Thank you for the reviews!!! Enjoy the new chapter!!
*
The arrow whizzed through the darkness and struck its target. Legolas fell from Voronwer hitting the ground hard. Instantly the warriors scattered and took up defensive positions.
"Legolas!" Balian cried as he ran to Legolas's side. Legolas was already sitting up. He pulled the arrow from his arm with a grimace.
"I am fine." He replied.
"No you are not. You have been hit by an arrow." Balian stated, "Elves hit by arrows are generally not well due to the addition of a new hole in their body." Balian hissed angrily as he watched the trees, he was fed up with Legolas's constant replies of I'm fine to any question involving his health. Legolas smiled grimly.
"Thank you for pointing that out."
"Anytime. Can you see anything?" That question quickly became obsolete as orcs charged out of the trees.
"No nothing at all." Legolas said as he pulled his bow ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He fired arrow after arrow but still they came.
"Fall back!!" Legolas cried as the ground began to rumble. Balian looked at him confused, what creature made the ground tremble. He did not want to know.
Suddenly a roar of flames flashed through the forest. An elf caught in the flames screamed as it burnt his clothes. A scream like a thousand wraiths announced the presence of the creature that produced the flames. It was blacker than the darkest night but its eyes burned red. Legolas shot an arrow and it impacted deep within its hide. The creature ignored it and charged the elves. The black blade the creature carried, struck the elf that had been set alight and silenced its cries. The warriors charged but the deadly blade struck each of them down. Legolas snarled and leapt at it flashing his twin knives.
"Orcs!" he heard Balian call and for a brief second Legolas's concentration wavered. The next thing he knew he was falling to the ground his head exploding in agonising pain. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
** King Thranduil stood in his war room as reports came in from the war parties. The room was well used and Thranduil sighed annoyed that his realm had been swept by this darkness that infiltrated the lives of every elf that lived within the realm. His thoughts turned to his youngest son, a valiant warrior and now at this very moment defending his realm as a captain. Legolas had never known complete peace. He had been a small elfling when the first devastating attack on the realm had taken place, the one that claimed the life of his mother and Thranduil's wife. The distraught cries of his youngest son still remained vivid in his memories. Now more will die and he could do nothing about it.
The door opened and Aeolian marched into the room. The lords of Mirkwood looked up as he approached the King.
"We found the rest of Triyn's party. They are all dead. The warrior parties are returning, there are more casualties. I have lost two warriors and no one has heard from Legolas's and Ruren's party since they left."
The news hit Thranduil hard.
"The orcs?"
"They have retreated. I am mystified as to the reason but they seem to have disappeared."
Thranduil nodded. "Have the wounded treated and send out scouts. I want no one to engage the orcs but I want to know what they are doing!!" he snapped. Aeolian nodded and left.
Thranduil turned to his lords. He was about to speak when the doors burst open and a servant rushed in.
"I am sorry my King but it is Prince Legolas. He has been wounded." Thranduil rushed past the servant hurrying to the courtyard. Upon entering it he was met by absolute chaos. The dead bodies were being lifted off horses and carried inside. The cries of the wounded and the calls of the healers disturbed the previous stillness of the night.
"My lord." A voice called. It was Balian, Legolas's best friend. Hurrying towards him he caught site of several bodies wrapped in cloaks. He begged the Valor that it was not Legolas. Catching his desperate look Balian shook his head.
"He is not dead, his head was struck by a blow from a sword. He is unconscious." Balian led the king to Voronwer who stood still as stone with his master led on his back, Legolas's head resting in his mane. Thranduil reached up and lifted Legolas from the horses back. Lowering him to the ground he knelt by Legolas, Balian joined him. Thranduil hissed as he caught sight of the cut on Legolas's head, which still bled freely. Legolas was stirring.
"Father" he whispered as he struggled to sit up.
"We were attacked by a creature." Legolas struggled to speak, his head ached and black spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Shh." Thranduil soothed as he pushed Legolas back to the ground. "Don't speak."
"Balian." Legolas said worried for his friend's safety.
"I am here. Rest Legolas." Balian said. Legolas smiled, closed his eyes and his body went limp.
"I need a healer," Thranduil cried. A healer was quickly at his side quickly. After a quick examination the healer turned to the king.
"He has a concussion and an arrow wound to the shoulder. It was not poisoned. He should be well within a few days." The healer indicated for a stretcher to be brought forward. Thranduil lifted his son tenderly onto the stretcher.
"Balian come with me. I want to know exactly what went on out there."
Balian followed Thranduil back to the war room.
"What happened?"
"We were ambushed. Legolas took an arrow in the shoulder and fell from Voronwer. We took up defensive positions and then orcs burst out of the trees."
