| The First Night of the Ringwraiths: Jei had been gone for some time. Legolas sat upon the branch of a tree, looking out at the wood surrounding them heavily on all sides and he questioned yet again, for what felt like the fifth time in a second, if it had been wise to let her go looking about alone. She had been in his line of sight for some time but then she had dipped down into a small valley that they had passed through and she had been lost to him. He could hear her faintly but as she continued on he knew eventually she would pass out of earshot. Below Gimli was silently keeping watch, back pressed to the tree Legolas sat in and the hobbits had fallen out in moments. He knew he should sleep as well but he could not, not with the girl walking about. Once she returned he would turn in for a few hours. It would be all he needed. Then he would not have to reside in the dream world again for another night or two. “Get to sleep, Legolas,” Gimli called up quietly and the elf smiled, looking down at the dwarf where he sat looking back up. “I believed you thought me asleep,” Legolas answered back in just as soft a tone, for he did not wish to wake the hobbits. Gimli snorted, leaning back once more against the tree. “I know you too well, my friend. That and I did not hear you snore.” “Do I usually?” Gimli paused. ‘Well, no, but I had you believing it for a moment, didn’t I?” “Only for a moment,” Legolas replied and he looked out the way Jei had gone once more. “I can not seem to find a comfortable position and I worry.” “About the girl?” Gimli did not sound happy to hear him say it. “She has been gone…for a while,” Legolas said quietly. Gimli shifted a bit, rustling a few brittle leaves below his large frame. “I’m sure she can handle herself,” he said grumpily. “She likely only has a disadvantage against elves. Elven princes, ‘n fact…” Legolas chuckled inwardly but did not reply. “Anyway, if you won’t be getting any sleep I’ll be handing the post over to you. The hobbit didn’t seem very content about taking the next watch,” Gimli called up. Legolas nodded absentmindedly. “I shall take the second watch then,” he murmured and a moment later his voice fell away as he hesitated. There was no sound at all, from any direction. And that was strange for usually, especially with his hearing, he could sense animals, wildlife of all sort, from all directions, even the smallest squirrel burrowing in its hole. There were moments he wished he could turn himself off from those noises but that very moment was not one of them. He frowned slowly, looking about warily, wondering if Jei had indeed gotten herself lost. Directly in front of him, caught by his peripheral vision, he detected a black movement and he snapped his head in the general direction, jaw clenching. He scanned the trees, heart pounding, and slowly rose from his rear into a crouch, balanced perfectly upon the slender branch. The quick movement came again, coming in close, and as he focused on it he suddenly became aware of another black shadow several yards to the right of the first black shade. And just as he had them both in his line of vision, a third silhouette appeared, coming from the direction Jei had gone. His breath escaped him, skin tingling, and he quietly called down to Gimli just as the dwarf was making ready to drop off. “They come,” he said faintly and he did not wait to see if the dwarf heard. He slowly pulled forth his bow, grasping the wood with his left hand and reaching up behind him for a single arrow. Down below Gimli rose up once more, frowning. “What’s that you said?” he asked in a growl. And without waiting for an answer he scuttled over toward where the hobbits slept and roughly woke them, forcing them to keep their voices down as they sprang awake. “What is it?” “What’s wrong?” Legolas tilted his head, waiting silently for the Ringwraiths to draw closer. The two before him came on horseback, their robes flowing about their forms as they closed in. The third came on foot, floating with a firm step in his direction. He hesitated, wondering whether or not to go for the two coming from in front or the third coming alone. After a moment’s thought he pulled forth yet another arrow and focused on the two riding on horseback. He turned his bow horizontally, lifting it a bit and adjusting the arrows along it underside, aiming. “How far?” Gimli called up in a hiss. In answer Legolas let the arrows fly, body rocking a bit as they were released, and each shot through the air, striking true. First one Ringwraith, then the other, shrieked shrilly as the arrows pierced through their wretched forms and one was thrown off his horse, sailing to the hard ground with a hard thump that Legolas was sure the entire Middle Earth heard. The first Ringwraith continued to ride and as Legolas pulled out yet one more arrow he burst into their clearing, rearing up on his horse angrily. The horse trilled as he rose upon his hind legs and the Ringwraith pulled forth a long blade, the arrowhead poking out of his corpse. Gimli hoisted up his axe and swung with a roar, just missing the horse as it reared up once more. Directly below, the last Ringwraith rushed into the clearing and Legolas aimed his arrow without a moment’s thought, letting it go. The Ringwraith below spun around, lifting his own blade and deflecting the arrow furiously and the moonlight gleaming along the blade’s edge blinded Legolas for a moment. He recoiled with a grimace, falling to one knee on the branch and supporting himself with his free hand. Pippin and Merry dove out from under Gimli, attacking the Ringwraith on foot and letting loose battle cries. The Black Rider avoided one blade thrust, blocking the other with his own blade. Gimli sprang at the Ringwraith on horseback, managing to grab hold of the horse’s