Disclaimer: The whole thing belongs to Tolkien... I just play with it, dream about it, read it, read about it... You get the idea...
Just to let you know, Tirrin and Adron are brothers, and friends of Legolas. Rethan is Legolas's best friend. Legolas is the captain of this scouting party. This story is set in 2956 of the Third Age.
"So, if Orcs are Elves, and Wolves are Wargs, what are Dwarves?" Tirrin asked. The other members of the company groaned.
"Tirrin's pointless, dumb question number…. What is it now, four thousand, eight hundred and twenty nine?" Adron said.
"Does not it just seem strange to you that every race in Middle Earth has an evil counterpart, except the Dwarves?" Tirrin asked.
"Oddly enough Tirrin, some of us have brains that can think of more important things than that!" Rethan said.
"Hey!" Tirrin cried. Adron laughed at his brother.
A figure dropped out of the trees.
"Ai! You are making enough noise to bring every spider in Mirkwood here!" Legolas hissed.
"Sorry, Tirrin's asking pointless questions again!" Adron whispered. Legolas sat down with a sigh.
"It's not a pointless question! It is curiosity!" Tirrin said.
"What is the question?" Legolas sighed
"If Orcs are Elves, and Wolves are Wargs, what are Dwarves?" Tirrin repeated. Legolas frowned thoughtfully.
"I'd say Trolls, as both races have the same level of intelligence!" Adron said. The others laughed.
"Nay, it cannot be! Trolls are too tall to be the Naugrim!" Tirrin argued.
"Goblins," Legolas said. The other three looked at him.
"Goblins are just another breed of Orc," Rethan said.
"Maybe, but they are like Dwarves. Cowardly, with a love of caves," The other three considered this.
"Ai! Why can you not be around every time Tirrin asks a pointless question?!" Adron asked Legolas.
Legolas's only reply was a short silvery laugh, which abruptly halted. He stood up, and went to the edge of the glade.
"What is it?" Rethan asked, rising.
"I hear orcs," Legolas said simply. The other two jumped to their feet.
"How far?"
"A mile away."
"Should we hide?"
Legolas considered this, "I think we should get closer, and find out their exact number first. We may be able to fight them."
The four of them took to the trees, and ran through the forest.
Several minutes later, they found the orcs on a path. There were about twenty of them. The three Elves looked to their Captain. He studied the orcs for a moment before nodding.
The orcs walked on, oblivious to the danger above them. Legolas silently signalled for them to spread out and surround the orcs. They shadowed the orcs, sliding from tree to tree, following them for half a mile.
At Legolas's signal Rethan threw a rock at a twig on the ground, behind the last orc. The twig snapped, and all the orcs whirled around. Tirrin and Adron jumped out of the trees, drawing their swords with duel cries of "For Mirkwood!" The orcs were taken by surprise by the two elves, and four of their number were destroyed. Legolas and Rethan took the opportunity to shoot arrows at the orcs, adding to the confusion.
The battle was going well, with sixteen of the Orcs down, and the only injury the Elves party had was a shallow cut on Tirrin's arm. Legolas drew back another arrow, aimed, and shot another Orc through the heart. Another Orc was slain by Tirrin, and the last two were being cornered by Rethan, who had dropped out of the tree, and was fighting with his knife.
The Orc who the Elves had identified as the chief said something in his foul language, and the other Orc jumped forward forcing Rethan to engage in combat. The Orc chief grabbed a horn that was tied to his waist, and blew one short blast, before Legolas shot his throat out. The other Orc was then slain by Rethan.
Legolas joined his friends on the ground.
"What do you think the horn was about?" Tirrin asked.
"Not another pointless question!" Adron groaned.
"Seriously, do you think the horn would have summoned reinforcements? Or been some other kind of signal?" Tirrin looked south pointedly, and all four of them shuddered.
"Then we should get out of here," Adron said.
"Wait! Maybe he didn't complete the signal, and one short blast meant that all was well," Rethan said.
The other three stared at him.
"You do not really believe that, do you?" Legolas asked.
"I was more hoping," Rethan admitted.
"Let me see your arm," Adron said turning to Tirrin.
"It is a scratch!"
"Aye, and the last time you had "Just a little scratch" remember what happened?"
"Yea, yea, it was poisoned."
"Exactly, now let me see it."
Tirrin backed away from his brother, "Adron! I am fine, I swear!"
"Tirrin!" Adron lost his patience "If you don't give me your arm this instant, then I will tell Legolas and Rethan what really happened between you and Solen!"
Tirrin turned pale.
"You would not dare!"
"Try me," Adron smirked, as he took a step towards Tirrin, and extended his arm.
"The arm, or I tell."
Grumbling under his breath, Tirrin allowed Adron to look at his arm.
"Are you sure it is wise to linger?" Rethan asked Legolas. Legolas smiled at him.
"You do not know Adron as I do. He will not move until he knows his brother is alright."
"But if there are orcs coming…."
"I cannot sense anything, can you?"
"Not as such, but I do feel uneasy."
"That is just the adrenaline wearing off." Legolas said, attempting to reassure his friend.
"Maybe…"
"Alright, you were right, it is just a scratch," Adron admitted.
"Hah! I told you!" Tirrin crowed.
"At least I do not sound like an Elfling!"
"You two, can we move on now?" Rethan snapped.
The brothers stopped bickering at looked at him.
"What is wrong with you?" Tirrin asked.
"Can none of you sense it?" Rethan cried out frustrated.
"Sense what?"
"The… Silence."
Legolas, Tirrin and Adron traded a confused look.
"The trees are quiet, the birds do not sing…. It doesn't feel right."
"Maybe they are just spooked by the orcs," Tirrin suggested.
"Nay, Rethan's right. Something is wrong," Legolas said frowning.
"So, are we going to get out of here?"
"Yea, we will head back home."
Legolas took a step out of the clearing, when suddenly an arrow flew through the air, straight towards him….
Legolas ducked, and dived to the right. The arrow grazed his shoulder, but it flew past him and imbedded itself in a tree.
Suddenly orcs appeared, far more than earlier. Taken by surprise, the four elves barely had time to draw their weapons before the first orcs were upon them.
Legolas stabbed the first one, and barely managed to get his sword free to parry a blow. He disarmed the orc and be-headed it, before moving onto the next one.
What seemed like an eternity passed, when a great cry caused him to turn. Adron lay lifelessly on the ground, his unseeing eyes gazing at the branches above.
"Adron!" he heard Tirrin cry.
An Orc took advantage of Legolas's surprise, and attacked. He fell backwards. He lay there, winded on the ground as the Orc stepped over him.
'So this is how I die' Legolas thought, and braced himself. He was highly surprised, when the Orc turned his sword the other way around, and hit Legolas hard on the head with the hilt. Legolas gave a small grunt of surprise, before fading into unconsciousness.