Angel's Curse
By: Minyalaithien
Disclaimer: I don't own LotR or it's characters… darn. Allaina is my own fictional character.
Chapter 4: Angel's Heart 2
It was early morning when Allaina awoke. The horses whinnying could be heard close by. She rolled onto her side facing the stone wall and listened to the two horses. Finally, the princess opened her eyes. It was still dark, but dawn was coming quickly. Legolas was tending the horses, while eating a fruit in his hand. She sat up, and watched Legolas walk about, picking up branches, and glance at the forest occasionally. She yawned, and Legolas noticed her.
"Your awake!" he exclaimed as he handed her a fruit. "Eat this. We will leave shortly. I've been watching the forest a distance off. I feel trouble in it, but I cannot say what it is." He shrugged. "It could just be the dark playing tricks on my mind."
Allaina ate silently and helped Legolas with the horses and their packs. She gave him his cloak and thanked him by smiling shyly. The two elves left the high point and headed south towards the Gate of Moria.
On the way, the two Elves grew to have a closer friendship. Legolas would talk openly with Allaina; Allaina would respond with expressions, which she was very good at showing. If Legolas ever asked her questions, which she would want to answer to, he would continue his one-person chat until he figured out what she wanted to say. He continuously asked her things, trying to get her to speak. She would get irritated after a while and ignore him but Legolas would say something to make her smile again. As the days past, the two neared the southern end of the Misty Mountain chain. Although Allaina wondered where they were going and how they would cross the snow covered mountains, the older Elf never told her.
On the way Allaina felt a dark presence. She would stop her horse many times and look back, feeling uneasiness on her back. Legolas watched her and wondered what was wrong. He did not feel anything. After a few days of this, Allaina stopped her horse and pointed behind her. Legolas followed her line of vision to the Northern world where they were a day ago. He did not see anything, but looked harder and saw nine black shapes along the plain riding on black horses that shrilly neighed. He could not tell exactly what they were until they were much closer. He could make out the sound of horse hooves and the shape of dark capes hiding their faces, if they had any. Suddenly, the prince knew what he was looking at.
"Ringwraiths," he whispered loud enough for Allaina to hear. "Ride as fast as you can!" Legolas turned and rode South, yelling at Allaina to ride faster. Her steed was slower than Legolas' so he stopped and waited for her to catch up. As they rode, the nine Ringwraiths closed the gap. They screeched and the horses neighed. The two elves rode quickly over the plain. The Ringwraiths rode feet away from them, drawing swords as they neared. Allaina's horse slowed a bit and one of the black creatures rode up beside her. It hissed and grabbed for her arm, but she slammed it's arm away from her.
"Where is the ring, she-elf," it hissed at her.
Allaina looked fearfully at the creature and shook her head. The wraith grew impatient and drew
it's sword and slashed at her wildly, finally slicing the skin of her arm through the green sleeve. Allaina let out a cry and held on tightly to her arm, forgetting she was riding. As the steed galloped South, the princess lost her grip on it's back.
Legolas was far ahead when he heard Allaina's painful cry. He turned and saw the black rider slash her with it's sword. Legolas stopped and returned to her as she lost her grip on the horse's back. She almost fell but was caught by the Silvan elf and brought to his horse. Legolas laid her across his lap and held her protectively to him as he rode. They rode into a valley that grew dark and shadowed. Allaina clung helplessly to her arm as Legolas slowed the horse and jumped off, holding her closely.
"Can you walk?" he asked her. Allaina nodded and he put her down.
"This is the pass to the Gate of Moria. It will be dangerous but it is the only route we can take to cross the mountains. The high pass has been blocked with a terrible blizzard and it would be sheer arrogance to go that way. Or even go back, with the Ringwraiths still after us. I was able to lose them for a while. They are after you, and will keep searching. Keep watch, there are dark shadows here that can hide enemies like Ringwraiths," Legolas said as they neared a great stone wall. It had a dead tree on each side and as the clouds above cleared away, the stars and moon shone on the valley, giving it a clearer look. As they watched, the wall glowed along thing lines, which formed an arched door. Legolas scanned the upper part where elvish words were written. He said "Mellon," which in Elvish meant friend and the door opened down the middle.
Legolas took everything from the back of his horse. "He cannot enter the Mines of Moria. It is too dangerous for elvish horses like him." He yelled an elvish word at the horse and it galloped away the way the companions came. The stone pulled apart and the two entered. Legolas took a branch he had earlier picked up and lit it afire. Allaina sat down and rolled up her sleeve, looking at the bloody mess. Legolas sat beside her, studying the cut. He told her about her injury as he pushed the bottom of the torch into the ground.
