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**
Bysal marched out of the council chambers, his face contorted in a furious scowl, which made all who came across him move out of the way quickly. In the corner of his eye he spotted Lord Elrond but pretended he did not see him, as he might not be able control his words at that moment. He entered the barracks of the warriors and halted. Inside were many of his friends and comrades stood all watching him.
"What is going on?" he questioned.
Anwale a warrior captain stepped forward, he looks like an elected spokesperson Bysal thought.
"What did Prince Legolas want?" he asked.
"Aid. Mirkwood is under attack. They cannot hold them back."
"Then let us depart." Anwale said.
"No. The council says no aid is to be given. Legolas has departed."
This was met with a mixture of cries of anger and agreement.
"What?" Anwale cried.
"The Council felt that Legolas was exaggerating and we were not of the strength to grant any aid. They dismissed him." Bysal said bitterly.
"It is no less than they deserve." Another voice cried from the back of the room and several murmured in agreement.
"Silence!" Anwale snapped.
"Why?" the voice continued. "It is what everyone thinks. They deserve nothing from us."
Bysal muttered a curse in the direction of the voice. Anwale walked up to Bysal and the two left the room.
Walking under the trees in the gardens the two were silent.
"I know you are planning something." Anwale said after a few minutes.
"Really?" Bysal said watching as the storm clouds approached.
"Yes. I know you too well."
Bysal did not reply. Minutes later Anwale grew very impatient, unusual for him and grabbed Bysal's arm stopping the elf and turning him round.
"Tell me."
"When the storm breaks, we leave and take a few loyal warriors with us. We can make to Mirkwood in a week."
"You would go against the Councils decision and Lord Elrond's?!" Anwale asked
"If I had to and I know many others will follow. You know as well as I do that Lord Elrond wants to grant aid but the Council is old fashioned, they still dwell on the past and their prejudices. Legolas is our friend and the elves of Mirkwood are our kin. Can we abandon them to death while we leave for the West."
"No." Anwale said. "I cannot."
"Will you follow me?"
"Yes and I know others will."
The two elves continued talking as they walked unaware of another's presence. Elrond watched them leave the gardens. He would not stop them. He would keep the Council in session until the storm ended to give them chance to leave. It was the least he could do. He prayed to the Valor for them to be granted a safe journey and to come back alive.
* Thranduil stood in his bedchambers slowly putting on his armour. He had asked to be left alone for a few minutes as he dressed. Pausing as he pulled on his gauntlets he looked up at the portrait of his wife that hung on the wall.
"I do not know what to do my love." He whispered. "We cannot win this and I fear for our children. They will fight as long as they draw breath and we will fall."
A soft wind accompanied the rain and it breezed through the room and smoothed through his hair. He sighed and closed his eyes leaning into its caress wishing that his wife were standing beside him. One solitary tear ran down his strong features leaving a silvery trail. Brushing it aside he breathed in deeply.
"We shall see our family reunited soon my love." He clasped his sword firmly and walked determinedly out of the room. Let them come and let us show them what the wood elves can unleash.
* Gimli looked at the thirty dwarfs that stood before him. It had been all that they could spare but united with the men of Aragorn they would be a formidable force.
"We march to Edoras, from there we will join the army of men and move up the river until we reach Mirkwood's borders."
"Army of men?" Thuth a senior dwarf asked.
"Legolas is friend of many men and undoubtedly there will be an army assembling to give aid. It will be better to unite and go as a single force." Gimli said.
Thruth nodded in assent.
"I never thought we would march to the aid of elves but then I never thought that a dwarf would befriend an elf and would do much to restore our faith in the firstborn." Thuth said as he moved and marched beside Gimli. Thuth was Gimli's oldest friend and Gimli valued his opinion greatly.
"Aye that elf has managed the impossible." Gimli said with a smile. "Too damned stubborn."
The two dwarfs smiled but it faded as they watched some of the disapproving glares from some dwarfs as they left the caves.
"Although it seems some views will never change." Thuth said gruffly eyeing the dwarfs angrily.
The sun was peeping out from behind the storm clouds as they left the caves bringing back the light to the land but Gimli's heart was clouded with darkness. If Mirkwood had begged for aid the situation was dire and he feared that they would be too late. He hoped Legolas faired well but he knew the elf well, Legolas would be in the thick of the battle and would readily die in his homes defence. If Legolas fell.Gimli shook his head angrily he would not think such thoughts. Legolas would survive, he would make sure of that.
* Legolas galloped Voronwer hard as he caught sight of a warg party attacking a group of elves on the border of the forest. He could not use his bow as his broken arm left his grip weakened so he would use surprise and then his knives. Voronwer screamed in fury as he ploughed into a warg. The beast immediately went down and was killed under the stallions thrashing hooves. Legolas drew his knives and cut the throat of an orc rider before turning Voronwer and heading towards another warg. The elves quickly overcame the remaining wargs and orc riders.
"Prince Legolas." A voice said. Legolas turned to see Rimmal, a warrior captain approach him.
"Thank you." Legolas nodded.
"Where did you come from?" he questioned.
"Rivendell."
"And there response to our calls for aid?" Rimmal asked.
"No aid is to expected." Legolas said quietly, so the others did not hear.
Rimmal frowned but said nothing as he saw to the wounded elves. Legolas got down off Voronwer and helped.
"Are any of the other ambassadors back yet?" Legolas asked as he quickly bandaged a fang wound on an elf's arm.
"None have returned that I know of."
"The army?"
"Within a day of our defences."
"Then we will be alone, for no one can get here within a day. We will have to hold them. I am certain that Aragorn's army will be here within days." Legolas said.
"I hope you are correct my prince."
"Aragorn would not abandon us, nor would Gimli."
