Disclamer: I don't own Legolas but I do own everyone else. Set before the
War of the Ring which is why there aren't many references to LOTR in this
story. Two girls, Leila and Shí disguise themselves as men and join the
army. It's an elvish sort of Mulan with two heroines. Shí/Ahora.
Legolas/Leila. (For once none of the characters are based on me!) The
original version of this story was a swap story between me and my mate Liz.
Ada means father and Nana mother.
The way I'm doing the elves ages is that 500 is the equivalent of a 5 year old so 1500 is a 15 year old. Basically minus the 2 0's and you got the age they look like. And I'm having it that they stop growing at 2000 or 20 so that's why they always look so young. Got it?
To all those who flamed about Éowyn already doing this.she is a human! These are elves. Éowyn fought in one battle, these two fight in lots and train for years. If you notice the whole of the elven army is male so I thought this fitted. Éowyn may do the same but this is set a long time before Return of the King OK? I know Éowyn is a cool character, one of my favourites actually but this is totally different to her. One small note which had been pointed out to me, the reason the girls have joined the army is explained later on because I know it says they wasn't girl power basically but later on it is explained why girl power is so important to them.
Thank you to all those who reviewed and thank you to all those who flamed. I take flames as a persons opinion but as long as not all of my reviews are flames this story will remain up kay? I do have to agree with one piece of constructive criticism/flame, the names are not very elven I know. They would be more elven as I've just found this great name generator site but when I started this story the only names I had were the names on a list my friend Blaze made up for me. Sorry about that, I'll try to make any knew characters names more elven for you. Also the length of hair as I see it is women-really really really long! Men-just below the shoulders and always braided.
Hidden Identity
Chapter Seven, Splitting Up
King Tharanduil paced the thrown room worriedly. First the patrols had been picked off slowly, then the watch places e.g. Grey Watch and now the Forest Gate was under attack. All because those stupid elves from the southern reaches of Mirkwood wanted total power over the greatest wood in middle earth. The doors burst in and the King wasn't surprised to see his four sons striding towards him (I made up the four sons thing, if anyone knows the actual truth please tell me so I can be correct in future stories but just go with me on this one, please?)
"Father, are the rumours true?" his second eldest, Tharh(th asked. "Has Grey Watch fallen? Is the Forest Gate under attack?"
"Yes my sons, The Forest Gate is under attack, Legolas, your report" Tharanduil said to his eldest and the crown Prince of Mirkwood.
"We were attacked on route to check on Grey Watch by hooded elves. One of our youngest warriors managed to capture one of the attackers and my men are questioning him now. Three of my party were killed. We then continued to Grey Watch and found it in ruins. The women and children were hidden in the cellar of the main village building. The men were dead in one of the fields just outside of the village" everyone listened as Legolas spoke slowly and clearly.
"All of them were dead?" the youngest brother, Harnan asked.
"No, out of the 150 men we found in the battlefield five were alive but near death, one was missing a leg and another an arm."
"Five? Five men out of a whole village were alive!" Tharh(th said unbelievably.
"Yes, and I'm sad to say that most of the children were dead as well."
"What!" all of the other occupants of the room demanded angrily.
"There were more boys than girls in that village. The youngest dead person we found was 1000" Legolas was referring to Leila's younger brother Rilon. "It was the brother of one of our youngest warriors as well" Legolas finished.
"This is grave news indeed" Tharanduil said worriedly.
"I'm afraid I have not finished yet" Legolas said. "As far as I know four or five women were killed as well because they remained in their homes or didn't get out fast enough we are not sure. We put the dead villagers in their homes and burnt them to the ground. We then returned here with rest of the villagers and that journey was just as adventurous as the one there" Legolas said, smiling slightly at the memory of Leila fighting and Pedi leaping like a cat.
"Why are you smiling if it was bad?" the last son of Tharanduil, Eriaur asked.
