A/N- Hi all, long time between drinks, I know.

I had to do a few re-reads of this chapter because I wasn't 100% on it, I think I'm still only about 90% on it right now, but I've probably kept you all waiting long enough.

People keep asking if I've decided on a pairing yet too. The answer is... even if I have, I'm not telling. Do authors write all the good stuff on their blurbs? No. They make you read it to find out.

Hidden Beneath

Chapter 11

Valisilwen fought beside the Greenwood elves as the Orcs continued to accost the gate, not discriminating at who they tried to kill. She ran towards another Orc, sliding on her knees with her sword raised, as she ducked his swinging club, bringing him down quickly.

"Kili!" Fili shouted in horror, drawing her attention back to the actions at the gate. She spotted Kili at the lever to the gate, a black arrow protruding from his leg. She quickly ran towards Kili, slaying Orcs as she went as they tried to take her down.

Kili still tried to pull the lever, but fell backwards in pain. An Orc leapt over the wall to kill Kili, and Valisilwen knew she would not make it in time. Suddenly, an arrow lodged in its chest, followed by two more. Valisilwen looked back to where it had come, to see Tauriel had fired the arrow, Valisilwen slid to stop before Kili, deflecting another black arrow that was fired by a large Orc, who she recognised as being the leader of this band of Orcs by his armour.

"Kill her! Kill the She-Elf!"

Tauriel and Valisilwen glanced at each other, before Orcs began rushing at them both. Rilien and Legolas began firing arrows at the Orcs as Tauriel and Valisilwen fought back.

Valisilwen hit the lever, pushing Kili back down into the barrel that Thorin, Dwalin and Fili held waiting for him.

The dwarves fell through the gate and down the waterfalls away from the Woodland Realm. Rilien looked at Valisilwen incredulously. "Oops," she said with a smirk before she threw a throwing knife at an Orc running towards his back.

"After them!"

They gave chase to the dwarves and Orcs, eventually catching up to them when the dwarves became stuck by a log that crossed the river. Rilien and Legolas took chase, firing their arrows to keep the Orcs away from the dwarves. Rilien watched in amusement as Legolas used the dwarves heads as stepping stones while keeping the Orcs at bay, much to the dwarves chagrin.

Rilien kept a close eye on Valisilwen too, she was fighting off Orcs with her swords, back to back with Tauriel, occasionally throwing a well aimed knife. Both Elleth and Ranger appeared equally matched at skill, using each other to make sure their backs were never exposed. They began making their way down to the water, when finally Valisilwen found herself freed of any orcs. She looked up at Rilien and gave a small smile, before looking at Legolas and her eyes narrowed. She picked up a sword from a fallen elf, throwing it straight at Legolas who was preoccupied fighting off Orcs on a high embankment.

Rilien watched in horror, as the sword flew through the air and headed straight for his dear friend, only to watch as it landed in the head of an Orc looking to strike Legolas from behind. Legolas looked behind at the dead Orc, before turning and seeing, in amazement, that it was Valisilwen who had thrown the well aimed sword, while Rilien let out a breath, before looking back towards the guard post.

An Orc drew its bow and aimed at Valisilwen, letting it fly toward the Ranger, but it was deflected in the air by another arrow. Valisilwen looked around in surprise, to see Rilien with his own bow raised. He gave her a nod, to which she responded with a grateful smile.

Tauriel ran quickly to the Orc who had fired the arrow, forcing it to its knees. She moved to decapitate it, but before she could slide her knife across its throat Legolas stopped her.

"Tauriel! Wait! This one we keep alive."

Valisilwen stared after the dwarves as Legolas and Rilien secured the Orc and turned back for the Woodland Realm. Tauriel stopped beside Valisilwen. "Will you go after them?"

Valisilwen was thoughtful for a moment, as she watched the Orcs give chase. "In my head, I feel I should, for that was what I was ordered by Mithrandir," she began to explain. "But my instinct," she looked back to the Orc being marched away by Legolas and Rilien. "tells me that there is something that I need to hear."

