Dreams of Darkness – Thanks. I'm glad you like it!

Greensoxs - Thanks. I'm glad you like the pranks on the twins. Hopefully I'll have more to come.

Hypersquishy – Thanks. I will send you my other fic when I am finished.

Sauronaslytherin – Thanks for the nice compliment about my writing abilities. I will send you my other fic when I am finished.

Legolaslover – Thanks. I'm glad you liked the armor. I saw a drawing someone made of Legolas with a bit of armor and I just thought he looked so cool, so I decided to write in the armor for all the elves. I should have "No Control" finished by tomorrow night. I'm currently staying at a hotel in downtown Chicago. We have a car at the VetteFest in McCormick Place, so I'm typing away in the hotel room when I get too bored sitting around the car and listening to people ask my husband questions about it. Have fun on your vacation.

Spotnmushlover246 – Thanks!

SofiaB – I'm so glad I'm keeping you guys surprised. I have a few more surprises up my sleeve. (evil grin)

Tiffany-45 – I really want Legolas to be my main focus, but I have to throw some element of surprise in there somewhere to create a bit of angst for him. By the way, I love South Park, too.

Linilya Elf – Gotta add a bit more plot twist into the story. Read my Author's Note below for some additional information.

Shero – Thanks so much!

Beechiki – Thanks so much!

Author's Note –

The battle that occurs is of my own fabrication and is not part of the history of Middle-Earth. But I did borrow some interesting characters from Tolkien. There is very little written about the Istari known as the Blue Wizards in the resources from Tolkien, but I thought they would work well in my plot. God, that Tolkien was a genius. What a world he created! After digging deeply into some of the characters, places and things…there are so many storylines one can pursue…I've managed to intertwine one additional plot. I found that I could intertwine a hundred more at this point. But if I did that, then this story would go on forEVER! This is just way too much fun! I'm so glad I discovered Tolkien's world. I immerse myself in it for a few hours a day and everything around me just fades away.

Also, I just wanted to give you more of a visual of what Legolas's sword might look like. Picture a Samurai sword, with a curved blade and a long handle. I know he used a broadsword in the Two Towers and Return of the King, but somehow I don't think that would be his weapon of choice. Especially after seeing the brief clip of him in the Extended DVD of Return of the King where we see him walking in a forest wearing elaborate clothing and the long-handled sword strapped to his waist. The clip was one of the deleted scenes that was supposed to appear at the end and was cut because the ending just kept going on and on.

Just wanted to share that. On with the story…

Chapter 21 – Something Evil Lurks

"If the enemy manages to get passed you, I will return to the caverns to warn Thranduil," said Celeborn.

Legolas nodded, but he would never let it get to that. The enemy would be stopped well before they came anywhere near the edge of Mirkwood. He was far more concerned that they would intentionally attack Lake-Town to draw the Mirkwood troops from the caverns. He hoped Haldir and his twenty Lothlorien elves had the ability to hold off any attacks. He also hoped his father was smart enough to keep the forty Mirkwood elves Legolas had left there and not send them to aid Haldir in Lake-Town.

Glorfindel led his assembly of twenty Rivendell elves into the trees. Each of them found a strategic branch to hide in, in the event Orcs and Kozari stormed into the woods. He gave Celeborn a nod that they were ready.

"Do not take any chances, Legolas. If your troops start to fall, retreat to the trees. Glorfindel has a better advantage here than you do in the open. It is pointless to risk your…" Celeborn stopped talking when he realized Legolas was no longer listening to him. The other elf was staring blankly at nothing in particular.

Legolas concentrated on the sounds that reached his ears from afar. The sounds of horses and armor clad riders. He could also hear the familiar grunts of marching Orcs. Above all, a soft breeze that came from the direction of the Lonely Mountain carried the scent of the foul creatures and it made him briefly clench his teeth. "Im lasto a nostad ti. Hain ú-haeron." (I hear and smell them. They are not far)

Celeborn nudged his horse to the edge of the line of trees with Legolas following behind him. He watched as Legolas peered out at the barren landscape ahead. Celeborn looked and saw faint shapes in the distance, but they were too far to make out whether they were Orcs or the men of Kozar. Dark shapes against a cloud of sand and dirt raised by their movements.

