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** Gwaihir, the Eagle King looked down on the mortally wounded elf with sad eyes. It should not be this way. Elves should not die, they should shine brightly and live eternally, and darkness should never touch their souls. The Valor had not intended this and to see the Firstborn decimated made grief swell in his heart.
The elf looked up at him with tired eyes, eyes that had accepted their fate and resigned themselves to it, but as he studied them harder the eagle saw a faint spark. The elf wanted to do something, needed to do something before it died and Gwaihir would help him do that.
"Help me." It whispered and reached out a pale bloodied hand. Gwaihir moved closer and crouched next to the elf.
"I will help you. Hold on." He whispered. The elf crawled on to Gwaihir's back and the eagle could feel it loosely grip his feathers.
* Balian felt his grip weaken as they soared high through the sky, the eagle flew above the low clouds and the sun touched his skin. The warmth offered him little comfort as the cold of death spread through his body. He opened his eyes and watched as the sun passed through the deep blue sky. It would be the last time he felt her warm rays. They dipped beneath the clouds and again the rain wet them through to the skin. Balian watched with eyes that were dimming in death as they approached Minas Tirith.
** Aragorn stood in his chambers looking at himself in the mirror and hating what he saw. He saw a coward. A King and ruler who was too afraid to go against his advisors to help a friend. Not just any friend, his best friend who he had known for many years and he had refused to aid him. What kind of a man did that make him? How could he ask for anything ever again from anyone? He did not deserve those who awaited his arrival in the hall. His friends. His wife, how could Arwen look at him again when he had refused to help her race?
A soft knock on the door heralded the arrival of a servant.
"My lord they await you" the man said softly. Aragorn nodded without turning to look at the man. He heard the door close. Taking a deep breath he turned and walked to the hall.
* The feast was sombre instead of being the celebration it had intended to be. Even the hobbits were quiet, they sensed something was amiss and it concerned Legolas, as the elf was not there. They did not know the full facts but they knew something was wrong and they were worried.
Aragorn and Arwen sat side by side both saying little and eating less. Eomer was to Aragorn's right and to Arwen's left sat Eowyn and then Faramir. Gandalf was sat near the hobbits and was trying to keep a conversation going. Gimli had pointedly sat away from them and was eating with a few of his dwarf captains. He did not meet any of the looks sent his way.
The feast continued and the atmosphere became more and more tense until Aragorn felt that he could not stand it any more.
"Why is Legolas not here?" a voice piped up. Pippin. Gandalf immediately began to silence the inquisitive hobbit but the question had been asked.
"Because his home is under attack and his people dying." Gimli snapped bitterly.
The hobbits looked up surprised and turned to look at Aragorn.
"By who?" Frodo asked.
"Dark forces from Dol Guldur have amassed an army."
"Is Legolas well?" Sam asked.
"Probably not." Gimli snapped again as he slammed down his goblet.
"What?" Pippin asked.
"The army is too large for the wood elves to fight. They needed aid but it was refused so they fight alone."
"Why was it refused?" Merry asked.
"Enough!" Aragorn said firmly. "Now is not the time to debate such issues."
"And when is the time? When Legolas lies dead at your feet?" Gimli yelled. All stopped.
"Gimli please not now." A soft voice said. Arwen. "We will talk more tomorrow on the matter. Now lets eat."
Gimli bowed his head but the damage had been done. The hobbits were looking around trying to work out what had happened. Everyone who knew what was going on looked uncomfortable and in some cases embarrassed.
Servants came in to clear the plates. They were confused at the silence and quickly wanted to leave the unpleasant atmosphere.
Aragorn took a long sip of his wine, longer than needed, as he did not want to face the looks passed in his direction. He did not know what to do or what to say.
He was saved from speaking by the main doors bursting open. A drenched, wounded and obviously exhausted elf staggered into the room followed by several guards.
"He insisted." Aragorn held up his hand to stop the guard's hasty explanation of the interruption.
Several people had risen to their feet as the elf sank to his knees.
"Get the healer." Faramir called. Aragorn stepped round the table. His heart had sunk. He knew the elf. Balian of Mirkwood and best friend of Legolas. He wanted to freeze time, to stop the words that he feared and knew deep down were going to be said.
"We had no chance.. They. they took him. The Orcs took Legolas. Sauron. has taken him, so many died. We have fallen. Mirkwood has fallen."
The elf haltedly spoke the words as he knelt shaking on the floor, his blood pooling at his feet. His eyes met Aragorn's and he watched as the light in them died. Aragorn rushed forward to catch the elf as he collapsed.
