Chapter 9
Out of the Maze
Estel forced himself to look away. The orcs continued to laugh and snarl with pleasure. He was out of tears and emotion. He just wanted to die. He wanted it all to be over. He missed Rivendell. He wanted to go home to see Elrond, Elrohir, Elladen, Glorfindel... but Arwen most of all. He wanted to see her soft face and silky hair once more. To watch her read by the fountain or smell the flowers in the garden. He could almost hear her whispering his name: 'Estel.'
'Estel!' the human's eyebrows narrowed. Arwen's voice didn't sound so panicked and rough. He opened his eyes and looked around. The flames were slowly dying down and Legolas hung their, blood still cascading down his face. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He was still alive.
'Estel!' Estel cried out as his ropes were cut and his arms fell to his sides. Instinct made him clutch his left arm tightly and pain throbbed through it. A figure kneeled in front of him. The cries of the orcs suddenly came to his ears.
'Legolas! Get Legolas!' Estel cried. A battle erupted around them. Orcs fell with arrows sticking out of their faces, necks and backs. In moments they were all on the ground, either writhing or dead. Estel looked around. Coming from all the tunnels were elves carrying bows, quivers, knives and spears. He looked at the figure in front of him to see the face of Gildaen.
'But...' Estel was overcome with emotion. He stared into the green eyes of the elf who was supposed to be gone. Dead.
Estel suddenly pushed him out of the way and stumbled to his feet. He felt dizzy at the sudden movement and paused for a moment before rushing over to Legolas.
'Legolas! Legolas!' Estel watched as two elves lifted the elf to his feet. He was still unconscious and his head bobbed on his chest. The two elves slung his arms around their necks. Estel examined him from head to toe. There wasn't even a singe on his clothing.
'Is he all right?' he asked. The elves ignored him and headed towards one of the tunnels. 'Will he live?' The elves all around either followed them or began to retrieve unspoiled arrows from the bodies of the orcs. A sudden wave of vertigo passed over him and he fell back. Gildaen appeared behind him and caught him. He gently set him down on the ground.
'Legolas will be fine, Estel.' said Gildaen. 'He's a tough elf and wouldn't give in that easy.' Estel was about to mention how Legolas was giving up earlier, but thought better of it. 'To be honest, I'm much more worried about you. You've been wounded with no mercy.' Two more elves knelt down beside them. Estel could feel bandages being wrapped around his arm and shoulder. He felt extremely light-headed. His face suddenly stung with pain.
'Don't fall into darkness, Estel!' cried Gildaen with a panicky voice.
'He's lost too much blood!'
'We need the healers! Somebody get the healers!'
'Estel! Come to the light Estel! Don't let darkness consume you!'
Estel didn't listen. He just wanted to sleep. Darkness shrouded his vision.
*
'He is not well.' said Gildaen quietly. Legolas looked over the captain's shoulder into the room. 'The healers need to help him. They are not sure if they can save him or not.' Legolas shook his head.
'No.' he muttered. 'No, he has to live. It's my fault he got hurt! I let him go on his own and he paid the price meant for me.'
'Legolas you've got to stop blaming yourself for these things!' stated Gildaen. 'It's not your fault! It was Estel's choice and he paid his own price! We can only hope it can be healed. He's lost so much blood and his wounds are deep.'
'I'll never forgive myself for this.' snarled Legolas. 'He's almost dead and it's because I asked him to come.'
'It's because you gave him a choice, and this is his fate.' Gildaen somehow managed to remain calm throughout the whole argument. 'Estel's tough. He may pull through.' Legolas sighed and looked away. 'Pray for him.' said Gildaen. Legolas stared at him. 'It's the best you can do.'
Legolas turned and walked away. He faced the scalded hole that was once the entrance to the fort. All the bodies had been cleared away and buried just outside. Legolas stepped through the massive opening and looked at the treetops. The morning light gave the whole forest a pleasant, peaceful look. He looked around to see many young trees planted over freshly overturned dirt mounds.
He ran into the trees as tears began to sting his eyes. He pumped his feet with his fists and didn't stop until he came to a small sapling. The leaves were minute and the trunk was thin. He kneeled down and placed his forehead on his kneecap.
