DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lord of the Rings, or any of the characters within Lord of the Rings. They are all the work of the amazing J.R.R. Tolkien!!!! (Heh, and we can't forget Peter Jackson and Newline Cinemas...) I'm not earning anything from this, except maybe amusement. Please read and review. Onward to the story then....

The night was eerily silent, with little more than a breeze to rustle the leaves. The nocturnal creatures of the wood were no where to be found. Legolas knew something was amiss. He stood, perched skillfully on a high branch, staring out into the night. Keen though his eyes were, it was difficult for them to penetrate the dark of this night, which felt particularly thick. The air had a rankness to it, and all about him it felt as though Saruman's new evil was closing in around him and his comrades. A shiver ran down his spine as he could smell the foul odor of whatever it was that approached all the stronger again. He had hoped it would not be so; he had hoped that this terror would pass them by. But it would not be so.

The Elf sighed as he gazed at the faces of his companions as they flickered in and out of the shadows that danced around the fire. It would be important that they get all the rest possible, for there would be no more of that from here on out. Somehow, the peaceful faces of his sleeping friends seemed to comfort him, if only a little. He would protect them, and the Ringbearer more so, although he felt that Frodo would leave them very soon. "Saruman, pedalin hi na met? Pedon le peda úgolodh. Na úamarth hin odo nambarten si a na úamarth nin." Said Legolas into the breeze. He heard familiar footsteps from afar.

"It most certainly is not. What is it that you are gazing at? I see nothing," said a man from the ground below.

"O, Aragorn. Ai, palan na hi aeg gwath si! " Aragorn frowned slightly at this. "I sense an evil very near us. We must leave here soon and can tarry no longer. Saruman is, no doubt, in pursuit of the Ring and he must not acquire it."

"How long do we have?"

"I do not know."

"Then we will first make preparations and allow the Hobbits to eat before setting off." Aragorn held up two felled Pheasants.

"I fear we have not the time."

"If you know not how long we have, then we have no way of knowing whether or not this threat will be here in hours or days, and it would be best not to worry the others."

"I suppose..." Legolas agreed hesitantly. He strongly believed that they should leave immediately and without postponement, but did not wish to go against the will of his friend. Legolas nodded solemnly then leapt from the tree. "We must be getting back to the others. I still have yet to catch a glimpse of a threat, although I feel it all around us. I will keep a close watch this night." The Ranger gave the Elf a pat on the back.

"It will be fine," he said reassuringly. Legolas knew they should leave, and his mind urged him to force the suggestion upon Aragorn, but he knew better, and trusted his friend's judgement. The two walked back together in silence, striding side by side, the Elf considerably quieter.

The sun had yet to rise, and so the rest of the company had yet to rise as well. Legolas took a seat against the trunk of a nearby tree, gazing into the crackling flames of the fire. Aragorn sat upon a log closer to the glowing source of warmth. A long silence followed, and though it was not awkward, it was not particularly comfortable. Neither were asleep, but rather ever watchful for any sign of a threat's approach. Soon Legolas realized that the Ranger had slipped into a light sleep. He smiled somewhat. "At last, you rest!" Legolas murmured.

Indeed, he was relieved. It had concerned the Elf of late that his friend may not have been resting properly, and Legolas had continuously reminded Aragorn that, although the Ranger had been raised by elves, it did not mean that he had acquired all of their abilities. Rest was a necessary thing for all creatures, but more so for mortals than elves. The flaw in Legolas' plan finally became apparent to him. The Ranger had a particularly loud snore!

How will I ever manage to listen for a threat with that racket? Legolas thought to himself jokingly as he heaved a sigh. If any birds had yet lingered in the trees, they certainly did not now. An exhausted man is not often able tohear just how loud his snoring is, and so, often has a tendency to continuing such snoring. Oh well...I am thankful, at least, that he sleeps...

Finally, signs of the bright colors of the sunrise appeared on the horizon. The fire had all but died out, and Legolas had not moved from his place. All night he had remained awake, listening closely for any sign of the approaching evil. Although the others did not sense it, with the exception of maybe Aragorn, the rankness in the air had increased to a near smothering amount for the Elf. He could hardly bare to breath in the foul air around him. He hid all signs of discomfort from the others, as not to worry them.

Legolas' senses suddenly shot up. Something was here! Something had come, and by the smell of it, it was what Legolas had been dreading. For fear the evil he sensed would come to the small campsite, Legolas scooped up his bow, quiver, and knives and dashed into the woods to meet it. The number was few, the Elf knew, only a portion of the growing shadow he still felt had arrived. More would come, but Legolas felt that they were still farther of, a day's journey at the most.

