Lost Child of Tindomiel: Chapter Thirteen

In the morning I awoke just as the sun was rising, the stars were still slightly visible. I rolled over off of Legolas and stretched.

"I hope to wake up beside you every morning." I hear Legolas say from beside me. He rolled over and propped himself up above me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you." I said as he lowered his lips to mine briefly.

"And I love you." He said rolling away from me. He sat on the edge of the bed and slipped his feet into his boots.

I crawled up behind him and drapped my arms around him and kissed his bare shoulders. He carressed my arms tenderly as my lips trailed across his skin. He groaned and leaned his head back against me. I smiled as I felt the familiar desire fill me and overflow into him. I felt his body tremble with mine.

We had both slept and had renewed energy, but we both also knew that we couldn't get lost in eachother that morning. In a swift movement, demonstrating the elven grace and speed, he spun around and laid me on my back. He knelt between my legs and kissed me. I wrapped one of my legs around him as his hand found it's way to my bare leg and eagerly gripped my thigh.

I wanted his hand to move up under my thin underdress and explore skin he had yet to intimatly touch. I started feeling sensations that were so intense and new to me that it took my breath away.

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting us. "Legolas! Daniyel! You should join us in the hall. I believe Theoden has made a decision."

I sighed, "Yes, we'll be there."

Legolas rested his forehead on my chest with an exasperated rush of air blowing against my underdress. "Some day, my love." He climbed off of me.

Together we quickly dressed and headed to the hall hand in hand.

Gandalf smiled at us knowingly. "Good morning, you two. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, we did. Thank you. And you?" I asked, my finger's still interlaced with Legolas'.

"Well enough, my dear, well enough."

Theoden entered the hall, he still had dark circles under his eyes indicating that he hadn't slept well, if at all.

"What is your decision, my lord?" Gandalf asked.

"I take my people to Helm's Deep." With that Theoden turned and summoned Hama over to him. They spoke quietly for a while.

I turned to Gandalf, "Helm's Deep?"

Gandalf's jaw was tight with anger and he wrung his hand around his staff. He huffed and turned away from me.

Legolas looked at me and shook his head, indicating that he didn't know anything more than I did.

"Aragron... what is Helm's Deep?" I asked.

"It's a great keep that Rohan has used in times of needed refuge before and it has saved them. It's considered impregnable, the walls are made of solid rock." Aragorn saw Gandalf huffing away and hurried after him.

I turned to Legolas, "Find our weapons, please." I said as I ran after them.

Outside the hall Hama was standing there addressing the people of Rohan, "By order of the King... the city must empty. We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourself with treasures. Take only what provisions you need."

Gandalf hurried through the people gathering their belongings, Aragorn fast on his heels. I followed Aragorn and Gimli was beside me.

"Helm's Deep!" Gandalf scoffed.

"They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight. Who will defend them if not their king?"

"He's only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Aragorn said defending the king.

We walked into the stables where Shadowfax stood tall and proud at the back of the stables.

"There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan." He stopped and turned toward Aragron. "He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold."

Aragorn nodded, "They will hold."

Gandalf turned to Shadowfax and stroked his mane. "The Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of Men I've walked this earth, and now I have no time. With luck, my searh will not be in vain." He mounted the horse. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

Aragorn and I nodded as Gandalf and Shadowfax sprinted out of the stable, nearly running Legolas and Gimli down.

Legolas held our weapons in his arms. I walked toward him. "Looks like we are heading to Helm's Deep."

Legolas nodded as I took my things from his arms and began to put them on. He followed suit and put his own weapons on.

"I never got to mention to you earlier how well you did with Freda."

I smiled and then realized that the poor child would probably be looking for someone that she recognized and not be able to find me. I worked faster to get my blades and bow on. "Is it that hard to believe that I am good with children?"

He shook his head, "Not at all. I had just never seen you with any until last night. The moment that you saw the children, which was well before Aragorn or I did, you were off running. You were faster than either of us." He smiled at me. "You were graceful when you mounted that horse... beautiful."