mane, and he yanked himself up, swinging his axe. The blade sank into the Black Rider’s side and the Ringwraith shrieked, flailing away from the steel embedded in its torso. Legolas cleared his vision after another moment, seeing the hobbits below as they swung at their own enemy. The Ringwraith almost seemed to enjoy the battle, blocking one attack and then deflecting yet another, or altogether dodging their efforts. Legolas swung his bow over his shoulder and pulled forth both his blades, springing out from the tree like a cat. He came down upon the Ringwraith, blades turned downward to kill, and as he landed upon the hard-packed earth the Ringwraith fell to one knee, lifting yet another blade that Legolas did not realize he had. Crossing his swords the Ringwraith blocked the elf’s attack and, in the moonlight, Legolas recognized Ebony and Ivory. He came to a stop, lips parting, but the Black Rider rose, shoving the elf back and swinging Ivory behind him to ward off the hobbits that threatened to lunge. Legolas sprang back further as the Black Rider thrust at him with Ebony and just as the Ringwraith lifted both blades toward him he suddenly hesitated, stiffening. Legolas also paused warily, form heaving with adrenaline, but the Black Rider looked over his shoulder toward the other Ringwraith in time to see Gimli fall off the horse, grimacing. The Ringwraith rose up on its horse, moving to come down on Gimli, and Legolas, neglected for the smallest instant, took one of his blades by its tip and flung it with all his elven might. It flew passed the face of the Black Rider before him, embedding itself to the hilt into the other Ringwraith. The Black Rider let loose a shrill scream, knocking the blade from his dead form. A moment later he whirled on his horse and fled, black robes trailing behind him. Gimli and the hobbits followed for only a few feet before remembering the second Black Rider but by then he also was in the midst of escaping. He burst passed Legolas, shoving the elf to the ground, and fled, seeming to fly. Legolas sprang to a crouch once more, stabbing his remaining blade into the ground and swinging his bow back, but as he fit an arrow to the elf hair the Black Rider vanished, back the way he had come. Legolas frowned, Gimli cursing behind him, but just as he relaxed his grip he realized the Ringwraith was heading back toward Jei’s last position and he rose, taking off after the Black Rider at a light-footed pace. Jei’s eyes came open slowly, seeing nothing but blurry objects and she felt a strange sharpness under her cheek. She forced her vision to correct itself and she lifted her head a bit achingly, understanding that the sharpness against her cheek had been the brittle edges of dead leaves. She swatted them away, rolling like a dead weight onto her stomach. Two feet away lay Ivory, her glistening handle reflecting the moonlight that shone down on her. And two feet away from Ivory lay Ebony, almost hidden in the blackness of the wood. She frowned, feeling a sharp pain at the back of her head and as she reached slowly to feel for it a shadow loomed up above her. She instantly drew back with a gasp, wincing when her stomach gash pulled but then Legolas was crouching over her, his hands cupping her face. “Jei. Jei. Do you understand me?” She blinked several times, her hand finally coming into contact with the knot at the back of her head and when she pulled her hand back to inspect it she saw that the black leather of the gloves were soiled with a dark liquid. She couldn’t make sense of it for a moment but as Legolas took her hand in one of his to examine it she understood that she was bleeding. “You were struck from behind,” he murmured, blue eyes shadowed as he looked at her once more. “Do you understand what I am saying?” Behind him Pippin suddenly appeared, huffing and puffing as if he had run a race. “Is she all right?” “Never better,” she mumbled and she mouthed an “Ow…” as Legolas gently helped her sit up. She felt numb all over and she was sure that she was contributing nothing when she was lifted to her feet. It was further proven as she swayed but Legolas had a firm grip on her, keeping her upright. The world spun briefly, forcing her to retch inwardly, but as she stumbled up against Stormrider she managed to regain her bearings, closing her eyes and resting momentarily against the mare’s side. “What happened?” “Ringwraiths,” Pippin squeaked, face pale, and she looked at him with a quick frown, hanging off the horse, Legolas’ grip warm on her shoulders. “Ringwraiths?” she whispered. Legolas’ soothing voice was in her ear a moment later and he tried to usher her up onto Stormrider. She shook her head, straightening once more. “No. I wish to walk back,” she replied and she released the horse, staggering over toward where Ivory lay. Legolas merely watched her, his thoughtful gaze fixed on the two elven blades as she managed to take Ivory into her grasp. Pippin lifted Ebony and handed it to her wordlessly and she thanked him quietly. A moment later she realized that their sheaths were not strapped to her back and she looked about with a grimace, searching for them. Legolas noticed them lying several feet away, hidden by a few leaves of the same color and he silently fetched it, returning to her. She thankfully allowed him to strap them back onto her figure, sheathing both swords a moment later. And then, taking her hand, he led her along with Pippin, back to their clearing where Gimli and Merry waited. |
| When the dark wood fell before me And all the paths were overgrown, When the Priests of Pride say there is no other way, I tilled the sorrows of stone. - Dante’s Prayer |
| All images and works done/altered by ShiNoFuriko and TasogareBan. Please do not steal and always give credit to where it is due. |