Wow! Thanks guys! Now keep on reading!
Early the next morning, the party departed for Trachian Plains situated about two hundred leagues away to the north. It was not a hasty journey, more like a leisure expedition for the five companions, talking and laughing among themselves. Still, their eyes and ears were kept on alert to their whole surroundings. Orcs were heard roaming everywhere nowadays, wild and aimless.
It was nearly dusk when Legolas's ears caught a familiar sound; a squawk of an eagle. Smiling in joy, he raised up his left arm. Not long after, a golden bald eagle swooped down and landed gracefully on his guarded wrist, squawking again in greetings.
"Hawkeye!" Legolas stroked the bird's regal head lovingly. "I've missed you! Where in Middle Earth have you been?"
The eagle named Hawkeye was a pet given to him by Gimli, the dwarf, more than ten years ago. Legolas had healed its broken wing with the stone of manya, a healing stone that had been the prince's legacy since his birth. The majestic bird had been following him ever since. Hawkeye would disappear now and then but always returned to his newfound master and friend.
Still, Legolas could not tell the exact age of the bird. It could be around twenty to thirty years of age…he was not sure. But he hoped that Hawkeye still had many years to go, for the prince knew how hurt it was to lose a beloved pet. He had already lost several pets before this; a pair of ferrets and a tiger. It was not an experience he enjoyed, though he know that he will go through it all again because Hawkeye was a mortal, and the bird will die before him.
Aragorn reached up to pet the eagle. "Hey, there Hawkeye. Join the party?" Hawkeye squawked again in excitement, so happy he was to meet the troop. They all laughed. "I bet you want to. Catch any game lately?"
The small troop and their latest addition set camp for the night by the foot of the rocky Trachian Hills half an hour later.
*************
Legolas leaned his back against a fallen log, staring at the full moon and the stars in the sky. Somewhere up there in the nearby tree, Hawkeye perched like a sentinel, joining Keldarion and Elladan as they kept the first watch for the night. Aragorn dropped down beside him, pulling the cloak over his shoulders. "Aren't you going to get some sleep, Legolas?"
The elf smiled. "In a while, Estel. I would like to enjoy the beautiful sight above us for another minute."
Aragorn also looked up. "Trying to find someone up there, hmm?"
Legolas grimaced. "Just shut up and go to sleep, human."
"You miss her, don't you?"
Legolas flushed a bit red, a little embarrassed that the young man knew him so well. Indeed, he was missing Narasene, the lovely elf maiden from Rivendell that had caught his heart. She had been in Lothlorien for five years now, accompanying Arwen Undomiel, the daughter of Elrond, to study medicine and healing arts with Lady Galadriel. He had not met Nara ever since, and his heart started to swell with longing to see her again. Knowing that she would see the same moon in the sky, Legolas could not stop looking at it and thinking about her.
"Man! You really got it bad, my friend!" Aragorn teased. Legolas smacked the young man's head. Aragorn lunged at him in retaliation, and the grappling friends toppled on top of Elrohir who was already sound asleep beside them. The elder elf woke up yelling and kicking. "Cut it out, you two stupid children! I'm trying to sleep here!"
Snickering, the two friends settled back on their cloaks. Before sleep claimed him, Legolas heard Aragorn muttered, "If love is blind like they say, then Nara should check her eyesight!"
Legolas's hand reached up and smacked the back of Aragorn's head again. "Shut up already!"
***************
Aragorn crouched low; his sharp eyes scanned the small indentions on the ground. Legolas was several feet behind him, also bending low as he followed the man's progress. "Find anything yet?"
"Yes. These look like the deer's footprints. I believe it just passed this way about a few minutes ago. The prints are still fresh," Aragorn replied.
Legolas's keen eyes had already noticed the tracks a moment earlier, but he let Aragorn traced it by himself to help sharpened the young man's tracking skills. The two friends had separated from the three others, spreading out to better search for the deer they'd sighted that morning, just after they broke camp.
They had let their mounts roamed freely, knowing the horses would return at their call. Keldarion and the twins had gone deeper into the woods, while Aragorn and Legolas had chosen the opposite way, heading straight towards the small rocky hill. There was a contest going on among the Rivendell brothers, with the twins boasting that they would be the first to pick up the deer's trails. Aragorn would not go off without a fight, saying that he would find the deer before they did. So Keldarion and Legolas had to tag along on each side as referee.
Legolas followed as Aragorn hurried forward over the rocky hill. "It had gone rushing over this mound. It might've sensed our approach!" He glanced back to the elf and grinned. "I told you I'm going to find the deer first!"
Smiling back, Legolas replied, "Aye, you will, Estel. But watch your step in front of you. It looks like a ten feet drop there."
Cautiously, the two friends found their way down from atop the hill, following the deer track all the while. Aragorn was astounded with the view that suddenly appeared in front of them. "Wow. What a sight!" He stared in awe at the vast open field spread out in front of them. The flat land here was as far as the eyes could see; the grass so green, and the wildflowers grew in abundance, creating a sea of chaotic colors. Lo and behold! There was the pursued deer, drinking by a small stream that cut across the meadow.
Grinning at Legolas, Aragorn exclaimed, "See! What did I tell you?"
"Yes, you did." Legolas nodded. "Now, let's see if you can make the shot."
