This was going nowhere.
Gimli sucked the smoke from his pipe deep into his lungs. His pipe was a comfort after an unpleasant day of walking. Today was different, and he would receive no benefits from it. A source of irritation commanded his attention instead. Gimli sat stroking his bread, allowing the smoke to build inside his lungs. The release was long and slow.
"Elves…" Gimli muttered to himself.
Those two were beginning to wear on his nerves.
Only a day ago, Legolas and Elanorièl were jovial, merry friends. Gimli would inevitably happen upon them laughing and smiling. One word from Legolas made Elanorièl laugh and in turn, she made the moody prince smile. The limited time all three had together was fun.
Yet over a course of the day, they had changed. Now their conversations turned brief and to the point, but never discourteous. Their conversations were mostly directed at Gimli and ignored the other. They would stand close but never face another. They saw more of their backs than their faces. They would barely look at another save for when Gimli would catch Legolas gazing back on Elanorièl. This made for very boring nights by the fire.
Indeed, these two were being childish.
Gimli pondered to himself. His dangling legs swung back and forth over the rock's ledge. His mind wandered over the past days, searching deep for any clues into their peculiar behavior. Gimli himself saw very little of the two the past few days. Every so often, they would pass him on the road or not see him until the end of the day. It struck him as odd, that day, to see Elanorièl riding so far back behind Legolas. It was from that day those two began to act oddly. To hear the ever-singing tree lover be so quiet was odd. To hear Elanorièl no longer laughing was odd. Gimli had imagined the day those two finally gave him peacefully quiet to more joyful. Instead, he got maddening silence. Every minute spent with the two was filled with uncomfortable silence.
The cultural complexities of elven emotions were lost to him. Elves by heart were the dramatic type. Something had gone down that day and now those two were fighting. Why else would the two be acting like this? There was only one clue Gimli had.
The day after their fight(?), Gimli was sitting beneath a rock, hidden out of sight. A little clearing of white flowers laid before his feet. Legolas, unaware of Gimli's presence, began to search among them until at last Legolas had settled upon one. He smiled knowingly as he picked up the flower. Gimli had followed him and watched Legolas put the white flower onto the reins of Elanorièl's horse. Elanorièl seemed rather surprised when she found it. A slight smile graced her lips as she held up the flower up to her nose.
This interaction puzzled Gimli the most. If they were fighting, then why would Legolas go out of his way for a flower? Honestly, Gimli could never tell the difference between when they were being friendly or flirting. Innocent remarks were followed with a wink or a giggle. Staring was a routine practice between them. Gimli would hear others whisper about the friendship between the two. The onlookers would conclude their conversation by remarking the two made a handsome couple. Gimli agreed.
Gimli's head snapped up. It had dawned on him. The onlookers were right: a handsome couple indeed. His mouth fell slack as he looked across the clearing. There the two elves sat near each other. Though they faced opposite ways, their backs were practically touching. How could he have missed such a big clue? The reason behind all the odd behavior. The thought made Gimli's chest vibrate. The small rumble grew into a hearty roar. Throwing back his head, his boisterous laughter startled those around him. He ignored their strange looks because it mattered not. He would leave the two alone for now.
A deafening roar broke her thoughts. On this spot, Elanorièl was sitting in peace, staring at a lovely patch of dirt when the joyful noise reached her ears. The sound was loud and irritating. Instantly she knew who was laughing. Her suspicion was confirmed the minute she looked up. Through the crowd of confused faces, she spotted Gimli across the clearing. Gimli was laughing uncontrollably; he stomped his feet and clutched his torso. His head was thrown back as the loud, deep laugh echoed throughout the camp. He was laughing for no reason.
The dwarf had lost it.
Elanorièl tilted her head to the side. The dwarf didn't stop laughing for several minutes. By the end of his fit, his hands rested on his knees for his lungs to regain air. Still, Elanorièl possessed no words for what she had just seen. She turned to Legolas. He bore a perplexed look: his head tilted to the side and his nose wrinkled. The comical expression was unchanged as he turned to her. Elanorièl glanced back to Gimli. She huffed an embarrassed laugh while shaking her head. It had been her first laugh in days, all thanks to Gimli's antics.