I blushed under his compliment. "Well, thank you. I really didn't think, I only acted."

Aragorn approached us, "We should help those that we can get ready."

Legolas, Gimli and I all nodded.

It wasn't long before the procession of Theoden's people were on their way to Helm's Deep.

Gimli sat upon the horse he shared with Legolas and was conversing with lady Eowyn. Aragorn walked his horse near her and Gimli. Together, Legolas and I were on foot not far behind the scouts on horseback. Or we were on my horse together, with his arms wrapped around me tight.

I enjoyed riding with Legolas. His arms lent me a certain comfort and I would lean my head back and rest it on his shoulder. He would kiss my head and smile happily.

Around mid day we stopped, taking a small break to eat. I played with Freda and Eothain, while Legolas looked on and smiled at me lovingly.

We didn't rest long and continued on our way. This time I hung back with the children while Legolas was ahead.

It wasn't long until I heard shouting and heard Legolas' voice ring out clear to my ears, "A scout!"

I took Freda and Eothain from my horse switfly.

"But I want to stay with you, lady Daniyel." Freda cried.

"I am sorry love, but right now I am needed." I turned to Eothain, "Keep your sister safe and stay here with the others."

He nodded at me as he wrapped an arm around his sister. I mounted my horse and whispered to her in elvish. She instantly sprang forward. I gripped her saddle with my legs and readied my bow.

Theoden hollared orders, "All riders to the head of the collumn."

I heard Gimli crying out, "Come on. Get me up here. I'm a rider. Come on!"

Behind me Theoden spoke to Eowyn, "I can fight." She said glancing at me.

"No!" Theoden said sternly. "You must do this, for me."

Eowyn looked at him and then glanced at me with a slight look of contempt. I wondered than for a moment that if my father was here would he too, be asking me to stay behind where it was safe. I shook my head and urged my horse into a faster gallop.

Ahead of me, Gimli rode toward the wargs, Legolas swung up and joined him on the horse.

I shot my arrows at long range, once I got closer I took out my blades and began slashing at the Orcs and their disgusting creatures they rode on. The Orcs were easy enough to kill, but the wargs were a bit harder. They took more arrows.

As I sliced the head of an Orc and shocking pain erupted along my arm. An Orc's arrow had been shot at my arm, the force of the arrow knocked me from my horse. I fell on my back and winced in pain. And Orc tried to take advantage of me on my back and pointed a blade at me. With hate in my eyes I raised my blade, ready to cut him, but an arrow landed in his forehead first.

Legolas was at my side, his face filled with concern. He looked at my wound and covered it with his hand.

"Legolas, I am fine." I said sitting up.

He nodded at me with no words and helped me to my feet. My arm screamed in pain. He saw me wince, "When this is over let me take a look at that."

"Of course." I said gripping my blades in both hands.

Legolas nodded and shot another arrow at an Orc behind me. I rushed forward and stuck my blade in a riderless warg. As I looked around, I saw that the battle was dying off, taking plenty of Rohan's riders with it.

I looked around for Aragorn and couldn't find him. Something in the pit of my stomach dropped and I began to felt a shadow cover me. "Aragorn!" I hollared.

My voice grabbed Legolas attention as he pulled his blade free from another warg. His eyes eager scanned the field around us. "Aragron!"

I rushed around looking for his familiar face, waiting to hear his comforting voice. Tears welled in my eyes as his absence filled me with dread.

"Aragorn?" I heard Gimli cry.

Legolas and I met at the edge of a cliff high above a swiftly flowing river. I heard a laugh that flashed me back to the evil laugh from my dream of the Great Eye.

I turned quickly, rage buring within. An Orc lay laughing on the ground.

Gimli raised his axe, "Tell me what happened and I will ease you passing."

The Orc smiled an evil wicked smile. "He's... dead. He took a little tumble off the cliff."

