Legolas Greenleaf: Agent of MESS
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Disclaimer: Legolas Greenleaf and associated characters belong to JRR Tolkien. Legolas' appearance belongs to Orlando Bloom in a wig. The James Bond concept was created, or at least best used by Ian Fleming. A few odd characters and moments belong elsewhere.
Author's Notes: I'll apologise in advance for the "knife work" joke. I've been wanting to use it ever since I read that line in Two Towers. And I've borrowed random information from Outsiders #3. Who says you never learn anything from comics?
This is the penultimate chapter, ladies and gentlemen. That's right, the end is in sight. Next week, to be precise. But, well, it might not be quite so much of an end as you might think. You'll just have to wait and see.
Damn it, Jackson! You put Saruman back in the film, boy! He can kick arse with the best of them (see later in this chapter). Christopher Lee's going to get you, you know. He didn't play all those evil parts for nothing. . .
Reviewer replies: Shadowfax: Glad you think it's great. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't allow me to get the time to type up two chapters a week.
Idlewild: Almost Dr No-ish? Hey, you read my mind. That's exactly what I had in mind. You might notice another nice Bond quote in this chapter that I've 'borrowed'.
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Chapter 11. A Watery Grave
They ran down the twisted stairway after leaving the room. Gríma's dead body had watched them balefully as they found their weapons, floating in the tank and turning as the fish bit at his remains. Aragorn had given the ex-advisor a cheery little wave as he went out the door. There was, predictably, no response.
The stairs were narrow and worn, making them awkward at a fast pace. Any slip would quickly result in a painful and ignominious fall. Greenleaf, as an Elf, was surefooted, never missing a step, while Aragorn found himself dropping behind. They passed the door to the cells, barely noticing that it was empty and silent. Their feet carried them down and down in dizzying spirals. Aragorn had almost lost sight of Greenleaf around the curve of the tower when he saw the Elf stop. He came up behind him.
"This is the limits of the silencing spell," Greenleaf told him, "it's very noisy beyond this point. Be prepared for it."
He walked forward, and Aragorn followed. The noise hit his ears solidly, catching him by surprise despite the warning. They both stopped, Greenleaf leaning momentarily against the wall. Looking at his companion's pointed ears, Aragorn wondered if it affected him more. Elven hearing was known for being sensitive. And the wounds on his back -which Aragorn could see well, being behind him- appeared to be wearying the Elf to an extent.
"Come on," Greenleaf said, standing straight again. He started the descent, giving no outward signs of pain or fatigue as he ran. Aragorn followed.
It wasn't long before they reached the place where the cavern opened out in front of them. Aragorn had had some idea of what to expect, but he hadn't imagined anything on such a huge scale. The pair concealed themselves in the shadows, watching Saruman addressing his ranks of orcs. The wizard stood not far down from them.
"Edoras will fall!" he shouted. "You shall raze it to the ground! The people shall die beneath your blades!" The orcs all roared their approval, discordant shouts tearing from their harsh mouths. "Tonight," Saruman continued, shaking his fist, "you shall taste man-flesh!"
The roar grew louder. Aragorn hoped that he and Greenleaf were concealed enough. He knew he was; his stealth cloak hid him, but looking over, he could see Greenleaf's pale skin against the rock, marked against the back. Though orcs usually were not known for their eyesight; years of living in dark caves had done that.
"Now go!" Saruman went on. "Form your ranks and march to fight!" The roar became deafening.
"Aragorn," Greenleaf whispered, suddenly appearing beside the man, "we must jump Saruman as he comes up the stairs."
"What about the orcs?" Aragorn asked. "There are far too many for us to fight alone, even with Eomer's help, but we cannot allow them to attack Edoras."
Greenleaf looked up, to where the sky was visible through the hole in the cavern roof. "We must hope that Eowyn does what I told her."
"Which was?" Aragorn asked, but received no answer. Instead, he got Greenleaf's bow and quiver thrust into his hands. "What?"
