Chapter 2
Authors notes: - Thank you so much for all the great reviews. It is great
to read them and they inspire me to continue. Brighten up a bad day! Sorry
about the short chapters but I have a lot of work to do. Uni's hard!! They
will hopefully get longer but until then they will be short and sweet. I
hope you enjoy this!
"This way!" Elladan frantically beckoned to Elrohir and Aragorn who were crouched next to the castle wall watching the dark haired elf. Aragorn shifted the elf in his arms to a more comfortable position and then ran as fast as he could across the clearing. Elladan grabbed him and pulled him close. Elrohir quickly joined him.
"The army has retreated to the valley. Dawn is breaking; the orcs are retreating to the castle. We will have to be careful and keep off the paths.How is he?" the elf asked indicating the blonde prince.
"I do not know. I fear for his mental state as I do for his physical state." Elladan frowned in concern. His mother had been tortured by the orcs and he knew that Legolas had suffered terribly.
"Father will know what to do." Elrohir whispered softly watching the trees.
"We must move. Get back to the main camp. Regroup and then move again." Elladan said moving forward. The trio wound there way through the dense forest following the tracks of the retreating army.
"It should be just over that ridge." Elladan said as the trio paused to rest. Aragorn was tired and the added weight of Legolas even though it was only slight slowed his weary body down.
"I distinctly remember you said that at the last ridge brother." Elrohir commented glaring at his brother with a smile. Elladan muttered darkly to himself and moved forward earning a tired smile from Aragorn. As soon as Aragorn moved a familiar inhuman shriek filled the air. They froze.
"Wraiths!" Elladan hissed indicated the others should hurry. Aragorn was hurrying to his position when a wraith burst out of the trees. The horse screamed and reared. Falling backwards to avoid its flailing forelegs Aragorn tried to protect the elf he carried.
"Elf!" the wraith hissed at Aragorn. It was looking for Legolas. Scrambling to his feet he withdrew his sword his fatigue disappearing determined to protect his friend. Elladan and Elrohir both drew their swords and advanced. The wraiths horse reared again screaming as it danced around Aragorn. Then out of the trees orcs appeared and attacked. Fearful of the wraith and fuelled by their hatred of the elves they descended on the two elves, who stood back-to-back and attacked. The braver orcs charged Aragorn forcing his attention away from the wraith. He heard Elladan whistle an elven call for help but there was nothing Aragorn could do as he fought the orcs encircling him. His eyes searched for Legolas expecting to see him where he had left him but to his shock the elven prince was on his feet. The wraith was advancing towards the elf.
"Legolas!" he cried watching the elf walk straight up to the wraith. The wraith had dismounted and was reaching out towards the elf. It ran his down his friend's cheek. Aragorn watched in shock as Legolas instead of recoiling leaned into the caress. The moment of distraction cost him as an orc sword hilt caught him in the side of the head. Falling to his knees Aragorn desperately rolled to avoid the deathblow of the orcs sword. The sword missed his head but sliced into his shoulder. Uttering a series of oaths he plunged his sword into the orcs abdomen. Not waiting to see the outcome he pulled the sword out and swung it wildly taking off another orcs head. An agonising scream echoed across the clearing. Everything seemed to freeze. Tracking the source of the scream he saw the wraith with his hands on Legolas's face sizzle with power that was running up and down the elf's body. Legolas screamed again. Aragorn watched as Elladan struggled to get to the blonde elf. Legolas fell to his knees and the wraith backed away.
"Elf come to me." It hissed. Aragorn shivered at the words and watched as Legolas stood up very shakily.
"No Legolas!" Aragorn cried as the elf walked towards the beckoning wraith. The orcs had backed off to form a circle around the group. Elladan and Elrohir were both standing but were bruised and cut. The blind elf continued walking straight at the wraith. He must be able to sense it or the wraith is controlling him Aragorn thought.
Legolas knelt down, head bowed. "Master" he responded dully.
"Kill them," the wraith hissed. Immediately the orcs charged again but a hail of arrows felled them. The wraith shrieked in fury and it grabbed Legolas by the wrist and pulled him towards the horse. Before he got to his black charger a flaming arrow hit him. The wraith waved its arms around trying to beat out the flames while shrieking in agony. Legolas began screaming again clutching his head as if on fire himself. The wraith's horse went into a fury at its master's pain and reared. Aragorn watched in shock and horror as the horse hit Legolas. The elf crumpled. Aragorn started forward as the wraith and horse disappeared back into the darkness and all that were left were the exhausted trio and the elven archers that had come to their rescue. Falling to his knees beside the downed elf he tried to stem the blood pouring from the head wound.
