Fallen Leafs, Part I
by Areli

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 Legolas missed his home. He never would admit it to the others but he missed seeing Mirkwood. The smells, the sounds, and the sights. All of it. He missed being able to hunt in the forests alone and not fear attacks. Yet in strong way, he loved fighting. He loved battles. Legolas lived on fighting for his people and for what he believed to be right.  

 Despite all of his strong emotions of longings and lust for battle, he remained ever calm and tried, with little difficulty, to hide his emotions under a watchful stare that always masked his face.

 "Legolas! You of all people should not straggle behind!" he heard Gimli yell to him. "You never see dwarves hold up the group..." he muttered to himself.  

 Legolas had been staring up at the patches of sky overhead in the forest. Something didn't feel right to him.  

 "I can feel something amiss." he whispered, drawing his bow. He watched Aragon draw his sword out of the corner of his eye as he pointed his arrow about his surroundings.  

 "What do you sense?" Aragon whispered. Legolas didn't reply. Whatever it was, it was coming up close behind. Suddenly, Legolas' ears were filled with the sounds of hoofs against the forest floor. He could hear no breathing save for the horses. Darkness destroyed the pure air. 

 "The Nazgūl!" Legolas hissed.  

 "Why are they hunting us? We do not possess the ring." Aragon questioned as they ran through the forest. Legolas took the lead easily.  

 "Stay here." he hissed. 

 "A dwarf does not take orders from an elf." Gimli said haughtily.  

 "Quiet my young dwarf!" Aragon ordered. Gimli was silenced but was obviously sulking.  

 Legolas took off silently into the forest and searched for where the hoof prints were coming from. He lowered slowly to the ground and looked up to find four of the Nazgūl staring around. 

 "Baggins..." he heard them whisper. Legolas pointed his arrow at them yet thought better of it. He wondered why they sensed the ring here. It made no sense to him.  

 "Ring..." they said. He heard them sniff the air for it like blood hounds. Legolas backed away from them. He could avoid the fight easily. It was against his nature to back away from a fight yet he knew that it would be almost complete suicide to attack four Nazgūls at once.  

 That was when they dismounted and drew their swords. They pointed them at Legolas who began to shoot at them without thinking.  

 He knocked two down but missed the other two. It completely shocked him that he has missed. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.  

 Legolas got up from his hiding place, turned, and ran in the opposite direction. To his surprise, the Nazgūls simply walked after him. As if they were in no hurry.  

 "Legolas...ring..." they whispered. Legolas wondered why they weren't after Frodo. He had the ring, not them.  

 "Well?" he heard Gimli yell impatiently.  

 "Run!" Legolas hissed.  

 "Why?"  

 "Now!"  

 Aragon looked behind Legolas and found two Nazgūls walking calmly up to them.  

 "Why...?" he wondered in awe. "We do not possess the ring."  

 "I know!" Legolas yelled as he simply picked Gimli up, though he protested fiercely.  

 "You do not run fast enough." Legolas said simply. 

 "A dwarf could outrun an elf any time!" he yelled furiously.  

 "Some other time." Aragon said, growing impatient. "Come, we will find some place to hide for now. In any case, they are not following Frodo and Sam. We will distract them."  

 "Yet there are only four. Where are the others?" Legolas wondered. 

 "That is indeed a good question." Aragon said.  

 "Come." Legolas said and swiftly ran through the forest, Aragon trailing behind.  

 The Nazgūls whispered in a cold voice, 

 "Legolas...ring..."


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