"Legolas?" Miredhel asked as she gazed into the distance. Legolas
rose and looked in the direction Miredhel was pointing toward. A large host
of orcs was marching toward their direction. Legolas made out a symbol on
the top of their helmets; it was the head of a black horse.
"We should leave," Legolas muttered and mounted his horse.
"Run when we can fight?!" Miredhel cried incredulously.
"Going into battle now would be both pointless and suicidal," Legolas said sternly as if talking to a disobedient child.
Miredhel sighed and leaped upon Elenfea. The two rode eastward, easily outrunning the orcs.
"What now?" Miredhel asked, when they had finally halted, "Perhaps we could pass through Fangorn…"
Legolas shook his head, "Then what? Then we could cross the Misty Mountains, but that would leave us in Isengard."
"So what do you suggest we do oh wise Legolas?" Miredhel asked mockingly.
Legolas rolled his eyes, "I suggest we wait here for the night and return to Rohan the next morning."
* * *
Miredhel closely followed Legolas; the two were riding swiftly towards Rohan. When they arrived, the area was just as barren as before.
"We should hurry," Legolas muttered to Miredhel, "before those orcs come back."
Legolas stopped his horse abruptly as he noticed something lying on the ground before him. The elf looked down and his eyes grew wide.
"What is it?" Miredhel asked, then gasped in surprise. Lying on the ground, was the body of a rider; arrow's riddled his body. Through the blood that flooded from the rider's many wounds, Legolas could make out of the symbol of Rohan. Legolas looked further into the distance and saw many other bodies lying in the field; the bodies of the noble riders lay among the horrid corpses of orcs. The elves bowed their heads.
Legolas noticed that each of the orcs bore the same mark as the army they saw earlier. He identified some of the orcs to be Uruk-Hai: the same breed of orcs that had captured Pippin and Merry during the war of the ring; the other orcs were of a breed Legolas didn't recognize- they looked bigger and stronger than any orc he had ever seen before.
The elf noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a man half-alive. A spear protruded from the man's stomach, but he was still living.
"Eomer!" Legolas exclaimed and ran to the side of his old friend.
"Legolas…" the man said weakly. Legolas examined Eomer's wound, with one glance he knew that the man would not make it.
"What- what happened here?" the elf asked.
Blood spouted from Eomer's mouth as he attempted to speak, "M- Moraug," he sputtered and then fell silent. His eyes grew cloudy and his chest rose and he sucked in breath for the last time.
Tears poured from Legolas' eyes as he knelt beside his friend.
Miredhel felt a tear trail down her cheek; she didn't even know these men, but she felt deep sorrow as she looked around at the many lifeless bodies. She raised her head to see a large army approaching them.
"Legolas!" She cried and gestured toward that nearing host. Legolas turned to look; he felt anger boil inside him when he looked at the terrible army that was drawing near.
Legolas drew his dagger and cried out the name of Rohan as he charged towards the legion of orcs.
"We should leave," Legolas muttered and mounted his horse.
"Run when we can fight?!" Miredhel cried incredulously.
"Going into battle now would be both pointless and suicidal," Legolas said sternly as if talking to a disobedient child.
Miredhel sighed and leaped upon Elenfea. The two rode eastward, easily outrunning the orcs.
"What now?" Miredhel asked, when they had finally halted, "Perhaps we could pass through Fangorn…"
Legolas shook his head, "Then what? Then we could cross the Misty Mountains, but that would leave us in Isengard."
"So what do you suggest we do oh wise Legolas?" Miredhel asked mockingly.
Legolas rolled his eyes, "I suggest we wait here for the night and return to Rohan the next morning."
* * *
Miredhel closely followed Legolas; the two were riding swiftly towards Rohan. When they arrived, the area was just as barren as before.
"We should hurry," Legolas muttered to Miredhel, "before those orcs come back."
Legolas stopped his horse abruptly as he noticed something lying on the ground before him. The elf looked down and his eyes grew wide.
"What is it?" Miredhel asked, then gasped in surprise. Lying on the ground, was the body of a rider; arrow's riddled his body. Through the blood that flooded from the rider's many wounds, Legolas could make out of the symbol of Rohan. Legolas looked further into the distance and saw many other bodies lying in the field; the bodies of the noble riders lay among the horrid corpses of orcs. The elves bowed their heads.
Legolas noticed that each of the orcs bore the same mark as the army they saw earlier. He identified some of the orcs to be Uruk-Hai: the same breed of orcs that had captured Pippin and Merry during the war of the ring; the other orcs were of a breed Legolas didn't recognize- they looked bigger and stronger than any orc he had ever seen before.
The elf noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a man half-alive. A spear protruded from the man's stomach, but he was still living.
"Eomer!" Legolas exclaimed and ran to the side of his old friend.
"Legolas…" the man said weakly. Legolas examined Eomer's wound, with one glance he knew that the man would not make it.
"What- what happened here?" the elf asked.
Blood spouted from Eomer's mouth as he attempted to speak, "M- Moraug," he sputtered and then fell silent. His eyes grew cloudy and his chest rose and he sucked in breath for the last time.
Tears poured from Legolas' eyes as he knelt beside his friend.
Miredhel felt a tear trail down her cheek; she didn't even know these men, but she felt deep sorrow as she looked around at the many lifeless bodies. She raised her head to see a large army approaching them.
"Legolas!" She cried and gestured toward that nearing host. Legolas turned to look; he felt anger boil inside him when he looked at the terrible army that was drawing near.
Legolas drew his dagger and cried out the name of Rohan as he charged towards the legion of orcs.