***Warning for Violence and Adult Themes in this Chapter.***

Chapter 27

A noise from behind made the elf pause mid stride, whirl effortlessly on the spot and stand stock still, head cocked to one side, ears pricked for any further sound. It was not long before he heard more. The tramp of heavy footsteps. He was being followed. A grim smile slowly animated his lips and he glanced around, weighing up his surroundings instantly before making a decision, gliding noiselessly over to one of the tall beech trees, picking up a few pebbles on the way, then leaping effortlessly up into its branches. Waiting patiently he was soon rewarded by the sight he had been anticipating as a group of orcs came blundering their way to the spot he had so recently vacated. A count revealed them to be fifteen in number and his smile grew wider as he mentally reviewed his strategy. This would be fun.

He watched from his vantage point as they passed beneath, heart beating faster with anticipation and decided to make his enjoyment last. Easing his bow and quiver from his back he hung them from a nearby branch. Using his knives would make each kill more intimate and therefor much more enjoyable. Rolling one of the pebbles so recently acquired between the fingers of his right hand he thought for a moment before throwing it into a small bush to the left and slightly in front of where the orcs were passing. He grinned as they immediately stopped to look curiously at the greenery as it swayed gently from the stones impact. The orc who had been leading the pack immediately gestured for one of the others to move forward and investigate but before he had chance to take a step another pebble flew and hit a tree on the opposite side causing their all heads to swing round in that direction. The elf stifled a laugh as the creatures stood undecided confusion causing them to try and watch both places at once.

The apparent leader rallied first, grunting out a command that had four others cautiously edging forwards in two pairs towards the places the stones had hit. The elf's smile grew wider as he launched a third pebble into the trees directly between his first two targets and the orcs beneath him froze once more then moved closer together, nervously shuffling their feet, their eyes frantically sweeping around the area, muttering and cursing darkly.

It was into the middle of this melee of uncertainty that the elf suddenly appeared. Dropping out of the trees like a large raindrop and causing ripples of consternation to travel outwards through the ring of orcs that now surrounded him, a huge grin plastered on his face. For a second all was still as the orcs tried to assimilate the information that here, in their very midst was an elf and a lone elf at that. When their dull wits finally caught up however he was gone and two of the ugly creatures were doubled over, clutching at long gashes running diagonally across their bodies in mirror image, from nipple to hip. Guttural voices began to clamour for blood and as the milling mass uncaringly trampled their erstwhile comrades underfoot in their futile bid to discover where the elf had gone he was once more looking down from the canopy, eyes bright with pleasure as he wiped the black blood from his blades, replaced them in their ornate sheaths then withdrew his final pebble from the small pouch at his belt and began to slowly roll it between finger and thumb, waiting for the initial loud curses and growls to abate.

It took a while for the leader to gain control of the pack once more but after much shouting and cursing and a few well aimed flicks from his whip he managed to subdue their initial panicked reaction until they were once again still and more or less silent. This was when the elf threw his final pebble. It arced over the orcs heads, unseen, to hit a distant tree with an audible thunk, bounced off its trunk and finally came to land in the middle of a thorny bush, rustling down through its branches until it hit the ground. The orcs reacted as one. With a guttural roar they rushed off towards the sounds waving their weapons in anticipation, leaving behind a muddy mire into which two misshapen bodies had been pressed.

The elf leaped agilely from his perch, silently drawing his deadly blades in mid-air and landed behind the last of the orcs as they rushed off into the forest. He swung one blade down to slice through the creature's right shoulder and as it turned around with the impact buried the other into its gut. Freeing his blade he licked his lips as the creatures eyes grew blank and it fell to the ground at his feet. Dancing over the corpse he followed after the pack who had failed to notice his presence and still blundered on their way.

