The Hidden Enemy

Chapter 1: Messengers

Three hooded figures were led into the Easterling palace.
Suspicious guards tried to see under the hoods but it was next to impossible.
They walked next to each other in a row.
The tallest of them on the left, and the shortest on the right.
The doors to the throne room were opened and the three hooded figures entered.

Khaten, the current king of the Easterlings, watched them through narrowed eyes.
"Who are you? What business do you have in my kingdom?"
The figure in the middle stepped forward and removed his hood, revealing a young, but also hard face.
"I am a messenger representing the free peoples of Middle Earth. I have come with a message on behalf of King Aragorn, Eomer, Dain, and Thranduil. Your people have been in our lands, robbing and attacking our people. We ask that you look into this matter so that we may continue to live in peace as we have done for these past ten years."

Khaten narrowed his eyes, and to everyone's surprise, he began laughing.
"Do you take me for a fool?
I know who you are, Faramir Steward of Gondor. I also know that your people drove mine out of our rightly claimed homes. And peace? How can we live in peace when your people have been attacking mine for the past three months?"

Faramir looked at the king in confusion.
"My lord Khaten, I can assure you that we have not entered your lands until now. We have driven your people out of our lands when we have seen them, but we have not harmed anyone. As for they being your lands you are gravely mistaken. Those were our homes that were stolen from us by Sauron. Innocent blood was spilled by your hand to rob us of our lands. You-"

"Silence!" Khaten roared.
"You will always be our enemies! And what better way to make that clear to your kings then by sending their messengers home in pieces?"
On his silent command, dozens of armed Easterling guards charged the three messengers.
Faramir had no weapon, they had been taken on their way inside the palace.
Faramir raced over to his companions, one of them had grabbed a spear that a guard had been about to stab him with, yanked it from his hands, spun it around, and used the end to hit the man on the face.

Using the end of the spear he defended his two companions, he knocked a sword out of one of the Easterling's hands and tossed it to Faramir.
The man took it and used it to defend himself.
He didn't kill any of the guards, they hadn't come to kill.
His companion's hoods had come off, revealing a dwarf, and an elf.

"Legolas! Behind you!"
Gimli warned his friend.
Legolas spun out of the way of man's sword and butted him in the stomach with his spear.
Gimli had a sword that was a little too big for him.
Legolas ran over and switched him weapons.
"This might serve you better my friend!"
Legolas took the sword and rejoined the fight, Gimli snapped the spear in half on his knee and found it much easier to wield than the over-sized sword.
Faramir rendered another guard weaponless and quickly checked to see how the others were fairing.
Gimli was doing fine, and Legolas was easily dodging the blows from the Easterlings.

Faramir did not notice Khaten coming up behind him with a small dagger.
"Faramir!"
Gimli's warning came too late.
Faramir had moved in time to avoid being killed by the knife, but not fast enough to avoid being stabbed in the shoulder.
Faramir gasped in pain as Khaten yanked the knife out.
The man stumbled to his knees, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
Before Khaten could finish him off Legolas was at his side and knocked the knife out of Khaten's hand.

The king had never fought an enemy like this before.
The elf fought with a fierceness that put even the best Easterling warriors to shame.
Legolas punched the king in the face, he stumbled backwards and landed on his back.
Legolas stood over him with his sword raised.

"Legolas no!"
Gimli shouted in horror.
Faramir raced to elf's side and grabbed his arm, Legolas turned on him and thrust him aside.
He held the blade to Faramir's neck.
Faramir noticed the elf's eyes, they were grey.
"Legolas stop! It's me!"
Legolas blinked, the rage that covered his face slowly left him.
Faramir watched as his eyes faded back to blue.
He looked down at his friend in confusion, and horror.

Legolas threw his sword down and stood in a daze.
Faramir got back to his feet and looked down at Khaten, who was as confused and frightened as Legolas.
"Leave! Leave now and never return here! I will see to it that my people never return to yours!"
Faramir sighed in relief.
He dropped the sword he carried and made his way over to Gimli, who stood next to a very startled Legolas.

The three companions left Khaten's throne room without a word.