Disclaimer: This chapter contains abuse. Please do not read if you are not mature.

Chapter 2 : Attack of the Orcs

Legolas came out of his slumber when he heard a noise outside. He sat up from his position on the floor and listened. He did not have to wait long as he heard the sound again. He recognized it immediately as the footsteps and the low grunting of Orcs. Tossing away his blanket, he jumped up and reached for his bow and quiver. "Orcs!", he yelled.

Pulling on his quiver, he ran out of the room. Aragorn and Gimli both woke up with a start at Legolas' words. Within seconds they had also reached for their weapons and were rushing out of the bedroom. Sleeping with their clothes on and their weapons close had become a habit a long time ago. This advantage had payed off tonight as well.

As they entered the kitchen, the man and dwarf saw that Legolas had just opened the front door and was already shooting arrows into the night.

As they rushed to his side and out the door, they saw dozens of Orcs running toward them with weapons ablaze. The fight had begun...

Legolas systematically killed Orcs with his bow and arrows, while Aragorn slayed them with his sword and Gimli felled them with his ax.

Meanwhile, Jonalir had been slower to wake, but had also heard Legolas' cry. Immediately, he had turned to his daughter, who was already up and getting dressed in black breeches and a white shirt.

"Robyn, you stay here! Do not move", he shouted in dread as he in turn, got out of bed and began to dress.

"But father, you need help!"

Jonalir closed his eyes momentarily, gathering his emotions. This is what he had been fearful of.

"I am serious little one, stay here. Besides, I already have all the help that I need", he insisted firmly.

Fully dressed, he rushed out of the room and closed the door behind him. He then grabbed his sword from the chair and joined his guest that had already killed a over a dozen Orcs. They lay on the ground at various angles, their bodies covered in a thick purplish blood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. With a swift swing he pierced the abdomen of the Orc that had been about to slay him and ignored the pain that shot through his back. Looking up, he saw one of Legolas' arrows whiz by him, killing another Orc behind him. He did not have time to thank the elf before he was attacked again.

The sounds of the battle reached Robyn as she sat on the bed, her hands in fists and her knuckles white. She could hear the grunts and squeals of the Orcs. She tried not to think of it, but her thoughts went back to the last time she had heard such a similar sound...

That day, close to one year ago, she had been riding Rassel in the forest looking for food. It had been a beautiful day with the sun beating down on her and the butterflies flying around her. However, her day had taken an irrevocable turn after rounding a corner and coming upon three Orcs of a kind she had never encountered before.

They were huge, much taller and broader than regular Orcs. Their faces were dark, nearly black, their teeth were horrifyingly large and pointy and their hair was long and dry, like straw. Fear shot through her spine and settled in her belly at the sight of the long weapons in their hands and the malicious glance they threw her way. They were terrifying! Immediately she turned Rassel away and tried to escape. Unfortunately, one of the Orcs was close enough to grab her leg and pulled her off Rassel. She yelped as she fell off Rassel and hit the ground hard. Winded she tried to struggle and get up but the Orcs were upon her, holding her down. She barely had time to catch her breathe and yell out in horror before her nostrils were assailed by a foul smell and rough hands were clawing at her clothes, ripping it off her. She fought and screamed but to no avail. Panic leaped in her throat, cutting off her air supply. At some point her hoarse screams must have angered one of the Orcs for he started to hit her. At that same moment, she felt another Orc tear at her pants. It was then that her muddled brain finally caught on to their intent. Rape!

"Nooooo...stoppppp", she yelled, her voice raspy from the pain of the blows.

The Orcs did not stop. Robyn felt nausea well up in her throat and choke her as one of them pulled her hair roughly, forcing her head back, before biting her shoulder, drawing blood and liking it away with his slimy purple tongue. She stiffened in horror as another Orc licked her hip bone while the third touched her chest intimately with his rough hands.

An authoritative voice suddenly boomed from somewhere above her. Robyn nearly missed it above her own screams and the Orc`s deep growling. The deep voice spoke again, this time with anger. Robyn barely registered that the voice was not speaking in common tongue.

Incredibly, the Orcs stopped and looked at the new comer, their hands still holding her down. Blood was pouring down from an unknown cut on her forehead and into her eyes. She squinted and looked up. Through a haze, she saw a black horse covered in a heavy armor. Looking higher, she glimpsed a horseman wearing a black armor. Only his face was visible. His skin was dark and his eyes eerily black. Long wisps of black hair escaped his helmet. His expressionless eyes were wandering over her, taking in every detail of her appearance.