"What was this creature that Legolas spoke of?" the king asked.
"I know not. It used fire as a weapon burning an elf to death. It wielded a sword darker than night striking more of our party down. I saw Legolas fall but couldn't get to him. We were saved by Culla's war party."
"I want all the reports from all of the warrior captains immediately. Go stay with Legolas. I do not want him up tonight." Thranduil told Balian who quickly left.
**
"Let go of me." Legolas said trying to push the healer away from him. He needed to get up and fight.
"My prince you would not make it out of the room let alone to your horse. You have taken a wound to the head and need to rest." The healer said gently pushing the elf down.
"Legolas." A sharp voice snapped. Balian walked up to the bed and glared down at his friend.
"Rest or I will tie you to the bed." He snapped.
Legolas glared but gave up the protests as he watched three perfect images of Balian float around the bed.
"No my worst nightmare has come to life, you have been duplicated." Legolas groaned as he turned over and buried his head into the soft pillow. Balian chuckled but was concerned. His friend had given up too quickly so that meant he really must be hurt. Sitting on the bed next to Legolas he pulled the covers up to the blonde elf's chin. Legolas sighed and then groaned.
"I feel sick." He whispered.
"You have a concussion Legolas. You will feel sick for a while." Balian said softly.
"Yuck." Legolas muttered as he breathed deeply trying to quell his stomach.
Legolas quickly fell asleep as Balian watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically.
"Don't you ever die on me." He whispered as he brushed a hair off Legolas's forehead and tucked it behind an ear. He picked himself off the bed and settled in a chair next to the bed.
** "So they launched an attack and have now disappeared!" Thranduil said incredulously.
"Yes my lord. The scouts can find no trace of any orcs or those creatures that Legolas's party encountered." Aeolian reported. He was as perplexed as his father. This was not the usual behaviour of orcs.
"How many did we lose?" Thranduil asked softly dreading the answer.
"There is no firm count but all of Triyn's party, I lost two warriors, Legolas's party lost half its numbers, Culla lost six and there is no trace of Ruren's party. The other parties made it back without casualties but almost all are wounded." Aeolian said each death weighed on his mind, as did his brother's injury.
"What do we do now?" Lyran, one of the lords of Mirkwood asked.
Thranduil had no answer. He moved to the window and watched as the healers ran between the wounded.
"My lord what do we do?"
**
*
The arrow whizzed through the darkness and struck its target. Legolas fell from Voronwer hitting the ground hard. Instantly the warriors scattered and took up defensive positions.
"Legolas!" Balian cried as he ran to Legolas's side. Legolas was already sitting up. He pulled the arrow from his arm with a grimace.
"I am fine." He replied.
"No you are not. You have been hit by an arrow." Balian stated, "Elves hit by arrows are generally not well due to the addition of a new hole in their body." Balian hissed angrily as he watched the trees, he was fed up with Legolas's constant replies of I'm fine to any question involving his health. Legolas smiled grimly.
"Thank you for pointing that out."
"Anytime. Can you see anything?" That question quickly became obsolete as orcs charged out of the trees.
"No nothing at all." Legolas said as he pulled his bow ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He fired arrow after arrow but still they came.
"Fall back!!" Legolas cried as the ground began to rumble. Balian looked at him confused, what creature made the ground tremble. He did not want to know.
Suddenly a roar of flames flashed through the forest. An elf caught in the flames screamed as it burnt his clothes. A scream like a thousand wraiths announced the presence of the creature that produced the flames. It was blacker than the darkest night but its eyes burned red. Legolas shot an arrow and it impacted deep within its hide. The creature ignored it and charged the elves. The black blade the creature carried, struck the elf that had been set alight and silenced its cries. The warriors charged but the deadly blade struck each of them down. Legolas snarled and leapt at it flashing his twin knives.
"Orcs!" he heard Balian call and for a brief second Legolas's concentration wavered. The next thing he knew he was falling to the ground his head exploding in agonising pain. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
** King Thranduil stood in his war room as reports came in from the war parties. The room was well used and Thranduil sighed annoyed that his realm had been swept by this darkness that infiltrated the lives of every elf that lived within the realm. His thoughts turned to his youngest son, a valiant warrior and now at this very moment defending his realm as a captain. Legolas had never known complete peace. He had been a small elfling when the first devastating attack on the realm had taken place, the one that claimed the life of his mother and Thranduil's wife. The distraught cries of his youngest son still remained vivid in his memories. Now more will die and he could do nothing about it.
The door opened and Aeolian marched into the room. The lords of Mirkwood looked up as he approached the King.