"We were on our was back when our prisoner stumbled, only he didn't really, He pulled out my knife from my horse pack, cut his binds, cut my arm and went off in search of the boy who had caught him. Actually thinking about it all this happened to Sérle, catching him, the youngest dead was his brother, he was attacked, he's got a fever..." Legolas trailed off realising he had strayed from the subject.
"He sounds really unlucky" Eriaur said.
"He is. Now let me just finish this. The prisoner found Sérle leading his horse on which his two sisters rode and pounced on him. But, this is why I was smiling, because before he could stab Sérle Sérle's youngest sister jumped off the horse onto the prisoner like a cat, she didn't even pause, she just jumped" Legolas noted that his family were all smiling. "Well the prisoner flung the little girl off him with such force that she couldn't get up afterwards and is in the healing hall with bruises all down one side. Once this happened Sérle sort of well, snapped is the best way to put. He pulled moves I don't think most people could even dream of doing and it ended up with the prisoner unconscious and Sérle with a cut to his stomach, his ankle, his cheek and he had a broken shin. But he still walked most of the way here till he was blackmailed into riding on the back of my horse" Legolas said.
"I'd like to meet this boy, he seems like a very good warrior" Tharanduil said.
"He is father" Legolas said.
"Now, you all have heard or seen what happened at Grey Watch, well the other watches have been attacked but not with such...barbarity so most of their people are here too, they are in the great hall for now. The forest Gate is under attack so Legolas, I need all your warriors ready as soon as possible. Tharh(th, I want all of your archers ready to go with them. Eriaur, I need all your palace guards to set up patrols around the city to protect the people. Harnan, I need you to get the Metal Smiths and Fletchers to make as many swords, knives and arrows as they can before were ride, I want all warriors to have as many weapons as they can for I have a feeling this battle will decide it all" Tharanduil said, nodding to all of his sons in turn.
"Yes father" all of the Princes said before bowing and leaving the room, going off to begin their appointed tasks.
One Hour Later
The warriors who could fight were preparing to go, wither sharpening things of practising. Legolas meanwhile went to check on those who could not go. Leila had awoken about half an hour ago and was already protesting with Shí about the unfairness about not being allowed to go.
"Why not?" Leila asked angrily.
"Just a few small facts like you have a fever, your leg is broken, little things like that" Shí replied angrily.
"I can still fight!" Leila huffed.
"Yes, I believe you soooo much" Shí said sarcastically.
"I'll prove it to you" Leila said, moving to get out of the bed.
"Don't even think about it" Maruun said walking over.
"But I'm fine!" Leila snapped. The small cuts weren't bothering her, the one on her cheek was bandaged, the bandage running under her chin and over the top of her head so it didn't hurt as much. The only big thing was the broken bone but the splints meant it wasn't that bad. She easily got out of bed and stood infront of Shí and Maruun. "See, I could easily fight like this" Leila said, glaring at Shí. Shí was starting to actually believe her, she looked fine. Leila wasn't even favouring the un broken leg.
"You are not to fight Sérle because I do not want to have to treat you for even more injuries" Maruun said, trying to get Leila back in bed.
"I promise I won't get hurt and I'll go with or without you consent" Leila snapped at him.
"No you will not" Legolas spoke up for the first time.
"My lord, please tell him he will not be fighting!" Maruun ordered angrily.
"You will not be fighting Sérle" Legolas said. Leila sat down on the bed heavily and huffed.
"Why does everyone always gang up on me" she complained.
"Because your usually wrong" Shí said kindly.
"Well thank you!" Leila snapped.
"Gaalin, you had best say your goodbyes, we will be leaving soon" Legolas said. Shí nodded and looked down at Leila.
"I'll see you when I get back" she said simply.
"Get out of here" Leila said unhappily.
"I wanna hug!" a little voice demanded from the next bed. Pedi was stood on the bed with her arms outstretched. Shí laughed and hugged Leila's adorable little sister.
"Why can't your older brother be more like you?" Shí asked as she let go of the little girl. Pedi shrugged. Shí laughed as she caught Leila glare and quickly left the room. Leila turned her glare on Legolas and folded her arms infront of her.
