaymel reminded the two others. “We take them by surprise.” Keymel pointed toward the uruks at the watch tower. “You see that uruk? You take it out with your crossbow just as soon as the warg rider passes. You then take out that rider. Right in the head. That’ll kill it.”

“Why not kill the warg?” Eashae asked.

“That will cause too much of a scene. Best you kill the rider and the warg keeps going.”

He then looked at Theomin. “You will not do anything, just come with us. Your skills are too great and will cause unneeded attention. Just come with us and cover us with your staff.”

“Are you ready, Eashae?” Kaymel asked her.

She breathed nervously. “I am.”

She readied her crossbow and raised it toward the uruk. Her arms were shaking as she aimed at the uruk. Kaymel lowered her crossbow. “Do not fire unless you are ready. I do not know who taught you, but the key to firing a crossbow is breathing. Calm breaths in and out. Firing that bolt should be just as calm as taking a casual walk.”

Eashae nodded. She closed her eyes and then turned. She aimed her bolt toward the uruk. She breathed in and calmly pulled the trigger just as the warg rider passed. The bolt sailed right into the head of the uruk. As it fell she reloaded quickly and calmly and fired at the orc on the warg. The bolt slammed into the head of the orc. It fell into the grass as the warg continued running into the darkness.

Keymel silently whispered to the others. “Move, move.”

The three gently and softly snuck into the orc camp. They passed the watch tower and put their backs up to some logs piled up on the sides. Eashae looked at the uruk laying on the steps of the watch tower. Its head was dripping black sludge. The expressionless face on it told it was for sure dead. Keymel looked to the side of the pile of logs. He saw a lonely uruk. Eashae and Keymel snuck up almost catching the uruk unaware. It attempted to put up a struggle but as it was battling Keymel, Eashae slid her sword up the back of the uruk. It reminded Theomin of what Eotheron did to the Easterling many nights past. He remembered being upset Eotheron did that and how disappointed he was in him. Now, Theomin was watching others die and he had no objections. That bothered him as he was tapped on the shoulder by Keymel.

They moved into the center of the camp. “This is where uruks and orcs usually keep their prisoners. It can be guarded but not heavily. There is usually a tent prisoners are kept in. Let us continue.”

The three hunters crept deeper into the orc camp. The screams of orcs were heard all throughout the camp. It was distracting to Theomin as he could not hear his companions. That kept Theomin positive about not being heard by their foes as they crept deeper into danger.

They found a tent guarded by just a few uruks. Eashae easily dispatched two of the uruks. They crept closer to the entrance of the tent. Two other uruks were keeping watch. Eashae killed one. The other turned around. She quickly reloaded and let loose a bolt. It scratched the side arm of the uruk. Eashae panicked and tried to reload but Keymel ran up and drove his sword into the skull of the uruk. He looked at Eashae. She had a look of fright and then of shame.

“Have no shame. You have been doing excellent. Keep count of your bolts. You will lose many and may not have enough as we leave.” As she started counting Keymel walked close to Theomin. “If they are or not in the tent, we need to keep calm. Either way, we will need to make a quick exit. There are always roving guards who will see the dead. Once they give out the call, we are trapped in here.”

Theomin nodded. They all three ran toward the entrance of the tent. There were no uruks, or orcs, or Dunlandings to be seen. Off in a corner, sitting down next to each other were two people. A man of Rohan and a woman. They looked up and with no hesitation the woman placed her hand over her mouth and started weeping. The man stood up with awe.

Keymel ran over to the other man. “I cannot believe it. They took you captive.”

“Thank you brother.” The other man said with much relief in his voice.

The woman stood up, still crying and threw her arms around Theomin. Tears were streaming down her face like he saw in the little girl that very morning. Theomin hugged the lady back, wanting to believe she was the same woman whom he saw in Woodhurst just a few days past. He pulled her back and looked at her tear drenched face. She was not wearing the same outfit but she was, never-the-less, the same person.

Her chin quivered as she cried. “Thank you so much. Have you seen my little girl? Did she make it?”

