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)
52.
Elenath was livid. Here she had finally found something she thought she would never have – a husband who loved her and who she loved dearly. She had found happiness in Legolas' arms, and now these… creatures had quite possibly taken him from her. Her eyes narrowed. She certainly was not going to stand idly by and let them get away with it. They would pay and pay dearly! A determined, all-encompassing peace settled around her and she became even more bent on destroying the dragon no matter what the cost.
It was almost a blessing that the unthinkable had happened and Legolas had fallen. Now she did not have to worry about him. His life was out of her hands, and although her heart cried out in prayer for him, she was able to put her mind to the task at hand.
The Eagles had arrived and dropped heavy stones into the fray, knocking out orcs left and right while screaming their battle cries.
"You all right?" asked Kara briefly as Raion galloped in to take the Prince's place as point guard. Elenath nodded her thanks to him and he nodded back, his eyes full of compassion for her.
"Not all right," replied Elenath, "but I will not stop 'til this blasted dragon and every foul beast on this field are defeated!"
There was a loud cheer as the Lorien armies finally broke through the orkish line, their standards flying proudly. They, especially Galadriel, momentarily entranced the princess. All of Lorien's warriors seemed to glow with some kind of inner light, but Galadriel shimmered with it.
A cry of rage rose from the orcs as the glittering queen raised her bow and shot off three of her white arrows in quick succession. Each hit its target dead on and the dragon plummeted toward the earth, its wings crippled.
Rivendell's warriors were not far behind, and they fell at once to the task of beating back the orcs.
As the dragon fell, one of the Lorien Elves raced to Elenath's side with a bundle of Galadriel's white arrows in hand. "You are the Princess Elenath?" he asked, eyeing the sword in her hand.
"I am," she replied.
"I am Haldir, the captain of Galadriel's guard. My Lady asked me to present these to you with her welcome and well wishes. Use them wisely, Princess."
She nodded and took them, but before she could thank him he had already galloped away, swiftly returning to the Lorien contingent, shouting commands to them as he went.
Elenath briefly met the gaze of Lady Galadriel and mentally thanked her even as the dragon finally crashed to earth in a writhing, angry mass of black scales, red eyes, and sharp teeth. Its huge clawed feet stomped with such force that the ground shook and its spiked tail flung crazily about, knocking both Elves and orcs from their horses.
"You are welcome, Princess Elenath," a soft yet powerful feminine voice echoed in her mind. She looked up at Galadriel who nodded toward the dragon. "Our time has come now, Child. Take up your sword and do that which you were born to do."
"How do you talk in my mind?" she shot back.
"It matters not, Princess, though I could ask you the same. I hear your voice as well, though you do not open your mouth. Now, to battle!" The last was spoken as a command that Elenath dare not disobey.
Already Elrond and Thranduil had charged forward, and Gandalf had stretched forth his hands with a loud cry, releasing a strong tendril of light that wrapped itself around the monster's feet and tail, seemingly gluing them to the earth.
The dragon bellowed in rage before spraying fire once again, revealing the fact that Gandalf's anti-burning spell had faded completely. Elrond and Thranduil retreated at once, putting out fires as they went.
"Forward!" shouted Elenath as she raised her bow and nocked one of Galadriel's arrows.
"We will be burned alive!" protested Raion, and Elenath could see fear in the eyes of many of her honor guard.
"We must have faith," she replied letting the arrow loose, further enraging the beast as it slammed home a little off the mark that she had aimed for.
"Amen!" agreed Marcus, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!"
Elenath smiled, remembering the story of the three Men in the Bible who had refused to bow to an idol that the king had made. As punishment, the king had thrown them into a giant furnace heated to seven times its normal temperature, but God saved them from the flames. They had walked around in the fire for a long while unharmed until the king called them out of it. He was so amazed that the three Men were not burned that he praised their God and decreed that no one should ever say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (a/n: this story can be found in the Old Testament in the Book of Daniel, chapter 3).
"I am afraid," admitted one of her honor guard.
"As am I," replied the Princess, "but we must have courage. I am not a good enough archer to kill the beast with Galadriel's arrows." She looked around at her young friends, at Kara, Mike, David, and Raion. "Those who have the faith to follow, CHARGE!" The last word echoed through the Wood as the party thrust forward into the fire.
