Haldir hadn't seen so many orc before, except at the battle he had fought less than a week before. His blue eyes scanned the perimeter quickly. He drew out his bow, his eyes lowering to the hundreds of torches lighting the expanse. Their backs appeared to be turned, and they were heading away, back toward the mountains, less than a half-days journey to the Black Gate.
His fingers itched to grab an arrow, to let out an assault that would stun and hopefully terrify the Uruk-Hai. But after three thousand years of fighting battles against Sauron and his unmentionable evils, Haldir knew better. It was in his best interest to stay quiet and to wait.
His only problem with that was Aragorn. He could be a prisoner in that entire herd of orc. It scared him to think that such a small group of men had fallen to such a large enemy. He turned to the other elves, wishing Legolas was there to give him any instinct which to go upon. He trusted the younger elf implicitly, his trust had grown during the battle at Helm's Deep.
His jaw twitched as he quickly grasped an arrow and placed it between the string and the front of the bow. His arm was taut, his gaze ready, his fingers aching to release. He finally decided, and going on gut instinct, released the arrow, which clipped the head of an orc in the rear.
The orc in the rear paused and turned, letting out a cry so ferocious and so terrifying, Haldir regretted his initial instinct.
Calling out to his elves, they set up point behind the rocks, dismounting their horses and tucking them back where it would be safe. From the corner of his eye, he saw Legolas and his best advisor MelondÃr rushing over the crest of the hill. He almost chuckled when he spied Legolas pause, grasping the arm of the elf next to him. The two paused and Haldir could almost feel their terror, for he felt it himself.
The orc were already doubling back and springing in their position to attack, gathering their weapons. With a heavy breath, Haldir noticed Legolas and the other elf drawning closer. Turning back to the crisis at hand, he quickly took another arrow and shot it, clearly hitting his mark.
He noticed the humans had gathered their swords and were standing before the elves, ready to give their lives to the hunt for one man.
It was almost ironic to him, Haldir thought as they fought off the first wave of orc. The rest were not far behind. Most still continued on the path.
Haldir's third arrow caught an orc in the side of the neck. The orc fell aside, knocking over a live orc. One of the men swept in and quickly stabbed downwards with his sword, the foul smell rising as the orc fell. A second orc took the human from behind, tumbling them both onto the ash-covered earth.
Only the timely intervention by the elf who had gone with Legolas saved his life. His long, curved elvish knife quickly pierced the skin of the orc twice before the human pushed the hulky figure from his body, his face raging with disgust.
Legolas joined the battle, his own bow out, his own arrows shooting into carefully selected targets. Haldir quickly leapt over the downed orc and joined his elvish friend. "The orc are retreating into the hills. They move too fast to carry a human. Search for him."
Legolas nodded and swept behind the elves and men toward the river. Haldir turned around, readied another arrow, and prepared to shoot again.
--
Legolas quickly scanned behind the elves and men, then fought his way to the river. Two orc were coming around and glanced up in surprise as Legolas took them both with two quick shots. He then recovered the arrows and continued on his search.
He scanned the rocks carefully, trying to see if he had fallen into the river. It was then that he saw them. Orcs. Dozens of bodies.
He quickly leapt the bodies and scanned the perimeter again. The bodies stank of a deep, hideous odor. They were behind the rocks as well, draped in the river, dangling from the rock precariously. There had obviously been a battle there. And from the sense of instinct he had, he knew it was Aragorn who had killed these orc.
He spied a shiny object in the pile of dead Uruk-Hai. Legolas gently removed an arrow. The tip of the arrow was stained red with blood.
A gasp sounded from himself as he dropped the arrow and stepped away from it. In his mind, he could see it. Aragorn was fighting boldly, killing and slashing his way through a dozen Uruk-Hai when the perfectly shot arrow sliced into him. The pain made Legolas nauseous.
He spied a second item on the other side of the rock, dangling from the arm of a beheaded orc. The shiny black blood was scattered on the sword, mingled with red blood. Legolas took the sword and held it. He could feel the heat of Aragorn's touch rising from it.
A loud, anguished cry rose from his throat.
He could feel Aragorn's presence slipping away. "He is fading," he cried desperately, holding the sword strongly in his hand and turning away from the river. "He will pass soon."
If only they hadn't stopped to rest. If only they had ridden harder. The king of man would still be alive.
With tears flickering in his eyes, Legolas forced his wooden legs onward, back to the battle and the sounds of clanking metal.
--
Haldir watched Legolas go on before turning back to the battle. He knew he had to draw his forces back so the other orcs would get farther away. Then he would corner and annhiliate the threat.
