Chapter 31.

Legolas didn't think when he saw his sister fall; he just grabbed his weapons and jumped right behind her. From the russle of leaves he heard, Lanthir did the same.

As he fell, he drew his two knives from the sheaths on his back in one smooth motion, and landed on the floor. From the corner of his eye he could see his little brother landing on top of one of the wargs, trying to break its neck with his landing.

The warg threw Lanthir off, but the elf turned quickly and stabbed the creature in the eye with one of his daggers. He glanced at his older brother and grinned, despite the predicament. "One," he said, his smile widened as he saw the annoyed look on his Legolas' face.

Then the other wargs reached them, and the time for teasing was over.
Legolas had never fought wargs before, and he was surprised by their intelect. It was not just animals he was figthing, but evil minds that seemed to understand and anticipate his movements.

Lanthir moved next to him, counting the wargs he had killed out loud.
Legolas was both annoyed by this, and grateful for it. He was still one kill behind his little brother, and he knew that if they survived this, he would have to have catch up, or his brother would tease him endlessly.

But the counting also told him his brother was still alive and well.
"Fourteen," his brother said, and he even found the time to send Legolas a grin as he spoke.

Suddenly he heard an other voice, comming from behind the wargs.

"Two," it said and Legolas smiled. He had not seen Lainfea since she had fallen down from the tree, but now at least he knew she was alright.

"Lainfea," he said thankfully, trying to find the breath to speak while fighting a large warg."Get back into the tree."
He moved out of the range of the warg's teeth and stuck a blade into its heart. "Fourteen," he told Lanthir. Finally even.

His brother didn't listen. He was tangled in a fight with three of the wolflike creatures that had surrounded him, and it was not going well.Legolas could see he needed help, but he couldn't reach him, as wargs were now closing in on him as well.

How many of these beasts would they have to fight? It seemed they came in endless numbers, like every warg on middle-earth had decided that it was elf-hunting season.

He heard his little sister scream behing him. She had not retreated in the tree as he had told her, but had stayed on the forest floor.

"That was my leg, you stupid doggie!" she added angrily.
Legolas let out a sound of relief. If she could talk, she couldn't be too badly injured.

He moved quickly as a giant warg's head snapped at his leg as well. His fight was not going well. He had to use both of his arms too keep the wargs away from his body, but they didn't give him a single change to kill one.

That meant with every minute, Legolas had to fight more wargs.

Suddenly one of the wargs closing in on him fell to the floor and stayed down, an arrow inbedded in this chest.
"Eighteen," Legolas heard a voice speak from above him.
"Lim?" he asked, not believing his ears.
Two more wargs dropped. "Twenty," the oldest sister said.
Her arrows had created some room for him too move and his blades quickly found the throats of two more wargs.

"Sixteen," he counted in his head, looking for Lanthir. His brother was still wrapped up in the same fight, though the number of wargs he was fighting had increased.
"A little help, please!" Lanthir shouted.
But there was nothing Legolas could do. "LIM!" he shouted.
Above him he heard a ruffle of leaves and her soft counting.
"Twenty-four."

But is wasn't enough. The space she created for her brothers by shooting wargs from above was quickly filled by others. The stream of wargs was endless, and her quiver was almost empty. "To the trees!" she shouted and her fingers grasped the last arrow. "Quickly! This is the last!" She shot
one of the wargs between the limping Lainfea, and the tree closest to the little girl.

It was no use. The space was filled. Grimly she pulled out her dagger.
Artamir had given it to her in Osgiliath, and she had sworn never to use it.
Not even for selfdefense. Her fingers clutched the handle of the knife even tighter as she jumped out of the tree.

She wouldn't have used the knife for selfdefence, but she would not sit back and watch her sibling be slain. If she could save one of her siblings by killing wargs, she would. If she couldn't save any of her siblings, she would die with them. She pressed the knife into the head of the warg
closest to her.
"Twenty-seven," she said softly, shivering as she felt the pain her knife had caused the creature. It hadn't hurt her as much when she had used the bow, and she longed for a new long distance weapon. Yet she continued killing wargs until she reached her little sister, who was bravely fighting four wargs more that twice her size.

"This isn't working," the younger girl informed the elder. "There are too many doggies."
"Yes Lain, I have noticed," Limloeth said grimly.
"Legolas isn't doing so well," the elfling said.

Limloeth allowed herself a quick glance. Her older brother was pinned down on the ground by a warg in a hopeless position. On a place far out of their reach. For a moment she forgot to move. Her heart rose in her throat. She saw the wargs between them.
She saw the wargs closing in. Endless numbers. They could never kill them all. It was hopeless.

A warg snapped at her arm and she felt pain. This time not the pain of something around her, but her own. As a reaction she dropped the knife. This was it. She had used the knife to kill and it hadn't mattered. They had reached Greenwood, but it had changed. They would not reach home. Never see their Ada, or see their home again. After everything they had been through, it had all been in vain.

She thought about the dark leaves of the forest. Maybe it was for the best. She thought. Maybe there was no home to return to. Perhaps there was no Ada to return to. Maybe this was the way of the Valar to keep them from seeing the ruins of what once was good.

She watched as the wargs closed in on her. She ingored her little sister tugging at her sleeve. It was all for the best. She repeated to herself, as the wargs got closer. All for the best.

Suddenly one of the wargs lifted her head as if it smelled something. It gave a yelp, alerting the wargs around her. They all looked up, staring at point behind Limloeth. One by one, they fled in the opposite direction, as fast as they could.

Limloeth didn't dare to turn her head. She didn't want to know what had frightened the wargs so, but she heard it growling and she feared.

Lainfea however stood tiptoe as high as her wounded leg allowed her, glancing over Limloeth's shoulder.

Her face brightened considerably.
"BEAR!" she cried. "Bear came back to help us!"

TBC..

Moriarwen: Yes.. It is posted on a yahoogroup : the Mellon Cronicles..

Cathrine Rose: The end will be posted within 9 days.. And ofcourse I'll mention you.

Karone Evertree: Thanks!

Roguish Smile: Grins and says nothing.

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Grins..

kel: A but they want to see their Ada so badly.. and they are all a bit stuborn..

Isiliel: A NOLDO! A Noldo! well You migth not have slayed your kin, but your reletives certainly have.. And you know Who's kin they slayed? MY KIN! Grin.. Just kidding... We of the Sindarin are so forgiving.. You are completely welcome.. Make yourself at home..

Rutu: evil grin.. OH cliffhangers.. you gotta love what they do to people.

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: Thranduil is home in his palace..

Elocin: Grins and shuts up before spoiling everything.

Shell: I'm sorry I lied to you.. (not intentionally..) But I did post on the MC yesterday..But will not post ToDAY as it is Teitho day, today.

sam611: No not dead..

Moonshine44: Grin... Grin..