Ithildin - Legolas x OC

Chapter 8.

~*~

I spin around, fear consuming me as I see the Hobbits rushing out of the door and towards the lake.

"Strider!" Sam yells to Aragorn.

"Help!"

"Get off him!"

I run towards them and out onto the bank with my mouth agape as Merry uses his small sword to slash at the tentacle wrapped around Frodo's leg. He manages to cut through, the beast reclining back to the depths.

"Back!" I shout to them, putting away my dagger and producing my sword instead, "Get back!"

Countless tentacles spout from the water, flying around the air and grabbing a hold of Frodo again. I slash my blade, cutting through one nearby and duck to avoid another.

"ARAGORN!" I yell, he and the others running out of the cave.

An arrow pierces the dark, wet skin of the beast before us, but I pay it no mind as I trudge into the water, slicking and stabbing and ducking where I can.

Frodo screams as he is propelled upward, the tentacle holding him upside down in the air above the water as the creature emerges. Its wide mouth opens, ready to catch the squirming Hobbit.

"Ungodlui ún," I whisper in shock, not having seen anything like this.
(Ungodly creature.)

I jump backwards to avoid a tentacle hurtling my way, and as it snaps back, I bare my teeth, spinning my torso and slicing through it with my sword. The tentacle drops, the top half splashing into the water.

I look around, seeing Boromir catch Frodo as they finally slice through the tentacle holding him.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf yells at us.

"Legolas!" Boromir cries out as he turns, running to the bank.

"Up!" I go to the hobbits, grabbing their shoulders and pushing them. "Inside, go!"

I look to my left as we run, watching Legolas shoot an arrow into the eye of the monster with Elvish precision. The creature groans, falling back into the deep lake before surging upwards again. Multiple tentacles grab onto the rock we find safety in as the creature crawls towards us on the bank.

I risk a glance over my shoulder as we run further inside, seeing the rock entrance crumble and collapse, blocking us away from the monster...but also inside this mine.

Boulders of rock crash down as we stop, huddling in a group. I wrap my arm around Merry and Sam, keeping them behind me as we watch the last rays of the moon disappear, dust and rock falling around us.

Darkness surrounds us as silence falls.

"We have but one choice." Gandalf taps his staff against the ground, the light flaring and allowing us to see the dust and frowns mirroring our faces. "We must face the long dark of Moria." He leads the way slowly, looking to each of us. "Be on your guard...there are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."

We all file after him; Legolas, Gimli, the Hobbits with myself beside them, and Boromir and Aragorn behind.

I lean over to place a gentle hand on Frodo's shoulder, he looks to me, slightly startled.

"Are you alright?" I ask softly.

"Yes." He nods with a slight gasp.

I nod back, facing forward again and intend to keep my sword firmly in my hand for this journey. We climb up a steep set of stairs and into an endless, dark cavern.