~In progress~
Set around the year 2060
Mirkwood fights to keep the enemy at bay. Prince Legolas, leading Captain of King Thranduil's military, prepares new recruits to join Mirkwood's patrols. In these novices, he finds a young she-elf. For reasons...
Days past by. Each moment they inched closer to Dol Guldur. The air became heavy with darkness, and both elves shuddered. It seemed every step they took inched closer to doom. There was no mistaking something dark and powerful was at hand.
Legolas glanced at Rhavaniel to see her in the same state. They held eye contact for a moment before turning their eyes back towards the narrowed path ahead. The tension between the two lessened considerably in the past few days. Both realized they had more in common then they thought, and an understanding formed between the two. Rhavaniel was still somewhat distant towards him, but he was grateful for her cooperation at least.
Legolas dismounted and informed her that he was going up the trees to scout their surroundings. Wasting no time, he scampered into the trees. He climbed his way through the many tangled branched. Grabbing onto a limb, he hoisted himself up to the highest branch. Poking his head up above the leaves, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply into the fresh Autumn air. Below the air was suffocating almost, and it weighed heavily. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sun, and he momentarily shielded his eyes from the blinding light. The leaves up here were orange and gold, not dark and gloomy. He savored this moment of peace. Little did he know it would be his last for a long time.
He roamed his eyes over the vast forest. From this height, he could see the forest's edge. Far west he spotted the line of the Great River, Anduin. To the south, he saw the outskirts of Dol Guldur, and he shuddered at the sight of it. Immediately he regretted having to go there, fearing it was much worse up close.
He noticed a creeping shadow moving through the narrow paths between the trees moving fast from the South. Peering closer, he realized it wasn't just a shadow, but a vast force of orcs and wargs heading in their direction.
They were moving fast, too fast.
Cursing silently, Legolas bound down the tree like a retreating squirrel. He dropped soundlessly to the ground and approached Rhavaniel with quick strides.
Rhavaniel's head shot up from talking to her horse, and she frowned at Legolas' worried face. Something was amiss. "Legolas?" She questioned, concern filling her voice. "Mani naa ta?"
"Orcs and wargs, many. They are moving fast," Legolas said quickly. "We must hide."
Rhavaniel's eyes darkened with hate, and she clenched her fist. Her eyes shot the horses. Though elvish horses were known for speed, they couldn't outrun a host of wargs. "What about the horses? They will find them..."
Legolas took his pack from his horse and strapped it onto his back. "We must send them away, we cannot take any chances." Legolas kisses his horse's nose and whispered to it. He watched his stallion sprint away and soon Rhavaniel's followed. They would not be far; the loyal animals would return once their Masters summoned them.
By now the orcs' acrid stench filled the heavy air. The sound of their heavy footfalls echoed around the usually quiet forest. A howl of a warg resounded, far too close.
Legolas and Rhavaniel scurried high into the thick branches of the nearest tree. They perched close to each other and waited. Legolas felt his heart pounding too fast. A pang of dread hit him and weighed heavily in his mind.
Rhavaniel cast a glance at Legolas. His usual fearless stature was replaced by the opposite. It scared her to see one so fearless uneasy and dread-filled her.
A massive hairy warg ran past the area they stood mere moments ago followed by another and another. They howled and sniffed the air, malice gleaming in their yellow eyes. Orcs followed, marching in a line; the chieftains astride wargs.
One of the chieftains abruptly raised his hand, halting his troop. He leaned forward on his warg and sniffed the air. Pulling back, an evil grin spread over his rotten features.
"What is it, what do you smell?" A rather large orc questioned.
"Flesh of the Eldar," he hissed back. "Find them! Search the trees, raze their beloved forest to the ground till they come out!"
Legolas and Rhavaniel stifled a gasp. Their hands seemed to move on their own accord, and they intertwined their fingers together. Legolas squeezed her hand to offer comfort before pulling away to notch his bow, Rhaveniel did likewise. If the need to engage arose, they knew they wouldn't win. But they wouldn't succumb without a fight.
The orcs searched the area in a frenzy. The leading chieftain barked orders, and the wargs began sniffing into the trees one by one, and the elves knew they were running out of time.
Legolas swallowed thickly and held tighter to his bow. A warg began leaping into the air by the trunk of their tree, and Legolas spotted the chieftain searching the boughs. Their eyes made contact, and Legolas knew their position was discovered.
The chieftain leaned back on his warg as if he was surprised. His face twisted in a wicked smile, revealing his jagged teeth. He pointed his finger towards them and soon the whole tree was surrounded. "Come down, elf scums, or we will burn you out. Or would you prefer arrows? I wouldn't like your pretty flesh ruined too soon."
Rhavaniel's blood burned like fire in her veins, and she acted quickly. Her arrow soared through the air and pierced through the skull of the orc chieftain.
A roar of anger followed from the orcs and soon their own arrows followed.
Legolas released his long-held arrow, and it found its mark into the neck of an orc. Quickly, he notched, again and again, firing so fast that his arm was a mere blur.
Both elves found it difficult to dodge and fire while confined on one branch. As they fired, the began to dash from limb to limb from each tree.
The orcs chased them without fail, shooting their bows at the moving elves.
The elves arrows ran out too fast. Legolas glanced behind him to see an arrow racing towards Rhaveniel. While they ran, he grabbed Rhavaniel's arm and spun her around, blocking her body with his.
Before Rhavaniel could ask what he was doing, she saw him jerk forward; an arrow embedded in his shoulder, and she gasped in horror as another landed in his side. She caught his hand before he stumbled and nearly fell from the tree.
"Noro! Rhavaniel! And do not stop," Legolas yelled over the shouting of orcs. "Leave me. Rhaveniel, save yourself!"
Isn't that what she wanted? To save herself? She shook her head frantically. "I'm not leaving you, royal command or not," she wrapped her arm around his waist and tried in vain to drag him along. She couldn't leave him behind; he gave her hope, strength, courage. Looking back, she spotted the orcs catching up, and she sucked in a deep breath.
"Why, Rhaveniel?" Legolas' voice was a mere whisper. He was losing strength.
She didn't answer. There was no time. She unsheathed a sword, and Legolas' eyes widened in horror when he realized what she was about to do.
She lunged forward.
Legolas tried and failed to pull her back. He heard someone screaming, and he realized it was himself screaming her name but to no avail.
She had already landed to the ground, surrounded.
Rhavaniel's swords swooshed and beheaded the first orc that came near her. She moved faster than light, slicing each orc in her path. Her anger fueled her on. They had taken everything from her; she wouldn't let them take Legolas. When the orcs closed in on her, she knew her life was over.
TBC...
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