Aragorn rode up as well, his eyes watching his elf friend. "Man cenich?" (What do you see)

Legolas stared at the approaching formation. They were approximately five miles away, but he saw them as clear as if they were a thousand feet away. "Orcs march in the frontlines. I estimate two hundred. Behind them are the Kozari on horseback. One hundred and fifty." He scanned the Kozari, but could not tell if Hurrnäd rode among them. When he had seen the Kozari ruler for the first time, his armor had been different than his men. The riders ahead all wore the same armor. He wondered if it was done intentionally, so he would not know which of them was the king. "This leaves nearly two hundred Orcs and fifty Kozari to attack Lake-Town." Suddenly Legolas felt a sensation that nearly shook him off Isilrö's back. A dark, brooding emotion came over him and he closed his eyes tightly to the evilness that tried to consume him. "Nay…" he uttered with a shaky voice.

Celeborn silently watched Legolas. "Man le trasta?" (What troubles you)

Legolas attempted to open his eyes, but it seemed as if a force was trying to keep them closed. "Nad no ennas. Nad um." (Something is out there. Something evil)

Aragorn turned to the arid landscape. "Something marches with them? An unseen enemy?"

Legolas sought to comprehend the feeling of evil that threatened to possess him. He put his senses out, trying to determine from which direction it came. In the recesses of his mind he heard Dagnir order the troops forward and out of the trees. Isilrö pranced beneath him, eager to move out with the others. A slight sensation drew his eyes up toward the sun. The sensation quickly became stronger and his eyes widened. "Dúath tôba i Anor." (Darkness covers the Sun)

Both Celeborn and Aragorn turned to the sun the moment the words left Legolas's mouth. At that very instant a dark shadow began to slowly move along the left side of the sun. An eclipse was approaching.

Aleera had followed the troops to the edge of the woods and stared up at the sun as it began to darken.

Legolas shook himself out of his reverie. "Nay, do not look upon it!"

Everyone averted their eyes from the shadow that was moving across the sun…except Aleera. She continued to watch the slow progress of the eclipse, not understanding why it drew her attention and why it was making her heart race. Her gaze was pulled away when Legolas trotted his horse up to her. He watched her expression with concern and she knew not why she felt annoyed by it. "Man?" she snapped at him with a frown. (What)

Legolas was surprised at her sudden annoyance with him and he searched her eyes for the meaning behind it. "Nâ nad raeg?" (Is something wrong)

Aleera took a deep breath and released it slowly, feeling her heart slowing to a normal beat. She looked up at Legolas and felt bad for snapping at him. "Goheno nin. Nad nâ raeg." (Forgive me. Nothing is wrong.)

Legolas moved Isilrö closer to Aleera's horse and he reached for her hand. He watched her smile as he raised her hand up to his lips. After he kissed it, he nudged Isilrö away several steps before turning back to her. "A eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas." (Show them no mercy)

She nodded. "Aye."

Legolas trotted back over to Celeborn and Aragorn. He felt Dagnir following his every move and knew that the captain awaited his orders to march. He turned back to the advancing legion of Orcs and Kozari. The sun was now completely blocked by the shadow that had fallen over it. He wondered what caused the sudden eclipse. These phenomenon were usually predicted by the Wise Ones. There had been no word of an eclipse for this particular day. The only other explanation was that it was caused by an unknown force. The blotting out of the sun cast a gloomy shadow over the land. To make matters worse, the rumbling sound of thunder was heard overhead, just as a sudden downpour dropped from the cloudless sky.

The elves looked around uneasily, their fear passing to their horses, which began to spook at the slightest sounds. Aragorn had seen this before while in Kozar. It was evident that Hurrnäd's resident wizard had a hand in the rain. But did he have the power to block out the light of the sun as well? He turned to Legolas. The elf was scanning the landscape in front of them, his eyes seeing things Aragorn could not see.

