Author's Warning – There is graphic sexual contact in this chapter.

Chapter 7 – Deadly Horde
Minas Tirith – Two days later
(Legolas's POV)

The external gates of the white city opened upon our approach. As we rode through the next three gates, the avenues were teaming with people preparing for battle. Some of them were clearly injured, their bandages standing out in contrast to their dark clothing. I was reminded of the last battle that transpired here, where trolls broke through the gates. The structure was still in repair, even after a year's time, for the damage to the white city had been extensive.

When we arrived at the final gate, we dismounted just inside of it.

Aragorn greeted us there. "You don't know how glad I am to see you, my friends," he said with relief flooding his face.

"What has happened since you sent your messenger?" asked Gandalf.

Aragorn looked extremely tired and fatigued. "Much has happened. The creatures have attacked us two nights ago and again last night. They've taken more than a dozen men thus far."

Ariedel frowned at this news. "How far away is the village they attacked?"

"A hard three hour's ride."

"They're traveling an awfully long distance to get their hosts. It's that or they haven't found a suitable lair to set up the queen's hive." Ariedel shook her head in anger, mumbling softly to herself. "Damn, I wish I had my equipment with me. I could easily run a scan and be able to produce exact numbers and exact locations. Damn that Hawke. I swear I'm going to kill him if I ever have the displeasure of seeing his ugly face again."

"What do we have for weapons if we cannot use swords?" Thranduil asked Aragorn.

"The creature's blood melts anything it touches," replied Aragorn. "But even though swords and arrowheads melt, they still do considerable damage. It has worked thus far. We've been able to kill many of them. What we did discover is that neither wood nor mithril are affected by the creature's blood."

"Mithril?" I asked curiously. The blades of my long knives were mithril. I could use them without damage. Mithril was indeed a magical element that withstood many destructive forces. A mithril vest saved Frodo from being speared by a troll in the mines of Moria during the quest.

"Then let us prepare for what awaits us on this night, for I am certain they will strike again," said Gandalf.

§

The night seemed to come far too quickly as everyone prepared for the attack. We stood at the battlement walls of the first level, peering out into the darkness. I was again reminded of another battle, fought at Helm's Deep. I would prefer to battle Orcs or Uruk-hai any day over these seemingly cunning creatures that had no weapons except for their teeth and bare claws.

As I stared out into the darkness, nothing moved. All was quiet, far too quiet. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Ariedel standing near an archway. Her face was a mask of concern. Something was not sitting right with her. Was something amiss? I left my post and approached her. "Are you all right?"

Tears spilled from her eyes. "No, I'm not all right. They're going to kill us all."

I placed my hands on her face. "We will prevail. You will see."

"You don't understand. One is difficult enough to deal with. But more than one? Goddammit, how did it ever get to this?" She stared at me with her pale grey eyes for a moment as I wiped at her tears. "I love you, Legolas. You know that, right?"

"Aye, I do know it." I had known for some time, but to hear it from her lips elated me.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Now I'm afraid it's too late."

"Tis not too late, Ariedel." I leaned in to kiss her. "I love you as well."

"Legolas!"

I turned at the sound of my father's voice. He was pointing out into the darkness. I pulled away from Ariedel and ran to stand beside him. At first I saw nothing and then as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see shapes moving rapidly. Faint points of light from the moon above that reflected on their shiny black heads. My heart sank in despair. There were hundreds of them.

The Steward of Gondor, Faramir, came to stand beside Aragorn. "Where? I see nothing," said Faramir.

I turned to Gandalf and he seemed to understand my request.

"A show of light would seem warranted." Gandalf raised his white staff and a light flashed from it, brightening the valley below and revealing the vile creatures that advanced. They briefly screeched at the light directed at them before commencing their approach.

Aragorn's eyes widened at the sheer number of them and he called out to anyone that listened. "Torches! We need torches! Light as many as you can!"

The creatures moved rapidly on all fours, heads raised, teeth gleaming, skeletal tails swishing for balance. There was only one creature in Middle Earth I feared more than anything. A Balrog of Morgoth, the fiery creature that had attacked us in the mines of Moria and nearly claimed the life of Gandalf. At the time the sight of the Balrog had shook me down to my knees in fear. These creatures had the same affect on me, watching them run through the grassy plains sent cold chills through me. Where did they come from? Were they a new spawn of Sauron? Was the Dark Lord still alive afterall?

