The climactic last chapter of my epic story describing the events that took place bringing allies together: the wargs and the orcs and mentioning a traitorous benefactor, as well as the more important to the fans, Legolas and Aragorn.
Legolas: Do not forget to check again in a week for the final installment, the epilogue, not the prologue, as was falsely advertised in the last chapter.
So I screwed a word up, no biggee.
Aragorn: It should be, you're the writer, what if you mess something big up, like on my lines?
Well that is why I have my wonderfully dedicated beta, Mornflower, check her stories out. In addition, I don't even own any Lord of the Rings or its affliates, so it not like the world will turn to apocalypse if I say 'sat' instead of sit.
All characters: Darn it anyway…
Answering to the Threat
Chapter Fourteen: Starting From a Darkened Night
Twilight was over and the night was darkening. The forest was thick with brush off the main path; good cover for those not keenly proficient in trees. The thorns dug into clothing, ripping the fabric; dry branches cracking, but the warrior remained undetected. The growing shadows played to his advantage. They also aided those under his surveillance, hiding their movement and guard, though the hider just waited.
Aragorn sat under a tree, eastern of the Rivendell cavalry, watching around him wearily. He waited for the two scouts who had moved around behind the enemy, to gauge numbers, and decide where to pick the orcs off. It was dangerous to engage the orcs at night, in their element, best wait until day, when they fell asleep. Legolas and Andorn, the reconnoiters, should have met him here already, it had been nearly an hour, unnaturally long for elves to take when surveying the enemy. It was also, crouching in the same spot for going on an hour, making the ranger's legs cramp up. Legolas probably was doing this on purpose, testing him.
Squinting through the branches, there was just enough light to see through the orc camp. The orcs were talking to a man, there was only one human there, and they all referred to him as best as he could see. The leader pointed something out in the far side border of the camp, where Legolas was supposed to be around. An orc drew his bow, Estel pulled behind the closet tree, his friend was not sighted, was he? The orc turned and shot into the brush, a figure dropped from a tree, yelling in pain. The golden hair fell to the ground, could have been Legolas. The shout was echoed by another voice, louder, almost indistinguishably yelling: "Baw, No!" The two voices mingled in a cry, carrying through the cold air.
Aragorn stood behind the big oak to where he had retreated, and slid down in shock. One of them was dead, how… They were elves, better then orcs, maybe he was still alive. The other scout needed to get the message back to the group; he would go straight to the small army of horse archers and sword arms. The ranger needed to get the elf, to see who it was and if he was still alive. But if he was caught…
Estel moved south around the camp with a wide radius, not trusting himself to stay hidden. He crept among the old trees gazing through the shadows thinking on the cry. The orcs in the camp were not foolish thinking they were safe a few miles out of an elven border, they were watching, they had shot down an elf. The ranger's eyes flicked back to the party of shadow-spawn watching for archers, sentinels to spot him. No one was looking at him for the moment, he moved through the brush silently as possible, his feet brushed over twigs slowly, he hoped that he would not step on enough dry brush to alert himself to the enemy.
A snarl filled the silence around the ranger. The orcs themselves were loud, cautious or not, they held a few bottles, that Estel was positive were not holding water. It was at least twenty meters ahead, he knew there was a warg ahead. He stopped and crouched peering ahead with sudden scrutiny. Had it scented him, it would draw eyes to his location if had. Estel looking for a tree to hide in, but that was not the quietest operation. Sighing, he moved back around the camp in the other direction. Circling around the camp to the north seemed the only option. That is, unless he wanted to run right through the slightly drunken enemy, probably get shot down in the process, and he might make them even warier. That was not probably the better of his two options.
The ranger made it back away to where he had been waiting and stopped. Aragorn looked to forest floor; there was not a lot of cover. That meant the elves favored option, trees! He pondered that sarcastically, and knew that the faster he got to the elf the better if there was any chance that he would live. Tumbling through trees it was. He could climb; his brothers, mostly just Elladan, had just traumatized him as a youth. Pulling himself up, he stood against the trunk and moved up as far as he could go for strong branches in all the neighboring trees.
He with the skill of an elven child walked and swung across the trees. Hiding on the outer side of the tree to the camp, he glimpsed part of the camp break off south, at least a third of it. Aragorn sighed; at least he wasn't still there. At the hurried nature of the departure, he wondered what set them off. Maybe the dumb warg just scented where he had been sitting when he decided in the interest of his life, to go the other way.