Legolas could see that the Orcs had picked up their pace and were now running in their direction. He saw their gloomy outlines reflected by the blue-tinted aura around the blocked sun and also saw the armored riders behind them. He reached down for his helmet and slipped it on over his head, leaving the face tilted up. Then he drew his curved elven sword and raised it up. Adrenaline began to rush through him in powerful waves. He let the feeling consume him entirely. "Mín edrinc!" Isilrö reared and jumped forward, breaking into a gallop. (We ride forth)

The elves of Mirkwood, accompanied by Aragorn, Aleera, Celegmin, Elladan and Elrohir, rode forward.

As Legolas watched the space between him and the enemy beginning to decrease, he sheathed his elven sword and reached for his bow. He knew that his movements would be matched by his warriors. They were like a single being when in battle, shooting arrows as one unit while at a safe distance. He reached for two arrows and notched them both. The pounding of Isilrö's hooves on the muddy ground echoed in his ears, nearly drowning out the savage cries of the Orcs ahead. Legolas drew back the bowstring and waited until he knew he was close enough. He released the arrows. Two Orcs running side by side were surprised to find arrows imbedded in their chests. Seconds later a volley of arrows passed Legolas and he watched as they found their targets.

As Orcs fell, those behind them stumbled over their fallen comrades, creating a mass of confusion. Legolas notched two more arrows and released them, followed by those that came behind him. More Orcs fell and the air was filled with cries of anguish. Lightning flashed brightly in the sky above, followed by the loud booms of thunder.

Legolas lowered the metallic face of his helmet after released several more arrows into the Orcs. They were drawing closer. The arrows continued to fly from behind him even as he drew his elven sword again. He smiled to himself at the terrible strategy of the force ahead of him. Their horses would roll through the legion of Orcs like a tidal wave, leaving none standing. Was Hurrnäd trying to save his soldiers for last, letting the orcs take the brunt of the initial attack?

In Rivendell, Gandalf raised his eyes from the ancient book he was immersed in. A shadow had fallen over the sunlight that had been reflecting through the open window of Elrond's library. At first he thought it to be a cloud and looked back down to the book to resume reading. As the moments passed, the shadow seemed to darken more and more, until Gandalf began to wonder what storm approached. He stood up, taking his long-stemmed pipe with him. The moment he stepped out onto the terrace, Gandalf knew something was not right. He turned to the sun and saw that it was nearly covered in shadow. An eclipse? But how could it be? He would have known if one approached.

"What foul sorcery has come upon Middle-Earth?"

Gandalf turned to find Lord Elrond stepping out onto the terrace. "Foul sorcery indeed. This eclipse is not one caused by the shifting of the planets."

Elrond stepped up beside Gandalf to watch the sun finally blot out completely, leaving only a surrounding aura of blue that caste a gloomy glow over the lands. "I sense a great disturbance in the east."

"Enemies march upon Thranduil's realm," said Gandalf. "But there is one among them that seeks far more than mere revenge on the prince of Mirkwood. He hides behind the shield of the king from beyond the Northern Wastelands."

"You know this man?"

"He is no man. He is an Istar."

Elrond turned to Gandalf with a look of surprise. There were only three Istari that he knew of presently in Middle-Earth. Gandalf, Radagast and Saruman. Radagast had forsaken his Istari responsibilities to concentrate on his love for birds and plants. He currently sought residence on the western edge of Mirkwood. Saruman dwelled in the tower of Orthanc in Isengard, but the white wizard traveled abroad often. Neither of the two were likely to seek an allegiance with men from beyond the Northern Wastelands.

"He has caste this shadow over the sun," continued Gandalf. "There are only two Istari capable of such power."