It was yet dim at Amon Hen, the sun's rays only just peaking through the dead of night, though the sky was touched with pink. There was a small mist over the still dew sprinkled ground that wetted the toes of his boots as he walked. The smell from the creatures, for Legolas had established that the enemies were indeed creatures, was horrendous, and Legolas had to will himself not to cover his nose. If I did not know any better, I would say this is the stench of Orcs...but it feels far greater than mere Orcs...these are surely something I have never seen before. What are these creatures? The Elf thought as he continued on, at a quick jog.

Then he heard them. Their feet trampled over the fallen leaves and twigs noisily and it would have been extremely difficult to miss them. They appeared to be akin to the Orc...but they were much larger, the size of a man if not bigger. The grimy armor they wore bore the white hand of the traitorous wizard Saruman. So I was correct, thought the Elf as he silently approached from behind, not wanting to attract any attention. The path the foul creatures had been taking would have lead directly towards where the Fellowship was camped. Thank the Valar that I found them before they found us...! Legolas shuddered at the thought of what might have occurred had he fallen asleep.

The Elf estimated their numbers to be only around fifteen strong, although he could not be sure. It was always possible that some were still hidden behind trees. Judging his bow to be the best weapon for now, as well as it being his weapon of choice, he drew an arrow with a fletching the colors of foliage from his quiver and silently nocked it. Drawing the bow in a fluid motion, his drawing hand came to rest near his cheek. Taking careful aim, he quickly let the arrow fly, not wanting, nor needing to pull the bow to its maximum draw length for more than a second. With a thud the arrow struck its target square in its neck. The creature gasped for breath but did not fall! What creature could withstand such a blow!?

"'Uruks'.... a 'Uruk-hai' hi na esse lin." Breathed Legolas, quickly nocking another arrow, he hit his target again in the neck, so close to where his previous arrow had struck that the fletchings touched. With two arrows protruding through its windpipe, the creature at last went down. There were looks of confusion among the other hideous beings, but they soon discovered the source of the arrows. An Elf standing near a large tree. The remaining fourteen in their terrifying company ran towards the Elf. Nocking two arrows at once, Legolas shot the nearest 'Uruk' in the neck, using the same strategy as he had used to fell the prior. It worked, although barely. The creature stumbled a few more feet before slowly collapsing. The sun was rising quicker now, making it easier to aim.

Again, Legolas nocked two arrows...aimed....thud. Twelve still ran at him, coming within only a few yards. Legolas quickly swung his bow over his shoulder and drew his knives, knowing a bow would do little good in close combat. Five were ahead of the others. Good....they will come in two smaller waves rather than one mass...for this I am thankful. Thought the Elf as he thrust one knife beneath the arm of the approaching Uruk-hai and the other through the creatures neck, both places he had judged to have the weakest armor. Kicking the body off his knives, he spun to the right, gutting another and jerking the blade upwards to insure a fatal blow. Black blood dripped from the blades. Legolas slashed the right knife across the neck of the next creature and was surprised when the sharp blade connected with thick bone. The contact sent a wave of pain through his arm, but he pushed the knife with all the strength he could muster, finally making a complete cut through the thick neck. The sickening head rolled to the ground and the body soon followed.

The last two Uruks of the first wave Legolas felled at the same time. With a magnificent display of swordsmanship, Legolas spun his knives and sliced through the necks of both, jerking upwards towards the base of their heads and disconnecting the brainstem at the back, this time wary that he needed to use more strength than with Orcs. The remaining six came all at once. Legolas ran behind a tree and out once more, separating the company into two groups of three. He dispatched one easily, finding a weak spot in its armor just behind the knee, he cut through just above the kneecap. The creature collapsed, though not dead. As it fell, it slashed its own sword, just grazing Legolas' thigh. The Elf quickly stabbed one knife downwards, through the base of the creature's neck, while parrying the attack from a new assailant. The force with which the Uruk-hai slammed his near blunt sword against Legolas' own was astounding and it shuddered up through the bone of his arm. Pulling his left knife free from the other corpse, he caught the creature's blade between his own two then swiftly jabbed one just below the creature's arm, where the armor was particularly weak. Swinging upwards, he managed to cut through the bone, severing the arm. With a quick sweep, he had dispatched this creature as well. He thrust his knives through the windpipe of the next, just above the collar bone then cut both left and right.

