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)
***START A/N***Only three more chapters to go after this one, folks!***END A/N***
50.
The morning of the battle arrived too quickly for anyone's liking. Elenath woke early, even before her husband, and lay next to him wishing that the dawn would never come. Legolas stirred next to her, drawing her closer into his warmth, burying his face in her hair.
"Uuma dela, Melamin. Lye nuquernuva sen e dagor (Don't worry, My Love. We will defeat them in battle)."
She was glad that he could not see her face as she grimaced, bravely forcing back her tears. The time had passed for tears. She had to be strong now. No point in wishing for things to be different. Things were as they were. She had to get up and face this day valiantly, just as she had faced every uncertain day since her arrival here.
"Amin mela lle (I love you), Legolas," she whispered.
He responded with a squeeze, "I never knew what love was until I met you, Elenath. Promise me something."
She turned to face him, meeting his gaze and losing herself in it. Reaching up to brush a long strand of hair from his face, she sighed. "What would you have me promise, My Prince?"
"No heroics this time. Do not give your life to save mine. Please."
"Legolas-"
"Please," he repeated, "Promise me."
"I could not go on without you by my side," she said.
"You would go on, if nothing else, for the life in your womb. The child must live, Elenath, even if I die. Mirkwood's throne must have an heir. Promise me."
She was silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and whispering. "Okay. I promise. But no matter what happens today, I will love you always."
"And I you," he replied, kissing her gently. "Now come. The sun rises and the battlefield calls. Together we will defeat the orcs and the dragon. Cuamin linduva yassen megrille (My bow shall sing with your sword)!"
***
If it were not for the huge Elven army gathered on the practice field in shining armor, their standards waving brightly in the autumn sunlight, it would have seemed a good day to go for a pleasure ride in the wood. Emerging from the stables on her bay mare, Elenath was immediately joined by her honor guard and Raion who presented her with bow and quiver of arrows.
"You mustn't be without these, My Lady," he said with a nod.
"I am no archer, my good Elf. A bow and quiver of arrows will not be worth their weight upon my back." She moved to hand them back, but he would not take them. "Please Raion. The battle is nigh. We haven't time-"
"Hear me, My Lady," he interrupted, "I should have told my reasons for this long ago, but you must carry bow and arrows into battle."
"Why?"
"I never told you what the Sword showed me on the day of your first archery lesson."
"Raion, this is not the time. It matters not. You've proven yourself a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. The reason for your change of heart that day is not important."
"Yes it is," he replied. "You might not think me such a loyal friend after I tell you this…"
She gazed at him, waiting as her honor guard looked on curiously.
"Princess Elenath, from the moment you came to Mirkwood over a thousand years ago, I tried to hold you back from learning the arts of war. You were a princess – someone to protect, not someone to fight next to in battle! That is what I thought then. I failed miserably in my attempts to stop your training, but I did manage to instill a fear of archery in you. That was quite an accomplishment because, as you know, the bow is the principal weapon of the Wood-Elves."
"That is ancient history, Raion. What has passed is not important to me."
"I did not realize what a horrible thing I had done until the Sword struck me down that day. It showed me your final battle, when you saved Legolas' life by taking an arrow through your heart. I could hear your thoughts, Princess Elenath. I could hear what you thought as that orc aimed at Legolas. `Too near to hope for a miss and too far away to stop him before he shoots.'" He paused, guilt clouding his eyes. "If you had been an archer… Elenath, if I had not stood in the way of your learning archery, then you could have shot that orc where he stood, saving the prince's life and also sparing your own." He looked at the ground. "I might as well have killed you myself that day."
Elenath's heart went out to the Elf before her. How long had he been carrying around this guilt? "Raion," she said softly, reaching out to take his hands, "You ARE a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. There is a reason for everything, and I would not trade the time that I spent on the other side of the Gate, or the things that I learned there for anything."
His eyes searched hers deeply, as if looking for the truth in them. Seeming to find it, he bowed deeply. "You are truly a remarkable Elf, Your Majesty."
"Not nearly so much as you, Raion. Let your heart be free from guilt, for I hold no ill feelings against you."
***
The strategy had already been discussed at length. Her mission was the same as that of Thranduil, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel. Find the dragon and slay it while the rest of the armies dealt with the orcs. And it was with this purpose that the leaders of Mirkwood hung back behind their armies as they marched the road to Rivendell.
"Cast your eyes heavenward," suggested Legolas who rode as Elenath's point guard. "Watch for signs of the dragon."
But it was David who first spotted the beast circling high above the Orkish armies, filling Elenath and her honor guard with black dread.
It was so far away and high up that it looked like a mere black worm writhing in the sky. As yet it had not spied the Elvish armies. "I had hoped all this talk about dragons was just a bad nightmare," said Elenath, her voice shaking a bit.
"I assure you it is not, My Lady" replied Legolas.
The rest of the honor guard wasted no time in conversation but immediately began to pray for deliverance.
