"So you are truly going."
Merry watched as Eli turned to him, a sad smile on her face. "Yup Merry, we really are."
"Why must you then? Your powers would be more important here, in the use of the defense of Gondor!" Merry exclaimed desperately, trying to get at least Eli and Camille to stay. I do not wish to be left all alone here in Gondor! I want to go out there and fight with them and Pippin and Legolas and Gandalf and Aragorn and Gimli!
Camille sighed then, and approached, kneeling down so that they were looking at each other eye-to-eye. She was clad again in her armor, the many rubies set into it glinting in the morning sunlight. "Merry, we know that you don't like being left behind here while all of us go out to fight in Mordor, but Aragorn says that our powers are more needed in the frontlines than here. And I'm inclined to agree with him. Should something go wrong, Eli and I can use our powers as the Summoners and attempt to keep Sauron back, or defeat him completely. But I'm not really sure about defeating him completely though…"
"We'll hold him back for as long as we can, Merry," Eli said comfortingly as she too knelt in front of him. She smiled, and hugged him, Camille doing the same thing.
Merry could not help it. He reached out, and held onto their necks, tears burning his eyes. He was truly going to miss them, and all his other friends as well. But what if they do not come back? What if they do not make it through the fight? What if…what if they are slain? "I will truly miss you," he whispered then. "You may not be from this world, but you are a lot better than most of the other Big People I have met during our travels."
Camille laughed softly as she drew away from him, ruffling his hair gently. "That's probably the best compliment I've heard yet, Merry. Thank you. And I'll miss you too, that's for sure. Stay out of trouble while we're gone, alright?"
"I will, I promise." Though you might not come back to see me ever again.
"We're going to do the best we can to bring Sauron down, Merry," Eli said solemnly. "That's a promise. If we can't bring him down, then at least we'll come back and get you, then we can all go together, friends till the very end."
Merry nodded, smiling a little in spite of the tears that threatened to fall. I know the reality of the peril they are going into, and I am glad that she would come back for me so that we might all go down together. "I thank you for that promise, Eli. I would really like that."
Eli smiled, and squeezed his hand tightly. "Take care of yourself while Camille and I are gone, okay?" She stood up then, for Camille had already gone ahead of her to where their horses waited. She paused in the middle of her tracks, and turned around to look at him. She smiled. "I'm honored to have met you, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and I'm even more honored to be your friend. Goodbye." With that, she spun on her heel, and jogged off towards where the others were waiting.
Merry went up onto the wall, waiting for the army to pass out of Minas Tirith on their way to Mordor. Bergil joined him, and together, the Hobbit and the boy watched and waited in silence. Up near the front with Aragorn and Gandalf he could see Legolas and Gimli, seated on one horse together like the friends they were; the sons of Elrond appeared calm as they gazed towards the east; Camille and Eli looked truly regal from where they sat on their horses between the sons of Elrond; and Pippin was a small but upright figure amongst the tall Men of Minas Tirith.
At last the trumpets rang and the army began to move. Troop by troop, and company by company, they wheeled and went off eastward.
As they were moving off, Bergil said, "Master Peregrin did not tell me that you were friends of the two noble Battle Maidens who ride off to war today with King Elfstone."
Merry glanced at the boy, curious. "Pippin did not tell you of Camille and Eli?"
"No, he did not," Bergil answered. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the remainder of the army disappear into the rising sun. "I had heard rumors of them from the Rohirrim, who spoke very highly of them, and of their great powers. They claimed that it was the Battle Maidens who called forth the fiery bird and the dragon that day on the Pelennor Fields, when the black ships drew up to the shore."
Merry nodded. "Yes, that was them, there is not doubt about it. Only they can accomplish something like that."
Bergil nodded in response to Merry's words. "Indeed. Ioreth, one of the old healers in the Houses of Healing, claims that it was one of them who brought the healing winds of the west but two nights ago, and that it aided in the lifting of the Black Shadow from those who were afflicted by it."
"Yes, that would be Eli then," Merry answered. "She has the capacity to control the winds and the water, making them do her bidding. Camille, on the other hand, can bend the earth and the flames to her will." He absently rubbed his right arm, remembering how Camille had treated it.
Bergil turned to him then, a small smile on his face. "I saw them enter the city, after the battle on the Fields. They carried themselves as mighty queens from a distant land, but when I looked more closely, I realized that they were young, very young indeed."
Merry nodded. "That is true. They ARE young: just three years older than you yourself, Bergil, for you are but fourteen years of age, and they are only seventeen."
