A/N: WARNING: If you really hate horror and gore – STOP READING! Yep, folks that mean Rosie's gone nasty. Well I think you would too if you'll read text on the First World War for over a year – soooooooo much detailed gore!
(Snoopy Hobbit will know exactly what I mean!)
If you don't have a problem then read on!
Chapter 9
The camp sprung to life at Aragorn's cry.
"Attack!"
Dancing shadows leapt around the camp under the moon and starlight. The company heaved themselves into action, shivering and damp with cold sweat.
Merry and Pippin fell back upon themselves shivering, there short shorts dropping. Standing back to back their knees trembled.
"I can't see. So cold," Pippin muttered.
"Keep your sword up, Pip"
"I'm so cold and tired"
Gandalf's staff flashed into the night, basking the land in light. The shadows retreated and the cold sensations lifted. The company looked up, alert suddenly as a blanket had just been pulled off their faces.
"Keep moving you two" he poked Merry and Pippin into life. "They feed off you worst memories. It's alright Sam" Gandalf squeezed Sam's shoulder, his face pale and frightened. The light dimmed on the wizards staff.
"Prepare!"
The camp fell once more into darkness. Legolas caught his breath his eyes could not adjust to the darkness, yet he could hear and feel the shadows creep back into the campsite. He heard the stifle cry of one of his comrades and the sound of a blade cutting through the air. He spun attempting to see something and occasionally made out silhouettes of his comrades but only briefly. He cursed his blind mortal eyes, his hands gripping the twin Elven blades perhaps too tightly. Cold sweat slipped down his back and run on his face, he felt cold, dimmed, slow and useless as the enemy swarmed around them. His mind raced in reverse playing back memories he had hopped to forget. Scolding form his father, any embarrassing and humiliating moments were etherised, Helm's Deeps raged once again and his missed shot repeated again and again…
"Legolas, behind you!" Someone shouted.
"The wall fell because of me" Legolas muttered, disconnected.
"Legolas!"
""It was my fault they entered"
"Behind you" Gilmi shouted through the darkness.
"So much destruction and death"
"Dam Elf." Gilmi ran, his axe raised, locking eyes with his enemy.
"I failed my brothers… and my friends"
Something whooshed past his ear and the cold grip that had held his mind loosened and fell away. Someone was shaking him.
"Get up you fool! Come on"
Legolas blinked, his mind slowly kicking back into action. "Gilmi is that you?"
"No, your mother! Of course it is, get up, come on"
"I can't see"
"Rubbish, you're an Elf you don't need to see them – feel them. Even I can"
He doesn't know.
"Come on what are you waiting for?" Gilmi pulled at his sleeve.
"Of course" he muttered a slow return allowing himself to be directed. He bumped into someone, looking up he saw the frightened eyes of Jacob staring back at him, immobile, silent and cold. Something stood beside of him, gripping onto the young man's mind. Then he realised – that was how they were running fingers around him, pulling out his memories and thoughts. That was how they broke him; he was out numbered then, young and very frightened. Now however the tables were different he was no longer the youngest and he was no longer alone, but still afraid. Fear was something he had never really experienced as an Elf before, he did not fear death like mortals nor did he suffer from the petty fear Men had for heights of wild beasts. But it had been fear he had felt this evening with Cassione taunted him and the Shadows opening his mind.
He held firm to his twin blades and sliced the misty shadow from his young companion. The Shadow fell back and reshaped its fiery eyes set upon its new target. Legolas shifted his grip on the blades calmly as the Shadow charged, smoothly and silently towards him, he did not hesitate to heed to its hissing as it prepared to seek its pray, he was swift and professional in dealing away with the nightmare that he had feared for so long.
Gandalf' staff flared again, illuminating the wearily company. They were tired both mentally and physically, each had had their fears and nightmares revealed, they stood shaking slightly attempting to regroup themselves. Sam shuddered violently realising for the first time ever how Frodo mush have felt him he bore the Ring having his mind and motives integrated every moment of the journey. The Ring was a burden that he wished he never saw him carry, his brief spell with the Ring had transformed him and it took all his self-control to restrain himself from doing something stupid.
"We must move on," Aragorn panted standing straight, reclaiming his Kingly manner. "To Lothlórien" he continued half glancing at Cassione, who stood as calm and as unhindered as she had before they attack. He couldn't help but think that this attack had something to do with her.
"What if they attack us again?" Jacob stuttered.
