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)
53.
To Elenath's surprise, the dragon calmed as she neared, lifting its head with the last bit of strength it had. Narrowing its remaining beady red eye, it looked her up and down and began to growl softly.
"Now there are females slaying dragons, eh? I see you are well armed for the task, my beautiful one."
"I came here to put you out of your misery," she said, looking the dragon in the eye. "Are you prepared to die?"
The dragon chuckled and leered, great clouds of smoke wafting from its nostrils. "I have a better idea, my dear Elf. Help me, for I know that Elves have great healing powers, and I will see to it that Mirkwood is never again disturbed by any foe, beast or otherwise."
"I would no sooner help you than stab myself in the foot," she replied, "I'll not have my child grow up in a kingdom protected by a dragon."
"Ah, but my dear, you do not yet realize what all I can do for you! Dragons are quite magical. I can make you queen over all of the Elven realms – the most powerful Elf in all of middle earth. How would you like that?"
She glared at the beast. "I do not desire power, Worm. Not from you."
The beast snaked its head around. "Then what is it you do desire? To be my queen perhaps?" He licked his lips. "I believe you would be… quite … tasty."
Elenath's stomach turned. "You flatter yourself," she said.
"Ah, but there is one who you love. One who is in mortal danger even now. I can fix that for you, my dear; bring him back from the brink of death with just a single drop of my blood."
Her eyes widened. "You could save Legolas?" The Sword burned in her hand.
"I could save him and see to it that no harm ever befall him or you… or your child."
She thought of her husband fighting for his life back in the palace. What would he want? To live and see his child grow up with the threat of dragon attack or to die knowing that the dragon had been slain. If it were her… well, the choice was obvious, and echoed by the shouts of her sword. "The dragon is a liar! Do not listen to him!"
"No more of your worthless offers, Dragon," she said, stepping forward. "I will not help you."
The beast bared its ugly teeth and took a rasping breath. "Even your pregnancy cannot protect you from my fire."
"Perhaps not, but my Lord can! Let's get this over with. I would like to be able to say goodbye to my husband if indeed his cause is so hopeless."
She lunged forward, slashing furiously as the dragon tried once again unsuccessfully to barbeque her. It was a fierce battle, but the dragon was already near death and the sword almost seemed to fight for the exhausted princess. When she finally slit its throat and decapitated the beast, she was so fatigued that she could barely stand.
With sheer force of will, she emerged from the patch of burning forest to find the ragged remnants of the orkish armies scattering in confusion, routed by brave Elven warriors. The battle was won! For that, tears of joy mingled with those of worry for her husband. But where was her horse? Shrugging away her weariness, she started toward the palace, stumbling and tripping all the way until Raion came upon her on the road.
"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, dismounting and lifting her into his strong arms. "You were believed dead. Mirkwood mourns for you even now! Are you wounded?" He took in the sight of her, covered in dragon blood and grime.
"No, Raion, I am not wounded. And I assure you that I am very much alive. What of Legolas?"
"He needs you," said the warrior simply, gently placing her on his horse and swinging up behind her. She leaned back into him, barely able to hold her head up.
"Forgive me," she whispered. "I have never been so exhausted."
The Elf tightened his grip around her with one arm and took off at full speed toward the palace.
***
Legolas lay pale and weak upon one of many beds that had been set up in the Great Hall, surrounded by Elenath's honor guard who stood around him singing at the top of their lungs, their hands gently resting upon his cool skin. The arrow had been removed and the bleeding stopped, but he still teetered on the line between life and death. They protected him fiercely from what they knew must be the false rumor of Elenath's death, knowing that even that could force his health in the wrong direction and they could lose him forever.
"What news of my wife?" he whispered once when his eyes flickered open. "My wife and child… are they well?"
"She has not yet returned, Your Highness," answered David, "But yes, I believe they are well."
He nodded. "Wake me, my friend. Wake me when she arrives. Please."
"Of course," replied David as an Elf distraught with worry approached them.
"Is it true? Please tell me that it is not. Tell me that Elenath is not dead!!"
Susan grabbed the Elf and dragged her away, cursing as she went. "You fool! The prince lingers on the brink of death waiting for news of his beloved. He has no desire to live if she does not. You may have just killed him!"
