[Firefoot]

Thorvel crept silently towards the Orc camp. He had been waiting since dawn to move, and he felt that the time was right. During that time he had had plenty of time to think, and much of it had been about Lómarandil. At seeing the young wounded Elf be dragged away, he had felt worried, but now much of that worry had been replaced by exasperation and annoyance. What had driven him to go after the Orcs? Foolish, foolish, foolish young Elf, to go chasing after the Orcs alone like that. And arrogant too. What had he been trying to do? There would have been plenty of time for killing Orcs today, but now he was captured and there was yet one more Elf to rescue. He sighed softly. He still had no idea how he was going to greet the young Elf, but he determined that he would not yell. He would let Calenvása take care of that, or Targil, or whoever was in charge now.

When Thorvel reached the fringe of the Orcs’ camp, he realized that they were already starting to fan out into the forest, leaving a single Orc behind, who he recognized as the leader of the small party by his single eye. He let out a long, low whistle, made in imitation of a bird, to let the other two Elves still in the forest know the Orcs were coming. The single remaining Orc went to check on the captives, and then sat himself down on a rock in the sun. He shook his head at the Orcs’ arrogance and stupidity. This rescue was going to go even easier than planned! Unless there were other Orcs hidden nearby... Thorvel scanned the campsite and strained his Elvish ears for any sign of other Orcs. He thought he heard a few that were very close. That could be trouble, but it also might not mean anything at all. It was a risk he had to take. He loosened his knife in its sheath and pulled out his bow. He notched an arrow to the string and took cold, careful aim, smiling grimly. He loosed the arrow, but the Orc took that moment to shift positions, and instead of going straight through the heart it only lodged in his shoulder. Thorvel could not tell whether the Orc was dead or only unconscious. He waited a few moments for any sign of more Orcs before stepping out into the clearing, still on guard, and only then did he turn his attentions to the wagon.