Title: Unseen

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Lord of the Rings" and other related characters are all properties of J.R.R. Tolkien. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the books, the movies, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned books, movies, and characters.

Additional Disclaimer: Please note that when Tolkien says that Aragorn was 'raised in the house of Elrond' after his father's death when he was a child, I (following the footsteps of other terrific authors) have taken that to mean that Elrond was something of an adopted father to his long-distant nephew, Aragorn, and that Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were something like older brothers to the young ranger. Also, I (still following in the footsteps of the aforementioned other terrific writers) have written Aragorn's mother entirely out of the equation. So, for my intents and purposes, both of Aragorn's parents were killed when he was young.

Another Additional Disclaimer: Any spelling, date, canon, or character errors are the fault of myself only and are completely by accident. I am not, and have never claimed to be, an expert on Tolkien's magical world of Middle Earth. Please forgive any omissions that you might find, but also feel free to point them out to me.

Summary: After suffering a slight head wound, Legolas suffers an unexpected side effect. When Rivendell is threatened with destruction, however, his injury may be the only hope that the elven haven has.

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are always appreciated.

E-mail: lynn_foster@settiai.com

**********

Legolas, youngest son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood, let his gaze slowly drift over the small campsite. His friend and traveling companion, the Ranger known as Strider, lay near the remains of their small fire, soundly asleep and unaware of the elven prince's wakefulness. A small smile appeared on the elf's face as he sat still for a moment, staring at the peaceful expression that shone on the young human's face.

The smile swiftly faded away as he once again felt a tremor go up his spine. He had been awakened almost an hour earlier by the slight presence of danger and had yet to slip back into sleep. His silvery blue eyes shined with uncertainty as his gaze once again swept past the campsite and peered into the darkness surrounding them.

They had been traveling for several days now, on their way from his home in the forests of Mirkwood to Rivendell, the elven haven that Aragorn called home. Until this night, there hadn't been even an inkling of danger--which was, now that Legolas thought about it, quite suspicious considering the luck that the two traveling companions seemed to have.

Without warning, the sound of movement coming from where Aragorn had been sleeping suddenly floated over towards him in the cool night air. Mentally berating himself for not noticing that his friend had woken up, Legolas turned his gaze back towards the young Ranger, who had propped himself up so that he wasn't exactly laying on the ground yet he also wasn't sitting up. An uncertain expression was on his face, letting the elven prince know that he had also noticed the slight hint of danger in the air.

The young man raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the elf before slowly and carefully pushing himself up to his feet. Silently, Legolas made his way over to where his friend was standing. He gestured towards the small wooded area directly to the east of them and then spoke in a voice barely more than a whisper.

"There is something out there. Stay here for a moment."

Without saying another word, the elven prince turned around and made to leave the camp. Before he could, however, Strider's hand had grabbed him by the shoulder. An exasperated look shined in his eyes as he turned back towards the young human, knowing exactly what his friend was going to say. Before even allowing him to speak, Legolas shook his head emphatically.

"It is better if I go alone. You may be able to move quietly for a human--but you are still not an elf."

Before his friend could say another word, Legolas shrugged out of Aragorn's grasp and disappeared into the darkness. The human stared after him for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh and quickly starting to pack up the camp. Dawn would be there soon, and he knew that they would be breaking camp as soon as Legolas returned. He paused for a moment before heading over to make sure that his weapons were all ready to be used at a moments notice. Just in case.

**********

Legolas' grip tightened on his bow as he crept stealthily towards the voices that he was hearing. It was obvious that they were orcs, but he needed to find out just how many were there. If there were only a few, it would be simple for him to kill them--but if there were many... A grim smile came to his face as he moved closer to the source of the voices.

After a few moments he paused, trying to let his elven hearing make out what they were talking about. He could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation, but what he did hear made his blood run cold.

"... look... into eyes. The elves... a chance. He will... Rivendell..."

A sudden sound came from behind him, and Legolas spun around in shock. A large orc was standing there, holding a heavy sword up in its hands. The orc sneered at him and swiftly turned the sword so that it's point, looking both sharp and deadly, was aimed right at him. The elven prince didn't even have time to wonder how the creature had managed to sneak up on him before he felt the weight of the sword crash down upon his head, and the point cutting deep into his skull, sending his mind fleeing into the blissful peace of unconsciousness.

**********

Aragorn felt a shiver go down his spine, and he couldn't help but glance at the direction that Legolas had left in. He hadn't been gone very long, and the human knew that there probably wasn't anything wrong. He still couldn't shake away the uneasy feeling that was settling in the pit of his stomach however. Shooting one more glance into the east, he let out a sigh before looking around the campsite once more.

He knew very well that the elven prince would probably strangle him if he went after him and there was no problem. There was something inside of him, though, that was practically screaming at him for not going after his friend sooner than this. Aragorn knew that it might just be a whim, but he couldn't get the feeling that something was wrong to fade away.

A sudden sound coming from the east made up his mind very quickly. The cry had only lasted for a brief instance, but he had recognized it immediately. Without pausing to even think, he hurried off in the direction that his friend had headed. There were Orcs afoot.

**********

Legolas' eyes fluttered open slightly, enough for him to see what was happened but not enough for the orcs to notice that he was awake. His head felt heavy, and his thoughts were hazy and unfocused, yet somehow he knew that he must try and listen to what the foul creatures around him were saying.

He let his gaze sweep over them, and he could dimly make out four separate figures standing around him. So, there were only four of them after all. The elven prince felt his mind slipping away, and he quickly forced it to focus in on what the orcs were saying. Their voices seemed to be dim, as if they were coming from far away, yet he could still make out the gist of their conversation.

"What is an elf doing here? Maybe they suspect."

"No, Elrond would have sent more."

"Even if they know, the master will deal with them."

"But if they..."

"Do not worry so much."

"Fine. What will we do with it though?"

Legolas' mind was spinning from trying to understand what they were talking about, but as soon as they spoke the last sentence he quickly pushed all thoughts out of his mind except for pretending to still be unconscious. He knew very well what the orcs were referring to as 'it.'

"The master might have need for it."

"Yes, and it might put us higher in his favor."

One of the orcs suddenly kicked him in the side, and the elven prince couldn't help but let out a startled gasp of pain. As soon as he did, however, he knew that it was a mistake to let them know that he was awake. The largest of the four creatures grabbed him by the hair and forced him to his feet. His already injured head screamed in agony, but he made sure not to let even a bit of pain show on his face.

The orc scowled at him before tossing him back down to the ground.

"What did you hear, elf?"

Legolas didn't say a word, but only glared back at the creature defiantly. The orc let out a snarl before once again kicking the elven prince, this time right in his ribs. He bit back a moan as pain echoed through his body, but he didn't say a word to the creature standing above him. After a moment, the orc let out a hoarse laugh before turning towards its companions.

"Forget the master. This one dies."

Legolas didn't even have a chance to think before he felt the orc's foot connect with him once more. This time, however, it caught him in the head, practically on top of the already bleeding cut that the sword had left. A pained cry left his lips before he could help it, and the elven prince grimaced in pain. Darkness swiftly started to appear at the edges of his vision as he faded once more into unconsciousness.