He took several steps backwards, careful not to trip on the fallen orc behind him. He drew out another arrow and fired it, precisely hitting its intended target in the chest. The orc continued on, an awful cry coming from it, it's axe in the air. Haldir gasped and quickly turned to run, but the axe came down on his shoulder. He swung around, knocking the axe from the orc, his hand pressed to his deep wound. His eyes widened as time seemed to stand still. His good arm quickly took his knife from his belt. He turned and slashed the neck of an orc with a short, jagged knife. He spun in the other direction, stabbing a second orc in the neck, a stream of black shooting from the mortal wound.
His breath came out in heavy gasps as he turned to a third orc. His blue eyes remained cold as stones as he flung the knife through the air. It twisted, finding it's mark in the center of the orc's chest. Haldir jumped over the body of the first and retrieved his knife, quickly glancing around to see how the other members of his band were faring.
Two elves stood just off to his left, both fighting off a single orc. One had a deep cut on his face and a slim stream of red across his chest, but was fighting with the true strength Haldir knew elves possessed. The second just had a few small cuts on his face, but the way his movements were slowed, figured broken bones in the chest or back. They were both taking a hard fight.
Removing his hand from his wound, he ignored the pain and turned back to the orc. There were not many of them remaining. Most had disappeared along with the rest of the pack, eager to return to the Black Gate and safely within the borders of Mordor. Haldir realized that these Uruk-Hai were stronger than the ones from Isengard. It was almost hard to believe, considering he'd almost died at Helm's Deep.
He turned to fight his fourth orc. Instead of using his knife, he fought hand-to-hand. As soon as he managed to get behind the creature, he used his powerful arms and snapped its neck, a crack loudly filling the valley. He dropped the creature and stepped back, taking hold of his knife again, and retreating back into battle.
The elves and men were pressing forward now. Dozens of orc lay battered and broken behind. And not one man or elf was unaccounted for, except for Legolas.
Haldir wondered of his fate as they ran onward, attacking a slower orc who ran to catch up with the thousands that walked ahead. He knew that if they attacked any more in the original group, the entire thousand would turn around and they would all die. If they only faced a hundred, they stood a better chance.
Another four orc came from nowhere. Haldir and two elves quickly turned, bows at the ready and fired. Three of the four were knocked down. As the fourth orc went to one of the men for the kill, a figure suddenly appeared behind it. A short, jagged knife flashed in the remaining firelight and slashed down, rendering the orc silent. As the orc fell aside, the elves and men turned to the figure, their eyes wide as they stared hard. In stunned disbelief.
His fingers itched to grab an arrow, to let out an assault that would stun and hopefully terrify the Uruk-Hai. But after three thousand years of fighting battles against Sauron and his unmentionable evils, Haldir knew better. It was in his best interest to stay quiet and to wait.
His only problem with that was Aragorn. He could be a prisoner in that entire herd of orc. It scared him to think that such a small group of men had fallen to such a large enemy. He turned to the other elves, wishing Legolas was there to give him any instinct which to go upon. He trusted the younger elf implicitly, his trust had grown during the battle at Helm's Deep.
His jaw twitched as he quickly grasped an arrow and placed it between the string and the front of the bow. His arm was taut, his gaze ready, his fingers aching to release. He finally decided, and going on gut instinct, released the arrow, which clipped the head of an orc in the rear.
The orc in the rear paused and turned, letting out a cry so ferocious and so terrifying, Haldir regretted his initial instinct.
Calling out to his elves, they set up point behind the rocks, dismounting their horses and tucking them back where it would be safe. From the corner of his eye, he saw Legolas and his best advisor MelondÃr rushing over the crest of the hill. He almost chuckled when he spied Legolas pause, grasping the arm of the elf next to him. The two paused and Haldir could almost feel their terror, for he felt it himself.
The orc were already doubling back and springing in their position to attack, gathering their weapons. With a heavy breath, Haldir noticed Legolas and the other elf drawning closer. Turning back to the crisis at hand, he quickly took another arrow and shot it, clearly hitting his mark.
He noticed the humans had gathered their swords and were standing before the elves, ready to give their lives to the hunt for one man.
It was almost ironic to him, Haldir thought as they fought off the first wave of orc. The rest were not far behind. Most still continued on the path.
Haldir's third arrow caught an orc in the side of the neck. The orc fell aside, knocking over a live orc. One of the men swept in and quickly stabbed downwards with his sword, the foul smell rising as the orc fell. A second orc took the human from behind, tumbling them both onto the ash-covered earth.
Only the timely intervention by the elf who had gone with Legolas saved his life. His long, curved elvish knife quickly pierced the skin of the orc twice before the human pushed the hulky figure from his body, his face raging with disgust.
