𝕿𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖎𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘:

𝐈𝐦𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐬: An elven kingdom that also goes by the name of Rivendell and Hidden Valley. This s the home to Lord Elrond, the half-elf, his kin, Glorfindel, and many others.

𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐢𝐧: A river that lies to the east of the Misty Mountains and Imladris.

𝐑𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧: A land that I made up. It lies north of Lorien and in between the Misty Mountains and the Anduin. Its name is Sindarin for "cavernous hills cleared of trees". As its name suggests, the land consists of hills barren of trees and has a large network of caves underneath its surface.

•∆•∆•∆•∆•∆•
"I've been on a long road...
with the devil right beside me.
Rising with the morning sun,
it's a hunger that drives me."
•∆•∆•∆•∆•∆•

{4} Raudhparan's Elven Ravine

"How they even managed to cross the Anduin with these rapids is beyond me," Legolas muttered under his breath as he hastily made his descent down the scarp. If he hadn't been blessed with his elven balance, then he certainly would've fallen face-first already. The rocks littered across the ground certainly didn't aid his cause.

One could only hope that the hill in front of him rose high enough to conceal his trek. If the opposition had been able to discern his location and send a small pack of warg-riders, then his chances of escaping unscathed would be slim.

The Wood-elf didn't even have a plan formulated yet, but his survival instincts drove him to regroup with his horse and the rest of his equipment, and he didn't hesitate to obey them.

White splashed the corners of the horse's eyes and he threw dodgy glances at his surroundings. His hooves clopped against the dirt path as he pranced in place from being wired with nerves. Legolas made quick work of fastening the saddle and packs into place; his slightly calloused fingers slipping across the rough leather as he hastily cinched the girth and billet strap. A quick jerk on the strap was plenty for Legolas to establish that the packs were secured.

His plan had finally panned out in his frantic, rambling thoughts: run now and think later.

His horse didn't require any command for him to leap into a full-fledged gallop. Both rider and mount were aware of each others' priorities at the moment so well that they easily might have created an affinity amongst themselves. The pounding of Legolas' heart was perfectly synchronized with his mount's hoof beats as they flew across the trails of Raudhparan.

They followed the northern path without a single blunder or dwindle in speed. To the untrained eye, the pair would appear as no more than a flicker of blinding, pure light streaking along the lands of Raudhparan. It did not take long for the three ridges that separated them from the fell beasts to grow into five, and eight thereafter.

Even the prodigious horses of the elves had their limit, however, and Legolas' mount was gradually reaching his. Once they had assumed a comfortable position away from their opposition, Legolas pulled the horse to a halt so they could recollect. Sweat had now become visible on his ivory coat, and his nostrils were flaring as he inhaled deeply.

"It's unlikely that they've discovered us," Legolas mumbled to no one in particular. His keen eyes never left the horizon as he pondered aloud and took up the role of constantly sweeping across the hills for potential threats. "If they had, then they would've charged a scout pack towards us. An entire legion marching at their pace wouldn't be efficient in slaughtering one elf and a horse."

His horse's inquisitive eyes were thoughtfully trained to Legolas' figure, but took no further action to signal that he comprehended the elf's words. The blond released a sigh before turning away to deliberate in solitude.

Of course, the straightforward and painless way for them to go about the situation would be to simply carry on with their journey at a brisk pace. That, however, would leave a scent trail far too obvious and could lead to a pack hunting Legolas down into Imladris.

Imladris... Legolas thought with a start. Now that he thought about it, their projection indeed lined up perfectly with the elven city. While the forces there were skilled and efficient, an army that large with such brawny and well-equipped beasts would cause some pretty harsh ramifications.

In no way was it possible to allow such a fate to befall Imladris and still retain a clear conscience. Countless lives could be shed of the blood of his kin.

But what else was to be done? He might be an elf of skill, but nonetheless, he was only one elf. In what way could one elf possibly slaughter an entire regiment of the Enemy's servants?

Legolas mulled over this thought for quite some time, yet in none of the possibilities he played out in his head did he win. While sacrifice would be righteous, it would serve little purpose and leave Middle Earth without a scout.

The rustle of falling debris caught the Wood-elf's attention. He spun to face his horse and eyed him in question of the noise. The ivory creature had strayed from the secure path and allowed his hoof to strike the ground. A large hole gaped from his blow, and a hollow patter resonated from deep below of the fallen earth.