Aragorn fixed him a piercing look; he noticed that he had been one of the more affected persons by the Shadows. "They will not attack us again until they feel confident enough too. They will only attack if they have the element of surprise. Gilmi I want to you to be the rear guard, keep alert at all times, I will take the lead and the rest follow accordingly. Keep alert at all times, at a fast pace we should make it to Lothlórien by early afternoon. Let us leave"
Wearily the company travelled on, the hobbits stumbling and struggling to keep up with the pace the Men set. The sun rose, warmly the rays thawing their inside after the attack, it seemed to fill them with new energy and the pace picked up.
Aragorn's nose twitched, something wasn't right. He had expected them to have been stopped by now, but on Elf or living being had they meet as they neared the woods of Lothlórien. He glanced at the wizard who had quickened his pace to walk alongside the King, he too had noticed this.
The forest seemed to lack something apart from any living creature. The atmosphere in under the trees was no longer calming and soothing, the woods seemed to be lacking in light and warmth that allied travellers felt when entering the woods of Lothlórien. Even the Nimrodel ceased to gush and bubble as they stepped across the dry river bed.
Sam remembered how they swam across the river, slept in the trees and were blind folded until they reached the Elven city of Caras Galadhon.
In front of him the others looked round cautiously, Legolas more so then any other, but Cassione who walked ahead of him did not even glance around the land, her face was set and cold. She was unmoved by the sense of insecurity that gripped the company.
As they proceed towards the city of Caras Galadhon their surrounds changed. The once healthy looking tress stood broken and damaged, some fallen bearing axe and fire wounds. Their great roots, standing twisted and exposed in the open, air.
Behind Pippin let out a strangled cry. Aragorn turned and saw the Hobbit had trodden on the carcass of an orc. Aragorn moved closer and studied it and to his horror he estimated that the orc had only been dead for three days, maximum.
Sam turned away his stomach turning and straight into the dead eyes of an elf half concealed. He screamed.
The path onwards began to become more cluttered with dead orcs and elves. Steeping careful over each figure the company fought hard to control their insides. Jacob had been the first to vomit. His lack of experience in the battlefield could not be more obvious; he trembled as he stumbled over an orc body with its throat slashed.
Ahead Aragorn read the signs. The woods had been ambushed by orcs and judging by the number of dead that littered the ground there had been thousands of them. This was not any ordinary 'action of the moment' battle like most are between orcs and elves, this had been planned, organised with only one goal – to wipe out the race of elves. Orcs had chased Legolas out of Mirkwood with violent consequences – had Mirkwood suffered like this also? How long would it be until Rivendell fell also?
He didn't want to think about that. They had a mission to fulfil, to stop the shadows growing stronger, to 'nip the bud' as to speak. If Gollum does have the Ring and is feeding Sauron, why then is it the race of Elves to fall first? Why not the race of Men? Surely they would be weaker then the elves, but the Men had defined them at Helms Deep and at the Gates of Mordor…
The path bent round to the right, the piles of fallen increasing. Aragorn froze at the sight ahead and stared silently, numbly ahead with tears rising into his eyes.
Everything form the numbers of dead that littered the ground, their blood spilt on most surfaces, to the smothering woodland and shocked expressions of the fallen. It was clear the attack was furiously brutal, almost professional. But the hosts had been taken by surprise and in anger by the enemy; their numbers were minuscule compared to the horde of orcs.
But the worst slight of all, for worse then the blood soaked earth, or the smothering trees was what hung from the only undamaged tree in the city of Caras Galadhon: the mangled and bloody bodies of the Elders Celeborn and Galderial.
Aragorn turned away unable to look at them hanging limply from the branch they had been strung from. This was all too much. Things were happening too fast. He glanced up at the others; their reactions were similar to his own. The only face that did not look as shocked or ill as his own was Cassione. He blinked hard, surely he thought- he thought he saw her smile!
He looked up at Legolas, he could see him physically shaking, pale staring wide eyed around himself. He caught Aragorn watching him and turned away, then suddenly snapped back.
"They were taken by surprise, never before has this happened. They always knew if they were under threat." He whispered. Aragorn was thinking the same thing; it was as if they had been betrayed….
A/N: I know that's not the longest chapter, but rather dramatic and there was quite a lot for you to chew over too. Slightly stuck on now though. I, mean I know what I need to include and that will only taken up one or two chapters, more especially if I add any more cliff hangers! LOL.
