Looks at chapter name.

Hmm, I WONDER what could happen in this chapter? Hmm… Ta for me lovely reviews you fantastic people! Now, on with chapter 8, Capture!!! Ooh…

Faerlain

Lindele – You're dying? Ah, not so good. Be patient dear, here's the next chapter! Ok? Good. Thanks for reviewing, and calm down!

DaydreamingTurtle – Yeah, I like sweet! Reminds me of sugar. Mmm…sugar…Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Must go and find some sugar…

Tiara Shin – Sweet and fluffy is just how I like it! Yup, West Emmet. Looooong way from home! Teehee makes you feel suspicious? I wonder why…?

Teehee!

Luxembourg? Cool, sounds good.

9th September! Ooh, just 6 days to go! Yeah, let's have Lord C hold it. He doesn't do much else really. Cool! And I successfully spent very single penny. As did you if I remember rightly?

Yup, Ithilien. Seeing as Leggy is kinda half in charge of it. I know what you men about dirty minds! You should hear the blonde! Man, he could talk dirty for Mirkwood!

Perhaps he and Hally should have a competition? TEEHEE!!!!!!

Long reviews are great! As are long replies cos they make the chapter look even longer than it really is, lol! I love your puppy-dog eyes. Nice addition. Thanks for reviewing!

ShadowStar21 – Cute if good! Thanks for reviewing.

Raymae325 – We looked at cats on the Rescue Cat Protection thingy sit today. OMG, ARE THEY THE CUTEST CATS I'VE EVER SEEN OR WHAT??!?!?!

Wow, fat cat called Lucky! Cool! There is this ADORABLE pair of male cats on the sit called Sam and Percy! You live in the basement? Ok! Thanks for reviewing.

Elerrina – 150 year old brother? It could work! Yeah, short chapter, but needed, right? Thanks for reviewing.

Lothliana – I got bored with that. Couldn't be bothered to wait. SCHOOL ON MONDAY!!! Crap. Thanks for reviewing.

Chapter 8: Capture.

"He's never coming home, is he?"

"He will. You've heard how many sightings there have been of him. It's only a matter of time…"

"But you said two weeks! It's been eleven now! And there haven't been any sightings of him for at least eight of those! He was last seen in mid-January, heading west out of the Forest. It's March now! Over two months he's been gone!" She collapsed down into a chair, head in her hands.

Thranduil crouched down beside her, putting a comforting arm round her trembling shoulders. "Echedi nin veren melethen, calm down. You'll make yourself ill again."

"But I can't deal with it Thranduil. Not with this as well." She placed a hand on her slightly swollen stomach.

"Don't worry about the baby, he'll/she'll be fine."

Brilmír smiled at her husband. "He or she? What do you think?"

Thranduil placed his hand over his wife's, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Definitely a…boy."

"Another one?"

"Yes. Most definitely."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. I'm guessing. But I was right with Legolas."

"Yet when he was born, you thought he was a girl!"

"It was the eyes! Those flippin' blue orbs could have easily belonged to a girl. And the blonde hair. So fluffy!"

Brilmír raised an elegant eyebrow. "Of course they could dear. Of course they could."

We stayed a week, as planned, at the entrance to the Gap. Then, we carried on our way. Looking at our previous progress, it should take us roughly a week to reach the River Isen.

But it took us much longer than that. Much longer.

We never reached it.

Together.

It all started two days after we left the entrance. We knew there would be many Orc parties around here in places, and so kept a sharp eye out.

We had already been attacked that afternoon, and Star-mane had been cut on her leg. We had to stop so I could clean it up and put some form of bandaging around it.

Celille was keeping watch. She had just turned 11, two days ago, and was acting very grown-up about everything. Her birthday was March 3rd. I had left home on January 1st.

Two months. The time had gone by so quickly. I sometimes wondered how Adar and Naneth were. How were they coping with my disappearance? If I ever did go back, Adar would most likely kill me. If Naneth didn't get there first.

"Legolas," I heard Celille call.

I looked up from where I was wrapping a spare bit of cloth round Star-manes' leg. "Yes?"

"What's that?" She pointed into the distance.

I tied the cloth, and stood. My keen eyes spotted it straight away. A large, black blob. At least that was what it looked like to Celille. To me…

It was a huge party of Orcs.

"Orcs," I told her. "We have to get to cover. There are at least a hundred of them. Come on." I took Rodmín by the reins, and Celille Star-mane. I headed as fast as I could towards the River.

But it was still miles away. The Orcs were coming from the direction of Fangorn Forest, and there was no way we could make it to Isengard in time. There might have been some human settlements there where we could have hidden, but the Orcs would cut us off. All we could hope for was some form of shelter turning up soon. Very soon.

Every few minutes, I would look behind us. It was early evening, and the Orcs were catching up. The Sun was low enough in the sky so that it wouldn't harm them. It had sunk beneath the Mountains. They would be upon us by nightfall.

"Celille." I called to her to stop. She did and turned. "What?"

"Get on Rodmín. He'll take you to safety."

"What?"

"They'll be upon us by nightfall. You'll never get away fast enough on Star-mane with her injured leg. Rodmín can gallop a lot faster anyway."