"Don't give me that look Sérle, you can't go" Legolas said, sitting on the bed by Leila.
"I still don't see why not" Leila huffed.
"Because you have a visible, two visible weaknesses" Legolas said, looking at her cheek and her leg.
"So? I wouldn't let them get in the way" Leila snapped.
"It's just better if you stay here. Now I'd better be going" Legolas said getting up slowly.
"Hug!" Pedi demanded.
"Does she do this often?" Legolas asked as he hugged Pedi, well actually he picked her up and turned to face Leila.
"Yes, that or she hugs your leg or she pulls on your sleeve till you pay attention to her" Leila said smiling.
"That's really sweet" Legolas said quietly. He put Pedi back on her bed and turned back to Leila. "I expect to hear a good report about when I return, and I expect to find you still in that bed" he added as an after thought. Leila growled and lay down on the bed. "Be good" He said simply before walking out.
"I'll show him good. Maruun! Where's the nearest window!" Leila shouted.
Shí looked around at the group of warriors on their horses waiting for the order to ride out. Most looked calm but some of the newer ones looked worried.
"RIDE OUT!" the order had finally come. Shí spurred her horse forewords and glanced back at the palace just in time to see Leila waving madly from a window with Pedi in her arms. Shí waved back discreetly.
"Who are you waving at?" some one had noticed. It was one of the archers that were going with them.
"My friend, he's too injured to come after the last few battles" Shí said.
"Oh, is that the one my brother told us about, er Sérle or something?" the elf asked.
"Yes, that's Sérle at the window with Pedi, excuse me but who are you?" Shí asked.
"Prince Tharh(th."
"Oh! I'm sorry my lord, I'm afraid I was rather rude to you" Shí said quickly.
"Don't worry about it. But next time a stranger talks to you, check for the crown or the posh armour, there are 2 royals in this party and I don't think you should be rude to my other as well" Tharh(th said smiling.
"Thank you for the advice my lord but you are the only one I wouldn't know, I trained with Prince Legolas" Shí said smiling back. Tharh(th laughed and rode ahead of her.
A/N How was this chapter. Please review and if you really want to you can flame because I don't really care about flames but I do wish they were hot cos my room is freezing!
The way I'm doing the elves ages is that 500 is the equivalent of a 5 year old so 1500 is a 15 year old. Basically minus the 2 0's and you got the age they look like. And I'm having it that they stop growing at 2000 or 20 so that's why they always look so young. Got it?
To all those who flamed about Éowyn already doing this.she is a human! These are elves. Éowyn fought in one battle, these two fight in lots and train for years. If you notice the whole of the elven army is male so I thought this fitted. Éowyn may do the same but this is set a long time before Return of the King OK? I know Éowyn is a cool character, one of my favourites actually but this is totally different to her. One small note which had been pointed out to me, the reason the girls have joined the army is explained later on because I know it says they wasn't girl power basically but later on it is explained why girl power is so important to them.
Thank you to all those who reviewed and thank you to all those who flamed. I take flames as a persons opinion but as long as not all of my reviews are flames this story will remain up kay? I do have to agree with one piece of constructive criticism/flame, the names are not very elven I know. They would be more elven as I've just found this great name generator site but when I started this story the only names I had were the names on a list my friend Blaze made up for me. Sorry about that, I'll try to make any knew characters names more elven for you. Also the length of hair as I see it is women-really really really long! Men-just below the shoulders and always braided.
Hidden Identity
Chapter Seven, Splitting Up
King Tharanduil paced the thrown room worriedly. First the patrols had been picked off slowly, then the watch places e.g. Grey Watch and now the Forest Gate was under attack. All because those stupid elves from the southern reaches of Mirkwood wanted total power over the greatest wood in middle earth. The doors burst in and the King wasn't surprised to see his four sons striding towards him (I made up the four sons thing, if anyone knows the actual truth please tell me so I can be correct in future stories but just go with me on this one, please?)
