Reviewers answers....for chapters 1-3...

Elfwomen: Glad you liked it...but since you read before the revisions, there's new scenes and everything!

Deana: Thank you so much for your reviews and kind words! Nobody: Glad you liked it...you got a preview of the whole thing, but this are changing with the revisions!

Aragornwriter (San): You are so good to me! With all your beautiful words and all! Thanks for hanging in there with me for this story!

Gozilla: Mmmm...thanks, glad you think it's excellent.

ElleMorko: You made me blush! One of the top ten LOTR fics you've read? I'm flattered! I'm revising; there are new scenes in the early chapters....enjoy!

Eep: Thanks for the review and THANK You for helping me remove my head from my (& and telling me posting 20 chapters is NOT such a good idea!! I have taken them off and am revising and reposting!

Pirate Gyrl: You're so good to me! Not just one review, but MORE THAN one...I feel so flattered that you like this story so much! I like yours as well! I'll try to post regularly!

Fox-Demon-Girl: Thanks.

Zammy: I'll try to update regularly!

Silvertoekee: Thanks for the kind words, yes the Elves' deaths were a tragedy...but at least many had already left for the Undying Lands. AND YES...Graelath is a tyrant and very greedy...I won't tell you WHAT he'll do now, but I promise you'll see within a few chapters!

Tonianne: Great adjectives to describe my story! I'm thrilled!

Arayelle Lynn: Yep...Leggy's magic in this one! You'll see it in action soon!

Jedi Cosmos: Yeh, not holding back...I'm killing a lot of Elves here! Thanks for reviewing.


Chapter 4: Attack in the Night

The night dragged on slowly, each person locked in their own thoughts, the camp eerily quiet. Legolas had fallen asleep, his breathing slow and even as his body healed itself. His sleep was deeper then usual and even he did not hear the approaching danger.

Domir, standing guard since the sun had gone down, was the first to hear the threat. He jumped to his feet, eyes straining against the dark to see what was approaching. When he could not, he ran back to the main part of camp and called for the king.

Aragorn immediately awoke and shook the sleep from his eyes. "What? What is it Domir?"

The man, breathless from running, managed to say, "I hear something, but I can not see what."

His shout had awoken Legolas as well. The prince shot to a sitting position, wincing in pain as he felt the tender skin of his torso and shoulder pull painfully. He hoped he hadn't opened anything up again.

Casting his eyes around, he could discern shapes moving toward the camp. "It looks like orcs," the prince said, struggling to get to his feet. He was surprised when a pair of arms pulled him up. Spinning, his eyes met Arwen's and she smiled.

Nodding his thanks, Legolas carefully began strapping his weapons to his back. Aragorn eyed him, but the look he received in return from the prince closed the door to any arguments. "How many do you think there are, Legolas?"

The prince shrugged. "I can not say exactly. But it does not look good." He pulled back on the string of his bow, testing to see if he would be able to wield it. His range of motion was greatly diminished but he would fight nonetheless.

Aragorn turned to Arwen. "I know you are strong and fearless, but I would feel much better if you were further from the fight." He watched as she drew her sword, but motioned toward the horses and King Thranduil. "Please, do me this favor and fight only if necessary. Protect Legolas' father."

Arwen sighed in frustration. "If you tried to coddle Legolas like this, he would have your head," she muttered. Her phrase didn't escape her husband's ears, even as he helped Thranduil to a standing position and over to Haluneth.

"Yes," he answered. "He would, but you will not! Besides, the King is too weak to move, let alone fight. He needs you." Moving swiftly, Aragorn helped Thranduil onto the horse's back, gripping the elf's leg to hold him in place until Arwen could mount behind him.

The woman smiled and turned to mount the horse. "Don't you dare die on me, Estel! I would be forced to take drastic measures."

There was no more time for talking; the orcs began to stream into the camp. Legolas, though he was hindered by his injuries, let arrows fly in astonishing succession. Orcs began to fall. The men of Gondor rallied around their Queen for the most part, slashing and stabbing the vile creatures within their reach, leaving only three men to fight with Legolas and Aragorn.

Arwen frowned at the number of men around her, knowing that this was Aragorn's doing. She'd have to speak to him about it later. Thranduil could only watch in horror as the small group battled an ever increasing enemy. He had not had the chance to fight with his son often and he was amazed at how much the prince had grown, how much his skills had improved.

Seeing an orc behind Legolas, Aragorn let out a shout and ran toward his friend, pushing the elf prince aside and blocking a savage swing by the orc. Swords clashed in a loud metallic clang and Aragorn quickly sliced the orc's head from its body.

Muttering thanks, Legolas notched another arrow and sent it careening into an orc that had broken off from the rest and had been heading toward Arwen and Thranduil. The Queen nodded in thanks to the prince who grimaced and turned back to the fight.

"For every one we kill, two take it's place!" One of the men cried, thrusting his sword into the belly of an orc. He didn't move quickly enough and his arm made contact with a blade. He cried out in pain and fury, holding his arm against his body as he continued to fight.

