Elf Dream

Chapter 2. The End of the Orcs

Thank you for all the posotive feedback! It is inspiring to know that you guys like what I'm writing, even if it was only the first chapter.  In this chapter, I've tried to capture the likeness of the characters, but I might not have all the way gotten it... Any comments will DEFINITELy be taken into account.

LOVE,

:) Tiernan (:

Chapter 2.

“Surely some of the orcs yet live, hiding in the forest?” Gimli asked, itching for a fight. Aragorn nodded, thinking hard.

“Only fifty or so bodies are here, and there were at least thrice that. Merry and Pippin definitely escaped, but their freedom may be short-lived.”

“Then let us find them.” I said, standing up. “We promised to rescue them, and rescue them we will.” Gimli grinned and picked up his axe.

“What are we waiting for?” I grabbed my bow and flung it across my back. We plunged into the shadowy depths of Fangorn Forest. As we walked through the forest, strange sounds came from the trees.

“Listen.” I said softly. “The trees; they’re talking to each other.” Gimli glanced around nervously. “I do not think the wood feels evil, whatever tales may say,” I murmured reassuringly. “There is no malice near us; but there is watchfulness and anger. It is old, very old.” I continued. “It is old and full of memory.”

“The sun is setting.” Aragorn remarked, changing the subject. “We will not find the hobbits today, nor the orcs.”

“Shall we set up camp? There is a clearing about a mile north west of here, that way.” I pointed. Aragorn nodded.

“Yes. We will continue our search in the morning.” It took us about fifteen minutes to walk to the clearing.

“This is much better than that dank, dark, musty old forest.” Gimli commented happily as he stooped to pick up firewood.

“I would be careful of what you say, for the trees are listening.” I replied, glancing around at the surrounding wood. “They understand our language, for it was the elves taught them to speak.” Gimli shook his head in amazement.

“Talking trees!” he huffed. “That’s all we need.”

“I’m going to find some food. I’m sure there are some wild animals, maybe a few deer.” Aragorn said to us.

“I’ll see if there are any herbs or plants around.” I added.

“I think I’ll just stay here and tend the fire.” Gimli decided. “Better than wandering around in there.” He motioned the forest.  

“I’ll be back in an hour.” Aragorn broke in.

“As will I.”

“Bring back some meat!” Gimli called cheerfully to Aragorn as I bounded out of the clearing noiselessly. I slipped through the trees almost invisibly, concentrating on finding some edible food, but the only thing growing on the ground was moss. The trees were too tall for enough sunlight to reach the plants. I kept walking, my eyes focused on the ground.

SNAP!

My eyes darted up to a lone orc, wandering around the forest.

“No food.” it hissed, walking along. “Nothing to eat, nothing to drink. So what does I do? I deserts. I leaves.” I gently reached back into my quiver and pulled out a single arrow. Keeping my eyes on the orc, I soundlessly nocked the arrow. I pulled back the bowstring, careful to keep my movements slow and smooth. “Nope. No eats. Not in this stinkin’ forest.” The string was taut. I was just waiting for the right moment. The arrow leapt from my bow, piercing his heart. A surprised look came across his face as he crumpled to the ground.

‘A perfect shot.’ I congratulated myself. ‘But no time to gloat, there may be more around.’ I continued in the direction the orc had came from, keeping to the shadows. Apart from the forest noises, I could discern a faint sound, weapons clashing. I crept closer to the scene.

“Where are the Halflings?!” an Uruk’Hai bellowed. His body blocked my view of whatever he was shouting at. I skirted the battle, carefully moving to one side to get a better vantage point. Best case scenario, I sneak out of here, tell Aragorn and Gimli, and we kill them together. Worst case… Let’s not think about that just yet. Suddenly, an elf came into view. Her face was set in a grimace of pain, and she was covered in blood, though whose blood it was I did not know. Yet even for this, she was beautiful.

"What Halflings?” she managed. The leaders eyes were like fire.

“She doesn’t know anything, Captain.” one goblin commented. The fire in his eyes faded.

“Fine then, keep your secrets. We don’t need them, Saruman and the Great One know it all already, don’t they?” he asked the group. They laughed and nodded. He picked up his axe off the ground and raised it above his head. For a moment, rage poured like molten lava through my veins. I couldn’t allow this to happen. Not to an innocent who obviously knew nothing of the what was happening. Too fast for the eye to see, my hand whipped to my quiver and pulled out an arrow. Practically before I realized I had even been holding an arrow, it was flashing through the air. It stuck in the Uruk with a solid “THWOCK!”: the sound of metal burying itself in flesh. He froze, motionless for a moment, then he fell backwards, dead as a doornail. Before the rest of the orcs (there were about forty or fifty left) could react, seven more shafts hissed their deadly song. Seven orcs fell, slain instantly. I loosed the rest of my arrows, knowing that I had nothing except two daggers to fight with afterwards. Fourteen more orcs died from my arrows.

‘Twenty one down, thirty more to go.’ I told myself. The remaining orcs were in turmoil. Seeing their companions felled by an unknown force had them fearing for their lives, too. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was to come. I leapt out from behind the tree and, brandishing my double daggers, felled the two orcs closest to me. Finally seeing an enemy, the orcs gathered what remained of their courage and charged. Now I’ve always been more of a bow person, but daggers certainly are effective at close range. I hacked and slashed at my enemies, the razor sharp edges of my weapons gleaming with blood as I ripped it through more and more orcs. Blood ran down my blade, dripping onto the hilt, making them difficult to grasp. I was not as skilled with the daggers as I was with the bow, but my quickness and agility made up for it.

As I ducked, swerved, and cut, the orcs were losing hope. Seeing how many of their comrades were dead or wounded, they lost heart. They began to retreat, pulling back slowly. As I quickly decapitated the last orc standing in front of me, the rest fled, leaving their wounded allies behind. I sheathed my sword and picked my way carefully but quickly to the center of the clearing, ignoring the grisly battle scene around me. The elf was lying lifelessly on the ground, her garments soaked with blood. I didn’t know how long she had been captured, but I knew that any moment she could fade. I knelt down next to her, passing my hand over her heart. She was alive! Her heartbeat was faint, but it was still there. I carefully picked her up, knowing that the longer I took, the less chance of living she had. My bow over my shoulder and the elf in my arms, I began to once more, navigate my way out of the bodies. Just as I got out, the elf opened her eyes.

“Who…?” she croaked. “Who are you?”

“Legolas.” I answered, and began to run.