Reaching out with a hand to the next branch above his head, he let his foot slip across to a knot on the side of the trunk. The trees that he was going were older, partial rotten, not young and fresh. Elrohir said that trees like were nearly more dangerous than those you know are dead, you do not expect them to come out from under you though they look healthy enough. He told the young teenager then, to avoid those types at night. Of course, had the twelve-year-old been paying attention those five or so years ago, it really was not a thing the ranger could have changed, there were only so many trees close enough to each other in a forest to climb across connectedly. But those thoughts did not comfort him as the bark came out from under his foot. Hanging from two trees by his arms, he decided that this was the worst possible place to be.
"Except in a cave troll pit," he dared to mumble aloud. Now if he could just get a foot back onto the tree before his arms gave out, and he dropped. That would be bad. Puffing now, swinging his legs onto a branch, they slipped off the narrow beam. Another set of snarls caught his attention. Twin wargs strode underneath him. If only one of them looked up. Wincing at the pain in his shoulders, he would, he will not drop now. Trying a second time, his feet made their way and stayed sturdily. He stood there and threw his arm onto the trunk.
Aragorn made his way then through the trees, quickly, if the elf there had any chance of living, if it was Legolas… There were no orcs near to this place now; they had cleared out, strangely. Dropping to the ground he saw the back of a slumped body against the tree. Blood ran down his back and was beginning to dry on the ground. The ranger, not the boy stepped forwards and knelt at the elf's side to see who it was.
Andorn was dead. The arrow pierced his heart keenly. Such loss of immortal life was unforgivable, how could they have been more careful. How?
He needed to get back to the troops; they needed direction, and his arm in the fight. He could afford to mourn later. He would mourn later. He noticed the elves arms wrapped around his weapons like they buried soldiers, already. Was Legolas here? Estel needed to get back the camp.
Going back through the trees was easier, he moved through them with little mind, intent on going back to the oncoming fight. The forest seemed darker, now than before. Not knowing how to read trees exactly, he hoped that this was in mourning, not orcs were causing them to be angry. He'd heard stories of violent attacks. That was all he had, knowledge from stories, tales, and bloody monotonous history books. What was he doing here co-leading Rivendell's defense force? He was just a young Dunèdain-wanna-be.
Aragorn dropped into the camp noticing the grim faces of the men. Two of the more experienced warriors stepped up to him. "Who, which of the scouts sounded that yell? Of those that had set out, only you have returned, and late."
There was no anger, or accusation, just saddened concern for their friends. "Andorn is safe in the Halls of Mandos." The young man paused as most of the men looked away. "Legolas has not returned?" Renewed fear for his friend awakened. "I did not speak with him after."
There speech was interrupted. Voices were heard in the forest, whispers. They were not of elves, or men. Aragorn stood up and looked about. The warriors walked over to him. The forty of them crowded around waiting for him, the half trained ranger, to speak to them. A small spark of confidence came to him. "The orcs that approach us are only half of a group of ninety. They split up when I was watching. The other group went to the north. We must be watching for them to come down at anytime. Form ranks, swords in front archers behind, a box formation with swords all around. The other side will come down and hit us once they find us, through noise. The quieter and faster we end this the better chance of being undiscovered. We will move and track the others down in the morning."
The elf that was a captain smiled at him, "Just what I would advise." He had briefly been one of the human's teachers.
Aragorn smiled. "Now go in formation, while the orcs are still lumbering about." The command was obeyed. A few elvish heads swooped back to look at him, some incredulous, some amused. Aragorn found that small taste of authority pleasing.
The ranger moved back to his horse and noticed Legolas' mare standing tied up with what must have been Andorn's mount. He untied them from the trees, and gently patted their necks. 'Legolas better get back here, quick, before his mare starts throwing a fit… And I have to start worrying again.' He walked towards his own horse and slipped his sword back into the sheathe at his side, it was mostly too cumbersome to climb around in the trees with. He untied the reigns of his horse and mounted up, taking a position on the outer edge of the warriors in the front line.
The ranger felt eyes on his back and he looked to one of the elves that Elladan fooled around with. Pranks, Elrohir was not one for acting immaturely on the members of council, usually. His grin was infectious. "I suppose I have to look out for you, do I not? Look after my friends little brother, Elladan would probably find swift need to separated my dashing head from my shoulders should a hair of yours be harmed. Watching after the little human all the time, great babysitting."