'What was going on? What did that wraith do to him?' he wondered as he applied pressure to the gash.
"This way!" Elladan frantically beckoned to Elrohir and Aragorn who were crouched next to the castle wall watching the dark haired elf. Aragorn shifted the elf in his arms to a more comfortable position and then ran as fast as he could across the clearing. Elladan grabbed him and pulled him close. Elrohir quickly joined him.
"The army has retreated to the valley. Dawn is breaking; the orcs are retreating to the castle. We will have to be careful and keep off the paths.How is he?" the elf asked indicating the blonde prince.
"I do not know. I fear for his mental state as I do for his physical state." Elladan frowned in concern. His mother had been tortured by the orcs and he knew that Legolas had suffered terribly.
"Father will know what to do." Elrohir whispered softly watching the trees.
"We must move. Get back to the main camp. Regroup and then move again." Elladan said moving forward. The trio wound there way through the dense forest following the tracks of the retreating army.
"It should be just over that ridge." Elladan said as the trio paused to rest. Aragorn was tired and the added weight of Legolas even though it was only slight slowed his weary body down.
"I distinctly remember you said that at the last ridge brother." Elrohir commented glaring at his brother with a smile. Elladan muttered darkly to himself and moved forward earning a tired smile from Aragorn. As soon as Aragorn moved a familiar inhuman shriek filled the air. They froze.
"Wraiths!" Elladan hissed indicated the others should hurry. Aragorn was hurrying to his position when a wraith burst out of the trees. The horse screamed and reared. Falling backwards to avoid its flailing forelegs Aragorn tried to protect the elf he carried.
"Elf!" the wraith hissed at Aragorn. It was looking for Legolas. Scrambling to his feet he withdrew his sword his fatigue disappearing determined to protect his friend. Elladan and Elrohir both drew their swords and advanced. The wraiths horse reared again screaming as it danced around Aragorn. Then out of the trees orcs appeared and attacked. Fearful of the wraith and fuelled by their hatred of the elves they descended on the two elves, who stood back-to-back and attacked. The braver orcs charged Aragorn forcing his attention away from the wraith. He heard Elladan whistle an elven call for help but there was nothing Aragorn could do as he fought the orcs encircling him. His eyes searched for Legolas expecting to see him where he had left him but to his shock the elven prince was on his feet. The wraith was advancing towards the elf.
"Legolas!" he cried watching the elf walk straight up to the wraith. The wraith had dismounted and was reaching out towards the elf. It ran his down his friend's cheek. Aragorn watched in shock as Legolas instead of recoiling leaned into the caress. The moment of distraction cost him as an orc sword hilt caught him in the side of the head. Falling to his knees Aragorn desperately rolled to avoid the deathblow of the orcs sword. The sword missed his head but sliced into his shoulder. Uttering a series of oaths he plunged his sword into the orcs abdomen. Not waiting to see the outcome he pulled the sword out and swung it wildly taking off another orcs head. An agonising scream echoed across the clearing. Everything seemed to freeze. Tracking the source of the scream he saw the wraith with his hands on Legolas's face sizzle with power that was running up and down the elf's body. Legolas screamed again. Aragorn watched as Elladan struggled to get to the blonde elf. Legolas fell to his knees and the wraith backed away.
"Elf come to me." It hissed. Aragorn shivered at the words and watched as Legolas stood up very shakily.
"No Legolas!" Aragorn cried as the elf walked towards the beckoning wraith. The orcs had backed off to form a circle around the group. Elladan and Elrohir were both standing but were bruised and cut. The blind elf continued walking straight at the wraith. He must be able to sense it or the wraith is controlling him Aragorn thought.
Legolas knelt down, head bowed. "Master" he responded dully.
"Kill them," the wraith hissed. Immediately the orcs charged again but a hail of arrows felled them. The wraith shrieked in fury and it grabbed Legolas by the wrist and pulled him towards the horse. Before he got to his black charger a flaming arrow hit him. The wraith waved its arms around trying to beat out the flames while shrieking in agony. Legolas began screaming again clutching his head as if on fire himself. The wraith's horse went into a fury at its master's pain and reared. Aragorn watched in shock and horror as the horse hit Legolas. The elf crumpled. Aragorn started forward as the wraith and horse disappeared back into the darkness and all that were left were the exhausted trio and the elven archers that had come to their rescue. Falling to his knees beside the downed elf he tried to stem the blood pouring from the head wound.
'What was going on? What did that wraith do to him?' he wondered as he applied pressure to the gash.