She moved to follow the elves back to the Woodland Realm, while Tauriel looked conflicted as she watched them walk away.

Inside the Woodland Realm, the elves and Valisilwen brought the captured Orc before Thranduil in the Throne room. Legolas stood above it, his knife pressed to the Orc's neck while Thranduil paced around it.

Rilien stood a short distance away, but keeping close to Valisilwen who stood in the shadows, leaning against a wall in the Throne room, she was still under his care after all. Tauriel stood close to Legolas, eyeing off the Orc.

"Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads, a shadow that grows in the dark." Thranduil looked to Valisilwen, a knowing look in his eye. Rilien noticed it, even if it was only fleeting, and looked back to the Lady Ranger. She looked darkly at the Elven King. "A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was; so will it always be. In time, all foul things come forth."

"You were tracking a company of thirteen dwarves. Why?" Legolas demanded of the Orc.

"Not thirteen; not anymore," the Orc said maliciously, licking its lips. "The young one, the black-haired archer, we stuck him with a Morgul shaft." He looked at Tauriel. "The poison is in his blood. He'll be choking on it soon."

Rilien heard a noise behind him. Valisilwen was no longer leaning against the wall, but stepped forward into the light, her eyes narrowed and fixed on the Orc.

"Answer the question, filth," Tauriel hissed.

"I do not answer to dogs, She-Elf!" it spat with venom. Legolas pushed the Orc a bit, but Tauriel whipped out her knife.

"I would not antagonise her."

"You like killing things, Orc? You like death? Then let me give it to you!" Tauriel rushed forward.

"Enough! Tauriel, leave!" Thranduil shouted looking at Tauriel darkly. She looked up at him, anger evident in her face. "Go now." The Orc snarled at her, but Tauriel composed herself and took her leave. Thranduil looked to Valisilwen, whose eyes were still on the Orc. "Ranger, leave us, Tauriel will accompany you until this is over."

Valisilwen glared at the King, but bowed and hurried from the room, without so much as a backward glance.

Rilien looked back to Legolas and Thranduil. Something seemed to be making Valisilwen broody, and he was keen to find out what information it was that this Orc had, if only to know why it was she came back with them instead of pursuing her companions.

"I do not care about one dead dwarf." Thranduil began speaking to the Orc again. "Answer the question. You have nothing to fear. Tell us what you know and I will set you free."

Rilien raised his eyebrows at this. Surely not? This vile creature was pure evil that feasted on the blood and pain of others, why would, nay, why SHOULD they let such a creature live?

"You had orders to kill them – why?" Legolas demanded. "What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?"

"The dwarf runt will never be king," the Orc sneered.

"King?" Legolas asked in confusion. "There is no King under the mountain nor will there ever be. None would dare enter Erebor, whilst the dragon lives there." Smaug the worm had taken resident long ago and there was only one way in and out of the mountain. Rilien had heard the tale many a time as an elfling.

"You know nothing!" the Orc spat. "Your world will burn!" The Orc was becoming brazen and malevolent now. It put Rilien on edge.

"What are you talking about?" Legolas demanded. "Speak!"

The Orc formed a horrible smile upon it's face, it's disgusting teeth bared. "Our time has come again. My master serves the One. Do you understand, Elfling? Death is upon you. The flames of war are upon you-"

The Orc could speak no more as Thranduil threw his sword and beheaded the Orc, leaving his head in Legolas' hand by his hair. Rilien and Legolas looked at the Orc head in surprise.

"Why did you do that? You promised to set him free."

"And I did," Thranduil replied matter of factly. "I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."

"There was more the orc could tell us."

"There was nothing more he could tell me," Thranduil replied turning and walking away.

"What did he mean by the 'flames of war'? Rilien asked curiously, looking at Legolas.

Thranduil turned to face them. "It means they intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it." He looked to the guards who stood by the doors. "I want the watch doubled at all our borders. All roads, all rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom, and no one leaves it."

Legolas and Rilien set off, relaying Thranduil's orders to all the guard.