Legolas joined the battle, his own bow out, his own arrows shooting into carefully selected targets. Haldir quickly leapt over the downed orc and joined his elvish friend. "The orc are retreating into the hills. They move too fast to carry a human. Search for him."
Legolas nodded and swept behind the elves and men toward the river. Haldir turned around, readied another arrow, and prepared to shoot again.
--
Legolas quickly scanned behind the elves and men, then fought his way to the river. Two orc were coming around and glanced up in surprise as Legolas took them both with two quick shots. He then recovered the arrows and continued on his search.
He scanned the rocks carefully, trying to see if he had fallen into the river. It was then that he saw them. Orcs. Dozens of bodies.
He quickly leapt the bodies and scanned the perimeter again. The bodies stank of a deep, hideous odor. They were behind the rocks as well, draped in the river, dangling from the rock precariously. There had obviously been a battle there. And from the sense of instinct he had, he knew it was Aragorn who had killed these orc.
He spied a shiny object in the pile of dead Uruk-Hai. Legolas gently removed an arrow. The tip of the arrow was stained red with blood.
A gasp sounded from himself as he dropped the arrow and stepped away from it. In his mind, he could see it. Aragorn was fighting boldly, killing and slashing his way through a dozen Uruk-Hai when the perfectly shot arrow sliced into him. The pain made Legolas nauseous.
He spied a second item on the other side of the rock, dangling from the arm of a beheaded orc. The shiny black blood was scattered on the sword, mingled with red blood. Legolas took the sword and held it. He could feel the heat of Aragorn's touch rising from it.
A loud, anguished cry rose from his throat.
He could feel Aragorn's presence slipping away. "He is fading," he cried desperately, holding the sword strongly in his hand and turning away from the river. "He will pass soon."
If only they hadn't stopped to rest. If only they had ridden harder. The king of man would still be alive.
With tears flickering in his eyes, Legolas forced his wooden legs onward, back to the battle and the sounds of clanking metal.
--
Haldir watched Legolas go on before turning back to the battle. He knew he had to draw his forces back so the other orcs would get farther away. Then he would corner and annhiliate the threat.
He took several steps backwards, careful not to trip on the fallen orc behind him. He drew out another arrow and fired it, precisely hitting its intended target in the chest. The orc continued on, an awful cry coming from it, it's axe in the air. Haldir gasped and quickly turned to run, but the axe came down on his shoulder. He swung around, knocking the axe from the orc, his hand pressed to his deep wound. His eyes widened as time seemed to stand still. His good arm quickly took his knife from his belt. He turned and slashed the neck of an orc with a short, jagged knife. He spun in the other direction, stabbing a second orc in the neck, a stream of black shooting from the mortal wound.
His breath came out in heavy gasps as he turned to a third orc. His blue eyes remained cold as stones as he flung the knife through the air. It twisted, finding it's mark in the center of the orc's chest. Haldir jumped over the body of the first and retrieved his knife, quickly glancing around to see how the other members of his band were faring.
Two elves stood just off to his left, both fighting off a single orc. One had a deep cut on his face and a slim stream of red across his chest, but was fighting with the true strength Haldir knew elves possessed. The second just had a few small cuts on his face, but the way his movements were slowed, figured broken bones in the chest or back. They were both taking a hard fight.
Removing his hand from his wound, he ignored the pain and turned back to the orc. There were not many of them remaining. Most had disappeared along with the rest of the pack, eager to return to the Black Gate and safely within the borders of Mordor. Haldir realized that these Uruk-Hai were stronger than the ones from Isengard. It was almost hard to believe, considering he'd almost died at Helm's Deep.
He turned to fight his fourth orc. Instead of using his knife, he fought hand-to-hand. As soon as he managed to get behind the creature, he used his powerful arms and snapped its neck, a crack loudly filling the valley. He dropped the creature and stepped back, taking hold of his knife again, and retreating back into battle.
The elves and men were pressing forward now. Dozens of orc lay battered and broken behind. And not one man or elf was unaccounted for, except for Legolas.
Haldir wondered of his fate as they ran onward, attacking a slower orc who ran to catch up with the thousands that walked ahead. He knew that if they attacked any more in the original group, the entire thousand would turn around and they would all die. If they only faced a hundred, they stood a better chance.
Another four orc came from nowhere. Haldir and two elves quickly turned, bows at the ready and fired. Three of the four were knocked down. As the fourth orc went to one of the men for the kill, a figure suddenly appeared behind it. A short, jagged knife flashed in the remaining firelight and slashed down, rendering the orc silent. As the orc fell aside, the elves and men turned to the figure, their eyes wide as they stared hard. In stunned disbelief.