"You'll need to keep off any orcs," the Elf told him, helping him to strap the quiver on, "it'll be a close-quarter fight with Saruman. That means knife work."
"Knife work if you can get it," Aragorn quipped.
Greenleaf smiled. "You're getting there, Man. Soon have you making off-hand remarks like a pro."
They were interrupted by the ascent of Saruman up the stairs. Greenleaf leapt straight at him, knife in one hand, and landed hard against the wizard. They fell back down the stairs, bumping across the stair edges, stopping at the platform from where Saruman had addressed his army. Greenleaf pressed his knife to Saruman's throat.
"Give me the ring," he growled.
"Never!" Saruman spat, throwing the Elf off him.
Greenleaf sprawled to the floor, but regained his feet almost immediately. He faced Saruman warily.
"Where's Gríma?" the wizard asked, not sounding particularly concerned.
"He disagreed with something that ate him," Greenleaf said with a grin.
"I thought we said no more jokes on that," Aragorn cut in from behind him. He had by this time made his way down the stairs.
"Too good to resist," Greenleaf replied. He continued eyeing his opponent.
"You can't win, Prince Greenleaf," Saruman said, frowning deeply.
"Oh, don't start that again," Greenleaf told him, "I've had enough of megalomaniac ego-powered rants fro today."
"I-," Saruman began, but stopped as a loud, deep sound became heard in the cavern. It was a fast, rushing sound, growing louder by the second. "What?" Saruman asked.
Greenleaf only smiled as water began cascading over the lip of the hole in the roof. It poured down, creating great plumes of steam where it hit the furnaces. The orcs scattered, any form of order they were in sent into disorganisation. The amount of water was huge, soon covering the rocky floor and rising steadily.
"What have you done?" Saruman asked, aghast.
"Blown the dam," Greenleaf answered with a satisfied smirk, "handy stuff that blasting powder of yours."
"Damn you!" the wizard hissed. "I have been working on this for years!"
"Evil never pays," Greenleaf chided him mockingly.
Down below, the waters continued to rise. Orcs splashed around, frantically attempting to save themselves. But due to their high muscle density and low body fat, it was near impossible for them to swim. Their weighty armour and weapons only dragged them down further. Saruman glanced at them, only to see his army drowning.
Greenleaf saw and took advantage of this. He rushed the wizard, grabbing his staff arm and pushing it away. He held Saruman against the low wall at the edge of the platform, reaching towards the white robes. They struggled together, matching strength for strength. Saruman braced his legs apart, pushing his lower body into the wall to keep his balance. With a quick move, he got the end of his long staff behind Greenleaf's knees and yanked. Taken by surprise, the Elf stumbled, giving Saruman time to heave him over the wall. Aragorn saw, but was too involved with felling the orcs who had made it up the stairs, using Greenleaf's bow and arrows.
Greenleaf fell, but still managing to reach up. He grasped Saruman's arm, heaving him over the precipice after him. They dropped together, each trying to get the other. Greenleaf hit the water awkwardly, wrenching his leg and submerging beneath the disturbed surface. He resurfaced later, gasping for breath. Saruman was beside him, waiting. As soon as the Elf's head broke water, hair over his face, the wizard pulled him back under, barely giving him chance for a breath. He dragged Greenleaf down deeper, then turned on him with his fists, trying to knock what little wind was left out of him.
The blows were punishing, but Greenleaf gave as good as he got. He knocked the staff from Saruman's hand, allowing it to sink to the bottom. His knife flashed in his slender hand, heading like a shark for Saruman. The wizard went for the hand, trying to force it away. Both had equal determination though, and the struggle threatened to go on until both were out of air. Feeling his head start to spin, Greenleaf gave a huge effort. The knife slashed across Saruman's throat, sending forth a great bloom of red blood. Air bubbled out of the slit windpipe. The wizard went limp. Greenleaf wasted no time in finding the box in the billowing robes, and tucking it into his own breeches. He dropped the body; it floated slowly down as his vision began to black around the edges.
