Chapter 15, everyone!

Hello... it's me... a bit late (very late), but still! I hope it will be a satisfying chapter and worth the wait :)

I would like to thank all of you with the encouraging/interesting reviews, all of you readers, followers and favourites. I really appreciate your support!

I do not own any characters (except a couple of OCs) or places; J.R.R. Tolkien or Peter Jackson & Co do.

The italics in the beginning and the end of a chapter come from either one of the Lord of the Rings movies/books or from one of The Hobbit movies/book. All of them will have some connection to the Elves, so I don't own them as well!

Enjoy!

Chapter 15: What dwelled beneath the Mountains

"A shadow that grows in the dark."

At the sound of the Goblins' pickaxes cutting deeper into the crystals, Legolas could feel Tauriel tense. Her jaw was set and the look in her eyes murderous. Even though they could not see the Goblins working, the image of what they would have seen if they had been standing in another place, was not difficult to imagine. Legolas also felt anger boil in his heart at the thought of the Goblins destroying something as beautiful as the crystal caves. But whatever he might have felt, it was nothing compared to Tauriel's anger. He had to hold her upper arms in a firm grip for her not to act rashly. She glared at him, her face bloodless, but she did not do anything.

The Goblins worked in silence, only grunting and panting with exhaustion now and then. The two Elves waited, holding their breaths. After what felt like an eternity, but could not have been a couple of hours at the most, the caves were filled with the sound of pickaxes being lowered.

"I believe that's enough", grunted one of the Goblins. "Master will be pleased."

"I hope so", said the other Goblin, his voice a bit more nasal than the other's. "Don't want to be whipped. He's been awfully moody lately."

"Business isn't doing so well", said the other. There was a sound of something hitting a crystal, creating a shrill noise. "Can't say I'm surprised. Sooner or later, people must grow tired of these things."

There was a bit of an argument as the Goblins packed away their things. They cursed and muttered nasty things to one another, words no Elf would ever utter. Legolas and Tauriel waited until the noise died down; until they could hear the Goblins' footsteps disappear down a tunnel. Their stench, however, still hung in the air, poisoning the caves. Legolas managed to hold Tauriel back until he was absolutely certain that they were alone. Then she stepped out into the bright caves, her hands curled into fists. He missed her closeness, but all the same he followed her and pushed such thoughts aside. He had a bigger problem to take care of.

"How dare they?" Tauriel hissed through gritted teeth. Her gaze was fixed on the spot with broken crystals and where shards of them laid spread out on the ground. "To destroy something like this…."

"There is more to it", Legolas interrupted her. "I want to know more about this 'Master' and what they are doing with the crystals, what they are doing here in Greenwood. There have not been Goblins here in many years."

"Do you think they might be responsible for the thefts?" asked Tauriel and a small frown appeared on her face.

Legolas thought it over. As much as he wanted to believe the Goblins were the culprits, the sensible part of him knew it was impossible. Such foul creatures could never have entered the kingdom without anyone noticing it. The guards were trained to spot any signs of something amiss and if Thranduil had known that Goblins were running around in his woods, he would have left the castle to rid the forest of filth himself. Then there was also the fact that Goblins were not particularly clever and they would never have gotten the idea of even trying to enter the Woodland Realm.

"No", he said slowly. "I do not believe so. But something here is amiss."

"Should we investigate?"

"Yes." Legolas moved his bow from his back to his hand. "We should."

Tauriel awarded him with a wild grin, a rare sight ever seen upon the face of an Elf. Legolas managed a smile, nearly a smirk, in return. Then he turned around and went down the tunnel, following the rotten smell of the Goblins.

The tunnel was dark. Both of them had to squint their eyes to see anything properly. While their eyes could see better in the dark than the eyes of Men, the blackness beneath the ground and inside of stone differed from the usual darkness of night. It was a darkness made for Dwarves and other creatures of the earth.

They went further inside the mountains, the tunnel twisting and turning in every direction. The stench was an easy trail to follow, but when it suddenly thickened, both Legolas and Tauriel knew that something was wrong. When one of the tunnel walls began to crack, opening up a passage that had not been there before, Legolas reacted instantly. He ducked as he could see gleaming eyes appear in the dark and over his head flew one of Tauriel's knives. The blade hit its target, buried itself into the stinking flesh of a Goblin. The creature shrieked, but was soon dead. As even more Goblins appeared in the shadows, Legolas used his bow to stab a couple of them in the eyes. The horrid creatures let out wails of pain and the attack left the tips of Legolas' bow slimy with blood. With his Elven speed, he managed to avoid any of the Goblins attempt to finish him off and when an opportunity rose, he dived for Tauriel's dagger, the one that was still stuck in the dead body of a Goblin. He pulled it out. The sound that followed greatly resembled a squelch. It felt strange to wield only one blade, but his bow and arrows would not be very useful in such a confined space. He was aware of Tauriel next to him fighting off Goblins with the same grace and strength of a wild animal. They never crossed paths, keeping each other out of harm's way. The Goblins soon came to realize that they were never going to win the fight. For whenever Legolas was in trouble, Tauriel came to his rescue. And whenever Tauriel seemed to be on the verge of losing, Legolas was there to cut down her opponent.