"I don't think this is right," Rilien grumbled as they ran through the halls.

"What do you mean?"

"We should be trying to stop this weapon, not hide from it, we are not cowards are we?" Rilien growled as they approached the entrance gate to the Woodland Realm.

Rilien looked to his friend who looked grim, before turning to the guards. "Close the gate! Keep it sealed by order of the King." He turned to walk away, while Rilien sighed in disappointment.

"My lord, what of Tauriel and the Ranger?"

Rilien's head jerked up, remembering that she was his charge. Legolas also stopped and looked back to the Elf guard. "What of them?"

"They went into the forest armed with bow and blade. They have not yet returned, my lord."

Legolas and Rilien walked back to the gate while the guard pointed in the direction the pair had gone, before looking at each other anxiously.

Rilien and Legolas sped through the forest, trying to catch up to the elleth and the Ranger. Both were quite fast, but they were tracking Orc and dwarf, so luckily for them, they didn't move as quick as they could usually.

They soon could see Tauriel in the distance, slowing and began creeping up to see what it was she was doing. Rilien could not see the Ranger anywhere, and this concerned him, he feared that perhaps Tauriel had let her escape after the dwarves. Legolas pulled his bow and knocked an arrow, obviously also noticing that the Ranger was no-where to be seen.

Tauriel turned quickly at a crouch, an arrow knocked to her bow and aimed it at Legolas, who also raised his bow with an arrow ready. Rilien had his bow ready, but did not raise it, for he felt cold steel at his neck.

"I thought you were an Orc," Tauriel called standing up.

"If I were an Orc, you would be dead," Legolas replied smugly. Rilien coughed, catching Legolas' attention. He turned to see the Ranger, her knife at Rilien's throat, an expectant look on her face. Legolas lowered his bow.

Valisilwen removed her knife from Rilien's throat, moving back toward where the elleth stood and Tauriel lowered her bow, turning back to look across the lake.

"Tauriel, you cannot hunt thirty orcs on your own."

Tauriel glanced at Valisilwen who did not return her look. She looked back to Legolas. "But we aren't on our own."

Legolas smirked and looked at Rilien. "You knew we would come."

"I knew Rilien would come," Valisilwen replied, not looking back. "I'm still his charge, after all." She looked back and smiled at the dark haired elf. He felt his cheeks heat at her smile. It was warm and there was no malice or jest in it, it was a pure smile. "The jury was out on whether you would have the guts to move against your father's will."

"The king is angry, Tauriel," Legolas said, ignoring Valisilwen's taunts, and moving toward the bank to stand beside Tauriel. "For 600 years, my father has protected you, favoured you. You defied his orders; you betrayed his trust." Valisilwen walked away from the pair, looking for a way to cross the lake, but Rilien did not move, not yet. He knew what he wanted to do, but he also knew what his King's orders were. "Come back with me, he will forgive you," Legolas implored of the Captain of the Guard.

"But I will not. If go back, I will not forgive myself," Tauriel explained regretfully. "The king has never let orc-filth from our lands, yet he would let this orc-pack cross our border and kill our prisoners."

"It is not our fight," Legolas argued.

"It is your fight." Valisilwen began walking back from further up the bank where she had been investigating. She looked over at Rilien, who still hadn't move, caught up in his own thoughts and confliction. "It will not end here. With every victory, this evil will grow. And that evil, once it has conquered everything else, it will come for you, in your walls. You will be trapped, with no one left to help you. And then, they, the dark forces, will take everything from you, torture you, treat you like sport. You will not be safe there, not if you continue to hide."

Rilien stared at Valisilwen. She spoke with such conviction, it was as if she had lived it already herself.

Tauriel looked back to Legolas. "If your father has his way, we will do nothing. We will hide within our walls, live our lives away from the light, and let darkness descend. Are we not part of this world?" Legolas looked conflicted. "Tell me, mellon, when did we let evil become stronger than us?"

That's all for now, I'm still a redoing the next few chapters until i'm at least 90% happy with them if I can't make it to 100%

xo

Krayzee