The next orc in line felt his legs go from under him as he was neatly hamstrung and before he realised what had happened was staring up at a slender figure twirling a pair of blades lazily in his hands. He barely managed a strangled squeal before the blades flashed down in tandem, efficiently separating his ugly head from his stunted body. The elf sighed with pleasure as black blood gushed up from the severed arteries, splattering his own chest and face with a warm, sticky spray then quickly glanced to see if any had heard the orcs final cry. They had. Two of the pack had turned back and were now stalking towards the elf, evil grins stretching their thin lips wide.

The elf stood and faced the oncoming pair, his arms loosely dangling at his sides blades held lightly in hands deceptively slender and pale. His smile matched theirs and for a second they paused, uncertainty clouded their vision as they turned to each other frowningly before shrugging shoulders heavy with muscle and turning back to their motionless prey. As one they rushed forwards, spewing out curses, their heavy blades held before them ready to skewer the elf where he stood only to watch, in fascinated horror as he danced lithely out of the way, bringing his own blades up to slice through the arms bearing their own weapons in a blur of blood and pain. Instinctively clutching at the stumps where their forearms now ended both let out roars load enough to make the others stop in their tracks, turn and take in the scene. The elf stood with dripping blades held high, laughing at the astonished looks upon his enemies faces then, in a move none could quite follow, brought the blades down across both throats, slicing them open with ruthless efficiency, pirouetted on the spot, bowed and beckoned the pack towards him as if taunting their ability. They attacked.

In his element the elf turned, twisted, cut and thrust. A continuous blur of movement with a deadly sting. His blades almost seemed to multiply in the orcs minds as they slashed and stabbed with abandon. As he realised who it was that they were attacking the orc leader tried to call the others back but to no avail. Orcs only saw one way to deal with elves, especially elves who were so stupid as to take a group of them on alone and they were not going to let this one get away no matter if he did say their master wanted it alive. Their blood was up and they were beyond listening now.

As Aragorn raced through the trees with his brothers he wondered who it was the orcs could be fighting. They were too distant from Thranduil's halls for it to be a patrol, they did not come out this far and men rarely came into the forest at all, claiming it to be ruled by an evil elven king who used dark magic to ensnare the unwary and force them to his will. As they neared the fight he realised that the only voices he could hear bore the the deep, rasping, tones of the orcs. No others were distinguishable in the melee of grunts, curses and calls of the black speech. Whomever it was that the creatures faced fought in silence and that was slightly unnerving to say the least. He looked from left to right to where his brothers ran at his side and saw the puzzlement in their own faces as they had obviously made the same observance as he. They ran on until they could see movement just ahead through the trees and Elladan held up his hand, calling them to a halt.

A set of hand signals then followed as, although the noise of battle from ahead would most probably drown out any attempt at communication they made, they wanted to take no chances and the three began to slowly edge closer, as silent as shadows in an effort to view the battle before weighing in.

The scene before him made Aragorn stop and stare. A ring of orcs, all bearing evidence of their opponent's skill with his blades, stood around a single elf, whose fluid grace and agility appeared to have them mesmerised. Black blood sprayed from the ends of the twin blades he spun so deftly, slashing here and there as the orcs moved within range, drawing long lines of gore with each strike. The elf himself was covered in the dark stuff, his naked torso stippled and splashed with enough to hide the pale skin beneath, his hair, dark with thickened clots, his breeches clinging and wet, hugging his figure closely enough to show himself aroused by the ongoing battle. As Aragorn watched on he began to feel a sense of wrongness about the scene. The elf was not fighting as one of the first born usually did. Oh yes, he was deadly accurate with amazing speed and agility, fluidly moving from one opponent to the other, avoiding their own blades in a manner only an elf could achieve except that this elf fought to maim, not to kill. Elves usually fought cleanly and calmly, intent upon killing as swiftly and painlessly as possible, hating the necessity, but knowing if they did not kill first they would themselves die. This elf appeared to be enjoying the pain he was inflicting, going out of his way to avoid cutting too deep or too soon, prolonging the fight and relishing the gore as it showered around him, taking pleasure from every strike.

