Chapter Three—the Orcs Attack
Haldir was confused. Something about the errand that Legolas told him of made him shake his head in wonder. A mission like this was so secretive and immensely important. What was the use of bringing a dwarf and four clumsy and inept little "Hobbits" if you wanted to get the quest accomplished? However, Elrond had chosen them, and who was to question his judgment? Certainly not him.
The night had crept silently in. The darkness and stillness were unusually enveloping on this particular night. There was not a sound to be heard. Haldir actually preferred it this way, for he could hear even the slightest noise, though it gave him an odd feeling that something ominous was tottering on the edge of occurrence. He prowled the ground beneath the telain in a constant state of watch, lest any enemy appear without warning. It wasn't impossible. It had happened before, even with Haldir's finely honed vigilance. That time they were less prepared, however. They wouldn't be surprised again. They had taken one casualty that time, when the Orcs had attacked, but only because one of the Elves was separated from the others and encircled in the midst of the Orc band. Even so, before the arrows pierced his neck and he fell, he took seven Orcs with him. Haldir lamented the loss bitterly, but in war, there are always sacrifices.
Haldir stiffened suddenly, his senses heightened in alarm. He thought he had heard something and he prayed that it wasn't what he feared. He heard it again, and knew his fears were correct. He had to warn the others first, as well as raise the ladders. He leapt up the ladder for the first talan. Orophin and Rúmil were up in a flash, already alerted to the noise. He didn't need to tell them.
"What is it?" Frodo asked him in fear.
"Yrch!" Haldir replied in Elvish, forgetting that the person that spoke was a hobbit. Orophin and Rúmil instantly went down the rope ladder and Haldir followed. He turned.
"Draw it up after us," he ordered Frodo, who nodded in reply. Haldir and his brothers went to the next talan. They would need help. Haldir sent Orophin up to wake Legolas. Within a moment, they both came down the ladder and tossed it back up noiselessly. Then, the four Elves set out to survey the party of unwelcome Orcs that had entered the wood.
To the Elves, the irksome clomp-clomp of Orc feet resounded like gongs throughout the placid stillness of the silent trees. The Orcs were effortless to locate, and staying unseen was also easy. The Orcs had dull senses and could not pick up on hidden Elves without a great deal of tracking work, and by the time they even grew near the place the Elves had been, they were long gone. The only thing that the Orcs did have superior to the Elves was a sense of smell. Theirs was easily equal to that of a dog. They could smell an elf from a great distance, but they were slow and could not see well, so this advantage proved useless. The Elves concealed themselves in a clump of bushes and watched the motley band of a different type of Orcs than they had seen tread heavily by, tearing up the ground grievously as they passed. I say different because these Orcs were different. They were far taller and swarthier, with great scimitars as weapons and many archers among them. They were far more organized and had several leaders as well as superior weapons and armor. Their dark faces were painted with a white hand that contrasted starkly to the darkness of their bodies. They had masses of tangled black hair that tumbled out behind them and flew in the wind that was created from the running creatures.
Haldir whispered something to Legolas and the elf nodded. After the whole company had passed, he stepped noiselessly out of the bushes and waited. The last Orc vanished into the trees.
"Le delyo!" Legolas yelled loudly. He waited a moment until he heard several cries of delight and a large amount of grunting as the Orcs wheeled around, hurtling pell-mell towards the noise. When he saw the first Orc, Legolas turned and ran, easily escaping the now disorganized band of Orcs. After the Orcs had passed the bush, Haldir leapt out and cried, "Lasto lalaith nîn!"
A few of the last Orcs that had heard him turned and raced towards him, scimitars upraised. Haldir turned and leapt into the trees. The Orcs didn't know it, but they were being led on a wild goose chase away from the telain and deeper into the woods in many directions. Orophin had gone to warn any other Elves that were nearby, as well as summon the warriors to quell their attack. None of these Orcs would ever leave Lórien.
After Legolas felt that he had led the greater party far enough into the woods that they should be lost beyond hope of finding a way out, he ceased his cat-calls and crept silently back to the place where Haldir and the others had originally hidden. Before then, Haldir had returned as well and with Rúmil had killed the few that had followed him with sword and bow. The three met up and returned to the telain.
With much of the danger past, Haldir resumed his watch. However, before long, a strange stealthy sneaking was heard. He thought he could make out a sort of snuffling noise, like a dog following a scent. Haldir crept around the bole of the second tree and peered through the foliage. An awkward creature was sniffing at the tree and beginning to climb it. Haldir furtively drew an arrow and aimed, but then thought better of it and put the arrow away. He knew he could not afford to arouse any cries from the creature, but he couldn't allow it to prowl these grounds unbidden. He slipped towards it, thinking that perhaps he might frighten it off, or capture it. Nevertheless, before he reached it, the creature, obviously very wary of danger, turned and peered at him with pale luminous eyes, before fleeing away into the gloom of the forest. Haldir saw no more of it that night. However, if he had, he would not have restrained himself from ending its life, he had decided. Only when the creature had looked at him with those eyes did Haldir realize their intent. That creature was evil.