Elenath had never been so deathly afraid, but she hid her fear as the dragon turned toward them with a mighty roar. To her surprise, the roar was answered by Marcus and David and then joined by the rest of her guard. Had not Israel's armies leveled the walls of Jericho with such a shout? Before she could comprehend what was happening, the shout has risen up all around them, though the ranks of Mirkwood, her warriors raising their weapons against their foes; through the ranks of Rivendell who stood proudly in support of Elenath and her guard; and through the ranks of Lorien, whose queen watched the dragon and waited for the flames to clear so that she could fire her arrows once more.
The Elves fell silent when they heard that David had lifted his voice above the shout in song, Elenath and the rest of her guard joining him, the beats of their horses' hoofs giving the song a pounding rhythm.
"Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.
"Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word
I ever with thee, thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
The little group became fearless in their attack, even as the dragon spewed flames at them. Their courage was contagious even to Raion who looked about in wonder as the inferno hit them. Flames burned the grass beneath their feet and the trees around them, but could not touch them or their horses. The flames did not burn even their hair or their clothing, and they were immune even from its heat.
"Be thou my battle shield, my sword for the fight
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight
Thou my soul's shelter, and thou my high tower
Raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
"High King of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all!"[pic]
Thranduil and Elrond tried to follow them but were forced away with another blast of fire from the dragon's mouth. They could do nothing but stand back and watch in awe as the princess and her honor guard rode through the flames as if they did not exist.
Galadriel's arrows had ceased flying as the queen feared hitting those who had plunged into blaze, and Elenath still was not close enough to use her sword. She nocked one of the precious arrows given her by Haldir and took careful aim at the dragon's heart. Her aim was off once again, and the arrow struck it in the eye. Aiming lower the next time, it struck the neck. Then she managed to lodge an arrow just beneath its wing. The princess' heart pounded in her chest as fire sprung up all around them and she nearly wept with thanksgiving that they could feel neither flame nor heat and could not even smell the putrid smoke that the dragon fire produced. Pulling her final arrow back, she prayed as her honor guard continued to sing. "Careful," she told herself. "Careful…" Finally she let fly and the arrow found its mark.
With a thunderous noise, the great lizard roared, producing even more fire as it fell onto its side on the ground, still thrashing about wildly.
"How does one put a dragon out of its misery?" thought Elenath, loathing to see the great beast suffer so, no matter how evil it was.
"Take its head," came Galadriel's calm reply in her mind.
That meant getting very near those sharp teeth and the source of all the fire. Looking around at her honor guard, she stopped their forward march, surprised to see an extra Man on horseback with them. For a moment, he was unfamiliar, but then she looked closer and dismounted at once, falling on her face before him.
She had forgotten this part of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; the part where the Lord walked with them through the flames. Yet there he was, riding on a white horse, his eyes full of love and of righteous anger. An air of authority surrounded him as he addressed her guard. "Flee now before the fire begins to burn. Elenath must face this last challenge alone. She will slay the dragon."
"But Lord, we cannot," said David, "We swore to protect her and her weapon even at the cost of our lives!"
"My brave warriors," he said as the dragon once again sprayed them with flame, reigniting the grass and trees around them, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Yet at this time I do not require such sacrifice from you. Heed my command and go! You have other work to do now."
They looked questioningly at Elenath who stared back at them in disbelief. "GO! If the Lord says go, then go!"
With that they fled, retreating just as the hottest breath yet escaped the dying dragon's mouth.
Jesus turned to the princess and helped her to her feet, sending her horse racing also after her honor guard. "Now, Child, go and do that which the sword commands even now. It will guide you well."
"Please," she asked, "Please, My Lord, how fares Legolas?"
He shook his head. "He fades quickly, Beloved. But your friends saw me here long before you did, and I told them how they might save him. They race to his side even now and I hope that they are not too late. Only My Father knows for sure if he will live."
"I did not forget you," she whispered, "I've heard and recognized your voice, My Lord, and I-"
"I know," he said, embracing her tenderly. "I love you My Child. Fear not, for we shall meet again…"
With that he faded away and she gripped the Sword, heeding its command to race forward toward the dragon's snapping teeth and smoking nostrils.