**
**
Bysal marched out of the council chambers, his face contorted in a furious scowl, which made all who came across him move out of the way quickly. In the corner of his eye he spotted Lord Elrond but pretended he did not see him, as he might not be able control his words at that moment. He entered the barracks of the warriors and halted. Inside were many of his friends and comrades stood all watching him.
"What is going on?" he questioned.
Anwale a warrior captain stepped forward, he looks like an elected spokesperson Bysal thought.
"What did Prince Legolas want?" he asked.
"Aid. Mirkwood is under attack. They cannot hold them back."
"Then let us depart." Anwale said.
"No. The council says no aid is to be given. Legolas has departed."
This was met with a mixture of cries of anger and agreement.
"What?" Anwale cried.
"The Council felt that Legolas was exaggerating and we were not of the strength to grant any aid. They dismissed him." Bysal said bitterly.
"It is no less than they deserve." Another voice cried from the back of the room and several murmured in agreement.
"Silence!" Anwale snapped.
"Why?" the voice continued. "It is what everyone thinks. They deserve nothing from us."
Bysal muttered a curse in the direction of the voice. Anwale walked up to Bysal and the two left the room.
Walking under the trees in the gardens the two were silent.
"I know you are planning something." Anwale said after a few minutes.
"Really?" Bysal said watching as the storm clouds approached.
"Yes. I know you too well."
Bysal did not reply. Minutes later Anwale grew very impatient, unusual for him and grabbed Bysal's arm stopping the elf and turning him round.
"Tell me."
"When the storm breaks, we leave and take a few loyal warriors with us. We can make to Mirkwood in a week."
"You would go against the Councils decision and Lord Elrond's?!" Anwale asked
"If I had to and I know many others will follow. You know as well as I do that Lord Elrond wants to grant aid but the Council is old fashioned, they still dwell on the past and their prejudices. Legolas is our friend and the elves of Mirkwood are our kin. Can we abandon them to death while we leave for the West."
"No." Anwale said. "I cannot."
"Will you follow me?"
"Yes and I know others will."
The two elves continued talking as they walked unaware of another's presence. Elrond watched them leave the gardens. He would not stop them. He would keep the Council in session until the storm ended to give them chance to leave. It was the least he could do. He prayed to the Valor for them to be granted a safe journey and to come back alive.
* Thranduil stood in his bedchambers slowly putting on his armour. He had asked to be left alone for a few minutes as he dressed. Pausing as he pulled on his gauntlets he looked up at the portrait of his wife that hung on the wall.
"I do not know what to do my love." He whispered. "We cannot win this and I fear for our children. They will fight as long as they draw breath and we will fall."
A soft wind accompanied the rain and it breezed through the room and smoothed through his hair. He sighed and closed his eyes leaning into its caress wishing that his wife were standing beside him. One solitary tear ran down his strong features leaving a silvery trail. Brushing it aside he breathed in deeply.
"We shall see our family reunited soon my love." He clasped his sword firmly and walked determinedly out of the room. Let them come and let us show them what the wood elves can unleash.
* Gimli looked at the thirty dwarfs that stood before him. It had been all that they could spare but united with the men of Aragorn they would be a formidable force.
"We march to Edoras, from there we will join the army of men and move up the river until we reach Mirkwood's borders."
"Army of men?" Thuth a senior dwarf asked.
"Legolas is friend of many men and undoubtedly there will be an army assembling to give aid. It will be better to unite and go as a single force." Gimli said.
Thruth nodded in assent.
"I never thought we would march to the aid of elves but then I never thought that a dwarf would befriend an elf and would do much to restore our faith in the firstborn." Thuth said as he moved and marched beside Gimli. Thuth was Gimli's oldest friend and Gimli valued his opinion greatly.
"Aye that elf has managed the impossible." Gimli said with a smile. "Too damned stubborn."
The two dwarfs smiled but it faded as they watched some of the disapproving glares from some dwarfs as they left the caves.
"Although it seems some views will never change." Thuth said gruffly eyeing the dwarfs angrily.
The sun was peeping out from behind the storm clouds as they left the caves bringing back the light to the land but Gimli's heart was clouded with darkness. If Mirkwood had begged for aid the situation was dire and he feared that they would be too late. He hoped Legolas faired well but he knew the elf well, Legolas would be in the thick of the battle and would readily die in his homes defence. If Legolas fell.Gimli shook his head angrily he would not think such thoughts. Legolas would survive, he would make sure of that.
* Legolas galloped Voronwer hard as he caught sight of a warg party attacking a group of elves on the border of the forest. He could not use his bow as his broken arm left his grip weakened so he would use surprise and then his knives. Voronwer screamed in fury as he ploughed into a warg. The beast immediately went down and was killed under the stallions thrashing hooves. Legolas drew his knives and cut the throat of an orc rider before turning Voronwer and heading towards another warg. The elves quickly overcame the remaining wargs and orc riders.
"Prince Legolas." A voice said. Legolas turned to see Rimmal, a warrior captain approach him.
"Thank you." Legolas nodded.
"Where did you come from?" he questioned.
"Rivendell."
"And there response to our calls for aid?" Rimmal asked.
"No aid is to expected." Legolas said quietly, so the others did not hear.
Rimmal frowned but said nothing as he saw to the wounded elves. Legolas got down off Voronwer and helped.
"Are any of the other ambassadors back yet?" Legolas asked as he quickly bandaged a fang wound on an elf's arm.
"None have returned that I know of."
"The army?"
"Within a day of our defences."
"Then we will be alone, for no one can get here within a day. We will have to hold them. I am certain that Aragorn's army will be here within days." Legolas said.
"I hope you are correct my prince."
"Aragorn would not abandon us, nor would Gimli."
**