Disclaimer: LoTR isn't mine, obviously, but this plot and all original character's are.
Author's Note: Hello! Just to let all you guys know, this is my first LoTR fanfic. On this site I have read sooo many wonderful stories, that I felt intimated to post my own. But then I realised, that from these authors I love, I should find the inspiration to post my own work, and so that's what I'm doing. Before I go on however, it's necessary I name and pay tribute to LoTR fanfic writers that have both entertained me and helped me fall in love with the art of writing. They're all Legomance writers, because that's my fav. type of story, but also, props to the other great writers out there that write different types of LoTR fiction.
Darma Druid- Read her Irulan series...it's an epic, totally moving and fantastic, brilliant.
fan81981 - Moriquendi has got to be one of the most beautiful and intricate stories I've ever read in any genre.
Maram68- In the Midst of Adversity, completely awesome. I love this story.
Lossefalme - The Wall that Fell is completely beautiful and captivating, hard to stop reading.
Lizbit - A Tale of Mirkwood is one of the sweetest romances, and just enchanting.
MuseDePandora - Pilfered Hearts and Plundered Dreams, is amazing, touching, true to LoTR, and just sets the bar higher.
There were probably some that I missed, but all these stories are the reason why I read fanfiction. To these author's from me....THANK YOU! OK, so even though, my story will now pale in comparison, on with the show.
-------------------------------------
~*~PROLOGUE~*~
Lana ran as fast as her legs would carry her. This was it. This was what she lived for. This was the hunt, and the elleth already felt the adrenaline surging through her veins. They were most definitely close, their rancid odour being the most tell-tale sign. The hunter would pounce and they wouldn't even hear her combing, because the soles of her feet were hardly touching the ground.
They never see the death before it comes.
That was what she was, and who she had been for so long: death. She was a tool of this hunt, sculpted and sharpened to perfection, and she lived the art of the kill.
Lana smiled. She could see them and they were completely unaware. They were already dead, and nevertheless she would kill them. No, she didn't enjoy it, for one who's ever possessed sensibilities never truly enjoys taking lives. This was her duty, and the most positive emotion she wrought from it, was the pride in knowing she had done her job well.
Dirt and leaves were caked on her face, to blend her into the leaves, and her blood stained cloak blanketed the ground around her as she kneeled. Taking her long knife from her belt, her smile faded into an expression of intense concentration. She would aim for the leader. No, wait, they had no leaders. Well then, she would aim for the tallest, or the loudest, or perhaps the ugliest. It didn't really matter, because which ever one it was, it was down within a fraction of a second. The rest were automatically fired into commotion, angered and confused. Now it was time for the long blades. Lana drew them from her sides and rose swiftly from the leaves.
One down, two, three down. Now there was a circle around her, and the knives whirled gracefully in her hands. Four, five. She ducked. Six, seven. Blood was everywhere, and screeches filed the air. Only the stars were witness as number eight went down with the swing of a blade. It had tried to run, but a throw of a knife ended the last one's life, just as it did the first.
The elleth pulled her blade out of the bloody carcass, and fluid squirted upon her already stained clock. Lana rolled her eyes, made a face, and growled beneath her break.
"I hate orcs."
------------------------------------
~*~CHAPTER 1~*~
"Legolas, tell me. What do you see when you look at this map?"
The prince's brows furrowed slightly as he thought for his answer. He knew what was in front of him. It was a map, marking all orc sighting of the last few seasons. Since Saruman's defeat, and the crowning of Aragorn, rouge bands of displaced orcs roamed the country side in disorganised clusters. Many came to Mirkwood, seeking refuge in the dark forests, though the elves of the forest saw to it that there was little safety for the creatures there. Nevertheless, travelling mostly by night, and moving in small groups, the beasts continued to come to the forest in small bands from a seemingly un-depletable source.
The orcs had enough sense to stay away from the eleven settlements, and keep to the dark out reaches of the wood, so they were not much danger. A risky nuisance however, might've been a better term. Thranduil had been doing the most he could to kill them off, but his few hunting patrols were not effected enough.
"I see a map, Ada."