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)
***START A/N***Only three more chapters to go after this one, folks!***END A/N***
50.
The morning of the battle arrived too quickly for anyone's liking. Elenath woke early, even before her husband, and lay next to him wishing that the dawn would never come. Legolas stirred next to her, drawing her closer into his warmth, burying his face in her hair.
"Uuma dela, Melamin. Lye nuquernuva sen e dagor (Don't worry, My Love. We will defeat them in battle)."
She was glad that he could not see her face as she grimaced, bravely forcing back her tears. The time had passed for tears. She had to be strong now. No point in wishing for things to be different. Things were as they were. She had to get up and face this day valiantly, just as she had faced every uncertain day since her arrival here.
"Amin mela lle (I love you), Legolas," she whispered.
He responded with a squeeze, "I never knew what love was until I met you, Elenath. Promise me something."
She turned to face him, meeting his gaze and losing herself in it. Reaching up to brush a long strand of hair from his face, she sighed. "What would you have me promise, My Prince?"
"No heroics this time. Do not give your life to save mine. Please."
"Legolas-"
"Please," he repeated, "Promise me."
"I could not go on without you by my side," she said.
"You would go on, if nothing else, for the life in your womb. The child must live, Elenath, even if I die. Mirkwood's throne must have an heir. Promise me."
She was silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and whispering. "Okay. I promise. But no matter what happens today, I will love you always."
"And I you," he replied, kissing her gently. "Now come. The sun rises and the battlefield calls. Together we will defeat the orcs and the dragon. Cuamin linduva yassen megrille (My bow shall sing with your sword)!"
***
If it were not for the huge Elven army gathered on the practice field in shining armor, their standards waving brightly in the autumn sunlight, it would have seemed a good day to go for a pleasure ride in the wood. Emerging from the stables on her bay mare, Elenath was immediately joined by her honor guard and Raion who presented her with bow and quiver of arrows.
"You mustn't be without these, My Lady," he said with a nod.
"I am no archer, my good Elf. A bow and quiver of arrows will not be worth their weight upon my back." She moved to hand them back, but he would not take them. "Please Raion. The battle is nigh. We haven't time-"
"Hear me, My Lady," he interrupted, "I should have told my reasons for this long ago, but you must carry bow and arrows into battle."
"Why?"
"I never told you what the Sword showed me on the day of your first archery lesson."
"Raion, this is not the time. It matters not. You've proven yourself a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. The reason for your change of heart that day is not important."
"Yes it is," he replied. "You might not think me such a loyal friend after I tell you this…"
She gazed at him, waiting as her honor guard looked on curiously.
"Princess Elenath, from the moment you came to Mirkwood over a thousand years ago, I tried to hold you back from learning the arts of war. You were a princess – someone to protect, not someone to fight next to in battle! That is what I thought then. I failed miserably in my attempts to stop your training, but I did manage to instill a fear of archery in you. That was quite an accomplishment because, as you know, the bow is the principal weapon of the Wood-Elves."
"That is ancient history, Raion. What has passed is not important to me."
"I did not realize what a horrible thing I had done until the Sword struck me down that day. It showed me your final battle, when you saved Legolas' life by taking an arrow through your heart. I could hear your thoughts, Princess Elenath. I could hear what you thought as that orc aimed at Legolas. `Too near to hope for a miss and too far away to stop him before he shoots.'" He paused, guilt clouding his eyes. "If you had been an archer… Elenath, if I had not stood in the way of your learning archery, then you could have shot that orc where he stood, saving the prince's life and also sparing your own." He looked at the ground. "I might as well have killed you myself that day."
Elenath's heart went out to the Elf before her. How long had he been carrying around this guilt? "Raion," she said softly, reaching out to take his hands, "You ARE a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. There is a reason for everything, and I would not trade the time that I spent on the other side of the Gate, or the things that I learned there for anything."
His eyes searched hers deeply, as if looking for the truth in them. Seeming to find it, he bowed deeply. "You are truly a remarkable Elf, Your Majesty."
"Not nearly so much as you, Raion. Let your heart be free from guilt, for I hold no ill feelings against you."
***
The strategy had already been discussed at length. Her mission was the same as that of Thranduil, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel. Find the dragon and slay it while the rest of the armies dealt with the orcs. And it was with this purpose that the leaders of Mirkwood hung back behind their armies as they marched the road to Rivendell.
"Cast your eyes heavenward," suggested Legolas who rode as Elenath's point guard. "Watch for signs of the dragon."
But it was David who first spotted the beast circling high above the Orkish armies, filling Elenath and her honor guard with black dread.
It was so far away and high up that it looked like a mere black worm writhing in the sky. As yet it had not spied the Elvish armies. "I had hoped all this talk about dragons was just a bad nightmare," said Elenath, her voice shaking a bit.
"I assure you it is not, My Lady" replied Legolas.
The rest of the honor guard wasted no time in conversation but immediately began to pray for deliverance.