| TOTAL WAR ROME |
When the next day approached, as the sun peaked through the horizon, the legion made preparation once more. But within the legatus tent, Estelle and her inner circle argued on the proposition to detach a small force to take on the dangers in Mirkwood along with the Dwarves.
"I do not like the idea of sending our legionnaires, even a portion of our men, to go along with them through to those dark woods." Numerius, who was skeptical as ever when it came to the Dwarves strongly refute the idea.
Then there were Cicero and Magnus, who understood Numerius's point of view and reasons, but were more into; accepting the proposal. Mostly because if the Dwarves failed, if Thorin failed to reach Erebor - the Oath - would mean nothing. Their reward to use the armory and forge within Erebor - to repair and smith their equipment - would be locked with no access.
Therefore, any chance to increase the success would be worth it, especially when their armor and tools were in great need of maintenance. Otherwise, a dull sword could only do so much to cut flesh or pierce guts.
Yet Numerius refuses, claiming that it would fall to them to uphold their Oath and reward them still.
But that was not Numerius's decision to make, not when Estelle finally broke the silence and spoke, her eyes were a firm Bronzite stone - there was absence of doubt in it - as she said. "A contubernium will accompany the dwarves - and I will lead them."
Such a bold statement made even the other praefectus stunned at such words, but it was Numerius who was most, if not the most affected by it. "But you are the legatus, you must lead the legion!" Numerius tried to reason with her but she would not have it. "I expect you to lead the legion in my absence, tribunus." Estelle dictates with firm authority.
It was a first, and the tone she had used expected full compliance to her orders before Numerius inevitably heed and obeyed the commander's orders.
"By your order, legatus." Then he quietly left the tent, before Estelle dismissed the rest with a wave of a hand. When the others left, and she was alone in her tent, a defeated sigh escape her bruised and cut lips. It had to be a success, the lives of the legion depended on it - proper maintenance was a must - to survive any onslaught. Bad and terrible gears would be their downfall, and she would not have that, so long as she drew breath.
With a yell, she screamed out for a centurion, who came to her tent in a matter of moments. "Yes, legatus?" said the man. "Ready a contubernium, we will part from the legion and accompany the dwarves through Mirkwood." Short and precise, Estelle gave her orders which the centurion simply obeyed.
Despite still being disheartened and broken from the death of her men, she would make it her mission to save as many and return with them back to Rome.
'I am my father's daughter, a child of a Roman Legatus and a child of Julius.'
Then with that, she left the tent and went along with the centurion to meet the men to accompany Thorin and his band of dwarves and a hobbit.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
The sound of the legion on the move stirred the quiet peace of early morning, as the legion avoided the forest of Mirkwood. In an attempt to go around it, more days will be added to the journey in which Thorin could not have - with time running out - he and the company would have to go through Mirkwood.
But it seemed they would not be alone when Fili spotted Estelle with legionnaires of eight accompanying her as she waited for Thorin's company near the edge of the forest of Mirkwood.
"You know Kili, if I ever trusted a human it would be the commander." Fili said before he explained his reason. "When we were being chased by those goblins on the hills, and then the orcs that Azog sent, we went running to them without a thought when we saw them. Camped on that hill, almost like they were meant to be there to save us." Fili talked furthermore, when none opposed to him from running his mouth, not even Thorin.
"Also to make it a certain point, who honestly would help a band of dwarves being chased by a horde of goblins, orcs later on no less? In truth, they could have forced us to run along and let those goblins and warg riders after us - completely leaving them alone - yet the commander never let that thought sink in as the gates were opened in an instant!" Fili concluded it with that as the dwarves neared Estelle and the legionnaires.
"Estelle." Thorin greeted her before he asked what she and her legionnaires were doing when her legion was going the other way. To which Estelle replied, nonchalant about the idea of letting her legion go ahead without her.
"I left my tribunus in charge to lead the legion around Mirkwood and meet us at Laketown."
But out of decent consideration, between close acquaintances, Estelle asked Thorin. "Would there be an issue in joining your company?"
When Thorin overcame the surprise proposal, he took a brief moment as he looked at the dwarves that he has brought along, before finally staring back at Estelle's brown eyes that shone brighter in the sun. "It would be in my honor to have you assist us, commander."
Though before anything else, Fili jumped to the front and introduced himself. "I know we haven't truly had the chance to speak, but, Fili - at your service!" To which Estelle replied with her own, even if she swore she had an introduction with them already.