Suddenly the pain in my arm was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my chest.

Legolas bent down and grabbed the Orc, "You lie!"

The Orc stopped laughing and his body went slack as he died. I swallowed hard. Something glinted in the Orcs hands, I bent down and turned his hand over. Grasped there in his disgusting hand was Aragorn's pendant, the Evenstar, given to him by Arwen. He never took it off.

I grab the necklace and went to the edge again, looking, hoping for any sign of Aragorn.

Theoden's eyes softened. "Get the wounded on horses." He looked at my arm, covered in blood, "You should have that looked at, my lady." Returning his attention back to his surviving men, "The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."

The flood that I had been holding back released then and tears covered my cheeks.

Theoden's eyes looked at the three of us standing there in shock and portrayed sympathy. He placed a kind hand on Legolas' shoulder, "I am sorry, but I must think of my people. Come."

The three of us looked back into the river. His Evenstar grasped tightly in my hand. I closed my eyes tightly and thought of Arwen and how this would crush her. Arwen, Aragorn needs you. Find him and return him to us. I felt something meet my thoughts and an easing filled my body.

Gimli turned to me with sadness in his eyes that I could tell he was trying to force away. "You arm, my lady." He said to me.

Gimli's words brought Legolas back, "Let me see." He gently turned me and looked at my arm dripping with blood. "I have no supplies to tend to this. We must get to Helm's Deep."

"Here lad use this to stiffle the bleeding, or she will bleed out." Gimli took his shirt and ripped off a long strip of it.

Legolas took and tied it tight around my arm making the pain shoot through my body again. "Sorry, love."

Legolas took the hand of my uninjured arm. He called our horses, which came to us obediently. Legolas helped me into my saddle and then he and Gimli got on their horse.

We trotted along after Theoden and his men. My arm throbbed. Even with the cloth holding back the blood I could still feel lightheaded and dizzy. In one hand a girpped the Evenstar and in the other I held my horses reins loosely as the blood continued to flow.

It was evening by the time we reached Helm's Deep. My sleeve was drenched with blood, my hand slack at my side, with blood dripping from my finger tips.

The horses went straight to the stables. Legolas and Gimli got off their horse, but for some reason I couldn't find the strength to slide off my saddle. Legolas looked at me worried and held his arms out to me.

"Just lay into me, I'll catch you." Legolas said.

I nodded at him and leaned toward him. He wrapped me in his arms and carried me.

As we climbed the stairs I heard Eowyn, "So few. So few of you have returned.

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives." Theoden answered.

Gimli left Legolas' side and went to Eowyn.

Eowyn looked around at us, "Lord Aragorn... where is he?"

"He fell." Gimli said.

I saw the sadness in her eyes and suddenly a realization hit me. Eowyn was having feelings for Aragorn. I leaned into Legolas and closed my eyes.

"We all mourn his loss, but for now let us not add to it. Do you have a place where I mght be able to tend to her?" Legolas said, holding me close.

Eowyn nodded her head and led us away. She found me a small chamber with a small bed. "I'll get you some supplies."

I felt rediculous, being carried around and laying down when I should be out there helping. My arm was only nicked with an arrow. I didn't understand why it was bleeding so badly. Was it possible that it had cut my arm worse then I thought?

Eowyn returned, "I'll need her to remove her outer clothes."

I turned and looked at her as kindly as I could, "No offense, but elven hands would do a much better job. Legolas knows what he is doing."

Eowyn looked only slightly hurt, "I understand." She nodded at me and left the basket filled with bandages and a large bowl filled with warm water. "Perhaps I can mend the tear in your clothing."

"Thank you, Eowyn." I said.

She left.

Gimli stood nearby looking on eagerly.

Legolas turned to him, "Forgive me my friend, but I am going to have to ask you to leave. Daniyel will need to remove some clothing for me to get to the wound properly."

