Chapter 10
Armena had another dream, with just Sorator and Legolas. It was the same dream she had when she first heard about her people. After Legolas jumped into the mountain fire, she was attacked. It killed Sorator, but was then killed by a man in shadows. His hand, balled into a fist with something in it. As Armena reached for it, everything went white, then…
She woke up and sat up in her bed as fast as she could. It's that same dream again. Does this mean that Legolas will come back to our side, or does this mean that he has fallen out of the group forever?
The next day seemed like a funeral. Armena carried herself in total despair. Sorator came into her room, which took him a long time to find. "Are you ready to set off?" he asked.
"Not yet. First I need to say my good-byes."
"I'll wait for you."
Armena went into Legolas's room and found the lone archer. He was dressed in his council's cloak and standing outside at his balcony. "I see you are taking off," he said.
"I still wish you would come with us."
Legolas walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. "My heart will always be with you." He kissed her on the forehead and walked back to the balcony.
"Sorator, I am ready," she said, a few minutes after she left Legolas's room. "Shall we depart?"
Sorator took her hand while they were in the doorway, but Armena pulled away. They walked down the hall and saw Frodo halfway there. "Legolas told me you were leaving. He told me to give Strike to you."
"Strike?" said Sorator.
"My old sword. My uncle Bilbo gave it to me when I went on my quest. It glows when there are orcs near, so it should be very useful." He handed the sword over to Armena.
"Thank you, Frodo." She took it with sorrow still in her face.
"I see you are still upset about Legolas's departure," said Frodo, "I'm sure this was a hard decision for him to make."
Armena didn't say anything. She just walked off to the outside, Sorator following behind. O Sorator, thought Frodo, why do you make Armena suffer like this? She depends on Legolas for her safety & knowledge of her people. Why did you have to take that away from her?
They left the city and headed on the road. Sorator led the way and Armena was not far behind. The whole time, Armena stared at the ground. She watched her feet as they treaded the rocky grounds, then she stopped.
"Why did you tell Legolas to leave our group?" she said.
"What are you talking about?" said Sorator. He was afraid of this moment.
She looked up and had the feeling of anger displayed in her face. "I know you told him to stay behind. I just don't understand why."
"I felt that his being here was putting your life in jeopardy. I couldn't let him stay."
"I know that is a lie." She turned her back to him and continued. "His being here was the one thing that kept me alive, all this time." She paused. "I know why you didn't let him continue his travels with us."
She turned her head around so he could only see half of her face. "It is because of me, isn't it? You didn't want Legolas around me because you felt he had won my heart."
Sorator lowered his head.
"I know that Legolas's actions are very convincing, but I told you that I was not ready to choose, nor do I intend to be. But your actions have just changed everything."
"What are you saying, Armena?"
"I'm saying that we are no longer friends. I don't care if you were anything part of my life before. Your jealousy has cancelled out everything you have ever done for me." Armena took her things and departed in the other direction.
Legolas stood there by the balcony when Elrond and Arwen entered the room. Arwen walked until she was beside the lone elf. "Why have you not taken off with the other two?"
"I felt like I was not needed. She needs to find this out on her own." He was still staring at the fountain on the outside.
"This is not what you want, is it?" said Elrond. He just barely entered the room. "You want to be by her side, helping her in this quest, don't you?"
"This is for the best," said Legolas.
Arwen stepped closer to Legolas. "You do not know this, but they split up." Legolas turned his head to Arwen. "Armena knew about Sorator's words and broke their friendship. She knew that Sorator wanted Armena for himself."
Legolas walked towards the bed and sat down. "What should I do?"
"Go after her," said Arwen, "Make sure she is safe. Bring their friendship back together. Your place isn't here. Not yet. Just go and follow your heart."
"It is not good for you to lie to yourself like this," said Elrond. "That will only cause more issues between you and your heart." Both Elrond and Arwen left the room. Legolas sat there for about half an hour, thinking about Armena and their friendship. Was my choice wise? Is her life more in danger with or without me?
Without coming up with any answer, he changed into his normal clothes, took his bow and arrow, and left the room.