"Dead?" asked Legolas, his eyes flying open. "Dead?"
"No!" said Marcus, "She lives. I can feel it."
Tears formed in the prince's eyes. "Elenath… I cannot go on without you… Life is meaningless without you in it…"
"Dude, listen to me!" he shouted. "She lives! I swear it!"
Legolas' head fell over to one side, his breath faltering a little. "I only want to be where she is…"
"Legolas! Dude, don't you dare leave us! Do you want her to come back here and find you dead? You made it this far. Fight! Don't do this to her!" He shook the prince by his shoulders.
Legolas' eyes flickered open. "I am so weary of life," he whispered, "Weary of the pain. Weary of the uncertainty. I cannot face it without my wife."
"Look," said Marcus, "Legolas, hang on, okay? Sing with us a while. It will make you feel better, and your wife will be here before you know it."
The young Man was taken aback by how childlike the Elf looked at that moment. Legolas blinked up at him. "Can you give me your word on that?"
/Anything,/ thought Marcus. /Anything to keep the prince alive./ "Yes. I give you my word."
The prince nodded and softly joined in the song that Elenath's honor guard was singing.
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
"The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears…"
This went on for a few minutes until the prince's strength seemingly gave out and his lips stopped moving.
"Legolas?" asked David, leaning near. "Legolas?"
The Prince did not respond. His breathing had grown very shallow and his lips were beginning to turn blue.
At that moment, Raion burst though the doors with Elenath in his arms, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Prince Legolas, I have your wife and she lives! She lives, Your Highness!!"
That got a response from the Prince. His eyes flickered open and he fought to draw a full breath. Letting it out he croaked, "Elenath?"
She struggled from Raion's arms, tossing bits and pieces of her armor aside as she stumbled toward her husband. She needed to feel his warmth next to her; needed to feel the shape of his body against hers, so the armor had to go. It made horrendous clashing noises as it hit the floor. Finally all that remained were her long tunic and breeches. They were stained with dragon blood and soaked with sweat, but she didn't care. She broke through the circle of her young friends and gathered Legolas into her arms, smothering him in kisses and practically drowning him with her tears. "Tell me you're still alive," she whispered, "Please, Legolas, tell me I'm not too late."
"Somebody said you were dead," he whispered. "Oh, Elenath. I lost all hope, but your friends… they begged me to hold on…" His hand came up to rest on her belly. "Cormamin lindua ele llie (My heart sings to see you both)."
The princess smiled. "Oio naa elealla alasse (Ever is your sight a joy), Legolas."
Elrond and his honor guard clamored into the room at that moment, and he came at once to Legolas' bedside, embracing both the prince and princess at once and speaking words of healing over them. "Was the arrow poisoned?" asked the Lord of Rivendell, concern showing bright in his eyes.
"It was not, My Lord," replied one of the healers who had tended the prince's wound. "In fact," she produced the arrow from a nearby shelf. "This was one of our own arrows."
Elenath looked closely at it. "One of my arrows?"
"It appears to be so," replied Elrond, "Though it could not have been shot by you." He checked the Prince's wound gently. "You rode behind Legolas and this entered from the side. Did you fire any of your own arrows, Granddaughter?"
She nodded. "Two. I panicked and shot them at the dragon, but they were deflected."
"Lucky you did," said Elrond. "Some orc must have picked it up and fired it instead of one of their own. If Legolas had been poisoned… well… it would all be over."
Elenath gave her husband a little hug. He was still weak and listless in her arms, though he gazed up at her with such joy that it was easy to forget he was wounded. "Will he be okay, Grandfather?"
Elrond finished examining the wound and looked into the Prince's eyes, checking his pulse. Finally he smiled. "Yes. It will take a few days, but Legolas is going to be just fine. Now if you'll excuse me, there are others who need my help."
"What happened to you, Melamin?" asked Legolas after a moment as he gazed happily into her eyes. "It looks like you've been fighting a dragon or something."
She chuckled tiredly. "Yeah. Something like that. The crazy beast tried to talk me into marrying him."
He grimaced with a sudden wave of pain and relaxed when it passed. "Never talk to a dragon," he said.
