Night had fallen by the time Legolas and Tauriel had caught up with the orcs.

They had assumed that the orcs were tracking the dwarves and they were also certain that they had come to Laketown before setting off to the Lonely Mountain.

Tauriel followed Legolas as they crept quietly over the wooden rooftops of the houses that the people of Laketown dwelt in.

Tauriel couldn't believe that the men and women of this town had to live in such poor conditions, didn't whoever was in charge care about his people?

How are we to join together against the enemy if everyone is against one another?

Legolas came to a sudden stop near the edge of the roof and Tauriel halted beside him.

Down below, just a few yards away was a house, that was being attacked by orcs.

Tauriel could hear the frightened screams coming from inside, and she realized in horror that the screams belonged to children.

She was about to say something to Legolas when she noticed that he already had his bow out and was running over the roofs towards the house.

Tauriel drew her own bow and once they were in range the two elves began firing arrows at the orcs.

The creatures searched for the elven archers and roared in anger when they found two elves charging towards them.

Legolas and Tauriel leapt onto the roof of the house that was being attacked and noticed that a hole had been torn into the roof.

Tauriel jumped in first, switching to her knives before she did so, and immediately began fighting the orcs in front of her.

Legolas followed after her and was using his knives, together they drove all of the orcs out of the house. Legolas ran out the door and killed one orc who had been about to escape.

As he pushed the body into the water below he noticed one orc who seemed to be much larger than the others.

That one must be their leader.

The orc snarled at him and turned away, bringing his orcs with him.

Meanwhile, Tauriel was inside the house making sure that everyone in there was alright.

She was startled to see that some of the dwarves they had captured were there, and that one of them was sick.

"You killed them all."
Tauriel jumped as a small boy spoke from behind her. She turned around and saw the boy, as well as two girls stood together.

Shaken and afraid at what they had just encountered.
"Not all of them."
Legolas reentered the house and met Tauriel's gaze.
"Tauriel, come."

She began to follow him when the injured dwarf cried out in agony.

"Kili!"
The dwarf, who Tauriel assumed to be Kili's brother, held his brother tightly as he began to cough violently.

"He was poisoned."
Another dwarf said to Tauriel. With a desperate look in his eyes he pleaded, "Can you help us? He is dying."

"Tauriel."
Legolas called from outside the door. Tauriel looked at him, and then back at Kili.

She was a Warrior, that was what Legolas has trained her to be. She should be going after the orcs with Legolas.

But before that she had been a Healer, and she still was. She couldn't leave someone who was injured and sick to die.

Tauriel turned to Legolas, her eyes begging for him to understand.

Legolas read her gaze and nodded.
"Do what you can for him."

With that said Legolas disappeared from the house, vanishing into the darkness of night.

»»»»

Legolas couldn't truly understand Tauriel's reason for wanting to help the dwarf but he couldn't let that bother him now.

He needed to find these orcs' leader and hopefully manage to get some answers out of him.

Legolas ran around a corner and stopped. Standing in front of him was the orc he was searching for.

Legolas drew Orcrist from its sheeth and held it in front of him defensively.

He had a feeling that this orc would not go down easily.
Legolas heard the other orcs approaching long before they reached him.

He swung his sword and killed them both instantly, only to be charged by Bolg.

Legolas brought his sword up just as Bolg brought his own weapon down.

Legolas thrust him backwards and managed to knock his weapon out of his hands.

Legolas prepared to stab Bolg in the stomach, only to have himself caught in Bolg's iron grasp.

The orc was kneeling on one knee, both hands holding onto the arm Legolas wielded his sword in.

The elf tried to pull himself free but had no luck. Bolg grinned menacingly at Legolas, he grabbed him and threw him into a wall.

Legolas dropped his sword and gasped as his back hit the wall.
Bolg ran at him, raising his arm in attempt to punch the elf.

Legolas spun out of the way just in time. As Bolg swung around to face him Legolas leaped into the air and landed a punch in the orc's face.

While Bolg tried to recover his senses Legolas grabbed him and forced him into a wooden pole. Banging his head against it several times, only succeeding in splintering the wood instead of injuring the orc.

Bolg freed himself from Legolas' grasp shoved the elf backwards. Legolas landed in a mess of crates and nets, Bolg placed his foot on Legolas' chest in order to keep the elf down.

Legolas grabbed the foot and summoned all of his strength to push the orc off balance.

But as soon as Legolas got back to his feet he was grabbed by Bolg who wrapped his arms around Legolas, pinning his back against his chest and cutting off his air as he held him.

Legolas struggled to get away, and breathe. As if his situation couldn't get any worse he suddenly felt a searing pain in his shoulder.

He yelled in agony as Bolg sank his teeth deeper into Legolas' shoulder.

Bolg released Legolas and the elf was briefly able to draw air into his starved lungs, only to be forced against a wall.

Bolg held him in place by his shoulders. Legolas hissed in pain as the orc's claws dug into his wounded shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eye Legolas could see two more orcs creeping towards them.

"They smell your blood elf."
Bolg growled as he dug his claws deeper into Legolas' wound; Legolas bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming.

"Shall I give it to them?"
A strangled cry came from one of the orcs as it fell, an arrow stuck out of its throat.

Another arrow was fired at the other orc, killing it instantly. And finally a third one was fired into Bolg's shoulder.

The orc roared in pain and released Legolas, who fell onto the ground and clutched his bleeding shoulder tightly.

"Get away from him."
The voice belonged to a man, about Legolas' height and holding a longbow in his hands.
"Or I will kill you."

Bolg snarled and reluctantly backed away from Legolas, ripping the arrow out of his shoulder as he did so.

"This isn't over elf."
Bolg called for the rest of his orcs to regroup as they fled the town. Meanwhile, the man who had saved Legolas raced to the elf's side.

"Are you alright?"
The man asked helping Legolas to his feet.
"I am fine."

Legolas grimaced as he moved his shoulder, which was bleeding heavily from where Bolg had bitten him.

"Clearly you are not."
The man said, supporting Legolas he led him back to his house.
"Who are you?"
Legolas asked cautiously.

"My name is Bard."
The man replied.
"And it seems that I arrived just in time."