Hope kindled to life inside her. Was he going to save her from the Orcs? The horseman dismounted from his steed and approached her. As he got closer, Robyn noticed a long scar on his left cheek. It still looked red and raw even though it had obviously healed a long time ago.

"Well, Well, What do we have here?", he asked maliciously, a slight smile appearing on his thin lips. Robyn cringed, petrified to the spot in fear by the coldness she heard in his voice. He stopped a few feet away and looked down are her with a dark smile, apparently enjoying the evidence of her struggles in the form of rippled clothes, a battered body and dirty, matted hair.

Robyn tried to crawl back and away from the tall horseman and the evil aura she felt emanating from him in waves. A growl and claws lacerating her wrists, where the Orcs held her, reminded her that escape was impossible at the moment. She watched the horseman with growing fear, thankful for the hair that covered her eyes and partly shielded her face from his nefarious gaze. Stuck in her nightmare, she barely noticed that the horseman's smile suddenly froze on his cruel lips as his eyes alighted on her throat and the jewel that was nestled there.

She cringed in fear and struggled against the Orcs as the horseman knelt at her side and abruptly pushed her hair away from her face. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes roaming over her features.

"Shok-izub", he whispered darkly.

Robyn turned her head away from his hand. What was he saying?

The horseman let her go and looked at the Orcs, speaking in common tongue for the first time.

"Release her", he ordered abruptly. "She is not yours to take".

Hope crashed into her like a tidal wave as the Orcs growled angrily before reluctantly, but obediently, releasing her. She immediately tried to cover herself as best she could, ignoring the horseman in front of her. The horseman spoke again, reverting to another language again as Robyn rubbed at her poor lacerated wrists. As he spoke, the Orcs got up and moved away from her, gathering their armor and putting them back on. She heard them growl softly in displeasure and shivered. They obviously weren't happy with what the horseman was telling them. While fear still dominated her, she could still think enough to gather two things: They all knew each other and the horseman was the leader somehow. She trembled again. Was she safe now or in greater danger? Inconspicuously, she looked around for Rassel but did not see him or anyone but her foul company. She bit her lip in thought. She could try and make a run for it but she doubted she would get away from them. She was injured, trembling in pain and without a horse at the moment.

Her gaze returned to the Orcs just as two of them gave her a last hungry look before nodding to the horseman and running off after the other Orc, along the river bank.

Robyn gasped as her arm was taken in a vice grip. Panicking she looked back at the horseman. He was still kneeling before her and was holding her with one hand while the other was unlacing his armor. She yelped in fear as he suddenly and forcefully pushed her back and straddled her legs. No! This couldn't be happening.

"Let me go! No!", she screamed at him, struggling against his hold with all her remaining strength.

Her head hit the ground hard as the horseman pushed her down roughly with one surprisingly strong forearm while his other hand tore her pants further down her legs. Robyn saw stars and struggled haphazardly against her aggressor.

"I want you. Don't fight me. There is no point", he growled in common tongue as he pinned her down with his body and used a hand to release his pants.

Robyn screamed with renewed efforts and hit the horseman in the face with her small fist. The man above her swore and hit her back with brute strength. Robyn felt a harsh blow to her cheek and saw stars explode behind her eyes. Her struggles and screams stopped as she swam in and out of consciousness. The horseman took the opportunity to rape her. Over the next minutes, all she felt were snippets of pain interrupted with periods of numbness and vertigo...

Fire suddenly leaped into her chest. Robyn gasped as consciousness returned for a moment. Through the intense pain, she felt a warm liquid slide down her waist and pool in her belly button.

"You are mine. No other man will want you now..." the brutal voice growled against her ear. Robyn did not hear the rest as she thankfully lost consciousness again.

When Robyn next came too, she was alone in the forest and Rassel was poking at her softly with his nose. She groaned and turned on her side to try and get up. Every muscle in her body was screaming in pain. But nothing compared to the pain in her chest and between her legs. Gathering her strength, she managed to pull up her pants over her throbbing body and sit up before looking down are herself. She literally died inside as she saw her ripped shirt now soaked in blood and the cuts on her chest. The horseman had marked her using a knife! He had carved long lines into her chest! Her soul withered at the gory sight and she looked away, starring listlessly at Rassel. The horse nudged her with his nose but she did not respond. She was lost in a world of pain and despair. She had no idea how long she stayed like that.

Finally, Rassel pushed her harder and she blinked. Robyn would have gladly stayed there awaiting death were it not for the reminder of Rassel and her father. She needed to get back. He would worry about her. She could not let her father worry. He had suffered enough. Shutting off her thoughts, Robyn pulled the tattered pieces of her shirt around her, hiding her chest as best she could and then reached for Rassel. The horse seemed to understand and knelt down so that she could climb onto him. She cried out in pain as she heaved herself slowly and painfully onto his back. As Rassel walked away, Robyn hung on to his mane and started to cry.