Any suggestions or questions either add them in your review or email them to me personally.
Thank you!
Rosie
(Snoopy Hobbit will know exactly what I mean!)
If you don't have a problem then read on!
Chapter 9
The camp sprung to life at Aragorn's cry.
"Attack!"
Dancing shadows leapt around the camp under the moon and starlight. The company heaved themselves into action, shivering and damp with cold sweat.
Merry and Pippin fell back upon themselves shivering, there short shorts dropping. Standing back to back their knees trembled.
"I can't see. So cold," Pippin muttered.
"Keep your sword up, Pip"
"I'm so cold and tired"
Gandalf's staff flashed into the night, basking the land in light. The shadows retreated and the cold sensations lifted. The company looked up, alert suddenly as a blanket had just been pulled off their faces.
"Keep moving you two" he poked Merry and Pippin into life. "They feed off you worst memories. It's alright Sam" Gandalf squeezed Sam's shoulder, his face pale and frightened. The light dimmed on the wizards staff.
"Prepare!"
The camp fell once more into darkness. Legolas caught his breath his eyes could not adjust to the darkness, yet he could hear and feel the shadows creep back into the campsite. He heard the stifle cry of one of his comrades and the sound of a blade cutting through the air. He spun attempting to see something and occasionally made out silhouettes of his comrades but only briefly. He cursed his blind mortal eyes, his hands gripping the twin Elven blades perhaps too tightly. Cold sweat slipped down his back and run on his face, he felt cold, dimmed, slow and useless as the enemy swarmed around them. His mind raced in reverse playing back memories he had hopped to forget. Scolding form his father, any embarrassing and humiliating moments were etherised, Helm's Deeps raged once again and his missed shot repeated again and again…
"Legolas, behind you!" Someone shouted.
"The wall fell because of me" Legolas muttered, disconnected.
"Legolas!"
""It was my fault they entered"
"Behind you" Gilmi shouted through the darkness.
"So much destruction and death"
"Dam Elf." Gilmi ran, his axe raised, locking eyes with his enemy.
"I failed my brothers… and my friends"
Something whooshed past his ear and the cold grip that had held his mind loosened and fell away. Someone was shaking him.
"Get up you fool! Come on"
Legolas blinked, his mind slowly kicking back into action. "Gilmi is that you?"
"No, your mother! Of course it is, get up, come on"
"I can't see"
"Rubbish, you're an Elf you don't need to see them – feel them. Even I can"
He doesn't know.
"Come on what are you waiting for?" Gilmi pulled at his sleeve.
"Of course" he muttered a slow return allowing himself to be directed. He bumped into someone, looking up he saw the frightened eyes of Jacob staring back at him, immobile, silent and cold. Something stood beside of him, gripping onto the young man's mind. Then he realised – that was how they were running fingers around him, pulling out his memories and thoughts. That was how they broke him; he was out numbered then, young and very frightened. Now however the tables were different he was no longer the youngest and he was no longer alone, but still afraid. Fear was something he had never really experienced as an Elf before, he did not fear death like mortals nor did he suffer from the petty fear Men had for heights of wild beasts. But it had been fear he had felt this evening with Cassione taunted him and the Shadows opening his mind.
He held firm to his twin blades and sliced the misty shadow from his young companion. The Shadow fell back and reshaped its fiery eyes set upon its new target. Legolas shifted his grip on the blades calmly as the Shadow charged, smoothly and silently towards him, he did not hesitate to heed to its hissing as it prepared to seek its pray, he was swift and professional in dealing away with the nightmare that he had feared for so long.
Gandalf' staff flared again, illuminating the wearily company. They were tired both mentally and physically, each had had their fears and nightmares revealed, they stood shaking slightly attempting to regroup themselves. Sam shuddered violently realising for the first time ever how Frodo mush have felt him he bore the Ring having his mind and motives integrated every moment of the journey. The Ring was a burden that he wished he never saw him carry, his brief spell with the Ring had transformed him and it took all his self-control to restrain himself from doing something stupid.
"We must move on," Aragorn panted standing straight, reclaiming his Kingly manner. "To Lothlórien" he continued half glancing at Cassione, who stood as calm and as unhindered as she had before they attack. He couldn't help but think that this attack had something to do with her.
"What if they attack us again?" Jacob stuttered.