"But…what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Come on." I lifted her up onto the saddle. She took hold of the reins.

"I'll catch up with you," I promised.

"Rodmín," I whispered in his ear. "Thír-ala hen. Hebi-hen varna anim. Noro!" (Look after her. Keep her safe for me. Run!)

The great stallion nodded, and took off with a bound, Celille clinging as tightly as she could to the reins. I took hold of Star-manes' reins, and kept leading her away as fast as I could. She was limping dangerously, and was clearly in pain.

"Al-haire glenno-na," I encouraged. (Not far to go.)

She snorted and carried on.

Soon, I could even hear the Orcs. I dared to look over my shoulder, and saw they were less than a mile behind me. It was growing even darker, and they would soon be upon me completely.

I urged Star-mane on. "Come on girl," I whispered. "We have to keep going."

She nodded, but I could see she was weakening by the minute. Her leg could give out any moment.

I suddenly saw trees looming up in the distance. I breathed a sigh of relief, and pushed her just that little bit farther. We reached the first few, and wove in and out.

"In here!" I heard an Orc announce. They had seen me, and knew I was in this tiny wooded area. I cursed under my breath, but kept going.

Soon, Star-mane just stopped. "No, no, come on," I urged her, pulling desperately on her reins. She held up her injured leg in protest. I sighed. "I know it hurts, but please. We need to get to safety."

She looked over her shoulder at the approaching Orcs, then up in the trees. She nodded at me, and pushed me with her nose. She was one very smart horse.

I removed her 'bandage', saddle, reins, and bridle, then leapt nimbly up into the nearest tree with the most cover. She just grazed about like a normal wild horse.

The Orcs were soon pouring all over the place. I stayed as silent as I could, as did Star-mane. Some Orcs came right under my tree, and looked at her.

"Is she the horse?" one asked.

"Nah. The horse he was leading had a saddle. This is just a wild one. Come on, they can't be far ahead." They moved on.

I smiled to myself. But I had to stay there, because there were still loads about.

Suddenly, there was a scream from up ahead.

Celille!

A loud neigh followed it, then the sound of mad galloping. That was Rodmín.

I looked down at Star-mane. "Afado," I whispered. I crawled along the branch I was presently precariously balanced on, then jumped into the next one. I had tied the reins and bridle around my waist somehow, but the saddle was heavy, slung over my shoulder.

Star-mane followed my progress from above, ready to catch me if I fell. The end of the wood arrived suddenly, and in the distance, I could see Rodmín, galloping away as fast as he could. Orcs were following him. Then I remembered.

Rodmín was also wearing a saddle!

I jumped out of the tree, dumped the saddle down beside Star-mane, and turned to her. "Dartho-sí. Im-ieva at." (Stay here. I will be back.)

She nodded in understanding, then I ran.

Time to put these Elven skills to the test.

Just so everyone knows – I have never run so fast in my life! It was a scary experience. The world whipped past, and I was soon catching up with the Orcs.

I skirted around the edge of the group, and when they spotted me, I heard a few roars. I grinned at them, and tried to get closer to Rodmín.

Arrows were fired at me, but all of them missed. "Rodmín!" I yelled.

He turned, taking a wide curve out to the left. Celille looked scared to death. He ran back to me, and as he reached me, I swung up in front of Celille.

"Hold on to me," I told her. She nodded and gripped me round the waist.

I got my bow, and fired as many arrows into the crowd of Orcs as possible. I hit every time, but they didn't seem to decrease in number. I saw that we were heading back towards the wood, which was exactly where we didn't want to go.

I veered Rodmín out to the left again, and took the Orcs round in circles, trying to wear them out. But Rodmín would also be tiring soon. I would have to do this carefully.

Constantly firing, we wove in and out of the scout, trampling a few at the same time. Then they started jumping at us. Celille gripped me tighter, trying not to get tugged off.

But all of a sudden, I felt her grip go, and a scream, followed by muffled yells. I looked round, and saw her being dragged away by a large group of Orcs that had split away from the others.

"Celille!" I yelled. "Fight!" I turned and tried to get back to her, but the Orcs were all round me. I switched to suing my knives, slashing and stabbing.

The number started going down then. Soon, I had killed forty or more. The ground was littered with them. I had Orc blood all up my arms, but that didn't stop me.

When they saw how angry I had become, a mad killing machine, they started running. I followed, trying desperately to keep the Orcs that had Celille in sight. But soon, the darkness had swallowed them up.

I cantered back to the wood, and found Star-mane, still in the same place. Her leg was still bleeding. I wrapped it up, letting Rodmín have a breather. Taking my water flask, I poured it into his mouth. He nudged my shoulder affectionately in thanks, and I stroked him.

"Mae tyarniéva melonin." (Well done my friend.)

We all needed rest. In the morning, although I was unwilling to wait that long, we would follow the Orc tracks so I could rescue Celille. I settled down beneath a tree for a restless night.

Teeheehee! Celille got captured. You know; I almost changed it. I almost made Legolas be the one that got captured. Now I look at it, maybe that would have been a better idea…

Tell me what you think in a review! Isn't that a good idea?!

Faerlain