As she got closer to home, her thoughts went back to what had just happened. She realized that she did not understand why the horseman had not killed her. She wished that he had. Instead she would now have to live her entire life knowing what he and the Orcs had done to her. Yet, throughout all this one thought remained with her. She loved her father and would not want to leave him alone in the world. He had already lost his wife to disease when Robyn was five, and she promised herself that he would not lose his daughter too. With his failing health, he also could not take care of himself alone.

It was at that moment that she had decided to hide what had happened to her. She did not want her father to feel any more grief, and most of all, she did not want to admit what had happened to her. She wanted to forget it! Out of mind, out of reality. Her decision taken, she had ridden back home and lied to her father, in order to cover up for her state. She had told him that Rassel had panicked in front of a boar and that he had thrown her. She had landed in some spiny bushes that had torn her clothes and cut her deeply. When she had got out, the boar was still around and Rassel had trampled her in panic. Having never lied before, her father had believed her every word. She had felt terrible for lying but the alternative, telling him the truth, would have been a fate worse than death.

Robyn came out of her troubled thoughts as she heard the pained squeal of an Orc outside the house. She hated those beings with a blind rage. They had tried to rape her, had touched her body intimately, had injured her and most of all they had given her to the horseman who had raped and marked her. These creatures and their leader were the reason she had become a shadow of her former self and also why she had learned how to use a sword. And here was her chance to take a few of them with her. She had no illusions. She knew that she was no great swordsman and would probably die if she joined the battle. But then again, it would be worth it just to see a few of those Orcs die a painful death. In her fear and rage, completely gone from her mind was her promise to stay alive for her father. Running to her dresser, she removed her sword from it's surface and left the room.

Outside, it was chaos. Everywhere there were Orcs, some dead and some still fighting. Robyn was relieved to see that these were not the same Orcs who had hurt her that day. Nonetheless, she still felt hatred fill her soul. She turned around and raised her sword just in time to stop one of them from killing her. She felt anger flow through her as she remembered the pain that these creature's kin had inflicted on her. Lifting her sword she fought back, clashing with the Orc's weapon before slicing the blade into it's neck, killing it. In this manner, she shakily killed another Orc. No others came. She looked around. Was the battle finished now? Where they all dead?

Her gaze landed on the elf, Legolas, as he skilfully and easily killed the last Orc near him with the swift stroke of his daggers. The elf looked up at her and frowned. She ignored him and let her eyes wander over to the dwarf, Gimli, who was felling a fallen Orc. Where was her father? Her gaze turned to Aragorn who was kneeling next to a body.

Suddenly, she gasped as she recognized her father's clothes on the body. Father? She ran over and knelt beside Aragorn.

"Father! Father!", she screamed.

Although it was dark, she saw that he was bleeding from somewhere close to his heart. He was having trouble breathing but his eyes were still alert, astonishingly so. At the sound of her voice, his eyes turned to her for a moment then went back to Aragorn.

"Promise me…..Aragorn…Please.", her father pleaded with a cough.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Legolas and Gimli join them but she ignored them, her attention entirely focused on her father.

"Father do not speak, you will tire yourself out", she urged chokingly, tears sliding down her pale cheeks.

To her astonishment he ignored her, continuing instead to stare pleadingly at Aragorn.

"Please", he begged again, his voice weaker this time.

Aragorn grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"I promise you, Jonalir, son of Gansein, that I will take care of your daughter", he promised fervently, sorrow in his voice.

Jonalir closed his eyes and sighed.

"Thank you…my friend….Thank you", he murmured brokenly.

And with that he drew his last breath, turning towards his beloved daughter and whispering,

"I lo...ve…..y...o...u", before he died.

"Nooo", Robyn screamed, leaning over him and holding onto his shoulders. "Please father, do not leave me alone in this world! Please!"

She started to cry like she had only once before. After a few moments, Aragorn took hold of her arm and tried to pry her away. She fought him, prying his hand away and went back to hugging her father and crying. Aragorn sighed, got up and tore her body away from her father's lifeless body, lifting her to her feet. She resisted for a moment longer then seemed to lose all energy and just stood there, staring at her father's body. Aragorn held on to her limp hand and turned to Legolas and Gimli who were looking on with much sadness in their eyes.

"Please bury him to preserve his honour, but hurry. More Orcs may yet come", he whispered urgently before leading an unresisting Robyn into the house.