"I won't," she promised. "Never again. Now let's get you back to our chambers. You'll be more comfortable there and I can take a long bath."
"Let me help," offered Estel with a smile, seeming to appear out of nowhere with the warriors from Rivendell and Lothlorien. "I am overjoyed to see you both alive." He picked Legolas up from his bed and followed Elenath slowly down the corridor.
"Were there many casualties, Estel?" she asked hesitantly.
"Many wounded," he replied, "None mortally."
"Dead?"
The Man actually laughed. "Not one has been reported dead, My Lady. Not even one."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked heavenward and whispered, "Diolla lle, Yeshua (Thank you Jesus)."
***
Early the following summer, Elenath gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Rivendell. So great was their joy that the prince and princess of Mirkwood named their daughter Lalaithwen which means "laughter." They fell in love with the child at once, especially Legolas who marveled at the baby's bright blue-green eyes and tiny pointed ears. He never missed an opportunity to show his daughter off to anyone who would look.
All of the princess' young friends had returned home through Andotempla, and throughout the years, the guards of Mirkwood often found curious packages there bearing strange foods, photographs, and letters. Once they had even found a piece of wedding cake with a photo tucked into an envelope underneath. Elenath had wept tears of joy when she opened the envelope to see a picture of Marcus and Susan on their wedding day. When she showed it to the king, he called for a grand feast to celebrate the joining of these two great heroes.
David and Kara were married five years after Lalaithwen's birth, with Pastor Mike performing the ceremony. He had settled in Mirkwood with his wife and daughter.
Princess Elenath slowly remembered all of her previous life and fell more in love with Prince Legolas every day. As for the Prince, his feelings grew even stronger than he had ever believed possible, both toward his wife and his daughter. He was so joyful that it was more common to find him singing than to find him silent.
For many years, the wood was safe from orcs. The trees grew and sang in the breezes, and the road to Rivendell was well traveled by all sorts. It was not until many years later when some of the former darkness returned to Mirkwood that a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins wondered into the wood.
But even then, Legolas and Elenath lived happily ever after, for they had one another.
THE END.
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)
53.
To Elenath's surprise, the dragon calmed as she neared, lifting its head with the last bit of strength it had. Narrowing its remaining beady red eye, it looked her up and down and began to growl softly.
"Now there are females slaying dragons, eh? I see you are well armed for the task, my beautiful one."
"I came here to put you out of your misery," she said, looking the dragon in the eye. "Are you prepared to die?"
The dragon chuckled and leered, great clouds of smoke wafting from its nostrils. "I have a better idea, my dear Elf. Help me, for I know that Elves have great healing powers, and I will see to it that Mirkwood is never again disturbed by any foe, beast or otherwise."
"I would no sooner help you than stab myself in the foot," she replied, "I'll not have my child grow up in a kingdom protected by a dragon."
"Ah, but my dear, you do not yet realize what all I can do for you! Dragons are quite magical. I can make you queen over all of the Elven realms – the most powerful Elf in all of middle earth. How would you like that?"
She glared at the beast. "I do not desire power, Worm. Not from you."
The beast snaked its head around. "Then what is it you do desire? To be my queen perhaps?" He licked his lips. "I believe you would be… quite … tasty."
Elenath's stomach turned. "You flatter yourself," she said.
"Ah, but there is one who you love. One who is in mortal danger even now. I can fix that for you, my dear; bring him back from the brink of death with just a single drop of my blood."
Her eyes widened. "You could save Legolas?" The Sword burned in her hand.
"I could save him and see to it that no harm ever befall him or you… or your child."
She thought of her husband fighting for his life back in the palace. What would he want? To live and see his child grow up with the threat of dragon attack or to die knowing that the dragon had been slain. If it were her… well, the choice was obvious, and echoed by the shouts of her sword. "The dragon is a liar! Do not listen to him!"
"No more of your worthless offers, Dragon," she said, stepping forward. "I will not help you."
The beast bared its ugly teeth and took a rasping breath. "Even your pregnancy cannot protect you from my fire."
"Perhaps not, but my Lord can! Let's get this over with. I would like to be able to say goodbye to my husband if indeed his cause is so hopeless."