Eventually, the tunnel was filled with dead Goblins. Those who were left, fled the same way they had come, into the darkness. Legolas and Tauriel stayed where they were. Both their chests rose and fell with every breath they took. It was not because of exhaustion, but because of the rush, the change from their otherwise rather peaceful journey.

Legolas looked Tauriel over. She was not wounded and her clothes just had some faint stains of blood on them. The blood was not hers.

"Should we follow them?"

"They will smell us. They must have done so before."

"Perhaps", said Tauriel. "But there dwell some secrets here. This Master…."

"Should be dealt with", Legolas finished. He sighed. "But I am not certain we should be the ones doing it. Not on our own."

"They already know we are here", Tauriel pointed out. "And who is to say that they won't be long gone, should you return to the castle for aid?"

Legolas smiled fleetingly.

"The thought has crossed my mind", he admitted.

"Then what are you waiting for, My Lord?" Tauriel wondered, raising an eyebrow.

The gesture reminded Legolas of his father. It was an easy decision. They could do some looking around, but not engage, should they not be attacked first. Legolas was not so arrogant that he thought himself invincible. So he nodded to Tauriel and she took off into one of the newly created tunnels. Legolas followed. Not for the first time and not for the last time.

The new tunnel seemed to be even darker than the others of the Mountains, but Legolas knew that he was only imagining. It could not be, because there was darkness and then there was darkness and one should learn not to confuse them with one another. He was aware of Tauriel moving a few steps before him. The tunnel might have been fit for Goblins, but it was narrow and crowded for Elves. Both of them had to bend their backs so they would not hit their heads and risk getting knocked out. The mere thought of being hit to the ground by a rock mortified him and he was determined not to let that happen.

Just as she was moving with perfect grace above ground, Tauriel seemed to find her way in the dark underground just as well. Even without any light, she never seemed to falter or loose direction. Legolas wondered if he had ever met someone so confident and brave and he felt his admiration for her rise.

Therefore, when Tauriel suddenly let out a faint yelp and disappeared, it came as a shock. One moment she was there and the next, not even Legolas' Elven eyes could detect her in the dark.

"Tauriel!" he called out, momentarily forgetting the importance of silence.

He was met with nothing more than a faint echo of his own voice. He stumbled through the dark, carefully, and stopped beside a large, deep hole in the ground. It was impossible to see what lay below. Blood was pounding in Legolas' ears and he felt himself go rigid. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the dark abyss before him. He imagined that his heart must look very much the same now, dark and empty.

A metallic sound echoed faintly from within the mountain walls. It sounded like the pulse of the mountain, but it was weak. It took Legolas a moment before he could focus. He took a deep breath and tried with all his might to locate the sound. With steady steps, he made his way along the edge of the abyss. Carefully he moved through the darkness, finding a new way that led away from the abyss that had been Tauriel's downfall. Another tunnel that led him closer to the noise with walls that appeared to close in on him, choke him.

The smell of Goblins thickened and made Legolas stomach clench in revulsion as he moved further along, with a sense of purpose burning within him with every step. As quietly as he could, he approached the end of the path, from where a faint light was shining. Its brightness stung Legolas' eyes since it was much brighter and much more alive than the crystals' cold glow from before. A wave of heat rode on the thin air, making it momentarily hard for Legolas to breathe.

Burning torches lightened up the vast cave and created enormous shadows upon the walls. Legolas hid in the shadows, watching the discovery with dread.

It was a kind of forge, hoarded with all sorts of things; weapons, odd creations and crystals rather neatly piled up in different heaps. Fires were burning and creating an unbearable heat that somehow did not manage to prevent Legolas from feeling cold as he laid eyes upon the cave's inhabitant.

A working Cave Troll.

Legolas had never encountered a Cave Troll before. He had seen sketches of them, but the sketches had not been nearly as terrifying as the beast before him. It was a tall creature – taller than the Elf and filling up the cave with its massive form and accompanied shadow – with broad shoulders and its hide looked like stone, a part of the mountain. Rough and uncivilized had Legolas been told Cave Trolls were, unintelligent and more beast than anything else. But something with it did not feel quite right and Legolas clutched Tauriel's dagger in his hand. It did not bring him any comfort – it would be as useless as a child's toy against the Troll – and Legolas wanted answers.

