Thank you for the great reviews. I have had comments about the shortness of
the chapters and I am very sorry but I have so much work that I can only
write a little every few days. My thinking is that a short chapter every
few days is better than a long wait for slightly longer ones!! I hope
people agree!! I am writing another story at the same time and will start
posting when its finished, probably after the Easter holidays!! The
chapters should be longer then!! I hope you enjoy!!
**
The sunlight shone through the window and bathed the occupant of the bed in its warm rays. Balian shifted in his chair as he woke up. Legolas was still sleeping his face barely visible under the mass of covers, pillows and blonde hair. As Balian watched Legolas slowly awoke. First his hand twitched, and then he took a deep shuddering breath and sleepily blinked his eyes.
"Good morning." Balian said brightly. Legolas growled and tried to burrow further under the covers.
"Feeling better?"
Legolas pulled the covers down from his face and stretched.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"A few hours after dawn."
Legolas sat up.
"What has happened? Has Triyn's party been found? What about the orcs?"
"Calm yourself you know as much as I do, but considering we are still here and there are no orcs wondering around the palace I assume the attack was repelled."
"That is not good enough. There were other creatures. And orcs would not disappear. Find out what is going on while I get dressed."
Balian raised his eyebrows.
"If we were needed we would have been summoned."
Legolas threw back the covers and rose unsteadily to his feet, Balian moved to help him but was pushed away.
"They were my party under my leadership. I need to find out what killed them. They would not be unleashed for one attack and then disappear. We need to be prepared."
Balian nodded. His friend had always suffered extreme guilt if someone fell under his command.
"I will go but do not blame yourself. Many fell last night. None could have foreseen it."
Balian left and Legolas moved to have a quick wash and got dressed. He smoothed his hair secured his weapons and left, ignoring the dull throbbing in his head. Legolas walked straight to the war room where he knew his father and lords would be. Knocking, he entered. His father looked startled at his appearance.
"You should be resting my son." Thranduil said
"I have rested long enough. What has happened since my injury?" Legolas questioned.
"The orcs and other creatures have disappeared. We are discussing the next course of action." Lyran said tiredly, the conversation had not progressed in any direction since the dawn and tempers were beginning to fray.
"I will lead a scouting party and follow the orcs tracks back to their source." Legolas said moving towards the doors.
"There are scouts already out there Legolas." Thranduil said.
"What have they found?" Legolas demanded.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"There can't be nothing. They were not figments of our imaginations and therefore they must have come from somewhere. We are just not looking in the right places. I have sensed a darkness growing in my mind for many a day and I fear that this is only the beginning. We need to find the source of their attack."
"I agree with you Legolas but."
"But nothing father. I will take out a scout party and report back as soon as possible. Please" Legolas implored desperate to do something other than sit and discuss plans of action.
"Fine, be careful and be back before darkness." Thranduil said beseeching his son not to do anything foolish or rash.
Legolas nodded and hurried out.
"You are not fit enough to be patrolling." Balian said as he followed Legolas to the stables.
"I am fine. There are more important things than my bump on the head."
Legolas called for Voronwer to be brought out. Balian did the same for his horse.
"You are not coming." Legolas said sharply.
"I heard what your father said, a scouting party, one elf is not a party. I don't want you to think that you are going by yourself. This attack was not your fault and blaming yourself is stupid. I am coming with you whether you like it or not."
Legolas smiled at his friend's stubbornness as he climbed onto Voronwer. The two elves galloped across the cobbles and towards the place where they had been attacked.
*
The clearing was littered with signs of battle. Arrows both of elf and orc design had impacted the trees. Dead bodies of orcs still lay where they had fallen but the elf bodies had been carried away. Legolas moved Voronwer to the tree line where the orcs had first emerged. Jumping lightly down he gave his reins to Balian as he examined the ground. Heavy prints of the orcs were imprinted in the mud and were going in many directions. Frowning in concentration he took the reins back. Climbing aboard he turned to Balian.
"They look like they have come from the direction of Dol Guldur." He said as he nudged Voronwer onwards.
"What? Where are you going? We have to report this!" Balian cried after Legolas.
"We need more proof. You do not have to come with me."
"Gimli is right is to call you a stubborn pointed eared ass." Balian muttered as he followed.
The two galloped for what felt like hours until they reached the high ridge that overlooked Dol Guldur. Both elves dismounted and crept silently to the top. The sight that greeted them froze them.
"It is an army. How can we have missed a force this large amassing on our borders?" Balian whispered.
"There are no patrols this far south." Legolas said back.
"Why?" Balian said shocked.
"I do not know precisely. Silen recommended we concentrate on the eastern borders."
"Why?"
"Is that all you can say?"
"No."
"There were orc raids in the east. The south has been quite quiet for months. He said we should wipe out the orcs in the mountains to the east."
"That was a mistake. We do not have the forces to defend against an army this big. What are we going to do?"
Legolas ran lightly back down the ridge and moved to go round it.
"What are you doing?"
"I am going to get closer."
"No you are not." Balian said grabbing Legolas and pulling him to the ground.
"Let go!" Legolas hissed struggling.
"What has gotten into you? Do you want to get yourself killed?"
"No, we need to find out when they plan to attack."
"And what?! You are going to go up and ask them."
"No." Legolas went limp. "I don't know. That force is massive. We cannot hope to defend against this. I do not want to see us slaughtered. It reminds me of Helms deep and the innocent people who died defending it."
"We will not let it happen to us. They do not look fully prepared. I'd say we have at least a week to set up defences. We can call for aid. Aragorn will answer the call, as will Gimli and the other elven realms. We will not fight alone." Balian said with such assuredness that Legolas believed him.
