Storm Of Arrows ➝ The Lord of the Rings ✓

Part Four

PART FOUR ~

Legolas let out a sigh as he wandered through the forest, his light footfalls making no sound against the crisp leaves. His other two companions were silent also, concentrating more on the task at hand. They sprung through the forest for some time, the whole journey devoid of any conversation.

"Wait," Tathar, one of the guards, whispered, calling the Prince to a halt. Legolas nodded, straining his ears as he caught a light rustle amongst the undergrowth some way ahead of them. It could have been a mere animal, but the following vibrations that resonated through the ground confirmed their suspicions. Spiders.

With subtle movements, the elves crept forward, keeping close to the darkness of the trees as they drew out their sleek longbows. Legolas made small gestures and the guards moved either side of him, and soon they began ambling along in unison. Legolas' piercingly blue eyes skimmed through the dim forest, picking out any traces of movement against the gloom.

A sudden fluctuation in the darkness and another flicker amongst the shadows gave way to the faint form of a spider, and the elves abruptly jumped into the trees to their left, slotting arrows into their bows and aiming at the hazy outlines. The guards' dark eyes flickered from left to right, counting how many spiders were visible in the gloom. Fourteen they counted in total, and relayed the information back to the Prince with a gentle whisper, only audible to elven ears.

Legolas nodded, hesitantly moving forward with darting movements that looked like nothing more than a blur in the darkness to the oblivious beasts. The guards followed on his heel, rapidly dashing through the trees and closing the distance between the hunters and their game.

In one quick flourish, Legolas had let loose two arrows, flying swiftly toward the heedless targets. More arrows cut through the air as the guard's twanged their bowstrings, and four of the spiders let out piercing shrieks before collapsing amongst the rustling leaves and shrivelling into a ball, their withered forms blending with the inky ground.

The bewildered creatures shot out from the thicket and began scuttling towards Legolas and his companions, their pincers clicking vigorously before them.

The elves leapt briskly from their hiding position and into the trees above, swinging themselves from branch to branch to gain height, before performing a series of graceful leaps over the spiders and landing behind them, sending them into an addled mess. With this gained advantage, they let loose another series of missiles, watching them thud into the rigid armour of the perplexed beasts. One of the spiders let out an unearthly squeal, making even the Prince cringe from the anguished cry.

They finished off the rest in a matter of minutes, acquiring only mere cuts to their exposed skin from clumsy dodges.

"We should head back to the palace. Our work here is done," Concluded Tathar, searching the dishevelled corpses for any unspoilt arrows. He picked several from the bodies, placing them back into his quiver, before brushing some invisible dirt off his attire and gesturing in the direction of the palace.

But Legolas shook his head. "No. There must be a nest somewhere. We need to find it and destroy it. Then our work is done."

Tathar raised an eyebrow, but then nodded; a hunt through the forest was much better than patrolling the palace border in the glaring sun. His companion agreed and they searched the untouched ground for any tracks not obscured by the brittle leaves of Mirkwood.

Legolas eventually spotted the light impressions and they were soon following them through the soil; every now and then, the trail would disappear for a bit, but then suddenly return a few paces away. Their keen elf eyes always discerned the shallow imprints, and they made their way swiftly through the trees, until they finally reached the nest.

A dark shadow suddenly fell over the forest, like a gloomy blanket had descended over the world; thrusting it into an impenetrable darkness. Legolas' elf eyes immediately adjusted, and his gaze scanned the trees around him, cocooned in a silky thread, weaved together to form bulging sacks, obscuring some deformed figure. He frowned, gently running his hand across the firm pouch, wincing at the irregular surface that rattled beneath his touch. He quickly drew his hand away, and turned to face the two guards.

"Tread carefully. There may be more spiders about. Kill anything that moves." And with a final nod, the Prince spun on his heel and sprung away, darting up the trees, using the cocoons for support. The remaining elves followed his actions and the hunt began.

~

A/N: So, I'm like watching The Two Towers while writing this. Man, Éomer is awesome! I love the scene with the Riders of Rohan.
'I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground.'
Hehe. So, anyway. Sorry if this part is a little boring. I kinda enjoyed writing it! You get to find out more about the woman in the next one. I think. Or maybe the one after. Idk.

Please comment! And vote! I really appreciate it! Tell me what you think!
Thanks for reading! :)

~ _imagine_fantasy_