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)
52.
Elenath was livid. Here she had finally found something she thought she would never have – a husband who loved her and who she loved dearly. She had found happiness in Legolas' arms, and now these… creatures had quite possibly taken him from her. Her eyes narrowed. She certainly was not going to stand idly by and let them get away with it. They would pay and pay dearly! A determined, all-encompassing peace settled around her and she became even more bent on destroying the dragon no matter what the cost.
It was almost a blessing that the unthinkable had happened and Legolas had fallen. Now she did not have to worry about him. His life was out of her hands, and although her heart cried out in prayer for him, she was able to put her mind to the task at hand.
The Eagles had arrived and dropped heavy stones into the fray, knocking out orcs left and right while screaming their battle cries.
"You all right?" asked Kara briefly as Raion galloped in to take the Prince's place as point guard. Elenath nodded her thanks to him and he nodded back, his eyes full of compassion for her.
"Not all right," replied Elenath, "but I will not stop 'til this blasted dragon and every foul beast on this field are defeated!"
There was a loud cheer as the Lorien armies finally broke through the orkish line, their standards flying proudly. They, especially Galadriel, momentarily entranced the princess. All of Lorien's warriors seemed to glow with some kind of inner light, but Galadriel shimmered with it.
A cry of rage rose from the orcs as the glittering queen raised her bow and shot off three of her white arrows in quick succession. Each hit its target dead on and the dragon plummeted toward the earth, its wings crippled.
Rivendell's warriors were not far behind, and they fell at once to the task of beating back the orcs.
As the dragon fell, one of the Lorien Elves raced to Elenath's side with a bundle of Galadriel's white arrows in hand. "You are the Princess Elenath?" he asked, eyeing the sword in her hand.
"I am," she replied.
"I am Haldir, the captain of Galadriel's guard. My Lady asked me to present these to you with her welcome and well wishes. Use them wisely, Princess."
She nodded and took them, but before she could thank him he had already galloped away, swiftly returning to the Lorien contingent, shouting commands to them as he went.
Elenath briefly met the gaze of Lady Galadriel and mentally thanked her even as the dragon finally crashed to earth in a writhing, angry mass of black scales, red eyes, and sharp teeth. Its huge clawed feet stomped with such force that the ground shook and its spiked tail flung crazily about, knocking both Elves and orcs from their horses.
"You are welcome, Princess Elenath," a soft yet powerful feminine voice echoed in her mind. She looked up at Galadriel who nodded toward the dragon. "Our time has come now, Child. Take up your sword and do that which you were born to do."
"How do you talk in my mind?" she shot back.
"It matters not, Princess, though I could ask you the same. I hear your voice as well, though you do not open your mouth. Now, to battle!" The last was spoken as a command that Elenath dare not disobey.
Already Elrond and Thranduil had charged forward, and Gandalf had stretched forth his hands with a loud cry, releasing a strong tendril of light that wrapped itself around the monster's feet and tail, seemingly gluing them to the earth.
The dragon bellowed in rage before spraying fire once again, revealing the fact that Gandalf's anti-burning spell had faded completely. Elrond and Thranduil retreated at once, putting out fires as they went.
"Forward!" shouted Elenath as she raised her bow and nocked one of Galadriel's arrows.
"We will be burned alive!" protested Raion, and Elenath could see fear in the eyes of many of her honor guard.
"We must have faith," she replied letting the arrow loose, further enraging the beast as it slammed home a little off the mark that she had aimed for.
"Amen!" agreed Marcus, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!"
Elenath smiled, remembering the story of the three Men in the Bible who had refused to bow to an idol that the king had made. As punishment, the king had thrown them into a giant furnace heated to seven times its normal temperature, but God saved them from the flames. They had walked around in the fire for a long while unharmed until the king called them out of it. He was so amazed that the three Men were not burned that he praised their God and decreed that no one should ever say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (a/n: this story can be found in the Old Testament in the Book of Daniel, chapter 3).
"I am afraid," admitted one of her honor guard.
"As am I," replied the Princess, "but we must have courage. I am not a good enough archer to kill the beast with Galadriel's arrows." She looked around at her young friends, at Kara, Mike, David, and Raion. "Those who have the faith to follow, CHARGE!" The last word echoed through the Wood as the party thrust forward into the fire.