Now the smile on Bergil's face became wider. "Come, Master Perian!" said the lad. "You are still in pain, I see. I will help you back to the Healers. And while you are there, would you tell me of the Battle Maidens? I would so love to hear whatever stories you may have of them."
Merry smiled at last, and followed Bergil willingly. "Gladly, Bergil. And there are many stories I have to tell you…"
* * *
The sun had reached its zenith when they arrived at Osgiliath. Camille looked at the scene around her as workers and craftsmen ran hither and thither on various errands. Some were strengthening the ferries and boat-bridges that the enemy had made and in part destroyed when they fled; some gathered stores and booty; and others on the eastern side across the River were throwing up hasty works of defense.
This city is a real wreck, she mused as they passed on through the ruins of Old Gondor and over the wide River, and on up a long straight road. According to Elladan, who was riding to her left, that in the high days of Gondor the road ran from the fair Tower of the Sun to the tall Tower of the Moon, which now was Minas Morgul in its accursed vale.
When they were five miles outside of Osgiliath, Aragorn called a halt, thus ending their first day's march. But he sent horsemen ahead of them to secure and scout out the paths they might take on their way to Mordor.
"How are you faring so far," Legolas asked as he approached her while she dismounted from Blackwing.
Camille smiled as she turned to him, allowing him to take her hands in his. "Pretty good. We haven't exactly been attacked yet, so I think that's a good sign." She inclined her head a little to look at him. "And what are you so edgy for? We aren't even IN Mordor yet, for heaven's sake!"
The Elf sighed, and shook his head. "Aye, I know that I am a little nervous, but…I cannot help it." He let go of her hands, and instead wrapped his arms around her, embracing her as best as their armor would allow. ^I fear for you, my love,^ he whispered. ^We go now to war, and most likely to our deaths. I wish to spend each passing minute I have with you, for I fear that death shall soon separate us both.^
Camille sighed, and returned his embrace, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against the part of his shoulder that wasn't covered with armor. He doesn't know how closely he hits home, she thought wryly. We're both on a suicide mission, and we're not sure if we're both going to make it out alive. "I know Legolas. And if it helps to say so, I'm scared too. Really, really scared. Scared that we're going to fail, scared that I'm not going to make it out, scared that YOU'RE not going to make it out… There are so many other scary things going through my head right now that I can't tell you all of them in one go."
Legolas sighed as well, and drew away from her, pressing his lips lightly against hers momentarily. "Then I pray that the Valar will grant us success." He smiled, and stepped away from her. "Now I believe that I must leave you alone for the meantime. Eli is calling for you."
Sure enough, Eli's voice finally came sailing to her ears, and she sighed. If Eli's shouting like that, it's probably important.
She waited until her best friend was in front of her, and opened her mouth to ask what it was, but Eli beat her to it. "Camille, Aragorn's calling us to this meeting with the other captains."
Camille raised an eyebrow. "Eh? What for? They didn't need us during the first meeting while we were in Gondor; why should we be there this time?"
"Beats me," Eli answered with a shrug. "But it'll help us a lot if I know what the plan is in advance."
"I suppose you're right." That said, the two girls made their way through the camp to the tent where Aragorn and the rest of the Captains of the West had gathered. When they entered the tent, they heard Gandalf say, "…and that is the reason why we should not attempt to retake Minas Morgul, not at this time, at the very least."
"What's all the furor about?" Camille asked as she and Eli ducked into the tent.
Aragorn looked up at them when he heard Eli's voice, and smiled. "Ah, you have arrived." He gestured to the map that lay on the table in front of them. "Prince Imrahil suggested that we take Minas Morgul now, but Gandalf is against that motion, saying that according to Faramir, Frodo attempted to go that way on his mission to Mount Doom."
"But if we do not secure Minas Morgul," said Imrahil, "then it is more than likely that our passage to the northern gate of Mordor will be hindered. I am quite certain that the troops of Sauron will attempt to stop us when we reach the Crossroads that lie near Minas Morgul."
Eli shook her head. "Sorry Prince Imrahil, but I have to agree with Gandalf. We'd best draw Sauron's attention away from Minas Morgul."
"And our troops cannot survive the deep blackness and terror that lie in that vale," Gandalf added. "They would lose themselves to madness before we even reached Barad-dur."
But if that's the case, what're we going to do? During the lull in conversation, Camille turned her attention to the map. Fortunately most of the features on the map had been marked, and she could tell right away where Minas Morgul was, and where the Crossroads lay. Hmm, looks like there's lots of trees around here… Suddenly, an idea hit her. "I think I have an idea. Maybe we could position a couple of sniper units in the trees here."
