An Unexpected Trip

Chapter 16

Thranduil's POV:

Legolas and Tauriel were both surprised to see their king riding out to join them right before they marched off to rid the lands of these Orcs.

When I passed them on my way to the head of the procession, we exchanged curt nods before Tauriel called out for the troops to begin marching.

I was the only one who rode upon a steed,  while the rest of my kin, Legolas included, marched on foot.

Elves are agile and stealthy, more so than any other being, immortal or mortal. As soon as we entered the dense foliage of the Mirkwood forest, Legolas gave the signal, and immediately half of the one-hundred soldiers  that have  been marching behind me began to disappear up into the trees, keeping an eye on things below and around us for miles.

Legolas joined them up above, but Tauriel stayed down on the ground to alert me when we were coming up on the camp.

I could feel my fingers itching to grasp my sword and swing in my own familiar rhythm, but I clenched them tighter around the reigns of my elk.

When we were about twenty miles away, I sent a scout ahead to reevaluate the camp before we overtook it.

Fifteen minutes had gone by before the scout returned and dropped down before me from the treetops, silent as ever.

The scout bent down one knee and bowed his head as a salute.

"Report," I commanded when I had nodded towards the scout to stand after he looked up.

"The  Orc camp is filled with the thirty Orcs we had counted last, along with fifty more of the filth streaming in as we speak. There is no doubt about it  now, my King, that they are planning some sort of attack."

"Did they sent you?"

The scout shook his head 'no' and I motioned for him to return to his troop.

"You did well."

He thanked me  before turning and scaling back up to the tree tops

I beckoned Tauriel  forward, and she came to my side immediately.

"My King?"

Turning my gaze from the direction of the Orc's camp and on to the Captain of my Guard, I saw that she was very eager for the upcoming fight, as her hands kept straying to her dagger hilts.

"What would you have be done in such a situation as this?"

I watched in silent approval as the young ,auburn-haired, she-elf delved right into her plan of attack.

"Send the first Guard out to surround the camp in a circular form from the treetops. Break the second Guard off into two teams. Have the first team get near enough so that the Orcs will catch their scent and draw their attention to them. Send the second team around the camp to engage from the back."

"And the last three Guards?" I questioned with a raised brow.

Tauriel's eyes lit up with her excitement but she stayed still and poised as ever.

"Send the last two to attack from the unopened sides and the final Guard will stay back to provide extra troops as back-up where it may be needed."

"Very good, Tauriel. Make sure Legolas knows of the plan. I will take the first Guard with me to begin the attack."

Tauriels' eyes grew distant with a strange look in her eyes that I  just barely recognized at the thought of Legolas.

My eyes narrowed slightly at the thought that the she-elf might reciprocate my sons' feelings.

I would never allow a royal elf to be with a lowly she-elf, though, she may be my favorite soldier, and he my only son.

Tauriel seemed to finally notice the dark look on my face for she abruptly became her usual cold and indifferent self before she bowed and strode off in the direction of where Legolas might be.

The first Guard-just twenty of my best fighters- followed me when I began to move forward upon my elk towards the  direction of the Orc camp.

When only five miles stood between us and the Orc filth that held Milana prisoner,  I urged my elk into a trot, making my Guard jog to keep up with us.

When we were but one mile away, I drew my sword from its' scabbard and charged forward from the thicket of the forest brush and into the heart of the Orc camp.

Squeals and roars could be heard from all sides as I swung my sword left and right, decapitating  multiple Orcs in a single moment, all the while, deflecting poisoned arrows flying  at me from every angle.

I could feel the blood-lust rising within me, raging to the surface, and I reveled in every sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh.

There was always something about fighting that made me feel powerful and incredibly lethal.

My father trained me from a young age on how to battle with every hand-held weapon, so it did not matter the situation, whether I had a bow and arrow, or axe in my hand. 

I felt calm and deadly with any weapon I used.

I grinned maliciously when a group of seven Orcs ganged up on me, thinking they had the upperhand when I had suddenly decided to join the fight off of my high seat.

I took a deep breath as I felt my heart calm inside my chest, and in the next instant, all was a blur as I whipped my sword through each pitiful creatures chest before they could even really take five steps forward.

I glanced around me and saw that most of my kin were having as much victory as I was, though, I noticed with a hardened heart  those who were now resting with the stars that shone brightly above us.

White-hot anger striked through me and my attacks were relentless and devoid of mercy.

Everything became silent, however, when  a female scream sounded through the camp.

A human, female scream, filled with anguish and frustration.

Milana.