Aragorn, meanwhile, had seen the leader of the orcs approaching. He saw the look the Uruk gave Legolas, a look of surprise and blinding anger. The Uruk raised his bow.

Looking around, Aragorn spotted the elf prince, using his knives now, fighting a particularly ugly orc. He knew he wouldn't reach the prince in time so he shouted in Elvish. "Legolas, behind you! The leader!"

Hearing Aragorn's shout, Legolas sped up, thrusting one of his twin blades into the orc's chest, pushing him off the blade with his foot. Spinning around, he saw the Uruk who had attacked him.

A feeling of deja vu washed over him and he heard rather then saw the arrow flying through the air. Sidestepping, he hoped he would avoid the weapon, but knew he had not moved quick enough when he felt something hit his hip.

Luckily for him, there wasn't much for the arrow to imbed itself in, it had hit the bone and come to a grinding halt, even though it still knocked him back a few paces and made the prince grimace in pain. Undeterred, Legolas notched an arrow and let it fly, straight at the Uruk's head.

The creature moved astonishingly fast for his species and managed to avoid a full shot to the head. The elf's arrow glanced off his head, cutting him, but not killing him. Swearing furiously to himself, Legolas notched another arrow, but frowned when his arrow flew at the same time as the Uruk's.

"Damn," he said, feeling another biting blow, this time to his upper arm. It was a flesh wound, grazing his arm, but not embedding itself; obviously his first shot had disoriented the beast. He looked up at the Uruk and smiled. His second arrow had flown true, impacting the creature in the heart and taking him down.

Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief, he had seen the duel. Unfortunately, he had also been lax in paying attention. A searing, white-hot pain erupted across his back and he cried out.

Spinning, he faced another Uruk, this one armed with a broadsword. The sword was tinged red with the king's blood. Angry at himself for being caught unawares, Aragorn swung furiously at the Uruk, only to be blocked.

He tried again, feeling the wound on his back stretch and pull at the action. Grimacing, he stepped back a step, feinted to the left and then spun, attacking the creature on the right side. It didn't work.

Growling a little, he blocked another blow aimed for his head and then heard a familiar sound. An arrow, with gold and green feathers, hit the Uruk in the shoulder and the creature's screech rang out.

Taking advantage of the moment's lapse, Aragorn drew his dagger from his belt and jammed it into the Uruk's chest, black blood spilling down his forearms. The cry of fury that erupted from the Uruk chilled the king's blood. Grabbing the man by the throat, the Uruk held him in front of his face, ready to take a bite of a tasty human morsel.

Suddenly, the Uruk's head slipped to the side and clean off its neck. Aragorn saw Arwen, still atop the horse, her sword slick with black blood in one hand, her other arm wrapped firmly around Thranduil's chest, holding him in place in front of her. She had sliced the creature's head off.

Aragorn hit the ground, forgetting that the Uruk had been suspending him when it died, and bit back a cry of pain at the jolt. Nodding his thanks to Arwen, making a mental note to ask her how in the world she had gotten loose from the guards, he continued to fight, risking a glance to Legolas, who was obviously tiring.

His attention was ripped away from the elf when he heard a strangled scream. Spinning on his heel, batting away an orc blade as he did so, Aragorn saw Domir fall to the ground, a dark arrow in his chest.

The man's breath gurgled as he pitched forward and lay still, blood spreading across the ground from the fatal wound. Aragorn shouted in fury, for his men were dying, even though the world was supposed to be peaceful after the destruction of the One Ring.

Legolas saw the man fall and swallowed. He felt a rush of guilt at the man's death; after all, the group had set out to save him and his people. Swinging a vicious blow at the nearest orc, Legolas suddenly saw a new wave of orcs approaching fast. They could not win this fight as it was.

His eyes cleared. He knew what he had to do and it felt right this time. He stood in the midst of the orcs, hearing the all too familiar whispering in his mind, and began to chant in Elvish. Aragorn heard him and exchanged a glance with Arwen, whose mouth was agape. Thranduil watched in growing fascination.

Suddenly, the wind began to pick up and whip through the forest in a frenzy. His hair blowing in his face did not stop Legolas' words. The orcs now slowed to a halt, unsure of what to make of the elf prince and this new devilry.

Raising his hands, Legolas changed his chant slightly and all of a sudden, lighting crackled in the sky. Elves didn't just use magic; they used it to wield the elements. Legolas called the lightning down and it struck the largest group of orcs, burning them to ashes.

Seeing the plight of their comrades, the remaining orcs retreated back into the woods. The men and Aragorn watched as they ran. Arwen reached Legolas first, knowing that the use of magic was draining.

"Mellon nin," she whispered as she caught her friend before he hit the ground. She could feel blood oozing from his wounds, the use of his magic had taken away from his healing. She frowned. "I am glad you saved us, but you did it at the expense of your own health, Legolas."

A weak smile crossed his face. "I could not let the King of Gondor fall, nor could I die myself, Arwen." He managed to somehow stay conscious long enough for Aragorn to reach his side. "We are safe now," he muttered as he fell into blackness.