I thought I'd be nice to all my wonderful readers (even the ones who don't review *glares*), and post a day early. That and I was bored out of my mind and had nothing better to do. So here you are. Chapter 6. Enjoy. And oh yeah, I apologize for the cliffhanger in the last chapter. *author scrolls to the bottom of the chapter* Yup, yup. And for the one here too.
To my beautiful reviewers:
LegolasLover2003: You stole my line! *grins* They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So… thank you! And yes, Legolas does need to get a hold of himself before something really bad happens. But just between you and me… Warning: Spoiler!!! Do not continue to read this comment if you do not wish to have the story spoiled! I would never kill off the twins. I love them too much. Other than Legolas they are my favorite. *hugs the twins*
silvertoekee: Is Legolas in his right mind? Umm… no. lol. And just FYI, I've already got the next three chapters after this written. I'm just not going to put them up yet. Aren't I mean? And once again, I apologize for the cliffie. But I do so love those. *grins*
MG87: Cruel? Torturous? Twisted? Awesome! *grins* And yes, I an counting down the days… hours… minutes as well. 59 days left!!!
Coolio02: Cliffies, yes. I do so love them. :)
ElvenRanger13: Please see to my updating schedule as stated in the author's note of chapter 3. *waits for you to look* Aren't I just so cruel? Mwahahaha!
Estel Elven Enchantress: Try saying your name three times fast. Trust me, it's not easy. :) And 'brilliant' you say? Why you flatter me. Thank you so much.
Katie: A cruel cruel person? I'm… I'm… flattered. Thank you! *grins maniacally*
" Memories of Ilithien "
Chapter 6 - Battle Cries
The sensation that had washed over Lindelen not long ago, filling his every being with deep sated emotions, fury, pain, fear, sorrow, had nearly overwhelmed him. For a moment he thought his mind, so congested with feelings, had collapsed, pulling him into a dangerous vortex of rage and grief. For a moment all he could see was red.
But then his eyes had cleared and all he could see was blue, but that was because he was on his back on the ground, staring at the evening sky, his faithful mare standing protectively by his side. He had quickly risen and remounted, but when he started riding again, his dear horse stretching to her utmost as he urged her on faster than before, he had changed directions. Instead of heading for the calm sanctuary of Imladris he made for the outlying woods, readying himself for what he might find. Because he had known then that the raging, red sensation had been from Legolas.
And now, he sped on foot towards the sounds of the battle, a small army of Noldor warriors racing behind him, his every thought on his brother.
*
Avarilas and Estel charged over a rise in the earth and, without so much as a seconds hesitation, raced towards the battle that raged in front of them, war cries sounding, blades drawn and ready for blood.
Across the field, from the woods, rose a matching cry.
~
Estel stood at the side of the clearing watching the older elves, his brother's included, practice their fighting techniques. In his small hands he held a wooden sword and shield, strapped to his back was a bow with no string and a quiver without any arrows.
He watched his eldest brother do a complicated spin with his sword, then swing the blade up 'killing' his foe, an elf named Runarei. Estel's eyes sparkled as Runarei held up his hand in surrender.
He looked down at his own sword and twisted it around, trying to mimic the move his brother had made. He saw a squirrel out of the corner of his eyes and, having had rather bad experiences with such creatures and now disliking them greatly, he decided to try the new move out on the unsuspecting critter.
He walked stealthily up behind it and spun his sword, almost just like his brother. But as he thrust it forwards towards the small animal another ran out from behind him, startling the boy, and he lost his footing and fell forward, landing on his sword. The squirrels darted off, disappearing into a tree. A small tear slipped from Estel's eye as sharp pain ran through his hand. He looked down to see a thin line of blood appear on his hand when an edge of the sword had cut the soft skin.
"Learning to fight so soon, my Hope?" The soft voice of his beloved nanny asked from behind him.
He turned to her and held up his hand, showing her the injury. "It hurts." He sniffed, wiping at the tear with his other hand. She knelt beside him and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. And as he was still young enough not to be ridiculed for such an act he hugged her back, resting his head on her shoulder for a moment.
"Let me see." She said as she sat him down in her lap. He held his hand up for her to insect, cuddling closer to her.
"What have we here?" Elladan asked as he and Elrohir stopped beside the pair. Estel looked up at them, then quickly turned his face away, burying it in Ilithien's shoulder, ashamed that he had been hurt while trying to perform what came so easily to his much older brothers.
"This, my dear Elladan, is a war wound." Ilithien said proudly, holding Estel's hand out for his brother's to see. Estel peaked his head out to look as well, curiosity winning over his embarrassment. "Our little Estel was fighting off a ferocious beast, protecting our home and very lives, and as he threw the blow that scared the evil creature off, another charged from the trees behind him and wounded him as he ran away in fright."
The twins exchanged a look, one that was missed by their small brother who was now staring in apt fascination at his 'war wound'.
"Well then," Elrohir said, kneeling beside the boy and placing a hand over his heart as Elladan did the same. "You have our deepest thanks, little brother." The small boy just grinned.
~
*
Elrond, sword still flashing, cutting away at twisted bodies, spilling more of the hideous black blood, though he had given up all hope of survival, heard both calls at the same moment. And, knowing them to be the help they so desperately needed, fought all the harder as the elven warriors rushed into the battle.
Out of the corner of his eye, as he slashed through another gruesome body, he saw to his horror the prince's aide and his youngest son enter the fight from across the field.
'Why not?' His mind sneered sarcastically as Estel threw himself into the battle with all the skill of an elf. But another orc came up behind him and he twirled, thrusting his sword through it's neck, his mind returning to the fight.
