CHAPTER 10: KIDNAPPING AND SLAVERY

The camp was quiet, its members sleeping other than the posted watches. Daylight was not far off as the light in the East hinted. Suddenly horns blared and the familiar screeching of Orcs and yelling of men filled the air around it. Troops stumbled out of the tents grabbing gear and weapons. Warriors who had mounts ran to them, vaulting onto their backs. Aiya and her two tent mates were among them. The shieldmaids of the Mithril Knights, Lady Kaeglin and Lindorie Ainariel, prepared for battle quickly as all three made their way to the main headquarters tent.

“ItÂ’s going to be daylight soon. Orcs donÂ’t fight in the daylight,” shouted Celdirion to Darhil.

“It seems that these Orcs do. Maybe the Uruk-hai talked them into it!” grimly replied Darhil. “I think those beasts could talk the hair off of anything including getting Orcs to fight whenever they wished them to,” he added.

Eldacar, with the help of the leaders of several groups, formed a Thangail (shield fence) with the foot troops while the horse-warriors formed a circle around the camp in preparation to defend themselves at short notice. They could still hear the horns, but saw no sign of where the enemy was hiding as yet. They could easily use the boulders and bushes around them for ambush.

Aiya had run to her horse and mounted wondering just what her duties would be when Raydon approached her. He grabbed the reigns of her mount and quickly led her and her horse to a small, rocky hill, which was central to the encampment. There, he bade her stay. “You have the crystal, Aiya, use it!” he commanded gently and raced back to take his place at the head of his group of Anadune Knights.

“The lookouts,” yelled Calaval to his Forever Knights scout, Celeblos. Where are they?” His scout answered by shaking his head. They might have been ambushed silently. This would answer CalavalÂ’s question.

The Peace Keepers had formed in the circle awaiting orders from their leader. Maur Narag held his deadly axe in front of him anticipating a head of an OrcÂ… or better one of the Uruk-hai. Milanther was mounted on Anubys with his bow ready and had checked his two deadly, curved Elven swords, Elindir and Atticas, were nearby.

Elendar was thinking of his strategies available. If they took advantage of the open ground in front of the camp and the enemy attacked over this, a Dirnaith could be formed, a wedge formation, but it would be necessary to lure the enemy into that area and Eldacar knew that might be a problem. As he looked around him he took notice of a figure on a low hilltop in the center of the encampment, but it was not light enough as yet to recognize whom it was.

Aiya could see the whole scene from where she sat on her horse. Some small voice inside her told her when seeing Eldacar sitting on his horse in that certain area that this was where he wished to fight. For no reason that she was aware she took the crystal out of her pocket, unwrapped it and held it in her upraised palm.

Eldacar, as well as the whole force, saw a sudden bright light appear from the hill. It resembled a beacon of white, glowing in one direction and then another, covering the whole assemblage as well as the camp. Now, it seemed to concentrate on the clear field in front of them. This was what Eldacar had wished, but he wasnÂ’t aware of why it was happening. As he and his captains had predicted earlier the enemy was concentrating its forces in this area it seemed.

With quick precision the troops formed a Dirnaith or nernehta [‘man-spearhead’ in Quenya], a wedge formation launched over a short distance against a massing enemy who had not yet formed. It was also used as a defensive formation on open ground. This had been decided very quickly when the first sound of horns had been heard. The Captains smoothly saw to the placement of their various troops. They were ready for action in moments as the enemy swept towards them.

Spear, sword, pike and axe were used swiftly as they met the enemy head-on. The war-trained horses again used their training in protecting their occupants. Flying front hooves cleaved heads and flattened bodies while barrages of arrows were directed at the rear of the enemy forces killing any who ran towards the free-men. The wedge was successful in protecting the camp, as Aiya could see on her small hilltop.

Calaval and Sarlonda Lyre of the Forever Knights riding side by side with Lior BlackArrow, Raydon and Teonvan of the Rangers of Anadune had created a flanking action on the left while Brimnon, Lady Kaeglin, Boragorn, Lindorie Ainariel and Qualmeasto of the Mithril Knights had done the same on the right. In the center was Eldacar with the Patriots, the PeaceKeepers with Elindir, Atticas, Isal, Milanthir and Tinorfithiel, and most of the Moriquendi led by Morthorond. There were also many foot soldiers that had joined from the various villages they had come across previously and these fought valiantly alongside the Calvary.