"Of course," Legolas remarked brightly, snapping up and coming to his horse's side. He thoughtfully stroked the animal's crest as the new ideas coursed through his mind.

"They do not know the perils of these lands," he continued, nearly with a smirk. "If they had, then they would have had enough wit to journey a different path. One elf may not be enough to slay their numbers, but a hostile ground will prove opposing."

From then Legolas went about testing the durability of the ground that he predicted to be their path. Luck seemed to have been on evil's side in this predicament, as their projection led them across a part of Raudhparan that had few faults in its foundation. If he were to be successful in his attack, then he would need to divert them to another trail somehow.

"You've seemed to hold the answers to prior questions. A penny for now's thoughts?" Legolas prodded his horse, reaching down from the saddle and gently tussling the mount's mane with his fingers.

The horse bore no help this time. Instead, he released a well-timed snort and slyly pulled on the reins enough to snatch a mouthful of grass from the edge of the overgrown trail.

"Lovely," he muttered, dismounting as he had the feeling that he would not need to ride for some time. He briefly pondered the idea of using logs or boulders as roadblocks, but it was quickly cast aside when he figured that it would appear too suspicious and hint towards his involvement. They could either turn away from Raudhparan and find another way to Imladris or seek out Legolas and have it seen that he is executed.

The Wood-elf stooped to his knee and gingerly brought grains of dirt between his fingers. He slowly rubbed them together as contemplated possibilities. What else could Raudhparan offer to aid Legolas?

As his hands trailed across the ground, he fell upon an irregular point that appealed to his touch. He delicately pressed his palm against the earth with his senses discerning any abnormalities. Legolas hesitated as he came across a minuscule niche where the Earth hummed of its intense pressure. His eyelids fluttered closed while he allowed his consciousness to travel through the pressure point and explore it deep into the Earth's reaches.

When his eyes come open again, they're filled with a certain spark and an excited fire.

"Fractures," Legolas said, turning with a grin to his horse. His ears swiveled at his voice but otherwise appeared uninterested in the Wood-elf's shift in attitude. Legolas paid no mind to this and continued with his report. "There is a network of fractures that delve deep under the grounds of Raudhparan. If certain pressure points are struck correctly, I can collapse the ground here into a chasm."

If done so precisely and in a timely manner, Legolas would create a gap large enough to negate their current path and redirect them, yet appear innocent and made by the hand of nature. One simple split in the earth also wouldn't be enough to enlighten the hideous creatures on all the cavernous systems that riddled Raudhparan.

"We must make haste!" He exclaimed as his sharp hearing honed in on the dull thudding of the enemy's drums. If this was going to turn out as planned, then he would have to collapse the ground before they got close enough to hear or feel the tremors.

After burning a map of the fractures and pressure points into his mind, he released the Earth from his hold and swung onto his horse's back. A metallic ring blended with the melody of pounding hooves when the Wood-elf unsheathed his long blades.

Relying on leg and core strength alone, Legolas leaned nearly 90 degrees to the side and was almost parallel to the ground. Silent counts echoed in his head to assist him in perfectly timing his piercing of the earth. With each stab, a series of snapping cracks sounded from the ground letting Legolas know that his strikes had been placed precisely.

His steed required minimal commands and somewhat surprised the Wood-elf with his responsiveness and obedience. Nearly as soon as the whipping and roaring wind had overtaken Legolas' hearing from the galloping speed they had assumed, it came to a stop. They had completed their task at breakneck speeds, yet with such accuracy that rivaled the most skilled of high elf lords.

Dull cracks raced across the earth, quickly giving way to a splitting rupture in the surface. The earth creaked and groaned as the plates shifted away and unveiled a cavernous gorge that plummeted into a pitch-black abyss. Not only did the obstacle look formidable and unpassable, but it reeked of an eerie and wicked presence.

"That shall make a hell of a roadblock," Legolas chuckled to himself as he tore his gaze from the ravine and towards his mount. He looked on proudly at his horse and reached down to give him an affirmative rub on the neck.

A resentful sigh escaped his lips as the muffled booms of the war drums and the marching of the enemy regiment returned to his hearing. Despite this remarkable accomplishment, he was still far from finished with his task.

Rest would not come until every single filth in that legion was annihilated from the face of Middle Earth.

This chapter is a bit of a slower read, but I think that the next one is a lot more exciting.