Elrond knew immediately who Gandalf spoke of. Though he did not know which of the two wizards. "I Ithryn Luin." (The Blue Wizards)

"One has betrayed Oromë." Oromë was one of the Valar, who sailed last to Valinor. He had also been the first to witness the awakening of the elves and led them to the Undying Lands where they could live their immortal lives in peace. Oromë had chosen Alatar to travel to Middle-Earth along with Gandalf and Saruman. Alatar took his friend Pallando with him and they were named the Blue Wizards because of the sea-blue color of their robes. The two traveled with Saruman to the east and were not heard or seen from again. And now it appeared that one had returned with evil intentions in mind. Gandalf knew not whether the Istari was Alatar or Pallando. But if he had to guess, it would be Alatar. Alatar's powers were far superior over Pallando's. They were stronger even than Gandalf's.

"You assume it to be Alatar," said Elrond matter-of-factly.

"Aye," Gandalf replied with a nod.

"He is the great-great-grandfather of Aleera, daughter of Galadron of Lothlorien."

Gandalf nodded again. "Then you are aware of her history?"

"I was aware she was the daughter of Galadron when she first arrived here with Aragorn and Legolas less than a month ago. She had no memory of who she was so all I said to her was that she reminded me of Galadron."

Gandalf chose his next words carefully. "Oromë has become angered. He has chosen Aleera to confront the Blue Wizard. Only she has the power to vanquish him. Yet she knows not at this time the power she can wield against him. I must go to her before the battle reaches its peak."

Elrond frowned at Gandalf. "It will take you over a week to reach Mirkwood. You will not reach her in time."

"Gwaihir will carry me there in less time than it would take by horse." The great eagle had served Gandalf in many difficult situations before. He had only to call him and the eagle would come on swift wings to carry him to Mirkwood.

"What quarrel does he have with elves?" asked Elrond. "Why does this Blue Wizard return now? Surely it is not to aid the Kozari ruler in his vengeance against Legolas."

Gandalf glanced up at the darkened sun, pondering Elrond's questions. "I fear we may not know the answers right away. But things may become clearer when I confront him."

Legolas leaned forward in his saddle. The Orcs were only a few more feet away. He quickly glanced to his left and then to his right. His troops had formed two lines and their formation was much like an arrow, meant to obliterate anything that stood before them. He hefted his curved sword and Isilrö lowered his head with a snort. The Orcs scattered in a sudden panic, a bit too late as the oncoming wave of elves on horseback crashed through them. As the Orcs fell, they were trampled underfoot and those that were not trampled were disemboweled by swinging swords. Legolas reached behind him and seized one of his elven knives. Sword in his right hand and elven knife in his left, he reached both arms out and swung to kill any Orcs left standing. Their cries filled the air, heard even above the sound of thunder and pouring rain.

Aleera swung her sword and sliced the throat of an Orc trying to dismount her. Then she swung her horse around to trample over the fallen creature. Her hatred of Orcs had grown tenfold since she recalled her memories of being dragged on the ground on her hands and knees by them, kicked and prodded and leered at. With an angry growl, she swung her sword again and nearly sliced the arm off another Orc rushing at her. Directly behind her was her brother Celegmin. He buried his sword into the chest of an Orc and into a second one that had come up behind the first.

Aragorn fought off the Orcs surrounding him, while his attention was drawn to his elf friend, who had moved passed the final line of Orcs. He kicked at another coming up and urged his horse forward. Legolas had stopped and Aragorn drew his horse to a stop beside him. The Kozari had stopped advancing several hundred feet away. They remained still, twenty soldiers at the front, nearly ten lines deep. "Amman car dartha hain?" (Why do they wait)

Legolas peered through the small holes of his silver mask, scanning the grounds beyond the two hundred warriors before him. He saw three people on horseback. Two he recognized as Hurrnäd and Gwinn. The other he did not recognize. Then he glanced back at the chaos behind him. His eyes fell upon Elladan and Elrohir. The twins had their horses side by side, facing the opposite direction from one another, covering each other's backs. They were like a single entity, slaying Orcs coming at them from every direction. When his eyes fell upon Aleera, a small smile came to his face. She was cutting Orcs down with a ferociousness he admired. Celegmin was close at hand, but he knew Aleera could hold her own ground successfully. He finally turned to Aragorn beside him. "They assess our ability. Hurrnäd seeks to learn how he can best us."