"Do you sense anything, Legolas?" asked my father.

A special Elven trait passed on to me by my mother gave me the ability to sense the emotions of animals and to speak to the trees. I extended my senses out over the plains, feeling the creatures. But I felt no anger coming from them, no hatred, no thrill, no need for revenge. Nothing emanated from them. Nothing stirred the air. Nothing stirred the trees for the trees themselves could not sense the danger surrounding the emotionless creatures. "They are impassive. I sense nothing." Perhaps they were not animals at all.

As the creatures reached the base of the external wall, they began to climb it, their claws digging into the stone. We quickly set arrows to our bows. I took aim at the nearest creature and released the arrow. It embedded into the creature's forehead with a spray of smoking fluid and then fell to the ground. I shot arrow after arrow, switching from left to right.

My father was beside me, shooting his own arrows. Aragorn's archers did likewise. But there were too many of them and they soon came leaping over the wall at us. We had all been warned about the creatures' blood and to avoid it when swinging swords.

I pulled my long knives from my back and prepared for close combat. One creature came at me and I slashed at it with both blades, jumping away from the spraying blood. Thinking I had finished it off, I turned to deal with another. Only the creature had not fallen. It pulled me down with it and as I attempted to scramble away, its jaws opened and something swiftly came at my head, startling me. A second set of jaws, smaller and attached to an appendage that came from its mouth. I moved my head out of the way as the small jaws came at me again. Then the creature was lifted off me by Gimli, who drove his axe into its chest. I quickly rolled away as the spray of blood nearly hit me. Gimli's axe was destroyed, but luckily the Dwarf had extras close at hand.

I notched an arrow in my bow and targeted another creature trying to make off with an archer. My arrow pierced its head. I sent another arrow into its chest and it finally released the archer and fell backward. To my left Aragorn was dealing with a creature. Directly in front of me, my father was shooting arrows down at the creatures climbing the walls.

Faramir had an endless supply of weapons and he fought the creatures with swords in both hands. The Steward of Gondor was also heavily armored. But the spraying blood of the creatures soon had him pulling the melting armor off.

I moved to the wall and was back to my knives as a creature jumped over it. With a quick slash, I cleaved its jaw and half its face off. Something burned the back of my right hand and when I looked, some of its blood had gotten on me. It was not much, but the pain nearly blinded me. And more creatures jumped over the wall for me to deal with.

Gandalf used both sword and staff. He would swing his staff powerfully, knocking the creatures down before delivering a killing blow with his sword.

The battle went on until three hours before dawn appeared in the eastern sky. Aragorn, Arwen and Faramir went around looking for wounded, while Gandalf inspected the fallen creatures for signs of life.

I stood beside my father, sensing the grief in the men as they discovered their friends or family dead or taken away by the creatures.

§

Hours later, with the morning sun shining through the windows of the large hall, while the wounded were tended to, Ariedel tended to the wound on the back of my hand. The flesh was charred black and just the sight of it was as excruciating as the pain I felt coursing all the way up my arm and into my chest.

Gandalf stood nearby, his arms folded, lost in his thoughts. We both turned to Aragorn and Faramir as they approached us.

"We counted eighty-four of the creatures dead," said Aragorn.

Gandalf raised his eyebrows and unfolded his arms. "Eighty-four of them dead, but how many of our people were taken?"

Aragorn sighed before responding, not wanting to meet the Istar's eyes. "Thirty-seven."

Ariedel abandoned her task of wrapping my hand and walked into the middle of them. "That means there'll soon be thirty-seven more of them. And who knows how many didn't actually come last night. The queen isn't stupid. She won't send her entire horde out at once, knowing that we can cause them damage."

Gimli stepped up as well. "We need to make weapons of mithril, like Legolas's knives."

"There's no way we can make them in time for another attack if they come again tonight," said Faramir.

Ariedel suddenly seemed lost in her thoughts, biting at the nail on her thumb. I stood up and approached her, placing my hand on her arm. "Do you have something in mind?" I asked her.

"Yes. We have to find the hive, get in there with torches and burn them all while they sleep. They remain dormant in the daylight hours as long as they don't hear any questionable sounds. We have to get them there. It's the only way."

