Hey Everyone! I'm baaaaaack!
So this is the long promised prequel series to my Lord of the Rings OC Trilogy. Expect lots of background for our OC and also an introduction to her relationship with Legolas! If you've already read my first trilogy, awesome! but expect to read it again bc after i'm done uploading The Hobbit series, I will be going back through that one and uploading my edits! and there have been A LOT of edits, from grammar to entire story changes!
If you haven't already read my first trilogy, DON'T. As i said earlier, I WILL be editing it A LOT.
Enjoy loves!
It was well past nightfall by the time Tauriel, Legolas and Caladwen arrived as Esgaroth. The small city, which sat in the middle of a giant lake, seemed fairly innocuous, though how they would ever get in was beyond Caladwen. According to Tauriel, Lake Town was fairly well cut off from outsiders, even their own people were treated poorly.
"They will see us, I am their King's son." Legolas whispered, exiting the forest and onto the bridge. Tauriel and Caladwen rolled their eyes, following Legolas down to the narrow bridge, the only port of entry, to the town of Esgaroth.
It was only when they'd crossed the bridge that the elves realized they were not the first nor second group to arrive that day. Next to the large, open gate, of Lake Town were set several dead men, each brutalized. Caladwen knelt before them, pulling from ones gut a black shafted arrow.
"The orcs are here." Caladwen told the pair. "Do you know where the dwarves are? You said something of Bard the Bowman?" She asked Tauriel, who was already panicking.
"I know where Bard lives." Legolas told them, searching the town quietly. "I will lead you to him."The group slowed as they came to a housing district filled with piers. "He lives in this neighborhoos." Legolas turned to Caladwen, gesturing to the rooftops above them. "Take the high ground, let me know if any orcs escape." He told her. Caladwen nodded, quickly and quietly making her way to the rooftops. From there, she could see all of Esgaroth, and in the distance, towards the center of the pier hood, several shadows slunk across the rooftops and through the streets below.
"Legolas!" Caladwen hissed catching the elven Prince's attention. "I see them from here, they've entered the house next to the bell tower. At least a dozen!" She told them both. Tauriel gasped, taking off towards the center of town with abandon, and Caladwen also began to sprint, jumping between the buildings and awnings gracefully. Legolas, who was not far behind them, drew his sword, vaulting over carts and dockings.
As Caladwen drew closer, she came to a sliding stop on a nearby roof, arming her bow and letting it fly. It struck one of the orcs that was crawling from rooftop to rooftop, and the others that remained on the roofs turned, snarling at her angrily. Without hesitation, Caladwen let fly several more arrows, each of them ringing true, until the rooftops around her were emptied. Thinking herself done, Caladwen stowed her bow, only to be grabbed from behind and tossed to the side of the roof.
Caladwen landed with a groan, grasping for some kind of handhold on the roof as she slid down towards the streets below. She came to a full stop, growling as she grabbed the edge of the roof for leverage. The orc swung at her and Caladwen ducked, moving to the right to avoid his blade. Unable to climb up onto the roof with him swinging at her, Caladwen grabbed for his ankles, pulling one of them out from underneath him. The orc screeched, sliding into the frosty water, but not before taking a cut from Caladwen down the length of his side, from the blade hidden in her boot. With a huff, she pulled herself again to the rooftop, watching anxiously the house that Legolas and Tauriel had ran to.
There was a commotion in the house, Caladwen could hear things breaking and orcs squealing from where she stood. Suddenly, and orc flew from the , landing hard on a boat below, shortly followed by one of his dead kin. Caladwen pulled her bow, watching for any sign of distress as the first orc came flying back up towards the window, only to have his head detached mid air, by Legolas as he strode unto the balcony. Caladwen smirked, letting loose her arrow, which flew towards the orcs head, sinking into it's skull and impaling it on the wall behind Legolas.
Shocked, Legolas glared up at her, angrily gesturing for her to join them. Caladwen snorted, stowing her bow and arrow, until she spied a group of retreating orcs.
"Legolas!" Caladwen called to him. He turned, pointing in the direction of the orcs. "Menir na! (They are retreating!)" She called, turning to take out a few with her bow. To her surprise, Legolas jumped the back balcony, landing on the pier below. He took off, full sprint, after the retreating orcs and Caladwen struggled to stay at his pace. Caladwen jumped from building to building, where she would catch sight of him for a second before losing him again, until finally catching up to him as he engaged a group of orcs.
Caladwen growled, if she were to shoot an arrow, it would be a very close call. The orcs movements were sporadic and she didn't want to risk hitting Legolas. The gap between the houses on her side of the street and his side of the street was bigger than she had currently been jumping, but it was the quickest way over. With a sigh, Caladwen took a running start, leaping through the air. To her surprise, she'd made the jump, nearly fell off her balance, but she made the jump nonetheless.
