Haldir and Elladan ran down the stairs of the terrace into the garden. Haldir silently cursed whatever had made the tremendous crashing sound that interrupted their time together. He had given up fighting his desire for Elladan, or trying to take things slowly. They wanted each other -- they needed each other, and that was enough. He wondered vaguely if Elladan would really have let him take him on the terrace, and then he wondered if he would have done it.

Really, he was as bad as his brother Rúmil!

"This way," cried Elladan as they turned down one of the more seldom used garden paths. Haldir had never traversed it before, though he was familiar with most of Imladris. Another crash came as they ran, the sound closer now, followed by several shouts. Haldir thought he recognized the voice of Radagast the Brown.

A noxious scent assailed his nostrils as they rounded the corner. Haldir's eyes widened and he clapped a hand down on Elladan's shoulder, preventing the son of Elrond from going any further. Before them, haphazardly smashing the many garden statues as it attempted to make Radagast into a fine paste with its fists, was a large troll.

"How did that get here?" Elladan gasped.

"I-- I'm sorry," called Radagast as he ducked behind an azalea bush. "I seem to have had a little…accident… Oh, do look out!"

"You brought this thing here?" Haldir cried, jumping backwards and dragging Elladan with him. He wished desperately that he had his sword with him, or his bow, or a knife, or even a slingshot. His voice attracted the troll's attention to them. Slowly they backed up. It had no weapon aside from its fists, but those could be deadly enough.

"Summoned it by mistake," Radagast said. Flowers clung to his brown pointed hat. "Dreadfully sorry, I say. Mind dispatching it? Or perhaps if you distract it I can get to my staff…"

"Stay where you are!" Haldir demanded. The troll stared at him, lurching and sniffing. It drooled slightly. "If you stand still it is less likely to attack."

"We should run for help," Elladan whispered.

"We cannot leave Radagast," Haldir said softly. Even if he deserved it.

"My father will be mortified at what it has done to his statuary."

"He will be more mortified if it does something to you. Hold still, Elladan. Be ready to leap aside if it lunges at us."

"My garden!" Elrond cried from behind them as he strolled hurriedly up the path behind them. "What is the meaning of this, Elladan?"

It took Elrond a moment to see the troll, which mystified Haldir as it was rather large and hard to miss. The Lord of Imladris stopped dead in his tracks, staring as if he could not believe his eyes.

"Have you any weapons with you, Master Elrond?" Radagast called from behind the azaleas. "They would be quite helpful, you know."

"We came when we heard the noise," Haldir told Elrond.

The troll threw back its head and roared, bathing them all with its foul breath. Moments later Legolas and Orophin appeared from one direction and Rúmil and Elrohir came from another. Legolas had no tunic on, Haldir noticed immediately. The Prince of Mirkwood's pale, ethereal skin gleamed in the moonlight. His leggings appeared to be unlaced as well, and they slipped down his hips to offer an almost indecent view of his lean body. He did, however, have a bow and a sword with him.

Orophin was similarly armed, and even at a glance Haldir knew he held not his own weapons but those of Mirkwood. Elrond, Elrohir and Rúmil seemed more distracted by Legolas' fine figure than by the slavering troll, until it roared again and smashed its fist into one of the two remaining statues in this area of the gardens. Chunks of marble exploded around them and they all ducked to avoid the flying rubble, but it was no use.

A sharp piece of the ruined statue sliced through Haldir's tunic, barely missing his skin. A chunk caught Elladan in the shoulder and knocked him backwards onto the ground. Orophin's sword was knocked from his hand and landed with a clank on the ground near Elrond's feet. He cried out, shaking his hand. Elrohir and Rúmil were far enough away to avoid the debris, but Haldir could hear Radagast moaning from the bushes.

"Radagast! Are you all right?" Elrond called. He picked up the sword and advanced on the troll. Radagast did not reply.

"Father, what are you doing?" Elladan cried. Haldir and Elrohir both dropped to their knees beside Elladan, checking him for wounds, but he brushed their hands aside. "I am fine."

"Come, Oro, we may bring it down," Legolas said, sounding excited.

He drew forth his bow and fired at the troll, and Orophin followed his lead. They both struck their target but the thick hide of the beast was not easily pierced. Maddened by pain, it grabbed the last remaining statue and snapped it off at the base, swinging it at Elrond. The Lord of Imladris leapt nimbly aside, slicing at the troll with his sword. He cut deeply into the troll's calf and a rancid brown blood flowed from the wound.

Haldir staggered to his feet once he was sure that Elladan was all right. Elrohir helped his brother up, bemoaning the fact that they were unarmed. Rúmil stood frozen and staring. He had never seen a troll before and looked terrified. Haldir hoped he had the sense to stay back.

"Aim for the eyes, Oro," Haldir shouted to his brother. "To kill it you must pierce the brain or the heart."

"Haldir!" Legolas swung around and tossed Haldir a sword, and the Marchwarden started forward to defend Lord Elrond.

The troll swung the statue it was holding, barely missing Elrond. Elrond sliced at its arm, opening another gash and raining the putrid blood down on both himself and Haldir. Haldir hacked at the troll as well, but he knew it was rather futile. The archers would have to take it down.

"Legolas! Orophin!" he shouted.

They were already firing. Legolas blinded it, his arrow piercing the left eye, but the troll tore it free before it could get into its brain. He dropped the statue and flailed, roaring again. Elrond moved quickly past it, making for the azalea bushes where Radagast was. Orophin moved closer and shot an arrow into its gaping maw, aiming for the brain. He struck home.

The troll was slow to know it was dying. It fell to its knees and Haldir plunged his sword between its ribs to speed its course. Legolas and Orophin let loose another barrage and Haldir could feel the wind of their arrows brushing past him. Finally the thing was on the ground, thrashing and flailing in his final throes. Haldir drove his sword into its throat and finally it lay still.

Panting with his exertions, Haldir staggered backwards. He looked around anxiously, eager to ascertain that everyone was safe and unharmed. Elrond was helping Radagast out of the bushes. The venerable wizard had a gash across his forehead and was babbling an apology. Haldir could hardly listen to it.

"Terribly sorry, Master Elrond… staff misfunctioning… trying to summon butterflies… fireflies… nothing quite so large."

Elladan, Elrohir, and Rúmil stood together looking both frustrated and relieved. The look of worry Elladan gave Haldir was most gratifying. Oro and Legolas were pulling what arrows they could salvage out of the body and wiping them on the grass. Haldir stepped forward to give Legolas his sword back. The Prince of Mirkwood was glowing with life. Like his father, a fine battle excited him, and he seemed to have experienced none of the terror that had wracked the rest of them. Haldir was simply amazed that his leggings had not fallen the rest of the way down while he was battling the troll.

"You need a bath, Haldir," Legolas said cheerfully.

"That I do," Haldir agreed. He was covered in stinking troll blood. He passed Legolas the sword and turned around to leave, encouraged by the thought that maybe Elladan would assist him in bathing.

"Legolas!" Elrond shouted. "Look out!"

Haldir turned just in time to see the Prince of Mirkwood trip over the fallen statue and tumble to the ground. Blood splattered over the grass as Legolas hit his head on a sharp piece of marble and lay very, very still.