~ Chapter Two: Finding Help ~
At that, a half dozen orcs bursted through the surrounding trees.
"Aye, found them we have!" cried one.
"Now we do as master tells us and kills 'em!" said another.
They flew at them. Legolas bolted into action, cutting one above the stomach, creating a wide bloody gap, and punching another to the ground. He whirled around and brought out his bow and an arrow, taking down in a second an orc about to slice down Pippin.
"Be more careful!" he yelled towards Pippin. Pippin nodded and stabbed another orc with his dagger. Legolas quickly let out a sting of arrows, taking down nearly half of the orcs trying to kill them. Aragorn slayed yet another orc, then yelled for them to take ride.
Legolas jumped astride his horse, pulling Gimli up behind him. The steed that he had won from Menx was being used by three of the hobbits, while Frodo rode behind Gandalf. They had packed up camp and were ready to ride. Legolas turned his horse around to face Aragorn, who had Menx sitting behind him, and kicked an orc in the head on his way by.
"Which direction do they come from?"
"The south," replied Aragorn, "We ride north, like planned. HYA!!"
Aragorn kick his horse into action. They were on their way, with the wind in their hair and the ground flying beneath them.
~ * ~
The orc limped into camp. He cringed at the growls coming from his peers. He was terrified, but knew he had to go when called upon. He limped up to the main tent, and asked for entrance. The flap pulled open, and he was yanked inside.
"Well? Is it done?"
"No, master," cringed the orc, "they defeated us swiftly."
"You fools," said Hydan, master of these orcs, "He shall not be happy with you, so we must put you to punishment."
"NO! Please, master, NO!!!"
"Take the fool away," Hayden growled, "he's no longer of any use around us or this camp."
Hayden listened to the screams of the orc as it was dragged away. He heard the slice of his throat, his screams cut short, and the drop as his body hit the floor. An evil grin shadowed itself upon Hayden's face. He enjoyed killing very much. He stood up and stomped outside, facing the seven hundred and half orcs he had brought with him.
"Stand up!" he cried across the camp, "WE RIDE!!!"
The orcs flew into action, packing up their camp and strapping up their packs, and were ready to run.
~ * ~
"I wonder what master those orcs told about?"
"I've no idea, Legolas, but he is a dangerous foe, it appears. I saw their camp on the way back to ours, and there are seven hundred at the least."
"Aragorn, can we defeat that many?"
"Why would we have to face them?"
"Aragorn, that many orcs congregated in one place is never a good thing. Whatever they are up to, we must stop them!"
"I agree, but we cannot possibly defeat seven hundred orcs, we will surely die!"
"But we should at least try."
"I think so, too," said Frodo, "can't we get help?"
"From who, Frodo?" asked Aragorn, "we have no friends in these parts, no one would be willing to help."
"I have elven family here," said Menx, "we could ask them."
Aragorn sighed.
"Fine, lead us to them."
They jumped upon their horses, and with Menx leading the way, rode through the woods. They rode half the day. When Menx slowed down, Legolas pulled up beside them.
"What are you doing? This is no home of elves."
"Yes, it is," she said, sliding off the horse, "you just need to look closer. Not everything is as it seems."
She walked over to a great stone in the middle of the meadow they were in. She put her hand upon it, and slid through, disappearing from their sight. Gimli muttered, "Elven majick, amazing how they can do such things."
Legolas laughed.
"Yes, I've heard of these. They live in an underground lair, far from the sight of friends and enemies. I hear they're great kingdoms."
Soon Menx walked back out of the stone, and had two new people with her. An older elf, looking wise in his years, but stood erect. The other was another woman elf, warrior it seemed, for she wore the armor of a soldier, with a large sword on her hip and a smooth bow on her back.
"Friends, this is my uncle, Ryuwand Tullhand, he is the head of this city council," said Menx, gesturing to the older elf, "and this is head guard, Vedantalla Oldenmed."
The two elves bowed, and the group bowed back.
"What is your business here?" asked Vedantalla.
"We come asking for help," said Aragorn.
"What help is it you need?" asked Ryuwand.
"There are seven hundred and more orc heading this way," said Menx, "and we must stop them. Can you help? For we are only nine against so many."
"We wish we could," Vedantalla replied, "but we do not meddle in affairs that are not our own."