"Let's report this." Legolas got back up and they made their way back to the horses.
Just as they reached them an arrow whizzed by Balian's head.
"Uruk Hai" Legolas cried as they took off pursued by a party of dark creatures.
**
**
The sunlight shone through the window and bathed the occupant of the bed in its warm rays. Balian shifted in his chair as he woke up. Legolas was still sleeping his face barely visible under the mass of covers, pillows and blonde hair. As Balian watched Legolas slowly awoke. First his hand twitched, and then he took a deep shuddering breath and sleepily blinked his eyes.
"Good morning." Balian said brightly. Legolas growled and tried to burrow further under the covers.
"Feeling better?"
Legolas pulled the covers down from his face and stretched.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"A few hours after dawn."
Legolas sat up.
"What has happened? Has Triyn's party been found? What about the orcs?"
"Calm yourself you know as much as I do, but considering we are still here and there are no orcs wondering around the palace I assume the attack was repelled."
"That is not good enough. There were other creatures. And orcs would not disappear. Find out what is going on while I get dressed."
Balian raised his eyebrows.
"If we were needed we would have been summoned."
Legolas threw back the covers and rose unsteadily to his feet, Balian moved to help him but was pushed away.
"They were my party under my leadership. I need to find out what killed them. They would not be unleashed for one attack and then disappear. We need to be prepared."
Balian nodded. His friend had always suffered extreme guilt if someone fell under his command.
"I will go but do not blame yourself. Many fell last night. None could have foreseen it."
Balian left and Legolas moved to have a quick wash and got dressed. He smoothed his hair secured his weapons and left, ignoring the dull throbbing in his head. Legolas walked straight to the war room where he knew his father and lords would be. Knocking, he entered. His father looked startled at his appearance.
"You should be resting my son." Thranduil said
"I have rested long enough. What has happened since my injury?" Legolas questioned.
"The orcs and other creatures have disappeared. We are discussing the next course of action." Lyran said tiredly, the conversation had not progressed in any direction since the dawn and tempers were beginning to fray.
"I will lead a scouting party and follow the orcs tracks back to their source." Legolas said moving towards the doors.
"There are scouts already out there Legolas." Thranduil said.
"What have they found?" Legolas demanded.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"There can't be nothing. They were not figments of our imaginations and therefore they must have come from somewhere. We are just not looking in the right places. I have sensed a darkness growing in my mind for many a day and I fear that this is only the beginning. We need to find the source of their attack."
"I agree with you Legolas but."
"But nothing father. I will take out a scout party and report back as soon as possible. Please" Legolas implored desperate to do something other than sit and discuss plans of action.
"Fine, be careful and be back before darkness." Thranduil said beseeching his son not to do anything foolish or rash.
Legolas nodded and hurried out.
"You are not fit enough to be patrolling." Balian said as he followed Legolas to the stables.
"I am fine. There are more important things than my bump on the head."
Legolas called for Voronwer to be brought out. Balian did the same for his horse.
"You are not coming." Legolas said sharply.
"I heard what your father said, a scouting party, one elf is not a party. I don't want you to think that you are going by yourself. This attack was not your fault and blaming yourself is stupid. I am coming with you whether you like it or not."
Legolas smiled at his friend's stubbornness as he climbed onto Voronwer. The two elves galloped across the cobbles and towards the place where they had been attacked.
*
The clearing was littered with signs of battle. Arrows both of elf and orc design had impacted the trees. Dead bodies of orcs still lay where they had fallen but the elf bodies had been carried away. Legolas moved Voronwer to the tree line where the orcs had first emerged. Jumping lightly down he gave his reins to Balian as he examined the ground. Heavy prints of the orcs were imprinted in the mud and were going in many directions. Frowning in concentration he took the reins back. Climbing aboard he turned to Balian.
"They look like they have come from the direction of Dol Guldur." He said as he nudged Voronwer onwards.
"What? Where are you going? We have to report this!" Balian cried after Legolas.
"We need more proof. You do not have to come with me."
"Gimli is right is to call you a stubborn pointed eared ass." Balian muttered as he followed.
The two galloped for what felt like hours until they reached the high ridge that overlooked Dol Guldur. Both elves dismounted and crept silently to the top. The sight that greeted them froze them.
"It is an army. How can we have missed a force this large amassing on our borders?" Balian whispered.
"There are no patrols this far south." Legolas said back.
"Why?" Balian said shocked.
"I do not know precisely. Silen recommended we concentrate on the eastern borders."
"Why?"
"Is that all you can say?"
"No."
"There were orc raids in the east. The south has been quite quiet for months. He said we should wipe out the orcs in the mountains to the east."
"That was a mistake. We do not have the forces to defend against an army this big. What are we going to do?"
Legolas ran lightly back down the ridge and moved to go round it.
"What are you doing?"
"I am going to get closer."
"No you are not." Balian said grabbing Legolas and pulling him to the ground.
"Let go!" Legolas hissed struggling.
"What has gotten into you? Do you want to get yourself killed?"
"No, we need to find out when they plan to attack."
"And what?! You are going to go up and ask them."
"No." Legolas went limp. "I don't know. That force is massive. We cannot hope to defend against this. I do not want to see us slaughtered. It reminds me of Helms deep and the innocent people who died defending it."
"We will not let it happen to us. They do not look fully prepared. I'd say we have at least a week to set up defences. We can call for aid. Aragorn will answer the call, as will Gimli and the other elven realms. We will not fight alone." Balian said with such assuredness that Legolas believed him.
"Let's report this." Legolas got back up and they made their way back to the horses.
Just as they reached them an arrow whizzed by Balian's head.
"Uruk Hai" Legolas cried as they took off pursued by a party of dark creatures.
**