A smile graced her face when she turned back to Legolas. The smile dropped for her face. Legolas' blue eyes were watching her. His look of confusion melted away into something unreadable. Those brilliant eyes were all she could see. They lingered closely. Their piercing blue froze her to the spot. They were searching for something; inspecting every inch of her face. Elanorièl could merely stare back.
"Move out!"
The call came to again move. The call broke the steady blue stare. Elanorièl relief washes over her as Legolas turned away. He sighed beside her and hauled himself to his feet. As he walked away, Elanorièl cast her eyes to the ground. Why did he look at her like that? Maybe he had seen the red glow of her cheeks? Or was it the frown she wore as she stared back?
A crunch of the ground made Elanorièl open her eyes. A pair of brown boots appeared in the patch of dirt her eyes landed on. A hand promptly followed. She blinked. Legolas stood tall with his head turned away, but his hand still open to her. Her eager hand moved on its own before she could think. His hand closed fast, trapping her smaller hand within his larger one. The warmth of his skin radiated against hers. He gave her a gentle pull of her arm and aid her to her feet.
Elanorièl was naturally disappointed when he let go. Her hand cold. Legolas had let go when she stood up. But still, he waited. He waited until she caught up, carefully matching his steps to hers as they walked.
The rest of the morning was spent in silence. The tall peaks of the western mountains grew closer the sun moved high in the sky. A green bay of mountains marked the Westfold Vale. Beyond it, a valley opened between the gorge: Helm's Deep. The fortress is named for the hero who made his last stand in old wars. How fitting that they should be traveling here. Still, Helm's Deep was nevertheless half a day's walk away.
The miles before Elanorièl were bare as she stood high upon the rocky ridge. Legolas stood next to her, his eyes surveyed the horizon, flickering back and forth. Something was wrong and they both knew it. Not a single cloud loomed overhead yet the day felt gray. The air felt heavy and still. It was quiet, no bird or animal cried out. Elanorièl only heard the hooves of the horses carrying the two green-clad riders.
It was when the sound of hooves stopped, the hair on Elanorièl's neck stood up. The muscles in her shoulders became rigid. The brief silence was replaced with the panicked noise of the horses. A low, deep growl crept in. There was a shout, then a roar. The screaming and growling continued, growing louder as Legolas and Elanorièl reached the top of the hill.
Then a great shout, "Wargs!"
In the valley below, the two horsemen faced a warg-rider. A green cape hung from the warg's mouth. The warg released the cape and the headless body attached to it thudded to the ground. The warg turned its attention to the horsemen, snapping its jaws at the horse.
Legolas leaped down from the high ledge with ease. An arrow was fitted into his bow fitted before he landed. His swift arrow hit the warg and the rider tumbled onto the grass. The rider rolled onto his back, hissing as Elanorièl was upon him. A quick flash of silver and the rider was silent. Aragorn had reached the top of the hill in time to see what had happened.
"A scout!" Legolas yelled, kicking the warg's body away.
Elanorièl could hear the panic break out on the other side of the hill. People were screaming, shouting and crying. The King commanded his horsemen to the head of the column. But that was not the only thing she could hear. Legolas called back to Elanorièl. She raced over, meeting him on the rock overlooking another valley. The barking wargs poured over the hill in vast numbers. Their concentrated black masses blurred out the green grass beneath their feet. Dust flew up. Weapons glinted in the sun.
Legolas motioned for Elanorièl to draw her bow. His bow was drawn and ready. Elanorièl unclipped the bow from her back and rested the quiver on her hip. She drew in a breath, drawing back her r bowstring. Behind her, the countless hooves echoed against the rock wall. In front of her, the sound of the snapping of jaws met the sound of hooves. She waited.
Legolas gave the signal. His bow vibrating in her ear the second he released his hold. Her's followed only a second behind. The arrows struck their target, and the wargs fell. The wargs behind weren't hindered, simply jumping over the slain bodies. Their bows fired rapidly, one arrow after another. The firing of arrows didn't stop until Elanorièl heard Arod's cry.