Estel's murderous eyes pierced him, and the elf decided to revise his statement. "Alright very mature human who knows a few ways around a weapon, or three. Sorry, just looking for a little battle side humor. Elrohir had been influencing you too much. Gotta correct that when we get back home. Pay that elf a little gift."
Elrohir's best friend, other than his brothers, leaned across one of the captains to tap Elladan's pal on the shoulder. "You do realize that I am sitting right over here?"
A cry of orcs settled the coming pointless argument. Aragorn's face hardened as he eased the sword out of his sheathe. He heard the nearly soundless motion of bows being drawn. Orc and warg pairs appeared in the forest and died. The swarm of them moved forward. The two forces hit and blood was flying.
Reaching down to slice heads of orcs and necks of wargs the ranger watched expectantly as one fought back, it blocked his blade and pushed it back with force. The horse backed up with the blow. It started waving its blade at him yelling. The warg reared and snarled. He pulled a small knife from his boot and threw it into the animal's neck, and it must have landed true, because the filthy beast toppled and lay still. Aragorn struggled to stay on his now panicky mount. The gelding shied at every move and he found it difficult to send an attack at the remaining orc. Slipping off his horse, he landed on his feet as he felt an orcish blade score his leg as it stuck from the hand of a dead orc. Estel jumped from away from it. The orc smiled and stepped forward. The ranger got into ready position. The orc pushed an experienced low thrust out and the ranger blocked it pushing the wretched creatures scythe down. It smiled more, Aragorn turned, noticing that he was out ahead of the formation, on foot. He punched the orc in the mouth, 'Bloody thing'.
He tried to fight his way back to the elves, but the orcs started to surround him. They called out tauntingly to him, jibing him on. He glared back at them. His sword moved through them swiftly, like he was taught. The arcs of the blade were swift and gracefully never moving anymore than necessary. He was glad for the hours he'd spent training. He glanced around looking for help but saw none. Elladan's friend was fighting with his knives. And he had shifted away, too far. He whipped around trying to take down orcs as fast as possible. He did not have time to make mistakes. A knife nicked his shoulder. Cuts were bleeding from his body. More were coming. He dodged suddenly as an arrow came at him, that cut him as well, but the black shafted buried itself into the chest of an orc behind him.
He was alone, despite all the wonderful heroic tales, you cannot go against and enemy with unthinkable opposing odds, and come out unscathed.
Twilight was over and the night was darkening. Elrohir looked through the shadowing trees and tried see if there were any orcs in the direction they were going now. Playing hide and seek with orcs in their element was not the most wise thing to do. But it was unsafe to stop now, even if the horses were tired, best if they kept there muscles warm instead of stopping and waking up to expectant masters who want them to race to their home. The poor beasts were not tripping over each other, yet.
The scream stopped him; he pulled up the horse, and looked to Elladan. The sounds of orcs and the hollering quieted, the two elves winced. That was a good gauge though if nothing else. They still had another twenty minutes until the encountered the orcs. There were no other directions. And to stay was, to wait for a patrol to come.
"That scream was no orc's." Elladan looked through the trees. "Ahead, our people are being attacked; there must be more of them than the first two. We shall ride to their aid. With luck they are close enough to stir up on of ada's patrols."
"With luck we can find and capture and humans organizing this threat." Elrohir tapped his horse into a trot. 'And I can get a word with the orc who shot me.' The tired elvish horse went on through the thinning brush.
The time it took to pass the trees, and get to the orc camp was unnoticed. It was emptied of occupants. They stopped briefly there and threw the extra arrows and what ever easy food they could see into the fires. Elrohir felt disheartened when he saw the size of the encampment. There were at least eighty orc pairs here.
The stink of the place was already setting in and the two men thought out loud. "Mayhap a group of ada's patrols have already been here." They walked through the forest leading the two horses that were breathing hard and resting. The cool night carried sound well, and the two elves realized that, before running head on into them, the orcs, forty of them, were heading west swiftly. The elves angled north, jogging beside their mounts. They wanted to arc up and coming down on the orcs when they were on the side closer to the Old Ford. An escape route if things went ill.
A sound reached their ears as they came back do readying themselves to try and beat back the orcs. Metal crashing, horses screaming, battles cries and the unmistakable sound of an orcs curse. Elrohir swung up onto the back of his mount who's ears perked forward, and laid flat back. "Easy boy, feeling well rested?" The elf turned to look at his twin. "I believe our patrols have started the battle without us. We can't let out reputation as the Battle Lords of Rivendell go to squander because we were late for out fight."
