Alright, here we go! I kind of discontinued this story due to lack of interest back on my main site… buuuuuuut I got bored and decided to update here anyway :D eve though I had kind of lost my pw for a long while… RH is next on my list to update so don't worry Naruto fans. Either way, here we go!

Chapter two!

Our Darkest Hour: Part One

"Dori...?"

Dorinnar looked over his shoulder at his younger friend, the waning moonlight outside letting him see in the dark room.

"Repusmi... why are you awake? The sun's not even up yet..." Shrugging the younger's hand off his shoulder, he opted to return to his slumber. "Go to sleep."

"B-but Dori! I hear something outside!" Repusmi shook the elder elf lightly as he sighed and pushed himself up. He raised a hand up to his ear and listened silently for a moment.

"I don't hear anything. You're probably just hungry and imagining things. Now be a good girl and go to sleep," he said and plopped back down. The younger's face grew red.

"I'm not a girl! And I'm not imagining things! I know I heard something!" Repusmi whispered harshly against his ear. The elder only grumbled something about not waking the other two in the next room and shrugged again.

"Dori, please!" he pleaded quietly, grabbing the other's shoulder and pulling him to turn. "I'm not imagi-"

*crack*

Dorinnar quickly pulled his friend down closer and rolled over him, pinning him on the make-shift bed and covering his mouth with his hand. Eyes closed, he ignored the younger boy beneath him gripping onto his shirt, and concentrated on the seemingly quiet night. Then he heard it.

Footsteps...

Right outside the room's boarded window no less.

'But who would be stalking around here...?'

Dorinnar decided not to risk it and find an answer just yet. He pulled Repusmi's hands from his shirt as he carefully got up and motioned for the younger to follow. Silently they slipped into the main room of their tiny home. Dorinnar grabbed a dagger from behind the houseplant and mentally reminded himself to apologize to Repusmi. The younger had said it was a good precautionary measure in case they had some uninvited guests and continued to cover the house, despite the others' saying no one would ever come out this far. The whole house was full of hidden weapons and he had to admit, they did come in handy.

Pushing that thought aside, he led the younger boy into the other room where their friends were still sound asleep.

"Lael, Miimiy! Wake up!" he nudged them with his foot.

"Dori? What-"

"Shh! Keep quiet," Dorinnar motioned towards the window in the room which was also boarded. Repusmi had moved to it and placed his hands on the boards. He was leaning close to them to try and look outside.

"We have guests..." Dorinnar finished as Miimiy took another blade from under her bed.

*rustle*

Lael was up in a flash, pulling Repusmi away from the window. The four listened quietly as they heard voices now, speaking in a tongue they didn't understand.

"- - - - -!"

"- - - -… - - - -."

"-."

Footsteps… a rustling noise… and then silence. A shaky breath was shared around the room as the four elves relaxed, Dorinnar and Miimiy lowering their blades some. Lael stopped trying to crush his smaller friend against his body and let young Repusmi go, who, in turn, almost choked on the air. Aside from his gasping and light coughing, the night remained silent. Both Dorinnar and Lael were still straining to hear something, anything to tell them that the intruders might still be there. But after a few long moments, they both relaxed.

Miimiy yawned. "Fwaa… if that's that, then I'm going back to sleep. Lael?" Said elf wrapped an arm around her thin waist and waved a hand at his other two friends in a shooing motion. Repusmi made a face but Dorinnar only chuckled lightly.

"C'mon, Repusmi." Within the blink of an eye, he was beside his younger friend, holding his hand as if he were escorting a lady. "You can sleep in my bed if you're still afraid." He winked slyly, making the younger blush and squirm.

"I was not afraid! I was only concerned for all of your safeties!"

…

When they got back into their own room, Dorinnar couldn't help but laugh at how quickly his friend went to his bed and climbed in, covering his head with the blankets. Only his ears could be seen and again, he couldn't help but go over and tease them with his finger, flicking them. A muffled growl was all he got in return, making him laugh.

But as his laugh faded, the night seemed to turn serene once more. He sat down next to the tiny form bundled on his bed and stared at the messy and abandoned bed across the room. How many nights had he spent awake simply staring at the form sleeping there? How many nights had he gone over to that bedside just to tuck the body there in even snugger? How many nights had he just sat there, watching that sleeping face…? And how many nights more had he offered that person to sleep here, beside him in his own bed? And now, to have him finally lying next to him…

Dorinnar finally lied down fully as he heard the other's breathing slow. His arms behind his head, he closed his eyes and let himself doze. Just as he was on the verge of finally falling back asleep, his friend decided to speak, startling him.

"…they're not going back to sleep are they?"

Repusmi pulled the blanket back so he could look up at his friend. The elder glanced down at him, a bored expression on his face. "Who?"