After what seemed like mere moments after the endless sense of hopelessness that had just passed the orcs screamed and fled, racing across the field and disappearing into the trees, leaving everything behind in their haste to get away from the fighting elves. Though four fighting elves were not enough to scare them, an entire company of them were.
As the orcs fled and his warriors chased after them, their blades still singing for the blood of the foul creatures, Elrond's eyes immediately searched out his sons. Elrohir was standing in the center of the fallen bodies, a haunted look in his large eyes as they dartingly searched through the carcasses for the other half of his very soul, fallen in the battle who knew how long ago.
Elrond's quick eyes told him that Estel was racing into the woods after… Legolas. He barely saw a flash of golden hair as the young prince disappeared into the large trunks. He was about to run after his youngest son when a despairing cry reminded him that he still had one more to find.
"Adar!" Elrohir's scream pierced through Elrond and he spun around, fearing what he would find.
In the midst of the stinking, warped bodies his middle child sat on the ground, cradling the limp head of his twin in his lap. He looked up into his father's eyes, his own eyes filled with tears that were streaming down his thin, pale face, desperate for his father to come make it better like he had done when they were small.
Elrond cast one last glance at the forest, his youngest child no longer visible in the dense wood, then raced to Elrohir's side. It pained him greatly to leave Estel on his own, but he knew, the knowledge a sour ball in the pit of his stomach, that if he lost Elladan, he would lose Elrohir as well.
He reached a shaking hand out to his oldest child and felt for a pulse.
*
Legolas had heard the orcs scream in terror and, looking up, finally realized that he was not alone. In fact, he was now almost surrounded by fighting elves. But when the foul beasts started to flee his mind returned to it's hidden place of rage and he raced after them into the forest, his hunger for their blood still running strong.
He followed them, cutting at their cowardly, retreating backs, felling them as he ran. Their ranks split and scattered around the forest and he followed after the largest group, keeping careful thought as to where the others went so he could track them and slay them later.
One of the orcs in front of him hissed and spun around, aiming a crossbow at his chest. The bow twanged it's release and Legolas leapt from the ground, jumping into the familiar canopy of the trees, laughing a sadistic laugh as the arrow embedded harmlessly in a tree truck and he started to chase after them from the air.
His first instinct was to pull his own bow from his back and shoot back at them as he ran safely from tree to tree, but he forced himself not to, knowing that the only thing that could sate his hunger was to feel their flesh dying beneath his hands.
At the first opportunity he leapt from the tree into the center of the fleeing orcs, taking down two of their number with the initial blow of his landing and automatically spinning one knife, it's twin lost in the field, buried beneath the slain orcs, flashing silver and black in the dim light. He killed two more with the first spin, another on the return swing.
The orcs, their numbers dwindling by the moment, screamed in terror and tried to run, tried to escape the raging insanity of the elf, but his fury gave him unnatural speed. He took down the final three, a pleasure filling his very soul as they screamed their last breath, their blood spilling onto his hands. But the feeling quickly faded again, leaving him yearning for more.
His own blood boiled as his feet pounded back towards the others.
*
The fight had lasted only minutes after Estel and Avarilas had reached the battle. For at the same time they had, so had a host of the warriors that had gone with his father and brothers. He had no time to wonder why they were not already there.
Estel has quickly dispatched of the first orc that attacked him and then nimbly made his way towards the prince of Mirkwood, dodging crude scimitars and delicate yet deadly elven blades as he kept the golden hair in his sight.
When he reached the prince he was both surprised and confused to find that this was not the elf he searched for. Though this elf also wore the insignia of the royal house of Mirkwood, and though he bore a startling resemblance to the house's youngest son, this was not Legolas.
He also had no time to think about this as an orc grabbed him from behind and tried to pull him down. He spun out of the hold and turned, sword out, spinning with him, killing the creature in one smooth movement. Then the orcs howled in anger and… fear, and they started to retreat towards the woods.
That's when Estel had seen the only other golden head in all the battle, charging full force into the dark forest, felling orcs even as Estel watched. The young human automatically went after the prince.
And now he was surrounded by the shadowy forest, tree branches snapping at his face as he chased down the retreating orcs and searched for the prince at the same time. And even with all the tracking skills he had learned he found the prince, quite literally, by running into him.
The prince of Mirkwood had been racing through the dense trees, his footfalls silent, and had not seen or heard the young human until he had gracelessly fallen into a heap on the forest floor, entangled in the boy's limbs.
"Get off me, human," The prince hissed as he shoved Estel off him with a careless thrust. "Or I might be tempted to 'accidentally' gut you in the dark."
"My prince, please." Estel begged, rising with the elf and racing after him as he ran off yet again. "This is madness. You have done all you can, now let the others take care of the rest. Come back to Imladris with me."
Legolas spun around and grabbed Estel by the throat, nearly pulling him off his feet. "I will not rest until I have slain every last one of the abominable creatures that destroyed Ilithien. And if you get in my way again, I will count you as an unavoidable casualty."
He released Estel, the human staggering back a few steps as the grip around his throat fell away. The rage in the elf's eyes had terrified him. But he knew not what to do as the elf once again took off into the woods.
To leave him in this state may prove fatal, for Estel had seen, even in the dim light, that there was more than just the black of orc blood staining the prince's clothes. The stubborn elf did not even notice his own injuries, so intent was he on destroying that which he could not even touch.
But Estel also knew that to follow him may prove fatal to himself. 'You did all you could.' He told himself as he turned to find his way out of the forest. 'The prince knows of his own danger. If he dies now it is his own fault.'
And Estel mostly believed that.
To Be Continued…
Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow. A review here and there would take away much of the pain.
Until next time!
Adrienne