A/N: I was so thrilled to have received so many wonderful reviews and to have gained so many followers/likes. I'm in joyful awe of your kindness!
Please forgive me for posting a few days late. With what has happened in Aurora I was focusing more on being there for my friends as we try to heal in the wake of this tragedy.
Glory Bee: Thank you again for pointing out my special moment!
Eliza Russell: Never fear, I have not and will not abandoned it!
XXxIsn'tThatIronicxXX: Cute name! Your disagreement is one I'm perfectly ok with!
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All LOTR references, characters, places, etc. belong to their genius creator, J.R.R Tolkien. I only claim ownership over my little warrior, as well as a few other characters of my own creation who will be introduced later.
Chapter 2: Super Elven Hearing!
Aragorn's POV
Tracking the little Hobbits was proving more difficult as the forest grew wilder but he had to find them. The Fellowship had been broken but he refused to abandon his friends.
Legolas followed closely behind him, marveling at the trees as they spoke to one another. The longing in his eyes was easy to spot as he touched a tree every now and then. Gimli on the other hand, was wary, looking around with a frown, "The air is so close here." Legolas looked about at the trees with a slight look of concern on his face. "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory...and anger." As the elf spoke, a great chorus of creaking sounded from the trees. Gimli raised his ax in wary defense, ready to strike at the unseen enemy. With awe clear in his voice, Legolas whispered, "The trees are speaking to each other!" Speaking to each other?
Aragorn could hardly believe it. The stories he heard as a child were true after all. Suddenly the sound grew louder and more menacing. Both Legolas and Aragorn turned to see Gimli brandishing his ax with his eyes wide. The Ranger immediately motioned, his words mimicking the action. "Lower your ax!"
Legolas' POV
The trees were speaking! His sensitive ears heard well the whispers the trees shared and he was awed by it. Never before had he heard such a sound. He had heard the stories of talking trees and indeed, there were several in his own Mirkwood, but few had ever heard them speak in his time.
His train of thought was broken by the trees calling to each other again of strangers in their midst, with concern and anger. Legolas turned to Gimli to explain, "They have feelings, my friend." He could not contain the wonder in his voice as he looked about the forest. "The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."
The thought was such an exciting one and Legolas longed to stay and explore. He smiled as he caught Gimli muttering to himself, "Talking trees." He huffed in typical dwarf fashion and glanced around. "What do trees have to talk about, hm? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."
The three companions continued on for a time until Aragorn paused with a concerned look on his face and turned, shouting to Legolas, "I think there is something ahead. What can you hear?" The elf paused, sending the dwarf Gimli crashing into him. The dwarf fell with a great thump and a many loud curses. A small smile lit upon the prince's lips, sending the small man into an even greater rage as he struggled to stand. "Blasted elves, always doing as they please with no concern for others!" His clear blue eyes sparkling with humor, Legolas returned quickly, "Or foolish dwarves, never looking where they are going." Before Gimli could reply in indignation, Aragorn silenced him with sharp glance and looked at Legolas. "Can you hear anything?"
Aragorn's POV
He felt like something was wrong in the forest, but he had not the senses to hear or see anything in as far a distance as elves could search. Man and dwarf waited in tense silence as the prince listened to the wind with his eyes closed. He suddenly looked to Aragorn, his eyes panicked. "The sound of a horn, deeper in the woods! And a battle - orcs, by sound of things. It may be Merry and Pippin!" At those words the trio raced into the forest, following Legolas closely with their weapons at the ready.
After a few moments the sound of battle grew steadily closer and as they came upon a clearing in the wood they were shocked to find not their friends, but a lone female elf fighting off what had to be at least three dozen orcs. Surrounded by the foul creatures, she was battered and bloodied but still holding them back with her blade and a dagger. It was obvious that she could not defeat them all and with a shout, Aragorn ripped his sword from its sheath and dove into the fray. Legolas was not far behind, his bow flashing in the faint sunlight as he sent arrow after arrow at the enemy. Gimli was last to the battle, still wheezing from exertion as he grated out his battle cry and sliced the head from a nearby orc.
The sound of harsh orc battle cries soon changed to shouts of pain as the trio cut the creatures down. For a time the other elf seemed to have things under control on her part but as they fought their way towards the elleth, she was caught off guard and overcome by the enemy. Aragorn shouted angrily and pressed forward, tearing through the remaining orcs with little help from his companions. For in the last moments of the battle, he had seen something that he never expected.
A familiar face.
A/N: My warrior was having none of that normal meeting nonsense. Instead she made me write battle scenes, which I then made short, just to spite her.
I'm desperate for reviews and constructive criticism! As usual, flames will be ignored. Although good-natured joking and ribbing are alright
Next Chapter: "New Wounds and Old Friends"
Handsome men in bucket loads and plenty of pain
