Return Of The Shadow

Chapter 18: Death

Legolas had know that orcs were following them for days now. He hadn't said anything earlier because they hadn't been close enough to threaten them, but now the orcs were gaining and they needed to move.

Boromir helped Faramir to his feet and Legolas ushered Eowyn in front of him. He paused for a moment as Boromir and Faramir passed him.

He closed his eyes as he felt exhaustion threatening to take him. He wouldn't have given some of his light to Faramir unless he had a good reason.

He shook off the exhaustion and ran after the others. His strength was failing him and he knew it, he had given most of his light in his futile attempt to save Pippin. What he had given Faramir would keep him alive and give him enough strength to outrun the orcs.

Legolas looked ahead. Menacing, black mountains loomed in the distance, they were almost there. He heard the sound of wargs growling and the shouts of orcs behind them.

Legolas turned around and counted five warg riders, each one armed with bows and spears.

Legolas ran behind the others, they heard them too. Eowyn tripped and fell onto the ground. Faramir was about to help when Legolas shouted, "Keep going!"

Faramir hesitated but then followed Boromir. Legolas helped Eowyn to her feet and continued running.

They were nearing the mountains but Legolas knew that they would never reach them before the wargs caught up to them.

He spotted some rocks nearby and ordered the others to run to them. As they ran over Eowyn noticed that Legolas wasn't following.

"Legolas!"
"Go! Stay with them."

Eowyn hesitated and was grabbed by Faramir who dragged her over to the rocks. Legolas ran the opposite direction and climbed onto a large boulder and looked down at the warg riders.

It didn't take long for one of them to spot the elf. The wargs raced towards him, he leapt off of the boulder and ran.

He could hear their growls behind him. They were getting closer and closer. He wouldn't be able to outrun them for long. Legolas slowed his pace and let them catch up. They surrounded him and lowered their spears.

One of the tips was right in front of his face while another barely scraped his shoulder and another was pressed lightly into his back.

"Thought you could escape didn't you elf scum?"
The orcs jeered and gloated over their easy catch. Legolas remained silent and eyed the spear in front of his face.

"We know your other friends are here. Tell us where they are and I promise you won't suffer, much."

The orcs waited for Legolas to respond but the elf said nothing. Suddenly he grabbed the spear in front of him and yanked it from the orc's hands. He used it to block another spear that was thrust at him.

They'll take you dead or alive

The words rang through Legolas' ears. He would never go back to that forsaken place, neither dead nor alive.

He knocked a spear out of an orc's hand and stabbed the warg it sat on in the throat. He whipped around and blocked another spear and then stabbed another warg in the eye.

He dodged one of the wargs that was about to grab him in it's jaws and stabbed it in the heart. Three wargs were dead. There were two left and there were five orcs.

He ran from the orcs and leapt onto another boulder. He jumped onto another warg and killed the rider. He spun around and stabbed the warg in the head.