Yay, another chapter! Many of you have been asking if Legolas and Tauriel will ever see each other again. To you I say...you'll just have to wait to find out. I'll give you a hint though; Legolas does return to Mirkwood before the events of The Fellowship, as per book canon.
The long trek through the North Downs from Fornost was surprisingly uneventful. The further north they went though, the harsher and more bleak the landscape became. Within the week it seemed all game had disappeared from the area, and even Legolas was hard-put to spy anything worth shooting for dinner. Thankfully the Dunedain were somewhat familiar with the terrain, and their knowledge proved invaluable in hunting for edible roots and the like. Strider had been right though; the lands southwest of Angmar proved eerily devoid even of such creatures as wargs and trolls. The Ettenmoors lay further to the east, and even with the recent calm no one doubted they would soon have more than they could wish for in the way of hunting. The question was…would they be hunters or prey in this forlorn land?
With the twenty-five rangers moving in a spread formation through the sparse bracken below, Legolas silently crested a knoll to scout ahead. Elladan and Elrohir were likewise doing the same to each side of the party, looking for any sign of enemy activity. They had come across a few empty dens, but for the most part they all looked long abandoned. Patches of warg fur and bones strewn across the floor of the caves hadn't left much to the imagination as to the identity of their previous occupants. The question now was just where the wargs had gone. The practice of riding wargs into battle was well known by the orcs of Mount Gundabad in the southeast of Angmar. Personally Legolas wondered if such a large number had been depleted in battle that wargs were not to be found wild in these lands anymore.
Shaking his head at himself, Legolas almost laughed. It was a nice thought, but far too naïve for anyone to seriously believe. Like cockroaches spawning under a rock evil had a way of always returning to the world. No, the creatures of darkness still lurked here; Legolas could feel it from the twisted shadows of every tree and every boulder.
"Ai, Legolas!"
The soft call came from Elladan, some distance away to the west flank of the party. The rangers, speaking to one another in brief Adûnaic or their own language of hand signals all came to a silent halt. They had agreed near the start of this expedition that when travelling abroad in daylight they would make no more noise than necessary. Even when they made their camps by nightfall all conversation was by unspoken rule carried out in low murmurs.
Darting lithely over the uneven ground Legolas came in short order to Elladan's side. Elrond's son was kneeling, bowed right over as if prostrated before some great presence. His head was cocked to the side though and one pointed ear pressed firmly to the ground.
As Legolas approached he kept silent. With the rangers all having come to a halt in the dell below, now was a perfect time for the Peredhil's sharp ears to listen to the tremors of the earth. When at last Elladan sat up, he had a slightly predatory grin on his face.
"Can you feel that?" Elladan asked.
Now that he was stilled, Legolas could indeed feel something. It started low and faint beneath his boots, rising to make his toes tingle slightly with its presence. Kneeling and placing his own ear to the cold dirt, Legolas could clearly hear what Elladan spoke of.
Like the distant throbbing of a drumbeat, but with far less irregularity, Legolas listened to the stamping of gigantic feet through the earth. With a long breath he drew himself upright and rocked back on his heels.
"It would appear we have found our quarry then." He remarked, suddenly aware of the itch in his fingers. Too long they had been without the rushing flow of blood that battle always brought. Once Legolas had heard his teacher remark that warriors felt the oncoming of battle differently, depending on their role. Swordfighters beheld it in their shoulders, archers their fingertips. He had no doubt that it was so, especially with how his bow was practically begging to be taken in hand once again.
As Legolas reached back and brought his weapon down off its harness for re-stringing, he noted that Elladan was already lightly fingering the hilt of his long, curved sword. Modeled after Hadhafang, the famed blade of Lady Idril of Gondolin which Lord Elrond now bore, if Legolas recalled correctly. He had seen its twin hanging at Elrohir's belt. Even as the two brothers were alike in appearance, they were alike in their fighting style. Legolas had seen them both in what had been really only a light skirmish against the wargs near the village two weeks ago. Although they may not be of full Eldar blood, the sons of Elrond were easily as deadly as Legolas himself. He would be glad to have them at his side in the coming days.
Standing, Legolas set two fingers to his lips and gave a short whistle. He saw Beringil's head jerk beneath his hood in acknowledgement of the pre-arranged signal. Almost instantly the entire troupe was on alert, bows in hand and daggers loosened in their sheaths.