"It is very deep. We need to find something to stop the bleeding before it swells." Legolas ripped part of his tunic off and followed the sound of water, coming back with a wet cloth. He gingerly wiped her cut of any infection. Allaina cringed but Legolas smiled at her and was softer with his touch. He went back to the stream to rinse the cloth and came back and tied it around her injury.
They traveled through the dark mines, which took many days and nights. It was hard to tell what time it was though, for there were no windows or traces of light other than from the torch. Legolas showed Allaina the Mines and City of Moria, where the dwarves used to dwell. Anytime Allaina looked at Legolas, his fair face, illuminated by the torch, seemed to hide fear. She guessed he didn't like the darkness and closed spaces of the caves. Or, didn't like caves at all. The prince seemed to never blink and always searched the darkness if he heard a noise. After 3 days of walking in black, Legolas answered Allaina's quiet question.
"We will reach the Bridge of Kazahrd Dum soon. It's only a walk away. But be careful, the bridge is narrow and old," he said as they neared the hall to the bridge. The hallway was long and echoed loudly. The walls reached high into darkness, where the light from the torch could not reach. The two kept close together and walked slowly, making sure not to make a noise. Legolas kept one hand gripped on his bow and handed Allaina the torch.
Allaina was very cautious and listened to the echoes carefully. She heard their own breathing and steps, and the usual drip of water now and then. The Elves kept this way for some distance until they saw their own shadows on the wall in front of them. Allaina thought this was strange because she held the torch in front of her. She turned and gasped, startling Legolas. He turned and stared at the creature Allaina pointed to and cried out, "a Balrog!"
The beast behind them was ten times taller than the Elves and had wings like a bat. It's black horns and yellow eyes were easy to see because of the silhouette of fire around it. The Balrog neared the two quickly, taking large strides and making the ground around them shake.
"Run!" yelled Legolas at Allaina, and both made it out of the corridor and to the bridge. It was just as Legolas had described. Legolas followed Allaina across the emptiness below. The Balrog was nearing the bridge, and dust flew everywhere from the walls and ceiling. The two neared the middle as a large rock crashed down onto the bridge in front of Allaina, making her lose her balance and fall over the side.
Allaina screamed and for the first time Legolas heard her say a word. "Legolas!" she yelled, reaching for his hand. Legolas dropped to his knees and grabbed her wrist with both hands, and drug her back up. He stared at her for seconds until the Balrog came up to the edge of the bridge. Legolas stared at the gap made by the boulder and back to the giant beast. He jumped to the other side, landing gracefully and commanded Allaina to jump next. She stood still and looked fearfully at the darkness below.
"I will catch you! Jump, now!" Legolas stretched out his hand and promised to catch her. Allaina backed away, jumped, and to her delight landed on the other side. The Balrog growled and stepped onto the bridge, but it cracked and gave way beneath it. The Elves ran out of the mines and into the bright light from the sun on the other side of the Mountains. They traveled a long distance until darkness came at the edge of a small forest. The two stopped and Legolas lit a fire to warm from the cold chill of the mountains.
"I have been wandering," said Legolas as he collected twigs for the fire, "why did you never speak before now?"
Allaina turned to Legolas and for the first time, he noticed her slender figure and chestnut eyes- which he didn't pay attention to earlier because she looked so young- but her voice sounded very mature. Her eyes glinted in the small firelight as she sat and warmed her hands by the fire. She looked at the injury from the Ringwraiths as she unwrapped the fabric around it. "There is a spell on my voice. I need to find my sister and the Ring to make it disappear. As long as the Ring exists, so will the spell."
Legolas placed the twigs in the fire as he replied to her. "Your voice seems fine to me. Do you want to end this war? Is that why you want to destroy the ring so bad?"
Allaina nodded, "Yes. That and my voice. It may seem fine to you, but I'll ask you again after I destroy the ring and see what you think." Legolas looked at her strangely but then returned to his fire. "Now I have a question for you, Legolas. How do you know the way so well?"
Legolas smiled at the princess. "Do not say a word to anyone about this, but I used to journey through Middle Earth. I have been from Northern Mirkwood to the Great River, which is on the other side of this forest. But I have never been through here before. It is Lothlorien. The golden wood. You have heard of it, have you not?"
"I have! But I did not expect to find it, or even be near it! Will we journey in there?" She motioned to the quiet forest behind them.
"It is the easiest way, and if you would like to go that way, I will follow. Although, now, we need to rest." Legolas said to Allaina. She smiled as she watched Legolas warm his hands by the fire and lye beside it. She gazed at his figure and grew quite fond of the royal elf as she fell asleep on the opposite side.