* * *
Eli blinked when she heard Camille's suggestion. What? She actually plans to use SNIPER units?! They don't get that kind of training here!! "Sniper units? Camille, this isn't the time for guerilla warfare…"
"No, I'm serious, it just might work," Camille said. She called Eli's attention to the area she was pointing at. "You see this place here? That's all trees – how thick is the cover here?"
"Quite thick, My Lady, but may I ask just what are you-" Imrahil began.
Camille cut him off immediately. "How thick? Thick enough that we can hide a couple of men in them?"
"Perhaps so."
Eli stared at the map for a moment, contemplating. "I don't know… You think the archers here can pull it off? Remember, sniping with a rifle is TOTALLY different from doing it with a longbow. And I don't think they're trained for this sort of thing."
"I figured as much," Camille replied with a nod, "but I think they can pull it off. A bow might not have the same rapidity of fire as a rifle, but a bow is silent, and I guess that's what counts in this situation. And as for the training…all they have to know is how to keep quiet and fire a bow."
"Rapidity of fire is going to be crucial here," Eli said as she tapped the map, "especially with that plan you want to put up."
"Rapidity of fire isn't going to matter. If they're quiet, they can get more shots in," Camille answered.
Eli sighed, and squinted at the map. "Maybe…but you think there'll be archers willing to pull through with that? Cause I bet that it'd be hard for these guys to sit up in trees with longbows…"
"Excuse me," Aragorn said at that moment, and Eli looked to him. "What is this plan that you are talking about? We do not understand what you seem to have in mind."
Camille laughed, and shook her head. "Oh, sorry everyone! We kind of forgot you don't know what we're talking about. Basically what I want to do is what we call in our world guerilla warfare: fighting your enemies by taking them by surprise and without being seen.
"What I planned was to have some archers up in the trees around the Crossroads, and they'll stay there until they sight the enemy. When they do, they start firing but they don't give up their positions. That's what we call sniping: attacking the enemy from a hidden position with a long-range weapon."
Eli shook her head as she crossed her arms. "But that plan isn't completely foolproof. First of all, longbows are hard to use in a tree. And second, Camille might be thinking that firing a bow has the same rapidity of fire as a rifle. A rifle is a weapon in our world that falls under the classification of guns. Those are special machine-type weapons that have an explosive-like property, allowing the user to fire a small piece of metal called a bullet into a target. Depending on which part of the body is hit, getting fired at with a gun can spell instant death to the victim."
Camille grinned. "But a bow is quiet, not like a gun, which sends out an explosive blast when fired; it's too loud, basically. So the advantage of a bow's silence will work in the plan."
Gandalf, who had been silent for the most part, spoke up then. "So what Camille intends to do is put some archers here," he indicated the wooded area around the Crossroads, "and should the enemy approach us, they will simply fire at them?"
"Yeah, that's about it in a nutshell," Camille replied. "The archers will stay up in the trees, so that they can cover more ground and fire while still remaining hidden. The snipers – the archers who will stay up in the trees – will be able to pick off a good number of enemies before the main troop reaches us. By then, we'd be more than prepared."
Aragorn was silent for a long while, thinking it over. After a moment, he spoke. "It does seem like a clever plan," he said, "but it will be a little difficult to execute. Eli was right when she said that attempting to fire a longbow in a tree would be an awkward undertaking…but I believe that it can be done. We only need to choose the right people for the task."
Eli could only smile in slight exasperation as Aragorn started giving out orders. She glanced at Camille, who was busy discussing the merits of guerilla warfare with Imrahil. I sure hope this plan of yours works, Camille…
"You do not seem confident of Camille's suggestion," Gandalf said as he gazed at her with an analytical eye.
Eli smirked. "You should see Camille's track record when it comes to plans. If it weren't for her oh-so-brilliant suggestion to take the shortcut through the woods, then we wouldn't be here."
Gandalf smiled. "True, but if that happened, then you would not have the pleasure of knowing such extraordinary persons as Aragorn, or Elrond…neither would you have gotten the chance to meet Elrohir."
Eli sighed, knowing the Wizard had hit a soft spot. "Yeah, I suppose…"
Gandalf chuckled, and gave a knowing nod. "Sometimes, the greatest of victories are borne from the strangest and oftentimes most radical of plans. And most of life's greatest pleasures derive themselves from one kind of accident or another. So though you might think that Camille's plan will not work, you cannot truly judge it until it is tried."