The horsemen of Rohan thundered up the hill behind. The King lead the charge front and center. Aragorn rode next to the King. Arod and Hasufel ran ahead of the riders, gearing straight for their riders. Arod slowly his pace to allow Elanorièl to jump on. Legolas however, grabbed onto Hasufel's straps at full speed. The elf flew through the air and landed into the saddle before Gimli. The elves joined in the charge as Theoden King raised his sword high in the air. His men raised their voices in unison. Their battle cry met with one from the warg-riders.
The clash was hard. Bodies clashed with bodies. Arrows and spears whizzed past their heads. Dirt and mud kicked up into the air. Wargs lunged for the horses while the riders fought the men producing a dual threat to the horsemen. Sword against sword, wargs, and riders fell. Blade against blade, men and horse fell. This battle would be fierce.
Gimli seemed alone in his joy for battle and was eager to be on foot. Behind Legolas, he would have no enemy to challenge as the elf eliminated any before they could come close.
"A dwarf was no horsemen," Gimli yelled, releasing his hold on the elf. One bounce and he was off the horse. The dwarf hit the ground with a thud. His ax flew from his hand. The sound of his impact made Legolas looked back to see the Dwarf had fallen off.
When Gimli rose to his feet, a single warg laid in his sight. He readied his ax, widening his stance. The warg ceased its feast of horseflesh. The creature's snarled and took a step forward. Breaking into a stride, it charged for Gimli.
Gimli raised his ax as he taunted the warg: "Bring your pretty face to my ax."
The blow never came. Before Gimli could swing down his ax, Legolas intervened. Gimli growled in disappointment when the warg fell with an arrow in its neck.
"That one still counts as mine," Gimli yelled at Legolas. He did not have to wait long before another became the target of his anger.
Elanorièl found herself busy. Two warg-riders were coming towards her. The riders ran their beasts hard, fighting to cut off Arod's path. Arod whined. He had nowhere left to go but between the warg-riders. The warg-riders threw back their blades back high with the curve to Elanorièl. Elanorièl squeezed her legs against Arod's flank. When she was in arms reach, the orcs wielded their blades forward. She leaned back. Their blades passed over her face. She outstretched her arms, allowing the swords to slice into the passing riders. They groaned and fell from the beasts.
Elanorièl scanned the battle. Aragorn weaved about his enemies and slew many enemies. Theoden, true to his heritage, was an excellent swordsman and horse-master. His men, either on horse or on foot, were gaining the battlefield. She could here Legolas' bow in distance, vibrating from his rapid movements.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Gimli. Sometime within the battle, he had become pinned beneath a warg. The dwarf was struggling to free himself and was unaware of the orc crawling up the other side. The orc pounced. Gimli yelled in pained surprise, but his hands seized the orc's neck, pushing away the black dagger. His hands forced the head to turn upward. One sharp snap and the orc fell limp on top of the pile. Once more, Gimli struggled against the weight of the bodies. Again, Gimli was unaware of the warg following the orc.
Elanorièl wheeled Arod around, pressing him to hurry as the warg placed his weight onto the pile. Gimli groaned. His eyes widened at the sight of the creature snapped his teeth. Aragorn was quicker than Elanorièl. He had seen Gimli and the orc, beginning his hurry for the dwarf. He switched his sword into his other hand and gripped the spear plunged into the ground. With a snap of his arm, the spear pierced the warg's chest. The warg's head flew back before falling forward. Gimli now possessed three bodies on him.
Gimli was squirming under the pressure when Elanorièl reached him. Jumping down from Arod, she rushed to help him. Her hands pushed against the bodies with great effort until they fell away. The trapped Gimli wobbled to his feet when he was free, muttering his thanks. The battle around them was dying down. It had ended as quickly as it started. The stragglers were finished off.
All around Elanorièl, the wounded groaned out in agony. The various bodies became the feast of the wargs. Some had parts missing while others only had cuts. Black and red blood colored the flattened grass. The smell was worse.
"Aragorn!"
Elanorièl whipped her head around. There was Legolas, was calling out for Aragorn. He paced up the hill seeking him. The King was as perplexed as him. Elanorièl waited for a response, but she didn't get one.
"Aragorn?" Gimli instantly sought his friend.