The horses cantered through the brush and two elves vowed to see these horses were given godly treatment once they reached their home Imladris for their endurance and valiant service. Their steps were unfaltering and the brothers, spoke quiet words of encouragement to the rapidly tiring animals. "Elrohir, I believe it should be policy to bring spare mounts."
"Elladan, grandmother would never let us have all of her good horses, they do not have that many breeders in Lothlorien. They like walking in their trees." Elrohir chuckled, but his mood faltered when his snorting mount started to enter the clearing.
Orcs were shooting bows; some still remain unfazed by the elves' attack. When an arrow landed dangerously close to Elrohir's shoulder, he reacted and started fighting back at the orcs that seeing the elves secluded from the main group. His sword glanced down taking heads, the prowess showing in his impassive fight as he and the horse worked together to get to the main group of elves. Elladan was just ahead of him cantering his horse to the inner edge of the box and pulled out his bow. His arrows flew expertly at the orcs who dared to shoot back. The twin brothers heard many "Hellos", one or two "About times" when they appeared. They quickly dispatched many of the orcs. Suddenly someone mentioned a missing Aragorn and that few of the enemy had broke off into the woods to the south.
Elladan acted first looping through battle his saber flashing downing on any in his way heading to where they could see a few wargs heading to, in the forest. Elrohir took a few seconds longer to finish off the two wargs that were after two horses loose in the battle. Legolas' and another's mount, he briefly wondered where their riders were as he went to find his brother, Estel. He quickly found Elladan and saw his brother on foot battling to get to the struggling Dunédain.
The young man had several visible cuts; one over his eyes bled spuriously and would be distracting. Several were along the rangers left arm and right side. Elrohir swung off his horse and began following Elladan into the rapidly evening fight to help his brother. The iron sword arced upwards in a strike to sever the jugular of a warg, as he turned and brought the blade down on an orc behind who thought it was catching an elf exposed. A thin blade in his left hand stabbed into an orc's neck, who trying fight against his brother, Aragorn.
The body dropped and the young man's sword stopped and turned to a different orc, "Thanks Elrohir, but that was mine fair and square." They quickly dispersed the few remain animals and orcs that thought the brothers of Rivendell were easier targets than a group of seasoned warriors.
Elrohir stepped up to catch his panting brother's shoulder as they made their way back up to the clearing. "When it is not necessary for us to appear and help you not die, you can kill all the orcs you want."
"Help me not die; really you should have a little hope." Estel frowned at the now snickering Elladan. "Shuddup."
Elrohir looked around and did not see the one person he was looking for. "Where is Legolas?" That either glaring or mocking blonde head was no where to be seen, did Ada lock him up in the healing ward or something, would not be the first time, sad as it was.
Estel sighed, "He still is not back? The ranger looked around through the battlegrounds. All of the elves that were there still lived, but a few had serious injuries. A couple healers hovered over them, well warriors with extensive field medical knowledge. Elrohir watched his brother look around the battlegrounds for his friend.
His young brother sighed and made his way back over to the two elves. "Legolas was scouting with Andorn," his voice cracked, and he looked away, "Andorn was seen and shoot, he died, and I went before and found him." Tears brimmed at the edge of his vision; Elladan grabbed his shoulder and murmured comfortingly. "Legolas has not come back yet, maybe he is caught somewhere, hiding. There is just under half of the army hiding to the south somewhere."
Elrohir looked around, they needed to be prepared to withstand a second assault, and he saw adequate measures being taken. The older captain had taken charge of the camp for now. "If the other orcs do not attack us this night, I presume the plan was to go after them in the morning." Elrohir sighed, "If Legolas does not return by then, we will find him during the fighting, or before. He does not want the leaders of this counter attack walking around blindly in the forest."
"No offensive to our friend, but what would he be doing then?" Elladan looked to them and shrugged.
Estel just glared.
A high-pitched scream speared the senses of every elf in the camp. It was south of them but not a lot. The three brothers broke of into the woods the voice ringing in their ears, definitely not Legolas' voice, by the feminine nature of it, not an orc's.
