Orophin fought to steady his mount as he and Valarda followed the surging army of Rohirim down the steep ledge to the East of Helm's Deep. As they crested the plateau his heart leapt to his throat. The darkness of the later years had brought many an uruk near the borderlands of Lorien. Never in his long years, however, had Orophin imagined so many of the foul creatures could be in one place at one time.
His keen eyes locked on a flash of blue and gold... Rivendell's banner. The blue insignia seemed a beacon to him from far across the battlefield. The elven troop had indeed fought in the Deep, then. A thrill of hope ran through Orophin for the first time. Haldir was here. And he would find him.
Filled with renewed vigor, the Lorien elf spurred his horse onward, galloping on past the line of soldiers in front of him, drawing his blade as he moved. Orophin felt the sun rise behind the mountains and warm his back. Horror mingled with the hope in his belly, swirling in the pit of his stomach, as the sun glittered off the once shining armor of his clansmen. Strewn about in hapless piles beyond the approaching sea of Uruk Hai, he could see the faces of those he had known for centuries even from here.
It had been long since Orophin had prayed with any real sincerity to the Valar. But as he clashed with the first assault, blade singing through the air, carving through the roaring masses of orc in a blind fury, he prayed. He had asked the Valar for a brother once before. Now, he begged them to deliver one to him yet again.
At his side, Valarda slashed at the beasts, all the while searching the fields with her eyes when she could. Likely, she knew more of the slain, Orophin realized, as she had kin in Imladris and visited often. His rage mounted with these thoughts, and he fought with less pity, blades in both hands now as he rode through the vile creatures.
By and by, the orcs were thinned, until the riders rounded them up and slaughtered them easily. Orophin scanned those still standing, and saw very few elves among them. Heart pounding, he set toward a familiar face. His niece's beloved, one of the members of the fellowship that had stopped in the Golden Woods. He nodded to the ranger as he came close, and jumped down from his horse, embracing the man, who held the hug longer than Orophin would have anticipated. The Lorien elf pulled back, searching the man's face. He did not need to ask. It was known why he was here.
Estel hung his head. "Orophin, he... he died in my arms. On the wall." He raised his arm, motioning in the direction of where Haldir had fallen. "I called for the troops to fall back. He took up the rear so that his soldiers would make it back to the keep. It happened so fast." The voice that spoke was soft and calm, but wavered a bit, whether in sorrow or fear of Orophin's reaction, the elf did not know.
Orophin swiftly remounted. "I will not believe your words until I find a body. My brother would not have been felled by a yrch." Before Estel could say words that would stop him, Orophin was heading in the direction he had been pointed in.