With great relief, Theomin placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “She is in Helm’s Deep and she is quite alright.”

With great happiness she threw her arms around Theomin again. “Thank you. I know not why, but I knew I would see you again. And you came. You came to rescue me.”

Keymel tapped Theomin on the shoulder. “We must leave. They will know we are here soon.”

As Theomin and the mother left, they passed Eashae. Tears were welling up in her uncovered eyes. She was touched by the emotion of the lady. The lady looked at Eashae, “I do not know who you are, but I want to thank you deeply.”

The, now five, snuck out of the tent. Eashae took the lead, wiping away the tears from her eyes as if it was just sweat and proceeding cautiously. She swung her crossbow around, searching for any enemy who might find them. They reached the exit to the heart of the orc camp. The dead uruk was still lying there, untouched and unseen by patrolling orcs. Keymel sighed with relief as that was his worry. As they passed the guard post Keymel’s arms was hit by an arrow. Eashae looked around and saw Keymel was hit. She looked around for the culprit who shot Keymel. Just above, on an assault tower, a lone orc was standing, having just shot an arrow. Eashae squeezed the trigger of her crossbow just as the orc was reaching back for another arrow. The bolt stuck through the orc’s head. It fell to the ground with a thump.

The other four gathered around Keymel. He looked at his arm. It stuck all the way through. “I looks like a clean wound.” He said with confidence. “We can remove it when we return to Helm’s Deep.”

They continued on, passing the guard post and into the thicket of the trees. Soon, Keymel was breathing heavier. Theomin was noticing Keymel was not acting like he was before. “Are you okay?”

“I am okay. I am only a little winded.” Keymel tried to reassure Theomin and the rest of the group.

They continued onto Flodgeheld with Eashae in front, then Theomin, then the two they rescued, and Keymel bringing up the rear. Theomin then heard a slight thump. He looked back. It was Keymel who collapsed. Theomin ran toward Keymel. “You are not okay.” The rest of the party stopped and looked back.

Keymel looked at the arrow. He closed his eyes as he knew why he was weak. “The arrow was poisoned.”

Eashae ran toward him. “What do we do?”

A sound from a horn blew from the orc camp. All five looked toward the camp with dread. Anticipation grew in Theomin’s gut as he wanted an answer right away. “What do we do?”

Keymel looked up at the group. He was already sweating and his pupils were dilating. “You do nothing. You let me go. Leave me and you will all live.”

“NO!” Eashae screamed at him. “I will not accept that. You get up and you MOVE!” she tried to pick him up.

Keymel’s brother stopped her. “He is right.” He wiped a tear from his own eye. “If we stay here we all die.” He breathed even harder, fighting tears, “We leave him here.”

Eashae angrily pushed Keymel’s brother, screaming, “You will leave your own brother?” He stayed there with no reaction.

“Every second you stay here is one more second they will have to find you. Leave.” He said calmly. “Leave!” yelled at Eashae directly.

She ran backed away, astounded by Keymel. She then turned toward Flodgheld and ran as fast as she could. Keymel’s brother grabbed his arm. “Good bye, brother.” He said to Keymel. Keymel smiled and looked in his brother’s eyes. “Good bye.” He then ran toward Flodgeheld along with the little girl’s mother after she nodded toward Keymel and smiled a warm smile.

Theomin approached Keymel. All he could say to Keymel as, “Thank you.” He could barely say that without crying.

Keymel’s eyes were welling up with tears. He removed his gloves. “Take these, Theomin. Thank you for one last adventure.”

Theomin took the gloves. Keymel drew his sword and used it to prop himself up out of the tall Stonedean grass. He raised his sword and ran back toward the orc encampment. He screamed as loud as he could as he ran. Theomin walked backward, watching the man who had no fear, run toward the orc camp. As tears started streaming down his face, he turned and headed toward Flodgeheld.

Special thanks to Balcome, Patwen, and Corthric  from Rangers of the West and Shae from Exiles of Valinor on the Gladden Server.