Thranduil smiled. He could tell from his son's face that he considered this piece of paper before them, to be far more than just a simple "map."
"Indeed Legolas, it is a map. It is a map that troubles me. There must be something done with these orcs." The King rubbed his forehead, in deep thought. "We have many patrols set out to hunt them, but their presence here is no less. If I knew no better, I would say they were breeding as we ought to find their nest."
Legolas smiled at the comment.
"I spoke with Earendur. He informed about the new development."
The king's head snapped up at his sons word's, as if he had been reminded of a detail he had forgotten. Yes, there was a new development of great interest to the king. Bands of orcs were being found slaughtered in Mirkwood, by a source other than the eleven king's men. Groups of them, from four to fifteen were already dead when found by eleven trackers.
"What do you make of this my son?"
"I say that someone may be killing our enemy, but that does not make them our friend..." he paused "and I can also tell this mysterious hunter unsettles you father, perhaps more than the orcs do. You believe he, or mayhap it has ulterior motives."
"Aye, you have grown wise Legolas, and you are right." Thranduil smiled at his son.
"And what do you plan to do father?" Legolas asked, most curious, for it was unlike his father not to have some plan of action.
"Patience my son. We wait." Thranduil walked from the head of the long table, to his favourite tapestry in the chamber. The spacious room was a place where the king and his generals would meet, to discuss in times of war and now in times of relative peace.
Legolas examined his father. We wait? You must be up to something ada. The prince smiled when his suspicion was proved correct, and Thranduil continued to speak as if he had never paused at all.
"We wait, but we shall not be idle why we do so. Are you up for a trip my son?"
"To where, father?"
"I want you to go with the next group of trackers, and help them destroy these orc. They could use your experience with the creatures, but even more importantly, I need you there to be my eyes for me son. Come back safely to tell me exactly what you see."
Thranduil finished the sentence with a warm look to his son, and Legolas nodded with a smile. Tomorrow, he would go with the trackers, and he actually looked forward to it. It was a long time since he had been on an adventure or even a mission of this nature, since The One Ring was destroyed.
Yes, tomorrow, the hunt was on.
Author's Note: Hello! Just to let all you guys know, this is my first LoTR fanfic. On this site I have read sooo many wonderful stories, that I felt intimated to post my own. But then I realised, that from these authors I love, I should find the inspiration to post my own work, and so that's what I'm doing. Before I go on however, it's necessary I name and pay tribute to LoTR fanfic writers that have both entertained me and helped me fall in love with the art of writing. They're all Legomance writers, because that's my fav. type of story, but also, props to the other great writers out there that write different types of LoTR fiction.
Darma Druid- Read her Irulan series...it's an epic, totally moving and fantastic, brilliant.
fan81981 - Moriquendi has got to be one of the most beautiful and intricate stories I've ever read in any genre.
Maram68- In the Midst of Adversity, completely awesome. I love this story.
Lossefalme - The Wall that Fell is completely beautiful and captivating, hard to stop reading.
Lizbit - A Tale of Mirkwood is one of the sweetest romances, and just enchanting.
MuseDePandora - Pilfered Hearts and Plundered Dreams, is amazing, touching, true to LoTR, and just sets the bar higher.
There were probably some that I missed, but all these stories are the reason why I read fanfiction. To these author's from me....THANK YOU! OK, so even though, my story will now pale in comparison, on with the show.
-------------------------------------
~*~PROLOGUE~*~
Lana ran as fast as her legs would carry her. This was it. This was what she lived for. This was the hunt, and the elleth already felt the adrenaline surging through her veins. They were most definitely close, their rancid odour being the most tell-tale sign. The hunter would pounce and they wouldn't even hear her combing, because the soles of her feet were hardly touching the ground.
They never see the death before it comes.
That was what she was, and who she had been for so long: death. She was a tool of this hunt, sculpted and sharpened to perfection, and she lived the art of the kill.
Lana smiled. She could see them and they were completely unaware. They were already dead, and nevertheless she would kill them. No, she didn't enjoy it, for one who's ever possessed sensibilities never truly enjoys taking lives. This was her duty, and the most positive emotion she wrought from it, was the pride in knowing she had done her job well.