The others looked on, but they appeared skeptical.

"They learn quickly," she added. "They probably already know our defenses and how to deal with it. We won't survive another attack."

Aragorn turned to Gandalf. "What are your thoughts, Gandalf?"

"It sounds reasonable, Aragorn. If we cannot defeat them in our domain, then we must defeat them in theirs. They may not expect it, which gives us the upper hand."

Aragorn turned to Faramir for his opinion.

"I agree," said Faramir with a nod

Aragorn frowned and walked away to stand with Arwen. They spoke quietly together, but Arwen was agitated. She knew the dangers of these creatures and knew that Aragorn would do everything in his power to protect his people. Aragorn turned and walked back. "Then let us raid their horde. But not all will go." He looked at each of us at great length before continuing. "I ask only one of you to take a company of men."

I understood why he only wanted one of us to go. If the plan failed, then the attack would come to Minas Tirith again and with all of us dead, there would no longer be any hope of defeating the creatures. "I will go." Whatever possessed me to speak, I did not know. Everyone turned to me. I avoided Ariedel's eyes, fearing what I would see in them. "I can enter with scarcely a sound. I can also hear them if they approach."

My father, who had sat silent throughout, took the moment to stand up. "He is right, Aragorn. You, of all people, know Legolas's abilities the most."

Aragorn looked at me with concern and spoke quietly. "Aye," he sighed softly. "I do know his abilities."

"I'm going with him," said Ariedel with conviction.

I turned to her with a frown. "Nay, Ariedel, I cannot allow that." She was about to protest, but the stern look from my father gave her pause.

Aragorn turned to Faramir. "Select your men and bid them to rest for a short while." While Faramir nodded and walked away, Aragorn turned to me next, laying a hand on my shoulder. "You should rest as well, my friend. You will be riding hard, following their tracks in the dirt to their hidden lair. You must reach it while there is still light."

I nodded and looked down at the hand Ariedel had not finished wrapping. She walked up and took my hand. Then she led me away.

Minas Tirith
(Ariedel's POV)

I stood near the wooden armoire, watching Legolas twitching nervously where he sat on what looked like an overstuffed lounge chair. He was scared, I could see it in his eyes, in the way he breathed. I knew how he felt. When I had seen the aliens for the first time on my first mission, I wasn't able to stop my knees from shaking.

And then here I had watched from a window of the second level of the white city. I watched the men battle the aliens, being sprayed with their acid blood, being dragged away. It was horrible.

Legolas had fought like someone possessed, shooting his arrows and then slashing away at them with his knives. He was able to avoid the blood except for the time it got on the back of his hand. Just a few drops had left four deep gouges that I cleaned thoroughly to prevent infection and then wrapped his hand in a clean cloth. "Legolas?"

His head jerked up in my direction briefly before he looked away again. Christ, he was jumpy.

I slowly moved toward him. "You don't have to do this."

"If not me, then who?"

I stopped a couple feet away from him, my eyes welling up with tears. "I don't want you to go."

Legolas met my watering eyes and didn't say anything. Then he reached his hand out to me. When I gave it to him, he pulled me toward him.

I straddled his lap and slid my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my back and held me tightly. I inhaled his scent and pulled back enough to get me near his ear. He moaned softly as I ran my tongue along the tip of it. "Who will I have here if I lose you?"

Legolas placed his hands on my face and pulled me away so he could look into my eyes. "I will return. I promise you."

I brought my lips to his and kissed him. This could quite possibly be the last time I would ever see him again. I wanted to send him away with something to remember and maybe even with something to look forward to if he returned. No, not if. When he returned. Yes, when. I didn't want to think about the 'ifs'.

Despite the fact that we had very little time, I reached down and started unfastening the front of his tunic. He didn't stop me. In fact, he was pushing my skirt up my thighs so he could have access to my bare skin beneath.

But I had other plans. I leaned forward and ran my tongue along his chest. His fingers went into my hair. The night we had first made love in Lothlorien, I had later gone down on him and he had acted as if that had been the first time for him. I wanted to do it again.