Eli smiled back, seeing the wisdom in Gandalf's words. He's right. After all, if Camille hadn't decided to take the shortcut through the woods, we wouldn't be here right now. We wouldn't have met Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Thranduil, Elrond, Arwen… Camille wouldn't have met Legolas… And I wouldn't have met Elrohir, in which case I wouldn't have fallen in love. I could be leading a normal, boring life, not knowing the difference between sleepwalking and LIVING life…but I've been given this chance, a chance to actually MAKE a difference…and build a new and better life.
Aragorn dismissed the archers then, who went off ahead of them to do whatever it was Aragorn had told them to do. He glanced at those who had gathered, and smiled. "Now then, My Lords and Ladies, I believe that we need to rest and prepare for our march tomorrow. You are dismissed."
* * *
The day after, being the third day since they set out from Minas Tirith, the army began its northward march along the road. It was some hundred miles by that way from the Crossroads to the Morannon, and what might befall them before they came so far none knew. They went openly but heedfully, with mounted scouts before them on the road, and others on foot upon either side, especially on the eastward flank; for there lay dark thickets, and a tumbled land of rocky ghylls and crags, behind which the long grim slope of the Ephel Duath clambered up. The weather of the world remained fair, and the wind held in the west, but nothing could waft away the glooms and the sad mists that clung about the Mountains of Shadow; and behind them at whiles great smokes would arise and hover in the upper winds.
Such were the state of things, as Elrohir observed them, as they continued their journey to Sauron's fortress. He sighed as he looked up to the cloudy sky. I wish that there would be but a bit of sunlight to illuminate this drab day. He moved his gaze from the sky, and almost immediately it focused on Eli, who was riding between him and Camille.
He had not been present at the meeting Aragorn called the day before, but Elladan had been there to hear everything. And later on in the day, Eli told him everything that transpired at the debate. A small smile formed on his face as he recalled what he and his beloved had discussed the previous evening…
~ ~ ~
Elrohir couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "And Camille is certain that this…sniping tactic…will work at the Crossroads should it be necessary?"
"I don't really know," Eli answered as she carefully worked her fingers through her hair to get out the tangles that had formed in the locks while they were traveling. She turned to him then, her eyes curious. "Question: is it hard to use a longbow while up in a tree?"
Elrohir blinked, slightly surprised at the question, but decided to simply answer it. "It depends on the archer, I suppose. The Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlorien can wield their bows quite skillfully from the treetops, for it is a tactic they frequently use in guarding their borders. But Legolas is the only Mirkwood archer we have…and we have no Lothlorien archers amongst us. I am not sure whether the bowmen Aragorn chose for the mission can shoot arrows while perched on branches…but if he has confidence in their skill, then I think that we must have confidence in them as well."
Eli nodded, and fell silent. Elrohir watched her as she rid herself of her armor, and then, quite suddenly, come running up to him on light feet, crossing the tent in a few swift strides, to throw her arms around him in an embrace.
His beloved sighed, and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I love you, Elrohir. I really, really love you."
Elrohir sighed, and returned Eli's embrace, pressing her gently against him. She never failed to elicit the most tender of feelings in him, to draw out emotions that he normally kept hidden. He dropped a kiss on top of her head, inhaling the delicate scent of her hair. ^And I you, my love, and I you.^
Eli smiled then, closing her eyes as she placed her hands on his forearms. "You know, when I complained about the possibility of this whole plan going wrong, Gandalf told me that sometimes, we don't exactly know whether a plan is wrong or right unless we try it. He said that it's the same thing about life. We never know where the road will take us unless we walk it.
"But either way, I'm glad everything's happened to me the way it has. I don't regret anything I've done so far, cause if I changed anything, then I wouldn't have met you, and I wouldn't have known what it feels like to be in love."
This caused a surge of emotions in Elrohir. She has given up her life, her world, everything she knows…only to be with me. He gently tilted her head up, gazing down into her clear hazel eyes. ^Sometimes, I feel that I am not worthy of this love you give to me. For verily, you have given up your family, your friends, your entire world…and bound yourself to me in love.^
Eli shook her head, and smiled. ^You are more than worthy, Elrohir. To you I would surrender myself entirely, body, mind, and soul… If only to have moments such as these, to stay in your arms even as the world falls apart around us, to have even the smallest kiss from your lips…^
Elrohir chuckled. ^Now that is something I would give easily.^ So saying, he bent his head, and captured Eli's lips in a soft, seeking kiss. She responded to it in her own way, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer.