By now the other three had entered the fray again. One came from behind while two came from the front. The Elf bent low and spun on the ball of his foot, sweeping across the abdomens of all three Uruks. It hardly stunned them and they continued their attack. From behind, the Uruk was able to manage one blow across Legolas shoulder before it was felled. Legolas had loped off the bottom half of its jaw. The cut Legolas had received was not deep nor horribly grievous and Legolas disregarded it. The last two swung their swords in sync and Legolas was forced to parry one with his left and one with his right. The Uruk to the right lurched forward and head butted the Elf in the gut. The wind was momentarily knocked from his lungs but he managed to steer clear of the fatal blow by running past the Uruk-hai to his left as his parry began to fail. The Uruk struck the other in the shoulder, connecting with the bone as Legolas removed his hold against the large creature's overpowering strength. Use their strength to your advantage.... Legolas doubted that these creatures had any true loyalties though the sound of cracking bones had been horrendous. The Elf promptly slew the last two enemies. His twin blades dripped with a black, putrid blood and his own thigh and arm dripped crimson. He had narrowly escaped, and certainly not unscathed but had not fared horribly.

The Elf was breathing heavily and he had a slight sheen of sweat across his forehead. He was exhausted. The blow to the stomach had still left him panting. The force with which the creature had slammed into him had been tremendous. Carefully, he made his way to lean against a tree. His vision had become slightly blurred and walking had become a difficult task. Nausea had set in as well, and Legolas clutched the tree with shaking hands to keep his legs from giving way. His right thigh and shoulder were searing with pain, but the injuries were not extremely serious, although they would be if not tended to. The feeling of sickness subsided. At last catching his breath, Legolas tried to collect himself. His breathing had begun to calm and it no longer came in jerks. Cautiously, Legolas took a step forward. The nausea returned, but he found it easier to walk now that he had caught his breath. There was a slight limp in his step, though, from the cut across his thigh.

"I do not doubt that more will follow in the footsteps of these...I must warn Aragorn and the others. We must leave at once." Though his steps were unsteady, he continued to trek back to the rest of the Fellowship.

Meanwhile the others had awoken. Sam had prepared a fine breakfast from the Pheasants and the Hobbits were enjoying it now. There had been a sudden clashing of metal in the distance, that had caused all to jump. Aragorn sat up with a jolt, looking at each face of the Fellowship. One was missing.

"Where is Legolas!?" He asked, his worry growing.

"I thought he would be up some tree? Have you sought him there?" Gimli said sarcastically.

"He was not here when I awoke. I never know when he is here and when he is not, for he moves without a sound." Said Boromir. "But those sounds of battle are what worry me most. I would that we should find out what has happened."

Aragorn nodded. "But we cannot leave anyone alone. We do not know who or what, for that matter, is the cause of this battle, and it may be after the Ring. Gimli, please stay with the Hobbits. Have your weapons on hand, my friends." Gimli grumbled momentarily about being left behind, as did Merry and Pippin, but they understood the urgency of the matter and this understanding outweighed their curiosity.

Aragorn and Boromir made their way into the trees. The direction the sounds were coming from was not far off, and it worried both that such a disturbance had occurred so nearby. Aragorn, of the two, was worried all the more by the absence of Legolas and prayed to the Valar that his friend was not the source of the commotion. The sounds suddenly vanished. Aragorn knew all too well that Legolas was not unwilling to enter a battle alone...and Aragorn knew too that Legolas would have been the first to sense any threat, thus making him the first to attack. Boromir suddenly pointed ahead.

"Aragorn, look ahead! What are these creatures? And so many of them, already slain! But by who were they slain, and why are they here, I wonder? What a puzzling site this is to come upon." The Son of the Steward exclaimed, kneeling down next to one of the strange creatures. "They appear to be Orcs...be I have never before encountered one so large. Why, I would wager they are bigger than a full grown man. Have you seen such foul beings before?"

"I must admit, I have not, yet I must agree with you...they strongly resemble Orcs, although thrice their size and bigger than any Orc ever I have seen." Said the Ranger, approaching the putrid corpse. Suddenly, Aragorn spied something much more important. There was an Elf leaning against a tree not too far off, in the direction of the camp. His green attire was stained red with blood, though the Ranger did not notice this. Aragorn's heart wrenched as he realized who it was. Without further hesitation, he dashed to the Elf's side.

"Legolas!! What are you doing here?!" The Elf looked up at him, his feet finally gave way and he slid to the ground. Blood loss had at last weakened him.

"Oh...Aragorn. I was hoping you would find me, the stench of those creatures is quite fearsome... and I would much prefer... to sit upwind of them rather then down." Legolas forced a grin.