As I slowly slid off his lap and between his legs, I continued to run my tongue over his flesh, moving down his muscular torso. My fingers worked on the ties holding his leggings up. I loosened them and moved them out of the way to expose him. It had to be a sin for him to be so perfect. I had seen my share of naked men and Legolas was going to be the one whose image I would never be able to get out of my head for as long as I lived.

I wrapped my hand around his shaft and bent to graze the head with my tongue. Legolas sucked air through his teeth and then groaned deeply as I slid him into my mouth. When I used my teeth he gasped. I loved hearing the little sounds that came out of him whenever we were intimate like this. He was an extremely passionate lover and whenever we climaxed, it was pretty intense.

I knew the very moment he was about to explode because his groans deepened like a wild animal and that only made me suck even harder. He tasted so good, I couldn't seem to get enough of him.

When it was over, he pulled me back up on his lap and kissed me fiercely. Once Legolas got started, he was on a sort of heightened state of sexual awareness. All I had to do was touch him again and he was ready for more.

So as I straddled his lap, I guided him inside me. He slid his hands under my skirt and dug his fingers into my hips, forcing himself deeper. I cried out as his thumb moved to my swollen clit and rubbed it. Being on top gave me the advantage of moving at my own pace and I stretched it out as long as I possibly could, which really wasn't very long because he was killing me with every groan out of his mouth. The minute the wave hit me, I could feel Legolas letting go and releasing his seed inside me.

We held each other for awhile afterward, whispering words of endearment to each other. Until it was time for him to go. I wanted him to stay, but if I delayed him any longer, then the chances of him and the other men reaching the hive before sunset would be slim.

At the front gates I gave him a kiss and a hug. "Don't forget what I said about not making a sound when you're inside the hive."

"I will be as silent as a ghost," he acknowledged with a smile, the fear he felt earlier had vanished, as if it never existed.

I wanted to smile, but my lips were trembling as I reached up to caress his cheek. "Please come back to me in one piece."

Legolas backed away and mounted Arod. With one last look, he spun the horse around and bolted away, twelve of Aragorn's men trailing behind him. Thirteen of them in all…that was a pretty unlucky number.

Ithilien and the Mountains of Shadow
(Legolas's POV)

We had ridden hard into Ithilien for nearly two hours, following the wide lane of deep tracks in the dirt, left there by the aliens. Much closer than expected, the tracks veered left into the Mountains of Shadow. We traveled single file into a canyon that reminded me of Dwimorberg Mountain where Aragorn had enlisted the Army of the Dead one year ago during our quest to destroy the One Ring. The tracks continued on for some time and ended at an obscure cave opening. So this was their lair.

We dismounted and prepared the oil sacks and torches. As we entered the cave, I could sense the fear in the men. When I turned to look behind me, I saw them quickly glancing left and right, expecting an attack at any time. I faced forward again, feeling the same fear beginning to creep up on me. Where did these creatures sleep? I had yet to see any dozing about.

The walls of the tunnel were covered in a strange sediment I was unfamiliar with and contained spirals and grooves. I motioned for someone to begin leaving a trail of oil. If all went well, and once the entire hive was well soaked in oil, we would return to this point and light it with a torch. The oil trail would ignite and the flames would continue into their lair and destroy the aliens.

The path continued on and on, seeming with no end in sight. Someone sneezed behind me…It echoed throughout the tunnel and we all froze in our tracks. My keen ears strained to listen. But there was nothing.

The man directly behind me started to move forward, but I blocked him with my arm as a sound suddenly reached my ears. A deadly sounding hiss. But it was not coming from deeper inside the tunnel, it came from where we had just come…Behind us.

The sounds of claws scraping on stone made my eyes widen. Something was coming. "Swords," I yelled.

Swords being drawn echoed in the tunnel. And then someone screamed. The tunnel was far too confined for bow and arrow. I drew one of my long knives and prepared for battle. The attack came swiftly from all sides.

The creatures clung to the ceiling of the cave and crawled on the walls like ghostly apparitions. I slashed at them, hoping that their blood would not reach any of the men. More screams followed and in the darkness I saw silhouettes rushing passed me, dragging the men away.

Something slammed into me from behind and I pitched forward on all fours, dropping my knife. Before I could reach for the other on my back, a sharp blow struck the left side of my head. I could feel warm blood dripping down the side of my face and into my eye. Then darkness quickly claimed me.