Aragorn fixed him a piercing look; he noticed that he had been one of the more affected persons by the Shadows. "They will not attack us again until they feel confident enough too. They will only attack if they have the element of surprise. Gilmi I want to you to be the rear guard, keep alert at all times, I will take the lead and the rest follow accordingly. Keep alert at all times, at a fast pace we should make it to Lothlórien by early afternoon. Let us leave"
Wearily the company travelled on, the hobbits stumbling and struggling to keep up with the pace the Men set. The sun rose, warmly the rays thawing their inside after the attack, it seemed to fill them with new energy and the pace picked up.
Aragorn's nose twitched, something wasn't right. He had expected them to have been stopped by now, but on Elf or living being had they meet as they neared the woods of Lothlórien. He glanced at the wizard who had quickened his pace to walk alongside the King, he too had noticed this.
The forest seemed to lack something apart from any living creature. The atmosphere in under the trees was no longer calming and soothing, the woods seemed to be lacking in light and warmth that allied travellers felt when entering the woods of Lothlórien. Even the Nimrodel ceased to gush and bubble as they stepped across the dry river bed.
Sam remembered how they swam across the river, slept in the trees and were blind folded until they reached the Elven city of Caras Galadhon.
In front of him the others looked round cautiously, Legolas more so then any other, but Cassione who walked ahead of him did not even glance around the land, her face was set and cold. She was unmoved by the sense of insecurity that gripped the company.
As they proceed towards the city of Caras Galadhon their surrounds changed. The once healthy looking tress stood broken and damaged, some fallen bearing axe and fire wounds. Their great roots, standing twisted and exposed in the open, air.
Behind Pippin let out a strangled cry. Aragorn turned and saw the Hobbit had trodden on the carcass of an orc. Aragorn moved closer and studied it and to his horror he estimated that the orc had only been dead for three days, maximum.
Sam turned away his stomach turning and straight into the dead eyes of an elf half concealed. He screamed.
The path onwards began to become more cluttered with dead orcs and elves. Steeping careful over each figure the company fought hard to control their insides. Jacob had been the first to vomit. His lack of experience in the battlefield could not be more obvious; he trembled as he stumbled over an orc body with its throat slashed.
Ahead Aragorn read the signs. The woods had been ambushed by orcs and judging by the number of dead that littered the ground there had been thousands of them. This was not any ordinary 'action of the moment' battle like most are between orcs and elves, this had been planned, organised with only one goal – to wipe out the race of elves. Orcs had chased Legolas out of Mirkwood with violent consequences – had Mirkwood suffered like this also? How long would it be until Rivendell fell also?
He didn't want to think about that. They had a mission to fulfil, to stop the shadows growing stronger, to 'nip the bud' as to speak. If Gollum does have the Ring and is feeding Sauron, why then is it the race of Elves to fall first? Why not the race of Men? Surely they would be weaker then the elves, but the Men had defined them at Helms Deep and at the Gates of Mordor…
The path bent round to the right, the piles of fallen increasing. Aragorn froze at the sight ahead and stared silently, numbly ahead with tears rising into his eyes.
Everything form the numbers of dead that littered the ground, their blood spilt on most surfaces, to the smothering woodland and shocked expressions of the fallen. It was clear the attack was furiously brutal, almost professional. But the hosts had been taken by surprise and in anger by the enemy; their numbers were minuscule compared to the horde of orcs.
But the worst slight of all, for worse then the blood soaked earth, or the smothering trees was what hung from the only undamaged tree in the city of Caras Galadhon: the mangled and bloody bodies of the Elders Celeborn and Galderial.
Aragorn turned away unable to look at them hanging limply from the branch they had been strung from. This was all too much. Things were happening too fast. He glanced up at the others; their reactions were similar to his own. The only face that did not look as shocked or ill as his own was Cassione. He blinked hard, surely he thought- he thought he saw her smile!
He looked up at Legolas, he could see him physically shaking, pale staring wide eyed around himself. He caught Aragorn watching him and turned away, then suddenly snapped back.
"They were taken by surprise, never before has this happened. They always knew if they were under threat." He whispered. Aragorn was thinking the same thing; it was as if they had been betrayed….
A/N: I know that's not the longest chapter, but rather dramatic and there was quite a lot for you to chew over too. Slightly stuck on now though. I, mean I know what I need to include and that will only taken up one or two chapters, more especially if I add any more cliff hangers! LOL.
Any suggestions or questions either add them in your review or email them to me personally.
Thank you!
Rosie