Below her, Legolas' fight was getting serious. He'd dispatched with two of the three orcs the pair had been chasing, but now only had the white orc to deal with, who was a giant among orcs. The white orc grabbed Legolas, brutally throwing him against the wall behind him. Caladwen could feel her own bones crunching and she panicked as the White Orc turned to finish the job.
Thinking fast, Caladwen jumped to the wall in front her, sliding part of the way down before jumping to the wall behind her and finally landing behind the massive white orc, drawing her sword. Before she had a chance to strike, the orc turned, kicking her and sending Caladwen sprawling across the ground.
While the orc was distracted with Caladwen, Legolas lunged at him with his own sword. Caladwen felt her heart racing; the sword's pointy end fell through the beast and for a split second she thought Legolas had won. To her dismay, the orc was not run through at all, but instead caught Legolas' sword between his arm and his torso. In an instant, the orc grabbed Legolas by his upper arm, yanking him through the air and into the wall behind him effortlessly.
The orc turned to Caladwen, raising his foot to squash her, and she dropped her sword, grabbing his foot. With a groan, Caladwen pushed against the orc, catching him off balance and making him stumble backwards into a stack of crates. As he was collecting himself, Caladwen jumped at him, bringing her fist back and making to strike him in his face. He was not to be caught off guard, however.
With a fury, the white orc grabbed Caladwen's fist. She cried out as he bent her hand backwards before shoving her into the pillar behind her. She groaned, the wind knocked out of her and her back slammed into the pillar behind her. The white orcs hands found their way around Caladwen's neck, and she began clawing at his arms as he began to strangle her. Using what energy she had left, Caladwen tried kicking at the giant orc, but at this point his hold on her was too solid.
Just when Caladwen thought herself finished, Legolas appeared behind the orc, grabbing him around the torso and throwing him into a nearby wall. Caladwen fell to the ground, grasping at her neck and coughing in an attempt to breathe, while Legolas slammed the orcs head against the wall repeatedly. The orc stopped himself, turning and swinging for Legolas, but the elven Prince caught his fist, taking a swipe himself. After a few trades, the orc grabbed Legolas' fist, spinning him around and wrapping him in a bear hug.
Finally on her feet, Caladwen again ran for the orc, jumping onto his back and wrapping her arms around his head in a headlock. Taking advantage of his distraction, Legolas threw his head backwards, striking the orc in the nose. The white orc released him and Legolas pushed himself forwards, grabbing a set of knives from his back. Legolas turned, lashing out at anywhere on the orc that was not covered in armor, his thighs, waist, and arms. The orc howled in pain, jumping backwards and slamming Caladwen into a wall. She didn't let go, and the orc grabbed her shoulders, launching her into Legolas.
Dropping his knives, Legolas caught her, and Caladwen coughed, winded. By this time, the other two orcs that Legolas had already dispatched were awake, and Caladwen jumped out of Legolas' arms, lunging for the nearest orc. Caladwen wrapped her arms around his neck, dragging the orc to the ground under her weight, viciously punching him as they landed. Over her shoulder, the white orc that her and Legolas had just done battle with, began to walk away.
"Legolas!" Caladwen shouted, punching the orc again. Legolas nodded, tossed Caladwen one of his small knives, and the pair made quick work of the two remaining orcs.
Helping Caladwen to her feet, the pair of elves tried their best to go after the white orc, but every step Caladwen took was painful. She winced, leaning up against a building, Legolas saddling up against the pole in front of her. His eyes fluttered and he staggered a bit.
"Legolas." Caladwen said his name, her voice raspy. She grabbed his shoulders and steadying him as he swayed. Legolas blinked, his eyes widening and his hands found Caladwen's face. Gently, he traced her hairline with his fingers and Caladwen winced.
"You're bleeding." He told her, dropping his hands to her already bruised neck. His voice wavered as he groaned in pain. Caladwen reached up to his face as well, brushing his cheek.
"So are you." She told him quietly. Legolas touched his hand up to his nose, wiping away a trickle of blood that was there. With a growl, he turned, looking off down the alley behind him. From that alley they could see the White Orc smirking at them as he rejoined the rest of his group.
"Catch him." Caladwen groaned at Legolas, still clutching at her ribs. Legolas nodded, pointing back at Caladwen with his sword as he ran after the White Orc.
"I will be back for you, do not move!" But he did not need to tell her twice. Caladwen was so sore, and slowly she slid down the wall behind her, burying her face in her knees.
Caladwen only got more sore as she sat in that alley. Hours seemed to go by but she knew it only felt that long because of how achy she was. The town around her seemed oddly quiet, especially since the brawl they had against the orcs was particularly loud. With a sigh, Caladwen leaned her head back against the wall behind her.
From above, Caladwen felt a mighty wind and heard a woosh as something big flew over head. With narrowed eyes, Caladwen stared at the sky, waiting for the creature to come back into sight. She did not have to wait long as the creature made a second pass, this time setting the town ablaze. Caladwen screamed, the houses next to her going up in flame, and she quickly crawled away from the building. Frantically, she searched the sky, as a flurry of red wings and golden eyes flocked above her.
