AAAAH! School is out, so I should be wrapping this up in about two more chapters, or so. Sorry for the protracted wait.

Chapter ten

The estimated time from Rivendell to the Mines was about two months. After the first month, they could all see the mountain range, a hazy blue against the sky, blocking a solid strip of the horizon.

Gimli had regaled them of the past glory days for the Mines, and how they might approach the chasm. "There's an old tomb with a well and only one set of doors. We can barricade ourselves in and stand watch at a time."

As the mountains drew closure, so did Orc patrols. They became tighter nit, regular, and heavily armored. Kurogane would slip off in the early dawn while Legolas stood watch, claiming to scout. Only Sakura was out of the loop that Kurogane would race the sun to mutilate an entire patrol and return before breakfast.

"The way I see it, the reports will be spread out enough that if they could track the pattern, there is still a very large area to sweep looking for an 'invading force'. They know we are coming regardless, but this way we can keep them from surprising us to a minimum."

Fai shifted as the aroma tickled his nose. They were risking a fire to cook the bacon and eggs before they spoiled.

He abruptly stood up and left the breakfast circle. Kurogane motioned for Legolas to arm himself in their absence, and followed Fai.

"What is eating you? You've been jumpy and feeding less, and you come close to being not civil with Legolas. Are you having second thoughts about your plan?"

"No."

Silence filled the bright air. Legolas was taking them on the scenic route, but also straight there. The war had been reduced to skirmishes, but then, traveling had always been hazardous. Now, it was organized hazards, and Sakura already had an episode of firmly believing that if not for her feather, this wouldn't have happened, she was the one to blame- Gimli cut her off firmly with the tale of Frodo, and how this had already happened.

"At least," he explained "there isn't mistrust between the kingdoms, the death toll is a fraction of the war, and it isn't some evil possessed ring- it's a feather never meant for such use. Don't be hard on yourself unless it's true."

Sakura nodded, and calmed down.

Now, Kurogane wondered if he could carry Sakura at a double pace to make up for this- he viciously shoved the thought aside and turned his attention to Fai. Who was taking off his shirt.

"The stream is located a bit further away with an alcove for decency."

"I'm not bathing. I'm hungry."

Kurogane pulled a knife from his boot to slit his wrist, but when he looked up from his kneeling position, Fai was already tugging at his arm. Kurogane relinquished the appendage to Fai's tug. He dragged a fang across, nuzzling into the inside of the arm, lapping up the welling blood.

"Oi."

Fai flicked a golden eye in Kurogane's direction.

"Make the cut deeper if you need to shove your tongue to get enough." Kurogane was unaffected by how…..unique Fai was feeding from his wrist. Well, as unaffected as someone who is having his blood drained by an infuriating wizard who seems to have dropped to underhanded techniques.

Fai sucked hard in response. Kurogane gritted his teeth. But what was Fai trying to prove? That he was supportive of the group? Not someone to be worried over? Maybe, Kurogane thought fuzzily, he was jealous of Legolas for providing entertainment to Sakura-hime, and was instead lashing out at Kurogane.

A snap brought Fai out of his feeding. He noticed how out of it Kurogane was, that there were twenty Orcs behind Most likely reserves from the party he killed today, they must have scented down a single man to deal with him, and then he calmly put Kurogane's healed hand beside him, and spun to tear the head off the first Orc.

These Orcs were different. They were taller, had thick armor, and fought together in twos or threes, instead of singly throwing themselves at him. Fai noted to tell the others they were close enough to hit elite guards, and tore the arm off of the next one, and crack the next one over the heard with it. He easily downed the first five, and then the rest fell back. Long spears extended to hold him back, the archers readied thick, twisted bows, and the short swords were brandished to flank the archers. It wasn't going to slow down Fai.

He swooped up Kurogane and deposited him up a tree with twisted, knotted branches, out of shot. He then raced across the ground, low, and slashed open the legs of the spear-bearers. One Orc began blowing a horn in panic, head thrown back; Fai dispatched two more with a kick, and when the Orc drew breath, tore out his throat. Twelve left… Fai hoped he could meet up with the others and that the call went unanswered. The clearing they fought in had some trees, but they were short imitations, and mostly the landscape was rocky and hilly. The ground was open and good for maneuvers.

One spear whistled past his ear, and Fai ducked. He extended the claws, and whirled. Four more dropped, and Fai noticed irritably that one claw snapped in the armor. The remaining four were the archers. Two shot him point blank in the chest cavity. Fai paused, and weaved side to side. Apparently, they believed that was weakness, and he was down, for they lowered their bows and slackened the strings. Fai pounced.

Rationally, Fai thought that when one saw a person who had killed sixteen of their numbers was not going to be dropped by two bits of wood. The arrows weren't even poisoned. Fai gathered himself, his discarded shirt, gathered up the still affected Kurogane, who insisted on staying to see the battlefield long enough to second Fai of the situation, and then Fai marched Kurogane back.

"Those weren't Orcs." Legolas tersely explained to them. Those were Uruk-hai, and they are known for being –he covered Sakura's ears and swore- hard to kill. You easily dispatched them?"

"I had just fed, so Kurogane was out of the action. One did blow a horn, so I sought to return quickly."

"We heard." Syaoran piped up. "We packed fast and just put Kurogane's breakfast between some lambdas for him."

Gimli was grimly plugging away at putting some distance between them and the camp.

"Those creatures overran Helm's Deep; we are definitely going against something fierce."

The party glanced at each other. Each with their own worries, they sped toward the enemy base.

Gimli, facing the tomb of many friends, the only navigator once inside the confusing levels.

Legolas, worried for his soon to leave friend Kurogane and company, and hoe to get one stubborn dwarf back to Rivendell.

Sakura, near frustrated that every time they turned around, someone was misusing her memories for devious purposes.

Syaoran, worried about Sakura and Shaoran. Not the upcoming madhouse of being underground, looking for a needle in a haystack that only Mokona could really sense.

Mokona, that every one stayed together in the portal this time.

Fai, that he was dealing with unnerving feelings and the infection of a deep-rooted fear for Kurogane.

Kurogane….quite simply was hoping for a good battle to clear his head so he could deal with his problems logically. Right now, there were no available solutions.

"You all realize, we can't split up as originally planned, due to roaming Uruk-hai. We all have to go into the mines, retrieve the feather, and get out alive to help Gimli and Legolas."

Sakura just nailed the new delimma.