"Vedantalla, do you think it will not be your own if you do not stop it?"
"What?"
"Consider this: we do not know what they are after. Do you not think that they could be coming here for the item?"
A look of surprise crossed both the elves faces.
"How do you know of such a thing?" asked Ryuwand.
"Father told me, years back."
"That fool," said Ryuwand, a look of annoyance on his face, "How could he have been so stupid to tell you? He has put not only you but our entire kingdom in danger!"
"Father was not a fool!" cried Menx.
"Maybe not, but he was when he told you!"
"Calm down," said Aragorn, stepping forward, "What item is this?"
"It's not of your concern, and all you need to know is that if it is put into the hands of the wrong people it will destroy all of Middle Earth."
Gandalf looked at his group, then back at Ryuwand.
"Will you help us?" he asked.
Ryuwand turned to Vedantalla, and they began to whisper to each other. After a few moments, they returned. Vedantalla faced Aragorn.
"We shall help you, but only if you promise to help us in return."
"What is it you need from us?"
"There is a creature in our lower city, eating our cattle. Can you help us kill it?"
"Yes," said Aragorn, and ushered to Gimli and Legolas, who stepped up next to him, "Gimli, Legolas, and I shall help you."
~ * ~
"Merlin's beard, Aragorn, what have you gotten us into?!?!"
Aragorn took another swing with his sword at the giant creature. It was very large indeed, and that's why it couldn't go any higher than the lower kingdom: it couldn't fit.
Legolas was shooting arrows at it, hundreds. It hurt it, but would not bring it down. Aragorn was stabbing and jabbing it with his sword, while Gimli swung his axe at it. Its scaly skin was thick. Its red eyes looked around savagely. One of its feet knocked Gimli off his feet.
"Damned beast," he said, getting back up. There was a flash of light and the creature fell. Gandalf walked to the three of them.
"Why didn't you just ask me for help?" he asked, a grin on his face.
"We don't need none of your majick, wizard," said Gimli, "we could of done it by ourselves."
"Be quiet," said Aragorn, sweat dripping off his brow, "it would have killed you if not for Gandalf here."
The three of them headed back up to the doorway where everyone was waiting for them. Ryuwand took Aragorn's hand and shook it vigorously.
"Thank you, oh so much," he said, smiling, "we've been trying to kill that beast for a month."
"It was only an earth demon," said Gandalf, "and a small one at that."
"Small?" asked Gimli, "you call that one small?"
"Would you like to see a full grown earth demon?"
Gimli thought this a moment, then shook his head. Gandalf laughed.
"So, what about the orcs?" asked Menx.
"We have patrols out, looking for them," said Vedantalla, "They will report back to me with any information they have."
"Good," said Gandalf.
"To dinner, then," said Ryuwand.
They led them to a building. As they walked down the hall, the hobbits and the dwarf looked around in awe. They were walking down a splendid area. There were beautiful paintings of elves and other creatures, hanging on the walls. The walls themselves were made of gold. The floor they were walking on was crystal glass. When they walked into the dining hall, the hobbits gasped. They were in heaven.
The tables were heaped with food. There were already hundreds of elves in here, eating and socializing. The hobbits ran to the tables, grabbed plates and starting filling their plates full. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf laughed. The hobbits must have been famished.
"I'm famished!" cried Pippin, almost as if reading their minds. They headed over themselves and began gathering food. They all sat down and began to eat.
"I haven't eaten this good since I left my father's kingdom," said Legolas, his mouth full of potatoes.
Gimli took a gigantic bite of a ham leg, and sighed.
"Oh, how this reminds me of my home. They made mighty good meat there."
"Yes, I've heard," said Aragorn.
"I've missed being here," said Menx, "this is where I was born and raised. I left home to make it on my own, oh, say, one hundred and twenty something years ago. I'd come and visit every once in a while, but it's been about ten and a half years since I've been here. It's good to be back."
"Yes, Menx," said Ryuwand, walking up behind them, "we've missed you."
Menx smiled and hugged her uncle.
"THEY'RE COMING!!!!!!"
A half dozen elves came running into the hall. They stopped in front of Vedantalla. After a moment of hurried conversation, Vedantalla cried out the alarm.
"SOLDIERS!!! UP AND ARM!!! WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!! GATHER YOUR WEAPONS AND HEAD TO THE MAIN GATE!!!!"
