RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
44.
Legolas was oblivious to the happy reunion taking place before his eyes. In fact, he was horrified. Approaching the unlikely pair of Elenath and Gandalf, he shook his head. "Am I to understand that you approve of sending Elenath into battle with ten untrained Humans, Wizard?"
Gandalf gave Elenath one last great squeeze before letting her go. He shrugged at the prince. "It matters not if I do or do not approve. Is it not ultimately the princess' choice who will join her in the fight?"
Suddenly all eyes were on Elenath. "Is that so?" she asked.
Gandalf nodded and the Elves seemed to agree, though reluctantly.
"What choice have I but the one put before me? Are these ten willing to follow me into battle?" Elenath looked at her young friends.
Before they could answer, Raion stepped out of the crowd and knelt before Elenath. "If you will have me, Princess, I will pledge my bow and my life to your defense. You need not endanger the young ones."
She looked deeply into his eyes, shocked by the dedication she saw there. Why would anyone, let alone such an important Elf, be willing to lay down his life for her?
Gratitude rose in her heart as, one by one, ten of Mirkwood's best warriors came forward and knelt before her. They gazed up at her from the right. When all of their pledges had been made, Marcus and Susan stepped forward from the group to the left. They did not kneel.
"El, look," said Marcus. "We don't know how to fight with swords and arrows and spears and stuff. Maybe we'd do better just to stay out of your way. But I just can't shake the feeling that the Sword is right. The ten of us are ready and willing to be your honor guard if that's what you want."
"Since we arrived here, we've felt strongly that we would do more than cower in fear during the battle," said Susan. "Let us fight the dragon with you. Marcus is right. We don't know much about weapons. But…"
"This war will not be won by the sword alone. Let us fight with you in our own way," Marcus finished.
"I'm in too, on those terms," said Kara, joining the teens.
"And I am a given," added David. "I pledged my sword to you long before we ever knew what an orc even was."
"Don't leave me out of this," said Mike. "If we're fighting Marcus' way, I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Elenath regarded the warriors on her right carefully. They were strong, rugged, battle-ready Elves. Each of them had a weapon at his side. No fear showed in their eyes. Indeed, she would feel safe with those ten. Certainly no physical harm would come to her in their care.
Looking to her left, Elenath smiled softly. Ten teenagers, none of them armed with anything but a Bible, stood there looking afraid and uncomfortable in clothes they were not used to wearing. The additions to this group were not much better. Kara could dance better than she could fight. Mike was the most mild-mannered person she knew and she could not imagine him on a battlefield. Then there was David. She knew he would gladly die for her. But what is one Man against a fire-breathing dragon?
"It seems an obvious choice to me," said Legolas, surveying the scene, but Elenath shook her head. She closed her eyes and thought hard; trying to remember the battles she had fought before. Many of them came back to her and she knew that in over a thousand years, the Sword had never steered her wrong. It made sense to her anyway. It was as if God was asking, "Will you follow me when it's really tough? Will you put it all on the line to follow me? Or will you trust in the mighty strength of the warriors of Mirkwood to protect you?"
When she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her. It was so quiet in the Great hall that they could hear the Kitchen Elves talking over their ovens.
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses," said Elenath, stepping toward the group on her left and reaching out to take Marcus' and Susan's hands, "but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. These thirteen will be my honor guard."
Gandalf smiled. "You always were a wise one," he said as the Great Hall erupted into an uproar. Even Legolas was protesting her choice, begging her to reconsider but she would not.
Later that night in their chambers, the prince was relentless in his attempts to change her mind. "Do you not care?" he asked, "You carry our child. Our child, Melamin! In doing this, you have doomed not only yourself to death, but the child too."
"You don't know what you're talking about," she replied. "I have doomed no one. The Sword spoke, and I prayed, and this is my decision. I do not wish to discuss it any longer."
He stood up, angrier than she had ever seen him. "I will not allow it," he said, "I'll chain you like your grandfather did long ago. I swear I will, Elenath."
The memory of being chained came back strongly at that moment, and anger rose up within her. "You will do no such thing. How dare you even suggest it! You made a promise, Legolas. Remember? Now shut up and let me do my duty."
He was speechless. Had she really just told him to shut up? "Curse my stupid promise, Elenath. I love you. I will die without you. You cannot do this. I will not allow it."
"You will allow it," she retorted, "Even if I have to chain YOU!"