He held the elf in his arms watching the pain lines fade as he died.
"NO!!!!" A roar of anger and anguish echoed through the hall as Gimli rose to his feet.
"Stop him" Gandalf cried as Aragorn heard the dwarf run from the room.
The dwarf let loose with a string of oaths as he was stopped from leaving. The other dwarfs hurried to their feet to come to the aid of Gimli. The room quickly dissolved into chaos as others hurried to stop the dwarfs.
"Aragorn do something!" Gandalf commanded but Aragorn's attention was firmly fixed on Balian. With a shaking hand he closed the unseeing eyes.
"Aragorn!" Gandalf roared trying to shake the King from his fixation on Balian.
Aragorn looked up, the grief gnawing at him was so great that he could not cry or even speak.
"Do something!" The wizard demanded locking eyes with the man. Aragorn swallowed and cleared his throat.
"Gather as many warriors as you can. We leave as soon as possible." He said and a new light of guilt and vengeance for Balian's death appeared in his eyes. Gandalf looked shocked and shook his head.
"No Aragorn. Do not let grief guide you." He implored.
"Now!!" Aragorn said as he gently placed Balian on the ground.
"Mirkwood has fallen, if that is so there is nothing we can do but prepare ourselves to defend against this army." The wizard continued trying to talk sense to the anguished man.
"We must help them. Legolas is a prisoner of Sauron. Surely you cannot leave him to torment and death. He is your friend."
Gandalf faltered, he knew what should be done but then Aragorn's words delved deep into his heart. He moved out of the way of the dwarfs.
"I do not know if this is right but I cannot in good conscience abandon Legolas to darkness. May the Valor protect us."
* Silen rode hard towards the orcs, the elves were retreating to the Haven. He needed to stop them.
"Kill the elves!" he cried.
"My lord they have disappeared." The orcs hissed.
"Where?" he demanded anxiously, his master would not be pleased if they escaped.
"In the woods to the west."
"Set up guard points around that area to cut off their retreat. Drive them towards here."
The orcs nodded and hurried away. They have retreated to the haven. He couldn't stop those who had already retreated there but he could stop the others and then round them up.
Other orcs arrived in the clearing.
"Gather up the bodies of the elves and take them to the tower. Do not spoil them!" he ordered. His master needed all of them for the spell to work.
**
** Gwaihir, the Eagle King looked down on the mortally wounded elf with sad eyes. It should not be this way. Elves should not die, they should shine brightly and live eternally, and darkness should never touch their souls. The Valor had not intended this and to see the Firstborn decimated made grief swell in his heart.
The elf looked up at him with tired eyes, eyes that had accepted their fate and resigned themselves to it, but as he studied them harder the eagle saw a faint spark. The elf wanted to do something, needed to do something before it died and Gwaihir would help him do that.
"Help me." It whispered and reached out a pale bloodied hand. Gwaihir moved closer and crouched next to the elf.
"I will help you. Hold on." He whispered. The elf crawled on to Gwaihir's back and the eagle could feel it loosely grip his feathers.
* Balian felt his grip weaken as they soared high through the sky, the eagle flew above the low clouds and the sun touched his skin. The warmth offered him little comfort as the cold of death spread through his body. He opened his eyes and watched as the sun passed through the deep blue sky. It would be the last time he felt her warm rays. They dipped beneath the clouds and again the rain wet them through to the skin. Balian watched with eyes that were dimming in death as they approached Minas Tirith.
** Aragorn stood in his chambers looking at himself in the mirror and hating what he saw. He saw a coward. A King and ruler who was too afraid to go against his advisors to help a friend. Not just any friend, his best friend who he had known for many years and he had refused to aid him. What kind of a man did that make him? How could he ask for anything ever again from anyone? He did not deserve those who awaited his arrival in the hall. His friends. His wife, how could Arwen look at him again when he had refused to help her race?
A soft knock on the door heralded the arrival of a servant.
"My lord they await you" the man said softly. Aragorn nodded without turning to look at the man. He heard the door close. Taking a deep breath he turned and walked to the hall.
* The feast was sombre instead of being the celebration it had intended to be. Even the hobbits were quiet, they sensed something was amiss and it concerned Legolas, as the elf was not there. They did not know the full facts but they knew something was wrong and they were worried.
Aragorn and Arwen sat side by side both saying little and eating less. Eomer was to Aragorn's right and to Arwen's left sat Eowyn and then Faramir. Gandalf was sat near the hobbits and was trying to keep a conversation going. Gimli had pointedly sat away from them and was eating with a few of his dwarf captains. He did not meet any of the looks sent his way.
