After the story Igris had told, the elves and Ciri remained silent for a while. But before long the elves began speaking among themselves, while Igris chatted with Vaelor, trying to learn about their culture. After some conversation, Vaelor shook his head.
"No, we do not have anything resembling the warriors you call samurai. In fact, our military structure is somewhat similar to this world's."
Igris tilted his head with curiosity.
"Interesting… your manner of giving thanks resembles very closely the culture of a country in my world called Japan. Even your swords bear their signature."
Vaelor looked surprised for a moment.
"An interesting coincidence… give me a few examples, perhaps there is some connection."
After nodding, Igris asked,
"…Do you eat with sticks?"
Vaelor nodded.
"Yes, we use eating sticks, but we also use forks and spoons."
Igris brought his free hand to his chin.
"Interesting… and do you have something like seppuku? Something like this…"
Igris briefly explained seppuku, but Vaelor recoiled in disgust.
"No! We have nothing like that."
Igris chuckled.
"There's no need to be disgusted; that people value honor above everything. Anyway, something else… Ah, perhaps the food culture is similar…"
Igris listed several Japanese foods he knew—ramen, sushi, and takoyaki. Vaelor shook his head.
"We have something similar to what you call ramen, but not the others."
After thinking for a moment, Igris sighed.
"I can't think of anything else… I'm not Japanese, after all."
Then something came to Igris's mind.
"Ah! Martial arts! Things like these…"
Igris described the Japanese martial arts he knew—especially kendo, but also judo, karate, and aikido. After clumsily demonstrating a few movements he remembered, Vaelor watched for a while and then nodded approvingly.
"Kendo and judo are used within our own combat arts. In fact, during some festivals we performed demonstration bouts and fought with other special units…"
After nodding, Igris asked with interest,
"So what weapons do you use?"
Vaelor thought for a moment before answering.
"Our primary weapon is the bow. In close combat, I and some others use the katana, while the rest use daggers…"
Vaelor looked toward Zerinya, the third commander beside him. Zerinya swiftly drew the two daggers hanging side by side at her waist; her cloak rippled with the motion. She spun the blades rapidly in her hands before displaying them, then returned them to their place with the same elegance. Igris looked on with appreciation.
"A fine skill."
Zerinya looked at Igris with a cold expression and replied in a disciplined tone.
"Skill and training."
After nodding, Igris pointed to Elaria, who was on Vaelor's back.
"True… and her?"
Vaelor paused for a moment in sadness. Behind them, Ciri slapped her hand lightly against her face.
'Idiot…'
After sighing, Vaelor looked at Zerinya. Zerinya nodded, removed the spatial pouch at her waist, and took out a folded weapon from within. Unfolding it, she spun it swiftly and gracefully, then held it at her side with refined control. Igris looked at it and whistled.
"A war scythe? Seriously? This is the first time I've met someone who uses this weapon."
Vaelor chuckled and said proudly,
"Our commander danced with that weapon… You should see her in battle; I've never seen anyone wield it as elegantly as she does."
As Zerinya folded the weapon again and put it back in its space pouch, Igris nodded thoughtfully. Then, narrowing her eyes, Igris looked carefully at Elaria, who had been expressionless since the beginning of their walk, and noticed that her fingers were trembling very slightly.
'This is a very good thing… being a master of such a unique weapon… hm… this could be useful.'
Looking at them with curiosity, Igris asked,
"What about music? Do you have songs you sing together as a group?"
Vaelor thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes. Since the formation of the group, we have one or two songs—for sorrow, and for celebration."
After nodding, Igris spoke again.
"Does your commander like them?"
Ciri frowned upon hearing this.
'What is she trying to do?'
Not only Ciri, but Zerinya also frowned.
'Why was Igris specifically asking about Elaria after the scythe incident? Was she mocking her? But she didn't seem like that...'
Ignoring the stares directed at her, Igris asked curiously:
"Can you sing a little?"
Vaelor hesitated for a moment, then sighed and nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to calm himself. Igris shifted her attention from Vaelor to Elaria, and Zerinya, seeing this, watched Elaria intently. After a short pause, Vaelor began to sing a mournful melody in the Elvish language. Elaria listened to the song without reacting at first, but after a short while, she gave a small response. Seeing this, Zerinya looked at Igris in surprise and noticed that she too was watching Elaria out of the corner of her eye, lost in thought. After reciting a few lines, Vaelor fell silent, sighed, and spoke sadly.
"…Something like that."
At this, Igris nodded and spoke as if nothing had happened.
"It's beautiful. I'd like to listen to it properly sometime."
