1 Chapter 3: Why is that Orc looking at me?
*A few hours earlier*
Gandalf, Gimli, Frodo and Sam turned to face the soldiers which now approached them from behind. Pippin and Merry had run after Aragorn, whom the wizard saw over the crowd, was running towards Legolas.
Gimli and the hobbits each had their weapons drawn and were tensed ready to attack when Gandalf unexpectedly told them to halt.
A man dressed in gold and blue robes walked forward from behind the soldiers. His face broke into a smile when he saw Gandalf and the two embraced. Gandalf greeted his apparently old friend and motioned for the hobbits and Gimli to follow as the man dismissed the soldiers and began walking down the street. Frodo and Sam looked at each other and shrugged, following Gimli, the wizard and the robed man.
* * *
Legolas headed the group, if only because nobody else would come more than six feet near him. He sighed
Something caught his attention as they again returned to the spot where they estimated Gandalf and the others had been standing
"You say they turned to fight another troop of soldiers?" he asked the hobbits
They nodded in agreement.
"I'm quite sure but, Aragorn would you come here a moment"
The ranger looked at where the elf was pointing and crouched down low, placing one hand in front of him.
"No blood" he said as he looked up at Legolas understanding.
"You would think someone would shed at least some blood, Gimli is particularly lethal with his axe and I can't imagine any of them would have been taken prisoner without a fight" remarked Legolas
"I don't suppose you could track them on these cobble stones?" he asked.
The ranger shook his head
"Lot of good you are then," said Pippin. Merry punched him in the arm and Aragorn and Legolas ignored him, pondering the new signs.
* * *
They had been walking about the city unsuccessfully for a number of hours, the hobbits were complaining of sore feet and the sun was now a narrow blood red rim on the horizon. All the city folk had retreated in doors and increasing numbers of soldiers were appearing looking apprehensively at the sky and gates.
At first the increase in soldiers had forced the party to take the less travelled routes through the city, but when it became apparent they were paying no attention to Legolas they relaxed their guard somewhat.
One young soldier though did start to approach them but crinkled his nose and backed away, cautioning them at a distance that it was not safe out of doors, "especially for kids," he had added, this had earned him some dark looks from the little ones in question and the soldier made a hasty retreat
They had decided they would help if the Orcs attacked tonight and they now circulated close to the gate where most of the soldiers were at, a number more stood at the battlements and Legolas climbed up to them and drew out his bow, settling in for a long wait.
The other archers looked at him in distress and moved a few paces away from him.
Aragorn, Merry and Pippin remained on the ground, though Aragorn was wondering if he wouldn't have a better position on the battlements. The city seemed to have adequate resources so he surmised it must be a large number of Orcs indeed that were attacking.
It was not much soon after the sun had set that the dark figures of Orcs could been seen outlined over the horizon in the dying light.
Once they were within range Legolas and the other archers began to fire, nearly half the foul creatures numbers were felled before they even reached the wall, a large proportion of that could be attributed to Legolas.
There was a great number of Orcs indeed. They came in the dozens. As they approached the gate the soldiers at ground level fought them off with sword and spear. The hobbits were able to squeeze between the soldier's legs and fight the Orcs at an even closer to ground level than the men, and they managed to severe many a foot and tread on many a toe, only occasionally were they those of the soldiers.
Though both the soldiers on the ground and the archers in the battlements seemed to have the upper hand, Legolas was experiencing some problems
He had tossed his cloak aside as the Orcs drew near, much to the distress of his fellow archers who had moved even further away from the elf, causing those at the end off the wall to loose their footing and slip. The remaining archers seemed to envy their fallen comrades and stared at Legolas in fright before the arrival of the Orcs had caused them to redirect their fear.
Legolas had killed near a dozen Orcs when he began to notice something. The Orcs did not seem interested in attacking him, at least not in the traditional sense.
He looked about himself at the other arches and saw that they were having to occasionally stop in the middle of shooting to aim at a closer target which was trying to disembowel them.
Legolas was not having the same problem, at least not in the disembowelling sense.
The Orcs may not have wanted to attack him but that didn't mean that they didn't find him interesting.
He jumped another pair of hands which groped at his legs and then springed over another. The elf let off a quick succession of arrows which momentarily stopped them, but it was not long before he was once more playing the skipping game.
He was suddenly caught off balance as his foot was pulled out from under him and he landed on his back, the impact knocking his bow from his hand. The orc had him by the leg and with its foul mouth it seemed to leer suggestively at him.
"I'm not an Orc!" Legolas yelled and kicked it in the face with his other foot.
"Not a boy one and defiantly not a GIRL!" He cried, kicking it extra hard on the last word to emphasis this point.