But he knew when to stop. With a soft sigh, he drew away from her, acknowledging the soft whisper of pleasure that escaped Eli's lips. If he had not resisted temptation and gone further, he knew that they would have ended up in Eli's cot at the back of the tent… He smiled as he drew away from her, heading to the door of the tent. ^Sleep well, beloved. May the dark dreams not come to you tonight.^
The smile that she flashed in his direction as he left was more than enough to have him dreaming of her the rest of the night.
~ ~ ~
TWANG!!!
"Ugh!!"
THUD!!
Elrohir snapped out of his thoughts at that moment. What…? They had arrived at the Crossroads, and just like they expected, a strong force of Orcs and Easterlings attacked them in what was supposed to be an ambush. However, thanks to the advance warning of the scouts and the archers that were positioned in the ring of trees around the Crossroads, the force was defeated quickly and easily, with no casualties on the side of the Captains of the West.
But Aragorn would not let his guard down. "It is but a feint," he said as they proceeded with their journey, "and its chief purpose, I deem, was rather to draw us on with a false guess of our Enemy's weakness than to do us much hurt, yet."
Even as evening drew closer and hovered over them like a dark veil, they would not stop moving. We must make haste now to Mordor, Elrohir knew, else the Enemy might lay a better trap for us while we are out here.
Beside him, Eli shivered again, and Elrohir realized that it was not of the cold. Reaching out to clasp her hand, he asked, ^What is the matter, my love?^
Eli glanced at him, then at the sky. "Nazgul… They're up there, somewhere, but I can't see them."
Elrohir followed her gaze to the heavens, and his eyes narrowed when he caught sight of several large shapes flying between the clouds, occasionally blocking out the light of the moon when they passed over its face. So we are being watched.
"I am afraid that we are already betrayed to the Enemy," Aragorn said with a sigh. "He already knows our numbers, and all those who come forth to challenge him."
Gandalf shook his head. "True, he may know how many men we have with us and WHO rides among us, but he does not know yet the true strength we possess. He knows our strength in numbers, and he may make preparations against that, but in terms of TRUE strength, he knows nothing. Take heart, Aragorn. We may yet win this fight in the end."
"I pray that you are right Gandalf," Aragorn said hopefully. "I pray that you are right."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Phew, done!! This is another useless interlude thing, but hey, I had fun writing it, especially the part wherein Camille and Eli are talking about guerilla tactics, and, of course, the fluff scene of Elrohir and Eli ^_^. Those two are just so ridiculously sweet!!!! Naughty, naughty Elrohir!!! And I had hoped that you would be a little more decent than Legolas ^_~. ANYWAY, let's move on!! Looks like we're drawing closer to the Final Battle cheers!!! Of course, writing this last fight gave me a MASSIVE headache winces, but for you, my dear readers and reviewers, I am willing to suffer this excruciating pain, if only to live up to the standards of your discriminating tastes ^_~. Get thee to the next chapter, dear friends!! See you reaches for the bottle of aspirin!!!!
A CHALLENGE: To all you fic writers out there who can do NC-17 material, here's a challenge you might like. Since I lack the ability to write good NC-17 scenes for this fic (believe me, I HAVE tried grimaces), I decided to let YOU do it for me ^_^. This is how it goes: write an NC-17 scene for this fic for the pairings that appear here (Legolas/Camille, Boromir/Camille, Elrohir/Eli, Elladan/Eli, or do a three-way and go Elrohir/Eli/Elladan). You can use ANY situation that appears in the fic ("first night" wedding scenes are also welcome), and you can write as many as you want for one or both pairings, as long as it is perceived to be possible in the context of the story. Hint: there was an opportunity for Elrohir and Eli in this chapter ^_~. Once you've typed it up, please COPY AND PASTE IT INTO YOUR EMAIL and send it to: ladyharley2002@hotmail.com with the subject "Lost Chapters". I WILL ONLY ACCEPT FICS WITH THAT TITLE IN THE SUBJECT. Also, please place which particular chapter it fits in, or if it's a wedding night scene. The prize? No money, unfortunately, but when I finish the fic, I will be putting up your stories in a little collection I shall call "The Lost Chapters". Of course, I will give you full credit for whatever work you have written. In lieu of this, please place your pen name in the email when submitting. I will be accepting works from June 11, 2002 up to June 26, 2002. That should be more than enough time for you people, right? Well then, if you think you can meet this challenge, good luck, and may the Valar bless your pen and inspiration! Au revoir!!!