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:::::::::::::::::::
Disclaimer: Legolas Greenleaf and associated characters belong to JRR Tolkien. Legolas' appearance belongs to Orlando Bloom in a wig. The James Bond concept was created, or at least best used by Ian Fleming. A few odd characters and moments belong elsewhere.
Author's Notes: I'll apologise in advance for the "knife work" joke. I've been wanting to use it ever since I read that line in Two Towers. And I've borrowed random information from Outsiders #3. Who says you never learn anything from comics?
This is the penultimate chapter, ladies and gentlemen. That's right, the end is in sight. Next week, to be precise. But, well, it might not be quite so much of an end as you might think. You'll just have to wait and see.
Damn it, Jackson! You put Saruman back in the film, boy! He can kick arse with the best of them (see later in this chapter). Christopher Lee's going to get you, you know. He didn't play all those evil parts for nothing. . .
Reviewer replies: Shadowfax: Glad you think it's great. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't allow me to get the time to type up two chapters a week.
Idlewild: Almost Dr No-ish? Hey, you read my mind. That's exactly what I had in mind. You might notice another nice Bond quote in this chapter that I've 'borrowed'.
:::::::::::::::::::
Chapter 11. A Watery Grave
They ran down the twisted stairway after leaving the room. Gríma's dead body had watched them balefully as they found their weapons, floating in the tank and turning as the fish bit at his remains. Aragorn had given the ex-advisor a cheery little wave as he went out the door. There was, predictably, no response.
The stairs were narrow and worn, making them awkward at a fast pace. Any slip would quickly result in a painful and ignominious fall. Greenleaf, as an Elf, was surefooted, never missing a step, while Aragorn found himself dropping behind. They passed the door to the cells, barely noticing that it was empty and silent. Their feet carried them down and down in dizzying spirals. Aragorn had almost lost sight of Greenleaf around the curve of the tower when he saw the Elf stop. He came up behind him.
"This is the limits of the silencing spell," Greenleaf told him, "it's very noisy beyond this point. Be prepared for it."
He walked forward, and Aragorn followed. The noise hit his ears solidly, catching him by surprise despite the warning. They both stopped, Greenleaf leaning momentarily against the wall. Looking at his companion's pointed ears, Aragorn wondered if it affected him more. Elven hearing was known for being sensitive. And the wounds on his back -which Aragorn could see well, being behind him- appeared to be wearying the Elf to an extent.
"Come on," Greenleaf said, standing straight again. He started the descent, giving no outward signs of pain or fatigue as he ran. Aragorn followed.
It wasn't long before they reached the place where the cavern opened out in front of them. Aragorn had had some idea of what to expect, but he hadn't imagined anything on such a huge scale. The pair concealed themselves in the shadows, watching Saruman addressing his ranks of orcs. The wizard stood not far down from them.
"Edoras will fall!" he shouted. "You shall raze it to the ground! The people shall die beneath your blades!" The orcs all roared their approval, discordant shouts tearing from their harsh mouths. "Tonight," Saruman continued, shaking his fist, "you shall taste man-flesh!"
The roar grew louder. Aragorn hoped that he and Greenleaf were concealed enough. He knew he was; his stealth cloak hid him, but looking over, he could see Greenleaf's pale skin against the rock, marked against the back. Though orcs usually were not known for their eyesight; years of living in dark caves had done that.
"Now go!" Saruman went on. "Form your ranks and march to fight!" The roar became deafening.
"Aragorn," Greenleaf whispered, suddenly appearing beside the man, "we must jump Saruman as he comes up the stairs."
"What about the orcs?" Aragorn asked. "There are far too many for us to fight alone, even with Eomer's help, but we cannot allow them to attack Edoras."
Greenleaf looked up, to where the sky was visible through the hole in the cavern roof. "We must hope that Eowyn does what I told her."
"Which was?" Aragorn asked, but received no answer. Instead, he got Greenleaf's bow and quiver thrust into his hands. "What?"