The final kick caught the orc square under the chin and he was propelled off the wall. Legolas got up again only to be knocked down once more, this time the Orc, having witnessed his companions failure in courtship seized the elf by both legs.
Legolas reached for his knife when the hand seized him about the wrists. Legolas stared at the Orc horrified as it uttered a word in it's own tongue, from the look in its eyes Legolas felt that it was probably "MINE"
The Orc began to drag the helpless elf off the wall.
A look of complete surprise followed closely by rage crossed the Orc's face as an axe cut off its hands, it then promptly fell backwards off the battlement taking several of Legolas' other admirers on out the way down.
"Lucky I was here" said a voice a few feet above Legolas' head.
Legolas looked up in relief at the Dwarf that offered him his hand which actually only brought the elf half way up, he retrieved his bow and again took up his position, this time with more confidence as he had Gimli at his side.
Once the battle was over and the Orc bodies lay rotting in the sun, the fellowship was reunited.
Gandalf enlightened them as to how they had ended up being captured by Gandalf's old friend, and luckily head of the city council, Roinu, and how they had been searching for them in the streets when they had finally spotted Aragorn standing at the gates.
He also told them that Roinu had informed them that there were many more Orcs hiding somewhere in the countryside and that there was going to be a council meeting which was to be held tomorrow morning.
Legolas ad Gimli sat with their backs leaning against the wall.
"Looks like you beat me again Legolas, I killed only a dozen, for some reason they just seemed to be throwing themselves at you."
Legolas shuddered suddenly, he then remembered that they had been invited to stay at the councillor's home and he had been promised or rather been made to promise that he would have a bath. He was looking forward to it.
Something suddenly occurred to him.
"Gimli" he began "Why have you not commented on my…….. state?" he questioned suspiciously.
Legolas expected the dwarf to be the first person to tease him about it, he mused as he picked yet another piece of egg shell out of his hair.
Gimli looked at him in surprise
"I thought it was some sort of new elvan body and hair treatment"
Legolas relaxed, ignoring the actual remark, at least there had been nothing more sinister behind it than a bad line. He learnt his head against the wall and closed his eyes, not even grimacing at the squelchy noise.
-Next week: once he has had a bath will Legolas' suffering finally be at an end?
Of course not, I'm trinity lee, and besides, remember the poison Ivy?
Comments, questions, suggestions, please review.
*A few hours earlier*
Gandalf, Gimli, Frodo and Sam turned to face the soldiers which now approached them from behind. Pippin and Merry had run after Aragorn, whom the wizard saw over the crowd, was running towards Legolas.
Gimli and the hobbits each had their weapons drawn and were tensed ready to attack when Gandalf unexpectedly told them to halt.
A man dressed in gold and blue robes walked forward from behind the soldiers. His face broke into a smile when he saw Gandalf and the two embraced. Gandalf greeted his apparently old friend and motioned for the hobbits and Gimli to follow as the man dismissed the soldiers and began walking down the street. Frodo and Sam looked at each other and shrugged, following Gimli, the wizard and the robed man.
* * *
Legolas headed the group, if only because nobody else would come more than six feet near him. He sighed
Something caught his attention as they again returned to the spot where they estimated Gandalf and the others had been standing
"You say they turned to fight another troop of soldiers?" he asked the hobbits
They nodded in agreement.
"I'm quite sure but, Aragorn would you come here a moment"
The ranger looked at where the elf was pointing and crouched down low, placing one hand in front of him.
"No blood" he said as he looked up at Legolas understanding.
"You would think someone would shed at least some blood, Gimli is particularly lethal with his axe and I can't imagine any of them would have been taken prisoner without a fight" remarked Legolas
"I don't suppose you could track them on these cobble stones?" he asked.
The ranger shook his head
"Lot of good you are then," said Pippin. Merry punched him in the arm and Aragorn and Legolas ignored him, pondering the new signs.
* * *
They had been walking about the city unsuccessfully for a number of hours, the hobbits were complaining of sore feet and the sun was now a narrow blood red rim on the horizon. All the city folk had retreated in doors and increasing numbers of soldiers were appearing looking apprehensively at the sky and gates.
At first the increase in soldiers had forced the party to take the less travelled routes through the city, but when it became apparent they were paying no attention to Legolas they relaxed their guard somewhat.
One young soldier though did start to approach them but crinkled his nose and backed away, cautioning them at a distance that it was not safe out of doors, "especially for kids," he had added, this had earned him some dark looks from the little ones in question and the soldier made a hasty retreat
They had decided they would help if the Orcs attacked tonight and they now circulated close to the gate where most of the soldiers were at, a number more stood at the battlements and Legolas climbed up to them and drew out his bow, settling in for a long wait.