She lunged forward, slashing furiously as the dragon tried once again unsuccessfully to barbeque her. It was a fierce battle, but the dragon was already near death and the sword almost seemed to fight for the exhausted princess. When she finally slit its throat and decapitated the beast, she was so fatigued that she could barely stand.
With sheer force of will, she emerged from the patch of burning forest to find the ragged remnants of the orkish armies scattering in confusion, routed by brave Elven warriors. The battle was won! For that, tears of joy mingled with those of worry for her husband. But where was her horse? Shrugging away her weariness, she started toward the palace, stumbling and tripping all the way until Raion came upon her on the road.
"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, dismounting and lifting her into his strong arms. "You were believed dead. Mirkwood mourns for you even now! Are you wounded?" He took in the sight of her, covered in dragon blood and grime.
"No, Raion, I am not wounded. And I assure you that I am very much alive. What of Legolas?"
"He needs you," said the warrior simply, gently placing her on his horse and swinging up behind her. She leaned back into him, barely able to hold her head up.
"Forgive me," she whispered. "I have never been so exhausted."
The Elf tightened his grip around her with one arm and took off at full speed toward the palace.
***
Legolas lay pale and weak upon one of many beds that had been set up in the Great Hall, surrounded by Elenath's honor guard who stood around him singing at the top of their lungs, their hands gently resting upon his cool skin. The arrow had been removed and the bleeding stopped, but he still teetered on the line between life and death. They protected him fiercely from what they knew must be the false rumor of Elenath's death, knowing that even that could force his health in the wrong direction and they could lose him forever.
"What news of my wife?" he whispered once when his eyes flickered open. "My wife and child… are they well?"
"She has not yet returned, Your Highness," answered David, "But yes, I believe they are well."
He nodded. "Wake me, my friend. Wake me when she arrives. Please."
"Of course," replied David as an Elf distraught with worry approached them.
"Is it true? Please tell me that it is not. Tell me that Elenath is not dead!!"
Susan grabbed the Elf and dragged her away, cursing as she went. "You fool! The prince lingers on the brink of death waiting for news of his beloved. He has no desire to live if she does not. You may have just killed him!"
"Dead?" asked Legolas, his eyes flying open. "Dead?"
"No!" said Marcus, "She lives. I can feel it."
Tears formed in the prince's eyes. "Elenath… I cannot go on without you… Life is meaningless without you in it…"
"Dude, listen to me!" he shouted. "She lives! I swear it!"
Legolas' head fell over to one side, his breath faltering a little. "I only want to be where she is…"
"Legolas! Dude, don't you dare leave us! Do you want her to come back here and find you dead? You made it this far. Fight! Don't do this to her!" He shook the prince by his shoulders.
Legolas' eyes flickered open. "I am so weary of life," he whispered, "Weary of the pain. Weary of the uncertainty. I cannot face it without my wife."
"Look," said Marcus, "Legolas, hang on, okay? Sing with us a while. It will make you feel better, and your wife will be here before you know it."
The young Man was taken aback by how childlike the Elf looked at that moment. Legolas blinked up at him. "Can you give me your word on that?"
/Anything,/ thought Marcus. /Anything to keep the prince alive./ "Yes. I give you my word."
The prince nodded and softly joined in the song that Elenath's honor guard was singing.
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
"The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears…"
This went on for a few minutes until the prince's strength seemingly gave out and his lips stopped moving.
"Legolas?" asked David, leaning near. "Legolas?"
The Prince did not respond. His breathing had grown very shallow and his lips were beginning to turn blue.
At that moment, Raion burst though the doors with Elenath in his arms, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Prince Legolas, I have your wife and she lives! She lives, Your Highness!!"
That got a response from the Prince. His eyes flickered open and he fought to draw a full breath. Letting it out he croaked, "Elenath?"
She struggled from Raion's arms, tossing bits and pieces of her armor aside as she stumbled toward her husband. She needed to feel his warmth next to her; needed to feel the shape of his body against hers, so the armor had to go. It made horrendous clashing noises as it hit the floor. Finally all that remained were her long tunic and breeches. They were stained with dragon blood and soaked with sweat, but she didn't care. She broke through the circle of her young friends and gathered Legolas into her arms, smothering him in kisses and practically drowning him with her tears. "Tell me you're still alive," she whispered, "Please, Legolas, tell me I'm not too late."
