Disclaimer: C first chapter :)
"ARAGORN! KING ARAGORN!" a guard yelled as he came running into the throne room. "Rivendell has been attacked by orcs!"
Aragorn's eyes widened. "NO! It cannot be. All orcs were killed when Sauron fell." Arwen gasped and clutched his arm.
"I tell thee it is so, sir. Orcs have attacked. I didn't believe it either until I saw the helmet." He threw a crude black metal object onto the floor where it rolled against the marble. It was indeed an orcs helmet.
"Oh no." Eyes shut, Aragorn groaned. Not this, not now. Things had been going so well.
"Reports say that a new threat has emerged from the east: a wizard called Olmhil. He has gathered the orcs together and now plans to make war on Middle Earth!" the guard cried.
"Easy Volne, easy." Aragorn sighed. "I shall send someone out immediately."
"What about ada? What about my father?" Arwen screeched. She fainted, tired by this news, and would have hit the floor had Legolas not caught her.
"He'll be fine, m'lady." Legolas promised. "I shall go and make sure."
"Yes, go Legolas. Seek out this murderer. Save Lord Elrond if you must." Aragorn did not want to let his friend go.
"I shall ride out on Arod and do this. For the Lady Arwen at least," he said with a smile.
"Good luck, my friend. Namaarie."
And so Legolas went immediately forth, accompanied by no one. After days of travel he reached Rivendell and found that Lord Elrond was ok but that orcs were heading up north towards Mirkwood, his own home. Legolas set off for there. In Mirkwood he spoke to his father who told him that Mirkwood could protect itself. The wizard Olmhil was no fool and didn't attack there. Instead he sent orcs to the mysterious northlands. Thranduil ordered his son to go there and report back to both himself King Aragorn. (A/N: Sorry about the quickness here. Just use your imagination)
Twelve weeks later, a weary Legolas arrived in the mysterious northlands. Nothing was known about this place except that a magical city was once rumored to exist in the barren hills. It had once been a place of beauty but was corrupted by evill and turned brown and hideous. Of course this was unknown to be true. No one knew what was there. Now Legolas was going to find out.
The lands were brown and ragged just as the tale predicted. No birds sang and no living beings were seen, only wargs. Arod ran light and swift while his rider tirelessly pushed on. No orcs here, he thought. What is this devilry? Perhaps the guard of Minas Tirith was wrong."
That night he camped in a small hollow of land. This would be his last night in this place, he thought. However fate intervined and a strong winter storm blew over and froze the lands even more. Arod was nearly frozen stiff and Legolas used elven magic to warm him.
"We've got to find shelter, Arod," he told the horse. "Let's go."
Together they blindly went through the storm, hoping to run into some trees or other shelter. It was like a white blanket had swallowed them up and Legolas lost track of where he was. Death would take them soon, he knew. If only he could find a shelter...