Armena walked on with the sword hanging on her back. She pressed on with her pendant clutched in her hand. She made attempts to keep both Sorator and Legolas out of her mind. All she could think about was food, but she remembered that Sorator carried it. Damn she thought. I knew I should have bought some food with me.
She took the sword from the package on her back and began cutting down some leaves and some wild plants. Then she made a fire from old sticks in the woods around her. She cooked the greens to the best of her ability and ate them. This food is worse than the food at home she thought. As she finished half of her food, she couldn't help to think about Legolas and Sorator. Why would you be so selfish as to prevent Legolas from traveling with us? Don't you care about the safety of this journey? Legolas…why didn't you stay and travel with us? Sorator does not control your life, and he knows I need you. I can't do this alone. I need help.
Her sword sat down next to her as she ate by the fire. Suddenly, it began to glow. Armena looked around her but saw no one. There was no sound in the air and the ground was quiet. She stood up and looked around, and it was as if her senses had come back to her. The air grew cold and dark. There was a small rumble in the earth, and she could hear little squeaky voices, but she still saw nothing.
An arrow was shot at her head, but she moved out of the way, before it came two inches close to her eye. The arrow hit the tree. First one orc came out, then two. Over the next few seconds, they seemed to multiply. There seemed to be at least a hundred.
Armena looked around, but she didn't seem to panic like she would in a situation like this. She picked up her sword, and one of the orcs attacked. Somehow, she was able to stop it. She blocked the arrow aiming for her head and killed the orc by stabbing it in the chest with the sword. It didn't bleed regular blood, because it didn't bleed at all, but it stopped moving. Pretty soon, every orc began to attack, and as much as she could, she defended.
She caught an arrow in her left arm, but she still pressed on. She caught another in the same arm. By this time, a quarter of the orcs have died. She caught an arrow in her left leg, and still she fought, but from the ground. More orcs died. One arrow happened to hit her in her right hand, the one with the sword, but still, she had the strength to press on. Finally, one arrow reached her shoulder blade, and she finally fell. All of the orcs gathered around her to finish the job. Armena lay there in peril. "…Help…" was the last word she said before the orcs attacked.
Armena had another dream, with just Sorator and Legolas. It was the same dream she had when she first heard about her people. After Legolas jumped into the mountain fire, she was attacked. It killed Sorator, but was then killed by a man in shadows. His hand, balled into a fist with something in it. As Armena reached for it, everything went white, then…
She woke up and sat up in her bed as fast as she could. It's that same dream again. Does this mean that Legolas will come back to our side, or does this mean that he has fallen out of the group forever?
The next day seemed like a funeral. Armena carried herself in total despair. Sorator came into her room, which took him a long time to find. "Are you ready to set off?" he asked.
"Not yet. First I need to say my good-byes."
"I'll wait for you."
Armena went into Legolas's room and found the lone archer. He was dressed in his council's cloak and standing outside at his balcony. "I see you are taking off," he said.
"I still wish you would come with us."
Legolas walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. "My heart will always be with you." He kissed her on the forehead and walked back to the balcony.
"Sorator, I am ready," she said, a few minutes after she left Legolas's room. "Shall we depart?"
Sorator took her hand while they were in the doorway, but Armena pulled away. They walked down the hall and saw Frodo halfway there. "Legolas told me you were leaving. He told me to give Strike to you."
"Strike?" said Sorator.
"My old sword. My uncle Bilbo gave it to me when I went on my quest. It glows when there are orcs near, so it should be very useful." He handed the sword over to Armena.
"Thank you, Frodo." She took it with sorrow still in her face.
"I see you are still upset about Legolas's departure," said Frodo, "I'm sure this was a hard decision for him to make."
Armena didn't say anything. She just walked off to the outside, Sorator following behind. O Sorator, thought Frodo, why do you make Armena suffer like this? She depends on Legolas for her safety & knowledge of her people. Why did you have to take that away from her?
They left the city and headed on the road. Sorator led the way and Armena was not far behind. The whole time, Armena stared at the ground. She watched her feet as they treaded the rocky grounds, then she stopped.
"Why did you tell Legolas to leave our group?" she said.
"What are you talking about?" said Sorator. He was afraid of this moment.