On stealthy steps, they moved forward across the meadow and crouched down behind a boulder. Aragorn nicked an arrow to his bow, took aim, and prepared to shoot. The deer kept drinking peacefully, unaware of its surrounding, so skillfully the two friends had made their presence unknown.
Aragorn was about to release his arrow when Legolas suddenly shouted, "Look out, o fair deer!!"
Startled, Aragorn's aim went wide; his arrow flew off aimlessly away from the animal. And, of course, the deer took off as soon as it heard the elf's shout. Frowning in annoyance, Aragorn turned to his friend. Legolas was on his side on the ground, laughing like crazy.
"Very funny, elf. Thank you very much for spoiling my shot!" Aragorn muttered, his brown eyes glinted in a glare.
"You're welcome, human." Legolas brushed the tears of mirth from his eyes, still laughing. "You should see your face right now! It's like thunder. Ooohh…I'm scared…"
Growling in mock anger, Aragorn pounced on Legolas. "I'll get you for that, you crazy elf!"
"You wish!" The elf taunted back, struggling against Aragorn's choking hold around his neck. Legolas had a lot more experience in this wrestling game; it was his and Keldarion's favorite sport. He had had a lot of trainings under his belt. Besides, he was more agile than the human.
Twisting sideways, the elf succeeded in throwing his friend over balance. Aragorn now lay beneath him, gasping and thrashing. "Not fair! You cheated!"
"Yeah, right! Do you yield?"
"Kiss my ass, you…!"
"Shh, silence!" Legolas suddenly ordered. He was instantly alert to a strange presence that had pricked his keen senses.
"What are you…"
"Quiet!" Legolas whispered urgently. His ears were trying to pick up any sound that would indicate the presence. But the meadow had gone silent all of a sudden. Too silent.
Aragorn was alarmed. He slowly sat up and gazed around, though it was a futile effort. Surely he could not see what the elf's keen eyes could not. "What is it, Legolas?" he whispered, following Legolas' gaze as the elf stared at the huge rising cliff at their left side of the meadow, the opposite way from where they had come from earlier.
"Something approaches," said Legolas, already getting to his feet. "Something evil and dark. I can't explain what it is, but it's coming near. Quick! Grab your bow and take cover!"
Hawkeye then came flying from out of nowhere, squawking in warning. He floated several hundred feet above them, crying out excitedly. Legolas looked up at his pet and called out, "I know, Hawkeye! Take cover yourself! We will…"
Before Legolas could finish his words, a shrieking sound came from around the cliff, followed instantly by the most hideous flying creature they had ever seen! The creature was all black. Its wings were like bat's, but larger and longer. It had a long neck and the face of a dragon. The claws at its feet looked very sharp indeed, while its shrieking voice was earsplitting.
"What in Middle Earth is that?" Aragorn wondered out loud, his mouth hanging open.
"The Ringwraith's ride!" Legolas replied, as they ran for a group of boulders at the foot of the hill.
"Ringwraith? You've got to be joking!"
"No joke, Estel! Now, hurry up! It's heading directly for us!"
The two friends ran as fast as they could to the nearest cover, which was a hundred yards away. But the creature was swifter. When Legolas looked back, it was already breathing down Aragorn's neck with its claws at ready to strike. The elf pivoted and hastily pulled his friend down to the ground. Unluckily for Legolas though, the sharp claws hit him instead, ripping through his clothes, and the strapped quiver and bow at his back. The weapons flew off as Legolas landed in an ungraceful heap beside Aragorn.
The creature sped over their heads, brushing the two friends with the powerful wind created from its powerful pass. "You all right, Legolas?" Aragorn inquired. He had heard the elf cried out in pain just now.
But the elf was already on his feet, resuming their run, abandoning his weapons behind. "Come on, Estel! The boulders are not much further!"
Running after the elf, Aragorn had glanced over his shoulder and saw the creature turning around and headed towards them once more. What does this bloody creature wants?
Legolas grabbed the young man's arm and dragged him between two large rocks just as the creature reached them. The opening was exactly wide enough for two. But after pushing Aragorn in front of him, Legolas was wide in the open for the creature's sharp and serrated claws. Aragorn looked on anxiously as the elf grabbed the twin blades from the belt at his waist, and valiantly tried to block the creature's attack. The young man grabbed his bow but the space was not wide enough for him to make a shot.
"Get down, Aragorn!" Legolas yelled when he realized that Aragorn was straightening up, unsuccessfully working a shot with his bow in the crammed space. The young man knew that Legolas seriously meant it from the way the elf called him by that name. However, he could not let Legolas get hurt for protecting him.
The creature still hovered over them, shrieking in anger as Legolas kept slashing at its feet with his blades. The two friends nearly lost hope when arrows came flying at high speed from the woods. Aragorn turned and saw his brothers and Prince Keldarion releasing more arrows from their bows.
Some of the arrows hit the creature on the chest and neck. Still, the creature would not go away. Screaming in pain now, it struck one last time with its big claws, wrapping them tightly around Legolas's torso. Crying out in terror and agony, Legolas could do nothing as he was lifted high into the air!
"Legolas!!!!!!!!!" Aragorn's scream mingled together with Keldarion's. They all stared in horror as the elf prince was carried off further and further away by that creature…
TBC…