Hard Choices
Alana traveled with her father and Gimli for many years, and on many adventures. And though she loved the adventure, the time, she knew, was coming, where she would follow her grandfather's steps and leaves Middle-Earth.
The day came sooner than expected.
Alana slew another wolf with her dagger, before turning her attention to the orcs that were attacking. They were some of the last orcs, and their deaths would soon destroy the existence of these disgusting creatures.
Alana turned for one second, and in that second she missed the hilt of an orc-sword coming down on her skull.
Legolas, a little ways away, slew the final orc there, and looked around. He saw Gimli lying unconscious against a tree trunk, but was having some difficulty finding Alana. He walked around the camp, yelling her name, until his foot came in on a dagger.
Stepping off it, he looked down. It was Alana's.
***
Legolas ran through the forest three days later, praying to the Valar that his iell was still alive. Stopping his chase only once in a while to look for tracks, Legolas ran for a full three days with no rest.
Legolas broke into a clearing. He looked around, desperate for the footprints. They walked across the clearing, and then stopped suddenly.
Following the tracks to where they stopped, Legolas began to search for something else. He spotted it. A hidden door descending into the ground.
Reaching down he pulled up the handle and began to walk down the stone stairs that led to the dark, uninviting tunnels.
Gimli came into the clearing just in time to see his friend's head disappear into the brush. He walked over, and quickly followed Legolas down.
Legolas looked over his shoulder at his stout friend. They walked down the narrow passage for an hour before they heard something. Screams.
"Ada! Ada save me! ADA!"
Legolas broke into a run then, bolting down the corridor faster than anything Gimli had ever seen, at least.
Legolas threw open a pair of doors and found six orcs brutally attacking someone. Notching two arrows, Legolas shot, and the two creatures fell dead.
He shot the other four in the same manner and then ran to where his young daughter lie, sobbing. She was bruised, they had whipped her, and it was obvious that they had done more, much more.
"Alana?"
Alana glanced up, and then suddenly found her feet very interesting. Legolas knelt down next to her, and gently pulled her into a soft hug, stroking her hair.
Alana cried bitterly into his arms, letting her father rock her as though she were three again. She clung to him and wouldn't let go, for fear he would disappear.
Legolas lifted Alana up and turned to leave, meeting Gimli at the door.
***
Alana wasn't healing correctly, and Legolas knew this, but he was too afraid to let the last bit of his family go, ever since Thranduil, his father, had left, Legolas had been dreading the day that he would loose her, if she did not come with him. Alana had been healing for many months though, and she still was steadily dying. Legolas knew what he had to do, and he hated it more than anything.
"Ada?"
Legolas turned a tear stained face to Alana, who was watching his with sad eyes. She sighed.
"Then, Ada, you now what I must do." She concluded, by the look on his face.
Legolas didn't stop his tears as he gathered her to his chest. She snuggled up close to him, listening to the steady rhythm on his beating heart.
"It won't be forever. Just a little while." She whispered to him.
"Every moment without you I shall loose a bit more of myself." He replied, allowing his tears to drip into her hair.
"I will be without pain, Ada. And Grandfather will be there, and I shall be free." Legolas just held her, listening to her voice.
"We will leave tomorrow, Ada. But I will never leave you completely."
R/R I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG OF A BREAK!!!!!! Please review! Two more chapters and this will be finished, but If I get enough requests, I will right a compainion piece about Alana's early childhood, which will explain more.