Rating: PG-13 (I'm guessing there might be cause to raise it in later chapters- we'll see how the violence level goes…)
Disclaimers: No, unfortunately I don't own any of Tolkien's wonderful characters. Shucks. I just enjoy toying with their lives for brief moments. Who doesn't? I guess I do own any of those little characters that you don't recognize.
Well, this is a rewrite of the original fic I had posted about two years ago, hence the huge gap between the post date and the update date. I felt it needed some tweaking to match what I'm planning for the next chapter. It's been a long break between posting this and updating… Hopefully this version is improved from the last one. And hopefully the period of time between this update and the next will not be two years…
Do let me know if there's any horrid incongruities… I hate those… um… constructive criticism is very, very welcome.
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Chapter 1He staggered against the winds of the high canyon. The rocky chasms that surrounded him echoed with the wind's wailing cry. Shivering, the man stopped, clutching his thin, worn cloak around his shoulders tightly. A harsh, bitter frost had settled over the land, and the man was caught in the storm's intense prelude.
Dark clouds rose above the horizon, an intense gloom blocking out nearly every remnant of the sun's presence. The canyons were filling with shadow, the mountain peaks standing above him like giants, cascading their shadow down upon him, their craggy outlines barely visible against the rapidly darkening sky. Conscious of the increasing danger that he would soon have to face, the traveler journeyed forward, each step falling heavier than the previous.
A screeching howl arose from the darkness, chilling his bones to another drastic level. He had heard these unsettling calls since he began on his journey through the mountains. Thoughts filled his mind, the focus of them being the need for shelter- a place of safety from whatever was creating that distressing noise. If he wished to survive the night, he could not be caught on the open bluff.
Another howl caused him to quicken his slackening pace, his heart racing with a swiftly intensifying fear. Pushing himself onward was becoming even more difficult with each step. Then, a moment's distraction from his path, coinciding with a fleeting shadow before him, caused him to fall forward onto the rocky ground. Sharp stones cut into his palms and knees as he scrabbled about, trying to catch his fall. He swore at himself, cursing his sluggishness. Shaking uncontrollably from the cold, pain and fatigue that was setting in relentlessly, he wrested himself up, drawing upon his last reserves of strength.
He had to find shelter or the racing storm would most certainly claim him.
Holding his arms up against the piercing wind, he trudged forward only to be halted again. The hairs along the back of his neck stood on end. He looked around in alarm, eyes wide. Numerous sets of glowing eyes had appeared before him from within crevices and around standing boulders.
A gnawing fear now clawed at his heart.
Those eyes looked hungry.
The creatures were beginning to emerge from the darkness, and were circling their targeted prey. Wargs. Terror was running freely in his veins, as he frantically looked for a path that would lead him away from the savage beasts.
Snapping jaws from behind startled the weary traveler, causing him to leap forward to escape the vice-like grip behind those razor-like teeth. He surveyed his surroundings and came to a realization- he was completely surrounded.
His search for freedom seemed pointless now. The pack was closing in around him, and his chances of escaping, even if he did manage to get out of their tightly knit circle, were next to none. The numbness that had been creeping up his limbs from the bitter cold grew, and amplified his anxiety. He knew that the wargs could smell his fear in the air. Throaty growls from all around confirmed it.
As he glanced around at the monstrosities creeping forward, images passed through his mind of the fate that would soon befall him. He closed his eyes and murmured one last prayer for help- any kind of help.
It was then that the wargs decided to attack. The last thing he remembered was the dull pain of jagged teeth piercing through his numbed flesh.
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Cold wind bit at Legolas's face, and even though the sensation of cold did not affect him to a great degree, it was hardly a comfortable feeling. The weather was not being kind at the moment- and that was certainly an understatement. He looked back towards his companions, seven other elves, making their way up the mountain pass that would take them to the far side of the Misty Mountains.
Sharp howls in the distance came to the ears of the eight hunters, each one tensing in turn, hands warily moving towards their weapons.
"Legolas." The prince of Mirkwood turned at the sound of his name.
"Yes, Cirithion," he replied, "wargs." Nods from the others displayed their agreement with Legolas' observation.
"Let's press on," Legolas mused aloud, "but everyone keep your guard up."
With the consent of his fellow warriors, the group continued up the snow-covered pass.
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"There is a cave just ahead, we can spend the night inside." Ranath called out to the party as he descended from an incline that lay before them. Although Legolas loathed the idea of sleeping within the confines of the cold, hard stone, the weather told him that doing so would be best for all of them.
"Good," Aduial, one of the four female members of the hunting party, said. With a wry grin on his face, Legolas turned to counter the huntress with a scathing retort but was interrupted by another piercing howl.
"Did you see them as you were scouting, Ranath?" Nandara asked as she squinted in the direction of the noise. The younger elf shook his head.
"Should we go check on it?" Glawar asked Legolas. His brow furrowed in thought, Legolas turned towards his elder.
"Do you think it wise to do so?" he asked in return. "If we should find that there are more wargs than we can handle?" Glawar pursed his lips.
"We should be able to avoid detection. I know that they would not make such noise were they not excited about something. Perhaps some unfortunate creature has been targeted." Legolas thought on the other's words.
"If not an animal, perhaps a traveler has found himself the unwelcome focus of the beasts' attention." The prince turned to the others.
"Nandara, Glawar, and Taurod, come with me. Ranath, lead everyone else to the cave." Legolas instructed. The others nodded and the group split in their designated directions.