"Father, are the rumours true?" his second eldest, Tharh(th asked. "Has Grey Watch fallen? Is the Forest Gate under attack?"
"Yes my sons, The Forest Gate is under attack, Legolas, your report" Tharanduil said to his eldest and the crown Prince of Mirkwood.
"We were attacked on route to check on Grey Watch by hooded elves. One of our youngest warriors managed to capture one of the attackers and my men are questioning him now. Three of my party were killed. We then continued to Grey Watch and found it in ruins. The women and children were hidden in the cellar of the main village building. The men were dead in one of the fields just outside of the village" everyone listened as Legolas spoke slowly and clearly.
"All of them were dead?" the youngest brother, Harnan asked.
"No, out of the 150 men we found in the battlefield five were alive but near death, one was missing a leg and another an arm."
"Five? Five men out of a whole village were alive!" Tharh(th said unbelievably.
"Yes, and I'm sad to say that most of the children were dead as well."
"What!" all of the other occupants of the room demanded angrily.
"There were more boys than girls in that village. The youngest dead person we found was 1000" Legolas was referring to Leila's younger brother Rilon. "It was the brother of one of our youngest warriors as well" Legolas finished.
"This is grave news indeed" Tharanduil said worriedly.
"I'm afraid I have not finished yet" Legolas said. "As far as I know four or five women were killed as well because they remained in their homes or didn't get out fast enough we are not sure. We put the dead villagers in their homes and burnt them to the ground. We then returned here with rest of the villagers and that journey was just as adventurous as the one there" Legolas said, smiling slightly at the memory of Leila fighting and Pedi leaping like a cat.
"Why are you smiling if it was bad?" the last son of Tharanduil, Eriaur asked.
"We were on our was back when our prisoner stumbled, only he didn't really, He pulled out my knife from my horse pack, cut his binds, cut my arm and went off in search of the boy who had caught him. Actually thinking about it all this happened to Sérle, catching him, the youngest dead was his brother, he was attacked, he's got a fever..." Legolas trailed off realising he had strayed from the subject.
"He sounds really unlucky" Eriaur said.
"He is. Now let me just finish this. The prisoner found Sérle leading his horse on which his two sisters rode and pounced on him. But, this is why I was smiling, because before he could stab Sérle Sérle's youngest sister jumped off the horse onto the prisoner like a cat, she didn't even pause, she just jumped" Legolas noted that his family were all smiling. "Well the prisoner flung the little girl off him with such force that she couldn't get up afterwards and is in the healing hall with bruises all down one side. Once this happened Sérle sort of well, snapped is the best way to put. He pulled moves I don't think most people could even dream of doing and it ended up with the prisoner unconscious and Sérle with a cut to his stomach, his ankle, his cheek and he had a broken shin. But he still walked most of the way here till he was blackmailed into riding on the back of my horse" Legolas said.
"I'd like to meet this boy, he seems like a very good warrior" Tharanduil said.
"He is father" Legolas said.
"Now, you all have heard or seen what happened at Grey Watch, well the other watches have been attacked but not with such...barbarity so most of their people are here too, they are in the great hall for now. The forest Gate is under attack so Legolas, I need all your warriors ready as soon as possible. Tharh(th, I want all of your archers ready to go with them. Eriaur, I need all your palace guards to set up patrols around the city to protect the people. Harnan, I need you to get the Metal Smiths and Fletchers to make as many swords, knives and arrows as they can before were ride, I want all warriors to have as many weapons as they can for I have a feeling this battle will decide it all" Tharanduil said, nodding to all of his sons in turn.
"Yes father" all of the Princes said before bowing and leaving the room, going off to begin their appointed tasks.
One Hour Later
The warriors who could fight were preparing to go, wither sharpening things of practising. Legolas meanwhile went to check on those who could not go. Leila had awoken about half an hour ago and was already protesting with Shí about the unfairness about not being allowed to go.
"Why not?" Leila asked angrily.
"Just a few small facts like you have a fever, your leg is broken, little things like that" Shí replied angrily.
"I can still fight!" Leila huffed.