The feast continued and the atmosphere became more and more tense until Aragorn felt that he could not stand it any more.
"Why is Legolas not here?" a voice piped up. Pippin. Gandalf immediately began to silence the inquisitive hobbit but the question had been asked.
"Because his home is under attack and his people dying." Gimli snapped bitterly.
The hobbits looked up surprised and turned to look at Aragorn.
"By who?" Frodo asked.
"Dark forces from Dol Guldur have amassed an army."
"Is Legolas well?" Sam asked.
"Probably not." Gimli snapped again as he slammed down his goblet.
"What?" Pippin asked.
"The army is too large for the wood elves to fight. They needed aid but it was refused so they fight alone."
"Why was it refused?" Merry asked.
"Enough!" Aragorn said firmly. "Now is not the time to debate such issues."
"And when is the time? When Legolas lies dead at your feet?" Gimli yelled. All stopped.
"Gimli please not now." A soft voice said. Arwen. "We will talk more tomorrow on the matter. Now lets eat."
Gimli bowed his head but the damage had been done. The hobbits were looking around trying to work out what had happened. Everyone who knew what was going on looked uncomfortable and in some cases embarrassed.
Servants came in to clear the plates. They were confused at the silence and quickly wanted to leave the unpleasant atmosphere.
Aragorn took a long sip of his wine, longer than needed, as he did not want to face the looks passed in his direction. He did not know what to do or what to say.
He was saved from speaking by the main doors bursting open. A drenched, wounded and obviously exhausted elf staggered into the room followed by several guards.
"He insisted." Aragorn held up his hand to stop the guard's hasty explanation of the interruption.
Several people had risen to their feet as the elf sank to his knees.
"Get the healer." Faramir called. Aragorn stepped round the table. His heart had sunk. He knew the elf. Balian of Mirkwood and best friend of Legolas. He wanted to freeze time, to stop the words that he feared and knew deep down were going to be said.
"We had no chance.. They. they took him. The Orcs took Legolas. Sauron. has taken him, so many died. We have fallen. Mirkwood has fallen."
The elf haltedly spoke the words as he knelt shaking on the floor, his blood pooling at his feet. His eyes met Aragorn's and he watched as the light in them died. Aragorn rushed forward to catch the elf as he collapsed.
He held the elf in his arms watching the pain lines fade as he died.
"NO!!!!" A roar of anger and anguish echoed through the hall as Gimli rose to his feet.
"Stop him" Gandalf cried as Aragorn heard the dwarf run from the room.
The dwarf let loose with a string of oaths as he was stopped from leaving. The other dwarfs hurried to their feet to come to the aid of Gimli. The room quickly dissolved into chaos as others hurried to stop the dwarfs.
"Aragorn do something!" Gandalf commanded but Aragorn's attention was firmly fixed on Balian. With a shaking hand he closed the unseeing eyes.
"Aragorn!" Gandalf roared trying to shake the King from his fixation on Balian.
Aragorn looked up, the grief gnawing at him was so great that he could not cry or even speak.
"Do something!" The wizard demanded locking eyes with the man. Aragorn swallowed and cleared his throat.
"Gather as many warriors as you can. We leave as soon as possible." He said and a new light of guilt and vengeance for Balian's death appeared in his eyes. Gandalf looked shocked and shook his head.
"No Aragorn. Do not let grief guide you." He implored.
"Now!!" Aragorn said as he gently placed Balian on the ground.
"Mirkwood has fallen, if that is so there is nothing we can do but prepare ourselves to defend against this army." The wizard continued trying to talk sense to the anguished man.
"We must help them. Legolas is a prisoner of Sauron. Surely you cannot leave him to torment and death. He is your friend."
Gandalf faltered, he knew what should be done but then Aragorn's words delved deep into his heart. He moved out of the way of the dwarfs.
"I do not know if this is right but I cannot in good conscience abandon Legolas to darkness. May the Valor protect us."
* Silen rode hard towards the orcs, the elves were retreating to the Haven. He needed to stop them.
"Kill the elves!" he cried.
"My lord they have disappeared." The orcs hissed.
"Where?" he demanded anxiously, his master would not be pleased if they escaped.
"In the woods to the west."
"Set up guard points around that area to cut off their retreat. Drive them towards here."
The orcs nodded and hurried away. They have retreated to the haven. He couldn't stop those who had already retreated there but he could stop the others and then round them up.
Other orcs arrived in the clearing.
"Gather up the bodies of the elves and take them to the tower. Do not spoil them!" he ordered. His master needed all of them for the spell to work.
**