They walked cautiously under the great old trees, glancing around for any signs of life. Two orcs, with there throats slit lay under an old tree. Elladan walked over to them and knelt over picking up two black handled knives. A figure dropped on him and started hitting him across his neck. All of it stopped and the person gasped, "Oh you are not an orc. Sorry." Elrohir held back a smile as the now decidedly female figure clambered off his brother. "Hey Elrohir!"
Elladan glanced up at her, and pointed back at the real Elrohir. "That would be the one you did not just try and kill." Myliné nodded, her grin looking at them guiltily. "The tree jumping thing was Legolas' idea correct?" Elladan's voice remained calm and civil. "Then I will kill him, if the orcs haven't, well not that I don't mind women jumping on me or anything."
"No stop, I saw Legolas, about twenty minutes ago, you have to go help him, he has about thirty orcs tailing him. He stole my horse, well his horse." Myliné pointed down south. "I came from there; Legolas is leading the orcs up here to the warriors, after he finished thinning out the heard. He told me to come up here as fast as I could. If I even thought there were orcs around, he told me to go up the tree and wait. If there were only one or two I thought maybe I could help..." She flashed a guilty look to Estel, "Hi, I have a really good reason for being here too!"
After her message had filtered through the men's heads, they looked at her with the same glare, Estel spoke up exasperated, "If is suits your desires, go back to the camp now, where it is safe!"
"Fine then, I won't give you pastries, and they are good too. Guess Legolas is the only polite one." Myliné smiled at them, "Hurry, I'm safe, go help him, he's my friend too."
Elrohir looked at her and whistled for his horse. Elladan mounted his, and Aragorn pulled up on his. Legolas' black mare came up behind them and snorted, making the two elvish brothers jump. He looked back at her seemingly glaring façade, "Does she have to come?"
Twilight was over and the night was darkening. The trees waved back and forth in the wind, and the emotions emanating from them were as active as the kinetic motion. Fear and anger, spikes of pain were held in the shaking leaves. The foul aura of the threat beneath their branches permeated up to the elf hiding in on of its branches. He personally sympathized with the foliage, and knew that the issue was not going to last for another fall of night.
Legolas crouched on the branches of a thick tree peering down at the orc camp counting heads of orcs and wargs. Surprisingly among their filth and murk, there was some dastardly man handing out orders and watches. He would be an envoy of one organizing the breeding and alliance. He would be a useful person to capture alive. Legolas planned to order any troops that sees an opportunity to nab him out of the battle and take him down, that they should. There were eighty-seven orc and warg pairs, ten loose orcs, and that man, unkempt and ugly as he was. You are as the company you keep…
He heard a series of owl's calls, and old system derived by the bored elves that would often go on hunts together in their spare time. It mostly meant, "Go back to camp, 'cause I am'". Legolas turned his head to look at where the other scout was, Andurn, a fine Rivendell sentry and reconnaissance worker. He used to, back when they were young, provide a fair mount of evidence against Elladan and Legolas when a few of their schemes were discovered before the evidence was cleaned up and shifted to Elrohir. The elf shrugged his shoulders and took a long look at the face of the man before getting ready to pull back to where Estel was waiting for them.
Legolas took a final look at the camp before coming back to raid it next noon. He stopped short, noticing a bow drawn and pointing in his general direction. That orc had a malicious gleam in his eyes; it was not just fooling around with false bravado. Legolas made a jerking with his thumb motion behind his back to get Andurn out of here, only one person is needed to report.
Taking his eyes off the orc, thinking subconsciously that not looking at it was going to make it go away he renounced his departure. They probably saw a glint of light from his weapons, if he sat here still; there was a chance they would just think they were seeing some little animal, he hoped.
He heard a shout and saw Andurn's slam into the trunk and slide down the other side of the tree. The elf shouted in pain, alerting the other's that he was compromised; Legolas did not realize his own voice head cried out in denial.
An orc walked over to the scout form in the trees, Legolas looked down on it in rage. The coldest and angriest curses sprung to mind. He had just gotten a warrior killed! Rookies did not even make that mistake! Why! What had he done? The orc smiled down at the elf, which glanced up at it only to glare. The orc kicked him in the chest where the arrow entered and strode back to camp. Legolas heard it mutter that the lone elf was not even going to live for questioning, and fun. They all turned away and broke out another bottle of whatever sordid drink they had.