Gimli blushed, "Oh, of course. Just hollar if you need me. I won't go far." He walked out and closed the door behind him.

The room was nothing more than a small room off in the corner of the keep. There was a small hearth, but it wasn't burning. I suddenly felt the cold seep into my skin. It wasn't natural for elves to feel cold or heat the way Men did, but being wounded and loss of blood was enough. Legolas helped me sit up and slowly he helped me remove my outer garments. The torn bits of the sleeve were plastered in my wound and as he gently pulled the sleeve down it tore the wound.

I stiffled my yelp of pain.

"Sorry, love." He said tenderly.

I nodded and sliped out of the rest of my outer clothes, down to my under dress. The thin fabric was not enough to keep out the cold and I started shivering even more. Legolas acted quickly and grabbed a blanket. He wrapped it around me, leaving only my wounded arm exposed.

Legolas dipped a small bit of fabric into the warm water and began to clean around my wound.

"You need to be less reckless. What if that arrow had hit something other than your arm."

"It didn't." I said looking at him. "And I'm fine." I took my other hand and cupped his cheek. "I'll be more vigilant next time."

He looked up into my eyes, sending a wave of comfort and warmth through me. "I love you."

"And I you." Like back at the pile of burning Orcs I imagined for a brief moment if it had been Legolas that had fallen over the cliff.

I couldn't understand why I kept doing that to myself. Imagining the worst happening to my loved ones was too much. I shook my head, trying to erase the thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Legolas eyed me. It wasn't easy to hide anything from him, and I wasn't certain why I would even want to hide anything from him.

"I cannot believe that Aragorn has fallen. A part of me wonders how I would be if it had happened to you." And with that, more tears flowed over my cheeks.

"I am right here." He continued to clean my arm. "I need to mend your arm. It has already started to heal, but inorder to speed that process and stop the bleeding, I must mend it."

I nodded and stopped my tears.

He took out a needle and some thread, "Here." He said, placing my hand on his leg. "Hold my leg, but hold still. I won't lie to you, this will hurt."

I nodded and braced myself. I am not certain what was worse: the arrow shooting my arm, or the needle and thread mending it. I wanted to scream, but jutted out my jaw and tried to think about something else.

I returned my thoughts to my lost memories. Moments passed and the room spun. Everything around me went dark. I heard Legolas, "Daniyel! Daniyel! Can you hear me?" He stopped sewing my wound and his gentle hands laid me down on the bed.

I blacked out then. The room disappeared around me. Just like before, back on the boat, I found myself in a memory:

I was sitting on a bench watching my mother leaning into a man, I assumed to be my father. "Tindomiel, you should not go. Stay here. Both you and Daniyel should stay here, where it is safe."

"I'm sorry, Earinsul. I must go. And it is Daniyel's decision to go with me. She is old enough to make her own decisions."

"She's our daughter, Tindomiel."

"I know. And like you, she doesn't like to listen to her parents."

The memory faded. I heard whispers around me and my eyelids fluttered as I tried to wake up. I goaned as the pain in my arm returned to me. Legolas had finished mending my arm.

"Will she be all right?" I heard Eowyn ask.

"Yes, she will be fine. It was probably just the amount of pain that knocked her out. Could you bring me something to eat and drink for her, when she does wake up?" Legolas replied.

I heard Eowyn leave and close the door.

"Is it just like before, lad? Like on the boats?" Gimli asked.

"Yes, I am certain that she is fine." Legolas said calmly. "Can you hear me, Daniyel?"

I nodded and inhaled deeply. "I have a question for you." I said as I sat up.

"Take it easy there, lassy." Gimli said rushing forward.

The blanket was still wrapped around me, concealing my indecency.

"What is it?" Legolas replied.

"Do you know Tindomiel or Earinsul?" I asked, hoping he might know of them.

It was a strange sensation, knowing the names of my parents.

Legolas tilted his head in thought, "The names sound slightly familiar. Why do you ask?"

"Those are the names of my parents." I said.