I do hope you like this story. Please review it if you do. I know Battlestorm would love to read them, and I know she will even if she's not here anymore.

Some translations to know before reading:

Mellon nin (Sindarin): My friend

Mani naa ta (Sindarin): What is it

Bal (Black Speech: not sure if this one is right): Fire

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Dark eyes watched the assemblage of riders emerge over the hill. Elion smiled slightly to himself. The elves were heading straight for their trap and would soon fall prey to it as flies do to honey. The elves would never know what hit them.

Elion glanced over his shoulder and gave a nod to his second in command. The orc nodded and signaled to the others who silently pulled an arrow from its keep and settled it upon their bow.

The sight broadened the grin on Elion's face. No one would suspect a band of orcs hiding in the trees; especially wielding bows. It was the perfect strategy and everything was going according to plan. He notched his own bow and watched with bated breath for the moment of battle.

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Legolas laughed merrily at his friend's story. His eyes shone as he turned to look at his longest and closest friend and second in command. He trusted him with his life and had been saved many a time by his friend's skill in battle.

"No need to recreate the past, mellon nin. I was there and recall it quite well. I do believe father forbade me from leaving the palace for longer than a fortnight after that. It was ages before he let us out hunting again without being watched like a pair of elflings. I do seem to remember it differently, however. It was you, and not I, whom enticed the wild boar into a wild fit by stumbling blindly into its den."

Erolith joined Legolas in his mirth.

"Ah but that is where you would be wrong, Legolas. You were the one that enraged it when you pulled out your sword when he charged at me and only managed to put a nick its side. That is when things truly took a turn for the worse." Erolith's voice trailed off as Legolas turned towards the forest. There was something wrong. The trees were completely silent as were all other sounds. Erolith stopped talking when he saw his friend's frown.

"Mellon nin, Mani naa ta?" Legolas ignored his friends question and instead kept his eyes on the woods. These woods marked the beginning of Mirkwood's territory, but orcs and spiders had been sighted roaming the borders for quite a while now and had begun edging in further with each passing day.

Legolas raised his hand to halt his warriors while his ice blue eyes pierced the tree line, searching for the slightest movement or shadow out of place.

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Elion saw the elves stop and cursed silently to himself. He should have known the elves would be able to sense their presence. But he had been sure they would not have been able to sense them until it was too late for them to do anything about it. What was it that gave them away?

He followed the lead elves lien of sight and held his breath when those shocking eyes met his own. Elion knew they had been seen when the blue orbs widened slightly. The elf opened his mouth to warm the others, but Elion had already released his arrow with deadly accuracy. He was the greatest bowman of his people. He never missed his mark. Ever.

The arrow struck true, straight in the heart of one of the Mirkwood elves. He went down without a sound. Then everything erupted into chaos. The elves spurred their mounts into charging full speed into the trees for cover, all drawing either swords or bows.

"Bal!" He called to his warriors. Dozens of arrows filled the sky and rained down, some taking elves with them. Soon the elves were returning the fire and orcs started falling from their perch in the trees. The elves with swords were now easily scaling the massive trees and joined the fray.

Elion shot down elf after elf without pause. A quick glance around supplied him with the state of the battle. They were losing. There were almost outnumbered two to one. That, combined with the skills of the elves, meant only one thing: defeat. Elion came up with a new plan quickly. Cut off the head of the snake.

His eyes searched for the blonde leader. He found him quite easily. He moved with a natural grace that appeared almost easy, leaping from tree to tree and shooting down orcs while in mid jump. Elion raised his bow and tracked the elves movements carefully. After a deep breath he loosed his arrow. The wood flew true, straight for the elf's heart, but at the last moment the elf spun to the side and the arrow found its mark in a tree instead. The blonde leader stared straight into Elion's eyes.

Elion was struck speechless. Never before had anyone evaded his arrows. Never before had he ever missed. In his moment of pause he failed to notice an elf jumping onto his limb behind him. He turned too late and a sword buried itself in his side.

Elion cried out and stumbled backwards, forgetting his surroundings in his moment of pain. His foot came down on air instead of tree and he was sent flailing. He only felt fear for a few seconds before spine-shattering agony and then nothing at all.