Aragorn motioned toward the three riders astride mounts on a small hill. He guessed one rider as Hurrnäd and the other unmistakably a woman. But the third rider? "Who is the rider in black robes?"

"He is the sorcerer responsible for the rain."

"What about the eclipse? Did he also cause it?"

Legolas narrowed his eyes at the question. He knew of no wizard that could bring a shadow upon the sun. Not even Mithrandir was capable of such power. "It is not likely. Yet this was not predicted as all others have been. I sense it is the power of an evil entity." When he opened his senses, he was assailed by the pure hatred pouring from the rulers of Kozar. Upon closer inspection, he saw the vivid scars around the queen's nose. But he felt no remorse for his actions. She deserved it, if not worse. And he would have done far worse if he had not been so concerned about Aleera's condition. As his senses reached the black clad rider, he was blocked from feeling anything from him.

Dagnir rode up beside Legolas. "The Orcs retreat into the woods, my lord."

Legolas glanced behind him again, watching the few remaining Orcs heading for the trees. "Glorfindel and his people will finish them off." He glanced at Aleera. She rode her horse at a walk, looking down at the fallen Orcs, making sure none were alive. He smiled at her method of determining their status. Her horse stepped on a limb here or there. One Orc cried out from the weight of the horse on his hand and Aleera bent sideways in her saddle and buried her sword into his chest. "Fatalities?" asked Legolas needlessly. He knew his warriors were all standing, some even giving chase to the Orcs that ran blindly into the woods, unaware of the fate that awaited them.

"No fatalities. Some scratches here and there, nothing serious."

"What of Hurbag? Is he among the dead? I cannot imagine he is fleeing into the trees."

"Nay," replied Dagnir. "He is not among them. He may be leading the attack on Lake-Town."

"Let us hope Haldir is faring well for I know Hurbag desperately seeks ownership of my father's caverns."

"Legolas," murmured Aragorn, motioning with his head in the direction of the Kozari troops.

Legolas turned. The three riders were making their way unhurriedly down the small hill. The Kozari soldiers began to part down the center, allowing the riders to pass among them. He only felt apprehension the moment Aleera rode up beside him.

"Is that them? Is that the king and queen?" inquired Aleera.

"It is them," replied Legolas. He immediately sensed her anxiety. "Perhaps it is best if you remain hidden behind the troops, Aleera."

Aleera frowned at him. "I will not cower behind soldiers. I stand with you."

Legolas nodded, admiring the courage she revealed on the outside but did not feel within her. He would allow her to stay. Then he turned his attention to the approaching Kozari ruler, noting that the black clad rider had lagged behind and came to a stop amid the soldiers. Legolas studied the man's face, the man's dark eyes, the fierceness of his gaze. Although he could not sense him, for the black clad rider continued to block his attempts, Legolas quickly came to the conclusion that he was not from Kozar. He turned his attention to the rulers of Kozar as they drew their horses to a stop about twenty feet away from them.

Hurrnäd regarded the riders before him. He recognized the Dúnedain man, Aragorn. And he recognized the she-elf, Aleera. Both were clad in silver armor that appeared to be quite heavy, but probably was not. "I seek the elf named Legolas," said Hurrnäd with an authoritive voice. He said it even though he knew the elf stood before him, his helmet containing a mask that covered his face.

Legolas reached up and removed his helmet, not bothering to utter a word.

Hurrnäd smiled in a menacing manner. "So we meet again, elf. Did I hear correct that you are the son of a king?"

"My status is no concern of yours."

"Now that is where you are wrong, my friend. Status means everything."

Legolas sneered. "I am not your friend."

Hurrnäd ignored the comment. "I can bargain for your life, for I am certain it is of great value to your realm."