The Cave Troll moved around slowly. It tossed gleaming stones into sacks, grunting as it did. Its back was turned towards Legolas when it suddenly spoke:

"I know you are here, Elf. I can smell you."

Its voice was barely more than a guttural sound. Legolas had a hard time understanding the words it uttered, surprised that the beast even knew how to speak, but there was no mistaken the tone in which it was said. His grip around the dagger tightened.

"Pray tell what there is you are doing in these Mountains", said Legolas, using his most regal voice. "The Goblins serve you, I suppose?"

The Cave Troll turned around and Legolas got a proper look at its face. He was appalled to see that there was a kind of shrewd intelligence in its small, dark eyes.

"Aye", it said. "They obey me."

"What are you doing here with the crystals?" asked Legolas, moving ever so slightly but not coming out from his hiding spot.

The Cave Troll let loose a gruff laughter. It seemed to come from the core of the Troll's stone like body.

"Passing time", the beast answered. "Waiting until a Dark Lord will rule these lands again."

The blood in Legolas' veins turned to ice.

"That will never happen!"

The Cave Troll's laugh turned to a growl that shook the whole cave. It drew itself up to its full height and approached the tunnel where Legolas stood. In one of its meaty hands was a poker, its tip gleaming dangerously orange, which he waved menacingly in Legolas' direction.

With the grace of a cat, Legolas ducked and rolled out from the tunnel under the Troll's outstretched arm. His bow and arrows cut uncomfortably into his back and the stones on the ground would leave bruises, but it was the least of his worries. He quickly stood up and jumped out of the way, seeking shelter behind one of the piles of crystals. The Troll advanced and Legolas had to move out of the way to avoid both poker and the hungry grin the Troll flashed him. He refused to be eaten. He would not sully Tauriel's memory without avenging her and he never wanted his father to feel such despair again as he had when he had lost his wife, Legolas' mother.

The Elf continued to dodge blows and dance out of harm's way. His weapons were useless. His arrows would not be able to pierce the Cave Troll's skin, for it was much like a Dragon's hide. Tauriel's dagger could have caused the Troll some pain, but he did not think he would be able to rely on only that dagger. Until he would get a clear way to one of the tunnels leading away, he would have to continue moving around like the wind, impossible to catch.

When the Cave Troll let out another monstrous roar and stumbled backwards, tossing back its head and exposing flesh at its throat that did not seem as hard as stone, Legolas did not hesitate.

He pulled his bow and let an arrow fly. Even though the Troll was moving around like mad, with something clinging stubbornly to his back, Legolas' arrow did not miss its target. It buried itself in the Cave Troll's throat and Legolas let another one do the same. The Troll's face took on a most stupid expression, its mouth going slack as blood poured out of it. It began swaying. Legolas noticed a figure holding on to its back, a slender figure covered in the blackest of filth and with long hair that in some places still shone red in the light from the fire.

His heart leapt in his chest.

The figure let go of the Troll as it fell to the ground with a deafening 'thud', pulled out her dagger where it was embedded in the Troll's neck and faced the Elven Prince. He only stared.

There she was. Her face was bruised and her right arm was bent in a queer angle. A gash in her high forehead dripped with blood, running down her pale face. Her hair was tousled, her clothes dirty and her teeth shown in a grimace. At her feet laid a dead Cave Troll, but she still looked as if she could take on an army of those. There was nothing proper or beautiful about the scene before him, yet Legolas doubted he had ever seen a more welcoming sight.

"You are alive." The words were barely more than a whisper. "I feared…."

"And I fear", said Tauriel, showing no discomfort at all, "that you are no closer of finding the thief than before."

It did not seem as such a terrible thing and Legolas realized that whatever feeling that was growing in his heart was beginning to become a distraction. His father would be furious if he knew, but Tauriel was there and she was alive; he could worry about his father and his duties another time, a time when they had left the Mountains and the cursed creatures that dwelled beneath.

"A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night."

So, that was that! What did you think? Personally, I feel that battle scenes are not my strongest writing point, so that's one of the reasons why this chapter was so late... Anyway, got any new theories? There are still a couple of things that will be cleared up in these last chapters...

*Trolls were actually created by Morgoth, but Sauron still used them, though he made them more clever and evil. The Troll in this chapter was inspired by the Cave Troll from the movie "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", but a bit more intelligent.*

I cannot say when I'll post a new update next, but there are only 5 chapters left of the story. My goal is to have finished it sometime during 2016.

Thanks for reading! :)