Aiya had been surprised when the crystal had begun to gleam and direct its beam in the direction in which she had pointed. She was learning just how powerful this small piece of crystal was. Pointing it in different directions as she saw her friends in some difficulty or being overwhelmed by too many of the enemy she helped as best she could. The beam seemed to throw the enemy fighters off balance. They would become confused and look towards the bright beam of light. Some even fell over in what looked like a daze.

She had been directing her gaze to the plains where the battle had been mainly been fought, and had pocketed the crystal. Suddenly strong hands grabbed her from behind and blackness enveloped her.

Quiet finally came to the field of battle. There were bodies strewn over the plain. Blood had been spilled onto the grassy meadow, seeping into the ground. Methodically, the troops began the cleanup of the area, as was usual. Raydon and Eldacar led their mounts to the picket line strung inside the encampment. They were cleaning their equipment when a strange look came upon RaydonÂ’s face. He had looked up at the hillock where Aiya had been standing beside her horse the last time he had looked before the battle had ended. Now, she was no longer there. After saying a few words to Eldacar he strode off to find where she was.

Questions were asked about the camp, but no one had seen the Seer. All had been busy in battle or cleaning afterward. The word went forth in the encampment to find the Lady Aiya. It was to no avail. She was nowhere to be found.

Aiya awoke from the blackness to find she was blindfolded and bound to her horse. Someone was leading it, this much she could tell, but the smelly rag around her head prevented her from seeing anything. She struggled with her bindings but they were too tightly tied.

Time passed slowly. Aiya didnÂ’t want whomever it was leading her horse to realize she was awake. She remained quiet as she was being bumped around and could hear the rustling of grass and bushes as her horse plodded along. After what seemed to her a long span of time she began to hear wind, as if it was swaying the treetops. She could feel as if they were climbing a steep hill and suddenly the sounds began to echo. They were in some type of cave. The dripping of water onto stone became apparent to her ears, and her mountÂ’s hooves gave off a hollow sound.

Faintly she thought she could hear voices echoing through the air. They began to come nearer as her guide, whomever it was, led her to an unknown destination. AiyaÂ’s heart began to thump harder as the voices became loud and raucous. It sounded as if someone was arguing, but in a language she couldnÂ’t understand. It sounded a bit Elvish, but much rougher. Then, the hard realization made her skin grow cold. It was the language of Mordor, the evil Elvish of Sauron that she was hearing. The enemy had captured her!

She felt rough hands grab her and yank her off her horse, depositing her on a hard surface none too ceremoniously. “Ouch,” she mumbled to herself which brought raucous laughter from her unknown and yet unseen captures. She was left alone after this. The voices left the area in which she was located, but they didnÂ’t bother to untie her or remove the blindfold. Her hands were bound at the wrists in front of her, her arms free. This gave her a chance to feel her side pocket. To her surprise the crystal was still there! They must not even know about it, although they must have seen it do its work at the battle scene. ‘Maybe they want to get it later for their own purposes,Â’ thought Aiya to herself. She was also worried about her mare. She hoped no harm would come to the loyal horse. As she was feeling for the crystal she discovered that although the sheath and belt was still on her side, her dagger, Estel, was missing.

Trying to pry the tight blindfold off she found some type of sticky compound on the inside of it. The rag finally gave away and fell leaving her face gooey with what ever this was. Feeling for the fallen rag she picked it up and wiped her closed eyes cleaning the goo off and slowly opened her eyes. It was to complete and utter darkness. ‘I must be in some type of cave or cavern,’ she thought to herself. The voices she had heard earlier began to become apparent to her again. They sounded as if they were coming towards her and her heart began to pound once more. ‘This is it. They’re probably going to take the crystal and kill me,’ and she closed her eyes as the guttural voices grew nearer.

At the encampment the warriors were now frantic. They had looked everywhere for the missing Seer, but were unsuccessful. Their best tracker, Idril, shouted from behind the hillock where she had been standing. He had found a faint trail although it was difficult in this rocky terrain, and was shouting to the rest informing them of his find.

“Mount up warriors. WeÂ’ll have to hurry if we plan on covering any ground before nightfall,” commanded Eldacar.

