Ithildin - Legolas x OC

Chapter 9: Tomb troubles

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"Goblins?" I ask, all of us turning to the door and the approaching screeches.

"Frodo..." Sam says.

Frodo pulls out his sword, the blade glowing a faint blue colour.

"Orcs!" Legolas says.

"We should leave!" I say as Boromir runs for the door, stopping to look out at our escape. He snaps his head back when two arrows pierce the door.

"Not likely." He says.

"Get back!" Aragorn shouts to the Hobbits. "Stay close to Gandalf!"

"We need to barricade the door," Legolas says, pacing around the room to pick up long weapons that can help. I follow suit as Aragorn and Boromir pull the door closed.

"They have a cave troll." Boromir sighs.

"Aragorn!" I shout throwing him a long axe that he catches with ease, Legolas doing the same.

I step backwards as the two Men join us, and lift up my arms, unsheathing my two swords from my back and turn them in my hands. I keep them raised before me, my knees slightly bent and my frown deep as I stare at the door, the Orcs already trying to push it down.

"Arghh!" Gimli shouts, his mourning over as he jumps atop his cousins's tombstone. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

Beside me, both Aragorn and Legolas have their bows ready, arrows drawn and aimed at the door, Boromir has his sword and shield raised.

Swords begin to crack and splinter the door, poking through large holes.

"This entire mountain is made of rock," I comment, my voice dark as I growl. "Who thought to put in a wooden door?"

Legolas fires his arrow through a gap, hitting his mark on the other side. Aragorn follows, then suddenly the door collapses, the Orcs trampling over it as they barge through.

Short, grey, ugly creatures charge towards us and multiple arrows cut them down, squealing as they go.

I step forward and spin, slashing my swords in quick, precise movements to pierce what little flesh they have on show. Their heads. Kicking one in the chest, I use my left sword to stab through its throat, then pull out and swipe with my right as it falls, cutting off the head of another right behind him.

Around me, my companions cry out as they do the same, cutting down every Orc that comes into their path—even the young Hobbits.

"Amariel!"

I scurry backwards just as the cave troll barges through the room, much taller than the door. Rock and dust falls down as my back hits the column behind me. I duck, avoiding the massive hammer clenched in its fist, and sheathe my left sword.

I roll across the floor, shouting out as I rise up on my knees and take out the two Orcs with two slices each with my right sword. As they fall, I stand to my feet and pull out a dagger, pull my arm back and flick my wrist with perfect aim, watching as it spins through and air and pierces the back of the troll's neck.

Useless. It doesn't even flinch.

I growl, brow furrowed and turn away as it barrels through the room, my companions each taking a turn at attempting to cut it down. Legolas fires an arrow, Gimli his axe.

A figure in the corner of my eye draws my attention, and I rush to Sam, slicing the head of the Orc about to attack him from behind.

When I look up, Legolas is on the raised platform to the side of the room, firing two arrows at the stubborn beast in the centre. He spins, killing two Orcs behind him, then twists to the side, avoiding the trolls' chain he throws at him. The chain wraps around the column, restricting itself as the link is connected to his neck.

Legolas stands onto the chain and jumps, landing on the troll's shoulders and pulls to arrows, aiming directly beneath him into its head.

I pull another dagger, throwing it at the beast's neck and finding my mark just as Legolas does, the troll squealing and turning. Legolas jumps off and I turn to a commotion behind me. Sam is hitting the Orcs with his frying pan.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." He says breathlessly.

"Well done, Sam!" I grin, turning to cut through and Orc charging towards me.

Three more follow, but I have no time to draw my second sword, so make use with one as I spin—slash. Turn—slice. Lean—cut.

I step backwards, my arm moving and spinning and not stopping for one second for any respite. Ducking to avoid an axe being thrown my way and simultaneously pulling a dagger from my boot, I throw it across the room at a fast-running Orc. He screams as he falls.

Turning again, I'm about to decapitate another when a dagger—my dagger—sticks into its forehead. I tilt my head in confusion, looking back when Legolas says from across the room,

"Thought you might like to have that back!" He turns away, firing an arrow across the room before using his bow to stab another.

With a brief smile I pull the dagger from the Orc's head and sheathe it, carrying on with killing another two charging for me.

My sword cuts through their necks in a singular sweep, and I use the momentum as I turn to crouch, grabbing an arrow from a discarded body and turn, my arm outstretched as I throw it across the room. It finds its home in the eye of an Orc beside Legolas. He turns, startled, whilst I stand and turn away.

"Then feel free to have that one back!" I shout to him, walking backward as I produce my second sword, feeling more comfortable with both.

Commotion stirs behind me with the troll, but I don't turn, hellbent on killing these last remaining beasts in the room.

When I eventually turn, I watch as my companions start to slowly fall. Aragorn lies still, my heart hitching in my throat. Pippin—dear Pippin—is atop the troll, trying to bring him down from above. Gimli and Gandalf are thrown to the side like toys. Where the other Hobbits are, hiding or hurt...I'm not sure.

Pippin stabs the troll at its head, Legolas fires his arrow and I pull out a dagger, throwing it through the air and straight into its forehead.

We stand and watch as the troll groans and sways before it tumbles forwards, colliding with the ground as Pippin is thrown off.

I move instantly to Pippin, sheathing my swords so my hands can sit gently on his head. "Pippin?"

He blinks at me, "Did I do it?"

I smile. "Yes, you did."

I help him up, and we join the others across the room. My heart beats again at the sight of Aragorn alive, but he's crouched over...oh no—Frodo.

He turns him over and onto his back, a groan escaping him. Sam rushes forward and we all collectively sigh in relief at his statement.

"He's alive." Sam sighs.

Frodo sits up, clutching his chest as he breathes heavily. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead." Aragon breathes. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!"

"I think there's more to this Hobbit that meets the eye." Gandalf says as he steps forward.

Frodo looks down and opens his shirt, revealing a silver, near white chain mail beneath.

"Mithril." Gimli breathes out, before grinning. "You're full of surprises Master Baggins."

I smile. Indeed he is.

Screeching and scratching sounds nearby, so I turn and run across the room, collecting my discarded daggers from the bodies as Gandalf says,

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"

So we run.

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