The Return

Meeting In The Winter Woods

{}«Legolas' POV»{}

We ride well into the night before finally making camp under the trees. A young ellon had seen the Orcs run east and we have been tracking them several miles inside the border. We will only rest for a few hours, we need to catch them before they reach the next village.

"Here, you need to eat." I look up to see Thaladir standing between where I sit on the ground and the fire.

I shake my head. "Not hungry."

He takes a seat beside me and in a low voice says. "Legolas, you cannot keep going like this. You need to take care of yourself." His tone is stern but then in a more playful manner adds. "Besides, what will Elhael say when we meet with her only for you to collapse from lack of nourishment?"

I take the bowl, knowing he's right and take a bite. "It's a little bland."

He sends me a glare. "I didn't make it you know."

<><><><><><><><>

We track the Orc band over the next several days, following the plain tracks leading straight to a village nestled in the trees to the east. But they have the head start and they have no doubt attacked it already. My assumptions are proven correct as we near the smoldering ruins that was once a village. We ride up and dismount.

Much like the previous village, the chieftain comes to greet us as we walk through the smoldering destruction. "What happened?" I ask.

"Orcs came running in, destroyed everything in their sight." --he gestures with his hands to the black piles of chard wood-- "They set fire to the buildings and left, just as soon as they came."

"They knew we were on their tail." Thaladir whispers almost to himself.

I turn to the chieftain "Which direction did they take?"

The elf scratches his head as if trying to remember. "They headed..."

But golden hair catches my eye and my attention is no longer on the ellon.

Elhael's golden hair, though now spotted with black from soot, stands out amongst the brown hair of the others. "Excuse me for a moment." I murmur to the village's chieftain, leaving Thaladir to gather the details of the Orcs.

She turns to me as I walk closer. "Legolas, what are you doing here?" She asks.

"What was I doing? I was looking for you!"

"I'm fine. They attacked before I arrived, though much of this place was still aflame when I rode in."

The knot in my stomach slowly eases, seeing her alive and well.

Thaladir walks up to us followed by the cherifian. "Sorry to interrupt," Thaladir says, glancing at the two of us before turning to me. "They continued east."

<><><><><><><><>

Elhael stayed behind to continue helping the injured while we set out, tracking the band of Orcs. Which, is proving to not be difficult as there steps left their mark on the snow. We are gaining on them quickly and should catch up to them within the next day or so. But something doesn't feel right. Why are they not covering their tracks? I mention this fact to Thaladir.

"I notest that too." He replies as we ride side by side. "They either believe they can get far enough away before being pursued, or... they want us to follow them."

"It is the latter that troubles me."

He nods. "Come, we must quicken our pace if we wish to reach them before they reach the next village."

We ride hard for the next two days. Their tracks are easy to see, a child could follow them without much difficulty. They lead eastward still, in the shadows of the mountains to the south. Suddenly, they turn, something they haven't done before. Thaladir and I dismount.

"They split up." Thaladir says, stating the obvious as one trail leads south and the other --north.

"Send scouts." I tell him in a low voice when our gazes meet.

He nods and turns to one of his warriors. "Scout out the surrounding area. Stay out of sight. Find out where both trails lead then report back."

Six ellyn leave the camp while the remaining rest under the trees. Several hours later they return.

"My lord, Captain." One of them starts. "The tracts loop back around --we are surrounded. There is no gap large enough for us to go through without being seen."

"Then, they saw you leave." Thaladir says and the ellon nods, confirming the statement. "Hannon le." Thaladir tells them and they take their leave.

Thaladir turns to me. "If they saw them leave hours ago, why haven't they attacked yet? Why are they waiting?"

I shake my head. "I don't know, but I plan to find out. Prepare the ellyn. We likely won't get out of this without a fight."

And with that, I pull the hood of my cloak up and walk into the trees until I can no longer see the camp. I stop and pulling out an arrow, I notch it and take in my surroundings; memorizing the layout of the land. Then, flipping back the hood of my cloak, I call out --breaking the silence of the winter wood. "Show yourself!"

Minutes pass... Silence. I strain my ears but there is nothing. No birds, no distant water. Nothing.

My own quickening heartbeat seems to thunder in the quiet. I decide to break the silence again. "I am he whom you seek. Show yourself!"

A stick cracks behind and I turn around to the sound, bow aimed, ready to shoot. Someone steps out from behind a large tree.

"I admire your courage little brother." Calithilion says, I recognize his voice immediately. It echoes in my haunted dreams at night. "Coming out here to speak with me alone... Unless, that petty captain of yours is hiding somewhere, in which case he is most likely already dead. My troops hide all around us even as we speak."

"What do you want." I demand, arrow aimed at his head.

"The same thing I have always wanted. "His eyes flicker up to the circlet on my head. "I see you have replaced our adar."

"The people would never accept you as king."

"Oh little brother, you are naive! I want nothing to do with that piece of medal or ruling the scum you call your people."

"Than what do you want?"

He starts to step forward, but I flick my weapon and he thinks better of it.

"I want to watch them burn... I want to hear them echo the same screams of anguish that naneth screamed while their king did nothing!" His voice echoes throughout the trees. "Your realm will burn..." Then, as quickly as he appeared, he dissolves into the trees.

Deafening silences descends, and I do not move. Then, slowly, the birds reappear and the sounds of the forest return. I make my way back to camp where Thaladir meets me where I merge from the trees, relief shows on his face, but he quickly masks his emotions.

"What happen in there?" He asks, gesturing to the trees.

"They're gone. They will retreat to the mountains for now. But I fear he goes to only to enlarge his forces. I want every village within twenty miles of the mountains evacuated. The people are to be brought to the stronghold." I pause looking my closest friend in the eye. "If he wants a fight, we will give him one. We will win this war and avenge my adar."