“Sir, not all should go on this rescue mission. It would be the death sentence of Aiya. Too much noise and confusion goes along with this many,” advised Raydon quietly. “Let me go alone with Idril.”

“There must be a group of these creatures who took my cousin, Raydon. What if you have to attack them? You canÂ’t do it by yourself!”

“I think stealth will be needed more than numbers. One man and a tracker could infiltrate their hiding place better than a host,” firmly countered Raydon.

The council that was called agreed with the Knight of Anadune. It would be much easier for two of them to infiltrate the enemy quietly and attempt a rescue. But they also counseled that a larger group should be located not too very far away to back them up if it came to that. With this agreement accepted by all parties the group was chosen. Calaval, Kaeglin, Lindorie Anariel, Milanthir, and Celdirion would accompany Raydon and Idril until the enemyÂ’s position was discovered. The latter two would then approach and decide just what the situation warranted and what action to take.

The group readied their gear and horses, packed provisions and left the main encampment led by Raydon. Idril was tracking just ahead. They entered a sparsely forested area on the foothills of the great Ered Nimrais [White Mountains], after crossing an eastern branch of the River Gilrain. The trail had now become clearer as the ground became softer, covered with litter from the trees and bushes, and they made good time following the tracks that Idril sought. At nightfall they made a fireless camp. They had heard crows talking in their raucous tones as night fell. This told them that the birds could sight them. It was thought that Saruman of Isengard used these ‘crebain’ as spies when he wished. They ranged from Dunland throughout the ancient land of Eriador and usually flew in large flocks. They seemed to have a fair amount of intelligence, at least the ones that Saruman used, and the troop wasn’t going to take chances. The moon was in its dark phase so little light was available to track. They would just have to stay in a makeshift camp under a canopy of trees until dawning eating cold rations. It was nothing new for these warriors of Middle Earth.

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Aiya realized she was holding her breath and forced herself to exhale in a whoosh. She could see the torchlight before the foe entered. It lit her surroundings proving her thoughts correct. She was in a small cave-like room with rough walls and dirt floor. The water could be seen seeping through the cold, stony walls. She could see little else but darkness as her captors entered. One who acted as their leader was a Man not an Orc. He was dressed entirely in black with a black cloth wrapped around his head hiding his features altogether. Only his eyes of jet-black and the evil tone of his voice were apparent.

“What have we here my friends, what have you brought me?” he growled. “Someone of great importance I vow. Look at what she wears. My, what defiance I see in her face!” he laughed in a deep, guttural tone. He looked intently at the prisoner. “SheÂ’ll bring a pretty price in Isengard I think. Then it will be on to the slave markets of the Corsairs of Umbar in the South.”

The Seer struggled to stand. If nothing else she could show this beast her courage! “I will never be a slave to anyone, fool, and you won’t be around long enough to find out, anyway!”

“Leave her. She can stay here until we continue on. Put a guard outside in the tunnel,” he ordered, then shouted, “put that blindfold back on! I see she removed it.” He then left his men to follow his orders, which they did with gusto putting back the blindfold, tying her hands behind her tightly and binding her arms so she was trussed like a roasting bird.

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The small band of warriors forged ahead. They had left the camp as the light began to dawn over the mountains. Idril, using all his skill as a tracker would weave in and out of the area discovering broken branches, bushes stepped upon and footprints in softer ground. Soon he disappeared for some time while the warriors waited quietly. Suddenly he reappeared with a grin on his face. “IÂ’ve found where they are, Raydon,” he quietly told the Knight. “They hide in a large cave complex just over this next hill. ThereÂ’s plenty of cover around the entrance. We wonÂ’t have any trouble getting in if weÂ’re careful.”

Raydon nodded and turned to the troop behind him. “Idril and I will go on ahead. You get as close as you feel you can without being detected and wait. With the help of the Flame of Arda we will be successful in this!” He nodded at them and dismounted. “From here on I go on foot with Idril,” he declared as he handed the reins to Lady Kaeglin. “Take care,” he said over his shoulder as he and Idril set off over the rise.

Under cover of thick brush the two crept towards the cave entrance. No one was guarding it at the moment. At least no one they could see. Crawling around to each side they peered quietly and carefully into the dark opening. There were several large torches lit down a passageway, but no one guarding this entrance or the passageway, so in they crept listening for any movement. As they rounded a bend they could hear laughter.