"Miimiy and Lael you dunderhead."

"What makes you think they're not going to sleep?"

Repusmi gave the elder a look that screamed 'do you think I'm stupid?'

"Miimiy's too cautious for that and Lael's too hot-blooded. They snuck out didn't they?"

Dorinnar seemed to think for a moment, as if the evening were far away. He brought a hand to his face, a finger tapping his chin. "I dunnoooo~. They might haaaaave, I suuupoooose~."

"Dori, I heard them."

"Ah ha ha."

Repusmi stayed silent for a time. A long time. He didn't move at all. Dorinnar got a bit worried, glancing down at him again.

"Something else on your mind?"

Large eyes, shining even in this darkness, looked up at him. The elder's eyes widened slightly at the look. It made him a bit uncomfortable with that quivering lip he saw. Repusmi shifted a bit, a light red dust settling on his cheeks as he moved closer, regarding his friend seriously. "Why didn't you go with them…?"

"Wh-what?" Dorinnar stuttered slightly, a bit taken aback by the question. "Why would I go with them?"

"Dori, you love to fight." The younger said softly and, what Dorinnar thought sounded, somewhat sadly. Repusmi turned from his stomach to his side, facing away from his friend. "You don't always have to force yourself, sticking around to look after me… I know I'm not as strong as you, but I can take care of myself when I have to…"

Is that what he thought? That he was go through trouble just to see him safe? That he was an annoyance and nothing else? Oh, by the Light, how he wished he could turn the boy over and show him just how much he really meant to him! But… how would he react to that? He wasn't a child anymore. But he was still so young… Still, it seemed worth the effort at least…

Dorinnar bit his lip and took a deep breath before grabbing the younger's shoulder, turning him. He only caught a glimpse of those shining eyes, startled from the sudden action, before he froze completely.

"Aaaaaaaaaiiiiiieeee!"

Dorinnar's own eyes flashed as he whirled around, already blocking the attack. He cradled his younger friend close to his chest, pulling him from the bed as more of… them entered the room. He'd seen creatures like this before… humans. From afar he'd seen them. Their prince had spoken of them before… But what were they doing here, in the middle of nowhere? And why were they attacking?

They moved closer. One, two, three… seven. Seven of them. They were surrounded! All Dorinnar could do was hold Repusmi close and try to look as calm as he could. He might be able to hold his own in a fight… even with all these people. But if they tried to pick off Repusmi, who was smaller and ultimately weaker… This was a mess. He couldn't protect his friend from all of them. And what happened to Miimiy and Lael? Why did she scream?

"- - - - -?"

One of them was talking to a human wearing a red sash around his neck. Could it be the leader…?

"-. - - - - - - -…. - -."

Whoever this person was, that last sentence sounded absolute. Dorinnar's eyes narrowed as the group moved closer. They looked too ragged to be soldiers… were they just wandering thugs, lost in the forest? One of them took a step in front of the others. He eyed the younger elf, looking him up and down. The grin that crossed his face made Dorinnar's blood run cold.

They were on top of him a moment later, tearing Repusmi from his hold, pulling his arms backwards and knocking the wind out of him. He gagged on spit and struggled to stay conscious. He swung his leg and managed to knock one the humans off his feet. A blade flashed in the moonlight intruding from the no longer boarded window and it bit deeply into his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth to the pain and yanked the blade from its owner. In a cascade of movements, he sank the dagger into one man's neck, and slashed another's chest, causing him to fall, crippled from the blow. Dodging a blow from behind, he managed to move from the center of them and over to where the door was. But something was wrong…

'…Where's Repusmi?'

Dorinnar's eyes widened in panic as he looked around frantically. Three of the humans were gone and so was his friend…

"Long eared freak!"

Startled by the understandable language, Dorinnar was too slow to block the blow to his head. He took the full brunt of the blow and staggered, his legs suddenly feeling like jelly. He fell to the ground with a grunt and ended up biting his tongue. He looked up with fading vision. Two men dead… two men still in the room… where were the other three…? And where was Repusmi…? He strained to stay conscious, ignoring the sticky liquid pouring down now onto his forehead.

"…ri…!"

Dorinnar's ear twitched at the distant, almost inaudible sound. With the world fading and his mind reeling, he thought he imagined it. But again he heard it. Only this time he knew he didn't imagine it. And this time, he knew what it was.

"Dori!"

It was a cry for help… He reached his hand out towards the door only to have it stamped on by the human who he'd understood earlier.

"R-repu…smi…"

And then the world went black…

…TBC…

Oh dear lord I actually wrote something good for the first time in months if not a year! Dorinnar! Your undying love inspired me! -teary eyes of admiration-

Either way, lemme know what you think :) chapter three is coming up soon! r&r!