Eothain could hear the sounds of battle as he made his way down into the
caves, he wanted so much to be out there with them! In his exhaustion, he
only just managed to keep going. Behind him, Gamling's footsteps were
heavy, much like Eothain's heart.
His sister and mother were waiting for him. Upon seeing him, both woman and child jumped from their seat and ran towards him, his mother locking him in a firm embrace that, had he not been so happy to see them, might have once embarrassed the boy.
'Come, we must go. Should the last stand fail, you need to be as far away as we can get you.' Gamling said, and led them towards a passage way in the back. 'Lady Eowyn, if you would lead them, I will board up the entrance behind you.' He added, speaking with all the respect their haste would allow.
Eothain could feel her disappointment at not being able to fight, but he watched in silent respect as she nodded and took up a small child in her arms and started into the passageway.
'Rohirrum! Charge!' The shout echoed through the dawn, rising with the sun, bringing hope where before there was not even a sliver. Eomer had come, and he had brought with him their salvation.
Legolas sat atop his horse, his bone-handled blades clutched in his hands, his arrows long since spent. Guiding the stead with his knees, he wove through the quickly receding tide of the uruk-hai. Helm's Deep had not been the rock they had searched for, but the insanely courageous, and quite possibly stupid, act of charging out to meet them had been exactly what was needed.
As the constant stream of orcs dwindled down to a mere trickle, the elf dismounted and climbed up onto a convenient rock to gaze out over the field of battle.
Death was something that, in all his years, Legolas had seen very little of. If, six months ago, someone had tried to tell him what it was, he was not sure his mind would have been able to grasp the concept.
And now he was more familiar with it than anyone would have thought possible.
From where he stood, it was mostly orcs that filled his vision, but if he looked towards the shattered wall of the fortress, he could see the men and elves that littered the earth. It was the children that stood out the most, their empty eyes clearly visible by his elven eyesight.
'Legolas!' It was Aragorn. Slowly, the elf turned his gaze down towards the man. 'Are you alright?'
No. He was not all right. Seeing Aragorn standing there covered in blood and all but drooping with exhaustion had put a thought in his mind. One day, his friend would cease to stand below him and question his health. One day, Aragorn would fade and die, and leave Legolas to travel Arda alone, for even Gimli was not immortal.
For the first time in his life, the elf felt truly depressed. This was what Lord Elrond had been trying to get Arwen to understand. This is why King Thranduil had sealed off the boarders of Mirkwood.
'Legolas?' Aragorn asked again, his voice even more full of concern than it had been before. He climbed up on the rock to see if there was something specific that had upset the elf. 'What is it?'
The Prince of Mirkwood took a deep breath and met his friend's eyes. 'You are a mortal man, are you not? One day, you are going to die.'
Aragorn sighed. 'Oh.' What did one say to that? How could he comfort his friend when all he had done was state the truth? 'One day, yes.' He said at length. 'But not today, and certainly not tomorrow, but one day.'
Legolas nodded, accepting this, if only because there was nothing else he could do. A second thought struck him. 'How did Gimli get across the gap from the side entrance to the main bridge?'
The ranger smiled. 'Now that is something that I cannot say, for I am sworn to secrecy. However, was I to give you a hint.' he seemed to think about this possibility, combing his beard lightly with bloody fingers.
'I see, so you threw him across?'
'Now, where on earth did you get that idea? I did no such thing.'
'Sorry, tossed.'
Aragorn grinned. 'Possibly.' laughing, the two climbed down and set off towards the main building in search of Gandalf and directions as to what was next.
The End, and a big thank you to all three of my reviewers, you know who you are. This last chapter was for you.
His sister and mother were waiting for him. Upon seeing him, both woman and child jumped from their seat and ran towards him, his mother locking him in a firm embrace that, had he not been so happy to see them, might have once embarrassed the boy.
'Come, we must go. Should the last stand fail, you need to be as far away as we can get you.' Gamling said, and led them towards a passage way in the back. 'Lady Eowyn, if you would lead them, I will board up the entrance behind you.' He added, speaking with all the respect their haste would allow.
Eothain could feel her disappointment at not being able to fight, but he watched in silent respect as she nodded and took up a small child in her arms and started into the passageway.
'Rohirrum! Charge!' The shout echoed through the dawn, rising with the sun, bringing hope where before there was not even a sliver. Eomer had come, and he had brought with him their salvation.
Legolas sat atop his horse, his bone-handled blades clutched in his hands, his arrows long since spent. Guiding the stead with his knees, he wove through the quickly receding tide of the uruk-hai. Helm's Deep had not been the rock they had searched for, but the insanely courageous, and quite possibly stupid, act of charging out to meet them had been exactly what was needed.
As the constant stream of orcs dwindled down to a mere trickle, the elf dismounted and climbed up onto a convenient rock to gaze out over the field of battle.
Death was something that, in all his years, Legolas had seen very little of. If, six months ago, someone had tried to tell him what it was, he was not sure his mind would have been able to grasp the concept.
And now he was more familiar with it than anyone would have thought possible.
From where he stood, it was mostly orcs that filled his vision, but if he looked towards the shattered wall of the fortress, he could see the men and elves that littered the earth. It was the children that stood out the most, their empty eyes clearly visible by his elven eyesight.
'Legolas!' It was Aragorn. Slowly, the elf turned his gaze down towards the man. 'Are you alright?'
No. He was not all right. Seeing Aragorn standing there covered in blood and all but drooping with exhaustion had put a thought in his mind. One day, his friend would cease to stand below him and question his health. One day, Aragorn would fade and die, and leave Legolas to travel Arda alone, for even Gimli was not immortal.
For the first time in his life, the elf felt truly depressed. This was what Lord Elrond had been trying to get Arwen to understand. This is why King Thranduil had sealed off the boarders of Mirkwood.
'Legolas?' Aragorn asked again, his voice even more full of concern than it had been before. He climbed up on the rock to see if there was something specific that had upset the elf. 'What is it?'
The Prince of Mirkwood took a deep breath and met his friend's eyes. 'You are a mortal man, are you not? One day, you are going to die.'
Aragorn sighed. 'Oh.' What did one say to that? How could he comfort his friend when all he had done was state the truth? 'One day, yes.' He said at length. 'But not today, and certainly not tomorrow, but one day.'
Legolas nodded, accepting this, if only because there was nothing else he could do. A second thought struck him. 'How did Gimli get across the gap from the side entrance to the main bridge?'
The ranger smiled. 'Now that is something that I cannot say, for I am sworn to secrecy. However, was I to give you a hint.' he seemed to think about this possibility, combing his beard lightly with bloody fingers.
'I see, so you threw him across?'
'Now, where on earth did you get that idea? I did no such thing.'
'Sorry, tossed.'
Aragorn grinned. 'Possibly.' laughing, the two climbed down and set off towards the main building in search of Gandalf and directions as to what was next.
The End, and a big thank you to all three of my reviewers, you know who you are. This last chapter was for you.