Vaelor shook his head and looked ahead sadly, while Igris began to think about some spiritual healing techniques she remembered. At that moment, she felt a gaze and, looking to the side, saw Zerinya watching her. When their eyes met, Igris grinned nonchalantly and winked. Startled by this sudden change, Zerinya quickly turned her head forward, focusing on the road; the moment had made her feel a little embarrassed. Seeing this, Igris giggled and continued walking, whistling. Ciri, meanwhile, frowned in discomfort at this scene.
At that moment Vaelor looked at Igris with curiosity.
"So… what is your lover's name?"
Igris flinched and cast a strange look to the side.
"What did you say? Who?"
When Vaelor pointed at Ciri, she startled, and Igris was stunned. The two of them spoke at the same time in panic.
"HE/SHE'S NOT MY LOVER!" ×2
The elves looked astonished. Igris cleared his throat, while Ciri blushed, fidgeting with her hair. Igris then spoke calmly.
"Vaelor, this is Ciri. She also arrived in this world recently, just like you… Instead of staying with the rest of the group, she chose to accompany me."
Vaelor, realizing the situation, apologized.
"My apologies… I misunderstood. When I saw you traveling with a beautiful woman, I assumed she was your wife—or your fiancée."
Igris nearly choked. In his mind flashed the image of a large, frightening man with silver hair, amber-yellow eyes, and a cold gaze, looking at him with unmistakable killing intent. He shuddered, then quickly cleared his throat and spoke.
"We don't have that kind of relationship... we just met today. Anyway, please don't bring it up again! Especially not when you're standing next to a man with amber eyes, silver hair, and two swords on his back!"
Behind them, Ciri—who had already been blushing from Vaelor's words—was stunned by Igris's statement and blinked in confusion.
At that moment, ideas began forming in Shadowmane's mind. His thoughts, shifting from the simplicity of a horse to the cunning of a fox, raced ahead.
'Wait a moment! If I want to get closer to Snowball, I can do it through our partners! That way we'll grow closer, and it'll be more natural for me to stand near her—and I won't look like a creep! Besides, as a good horse, I can find a suitable and fine match for my partner!'
As Shadowmane continued to move forward, he subtly turned his head to look at Ciri suspiciously, examining her carefully, without Igris noticing.
'Hmm… still, I should get to know her better… after all, I can't entrust my companion to just anyone, can I?'
As Shadowmane continued forward, he kept observing Ciri. Feeling the weight of that stare, Ciri shivered and turned her head to look back at the eyes fixed upon her. When she met Shadowmane's strange gaze, her eyes flickered; the horse was examining her from head to toe.
'Why is this horse… looking at me like that?'
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Ciri raised her hand and gave a small wave, forcing a polite smile. Seeing this, Shadowmane flinched, then smiled as much as a horse possibly could, nodded, and quickly turned forward, thinking to himself:
'Don't give it away… I'll observe her first… then we'll decide.'
Lowering her hand, Ciri thought,
'The horse was strange, just like him... Why was this horse looking at me like that? And why did I harbor such bad feelings towards it?'
Then, remembering Igris's words, he shuddered, frowning at the horse walking ahead, strange doubts swirling in his mind.
At that moment, Igris suddenly shivered violently and looked at his horse. Shadowmane ignored him. Igris moved closer and spoke.
"All right, what are you planning?"
Shadowmane ignored him again and neighed indifferently.
"I don't understand what you mean…"
Igris looked at his horse suspiciously and thought,
'…I have a feeling this bastard is plotting something… I've got a bad feeling about this.'
Shadowmane gave a soft neigh.
"What a beautiful day…"
But inwardly he thought,
'Don't give it away… don't make eye contact…'
Igris studied his horse for a while, trying to catch him in some inconsistency, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he finally gave up.
'Guess I was imagining it…'
As the group proceeded calmly, the sound of hooves echoed from ahead. Igris looked forward curiously and asked his partner,
"Are they ours?"
Shadowmane paused for a moment, sensing his surroundings, then neighed.
"Yes, those are Kili's, Bamsı's, and Doğan's horses. Ingrid, Bora, and Tozkıran."
Igris raised his eyebrows and looked at his horse.
"So you've been socializing with the group's horses."
Shadowmane snorted with disdain.
"I didn't sleep lazily for seventeen days like you did."
Igris rolled his eyes and spoke.
"Forget about me and pay attention to Snowball."
Igris grinned mischievously.
"Who knows, maybe she'll fall in love with another horse…"
Shadowmane trembled violently, then went completely rigid. Ignoring his horse, Igris looked at the group, who had already prepared for battle, and spoke.
"The ones coming are ours, relax."
