He grew accustomed to the days with the riders soon. From their talk he understood that they called themselves the Rohan. They were rough but also skilled warriors who would treat others as well as they deserved it. They even taught him how to use a sword, but they didn't try hard as he didn't have the needed strengh to wield one. Nevertheless their leader used to encourage him, he made him believe that it did not matter that much that he was ugly and stupid as he believed that the young boy at least had a good heart. He didn't dare to trust them though. He feared that they would laugh or even worse hit him or send him away if they found out that he did understand them much better than they thought he did.
He just came back from fetching fresh water when he heard one of them scream. "Orcs!" Then he saw their leader running towards him. "Hide lil one. We'll fight 'em. Don't get yourself killed by standing around!" So he ran and climbed a tree as fast as possible. From there he watched. The Rohan were skilled fighters, they tried hard and fought bravely. But he realized that there were too many of those big ugly creatures they had called orcs earlier. It was then when he understood what they leader of them had told him.
They would get killed. All of them, though they were fighting and no matter how skilled they were. And he would be up in the tree, waiting till the slaughter was over and crying with silent despair for they had been kinder towards him than his family had been. He watched them and he realized that he had truly liked being with those fighters. They had been rough, yes, and sometimes they had hurt his feelings with silly jokes, but they had also taken care that he wouldn't starve and protected him from danger.
When only three of the riders were left he heard an angry cry. "Daro!" He turned his head and saw them. 13 new riders appeared. Neither the orcs nor the Rohan seemed to know them but the Orcs seemed to fear them. The leader of the new arrived troup called something in a strange language and he and his party aimed their bows and shot. Only some of the Orcs stayed to fight. Most of them ran away as soon as they had eyed their new enemies. And he understood them. The new ones were skilled archers and didn't miss their aims. Another Rohan died and one of the new group fell, but now that they had arrived there was new hope that at least two of the Rohan might live. One last arrow hit its target and he heard the leader of the new group call something. Then he dismounted and walked lightly towards the two Rohan.
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The Ugly Elfling by Milly
Chapter end notes: Daro = Stop
