Sorry for the delay everyone! I lost several friends due to unforeseen incidents :( but life reminds us always that it is short, and to make the most of it.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 29

As the sun began to rise in the sky, Kelsey and Eraisuithon were already packed and ready to begin their journey to the Gap of Rohan. Kelsey tried her best to say goodbye without a faint heart; the lie she had been forced to tell grew heavy on her heart. As she embraced Alianor for one last goodbye, Alianor whispered in her ear.

"Please stay safe", she said, her voice beginning to quiver, "for the man you left behind's sake".

Kelsey bit her lower lip to avoid the tears in her eyes. Alianor's sad eyes met hers once more before they parted; her gaze bore a hole into Kelsey's soul as her and Eraisuithon rose into the dew morning.

Kelsey tormented herself for most of the day as they rode, completely submersed in her thoughts as she remained utterly silent. She couldn't shake the last words that Alianor had whispered to her; they lingered in her thoughts, like a phantom in a graveyard. She knew, deep in her heart, that the Gap of Rohan would only bring death. She knew that if she lived to tell the tale, the curse of knowing what it would bring and remaining silent would only leaver her full of remorse. She must stop Eraisuithon from doing this, before it was too late.

Kelsey abruptly pulled her horse to halt; Eraisuithon turned to curiously look at her sudden pause.

"We cannot go", she said, her words cut through the silence like a cleaver.

"What do you mean?" Eraisuithon asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

"We cannot go to the Gap of Rohan", she said, her voice sounding firm, "you heard what Alianor said, it will only lead to death".

Eraisuithon sighed in frustration and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Kelsey could feel the air thicken in tension around her.

"I thought we had already discussed our plan", he said, angrily.

"You controlled our plans", Kelsey said. testily, "I had no control of these plans".

As she said this, she dismounted Miriel and began to tend to her, and Eraisuithon followed in suite.

"I am only trying to help save time" Eraisuithon said, his voice now a deep growl, "going the way Alianor suggested will take us weeks".

"Then so be it!" Kelsey cried, defiantly, "I'd rather take years to get the Eastern Lands if it meant I was safer from danger".

"Is this because you wish to return to your precious prince?" Eraisuithon said spitefully, each word laced with a venomous tone.

Kelsey her heart stop, and her jaw dropped in shock. How dare he suggest that Legolas would affect her decision-ma,ing on this quest; she wished to return to him safely, but she could never complete her quest if she died so soon. She dropped Miriel's reins, and challengingly advanced towards him.

"How dare you attack my love for Legolas", she yelled, "he has nothing to do with this!"

"But he does, you just refuse to see it", Eraisuithon said, "if you did not have him weighing on your heart, you would eagerly go; you would not doubt your skills in battle and would readily face the challenge. Your love for him makes you weak and apprehensive".

Kelsey could feel herself redden in anger; his mocking sympathy for her was almost offensive to her. For him to suggest to her than Legolas made her weak was an ignorant thing to say; his love for her fave her the strength to rise in the morning and face the day ahead. Jealousy seemed to be Eraisuithon's only motivation in his words, and this made her temper flare and boil to the surface. She moved so her face was inches from his and glared intimidatingly at him.

"Don't speak to me like you know my love", she said, her voice a dangerous tone, "for it is beyond your comprehension. Someone like you couldn't possibly understand. But know this, and never forget this, my love for Legolas will never make me weak. Ever".

Eraisuithon's jaw tightened, as if he wished to retort, but the dark shadow of fury that was cast on Kelsey's face made him hold his tongue. Satisfied by his silence, she turned away from him and continued to tend to Miriel. She cast a dark look in Eraisuithon's direction, but then she paused; his mood had suddenly changed, melting into an expression of bewilderment.

"I mean only to help you", he said, his voice sounding more gently, "you doubt yourself, we can easily take on any Orcs that cross our path. I understand you wish to return safely to Legolas, but you must not jeopardize the mission that has been set before you".

"I know what needs to be done", she said defensively. She did not care for his sympathy and she did not need coddling nor pity. She then thoguht out their odds if they chose to venture to the Gap of Rohan. If it were only the two of them, she thought, wouldn't they have a higher chance of survival versus the Fellowship would have if they chose to use that path. Eraisuithon would know better that she; he, after all, had lived in these lands for thousands of years. He also felt she was capable of defending against the Orcs; he was right, she shouldn't doubt herself or them.

"You think we can make it through?" she asked, after several moments of silence.

"With my sword and your magic", he said, a hopeful smile played on his lips, "we would be unstoppable".

Kelsey nodded slowly, digesting his words with careful consideration.

"Very well, she said, after some time, "we will go through the Gap of Rohan".

Eraisuithon signed a breath of relief, and swiftly jumped back on the back of his horse.

"Come", he said brightly, "the road is long and we cannot waste time".

Kelsey climbed back into her saddle, and urged her to a gallop. Kelsey hoped silently to herself that this would not turn into a decision she would regret.

They ventured through rolling fields for days on end, until finally they reached the rocky terrain of the Dunland. Eraisuithon thought staying to the mountainous hills would protect them from danger. No fires were lit at night, so as to not attract enemies; they suffered through the bitter cold through the nights, wrapping their warm cloaks around themselves. They hardly spoke to one another; a somber air lingered between them as they trudged through the wilderness and shivered through the cold nights. Finally, after several nights, Eraisuithon broke the silence.