"I am Estelle, and so am I and my legionnaires."
Then with the gesture of her hand to the dark forest - signaling for them to take the lead - Thorin took point as he led the company, soon followed by the legionnaires and herself close behind them.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
"Gandalf mentioned not to stray from the path, lest we enjoy ourselves being lost in these woods." Thorn's big, and loud voice warned the dwarves and men as he kept an eye to the ground - making certain to stay on the path - while simultaneously looking up around his surroundings.
"I don't mean to alarm everyone, but how long exactly have we been walking?" Bilbo questioned before Balin's voice answered him. "It hasn't been long I suppose but I can't tell when we're in these woods." Until Fili made a discovery when he took the lead of the group. "We found the bridge." "Bridge!" Kili responded, as he walked by his brother Fili and followed by Bofur who inspected the collapsed bridge.
As Bofur took a closer look, curious about the water beneath the bridge, he let out a small troubled word. "Oh.." as suspicion and alarm rang through him. Especially so when Bilbo mentioned swimming it. However, Thorin's reminded of Gandalf's fair warning just before the wizard had left to attend to other things.
"Didn't you hear what Gandalf said?
A dark magic lies upon this forest. The waters on these streams are enchanted."
But Bofur mentioned the stream not looking the part, though listened regardless as Thorin began to walk along the stream as he talked about finding another way across. That was until Fili got a hold of a rather thick vine the forest seemed to produce abundantly.
"These vines looked strong enough."
Though before Fili could jump and let it hold the dwarf's weight, Thorin firmly called to him from performing a reckless action. That was as Estelle appeared behind Thorin and advised them to send the lightest within the group. It was an easy feat to wonder who else but not Bilbo; who everyone turned to look at.
Frustrated and extremely tired, Bilbo had no choice but to give in and began climbing the thick branches and an awful slow walk along it, as he held on to somewhat large vines to keep himself from falling into the stream lest he wishes to experiment with these alarming waters. That was until as he got near the other side, he lost balance, and just as he was about to fall in - he swings his arm frantically to grab a hold of something - a firm hand clasped a strong hold on Bilbo.
When he was pulled to safety, away from the broken bridge and the stream below it, Bilbo has failed to notice a single aspect of who saved him - still slightly terrified at what could have been - until he looked up and saw the unique armor of their human acquaintances.
It was Estelle who had a nonchalant expression, as her dark brown eyes bored to meet Bilbo's own, as he gulped and thanked the commander for saving him. Estelle was an imposing figure when too close and personal, that a look - the view at least from Bilbo's height - made him realize just how much authority the commander invoke.
Taking a few steps back, in case the commander didn't like the close proximity, Bilbo soon solved the puzzle, as when he must have been busy trying to safely keep above the enchanted waters. It would seem that Estelle could have taken the simple route, by just having to do a quick sprint and take a massive leap.
"Keep away from the waters, it seems to be making you and the dwarves slightly... tipsy" Estelle warned Bilbo as he backed away from the edge of the bridge, until on the other side he witnessed something that he'd never ever forget. On the other side, the legionnaires prepared to toss the dwarves over, which Bilbo could guarantee took a lot of convincing.
But despite being extremely stubborn dwarves, Thorin would make an exception as he asked the rest to swallow whatever pride they had - at least until they were tossed over - to which they defeatedly submitted.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
When the last dwarf was thrown - Bombur - who took several legionnaires to bring him to the air and toss him, and the massive weight he carried with him over the collapsed bridge successfully, a white deer emerged from a large tree in the distance.
When Thorin, Bilbo, and Estelle looked at the white deer in astonishment - though Thorin with a look of disdain - before he slowly lifted his bow and arrow at the white deer. Before Estelle lowered Thorin's attempt to release and let loose an arrow toward it.
It would seem the forest and the stream have affected the dwarves drastically, especially when Thorin expressed a fit of anger at the escape of the white deer as he watched it flee.
"It would have been bad luck to shoot an arrow toward it..." Bilbo slurred as though drunk. Before Thorin has something to say about that. "I do not believe in luck. We create our own luck."
At such comment, and the tone of Thorin's voice, Estelle gave him a side eye before looking back to where the white deer have run. The appearance of a white deer meant many things, but the most prominent was good fortune. Estelle could only hope that holds true as she leaves the bridge and looked to where the path continued.
TOTAL WAR ROME |