The other archers looked at him in distress and moved a few paces away from him.
Aragorn, Merry and Pippin remained on the ground, though Aragorn was wondering if he wouldn't have a better position on the battlements. The city seemed to have adequate resources so he surmised it must be a large number of Orcs indeed that were attacking.
It was not much soon after the sun had set that the dark figures of Orcs could been seen outlined over the horizon in the dying light.
Once they were within range Legolas and the other archers began to fire, nearly half the foul creatures numbers were felled before they even reached the wall, a large proportion of that could be attributed to Legolas.
There was a great number of Orcs indeed. They came in the dozens. As they approached the gate the soldiers at ground level fought them off with sword and spear. The hobbits were able to squeeze between the soldier's legs and fight the Orcs at an even closer to ground level than the men, and they managed to severe many a foot and tread on many a toe, only occasionally were they those of the soldiers.
Though both the soldiers on the ground and the archers in the battlements seemed to have the upper hand, Legolas was experiencing some problems
He had tossed his cloak aside as the Orcs drew near, much to the distress of his fellow archers who had moved even further away from the elf, causing those at the end off the wall to loose their footing and slip. The remaining archers seemed to envy their fallen comrades and stared at Legolas in fright before the arrival of the Orcs had caused them to redirect their fear.
Legolas had killed near a dozen Orcs when he began to notice something. The Orcs did not seem interested in attacking him, at least not in the traditional sense.
He looked about himself at the other arches and saw that they were having to occasionally stop in the middle of shooting to aim at a closer target which was trying to disembowel them.
Legolas was not having the same problem, at least not in the disembowelling sense.
The Orcs may not have wanted to attack him but that didn't mean that they didn't find him interesting.
He jumped another pair of hands which groped at his legs and then springed over another. The elf let off a quick succession of arrows which momentarily stopped them, but it was not long before he was once more playing the skipping game.
He was suddenly caught off balance as his foot was pulled out from under him and he landed on his back, the impact knocking his bow from his hand. The orc had him by the leg and with its foul mouth it seemed to leer suggestively at him.
"I'm not an Orc!" Legolas yelled and kicked it in the face with his other foot.
"Not a boy one and defiantly not a GIRL!" He cried, kicking it extra hard on the last word to emphasis this point.
The final kick caught the orc square under the chin and he was propelled off the wall. Legolas got up again only to be knocked down once more, this time the Orc, having witnessed his companions failure in courtship seized the elf by both legs.
Legolas reached for his knife when the hand seized him about the wrists. Legolas stared at the Orc horrified as it uttered a word in it's own tongue, from the look in its eyes Legolas felt that it was probably "MINE"
The Orc began to drag the helpless elf off the wall.
A look of complete surprise followed closely by rage crossed the Orc's face as an axe cut off its hands, it then promptly fell backwards off the battlement taking several of Legolas' other admirers on out the way down.
"Lucky I was here" said a voice a few feet above Legolas' head.
Legolas looked up in relief at the Dwarf that offered him his hand which actually only brought the elf half way up, he retrieved his bow and again took up his position, this time with more confidence as he had Gimli at his side.
Once the battle was over and the Orc bodies lay rotting in the sun, the fellowship was reunited.
Gandalf enlightened them as to how they had ended up being captured by Gandalf's old friend, and luckily head of the city council, Roinu, and how they had been searching for them in the streets when they had finally spotted Aragorn standing at the gates.
He also told them that Roinu had informed them that there were many more Orcs hiding somewhere in the countryside and that there was going to be a council meeting which was to be held tomorrow morning.
Legolas ad Gimli sat with their backs leaning against the wall.
"Looks like you beat me again Legolas, I killed only a dozen, for some reason they just seemed to be throwing themselves at you."
Legolas shuddered suddenly, he then remembered that they had been invited to stay at the councillor's home and he had been promised or rather been made to promise that he would have a bath. He was looking forward to it.
Something suddenly occurred to him.
"Gimli" he began "Why have you not commented on my…….. state?" he questioned suspiciously.
Legolas expected the dwarf to be the first person to tease him about it, he mused as he picked yet another piece of egg shell out of his hair.
Gimli looked at him in surprise
"I thought it was some sort of new elvan body and hair treatment"
Legolas relaxed, ignoring the actual remark, at least there had been nothing more sinister behind it than a bad line. He learnt his head against the wall and closed his eyes, not even grimacing at the squelchy noise.
-Next week: once he has had a bath will Legolas' suffering finally be at an end?
Of course not, I'm trinity lee, and besides, remember the poison Ivy?
Comments, questions, suggestions, please review.