The Odyssey of the daughter of the forest

Chapter 4 : The Battle Of The Fives Armies

Tauriel was tightly holding Legolas waist while they were riding to orcs stronghold. Trees, like animals, had disappeared since miles . Only rocky ridges and the stony mountains were standing in front of them now.

They finally arrived at their destination. They both got off of the horse and began to climb the ridges which did not allow them to see completely the stronghold. When Tauriel arrived at the same level than Legolas, she could see by herself the place called '' Gundabad '' all across the Middle-Earth.

The fortress was made of many sharp ridges of rust color, blade-like, which, in a threatening manner , was pointing to the sky. Never the red-hair elf had seen such obscurity. The building, with its gigantic shadow, was hiding the sun.

'' Gundabad'', she whispered.

It seemed that nobody lived there since a while but maybe it was just a trap. Maybe Legolas was right to think that orcs were still living there. But a question remained.

''What lies beyond?''She asked to his prince.

''An old enemy :the ancient King of Angmar. This fortress was once a stronghold. It was there they kept their great armuries , forged their weapons of war'', he explained.

'' A light ! I saw !''

But the light she had seen immediately disappeared. They both tried to see another sign of life. Unsuccessfully.

'' We wait for the cover of night. It is a fell place, Tauriel'', he told her. ''In another age, our people waged war on those lands.''

Suddenly, he looked away and sadness took his eyes. He was about to add something else. Tauriel turned her body to him, waiting for the end.

'' My mother died there'', he said looking in her eyes.

Tauriel was surprised that he spoke of that topic, so sensible, she knew it.

''My father does not speak of it. There is no grave, no memory, nothing'', he finished, looking at the ground.

She looked at him with empathy, gratefull that he told her. Few elves knew what happened to the Queen of Mirkwood, Thranduil's wife, Legolas mother.

''I am sorry Legolas. I ignored it.''

'' It is nothing. You was not even born'', he added.

He looked at the fortress again, with a sad smile. We could yet see pain in his beautiful blue eyes.

''We have a few time to wait, now, it is almost the night.''

'' If we are going in, we should move now.''

All of a sudden, when she finished her sentence, an group of gigantic black bats flew just under them. They immediately came closer of the rock, to not be seen by the dark creatures. The beasts flew a moment over their heads before going to the fortress.

'' They are swarming'', she said.

''Those bats are bred for one purpose'', Legolas announced.

''For what?''Asked the red-hair elf, turning her body to him.

''For war'', he answered looking at the bats flying on the dark sky.

Then, he looked a little more to the right and he seemed to be focus on something, or someone, if we could consider the thing as someone. The orc he had fought in Laketown was standing there, on a headland, riding a brown warg, which drool was dripping from its chin. He yelled something in his malevolent language, that the elves did not understand. An horn sounded in the dark valley, and, after that, the gates of the fortress opened. Thousands of orcs got out, wearing armors, weapons in their hands. An army had just got out of Gundabad. An army ready for war.