The left side of Legolas's mouth curved from a sneer into a half smile. "What makes you think you will have me to bargain with?" Legolas's eyes shifted to the Kozari woman beside the king. He could feel her hatred radiating from every pore. She was seething, her mouth partially open to allow her breath to enter and leave her lungs. Legolas heard faint sounds of bubbling coming from her demolished nostrils. Apparently his blow had caused her nose to stop functioning completely. He felt slight vindication for what this soulless woman had done to Aleera.

Hurrnäd regarded the elf with caution and fear. As he glanced at the other elves around him, he found that he did not feel any fear of them. So what was it about this particular elf that made cold chills shoot up his spine and sweat like a coward, quaking in his boots? Was it the intensity of his pale blue eyes that stared with determination not to look away? Was it because they seemed to be looking into his very soul, finding his weaknesses? He had briefly looked away to Gwinn, perhaps to revel in the fact that he had nearly killed her with the blow he had delivered to her face. And now the elf's eyes had turned back to him. There was a confidence in them that threatened to bring him to his knees. He needed to end this elf's life, to restore order to the turmoil within his mind. To restore the certainty within himself…that no one in this world could bring fear upon him. The only way would be to fight him, hand to hand, with no interference. "Give me the she-elf and we will leave your lands, prince of Mirkwood," he said, hoping to elicit further argument.

Legolas's smile faded. He no longer found amusement in the situation. "You must think me a fool, king of Kozar," replied Legolas, using a formal title as Hurrnäd had. "She will not be going anywhere with you."

Aleera had a sudden feeling of confidence well up within her. She trusted Legolas would never give her up to the Kozar king. She trusted that he would see her die before the day he handed her over to Hurrnäd. The sight of the queen's face had startled Aleera at first. She had not seen Legolas strike her because she had been in intense pain at the time. But she could imagine the anger in him when he had struck Gwinn with the handle of his knife.

"You underestimate the abilities of my soldiers," said Hurrnäd with confidence.

"You underestimate the abilities of these elves," exclaimed Aragorn before Legolas could.

"In truth I am only interested in battling one."

Legolas tilted his head, sensing the cold fear in Hurrnäd. But he could also feel a sense of confidence in his abilities. Did he have some hidden talent Legolas was unaware of? "You wish to fight me, then let it be so." He dismounted without missing a beat and stepped forward.

"My prince," protested Dagnir. "I must object."

When Legolas turned to him, he saw Aragorn put a hand across Dagnir's chest to prevent him from moving forward. He appreciated his mortal friend's interjection.

Hurrnäd dismounted as well, retrieving both his sword and axe from his horse's saddle. He patiently watched as the elf removed his quiver of arrows and removed the belt from around his waist. They both wore armor and since the elf was not removing his, then there was no sense in taking it off.

Legolas put the helmet back on his head and unsheathed his elven knives, twirling them once around his hands. It was a habit he had, which sometimes instilled further fear in his enemies. He was skilled with them and preferred knife work when the enemy was too close for bow and arrow. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gwinn take the reins from Hurrnäd and she nudged her horse back toward her people, Hurrnäd's horse tagging behind her. Legolas moved to a safe distance between his people and the opposing side, twirling his knives once more.

Hurrnäd stepped forward until he was four feet away from the elf. He held his weapons up, preparing to fight.

Legolas lowered the mask of his helmet and twirled his knives one final time.

"It will be necessary to cover your pretty face, elf, for otherwise I would mar it as you have done to my wife."

"After I am through with you, king of Kozar, I will finish the queen off as well," said Legolas in an attempt to stir anger in the Kozari king.

It worked. Hurrnäd charged him.

I am astounded by the overwhelming number of requests to receive my new fanfiction "No Control", which is an extremely erotic, sexually oriented story. Thanks to everyone who replied via email, and to those who have requested it in their reviews. I will have it finished by tomorrow night and will email it out to everyone. If anyone else is interested, please be sure to email me.