"Yes, I believe you soooo much" Shí said sarcastically.
"I'll prove it to you" Leila said, moving to get out of the bed.
"Don't even think about it" Maruun said walking over.
"But I'm fine!" Leila snapped. The small cuts weren't bothering her, the one on her cheek was bandaged, the bandage running under her chin and over the top of her head so it didn't hurt as much. The only big thing was the broken bone but the splints meant it wasn't that bad. She easily got out of bed and stood infront of Shí and Maruun. "See, I could easily fight like this" Leila said, glaring at Shí. Shí was starting to actually believe her, she looked fine. Leila wasn't even favouring the un broken leg.
"You are not to fight Sérle because I do not want to have to treat you for even more injuries" Maruun said, trying to get Leila back in bed.
"I promise I won't get hurt and I'll go with or without you consent" Leila snapped at him.
"No you will not" Legolas spoke up for the first time.
"My lord, please tell him he will not be fighting!" Maruun ordered angrily.
"You will not be fighting Sérle" Legolas said. Leila sat down on the bed heavily and huffed.
"Why does everyone always gang up on me" she complained.
"Because your usually wrong" Shí said kindly.
"Well thank you!" Leila snapped.
"Gaalin, you had best say your goodbyes, we will be leaving soon" Legolas said. Shí nodded and looked down at Leila.
"I'll see you when I get back" she said simply.
"Get out of here" Leila said unhappily.
"I wanna hug!" a little voice demanded from the next bed. Pedi was stood on the bed with her arms outstretched. Shí laughed and hugged Leila's adorable little sister.
"Why can't your older brother be more like you?" Shí asked as she let go of the little girl. Pedi shrugged. Shí laughed as she caught Leila glare and quickly left the room. Leila turned her glare on Legolas and folded her arms infront of her.
"Don't give me that look Sérle, you can't go" Legolas said, sitting on the bed by Leila.
"I still don't see why not" Leila huffed.
"Because you have a visible, two visible weaknesses" Legolas said, looking at her cheek and her leg.
"So? I wouldn't let them get in the way" Leila snapped.
"It's just better if you stay here. Now I'd better be going" Legolas said getting up slowly.
"Hug!" Pedi demanded.
"Does she do this often?" Legolas asked as he hugged Pedi, well actually he picked her up and turned to face Leila.
"Yes, that or she hugs your leg or she pulls on your sleeve till you pay attention to her" Leila said smiling.
"That's really sweet" Legolas said quietly. He put Pedi back on her bed and turned back to Leila. "I expect to hear a good report about when I return, and I expect to find you still in that bed" he added as an after thought. Leila growled and lay down on the bed. "Be good" He said simply before walking out.
"I'll show him good. Maruun! Where's the nearest window!" Leila shouted.
Shí looked around at the group of warriors on their horses waiting for the order to ride out. Most looked calm but some of the newer ones looked worried.
"RIDE OUT!" the order had finally come. Shí spurred her horse forewords and glanced back at the palace just in time to see Leila waving madly from a window with Pedi in her arms. Shí waved back discreetly.
"Who are you waving at?" some one had noticed. It was one of the archers that were going with them.
"My friend, he's too injured to come after the last few battles" Shí said.
"Oh, is that the one my brother told us about, er Sérle or something?" the elf asked.
"Yes, that's Sérle at the window with Pedi, excuse me but who are you?" Shí asked.
"Prince Tharh(th."
"Oh! I'm sorry my lord, I'm afraid I was rather rude to you" Shí said quickly.
"Don't worry about it. But next time a stranger talks to you, check for the crown or the posh armour, there are 2 royals in this party and I don't think you should be rude to my other as well" Tharh(th said smiling.
"Thank you for the advice my lord but you are the only one I wouldn't know, I trained with Prince Legolas" Shí said smiling back. Tharh(th laughed and rode ahead of her.
A/N How was this chapter. Please review and if you really want to you can flame because I don't really care about flames but I do wish they were hot cos my room is freezing!