"Smaug!" Caladwen gasped, the dragon descending for another shot. Caladwen drew her bow, aiming true for the creature's chest. She'd nearly let her arrow fly when someone grabbed her waist, pulling her beneath a nearby awning. The flames were hot as they licked the ground where Caladwen was once standing. Breathing hard, she turned to find the Legolas had indeed returned for her.
"You are going to get yourself killed! His hide is as tough as steel, you cannot penetrate it." Legolas scolded her. Caladwen coughed, grabbing for her neck, it still hurt and it was still hard to breath. Peering out from under the awning, Legolas watched the sky. "Let us go, we must get to the lake." He told her.
As Caladwen and Legolas ran through Laketown, the once quiet city was jostled awake. In the distance, over the roar of the fire, Caladwen could hear a bell tolling and men and women screaming. When Smaug laid his first attacked, he cut the city in twain with his fire breath, effectively cutting them off from one another.
"What about the others?" Caladwen asked Legolas, but it was no use, they were on the wrong side of the fire.
"There is no way across the flames. We will have to make for the coast and hope for the best." Caladwen frowned as the frantic people of Laketown piled their possessions and themselves on to small canal boats. Those already packed paddled as fast as they could. Caladwen's gut clenched, she could hear Smaug making for another pass.
"We need to move, NOW." Caladwen told Legolas, pushing him in the opposite direction of the flames. Watching the sky, she found Smaug closing in on the city, and in the darkness his mouth began to glow. "Now, now, NOW!" She hissed, her and Legolas breaking into a dead sprint. As he soared over town, Smaug unleashed his flames, again breathing fire in a line across Laketown. There was more screaming at Caladwen's back, which grew hot as Smaug set that part of the city a blaze.
The town was in chaos as it's people clammored around Caladwen and Legolas. From a home above them, one that was already in flames, a man who haf caught fire dove, screaming, into the frozen water below. Caladwen gagged, the smell of his burning flesh stinging her nose. The city around them surged as Smaug made another turn, heading back towards the helpless town. The men and women around Caladwen and Legolas began to push, shove, and scream.
"Hey!" Caladwen shouted as she was knocked around by a large group of people. She panicked, seeing Legolas was also being shoved around, in the opposite direction of her.
"Caladwen!" He shouted, reaching over the crowd. Caladwen did the same, their fingers barely touching as they were separated by the frenzied crowd.
"No!" Caladwen shouted, as she was pushed and pulled every which way. Finally, she ended up against the side of a building, crushed into it's wall by the mob. Above her Caladwen spied a bell hanging on an outcropping. Using as much strength as she could, Caladwen jumped, pulling herself up until she was standing on the piece of wood above the bell. Frantically she scanned the crowd.
"Legolas!" She shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. On the far edge of the crowd, pushed up against another building, she saw Legolas struggling to push through the crowd. Not far from herself sat a small well and Caladwen prayed it was within jumping distance as she ran for it, jumping through the air and landing heavily on it's wooden roof. Under her foot, the roof broke, and Caladwen gasped, shocked, as her foot fell through. Feeling the well was not as sturdy as she'd once hoped, Caladwen again jumped, but she did not make it to Legolas, instead choosing to jump to a set of boxes that were off to the side of the crowd, near the edge of the wooden street.
Above her came a familiar wooshing and Caladwen felt her chest begin to tighten. Smaug was heading straight for their part of town, to be more specific, he was flying for the giant bell tower several blocks behind Legolas.
"Legolas!" Caladwen called again, this time catching his attention. Following Caladwen's lead, Legolas pulled himself above the crowd, using their heads as stepping stones until he reached Caladwen.
"Are you alright?" He asked her, grabbing her face. Caladwen nodded, pushing his hands away from her.
"He's returning we must move!" Caladwen shouted, frantically searched for anywhere for them to run. The dragon was growing close and Caladwen felt her heart sink as she realized there was nowhere to go. Behind Caladwen, Legolas spied the emptied canal, and he reached for Caladwen, grabbing her to his chest before sending both of them flying into the icy waters.
As they sank, Caladwen could see the space above the waterline glowing a bright red, Smaug had made his attack only mere seconds before their jump. It was a good idea, but Caladwen was not prepared for it, and in a panic, she gasped, releasing any oxygen she had left. As she panicked, Caladwen tried desperately to pull away from Legolas, but instead he only held her closer, pressing their lips together, breathing his spare air into her mouth.
Again Caladwen could feel the electricity shooting through her body as their lips met, and she reacted to his kiss, bringing her hand up to his face. She could feel his arms drop, wrapping around her midsection as he pulled her closer to him, trying his best to protect her from the chaos above. As he breathed into her, Caladwen soon realized that his oxygen was not enough to keep her conscious. Caladwen could feel herself slipping, her limbs growing weak. She was going to drown here, in the middle of a flaming Lake.