Elenath had never been so deathly afraid, but she hid her fear as the dragon turned toward them with a mighty roar. To her surprise, the roar was answered by Marcus and David and then joined by the rest of her guard. Had not Israel's armies leveled the walls of Jericho with such a shout? Before she could comprehend what was happening, the shout has risen up all around them, though the ranks of Mirkwood, her warriors raising their weapons against their foes; through the ranks of Rivendell who stood proudly in support of Elenath and her guard; and through the ranks of Lorien, whose queen watched the dragon and waited for the flames to clear so that she could fire her arrows once more.
The Elves fell silent when they heard that David had lifted his voice above the shout in song, Elenath and the rest of her guard joining him, the beats of their horses' hoofs giving the song a pounding rhythm.
"Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.
"Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word
I ever with thee, thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
The little group became fearless in their attack, even as the dragon spewed flames at them. Their courage was contagious even to Raion who looked about in wonder as the inferno hit them. Flames burned the grass beneath their feet and the trees around them, but could not touch them or their horses. The flames did not burn even their hair or their clothing, and they were immune even from its heat.
"Be thou my battle shield, my sword for the fight
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight
Thou my soul's shelter, and thou my high tower
Raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
"High King of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all!"[pic]
Thranduil and Elrond tried to follow them but were forced away with another blast of fire from the dragon's mouth. They could do nothing but stand back and watch in awe as the princess and her honor guard rode through the flames as if they did not exist.
Galadriel's arrows had ceased flying as the queen feared hitting those who had plunged into blaze, and Elenath still was not close enough to use her sword. She nocked one of the precious arrows given her by Haldir and took careful aim at the dragon's heart. Her aim was off once again, and the arrow struck it in the eye. Aiming lower the next time, it struck the neck. Then she managed to lodge an arrow just beneath its wing. The princess' heart pounded in her chest as fire sprung up all around them and she nearly wept with thanksgiving that they could feel neither flame nor heat and could not even smell the putrid smoke that the dragon fire produced. Pulling her final arrow back, she prayed as her honor guard continued to sing. "Careful," she told herself. "Careful…" Finally she let fly and the arrow found its mark.
With a thunderous noise, the great lizard roared, producing even more fire as it fell onto its side on the ground, still thrashing about wildly.
"How does one put a dragon out of its misery?" thought Elenath, loathing to see the great beast suffer so, no matter how evil it was.
"Take its head," came Galadriel's calm reply in her mind.
That meant getting very near those sharp teeth and the source of all the fire. Looking around at her honor guard, she stopped their forward march, surprised to see an extra Man on horseback with them. For a moment, he was unfamiliar, but then she looked closer and dismounted at once, falling on her face before him.
She had forgotten this part of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; the part where the Lord walked with them through the flames. Yet there he was, riding on a white horse, his eyes full of love and of righteous anger. An air of authority surrounded him as he addressed her guard. "Flee now before the fire begins to burn. Elenath must face this last challenge alone. She will slay the dragon."
"But Lord, we cannot," said David, "We swore to protect her and her weapon even at the cost of our lives!"
"My brave warriors," he said as the dragon once again sprayed them with flame, reigniting the grass and trees around them, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Yet at this time I do not require such sacrifice from you. Heed my command and go! You have other work to do now."
They looked questioningly at Elenath who stared back at them in disbelief. "GO! If the Lord says go, then go!"
With that they fled, retreating just as the hottest breath yet escaped the dying dragon's mouth.
Jesus turned to the princess and helped her to her feet, sending her horse racing also after her honor guard. "Now, Child, go and do that which the sword commands even now. It will guide you well."
"Please," she asked, "Please, My Lord, how fares Legolas?"
He shook his head. "He fades quickly, Beloved. But your friends saw me here long before you did, and I told them how they might save him. They race to his side even now and I hope that they are not too late. Only My Father knows for sure if he will live."
"I did not forget you," she whispered, "I've heard and recognized your voice, My Lord, and I-"
"I know," he said, embracing her tenderly. "I love you My Child. Fear not, for we shall meet again…"
With that he faded away and she gripped the Sword, heeding its command to race forward toward the dragon's snapping teeth and smoking nostrils.