The three wove through the bodies and ground. Their eyes carefully expecting Aragorn to show. Every minute passing without any sign of him was daunting. Each step pooled dread into their hearts. Legolas stooped low, his fingers grazing the ground as he inspected the rock cliff. There was a snicker. The snicker grew into a laugh, drawing Legolas' attention. The orc shrieked in amusement at the elf's reaction. Legolas' mouth twitched at the corner
The dying orc was laughing merrily at them as blood trickled from his mouth.
"Tell me what happened, and I will ease your passing." Gimli stood over the orc, holding his ax above its throat.
"He's...dead!" the orc coughed out. "He took a little tumble off the cliff."
"You lie," Legolas hissed. He grasped the orc's collar, bunching the cloth in his fists to lift the orc from the ground. Gimli's blood pumped hard, thundering into his ear. The orc was making a mockery of them.
His final laugh choked in his throat before his head fell back. Legolas threw the body to the ground. A dazzling light twinkled in the orc's hand. Legolas reached down, pulling up the shining object. Aragorn's necklace sat in his hand.
One look, Elanorièl turned on her heels. She quickly reached the ragged cliff's edge where King Theoden stood. The wind below whipped back her hair as she peered into the gorge. She was eerily calm. When Gimli and Legolas reached her, they saw from themselves. The greenish water was harsh and rapid. White foam pooled, revealing the deep rocks beneath the water. Nothing floated on the water's surface nor did a battered body lay on the rocks. The fast water would have carried Aragorn. He was gone.
"Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isengard will return," Theoden broke the trance. "Leave the dead."
Legolas narrowed his eyes at the King. His face lingered between anger and grief. The look on lasted for moments before Legolas dropped his eyes back to the water below.
Theoden placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder, "Come."
Elanorièl sighed and turned to follow the King. Gimli didn't follow nor did Legolas. Instead, they watched the water. Gimli propped his head against his ax, allowing a silent pray passed through his head. Legolas clenched the jewel in hand. Elanorièl called to them but they did not hear.
"We need to go."
Elanorièl startled Gimli when she placed her hands on their shoulders. Both Legolas and Gimli were unaware of her footsteps when she came back for them. Her voice was quiet and calm, speaking in low tones as she brought them out of the daze. Gimli looked up to her with his glassy eyes. The lady squeezed his shoulder before turning to Legolas.
Legolas jerked his shoulder away under her touch. Anger flashed in eyes as Legolas glared at her. Elanorièl stood still. Her hand remained where she attempted to touch Legolas. For a brief second, the whites of her eyes flashed. Any semblance of emotion melted away when her hand returned to her side. There she stood, unnerved as if nothing had happened. She did not cry. She did not even frown. A perfect mask of unreadable emotion.
"Aragorn is gone. Does that not bother you?!" Legolas said. His voice was seething. His eyes grew cold. His jaw clutched. "Do you feel nothing?"
Elanorièl remained silent with a vacant stare.
Legolas' arm shot out in a flash. Before Gimli could blink, Legolas had Elanorièl by her collar, forcibly dragging her closer. The red fabric of her jacket strained against the pull her body's weight. He toes pushed into the ground to meet the height of his hands. His flushed as he bared his teeth at her.
"We have lost a friend, yet you act so calmly. Tell me, are you capable of feeling anything? Do you feel anything at all?"
Still, her face remained unchanged as he yelled at her. She just stared at him.
"You feel nothing," Legolas vexed.
"We have a mission," Elanorièl said firmly. Her hand reached up to grasp Legolas' hand and dug her nails into his flesh. "Aragorn would have us finish this mission."
"Amin feuya ten' lle."
Legolas broke her mask. The color drained from her face as Legolas articulated those cruel words. Elanorièl's head fell, casting a shadow over her eyes. Her voice came out barely a whisper: "You know nothing."
Gimli had enough. Gimli stepped forward, moving to sperate the two when Elanorièl clawed Legolas' hand. The Elf threw his hands away from her. Her hands clutched her collar as she staggered back. Without a word, she turned uneasily and walked away. Legolas glared at her retreating form.
Gimli sighed. Both of them were hurt, but Gimli knew the truth. He knew something Legolas hadn't seen. When the King spoke to Legolas, his back was turned to Elanorièl. Gimli had seen the lone tear escape her eye. The one tear she hastily disposed of it away before others could see.
Amin feuya ten' lle. You disgust me.