"Where exactly are we going? Above?" Nandara questioned as she, Glawar and Taurod hurried after Legolas, who had quickly made his way towards the small, but open bluff located near the base of the mountain that the elves were quickly descending. The she-elf raised an eyebrow to her companions, receiving her only reply from Taurod, consisting of a mere shrug.
When Legolas finally came to a halt, he was just above the bluff, hidden from view below by a row of jagged rocks. Crouching down, he motioned for his companions to follow suit. He moved forward, careful not to disturb the rocks before him, and peered down below. What he saw greatly surprised him.
"Elbereth." he breathed. Alarmed, Glawar came beside the prince and took a position similar to his looking down at the scene below.
"It's definitely wargs." Glawar muttered. Legolas pursed his lips as he gazed down at the wargs' current point of interest.
"What is that?" Taurod asked, as he and Nandara had both assumed places similar to the other two.
Legolas and Glawar exchanged glances.
"It's a human." The older elf said. One warg had just released one of the man's arms, the limb now glistening with blood. He stood very little chance against a pack of wargs of that size- Legolas counted twenty at the very least. There was no telling how many more beasts still remained in the shadows of the outlying boulders.
"They're toying with him," Glawar hissed.
"We must help him." Legolas murmured, poised to rush to the victim's side. Nandara stole a glance towards him.
"How can we help him if we get killed in the process?" she whispered fiercely. "We are clearly outnumbered, and even if we should be able to rescue the human, those wargs will undoubtedly follow us back to our companions." The prince looked back at her.
"They won't follow us if we make ourselves enough of a nuisance." His eyes narrowed as he stared down at the snarling creatures below them circle their conquered prey. Nandara bit her lip and threw a worried look to Taurod.
"You three will remain up here and fire down upon them while I go down and get the human out of there." Legolas said firmly. Rather than giving the agreement that he expected, he received piercing glares from all three of his companions.
"Are you crazy?" Taurod asked incredulously.
"Maybe." Legolas replied with a mirthless smile on his face. The other elf shook his head.
Their attention was reverted to the scene below them when one of the wargs jumped towards the human, grabbing one of his limp legs and shaking it violently. Legolas's hand immediately went for his bow. Glawar grabbed his arm, preventing the prince from launching an arrow in the direction of the attacking creature.
"Go. We shall do as you ask." Glawar stated a determined expression etched on his face.
Taurod quickly notched an arrow and sent it flying at the attacking warg's skull, the beast falling instantly.
" Follow the ledge around." Glawar said, releasing Legolas's arm.
"We'll cover you." Taurod added, readying his bow with another arrow. Reluctantly, Nandara did the same.
"Be careful, my lord." She said quietly. He nodded and hurried towards the fallen man's location.
"Why did you ask him to be careful?" Taurod whispered to Nandara. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Because I know he's going to do something stupid." she muttered back.
"He'll do that regardless of whether or not you tell him to be careful," he snorted.
"Both of you hush and distract the wargs." Glawar ordered the pair. They complied, and followed the older elf in launching a volley of arrows at the gruesome creatures.
"I hope he does not get hurt." Taurod commented.
"Yes, that is certainly a good thing to hope for." Glawar said.
"I would hate to bring him home to King Thranduil with an injury." Nandara whispered towards Taurod.
"Nay, for you would have to tell him how we failed to protect his son." Glawar stated before Taurod could reply. The younger pair spared brief glares in his direction.
"Legolas is getting closer. Keep their attention averted."
They looked back to the circle of wargs in time to watch a large warg leap at the man, its snarling, hungry maw snapping.
Nandara took a shot, piercing the beast in the chest with her arrow. The creature let out a howl and staggered back. While the wargs around it continued to eye their prey, a few of the beasts now noticed the presence of the elves, and launched themselves in the direction of new prey.
"Well, if he wanted a distraction, he certainly got one." Taurod said, firing off another arrow of his own.
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Legolas watched as his companions began to let off volleys of arrows into the crowd of wargs, being careful not to hit the fallen human. He had just reached a place near the man's position, and was making his way down the cliff face as carefully as he could, trying not to make a sound.
So focused on making his way to the man was he, that he didn't notice, as he should have, a warg stealthily making its way over to where he was descending, its bulk hidden beneath the shadows of a nearby boulder.
The elf prince turned to look down at the ground beneath him. He gauged the distance and, deciding that it was a manageable jump, leaped. As he landed, he looked around, blue eyes gauging his surroundings. He didn't see the warg until the last minute.
White teeth flashed as the wolf-like creature came at the elf. His eyes widened as the massive beast surged towards him and he dove to the ground, rolling into a crouching position as the warg turned, ready for another charge.
Legolas notched an arrow and fired at the warg before it could get another chance to attack, hitting the soft flesh on the topside of its gaping mouth and piercing the creature's skull. It fell without another sound.
He turned towards his objective, returning his bow to its place on his back. Making his way towards the wargs' victim, he stationed himself against boulder that had previously hid the now dead warg from his view. Legolas could see that the man was unconscious. He frowned. That made things more difficult.
More and more wargs were reappearing as the ones in the direct vicinity of the human fell. There seemed to be no end to them.
"Guess I really was off," Legolas muttered to himself in regard to their numbers.
He took a steadying breath and prepared to make his way around the cascading arrows and dying wargs to the man.
With one last glance around him, he bolted, heading straight for the human- and dozens of hungry wargs.
TBC