Legolas jumped noisily down the ground biting back curse. How… The presence was back; he could feel it very near. 'It better not give me away too, though that would be fitting.' His eyes filled with guilt and empathy, he snuck quickly over to his dying friend's side. "Mellon… Ónen le gurth, my fault alone." Legolas knelt and saw the arrow what was only a centimeter from the elf's heart, piercing a lung.
Andurn looked upwards with dismay and said softly between wracking coughs of blood, "Don't, I was not- going to le-leave, to be- slaughtered by them, alone. Do not- wa-ste your chance- to make a difference. You were always- a –stubborn friend… Get going, before- you get caught." Legolas crouched at the elf's side, making sure he was invisible to the orcs. Andurn looked of to the side of his only companion, "I see, a person, looks worried, too… Dead shot with arrows, holding a riverstone…" The elf's eyes glazed and shut. The racking coughs faded and stilled. Legolas was left watching, a deceased comrade, wondering at the curious words that were his last. The elf took out the elf's weapon and wrapped them into his cooling figures. He could not wait to bring the body back, Valar forgive him…
A cry rang up from the camp. The orc's were coming to the dead elf's body to make sport of it. Legolas jumped into a tree and pulled himself up. He could not just leave a friend like that. Andurn's last sane words pulled up in his head. "Get going, before I get caught." He whispered them aloud to remind himself of the duties to his people, and the promise to protect others.
The lone solemn elf traipsed around to the south circle of the camp, for the orcs were not gathering under there like flies on horse dung. He slipped his way through the trees barely noticing the moods changing under his feet from angry to empathetic. A snarl sounded from about twenty meters ahead of him, and he saw a crouching orc scurry away from where he hid at his post forty meters ahead. 'Strange, it looked to be hiding from its camp.' Not wanting to waste thought on murderous foul beings, he ignored the strange behavior.
A shout arose from the camp within a minute of the snarl. An orc came out to check on the beast after it choked on the scent of one of its own. A shout came from the human. "Look into the trees, another bloody elf is probably up there getting away. If you idiot's want to have some fun, don't shoot this one in the heart." A protest arose from the camp claming that it was aiming for the cursed elf's gut. All Legolas saw was fire now, and he ascended high into the thickly leaved branches and carefully angled away from his camp and eastern. The orcs would probably give up the search after three minutes anyway.
The elf took a second to wonder where bitterly, 'Valar is now,' as now as at least a third of the company emptied into the woods with torches and nocked bows. He started leaping through the trees, pulling himself through the thick bows of the trees. The pursuit lumbered behind him on the ground laughing lugging bows with them. Legolas ran across the trees leaping through the branches.
"As quietly as I can, move away from the light, if they can't see me, they can shoot, well they can but only a lucky arrow is going to actually hit. I am basing my chances on luck, great strategizing…" Legolas moved through the thick woods and glanced back through the night to his still present pursuers. The orcs moved like a wave tearing through the night pointing at him, the human was bringing up the rear and was looking winded but excited. He turned forward and guessed that none of the orcs wanted to waste arrows trying to hit a person moving constantly behind natural shields.
The wood elf could hear the trees yelling to him directing him through a path on the trees as stable as air. His senses scanned ahead, checking to see that he was not being driven into a wall of orcish archers ahead. Most camps were not that organized but a commander of Men was leading the assaults, and one could not count on an orcs undeniably foolish actions. There was nothing ahead but the neutral gray tones of life, animals, nothing out rightly evil or good.
Legolas was jerked back to his present place when a low stick jutting out of an overhead branch caught him across the throat. His back leg slipped off its hold and his right hand came instinctively to his constricted throat. Reaching up desperately, he stopped his fall, and wrenched his body back up to trunk of the tree gagging. Gasping a struggling breath in forcefully, his eyes watered in laughter. The master of the woods nearly impaled himself on a branch.
A resounding music of a loosed bow string and the following thud of an arrow hitting wood beside Legolas reminded the elf that he need to remain moving. Three more hit the woods behind him before he west at a sharp turn. Might as well lead them into our trap, there is not that many of them. The orcs were getting tired of chasing, and decided to fire into the tops for any hope of getting the elf. Legolas pulled a short bow off his back and drew an arrow growing tired of dodging bolts.
Running precariously backwards through the woods he sighted some of those coming for him and felled them. Snarls of rage sounded from the orcs and a shout came from the human to fire back. Sighing, he whipped to face the right direction and realized he had led them past the ambush of elves and ranger.