"What is it?" Andris signed to Legolas, who had to think quickly to keep up with the yet-unfamiliar language of gestures. The young ranger had been starting to show him parts of it, but for now his repertoire extended only to the most basic of messages. The elves had their own silent hunting language, but its complexity made it only reasonable that Legolas learn the more straightforward language of the Dunedain instead.
"Trolls." Legolas knocked two closed fists together to sign the message. Next to a joined thumb and little finger for 'Wargs' and a slicing motion with two fingers for 'Orcs' it was one of their most universally known signals.
Elrohir appeared from behind a particularly large crag across the dell, melting into the ranks of the rangers just as Legolas and Elladan rejoined their ranks. Taking over from Legolas's halting gestures, Elladan rapidly signed to the rangers his best estimate at the number and distance of the trolls. With almost elven fluidity Tollen returned fire, enquiring as to their plan of attack. Born without hearing as he was, the fair-haired ranger was perfectly capable of communicating with his multilingual people.
Beringil decided to send Legolas and Issiril forward to scout out the trolls, with the rest of the party approaching in a staggered formation through the narrow passages and uneven terrain of the North Downs. With the broad-shouldered, rugged woman at his side Legolas cut a swift path in the direction Elladan had indicated. Nobody would ever say it, but no doubt every single one of the rangers felt much better coming at potential danger with both Elladan and Elrohir within their ranks. The twins seemed to be regarded as something of a good luck charm among the Dundain. Legolas had yet to earn the honor, and so he patiently accepted his duty as scout.
It certainly didn't take long to find their quarry. Calling Issiril over with the shortest of whistles, Legolas knelt in the space between two boulders and pointed. The ranger let out a short hiss of breath at the sight and Legolas certainly didn't blame her.
There were four trolls, ranging in size from juvenile to what was likely a fully grown bull. They were pulling over trees, likely to make toothpicks Legolas thought sardonically. Valar knew there were precious few trees in this barren corner of the world to begin with. Checking to ensure that they were still downwind, Legolas wrinkled his nose as the foul stench of trolls wafted toward them.
"I'll go bring the others here." Issiril signed at him, brown hair falling out of her braid and becoming plastered to her neck by sweat. Legolas didn't think it had entirely to do with the running they had just done. Trolls were a formidable sight by anyone's standards.
With a nod the ranger was off, moving as silently away across the rock and lichens as a deer. Figuring the others to be no more than five or so minutes behind, Legolas took the opportunity to examine the site for the best possible plan of attack.
Unfortunately, the trolls had the high ground. There was no helping that though, unless Legolas could come up with a quick way to lure them down closer to the ravine on his right. Now that would have been a fine piece of chance, to find the trolls making their matchsticks down in there! It would be little trouble at all for the rangers to shower the beasts with arrows from the ledges above on either side, with far less risk of being crushed by one of those enormous, grasping hands.
The more he thought about it, the more Legolas couldn't help but agree with himself. It would strategically be far better to have the trolls down in the ravine. Once the rangers arrived though, even if they weren't spotted, the battle would have nowhere to go but upwards in the direction of the hill on which the trolls were perched. Glancing at the gnarled tree trunks lying uprooted and sorrowful on the ground, it didn't take much imagination to see the trolls snatching those up to use as clubs.
'This is ridiculous…' Legolas thought to himself, but he was already creeping behind the rocks toward the mouth of the ravine. Ridiculous perhaps, and certainly dangerous, but if it worked it would be to their significant advantage. Already the trolls were glancing about with narrowed eyes. A few more yards and he would be both upwind and in sight.
'Issiril, you had best lead everyone here quickly.' He thought before doing one of the most reckless things of his long life. Leaping out from behind the boulders, Legolas stood in clear view at the head of the entrance to the ravine.
"Ai! Sevig thû úan!" He shouted, pointing his bow directly at the largest troll. He sincerely hoped they would take the bait. It would not do if these particular trolls suddenly found enough wit to pick up the rocks about them and start throwing.
All four of the monstrosities looked at Legolas dully for a moment. Then, the smallest gave a short snort. That brought a roar bellowing forward from the bull troll, and with surprising speed it was barreling down the hill towards Legolas. Waiting until he saw the other three give chase as well, Legolas turned and ran down the steep trail into the ravine. He sincerely hoped that the Dunedain were close at hand.