"Another day's ride and we should be to the Gap of Rohan by nightfall", he said from his huddled position beneath his cloak.

Kelsey nodded half-heartedly, and said no response; the pending danger they were to face weighed heavy in her thoughts.

"Do you worry still we will not survive?" he asked, visibly seeing her distress.

Kelsey tried to hide her worry with the cloak she was nestled underneath, but Eraisuithon had already sensed it. She felt ashamed that she would needlessly worry over she should trust his judgement on, but she couldn't seem to let the worry go.

"Yes", she said feebly.

"You know I will do everything to protect you" he said assuredly.

His compassion pained her heart, and she could feel the tears slowly rolling down her cheeks; she couldn't help it. She was dreading all that could happen. Worry flooded her every waking thought, and she knew she should trust Eraisuithon.

Her head became dizzy with the thoughts swirling around, and the tears began to freely flow.

Eraisuithon sighed sympathetically as he saw her.

"It's too cold of weather to sit alone" he said, as he lifted his cloak from his wrapped body; his arm was extended in a welcoming manner, as if to usher into his warm embrace. This consoling gesture Kelsey could not refuse, and she eagerly crawled over to where he sat. This gesture of compassion catalyzed her tears, and she heaved silent sobs in the dark as she nestled her face into Eraisuithon's comforting shoulder. He held her, wordlessly, and allowed her to cry.

"Why did it have to be me?" she asked him, a question she desperately hoped he could answer; for at that given moment, she could not comprehend why she had been chosen to lead this life.

"You are strong, stronger than you allow yourself to realize", he said, gently holding her.

"But all I want", she cried, "is to be in Rivendell again. To wake and be around beauty and splendor, and to be the one man that torments my dreams".

"And we will see him again", Eraisuithon said, "you must keep faith".

Kelsey looked up at Eraisuithon, and saw him smiling down upon her.

"How could I be so lucky to have found you?" she asked him, "you are a true friend".

"Don't talk like that", Eraisuithon said, "you will have the Prince of Mirkwood jealous".

Kelsey laughed, and brushed the tears away from her face. The release of emotion made her grow tired suddenly, and she could feel her eyes grow heavy. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Kelsey woke abruptly to the sound of a twig snapping in the distance. She wildly looked around the campsite, searching for any signs of life or movement. It was hard to see in the dim moonlight, and her eyes took some time to gradually adjust. The horses breathed heavily in the night; their nostrils steamed hot breaths in the cold night air as they slept. Eraisuithon was asleep, huddled beside her, and hardly making a sound. The campsite was surrounded with rocky hills and cliffs, making it hard for Kelsey to see anything that could be lurking around. After several moments, she heard no other sound in the dark. It must have been her imagination, she reasoned to herself.

Just as she began to fall asleep once again, she heard a distinctive, rumbling growl from the brush beside her. This was not her imagination, this was real; something or someone was near their campsite. She began to shake Eraisuithon awak, whispering harshly.

"Wake up, Eraisuithon", she said, "something is out there".

It did not take long for Eraisuithon to become alert; and with one swift motion, he jumped to his feet, sword in hand. Kelsey clumsily followed his lead, and they stood back to back, guarding their site. The horse began to cry out and stir in distress; jumping up and stomping the ground. And then, time seemed to slow, and everything happened slowly.

Orcs emerged from the shadows, what seemed like hundreds in number. The advanced with a speed Kelsey could never had predicted for such large creatures. Their eyes glowed in the dark, and Kelsey could hear their vile breathing and mocking laughs surrounding her. There were too many, she thought, they would never come out of this alive. Before, when she faced the Orcs with Legolas and Gandalf in Rivendell, she felt safe and ready; now, she felt far from that. This would be the end, she thought.

Then, something happened Kelsey did not expect. A voice, as if floating in the wind, came to her thoughts. The voice, sounded like Gandalf's, but she couldn't be sure.

""Push your enemies away from you", it said, "do not give up. Think of me".

She then realized whose voice it was, it was Legolas's voice, urging her on. She then felt strength well inside her, and she remembered all she had been taught by Gandalf, and all that she had worked for. She was powerful, she had powers that no Orc could match.

She dropped her sword, placed her hands in front of her, and with one solid thrust, she advanced.

Orcs flew all around her, they screamed their gurgling screams as they landed several feet from her. All of the Orcs around her paused, observing her with new-found fear. Eraisuithon had hardly moved from behind her, and was holding back the Orcs that challenged him with their axes and swords. Thus far his efforts seemed to be successful, but even the Orcs that challenged him had paused to look at Kelsey.

Kelsey kept her hands in front of her, ready for any other Orc to run to her. An unknown, hideous sounding voice of an Orc called from the herd of Orcs.

"Don't just stand there you fools!" it said, "Get them!"

The Orcs cautiously advanced, and Kelsey successfully deflected each and every Orc that challenged. Eraisuithon did as well, until an arrow soared through the night, unseen, towards his chest.

It hit, with a distinctive thud, into his chest, and Eraisuithon fell back and let out a cry of agony. As he fell, his body collapse back into Kelsey, and unaware of what had happened, she came crashing down to the rocky ground.

And then, everything went black.