Dirt and leaves were caked on her face, to blend her into the leaves, and her blood stained cloak blanketed the ground around her as she kneeled. Taking her long knife from her belt, her smile faded into an expression of intense concentration. She would aim for the leader. No, wait, they had no leaders. Well then, she would aim for the tallest, or the loudest, or perhaps the ugliest. It didn't really matter, because which ever one it was, it was down within a fraction of a second. The rest were automatically fired into commotion, angered and confused. Now it was time for the long blades. Lana drew them from her sides and rose swiftly from the leaves.
One down, two, three down. Now there was a circle around her, and the knives whirled gracefully in her hands. Four, five. She ducked. Six, seven. Blood was everywhere, and screeches filed the air. Only the stars were witness as number eight went down with the swing of a blade. It had tried to run, but a throw of a knife ended the last one's life, just as it did the first.
The elleth pulled her blade out of the bloody carcass, and fluid squirted upon her already stained clock. Lana rolled her eyes, made a face, and growled beneath her break.
"I hate orcs."
------------------------------------
~*~CHAPTER 1~*~
"Legolas, tell me. What do you see when you look at this map?"
The prince's brows furrowed slightly as he thought for his answer. He knew what was in front of him. It was a map, marking all orc sighting of the last few seasons. Since Saruman's defeat, and the crowning of Aragorn, rouge bands of displaced orcs roamed the country side in disorganised clusters. Many came to Mirkwood, seeking refuge in the dark forests, though the elves of the forest saw to it that there was little safety for the creatures there. Nevertheless, travelling mostly by night, and moving in small groups, the beasts continued to come to the forest in small bands from a seemingly un-depletable source.
The orcs had enough sense to stay away from the eleven settlements, and keep to the dark out reaches of the wood, so they were not much danger. A risky nuisance however, might've been a better term. Thranduil had been doing the most he could to kill them off, but his few hunting patrols were not effected enough.
"I see a map, Ada."
Thranduil smiled. He could tell from his son's face that he considered this piece of paper before them, to be far more than just a simple "map."
"Indeed Legolas, it is a map. It is a map that troubles me. There must be something done with these orcs." The King rubbed his forehead, in deep thought. "We have many patrols set out to hunt them, but their presence here is no less. If I knew no better, I would say they were breeding as we ought to find their nest."
Legolas smiled at the comment.
"I spoke with Earendur. He informed about the new development."
The king's head snapped up at his sons word's, as if he had been reminded of a detail he had forgotten. Yes, there was a new development of great interest to the king. Bands of orcs were being found slaughtered in Mirkwood, by a source other than the eleven king's men. Groups of them, from four to fifteen were already dead when found by eleven trackers.
"What do you make of this my son?"
"I say that someone may be killing our enemy, but that does not make them our friend..." he paused "and I can also tell this mysterious hunter unsettles you father, perhaps more than the orcs do. You believe he, or mayhap it has ulterior motives."
"Aye, you have grown wise Legolas, and you are right." Thranduil smiled at his son.
"And what do you plan to do father?" Legolas asked, most curious, for it was unlike his father not to have some plan of action.
"Patience my son. We wait." Thranduil walked from the head of the long table, to his favourite tapestry in the chamber. The spacious room was a place where the king and his generals would meet, to discuss in times of war and now in times of relative peace.
Legolas examined his father. We wait? You must be up to something ada. The prince smiled when his suspicion was proved correct, and Thranduil continued to speak as if he had never paused at all.
"We wait, but we shall not be idle why we do so. Are you up for a trip my son?"
"To where, father?"
"I want you to go with the next group of trackers, and help them destroy these orc. They could use your experience with the creatures, but even more importantly, I need you there to be my eyes for me son. Come back safely to tell me exactly what you see."
Thranduil finished the sentence with a warm look to his son, and Legolas nodded with a smile. Tomorrow, he would go with the trackers, and he actually looked forward to it. It was a long time since he had been on an adventure or even a mission of this nature, since The One Ring was destroyed.
Yes, tomorrow, the hunt was on.