The group calmed, sheathing half-drawn weapons and lowering bows that had been ready to fire. They continued forward, and shortly afterward the trio arrived. Igris raised his eyebrows as he looked at them.
"…There's a problem, isn't there?"
Doğan stepped forward and sighed.
"Yes, my lord. A short while after you left, news reached the Elves."
Igris frowned.
"Go on."
Doğan nodded calmly and continued.
"Reports have come in that a legion of Orcs has been sighted northwest of Rivendell. It's said that the Dark High Orcs are leading them."
Igris's frown deepened.
'What does that mean now? What the hell is Sauron up to? He wouldn't reveal himself this quickly… we're still in the middle of the campaign.'
After thinking for a moment, he recalled the spies watching Rivendell's eastern border and felt an uneasy sensation.
'…something is going on…'
He turned back to Doğan.
"Has there been an attack? Or were they only sighted?"
Doğan answered calmly.
"They were only sighted, but there were also some creatures within the legion."
Igris kept thinking, but no clear conclusion came to mind. He turned to Kili.
"What did Thorin say? Are we getting involved?"
Kili shook his head.
"No… this is the Elves' problem, and I don't think they would want us to interfere."
Hearing this, Igris sighed and nodded.
'Elves don't like accepting help while defending their own lands… especially against a legion… they would probably see it as an insult… particularly if the help came from dwarves.'
Looking at Doğan again, he asked,
"What did Lord Elrond do?"
Doğan replied calmly.
"He took a large portion of his army and went to the border. He believes Rivendell is safe with Lady Galadriel and Gandalf remaining behind… there isn't an overwhelming danger, but there is a powerful the Dark High Orcs on the other side. The Elves call him 'Heart-Eater.'"
Igris's brows knit even tighter.
"I know that Orc… but what is he doing here? That bastard is one of the leading generals of the Orc kingdom… he's known for tearing out and eating the hearts of his enemies after killing them…"
Hearing this, Ciri and the Elves frowned in disgust, while Igris began to think rapidly.
'Why would Sauron deploy such an Orc already? Does he really want war, or is he after something else?'
He turned again to Doğan.
"When did Lord Elrond set out?"
"Fifteen minutes before we departed. He left at full speed."
No matter how much he thought, Igris couldn't piece anything together. He sighed and shook his head.
"All right! Time to pick up the pace. Vaelor, have your men advance at a run—we need to reach Rivendell as soon as possible."
Then he turned to the trio.
"You accompany us as well…"
Igris raised an eyebrow and looked at Bamsi, who appeared bored and unhappy.
"Are you all right?"
Bamsı let out a deep sigh and spoke sorrowfully.
"…I came here to fight… but there's no fighting…"
Doğan rolled his eyes, and those nearby looked at Bamsı in surprise, while Igris chuckled.
"Don't worry. In the future, you'll have plenty of oppor—"
Before he could finish, Shadowmane neighed violently.
"Thoron!"
Startled, Igris looked at his horse, then followed Shadowmane's gaze upward. A hawk was flying rapidly toward them, but Igris frowned the moment he recognized it.
"Thoron? What is he doing here? Wait!"
Seeing the crossbow bolt lodged in the hawk's body, Igris's eyes widened, and he rushed forward. The others stared in astonishment. The hawk stopped flying and began to fall. Igris immediately dismissed his armor into his inventory, pulled out a blanket, and spread it open before him. The hawk dropped, striking against Igris's arms.
Realizing what was happening, Shadowmane stepped forward anxiously to look at his hawk companion and neighed in anger, faint traces of heat rippling through his mane.
"Thoron! What happened to you, brother?! Which bastard did this to you?!"
Igris carefully held the hawk. It had been struck in the lower body by a crossbow bolt—not a fatal wound, but it had lost a great deal of blood. The hawk cried out in fear and panic.
"I-I-Igris… h-h-help…"
Igris frowned and immediately looked at Vaelor.
"Vaelor! Is there a healer in your team?"
Vaelor spoke at once in Elvish, and a brown-haired male elf quickly stepped forward, taking the hawk and beginning treatment. The hawk was crying out for everyone to hear, but only Igris and the animals could understand him.
"H-h-help… h-h-help…"
Igris asked anxiously,
"Did something happen to those two idiots?"
The hawk chirped weakly.
"A-a-ambush… S-s-south… e-e-east… Orcs… and…"
Igris knelt, leaning closer, bringing his ear near.
"And what, Thoron?"
The hawk gave one last cry and fainted.
"D-Dark Elf…"
Igris's eyes widened, and he looked anxiously toward the southeast.
'What the hell is happening?!'