At that, a half dozen orcs bursted through the surrounding trees.
"Aye, found them we have!" cried one.
"Now we do as master tells us and kills 'em!" said another.
They flew at them. Legolas bolted into action, cutting one above the stomach, creating a wide bloody gap, and punching another to the ground. He whirled around and brought out his bow and an arrow, taking down in a second an orc about to slice down Pippin.
"Be more careful!" he yelled towards Pippin. Pippin nodded and stabbed another orc with his dagger. Legolas quickly let out a sting of arrows, taking down nearly half of the orcs trying to kill them. Aragorn slayed yet another orc, then yelled for them to take ride.
Legolas jumped astride his horse, pulling Gimli up behind him. The steed that he had won from Menx was being used by three of the hobbits, while Frodo rode behind Gandalf. They had packed up camp and were ready to ride. Legolas turned his horse around to face Aragorn, who had Menx sitting behind him, and kicked an orc in the head on his way by.
"Which direction do they come from?"
"The south," replied Aragorn, "We ride north, like planned. HYA!!"
Aragorn kick his horse into action. They were on their way, with the wind in their hair and the ground flying beneath them.
~ * ~
The orc limped into camp. He cringed at the growls coming from his peers. He was terrified, but knew he had to go when called upon. He limped up to the main tent, and asked for entrance. The flap pulled open, and he was yanked inside.
"Well? Is it done?"
"No, master," cringed the orc, "they defeated us swiftly."
"You fools," said Hydan, master of these orcs, "He shall not be happy with you, so we must put you to punishment."
"NO! Please, master, NO!!!"
"Take the fool away," Hayden growled, "he's no longer of any use around us or this camp."
Hayden listened to the screams of the orc as it was dragged away. He heard the slice of his throat, his screams cut short, and the drop as his body hit the floor. An evil grin shadowed itself upon Hayden's face. He enjoyed killing very much. He stood up and stomped outside, facing the seven hundred and half orcs he had brought with him.
"Stand up!" he cried across the camp, "WE RIDE!!!"
The orcs flew into action, packing up their camp and strapping up their packs, and were ready to run.
~ * ~
"I wonder what master those orcs told about?"
"I've no idea, Legolas, but he is a dangerous foe, it appears. I saw their camp on the way back to ours, and there are seven hundred at the least."
"Aragorn, can we defeat that many?"
"Why would we have to face them?"
"Aragorn, that many orcs congregated in one place is never a good thing. Whatever they are up to, we must stop them!"
"I agree, but we cannot possibly defeat seven hundred orcs, we will surely die!"
"But we should at least try."
"I think so, too," said Frodo, "can't we get help?"
"From who, Frodo?" asked Aragorn, "we have no friends in these parts, no one would be willing to help."
"I have elven family here," said Menx, "we could ask them."
Aragorn sighed.
"Fine, lead us to them."
They jumped upon their horses, and with Menx leading the way, rode through the woods. They rode half the day. When Menx slowed down, Legolas pulled up beside them.
"What are you doing? This is no home of elves."
"Yes, it is," she said, sliding off the horse, "you just need to look closer. Not everything is as it seems."
She walked over to a great stone in the middle of the meadow they were in. She put her hand upon it, and slid through, disappearing from their sight. Gimli muttered, "Elven majick, amazing how they can do such things."
Legolas laughed.
"Yes, I've heard of these. They live in an underground lair, far from the sight of friends and enemies. I hear they're great kingdoms."
Soon Menx walked back out of the stone, and had two new people with her. An older elf, looking wise in his years, but stood erect. The other was another woman elf, warrior it seemed, for she wore the armor of a soldier, with a large sword on her hip and a smooth bow on her back.
"Friends, this is my uncle, Ryuwand Tullhand, he is the head of this city council," said Menx, gesturing to the older elf, "and this is head guard, Vedantalla Oldenmed."
The two elves bowed, and the group bowed back.
"What is your business here?" asked Vedantalla.
"We come asking for help," said Aragorn.
"What help is it you need?" asked Ryuwand.
"There are seven hundred and more orc heading this way," said Menx, "and we must stop them. Can you help? For we are only nine against so many."
"We wish we could," Vedantalla replied, "but we do not meddle in affairs that are not our own."
"Vedantalla, do you think it will not be your own if you do not stop it?"
