Green Cloaks || Legolas

Twenty seven

They were close. Legolas could see smoke on the horizon and knew that they were catching up. It had been three days and his chest was in knots. Were Luin, Merry and Pippin still even alive? Every day made it worse. It seemed like every hour made the fear and anger spike in his gut. He wanted to scream but it would do no good. He turned his eyes up to the sky. The sun was dawning on the fourth day.

"A red sun rises", he muttered, half to himself. "Blood has been spilled this night". The omen did not help his concern.

A loud whiney made them all stop. Aragorn dove behind a rock and waved at Legolas and Gimli to follow. Just as they dove out of sight, what must have been a hundred men on horse back galloped over the hill. They were in full armour and carried long spears. Legolas recognised the symbol of Rohan on their shields. "Riders of Rohan!" Aragorn called after them. He stepped out from behind the rock and Legolas followed. "What news from the Mark?"

As one, the whole formation of riders turned and steered their horses towards them. They circled and Legolas tighten his grip on his bow. Soon the three of them were caged in, the riders all lowering their spears to point at them. "What business does a man, an elf, and a dwarf have with the riddermark?" A man with dark blonde hair barked. His face was obscured by his helmet but Legolas could still he him narrowing his eyes at them. "Speak quickly".

"Give me your name horsemaster", Gimli grinned. "And I shall give you mine".

The man handed his spear to his comrade and smoothly dismounted. He stalked towards them challengingly. "I would cut off your head dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground".

Legolas felt his temper snap. In one smooth motion he had his bow drawn back and an arrow aimed at the man's face. "You would die before your stroke fell". Spears all jabbed at him.

Aragorn shoved his bow down. Legolas let him but continued to glare at the man. "I'm Aragorn, son of arathorn. This is Gimli, son of gloin and Legolas of the woodland realm". Aragorn neglected to mention Legolas' father. Probably a good idea as it wasn't safe for Legolas to broadcast that he was a Prince. "We are friends of Rohan", Aragorn continued. "And of Theoden, your king".

"Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe", the man stated. He reached up and removed his helmet. Legolas did not recognise him but Aragorn seemed to. "Not even his own kin". As one, all the riders removed their spears. "Saruman has positioned the mind of the king and claimed ownership over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan and for that we are banished", the man said. "Beware, the white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, like an old man hooded and cloaked. Slipping his spies past our nets". The man eyes Legolas and Gimli distrustfully.

"We are no spies", Aragorn retorted. "We are tracking a pack of Uruk-hai westwood across the plains. They have taken three of our friends captive".

"The uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night". Legolas felt his stomach plunge.

"But there were too hobbits and a wizard", Gimli voiced. "Did you see two hobbits with them?"

"They would be small, only children to your eyes", Aragorn added. "And the wizard would be clothed in blue, with black hair".

The man paused, thinking for a second. Then he shook his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them". He pointed to the smoke in the distance. Legolas felt his heart thudding heavily in his chest.

"Wait", a second horse rider spoke up. "We saw a figure flee into the forest. That could have been your wizard". Legolas blinked, hope resparking in his chest. Luin could still be alive.

The blonde man nodded. "Aye, we did see a figure. It was too dark to make out any colours, but it was not an orc. We don't go into the forest. I'm sorry". Then he whistled. A rider approached and handed him the reins of two horses. One a warm brown and the second a creamy white. "Take these horses. Fortune had befallen their former masters. May they serve you". The man remounted his own horse and slipped his helmet over his head. He nodded at them. "Search for your friends. But do not hope too much. It has forsaken these lands". Then, as smoothly as they had appeared, the riders galloped off, leaving the company in dust.

Aragorn watched them leave. "Come on", he said as he mounted the brown horse. Legolas swung himself onto the white mare and pulled Gimli up behind him. The three of them galloping towards the smoke

——

The Uruks were as the riders said. Their bodies a pile of ash on a still smouldering fire. Legolas swung himself off his horse as Gimli approached approached the fire. He pulled something black and scorched out and turned to them sadly. "It's one of their wee belts", he muttered. Legolas turned his gaze to the ground, too many thoughts in his head.

Aragorn let out a scream as he kicked a helmet, falling to his knees. "We failed them", Gimli breathed sorrowfully. Legolas let his eyes swoop over the battlefield, searching for any sign of Luin. But there was only dead grass and rotting corpses.

"A hobbit lay here", Aragorn's voice caught his attention. The man brushed a hand over the ground as he traced out the faint tracks. "And another. Then here lay a man", he pointed to another spot further off and Legolas could see it. The signs of struggle agains the grass. "They all crawled", Aragorn continued, following the tracks. "Their hands were bound. The hobbits cut them". He pulled a few pieces of rope from the grass then dropped them. A spark of red caught his eye and he picked it up. "Luin too. He tired to cut his ropes". Legolas followed Aragorn as the tracks led them towards the forest.

"The tracks lead away from the battle, into fangorn forest". They stopped and stared at the dark trees.

"The rider was right", Legolas breathed, a relieved smile pulling at his lips. "Luin made it to the forest.

"Fangorn forest", Gimli huffed. "What madness dove them in there?"

"A madness we share", Legolas replied as he strode forwards. Aragorn at his side. Gimli huffed loudly behind them but followed. The gloom of the trees quickly swallowing them up.

Unedited