"What were you thinking!? Why did you not tell me you sensed something!?" The Ranger demanded, gripping his companion's shoulder. Legolas visibly winced, though obviously trying to suppress it. Aragorn withdrew his hands immediately. "You are injured!" Aragorn exclaimed, looking at the blood that had come off upon the palm of his hand. Legolas nodded.

"But not grievously....they are merely flesh wounds...I should be fine." Boromir, having heard Aragorn's exclamation, he rushed to follow the Ranger.

"Legolas...?" Boromir asked. "What are you doing here? Are you the one who slew so many foes?" Legolas nodded and began to sit up. He instantly regretted it. Pain flared through his side, the place where the Uruk had rammed into him and he was forced to draw his breath short. Aragorn cautiously placed a hand upon his friend's unharmed shoulder.

"Do not move unnecessarily. Boromir and I will assist you to walk back to the camp, for I am sure you would not permit me to carry you. I am tending to your wounds once there no matter how much you care to protest." Said Aragorn, pulling Legolas' unscathed arm over his shoulder and easing the Elf back onto his feet. "You will tell me where you are hurt, for I am also sure some of your injuries may not be visible. " Legolas nodded as he tried to hold back a gasp. His side ached horridly. The hard skull of the Uruk-hai had done more damage than Legolas had previously thought.

Boromir came to stand by Legolas' other side and the three slowly made their way back to Gimli and the Hobbits.

"Tell me first where you are hurt, and I will relent in my interrogation of you until you have been tended." Legolas sighed heavily.

"I think I will be fine...there is no need for this..."

"I don't want to hear it! Where are you hurt?" Aragorn demanded. The Elf gave him a defiant glare before giving in.

"My right arm and right thigh have light flesh wounds...but there is nothing more of any importance." Aragorn narrowed his eyes.

"You are lying."

Boromir experimentally nudged Legolas' side very gently. The Elf winced and clenched his fists as not to gasp. "You are right, Aragorn, he is lying."

"Your side is hurt..." Legolas nodded. Aragorn had defeated him. The Ranger was too stubborn to relent.

"I fear that one of my ribs may have been injured, but as I have said before, I am fine." With that Boromir nudged him once more. Having been caught unprepared for the pain, he let a barely audible moan escape his lips.

"You are not fine. I do not wish to hear another word from you." Aragorn stared the Elf in the eye. "Not unless those words are 'I admit that I am injured.' Understand?"

"Very well. But..."

"If you are going to say 'I admit that I am injured' then continue...but otherwise, I will not listen. We are going back to the others. Boromir, would you grab his other arm? Do so carefully, though, and take heed not to stress that wound." Boromir did as he was told, and in this fashion, the three made their way back to Gimli and the Hobbits.

Legolas, though somewhat nettled, was grateful for the assistance. In truth, had his two companions not sought for him, it would have been a very long and uncomfortable night. Although the wound on his thigh was not horridly deep, it was in a very irritating place. In order to walk efficiently, he would have to irritate the wound, which would do no good to stop the slowly flowing stream of blood. Aragorn...you are too stubborn for your own good.

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"Saruman, pedalin hi na met? Pedon le peda úgolodh. Na úamarth hin odo nambarten si a na úamarth nin." = "Saruman, you say this is (the) end? I say thou speak unwise. (It) is not (the) fate (of) these seven to be doomed here and (it) is not my fate."

"O, Aragorn. Ai, palan na hi aeg gwath si! " = "O, Aragorn. Alas, far and wide is this fell shadow now!"

"'Uruks'.... a 'Uruk-hai' hi na esse lin." = "Uruks....and Uruk-hai. This is your name."

Well...there was little humor in this chapter...but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless. I'm really sorry it's been taking me a bit longer to update...I must get better about that...Thanks again for all of your reviews! They're really encouraging and I really appreciate them!

Laurenke: It's so much fun to write! I can't wait to get to a slightly more lighthearted chapter so I can write more...although I do love action...

Orliey: I'm glad you still like the story! Hopefully you will after this chapter as well!

colagreenleaf: Sadly, I have not seen that clip...although I heard the cast talking about Orlando Bloom tipping the boat in t he cast commentary. Do you know where I could find that clip? I'd love to see it. Yup....The Uruks have arrived!

Kelsey: Thanks so much! Yes, although I do not mind when the characters are 'parodies of themselves,' and it is amusing, I would rather write in character. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job of that! I hope the book I recommended helps you with your Sindarin. Yup, I've read the books and love them, I'm glad it is apparent in my writing.

Uineniel: Aw, yes, I've noticed it too...I get in the habit of things and can't make myself change. I'll be sure to look out for that. Although, my computer is a bit odd about that. Thanks a bunch!

-Jamie (Lintulinda I luvasi ello eldar)