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
44.
Legolas was oblivious to the happy reunion taking place before his eyes. In fact, he was horrified. Approaching the unlikely pair of Elenath and Gandalf, he shook his head. "Am I to understand that you approve of sending Elenath into battle with ten untrained Humans, Wizard?"
Gandalf gave Elenath one last great squeeze before letting her go. He shrugged at the prince. "It matters not if I do or do not approve. Is it not ultimately the princess' choice who will join her in the fight?"
Suddenly all eyes were on Elenath. "Is that so?" she asked.
Gandalf nodded and the Elves seemed to agree, though reluctantly.
"What choice have I but the one put before me? Are these ten willing to follow me into battle?" Elenath looked at her young friends.
Before they could answer, Raion stepped out of the crowd and knelt before Elenath. "If you will have me, Princess, I will pledge my bow and my life to your defense. You need not endanger the young ones."
She looked deeply into his eyes, shocked by the dedication she saw there. Why would anyone, let alone such an important Elf, be willing to lay down his life for her?
Gratitude rose in her heart as, one by one, ten of Mirkwood's best warriors came forward and knelt before her. They gazed up at her from the right. When all of their pledges had been made, Marcus and Susan stepped forward from the group to the left. They did not kneel.
"El, look," said Marcus. "We don't know how to fight with swords and arrows and spears and stuff. Maybe we'd do better just to stay out of your way. But I just can't shake the feeling that the Sword is right. The ten of us are ready and willing to be your honor guard if that's what you want."
"Since we arrived here, we've felt strongly that we would do more than cower in fear during the battle," said Susan. "Let us fight the dragon with you. Marcus is right. We don't know much about weapons. But…"
"This war will not be won by the sword alone. Let us fight with you in our own way," Marcus finished.
"I'm in too, on those terms," said Kara, joining the teens.
"And I am a given," added David. "I pledged my sword to you long before we ever knew what an orc even was."
"Don't leave me out of this," said Mike. "If we're fighting Marcus' way, I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Elenath regarded the warriors on her right carefully. They were strong, rugged, battle-ready Elves. Each of them had a weapon at his side. No fear showed in their eyes. Indeed, she would feel safe with those ten. Certainly no physical harm would come to her in their care.
Looking to her left, Elenath smiled softly. Ten teenagers, none of them armed with anything but a Bible, stood there looking afraid and uncomfortable in clothes they were not used to wearing. The additions to this group were not much better. Kara could dance better than she could fight. Mike was the most mild-mannered person she knew and she could not imagine him on a battlefield. Then there was David. She knew he would gladly die for her. But what is one Man against a fire-breathing dragon?
"It seems an obvious choice to me," said Legolas, surveying the scene, but Elenath shook her head. She closed her eyes and thought hard; trying to remember the battles she had fought before. Many of them came back to her and she knew that in over a thousand years, the Sword had never steered her wrong. It made sense to her anyway. It was as if God was asking, "Will you follow me when it's really tough? Will you put it all on the line to follow me? Or will you trust in the mighty strength of the warriors of Mirkwood to protect you?"
When she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her. It was so quiet in the Great hall that they could hear the Kitchen Elves talking over their ovens.
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses," said Elenath, stepping toward the group on her left and reaching out to take Marcus' and Susan's hands, "but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. These thirteen will be my honor guard."
Gandalf smiled. "You always were a wise one," he said as the Great Hall erupted into an uproar. Even Legolas was protesting her choice, begging her to reconsider but she would not.
Later that night in their chambers, the prince was relentless in his attempts to change her mind. "Do you not care?" he asked, "You carry our child. Our child, Melamin! In doing this, you have doomed not only yourself to death, but the child too."
"You don't know what you're talking about," she replied. "I have doomed no one. The Sword spoke, and I prayed, and this is my decision. I do not wish to discuss it any longer."
He stood up, angrier than she had ever seen him. "I will not allow it," he said, "I'll chain you like your grandfather did long ago. I swear I will, Elenath."
The memory of being chained came back strongly at that moment, and anger rose up within her. "You will do no such thing. How dare you even suggest it! You made a promise, Legolas. Remember? Now shut up and let me do my duty."
He was speechless. Had she really just told him to shut up? "Curse my stupid promise, Elenath. I love you. I will die without you. You cannot do this. I will not allow it."
"You will allow it," she retorted, "Even if I have to chain YOU!"