|
They were at the door now. Losrian thought she might faint, her hands trembled on the bow as she drew it.
The door swung open. Silhouetted against the frame were two figures - one extremely tall the other comparatively stunted. There was a blur of other figures behind them. Even in the shadows it was immediately clear that they were not orcs but elf and dwarf in the familiar uniforms of Lindon and Moria respectively.
Losrian let the arrow drop and stumbled forward towards them. The sight of her rescuers acted as a release for all the tension, pain and fear of the past hours and Losrian fell sobbing uncontrollably in to the arms of the first elvish soldier who had caught her as a reflex as she collapsed.
Moments later her self control began to reassert itself. Part of her realised that she was not necessarily safe because she was no longer alone part of her realised that this was no ordinary soldier. The surcoat into which she was sobbing belonged to a very high ranking officer indeed. I have escaped death to die of shame, she thought as she struggled to compose herself, suddenly aware of her own dishevelled appearance as well as the fact that she had virtually forced herself into the embrace of an elf lord to whom she would not have presumed to speak, had they met in other circumstances. Under the grime her face flushed , passing to a darker hue when Galmir, wakened by his aunt's sobbing and seeeing her supported by a tall, dark-haired elf had inquired hopefully, "Ada?".
Losrian drew away from Ondomirė as if she had been burnt. " No, not Daddy. Daddy's gone. Mummy's gone. It is just you and me" she finished biting her lower lip.
"I am sorry my Lord" she added, belatedly making a reverence, before turning to the child to hide her extreme embarassment.
|