He prayed.
Out of the Maze
Estel forced himself to look away. The orcs continued to laugh and snarl with pleasure. He was out of tears and emotion. He just wanted to die. He wanted it all to be over. He missed Rivendell. He wanted to go home to see Elrond, Elrohir, Elladen, Glorfindel... but Arwen most of all. He wanted to see her soft face and silky hair once more. To watch her read by the fountain or smell the flowers in the garden. He could almost hear her whispering his name: 'Estel.'
'Estel!' the human's eyebrows narrowed. Arwen's voice didn't sound so panicked and rough. He opened his eyes and looked around. The flames were slowly dying down and Legolas hung their, blood still cascading down his face. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He was still alive.
'Estel!' Estel cried out as his ropes were cut and his arms fell to his sides. Instinct made him clutch his left arm tightly and pain throbbed through it. A figure kneeled in front of him. The cries of the orcs suddenly came to his ears.
'Legolas! Get Legolas!' Estel cried. A battle erupted around them. Orcs fell with arrows sticking out of their faces, necks and backs. In moments they were all on the ground, either writhing or dead. Estel looked around. Coming from all the tunnels were elves carrying bows, quivers, knives and spears. He looked at the figure in front of him to see the face of Gildaen.
'But...' Estel was overcome with emotion. He stared into the green eyes of the elf who was supposed to be gone. Dead.
Estel suddenly pushed him out of the way and stumbled to his feet. He felt dizzy at the sudden movement and paused for a moment before rushing over to Legolas.
'Legolas! Legolas!' Estel watched as two elves lifted the elf to his feet. He was still unconscious and his head bobbed on his chest. The two elves slung his arms around their necks. Estel examined him from head to toe. There wasn't even a singe on his clothing.
'Is he all right?' he asked. The elves ignored him and headed towards one of the tunnels. 'Will he live?' The elves all around either followed them or began to retrieve unspoiled arrows from the bodies of the orcs. A sudden wave of vertigo passed over him and he fell back. Gildaen appeared behind him and caught him. He gently set him down on the ground.
'Legolas will be fine, Estel.' said Gildaen. 'He's a tough elf and wouldn't give in that easy.' Estel was about to mention how Legolas was giving up earlier, but thought better of it. 'To be honest, I'm much more worried about you. You've been wounded with no mercy.' Two more elves knelt down beside them. Estel could feel bandages being wrapped around his arm and shoulder. He felt extremely light-headed. His face suddenly stung with pain.
'Don't fall into darkness, Estel!' cried Gildaen with a panicky voice.
'He's lost too much blood!'
'We need the healers! Somebody get the healers!'
'Estel! Come to the light Estel! Don't let darkness consume you!'
Estel didn't listen. He just wanted to sleep. Darkness shrouded his vision.
*
'He is not well.' said Gildaen quietly. Legolas looked over the captain's shoulder into the room. 'The healers need to help him. They are not sure if they can save him or not.' Legolas shook his head.
'No.' he muttered. 'No, he has to live. It's my fault he got hurt! I let him go on his own and he paid the price meant for me.'
'Legolas you've got to stop blaming yourself for these things!' stated Gildaen. 'It's not your fault! It was Estel's choice and he paid his own price! We can only hope it can be healed. He's lost so much blood and his wounds are deep.'
'I'll never forgive myself for this.' snarled Legolas. 'He's almost dead and it's because I asked him to come.'
'It's because you gave him a choice, and this is his fate.' Gildaen somehow managed to remain calm throughout the whole argument. 'Estel's tough. He may pull through.' Legolas sighed and looked away. 'Pray for him.' said Gildaen. Legolas stared at him. 'It's the best you can do.'
Legolas turned and walked away. He faced the scalded hole that was once the entrance to the fort. All the bodies had been cleared away and buried just outside. Legolas stepped through the massive opening and looked at the treetops. The morning light gave the whole forest a pleasant, peaceful look. He looked around to see many young trees planted over freshly overturned dirt mounds.
He ran into the trees as tears began to sting his eyes. He pumped his feet with his fists and didn't stop until he came to a small sapling. The leaves were minute and the trunk was thin. He kneeled down and placed his forehead on his kneecap.
He prayed.