His eyes looked ahead looking through the trees for a spot to jump down and hide until his hunt requited. Legolas' mouth dropped as a person was walking an elvish steed through the woods going back east. The cloaked figure's face was shadowed, but he could sense that the person's intentions were not for ill. His presence was a white light casting a glow to the elf sensing. Deciding that the elvish horse was well rested and young looking as the horse passed under him he jumped and landed behind the rider.
Legolas winced as now the definitely feminine screech sent the orcs tearing after him. "Quiet give me the reins, I have to get both of us out of here. Miss you pick an awful night to go about gallivanting the dark. Legolas, at your service." By the time that he finished his introductory speech, he had the horse barreling back east slowly swooping north to round back to his camp for assistance.
"What! Legolas, what is going on, and why are you running from the orcs, alone?" The un-introduced woman looked back at him and he recognized her eyes. She stared back scared and annoyed. Legolas felt the young gelding pound under him snorting. "Legolas, what are we doing?"
Legolas looked back to the far off pursuit and turned back east. "Myliné, thanks for the ride, head north for four minutes and then turn east, run. Elven camp, there, tell them I will be bringing company. Hide if you see any of our 'friends.'" He waved as he ran the horse back to orcs to attract attention away from her. His voice shouted as he ran almost all the way back to them and turned south. Pain from his head pounded into him from nowhere. He swore and cursed thinking that today was about as good as the night he fell from the forty foot tree as an elfling.
For ten minutes he circled the orcs yelling insults and slowly herded them towards his camp. They traded arrows and occasionally a few restless scimitars would come flying through the brush. He needed to give Myliné time to get the message back. Bolts came through the leaves and one caught him across the temple accenting pain ringing through his head. The horse snorted and shook his head. He aimed his bow back and heard a voice yell across the acrimonious voices of the orcs. "Elf, why don't we stop your game, you are getting tired, your horse is tired, and you are alone."
Legolas chuckled loud enough for the human to hear. "And you think all just stop and let the orcs capture and torture me. I always knew humans were dullards, though I never thought them to be that slow." He quickly ran his horse back to a different location, knowing they would likely pelt the area where his voice came from with arrows. He wondered how it was that he could hear his pulse pounding in his head yet the wargs could not.
The human called out, "Aw boy, I promise not to hurt you, and you can not disappoint my orcs. It is you either come here and talk or I will let them overrun you." The human was trying to spot him through the darkness; funny thing was Legolas was to the north of them at that time, staring at the back of the human's head.
The thin patches of light spilling from the crescent moon was enough to pick out the orcs moving around to surround the spot where the human was looking intently upon. Legolas almost wanted to let them capture air, but not enough to let them get away. "I realize that you promised not to hurt me, but I bet that the orcs would have a ball with a live torture victim, not like that dead elf they desecrated."
The human jumped and turned to see Legolas dismounted and completely alone on the wrong side of the clearing. "So you were there when we killed the unskilled idiot. Why did you not aid him? The stories of camaraderie of the elves are legendary, I read them as a child, where is that now?"
Three voices that crept up on the elf said angrily, "Right here."
Legolas backed up and looked relieved over to his friends, brothers of combat. "I was coming to get you really. Did you get my message?"
Elladan leaned over to him and remarked, "Your message was a scary woman who told us that you were that way." He did not motion in any direction as he talked, "We found you by hearing the orcs tear through the woods."
Legolas rubbed his neck and looked behind him seeing five horses standing resolutely behind him. "Well my friends we will finish this as we started, four warriors running against thirty shadow spawn, kill them all, but capture the human, he might be educated enough in this to give us answers."
Elrohir smiled and raised his sword, "Yes, that human even claims he can read."
Aragorn pulled his great sword up and rested the flat of his blade on his shoulder. "Hey, I could take offense to that."
The orcs screeched and the few remaining archers drew bows. Elladan laughed and shot them down. Legolas grinned and pulled a fletched arrow past to his cheek and fired feeling a pull of the migraine taken away. The orcs charged and Legolas whipped out white handled knifes twirling them around and plunged them into the necks of the enraged orcs. Aragorn and Elladan pulled themselves onto horses and cut down the few orcs that where with this group.
The orcs fell easily, orders coming from the human indicated retreat was out of order and unplanned for the steadily depleting troops. Legolas moved for the commander and called for Elrohir to watch his back. Legolas walked to behind the man and said quietly, "Aw boy, I promise that-" air rushed out of his lungs as a stab of pain cut through his head, he staggered backwards blindly.
