Blood in the Fields of Himlad

Aurion and Celebrimbor galloped through the rolling plains of Himlad, the cool morning air rushing past them. The sun hung low on the horizon, painting the land in hues of gold and crimson. The two smiths, so often locked in the quiet heat of the forge, now rode as free as the wind, their laughter echoing across the open fields.

Their joy was cut short when they crested a hill and saw smoke rising in the distance. Below, a raiding party of orcs—nearly 150 strong—was pillaging a small settlement of farmers loyal to the House of Fëanor. The screams of the helpless echoed faintly over the plains.

"By the Valar," Celebrimbor whispered, his knuckles tightening around the reins. "We must ride back and gather warriors. We cannot take them alone."

Aurion's eyes burned with a fiery determination as he unslung his sword, its sharp edge gleaming in the morning light. "There's no time for that. Look at them—scurrying like vermin. We don't need an army to crush them. We'll handle this ourselves."

Celebrimbor frowned, his grip tightening on his own weapon. "Aurion, there are two of us, and over a hundred of them! This isn't some practice in the forge."

Aurion smirked, a dangerous arrogance glinting in his eyes. "They're orcs, Celebrimbor. Filthy, mindless ants. Stay back if you're afraid, but I'm going to kill every last one of them."

Without waiting for a reply, Aurion spurred his horse forward, a war cry tearing from his throat. Celebrimbor cursed under his breath before following, hammer in hand.

Aurion reached the outskirts of the orc raiding party first, leaping from his horse with Tulcanelcar, the hammer of Fëanor, in one hand and his sword in the other. He swung the hammer in a wide arc, the golden-silver glow erupting like a burst of flame as it connected with the first orc, shattering its skull and spraying blood and bone across its companions.

The orcs turned, snarling and roaring as they rushed at him. Aurion laughed, a savage, reckless sound, and plunged his sword through the throat of the nearest orc, twisting it cruelly before pulling it free in a spray of dark ichor.

Celebrimbor dismounted and charged in, his hammer glowing blue as he swung it with precision. Unlike Aurion's brutal, chaotic assault, Celebrimbor's strikes were calculated and efficient. He crushed an orc's ribcage with a single blow, the force sending another reeling. He dodged a clumsy swing of an axe and retaliated by driving the head of his hammer into his attacker's face, shattering it like glass.

But Aurion was a storm. He crushed an orc's spine with Tulcanelcar, the glowing hammer smashing through flesh and bone as though they were paper. Another orc lunged at him, and he caught its wrist, twisting until the bones snapped. The creature shrieked, but Aurion silenced it by driving his sword into its gut and yanking upward, spilling its entrails to the ground.

"Is that all you've got?" Aurion roared, his voice dripping with bloodlust as he swung the hammer again, breaking an orc's legs and caving in its chest with the same strike.

Celebrimbor was horrified at the sheer ferocity of Aurion's assault but stayed focused on the fight. He spun gracefully, his hammer a blur of blue light as he struck down two orcs at once, their skulls cracking under the force of his blows.

The battle raged on, the air thick with the stench of blood and death. Aurion's blade was slick with gore, and his armor was stained black as he carved a path through the orcs. He was a whirlwind of destruction, and even the orcs seemed to hesitate before charging him.

Celebrimbor, though still horrified by Aurion's savagery, fought valiantly at his side, his hammer falling like the wrath of the Valar. The ground was littered with the broken bodies of orcs, their black blood soaking into the earth.

After what felt like an eternity, the two elves stood amidst a sea of corpses. Only five orcs remained, their weapons dropped as they fell to their knees in surrender.

Celebrimbor, his chest heaving, lowered his hammer. "Enough," he said, his voice hoarse. "They've surrendered. There's no honor in killing them now."

Aurion, covered in blood and breathing heavily, narrowed his eyes. "Surrender? After what they've done? After the lives they've taken? No. They deserve worse."

He stepped forward and grabbed one of the orcs by the throat, lifting it off the ground with one hand. The creature choked and clawed at his arm, but Aurion showed no mercy. With a cruel grin, he crushed its windpipe and dropped its lifeless body.

"Aurion!" Celebrimbor shouted. "Stop this madness!"

But Aurion didn't listen. He dragged another orc forward and slammed Tulcanelcar into its chest, the force shattering its ribs and leaving it writhing on the ground in agony. The remaining orc tried to crawl away, but Aurion caught it by the leg, dragging it back and plunging his sword into its back, twisting it slowly as the creature screamed.

"You're enjoying this," Celebrimbor said, his voice trembling with anger. "This isn't justice, Aurion—it's cruelty!"

Aurion turned to him, his eyes blazing. "And what would you do? Let them go? So they can raid another village and butcher more innocents? I'm finishing what we started."

Before Celebrimbor could reply, one of the surrendered orcs lunged at him from behind, a hidden dagger in its hand. The blade sank into Celebrimbor's side, and he cried out, staggering forward.

"Celebrimbor!" Aurion roared, his fury reaching a fever pitch.

He charged at the orc, swinging Tulcanelcar with all his might. The hammer connected with the creature's head, obliterating it in an explosion of blood and bone. The other orc tried to flee, but Aurion caught it and drove his sword through its chest, lifting it off the ground before slamming it down with enough force to crack the earth beneath them.

Aurion dropped his weapons and ran to Celebrimbor, who was clutching his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Stay with me," Aurion said, his voice shaking as he tore a strip of cloth from his cloak to press against the wound. "You're going to be fine."

Celebrimbor winced, his face pale. "You...you were reckless, Aurion. This...this is on you."

The words cut deeper than any blade, but Aurion pushed the guilt aside. He lifted Celebrimbor onto his horse, climbing up behind him.

"Hold on," Aurion said, his voice resolute. "I'll get you back to the castle. Just hold on."

As they galloped toward safety, Aurion's mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, guilt, and the growing realization that his arrogance had nearly cost him his friend's life. He vowed that no matter what happened, he would make amends.

For now, though, all that mattered was getting Celebrimbor home.