Dana3981: Thank you for your reviews! What is it that makes you Team Legolas?
AshleyLeigh: I wonder what makes you a Haldir supporter? I hope you enjoy this chapter
Chapter 25
Upon their arrival everything seemed too quiet for Emdiril's comfort. Yes, there was noise, but not as much as she was accustomed to. Her green eyes peered out at the sky, empty and lifeless. Few people passed her and her companions on the pathways, rushing around with supplies. It was clear there had been some kind of attack, but not many lives appeared lost. It made no sense.
Haldir cleared his throat behind her as he noticed a blonde woman walking towards them.
"Mila!" Emdiril exclaimed rushing towards her. "What has happened?"
Mila shifted uncomfortably as she looked around. "I am not entirely sure. We appear to have been robbed… He said it was a warning."
"Who?" Emdiril's eyes darkened.
"I do not know his name. He had dirty blond hair. He said he was like you, my queen."
Emdiril's nostrils flared in anger. So it was true, he had been here. It made no sense. Why was everyone alive?
"That is not all, I am afraid…" Mila spoke up as her eyes darted toward the floor.
"What is it?" Emdiril's eyebrows furrowed.
"While we were not harmed, my queen…" Mila sighed as she looked up at the rocky cliffs by the side of the city. Emdiril's eyes followed hers, then widened in realisation.
"Where is Darilth?" She asked as she grasped Mila by her arms.
"He is alive… Not many of them made it nor did their eggs. They were sleeping when they were ambushed from what I understand."
Emdiril closed her eyes, a sense of loss overcoming her emotions. She should have never left. She had only been gone for a short amount of time. She cursed Boleslaw in her head. Why, oh why? They hadn't done him any harm.
"Where is he?" she asked again, enquiring about her dragon companion.
"He managed to make it down. We have tried making him comfortable in your flower gardens." Mila explained, her eyes welling up with tears. She felt as though she had failed.
Emdiril swallowed hard as she nodded her head. "Mila would you make my companions comfortable, please?" She asked politely as she gestured towards Haldir, his brothers and the other guards. "I must go see Darilth."
"Of course, my lady" Mila nodded quickly.
Emdiril walked, though everything seemed to have slowed down. She had noticed Rumil place a comforting hand on Mila's shoulder before the blonde led them away.
Turning the corner she gasped as she saw the state of Darilth. His black scales were still covered in thick blood and he looked almost lifeless. If it wasn't for the moving of his chest, Emdiril would believe him to be dead.
"Oh my poor friend." She said softly as she placed her hand on his nose softly. Pain filled her, as though she could feel every ounce of pain he went through. He winced as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Sh, sh." She hushed him as she caressed his cheek. "You need to rest."
A low groan escaped the dragon as he lowered his head and closed his eyes again. Emdiril squeezed her eyes shut to avoid her tears from falling and rested her head against his. She sobbed quietly against him, emotion taking over completely. She felt so helpless and blamed herself.
Haldir's hands gently guided her away as he silently stood by her side, his face grim in sorrow. She didn't have to tell him how she felt, he just knew. He understood her. After all he had known her long enough. She looked up at him, her cheeky rosy and eyes red and puffy.
"Emdiril…" He spoke softly as she guided her towards him, his strong arms embracing her tightly, one of his hands stroking her hair soothingly as she cried into his chest.
"It doesn't matter where I go or what I do, there is always someone getting hurt." She sobbed, burying her head into his chest.
"This is not your doing, Emdiril." The elf reassured her, his eyes fixated on the dragon. He remembered when they were a little younger and first stumbled upon him. The way she had ridden the dragon with such grace, the way he could hear her heart sing with happiness. Young Emdiril. Oh what he would give to see her happiness and joy again. Seeing her like this broke his heart. Why did the world have to be so cruel?
"I want to try something." Haldir spoke up as he released Emdiril from his embrace. He warily approached the dragon, his eyes inspecting it's wounds and injuries silently. He placed on of his hands on the dragon, causing Darilth to wince once more.
"I do not know how much this will help…" Haldir said as he continued inspecting the dragon, a soft sigh then escaping his lips. "I am not a healer but there are a few spells I know."
Emdiril's eyes widened in response. Darilth may not have been the biggest dragon but he was rather large and attempting to heal him would require a lot of energy.
"Haldir, no, you do not have –"
"I want to." He cut in, his blue eyes locking onto hers. The determination in his face stopped her from retaliating. She knew it was pointless. He began chanting and singing in Elven tongue as he placed his other hand on the dragon, closing his eyes to concentrate. He was so wholesome. He held such a big heart and only a few would see passed his arrogant exterior. Darilth groaned, his body shifting slightly beneath the Marchwarden's hands, making it difficult. Haldir kept on going though, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly as he concentrated intently on his words.
Emdiril could feel the magic in the air as he carried on, her eyes watching him and Darilth intently. She could hear Haldir's breath becoming shorter and guided grabbed the elf's arms.
"That's enough." She spoke calmly, her eyes boring into his weakended ones. He looked at her tiredly before looking back at Darilth who stretched his neck and groaned once more.
"Forgive me." He said quietly as he lowered his gaze.
"No, no." Emdiril shook her head as she placed her hands on either side of his face. "You, you have absolutely nothing to apologise for."
"I wish I could do more." He said as he gazed up at her, his blue eyes filled with disappointment.
"You have done more for me than I could have ever asked for. And I cannot thank you enough." She said as her thumb slowly stroked his cheek. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, giving up their verbal disagreement. Emdiril watched him as he placed his hand on top of hers.
"You are so loved." He said wearily, his eyes opening to meet hers again.
"As are you, Haldir." A small smile crossed her lips. "You should get some rest now."
He simply nodded before he walked off out of her gardens. She watched him before she sat down by her dragon friend, leaning her head against his scaly chest and resting her eyes.
It had been days since Legolas had last seen her. Days that did not pass without tragic loss. The loss of Boromir laid heavily on his heart. The enemies forces were growing each day and it scared the elf. He wondered how Emdiril was. Prayed to the Valar that she was safe and alive. He did not know what he would do if he lost her once more. He wished to feel her touch and missed her presence immensely. He loved her so much, yet there were so many things he still did not know about her. Not like Haldir. He had not known about Boleslaw. He had not known how she was almost killed. His heart yearned to find out more about her, as much as he possibly could. He would make sure to ask more about her the moment they were reunited.
"I told you, you have to kill me." Emdiril's eyes snapped open immediately.
Her anger flared up inside her, a rage she could almost not control.
She heard a sigh. "Do you not understand? It is me who stopped the attack on Waterfall City. I managed to convince them to only attack the dragons."
"The dragons are our friends, our companions!" She almost shouted back, her heart thumping harder in her chest.
"Emdiril, you have to kill me or this will not end. I cannot control myself. I cannot control it."
Her green eyes darkened, thinking of all the different possibilities to inflict pain on him. She was not like that though, she did not kill. What would the consequences be though?
Her head began to hurt as she thought of all the different scenarios that could occur and rubbed her temples.
"Please, Emdiril. I do not want to be like this."
"Goodbye, Boleslaw." With that, she shut him out of her mind.