Anarkyn slowly rose out of a pain-induced fog. The dawn was beginning to
break and the carnage from the last night's battle was finally showing
itself in all its gory reality. Soldiers were patrolling the walls in
search of the dead and those who merely looked it. Anarkyn slowly drug
herself up almost by a superhuman effort. She had not lived over a
millennia only to be mistaken for a corpse.
"Anarkyn!"
The effort to turn her head towards her name was almost too much. Her knees suddenly liquefied again and she began to sink back down, only this time something caught her.
"No…" Legolas trailed off as he lowered her down. He saw the arrow protruding from her back and supported her head so no more damage could be done.
He gingerly felt the back of the wound and slowly pulled out the offending weapon. Blood oozed between his fingers as he held is hand over the entry wound in an attempt to stave the bleeding. Anarkyn's eyes were beginning to take a glassy tone and her already labored breathing was becoming more ragged. Suddenly she retched and a thin trickle of blood dripped out the side of her mouth.
"You cannot die now, ang brenil (iron lady)," he said softly, "you have too much left to do. You love me too much to die now."
In an almost desperate effort, Anarkyn pulled her arm around his neck and drug herself up to his chest, as though she believed he could physically hold her to this world. If sheer will power counted for anything, Legolas would have held her here. Suddenly other soldier began gathering around the pair, and one or two slowly pulled the two apart from each other.
"There is one who might be able to help her," one of the soldiers said to Legolas, "or at least make her well enough to be able to get elvish medicine."
Legolas nodded.
This will not happen again, Legolas promised himself; I will not leave her voluntarily ever again. It always seemed no matter what they did they were always on the brink of disaster.
Have I wasted time? Legolas thought to himself, should I have gone to her curse or no curse? It may have been better risking it than not having her at all. Yet she never would have consented to that anyway, she was too tied to her duty.
Legolas turned and walked down the edge of the wall without looking back. There would be time for that later. Right now he had other business to attend to. He steeled himself not to think about Anarkyn and pulled together every last scrap of self-control to do it. It was out of his hands now. He wouldn't think about her until it was allowed.
But I will never leave her alone again, he vowed, once I have her I am not going to be willing to let go so easily.
"Anarkyn!"
The effort to turn her head towards her name was almost too much. Her knees suddenly liquefied again and she began to sink back down, only this time something caught her.
"No…" Legolas trailed off as he lowered her down. He saw the arrow protruding from her back and supported her head so no more damage could be done.
He gingerly felt the back of the wound and slowly pulled out the offending weapon. Blood oozed between his fingers as he held is hand over the entry wound in an attempt to stave the bleeding. Anarkyn's eyes were beginning to take a glassy tone and her already labored breathing was becoming more ragged. Suddenly she retched and a thin trickle of blood dripped out the side of her mouth.
"You cannot die now, ang brenil (iron lady)," he said softly, "you have too much left to do. You love me too much to die now."
In an almost desperate effort, Anarkyn pulled her arm around his neck and drug herself up to his chest, as though she believed he could physically hold her to this world. If sheer will power counted for anything, Legolas would have held her here. Suddenly other soldier began gathering around the pair, and one or two slowly pulled the two apart from each other.
"There is one who might be able to help her," one of the soldiers said to Legolas, "or at least make her well enough to be able to get elvish medicine."
Legolas nodded.
This will not happen again, Legolas promised himself; I will not leave her voluntarily ever again. It always seemed no matter what they did they were always on the brink of disaster.
Have I wasted time? Legolas thought to himself, should I have gone to her curse or no curse? It may have been better risking it than not having her at all. Yet she never would have consented to that anyway, she was too tied to her duty.
Legolas turned and walked down the edge of the wall without looking back. There would be time for that later. Right now he had other business to attend to. He steeled himself not to think about Anarkyn and pulled together every last scrap of self-control to do it. It was out of his hands now. He wouldn't think about her until it was allowed.
But I will never leave her alone again, he vowed, once I have her I am not going to be willing to let go so easily.