"Somebody said you were dead," he whispered. "Oh, Elenath. I lost all hope, but your friends… they begged me to hold on…" His hand came up to rest on her belly. "Cormamin lindua ele llie (My heart sings to see you both)."
The princess smiled. "Oio naa elealla alasse (Ever is your sight a joy), Legolas."
Elrond and his honor guard clamored into the room at that moment, and he came at once to Legolas' bedside, embracing both the prince and princess at once and speaking words of healing over them. "Was the arrow poisoned?" asked the Lord of Rivendell, concern showing bright in his eyes.
"It was not, My Lord," replied one of the healers who had tended the prince's wound. "In fact," she produced the arrow from a nearby shelf. "This was one of our own arrows."
Elenath looked closely at it. "One of my arrows?"
"It appears to be so," replied Elrond, "Though it could not have been shot by you." He checked the Prince's wound gently. "You rode behind Legolas and this entered from the side. Did you fire any of your own arrows, Granddaughter?"
She nodded. "Two. I panicked and shot them at the dragon, but they were deflected."
"Lucky you did," said Elrond. "Some orc must have picked it up and fired it instead of one of their own. If Legolas had been poisoned… well… it would all be over."
Elenath gave her husband a little hug. He was still weak and listless in her arms, though he gazed up at her with such joy that it was easy to forget he was wounded. "Will he be okay, Grandfather?"
Elrond finished examining the wound and looked into the Prince's eyes, checking his pulse. Finally he smiled. "Yes. It will take a few days, but Legolas is going to be just fine. Now if you'll excuse me, there are others who need my help."
"What happened to you, Melamin?" asked Legolas after a moment as he gazed happily into her eyes. "It looks like you've been fighting a dragon or something."
She chuckled tiredly. "Yeah. Something like that. The crazy beast tried to talk me into marrying him."
He grimaced with a sudden wave of pain and relaxed when it passed. "Never talk to a dragon," he said.
"I won't," she promised. "Never again. Now let's get you back to our chambers. You'll be more comfortable there and I can take a long bath."
"Let me help," offered Estel with a smile, seeming to appear out of nowhere with the warriors from Rivendell and Lothlorien. "I am overjoyed to see you both alive." He picked Legolas up from his bed and followed Elenath slowly down the corridor.
"Were there many casualties, Estel?" she asked hesitantly.
"Many wounded," he replied, "None mortally."
"Dead?"
The Man actually laughed. "Not one has been reported dead, My Lady. Not even one."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked heavenward and whispered, "Diolla lle, Yeshua (Thank you Jesus)."
***
Early the following summer, Elenath gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Rivendell. So great was their joy that the prince and princess of Mirkwood named their daughter Lalaithwen which means "laughter." They fell in love with the child at once, especially Legolas who marveled at the baby's bright blue-green eyes and tiny pointed ears. He never missed an opportunity to show his daughter off to anyone who would look.
All of the princess' young friends had returned home through Andotempla, and throughout the years, the guards of Mirkwood often found curious packages there bearing strange foods, photographs, and letters. Once they had even found a piece of wedding cake with a photo tucked into an envelope underneath. Elenath had wept tears of joy when she opened the envelope to see a picture of Marcus and Susan on their wedding day. When she showed it to the king, he called for a grand feast to celebrate the joining of these two great heroes.
David and Kara were married five years after Lalaithwen's birth, with Pastor Mike performing the ceremony. He had settled in Mirkwood with his wife and daughter.
Princess Elenath slowly remembered all of her previous life and fell more in love with Prince Legolas every day. As for the Prince, his feelings grew even stronger than he had ever believed possible, both toward his wife and his daughter. He was so joyful that it was more common to find him singing than to find him silent.
For many years, the wood was safe from orcs. The trees grew and sang in the breezes, and the road to Rivendell was well traveled by all sorts. It was not until many years later when some of the former darkness returned to Mirkwood that a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins wondered into the wood.
But even then, Legolas and Elenath lived happily ever after, for they had one another.
THE END.