"You'll need to keep off any orcs," the Elf told him, helping him to strap the quiver on, "it'll be a close-quarter fight with Saruman. That means knife work."
"Knife work if you can get it," Aragorn quipped.
Greenleaf smiled. "You're getting there, Man. Soon have you making off-hand remarks like a pro."
They were interrupted by the ascent of Saruman up the stairs. Greenleaf leapt straight at him, knife in one hand, and landed hard against the wizard. They fell back down the stairs, bumping across the stair edges, stopping at the platform from where Saruman had addressed his army. Greenleaf pressed his knife to Saruman's throat.
"Give me the ring," he growled.
"Never!" Saruman spat, throwing the Elf off him.
Greenleaf sprawled to the floor, but regained his feet almost immediately. He faced Saruman warily.
"Where's Gríma?" the wizard asked, not sounding particularly concerned.
"He disagreed with something that ate him," Greenleaf said with a grin.
"I thought we said no more jokes on that," Aragorn cut in from behind him. He had by this time made his way down the stairs.
"Too good to resist," Greenleaf replied. He continued eyeing his opponent.
"You can't win, Prince Greenleaf," Saruman said, frowning deeply.
"Oh, don't start that again," Greenleaf told him, "I've had enough of megalomaniac ego-powered rants fro today."
"I-," Saruman began, but stopped as a loud, deep sound became heard in the cavern. It was a fast, rushing sound, growing louder by the second. "What?" Saruman asked.
Greenleaf only smiled as water began cascading over the lip of the hole in the roof. It poured down, creating great plumes of steam where it hit the furnaces. The orcs scattered, any form of order they were in sent into disorganisation. The amount of water was huge, soon covering the rocky floor and rising steadily.
"What have you done?" Saruman asked, aghast.
"Blown the dam," Greenleaf answered with a satisfied smirk, "handy stuff that blasting powder of yours."
"Damn you!" the wizard hissed. "I have been working on this for years!"
"Evil never pays," Greenleaf chided him mockingly.
Down below, the waters continued to rise. Orcs splashed around, frantically attempting to save themselves. But due to their high muscle density and low body fat, it was near impossible for them to swim. Their weighty armour and weapons only dragged them down further. Saruman glanced at them, only to see his army drowning.
Greenleaf saw and took advantage of this. He rushed the wizard, grabbing his staff arm and pushing it away. He held Saruman against the low wall at the edge of the platform, reaching towards the white robes. They struggled together, matching strength for strength. Saruman braced his legs apart, pushing his lower body into the wall to keep his balance. With a quick move, he got the end of his long staff behind Greenleaf's knees and yanked. Taken by surprise, the Elf stumbled, giving Saruman time to heave him over the wall. Aragorn saw, but was too involved with felling the orcs who had made it up the stairs, using Greenleaf's bow and arrows.
Greenleaf fell, but still managing to reach up. He grasped Saruman's arm, heaving him over the precipice after him. They dropped together, each trying to get the other. Greenleaf hit the water awkwardly, wrenching his leg and submerging beneath the disturbed surface. He resurfaced later, gasping for breath. Saruman was beside him, waiting. As soon as the Elf's head broke water, hair over his face, the wizard pulled him back under, barely giving him chance for a breath. He dragged Greenleaf down deeper, then turned on him with his fists, trying to knock what little wind was left out of him.
The blows were punishing, but Greenleaf gave as good as he got. He knocked the staff from Saruman's hand, allowing it to sink to the bottom. His knife flashed in his slender hand, heading like a shark for Saruman. The wizard went for the hand, trying to force it away. Both had equal determination though, and the struggle threatened to go on until both were out of air. Feeling his head start to spin, Greenleaf gave a huge effort. The knife slashed across Saruman's throat, sending forth a great bloom of red blood. Air bubbled out of the slit windpipe. The wizard went limp. Greenleaf wasted no time in finding the box in the billowing robes, and tucking it into his own breeches. He dropped the body; it floated slowly down as his vision began to black around the edges.
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