“Sounds like theyÂ’re celebrating, Sir,” whispered Idril.

“Not for long if everything goes the way it should!” replied Raydon grimly. “We have to find where they are keeping Aiya. You go that way and I will go down this one,” he indicated as they came to a division of tunnels. “Be careful. We donÂ’t want to disturb their celebration now, do we?” he said with a half smile.

Idril disappeared down the tunnel looking into any opening that he could find. Raydon was doing the same. At one turn that he peeped around he saw a guard standing in front of an opening with a torch next to it on the stone wall. ‘That must be where they have her,’ he thought to himself as he stopped to plan something. Gathering a fistful of dirt and gravel from the floor he pitched it against the wall in front of him. Hearing the noise the guard walked towards the sound and Raydon, hiding flat against the corner wall grabbed his neck tightly with one hand while holding his mouth with the other. He kept pressure on the guard’s neck until he slumped over, unconscious or dead. Raydon wasn’t in any mood to care. He then moved down to the opening and entered. There he found Aiya, bound and blindfolded.

Aiya had heard the commotion, but was unable to do anything. She had thought that they were coming to get her to take her to Isengard. She heard someone enter and felt hands untying her. Someone was near and she could feel the warm breath on her cheek as her blindfold was being untied. This was all too gentle to be one of her captors, she thought to herself. Suddenly there was the gentle, familiar face of her friend, the Knight of Anadune! “Raydon,” she said and choked on her words. “How did you get here? Where is everyone?” The questions tumbled out before she could control them.

‘Shhh,” came the reply. “There are others here who would love to kill us both. Idril is looking in another direction along the tunnels. Your guard is either dead or unconscious, I donÂ’t care which, and some of the troop is waiting lest we need help getting out of here. Now, come, follow me.”

They were carefully making their way towards the entrance when a most horrible sound roared behind them. Aiya froze in fright. Raydon unsheathed his sword and seeing this Aiya grabbed for her dagger. It was gone she now remembered. Around a corner came a group of torches, the fire dancing off the tunnel walls. Raydon pushed Aiya towards the opening as Idril came barreling down the tunnel he had been searching. Seeing the two he grinned and out they went through the cave entrance, the enemy right behind them.

They tumbled down the embankment in front of the cave and to their surprise, right into the laps of their troop who had tethered their horses a ways off and hid themselves among the underbrush near the opening. When the kidnappers came out of their lair, the troop was on them in a flash. Kaeglin hit one on the head with her sword while she and her friend Lindorie speared two more with their daggers. The rest of the troop was similarly engaged and Raydon too took up the fight after telling Idril to get Aiya out of the area a quickly as possible. Idril, taking his instructions seriously, led Aida back to where the horses were tied, helped her mount and led her away.

“Stop Idril,” she yelled. “Give me a dagger so I may go back and join in the fight. I may have no dagger, but I still have the crystal. I can be of some help!”

“No, my Lady Aiya. I was instructed by Lord Raydon to get you out of here. And thatÂ’s exactly what IÂ’m doing!” grimly replied Idril as he firmly led her horse away from the area.

They reached the last encampment and Idril stopped the horses, allowing Aiya to dismount. But he wouldnÂ’t let her return. They waited for the others, hoping for the best. Aiya was frustrated, although she couldnÂ’t blame Idril. The tracker was just carrying out his orders, and she realized that Raydon was only trying to get her to safety, but it didnÂ’t help how she felt. She was a warrior too, and would have fought alongside her friends. It was just unfair!

It was not long before they heard the troops returning. Hearing the tone of their conversations they knew that the warriors had been successful in overpowering the enemy.

Without even stopping any longer than it took for Aiya to remount her horse, they set off to return to the main camp. Raydon rode in front with Aiya at his side.

Reaching across he put his hand on hers. “IÂ’m glad I found you. I thought that we had lost you for good,” he said as he leaned near her.

“They were planning on selling me at Isengard to take to the Corsairs of Umbar for the slave market that the pirates are said to have,” replied Aiya. “I would have just disappeared somewhere. But I had the crystal. I would have done something!” After a few moments passed she added, “I thank you for rescuing me. You and the troop are very brave. I really am glad,” and she smiled at Raydon. She didnÂ’t add that she was glad it was Raydon who rescued her in particular. She felt it wise to keep that to herself. At least for now.

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