Once inside, he leaned down in front of Robyn so he could see her eyes. His hands rubbed gently at her shoulders, trying to get her attention and provide some warmth. He realized that she in shock.

"Robyn, I know this is a terrible moment for you but we must hurry as more Orcs may arrive. Gather a few things and meet us outside. Can you do that?", he asked gently.

Robyn did not react. She stared unseeingly at the door leading outside.

"Robyn", he shook her her shoulders a little "please do as I say", he said a little more firmly.

She looked up at him and nodded with tears still streaming down her face. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but now was not the time. He left her and went to saddle Rassel and the other horse. Unfortunately, he only found one saddle and bridle so he was only able to prepare the gray mare.

As he led her near the house, he saw Robyn standing there with a bag in her hand, looking down at a dead Orc. Suddenly, she kicked the creature once and then again.

"Robyn", he called out.

She did not respond and kicked the Orc again. He said her name again, this time more loudly. She looked up with hatred still clear in her eyes. He had to make her think of something else.

"Where is the saddle and bridle for the other horse?", he asked gently as he took the gray bag she was carrying and tied it to the mare's saddle.

"We have no other, we had to sell them as father could no longer ride and we needed the money", she answered flatly.

Aragorn felt his heart tighten, for as she mentioned her father, tears had once again welled in her eyes. He was about to speak but she forestalled him.

"It does not matter, I can ride without a saddle", she whispered listlessly.

"So can I", added Legolas from behind Robyn. Gimli stood next to him with a shovel in his hand.

"Good" replied Aragorn. "Gimli and I will ride the mare. Gimli can you get the stallion."

Gimli nodded, dropped the shovel and walked past the young girl and into the old stable.

Aragorn turned and mounted the gray mare.

"Wait", Robyn spoke. "I want to see my father", she said with a wavering tone as she turned away.

"Legolas", she heard from behind her.

A cool male hand caught her wrist and stopped her.

"There is nothing to see little one. Understand, we cannot linger here any longer. If more Orcs come and in greater numbers, we may all be in danger", Aragorn explained gently.

Robyn, looked away from Aragorn and up at the elf who held her wrist. His eyes were serious but otherwise expressionless. How could he be so collected at a moment like this? Feeling anger well up inside her, she tried to wrench her wrist out of his hand. His hand did not budge and she could not get away. She tried harder. Nothing. His arm did not even sway from her efforts. How could someone so lithe and light be so strong? She glared at him. Anger felt good right now. Much better than despair over her father's death. The elf looked back at her calmly, for a moment, before purposefully letting her hand go to take the rope that the dwarf was offering and that had been used to lead Rassel out of the stable.

"Come", Aragorn called to Gimli. The dwarf walked up to the mare and lifted his hand, accepting help from the Dunadaìn. Legolas watched him until Gimli was comfortably seated behind Aragorn. He was surprised the stubborn dwarf had accepted help. Then again, maybe Gimli was more sensitive than he gave him credit for and understood that now was not the time for stubbornness.

Legolas turned to the stallion and spoke a few words in Elvish to the proud horse. The horse listened for a moment, his ears twitching then lowered his head and neighed in response. Legolas smiled gently and removed the rope from the horse, tying it to his quiver strap before jumping seamlessly onto Rassel's back. The stallion did not move an inch, much to Robyn's surprise. She had never seen the stallion accept any other rider than herself...and her father.

"Come", Legolas repeated Aragorn's command as he leaned down and offered his hand to Robyn.

Robyn just there, eyes unseeing, as sorrow once again engulfed her. Her father. How was this possible? How could he be dead?

Legolas exchanged a worried glance with Aragorn. Then he reached out, circled Robyn's waist with one arm, and effortlessly picked her off the ground and set her gently in front of him on Rassel. A slight tensing at his touch was her only reaction.

Aragorn silently pressed his feet against the mare's flanks and she moved away from the house. Legolas spoke softly in Elvish to Rassel who immediately followed the mare.

Robyn was in a turmoil of pain. Half in a daze of shock she nonetheless was able to force herself to turn and look one last time at the house where she was born and grew up. As they got a little further away, she saw her father's grave made from a pile of rocks. She had the feeling she would never see this place again. Once again, tears gathered in her eyes and she looked away from her childhood memories.

Legolas felt much sympathy for this human child who had lost so much in one night. In a way, he was relieved that Aragorn had agreed to take responsibility for her because he felt that they might be partly responsible for what had happened. Indeed, the Orcs may have been looking specifically tracking them. In which case, the attack would not have been a random event but a direct cause of their presence. They rode off into the night moving away from the forest and back towards the plains.