The human turned around and laughed. "What is wrong little elf." The human swung his fist and snapped Legolas' jaw to the side. Legolas stumbled over a dead orcs body and looked up, his vision skewed. He could hear two out of the three voices yelling at him to get out of there, and Legolas felt another punch catch in the gut. Though instinct he brought his right arm up and ripped the blade unceremoniously across the man's chest. A cry of rage sounded. "You little bastard." The words filtered through Legolas' head as he leapt backwards and avoid a swinging scythe.
Legolas moved to the side of the exposed man and let his left blade sink into his thigh. The man staggered and fell grabbing Legolas' bruised throat down with him. Falling on top of the man, he let his right blade come to the enemies exposed throat. Through the white fogged pain in his head, he stopped the blade short of killing the man, though he was not unmarked by injury.
Legolas felt two arms pull him off the corrupted human and moved back supported by one of the twins; the other kicked the weapon out of the man's hand. Aragorn pulled him up by the collar and held a sharp hunting knife in the bleeding cut on the man's neck. The ranger's words beat with the stabs of pain in the elf's head.
"Who are you?" The question went unanswered.
"What are you doing with the orcs and wargs?" Each question had the same innovative response.
"Whom do you work for?" Announced by a deepening of the blade the man answered.
The man looked up and caught the undivided attention of the four men, "My master is so White that you would never in all the ages of the Middle Earth guess his blackened heart." His quick motions of his hands pulled the knife out of his leg and stabbed it in deeper into the artery. With a cry of pain the man smiled, "And my master will reward my soul with eternal life…" Loss of blood was killing him quickly, his eyes glanced up and focused on an unseen place to Legolas' side, "A man covered in arrows wounds…" His eyes shut and the man died.
Legolas stood up with ease for the pain completely vanished with the man's words. He shook his head, what did he say, a mysterious figure shot with arrows, like Andurn. He glared at the corpse. 'What devilry is this?' Elrohir looked on Legolas with concern. "What help is that clue, for all that was worth, it could be the head of the wizards Saruman?"
Legolas looked on them, "I believe we might be stopping their main force, it will take time for the traitor to redistribute the wargs, time enough to regroup and stop this for good and discover who it is. We will attack the rest at noon tomorrow and return to Rivendell to plan to monitor all of the settlements that may have resources enough to plan this atrocity."
Elladan said to Legolas with a confused glace, "What do you mean, 'attack at noon,' the rest are dead."
Aragorn cut in, "Yeh, we killed them when you were out running scared through the woods. Thanks for the help."
Legolas looked down on them indignantly, "You went and attacked them without my orders!"
"They attacked the camp! It was not like you being there was going to make any difference. You can not just tell the orcs to go back to the camp so we can come in and kill them when they sleep." Elrohir looked at him.
A black body pushed itself between Legolas and the three others. The mare nickered at her master and made to mule kick the three others. Deciding to stop his empathic mare, Legolas went out and calmed her. "At least some one agrees with me." The horse nuzzled him.
"All is well, the peril is answered to and stopped for now, we are all safe and mostly unharmed, and Legolas got a girl." Elladan sighed and looked fondly upon the two lastly mention beings. The horse stepped on his foot and did not get off despite avid pushing and cursing. Legolas made no move help his inappropriate friend.
"Yes Legolas, you do realize that she is a horse." Tinnu shifted her other three feet so she looked down into Aragorn's eyes. "A very pretty ebony mare," was hastily added.
"Aye, my only undeniable allegiance, a horse…" Legolas looked back east to where he had left the camp. "We had better be getting back."
Whew, that was a long one for me.
Legolas: Longest for me, my viewpoint had to last until the ranger and the twins showed up.
Aragorn: Well I had to be in there three times.
Elladan: (reading it over) What is this Legolas, tried to stab yourself on a tree, I have certain people who would pay dear money to immortalize that in Imladris' halls.
Legolas: Well I am sure the reviewers are backing me up on this, right, (hint review to respond, click that little blue button, clicke clicke).
Myliné: With your record I seriously doubt that, they are too busy laughing or shaking their heads in shame. But I'd still like to know.
REVIEWER RESPONSES:
CelticPuzzleStangerRangerGrl: Thanks for your support and review! It is all I ever ask for, sob…
Mornflower: Glad I could help you out now, Mellon. Talk to you on my Thursday whenever that may be…
