Aragorn saw the green mist flowing out of Savina's mouth and spiraling, as if pulled, into the heart of Mount Doom. He tried to reach for his sword, but his fingers were still numb and he didn't trust his body to obey his commands…not yet.
The spell the Dark Lord had hurled at him had stunned him, paralyzing his body, but the Dark Lord had been weak and the spell, which could have killed him otherwise, only worked to keep his stunned for three or four minutes.
As the spell wore off, Aragorn moved his head and pushed Legolas, who was supporting him, away. He glanced around, realizing with certain dismay that they were in the center of Mount Doom, in the middle of Mordor, completely surrounded by minions of evil. Sure, they'd defeated the Dark Lord, but that wasn't exactly set in stone, what if they had only stalled him?
The Orcs and zombies and other evil creatures were silent, staring at the green mist, or the shriveled MoonElf's body, or at Savina's lifeless body. There was no sound, no one moved, it seemed almost as if the volcano itself held it's breath.
General Naheka stood next to the chair, his sword in his hand, knowing full and well that he could have saved the Dark Lord's life. But he hadn't. Some voice deep inside of him told him he had betrayed his friend, but he knew better. In all reality, he had let Savina free him. He knelt down in front of the chair and looked one last time into the face that was once again Caburnat's face, not the Dark Lord's mask. The black eyes were opened wide and the mouth curled in a snarl of rage. Gently, Naheka shut the eyes that would never see again and pushed the mouth from its snarl. He lifted the thin hand and kissed it, then rose and glanced down at Savina.
Sorrow and shame swept through him. A sixteen year old girl had been strong where he had been weak and given her life to plunge a sword into her own father and defeat evil.
He remembered, suddenly, Savina's mother and wondered if she had any idea what Savina had left home to do. Thinking that he would return the girl's body and that of her father's to Relinot, he stepped toward Savina's body.
Legolas sprang foreword, "you won't touch her!"
Naheka stepped back, surprised, his hand on his sword, "calm yourself friend, I come not to vandalize her. I plan to return her to her mother."
Legolas shook his head, hot tears in his blue eyes, "no evil will touch her."
No evil will touch her.
The words rang throughout the cavern, echoing off the walls.
An Orc not far away from Naheka gave a battle cry and rushed forward, striking at Legolas with his sword.
The enemies came rushing it from all directions, crying out in strange tongues and striking out with their weapons.
Blurred by tears and grief, Legolas did something he had not done for many years, he fumbled with his bow and arrow.
The first Orc charged Legolas, swiping at him with his hook-ended sword and ripping a hole in his tunic.
Naheka swept the Orc's head off with a single sweep of his sword just as Legolas drew his bow and shot an Orc who was charging Aragorn.
Aragorn had full use of his body again; he pushed the hobbits behind him and started slashing any enemy who came near enough. In his mind was the image of Savina's crumpled, lifeless body.
Gimli, his beard full of tears, roared loudly and charged the enemies, slashing open their bellies and cutting their throats.
The Dungeon Master pressed himself against the wall to avoid being crushed. He glanced to his side to see where his son was and gasped in alarm. He was gone! Just then he caught sight of Trey's red hair and, reaching over three Orcs, grabbed his son by the back of his uniform and hauled him backward through the crowd.
Trey jerked himself free, his eyes bright with anger. He twisted in his father's grasp, "let go of me! I can fight, damn it!"
The Dungeon Master gazed over the heads of the dark army, his heart in anguish for the creatures of good. He pushed his son back, "you will not fight with the dark army."
Trey laughed and waved his sword, "are you kidding me? With them?" He swung his sword toward a nearby Orc, "I was planning on lopping off a few heads and help out our prisoners."
The Dungeon Master stared at his son for a moment, feeling pride for his son surge through his body. He drew his sword and stepped foreword. He nodded once to his red-haired son, then, shoulder-to-shoulder, father and son attacked the minions of evil.
Ian, who was only a few feet away from the Dungeon Master, saw the large man and his son cutting down Orcs and zombies. He wondered at this for a moment, then noticed that they weren't the only ones attacking their former fellows.
Every living MoonElf had produced a dagger or grabbed someone else's sword and were attacking the evil from all sides from against the walls. Some of the zombies and a few of the living humans turned on their fellow soldiers.
Ian watched them, watched the chaos unfolding before his very eyes. Men wearing the same uniform who had seemed to be united under and dedicated to the Dark Lord were turned on each other and literally stabbing each other in the back.
At this point the Orcs, a cowardly race who tended to flee when odds didn't seem in their favor, realized this wasn't a fight they were going to win and began fleeing back down the tunnel from whence they had come in.
But the humans still fighting for the cause of evil did not retreat, and the zombies, who were either too decayed to realize what was going on or smart enough to know there was nothing else for them to do, continued to fight.
The battle was short and fierce.
Aragorn struck down a zombie that had once been an elf and whirled, searching for another attacking enemy. What he saw surprised him.
Dragon HighLord Naheka stood a few feet away, covered in blood and calmly wiping his sword off in the tunic of a dead human.
The Dungeon Master and his son were side-by-side, swords bloody and chests heaving.
Spread evenly throughout the humongous cavern were nearly two hundred MoonElves with shining hair of black or silver and dark eyes, all staring at him.
It Aragorn a moment to realize they weren't followers of evil. He lowered his sword and glanced at Legolas, who was staring at Savina's crumpled body.
Thoughts flashed through Legolas' head. Memories, of which he had so precious few of her, raced past his consciousness. No tears came, he was beyond crying. He commended her bravery and act of sacrifice; her death was not one to be mourned. But yet, as usual, his own over-dramatic emotions interfered with his sense and his heart felt as if it had been shattered.
He returned his bow carefully to where it belonged on his back and wiped the sweat from his hand on the end of his tunic. Only then did he take the three paces it took to reach her body. He knelt down next to her and turned her over gently, then exclaimed and leapt back, "Aragorn! She is alive!"
Aragorn nearly dropped his sword, "what?" He hurried over and stared down at her.
It was true. Her breathing was calm and even, her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face, as if she were merely sleeping.
Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a tense look, sharing the same thought.
What if Sauron had managed to take her body after all?
A male MoonElf with soft black eyes and feathery black hair approached and looked down at her, his expression gentle and kind, "she is…well?"
Legolas rose quickly to his feet and turned away, "her body is alive, which is all that can be said at the moment."
The MoonElf glanced at his fellow MoonElves, who were hesitantly approaching, then looked seriously at Aragorn, "there is much of a chance that the Dark Lord did not have the strength to take her. His strength was nearly gone and he was dependant on the ring for much of his strength."
Aragorn nodded and knelt down next to the sleeping girl. He noticed Raliaytau and the comb Gimli had given to her lying on the ground near her. He put the sword back in its sheath on her belt and held the comb for a moment, wondering how it had gotten there. Shrugging, he tucked it into her pocket and started to pick her up.
Legolas whirled around, "what are you doing?"
Aragorn glanced around, "we can't very well stay here, Legolas." When the Elf was silent, Aragorn picked Savina up and started toward the path that led straight out of the mountain, Legolas, Gimli, the hobbits, and Naheka at his heels.
The MoonElf walked quickly after him, "please except the hospitality of the MoonElves and stay tonight in out mountain home."
Aragorn studied the young man's face for a moment, then nodded, "thank you, friend, we would be grateful."