"We found the rest of Triyn's party. They are all dead. The warrior parties are returning, there are more casualties. I have lost two warriors and no one has heard from Legolas's and Ruren's party since they left."
The news hit Thranduil hard.
"The orcs?"
"They have retreated. I am mystified as to the reason but they seem to have disappeared."
Thranduil nodded. "Have the wounded treated and send out scouts. I want no one to engage the orcs but I want to know what they are doing!!" he snapped. Aeolian nodded and left.
Thranduil turned to his lords. He was about to speak when the doors burst open and a servant rushed in.
"I am sorry my King but it is Prince Legolas. He has been wounded." Thranduil rushed past the servant hurrying to the courtyard. Upon entering it he was met by absolute chaos. The dead bodies were being lifted off horses and carried inside. The cries of the wounded and the calls of the healers disturbed the previous stillness of the night.
"My lord." A voice called. It was Balian, Legolas's best friend. Hurrying towards him he caught site of several bodies wrapped in cloaks. He begged the Valor that it was not Legolas. Catching his desperate look Balian shook his head.
"He is not dead, his head was struck by a blow from a sword. He is unconscious." Balian led the king to Voronwer who stood still as stone with his master led on his back, Legolas's head resting in his mane. Thranduil reached up and lifted Legolas from the horses back. Lowering him to the ground he knelt by Legolas, Balian joined him. Thranduil hissed as he caught sight of the cut on Legolas's head, which still bled freely. Legolas was stirring.
"Father" he whispered as he struggled to sit up.
"We were attacked by a creature." Legolas struggled to speak, his head ached and black spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Shh." Thranduil soothed as he pushed Legolas back to the ground. "Don't speak."
"Balian." Legolas said worried for his friend's safety.
"I am here. Rest Legolas." Balian said. Legolas smiled, closed his eyes and his body went limp.
"I need a healer," Thranduil cried. A healer was quickly at his side quickly. After a quick examination the healer turned to the king.
"He has a concussion and an arrow wound to the shoulder. It was not poisoned. He should be well within a few days." The healer indicated for a stretcher to be brought forward. Thranduil lifted his son tenderly onto the stretcher.
"Balian come with me. I want to know exactly what went on out there."
Balian followed Thranduil back to the war room.
"What happened?"
"We were ambushed. Legolas took an arrow in the shoulder and fell from Voronwer. We took up defensive positions and then orcs burst out of the trees."
"What was this creature that Legolas spoke of?" the king asked.
"I know not. It used fire as a weapon burning an elf to death. It wielded a sword darker than night striking more of our party down. I saw Legolas fall but couldn't get to him. We were saved by Culla's war party."
"I want all the reports from all of the warrior captains immediately. Go stay with Legolas. I do not want him up tonight." Thranduil told Balian who quickly left.
**
"Let go of me." Legolas said trying to push the healer away from him. He needed to get up and fight.
"My prince you would not make it out of the room let alone to your horse. You have taken a wound to the head and need to rest." The healer said gently pushing the elf down.
"Legolas." A sharp voice snapped. Balian walked up to the bed and glared down at his friend.
"Rest or I will tie you to the bed." He snapped.
Legolas glared but gave up the protests as he watched three perfect images of Balian float around the bed.
"No my worst nightmare has come to life, you have been duplicated." Legolas groaned as he turned over and buried his head into the soft pillow. Balian chuckled but was concerned. His friend had given up too quickly so that meant he really must be hurt. Sitting on the bed next to Legolas he pulled the covers up to the blonde elf's chin. Legolas sighed and then groaned.
"I feel sick." He whispered.
"You have a concussion Legolas. You will feel sick for a while." Balian said softly.
"Yuck." Legolas muttered as he breathed deeply trying to quell his stomach.
Legolas quickly fell asleep as Balian watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically.
"Don't you ever die on me." He whispered as he brushed a hair off Legolas's forehead and tucked it behind an ear. He picked himself off the bed and settled in a chair next to the bed.
** "So they launched an attack and have now disappeared!" Thranduil said incredulously.
"Yes my lord. The scouts can find no trace of any orcs or those creatures that Legolas's party encountered." Aeolian reported. He was as perplexed as his father. This was not the usual behaviour of orcs.
"How many did we lose?" Thranduil asked softly dreading the answer.
"There is no firm count but all of Triyn's party, I lost two warriors, Legolas's party lost half its numbers, Culla lost six and there is no trace of Ruren's party. The other parties made it back without casualties but almost all are wounded." Aeolian said each death weighed on his mind, as did his brother's injury.
"What do we do now?" Lyran, one of the lords of Mirkwood asked.
Thranduil had no answer. He moved to the window and watched as the healers ran between the wounded.
"My lord what do we do?"
**