The others looked at Igris. Doğan asked curiously,
"My lord, are you all right?"
Igris quickly equipped his armor and leapt onto Shadowmane's back.
"My friends are in danger. This hawk is a companion of two Elves I traveled with before! They were ambushed, and judging by Thoron's reaction, they're not doing well."
He spoke rapidly.
"Doğan! Bamsı! I need you—support me."
Doğan nodded.
"Lead the way, my lord."
Bamsı immediately grew excited.
"HAHAHAHA! I KNEW IT! THE TIME FOR BATTLE HAS COME!"
While those around them looked at Bamsı with strange expressions, Igris turned to Kili.
"Kili! Take this group to Rivendell!"
Kili nodded.
"Don't worry. When I arrive, I'll inform my uncle—we'll come with support!"
Igris nodded, then turned his horse.
"We're heading southeast! Tell Thorin that!"
Kili nodded.
"Understood."
Just as Igris was about to move, Ciri rode forward, blocking his path on horseback.
"I'm coming too."
Igris hesitated in surprise for a moment, then nodded.
"I'm grateful."
At that moment, Vaelor spoke.
"Zerinyan! Take fifty men with you and follow Igris."
Zerinyan nodded and moved at once to select the men.
"Understood."
Igris frowned slightly at Vaelor.
"Are you sure? You've only just arrived."
Vaelor nodded.
"Yes. Even if we were betrayed in our own world, we cannot ignore innocent kin in need."
Igris paused, then nodded, urging his horse forward at speed. Bamsı, Doğan, and Ciri followed close behind. Igris did not worry about the Elves; he knew they would keep up even without horses. Yet both he and Shadowmane shared the same anxious thought.
'Don't you dare fall before I get there… you stupid twins!'
-A short while earlier-
Many roads and narrow trails pass through the Misty Mountains lying to the east of Rivendell. Yet these mountains are rarely chosen for travel, for all manner of creatures—monsters, Orcs, and Goblins—make their lairs there. Sheer cliffs, treacherous paths, dizzying chasms, tumbling rocks, and the dense fog from which the range takes its name, mists so thick that at times one cannot even see what lies ahead… From this harsh and perilous land, two riders emerged at a calm, unhurried pace.
Both were clad from head to toe in Elven armor, and it was nearly impossible to distinguish their faces from one another. However, each had mastered a different weapon—one the sword, the other the bow—so it was possible to tell them apart by the arms they carried. As the two riders moved forward quietly, a hawk, slightly larger than normal, rested on the archer's arm.
The elf who wielded the bow gently stroked the hawk's belly, and his brows slowly knit together.
"Brother…"
The rider beside him turned his head.
"Yes?"
The archer spoke again.
"…Has Thoron put on weight? Or does it just seem that way to me…?"
The other rider glanced at the hawk for a moment. The hawk, startled by these words, looked down at his own belly, while the swordsman spoke calmly.
"…Hmm… It does seem like he's gained a little weight… You might be right, brother."
The Hawk stood frozen in shock, then let out a miserable cry to protest this injustice, while the archer, speaking in a slightly mocking but serious tone, taunted the hawk.
"I suppose we fed him more meat than necessary… He was already capable of hunting on his own."
The swordsman chuckled softly.
"Honestly, this situation isn't so bad. After all, our sister is fond of Thoron. That poor hawk will likely be taken captive by our dear sister and won't be able to hunt for a long time—he'll end up eating insects."
Hearing this, Thoron went rigid with shock. The two brothers laughed quietly at the hawk's reaction. The archer spoke in a calm tone.
"Sometimes I envy Igris… He can hold a normal conversation with animals."
The swordsman let out a quiet sigh.
"Yes… I wonder who he's causing trouble for now… Our journey with him… was madness."
The archer laughed and shook his head.
"Yes, it was an adventure that would be hard to forget."
The archer looked up at the sky and stretched, feeling the wind blowing across his face.
"What do you think our sister has been doing? Do you think she's missed us?"
The swordsman chuckled.
"We've been away for nearly four hundred years and barely visited home, sending only a few letters. So yes, she's missed us—and she's probably angry."
The archer nodded and sighed.
"At least we were able to cast off the anger inside us… Thinking about how my mother was ambushed by Orcs still makes me furious."
The swordsman nodded.
"Thanks be to Eru that a passing warrior intervened in time… I don't even want to imagine the alternative."
The archer nodded and let out a small laugh.
"But we hunted so many Orcs that everyone in Middle-earth started calling us Orc hunters."
The swordsman chuckled, scratching his cheek.
"…I suppose we may have overdone it a little."
---
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