"What?"
"Consider this: we do not know what they are after. Do you not think that they could be coming here for the item?"
A look of surprise crossed both the elves faces.
"How do you know of such a thing?" asked Ryuwand.
"Father told me, years back."
"That fool," said Ryuwand, a look of annoyance on his face, "How could he have been so stupid to tell you? He has put not only you but our entire kingdom in danger!"
"Father was not a fool!" cried Menx.
"Maybe not, but he was when he told you!"
"Calm down," said Aragorn, stepping forward, "What item is this?"
"It's not of your concern, and all you need to know is that if it is put into the hands of the wrong people it will destroy all of Middle Earth."
Gandalf looked at his group, then back at Ryuwand.
"Will you help us?" he asked.
Ryuwand turned to Vedantalla, and they began to whisper to each other. After a few moments, they returned. Vedantalla faced Aragorn.
"We shall help you, but only if you promise to help us in return."
"What is it you need from us?"
"There is a creature in our lower city, eating our cattle. Can you help us kill it?"
"Yes," said Aragorn, and ushered to Gimli and Legolas, who stepped up next to him, "Gimli, Legolas, and I shall help you."
~ * ~
"Merlin's beard, Aragorn, what have you gotten us into?!?!"
Aragorn took another swing with his sword at the giant creature. It was very large indeed, and that's why it couldn't go any higher than the lower kingdom: it couldn't fit.
Legolas was shooting arrows at it, hundreds. It hurt it, but would not bring it down. Aragorn was stabbing and jabbing it with his sword, while Gimli swung his axe at it. Its scaly skin was thick. Its red eyes looked around savagely. One of its feet knocked Gimli off his feet.
"Damned beast," he said, getting back up. There was a flash of light and the creature fell. Gandalf walked to the three of them.
"Why didn't you just ask me for help?" he asked, a grin on his face.
"We don't need none of your majick, wizard," said Gimli, "we could of done it by ourselves."
"Be quiet," said Aragorn, sweat dripping off his brow, "it would have killed you if not for Gandalf here."
The three of them headed back up to the doorway where everyone was waiting for them. Ryuwand took Aragorn's hand and shook it vigorously.
"Thank you, oh so much," he said, smiling, "we've been trying to kill that beast for a month."
"It was only an earth demon," said Gandalf, "and a small one at that."
"Small?" asked Gimli, "you call that one small?"
"Would you like to see a full grown earth demon?"
Gimli thought this a moment, then shook his head. Gandalf laughed.
"So, what about the orcs?" asked Menx.
"We have patrols out, looking for them," said Vedantalla, "They will report back to me with any information they have."
"Good," said Gandalf.
"To dinner, then," said Ryuwand.
They led them to a building. As they walked down the hall, the hobbits and the dwarf looked around in awe. They were walking down a splendid area. There were beautiful paintings of elves and other creatures, hanging on the walls. The walls themselves were made of gold. The floor they were walking on was crystal glass. When they walked into the dining hall, the hobbits gasped. They were in heaven.
The tables were heaped with food. There were already hundreds of elves in here, eating and socializing. The hobbits ran to the tables, grabbed plates and starting filling their plates full. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf laughed. The hobbits must have been famished.
"I'm famished!" cried Pippin, almost as if reading their minds. They headed over themselves and began gathering food. They all sat down and began to eat.
"I haven't eaten this good since I left my father's kingdom," said Legolas, his mouth full of potatoes.
Gimli took a gigantic bite of a ham leg, and sighed.
"Oh, how this reminds me of my home. They made mighty good meat there."
"Yes, I've heard," said Aragorn.
"I've missed being here," said Menx, "this is where I was born and raised. I left home to make it on my own, oh, say, one hundred and twenty something years ago. I'd come and visit every once in a while, but it's been about ten and a half years since I've been here. It's good to be back."
"Yes, Menx," said Ryuwand, walking up behind them, "we've missed you."
Menx smiled and hugged her uncle.
"THEY'RE COMING!!!!!!"
A half dozen elves came running into the hall. They stopped in front of Vedantalla. After a moment of hurried conversation, Vedantalla cried out the alarm.
"SOLDIERS!!! UP AND ARM!!! WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!! GATHER YOUR WEAPONS AND HEAD TO THE MAIN GATE!!!!"