It was as if the Orcs knew of his plans and decided to give him a hand. They attacked the camp that very night. Legolas sensed their presence and warned the others to prepare for battle. He watched as the poor Hobbits scrambled to pull their swords out of the scabbards; the Elf could not help a pang of guilt for scaring them so. The Orc band attacking them was only about twenty strong; Legolas would normally have taken off and dealt with them privately without alerting the others. But he needed Aragorn to see him fight, which would not happen unless the whole company stood their ground together. Instead of using his knives, the Elf decided he would use a sword since his former apprentice was more familiar with that style.