He looked over and saw Elladan's face twisted with pain and grief as he too observed the fight. Then caught Elrohir's eye and shuddered at the extent of the bewildered hurt within their depths. Looking back to the strange elf he was just in time to see him eviscerate one of the unfortunate orcs then grasp the wriggling innards as they tumbled from his body, cut them free and rub them sensuously down his body from nipples to groin before throwing them into the face of another of the dark creatures with a spine chilling smile and twirling to raise his blades to meet the scimitar sweeping down upon his head with a resounding clash of metal, thrusting it away and stabbing at the chest of the creature wielding it.

Aragorn felt the bile rise in his throat and swallowed rapidly in an effort to retain his dignity. He felt a hand gently squeeze his shoulder and turned a wavering smile upon his eldest brother.

"Let us put an end to this." Elladan whispered, his voice catching with emotion.

Aragorn nodded and hefted his sword as with another squeeze of his hand the half elf moved over to speak to his twin. Elrohir's eyes shone with moisture as he acknowledged Elladan's words and on their brother's silent signal the trio rushed out to join in the fight.

The elf, lost in his bloody game, did not immediately notice that the orcs were suddenly beset from behind. It was not until one of the creatures fell at his feet without him even raising his knife that he became aware of the three new combatants and when he did he snarled with frustration that someone else would dare ruin his enjoyment thusly. The blood lust was such that he did not even see the faces of those who had joined the fight, just their shapes as they moved amongst the orcs, killing them swiftly and surely. He increased his speed, the whirling blades becoming a blur as they now began to slay instead of maim, his heartbeat increasing with each impact, his breath coming in short pants as his foes began to diminish in number and the battle neared its end. The climax came as he thrust one knife deep into the guts of the remaining orc, hugged him close and drew the blade up to his neck, inhaling deeply of the iron rich tang of the deep black fluid that ran, like a river over his charged body, causing such an intense release that he fell to his knees, still clutching the lifeless body hard against his own as he spasmed and howled out his pleasure.

Surrounded by butchered corpses the brothers could only stare in disbelief at the lurid spectacle made by the shuddering elf in the throes of his completion. Never before had they born witness to so shocking a scene. Although all knew well the thrill that could be caused by heated battle this was the first time that even the long lived peredhil had seen anyone taken to such extremes, usually relief was found in the quiet time after battle, either alone or with a willing partner, as a balm against the violence recently perpetrated. To find this need twisted in such a depraved way turned their stomachs and pained their hearts, bringing all three to wonder what they should now do with the strange, wild elf.

As his heartbeat and breathing began to return to normal the elf stretched languidly, pushing the gutted body away, briefly reveling in the sated state of his body, until he suddenly remembered that he was not alone and sprang to his feet with graceful agility, bristling with fury, mouth open to give them a piece of his mind.

It was his turn to stare, open mouthed as he recognized two of the figures standing before him their faces filled with revulsion and loathing, just as he had seen them before in his drug induced dreams back in Dol Guldur.

"You!" The expletive left his mouth before he even thought the word and then with a snarl he raised his knives and charged towards the momentarily stunned trio.

Aragorn watched the elf rise to his feet, growing awareness turning his knees to jelly, cold fingers running up and down his spine. It couldn't be. He shook his head, trying to refute what his mind was telling him was true but it was no good. He heard the elf spit out one word with such venom he could hardly identify the voice, then stood, unable to move, as the friend he had known he could always rely upon to keep him safe, who he held as close to his heart as a brother, charged forwards, hatred twisting his well-loved features beyond all recognition.

"Legolas." The name escaped the man's lips in a pained whisper of disbelief.

A/N

So finally the three meet again at last! The next chapter could prove to be very interesting indeed. :)

Thanks, as ever to those of you sticking with me and still reading. A few words from you all would really make my day ;)

Honourable mentions go to Obsidianglasses, NirCele, and sehellys (x2) for taking the time to comment so nicely.