She looked up and had the feeling of anger displayed in her face. "I know you told him to stay behind. I just don't understand why."
"I felt that his being here was putting your life in jeopardy. I couldn't let him stay."
"I know that is a lie." She turned her back to him and continued. "His being here was the one thing that kept me alive, all this time." She paused. "I know why you didn't let him continue his travels with us."
She turned her head around so he could only see half of her face. "It is because of me, isn't it? You didn't want Legolas around me because you felt he had won my heart."
Sorator lowered his head.
"I know that Legolas's actions are very convincing, but I told you that I was not ready to choose, nor do I intend to be. But your actions have just changed everything."
"What are you saying, Armena?"
"I'm saying that we are no longer friends. I don't care if you were anything part of my life before. Your jealousy has cancelled out everything you have ever done for me." Armena took her things and departed in the other direction.
Legolas stood there by the balcony when Elrond and Arwen entered the room. Arwen walked until she was beside the lone elf. "Why have you not taken off with the other two?"
"I felt like I was not needed. She needs to find this out on her own." He was still staring at the fountain on the outside.
"This is not what you want, is it?" said Elrond. He just barely entered the room. "You want to be by her side, helping her in this quest, don't you?"
"This is for the best," said Legolas.
Arwen stepped closer to Legolas. "You do not know this, but they split up." Legolas turned his head to Arwen. "Armena knew about Sorator's words and broke their friendship. She knew that Sorator wanted Armena for himself."
Legolas walked towards the bed and sat down. "What should I do?"
"Go after her," said Arwen, "Make sure she is safe. Bring their friendship back together. Your place isn't here. Not yet. Just go and follow your heart."
"It is not good for you to lie to yourself like this," said Elrond. "That will only cause more issues between you and your heart." Both Elrond and Arwen left the room. Legolas sat there for about half an hour, thinking about Armena and their friendship. Was my choice wise? Is her life more in danger with or without me?
Without coming up with any answer, he changed into his normal clothes, took his bow and arrow, and left the room.
Armena walked on with the sword hanging on her back. She pressed on with her pendant clutched in her hand. She made attempts to keep both Sorator and Legolas out of her mind. All she could think about was food, but she remembered that Sorator carried it. Damn she thought. I knew I should have bought some food with me.
She took the sword from the package on her back and began cutting down some leaves and some wild plants. Then she made a fire from old sticks in the woods around her. She cooked the greens to the best of her ability and ate them. This food is worse than the food at home she thought. As she finished half of her food, she couldn't help to think about Legolas and Sorator. Why would you be so selfish as to prevent Legolas from traveling with us? Don't you care about the safety of this journey? Legolas…why didn't you stay and travel with us? Sorator does not control your life, and he knows I need you. I can't do this alone. I need help.
Her sword sat down next to her as she ate by the fire. Suddenly, it began to glow. Armena looked around her but saw no one. There was no sound in the air and the ground was quiet. She stood up and looked around, and it was as if her senses had come back to her. The air grew cold and dark. There was a small rumble in the earth, and she could hear little squeaky voices, but she still saw nothing.
An arrow was shot at her head, but she moved out of the way, before it came two inches close to her eye. The arrow hit the tree. First one orc came out, then two. Over the next few seconds, they seemed to multiply. There seemed to be at least a hundred.
Armena looked around, but she didn't seem to panic like she would in a situation like this. She picked up her sword, and one of the orcs attacked. Somehow, she was able to stop it. She blocked the arrow aiming for her head and killed the orc by stabbing it in the chest with the sword. It didn't bleed regular blood, because it didn't bleed at all, but it stopped moving. Pretty soon, every orc began to attack, and as much as she could, she defended.
She caught an arrow in her left arm, but she still pressed on. She caught another in the same arm. By this time, a quarter of the orcs have died. She caught an arrow in her left leg, and still she fought, but from the ground. More orcs died. One arrow happened to hit her in her right hand, the one with the sword, but still, she had the strength to press on. Finally, one arrow reached her shoulder blade, and she finally fell. All of the orcs gathered around her to finish the job. Armena lay there in peril. "…Help…" was the last word she said before the orcs attacked.