This will be my last update for quite a few days as I am going on a Young Leaders Course with St John's ambulance. So if I pass, I can become a corporal, and boss all the cadets about! ^_^ Fun! Anyway, back to the story. Thank you for all my lovely reviews, and please continue to review!

Gilraen3.

little elfling ()- I updated as soon as I could. Read and enjoy.

Elerrina- Thank you very much! ^_^ Everything's good, and hopefully, it will stay that way. Not saying any more!

muykiay- Yes, I have seen it. Its really good. Glad you think this is getting good.

Chapter 7, Reunions and Battle.

"Any news?"

"No Rinamarth. Will you please stop asking? It's irritating."

"Sorry father, I just worry."

Elronds' face softened. "I know, I'm sorry too. I just have so much on my mind at the moment. As you do. I'm afraid I haven't heard anything, but as soon as I do, you will be the first to know, ok?"

"Yes, thank you father." She left his study. Every morning, she had gone in to see if he had heard anything about the Fellowship, but he never had. A few days ago, she had felt a great sadness come upon her, but she did not know what it was. It had lingered a couple of days, then she was back to normal. She had no idea why she had suddenly felt so sad; it had been horrible. She didn't tell anyone; she thought it of no importance, but now, when she thought about it, perhaps it was. She had never felt it before, except once, many, many years ago. Roundabout the time when Legolas had been injured. She had known nothing about his injury till a few weeks later, but it had occurred to her then. Was he hurt now? He obviously was in some way. Was it her chain she had given him? Did it link them somehow? Spiritually? Maybe. She decided to tell Arwen. She gently knocked on her door. "Come in," called her fair voice from inside. Rinamarth opened the door and walked in. Arwen was sitting in her chair, reading. "Hello Rinamarth, you ok?"

"Not really, no," Rinamarth replied. She sat down opposite her sister. Arwen put her book down, and looked at her. She looked tired, rather pale too. "What's wrong Rinamarth? You don't look so good. Are you missing him?"

"Yes obviously, but it's also something else. A few days ago, I felt a great sadness inside me. But I have nothing to be sad about, not that sad anyway. It was awful. I have no idea what it was. I felt it before, many years ago, when Legolas had been hurt. Do you think it's got something to do with him?" Arwen was silent a while, pondering this. "It could be. You gave him your chain didn't you?"

"Yes, I was thinking along the lines that it links us spiritually in some way."

"Yes, I agree. I felt the sadness too, a few days ago. Aragorn has obviously been sad about something."

"You don't think they have been hurt then?"

"No, but something has clearly happened. They are very sad about something. Maybe something has happened to the others, though I hope not."

"Hmm, maybe." Rinamarth sat in silence, hoping that nothing serious had happened.

  Just a couple of days later, Elrond received a message from Galadriel, saying that the Fellowship was in Lothlórien minus…

"Gandalf," sighed Elrond. He called his daughters to him. They stood opposite their father, and looked at him. "Well?" asked Rinamarth. He cleared his throat. "They have reached Lothlórien. But, without Gandalf. He fell into shadow in Moria." They gasped. "Fell into shadow! How?" asked Rinamarth, sitting down. Arwen sat next to her.

"A Balrog of Morgoth."

Arwen covered her hand with her mouth, and Rinamarth stared, opened eyed at her father. "Surely not," she whispered. He nodded slowly. "I am afraid so." They sat flabbergasted for a moment, then Arwen spoke. "What of the others?"

"They are all fine, so don't worry." They breathed a huge sigh of relief. As they walked down the corridor after leaving their fathers study, Rinamarth said:

"I felt his sadness when Gandalf passed away, and you felt Aragorns." Arwen just nodded, she found she couldn't speak. A lament went through Rivendell for Gandalf, and their hearts were filled with grief, yet happiness for their loved ones were still ok. Their feelings were extremely mixed up.

  As they sailed down the river, Legolas went over in his head, the time he had spent in Lothlórien. The memories that had returned, Galadriels' advice to him. "Do not dwell on the past, look to the future." He didn't realise he had said it out loud. "What'd ya say laddie?" Gimli asked. Legolas jolted back to reality. "Oh, er, nothing, nothing Gimli, just…thinking aloud, that's all."

"Right," Gimli replied slowly. He was starting to feel a bit worried about Legolas' behaviour recently. He said no more as they paddled along just behind Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam, but thought about it. He had only been like it since his 'talk' with Galadriel. What had she said exactly? It had obviously been of some importance.

  Legolas noticed his friend wasn't speaking. "What are you thinking about Gimli, you are rather quiet…for a change." Gimli frowned. "You just broke my chain of thought Elf!"

"You had a chain of thought! Now I never thought I'd hear that!"

Gimli just snorted, and went back to his thinking. Legolas chuckled quietly to himself, and carried on paddling. They carried on down the river in almost complete silence.

  At Amon Hen, there was a battle against the Uruk's of Isengard. The Fellowship broke. Frodo and Sam went off to Mordor alone, Merry and Pippin were captured by the Uruk-Hai, Boromir died trying to defend Merry and Pippin, and Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas went after the Uruk-Hai, with hopes of rescuing their friends. They ran along for three days and nights, hardly resting, no food or water. They met the Riders of Rohan, led by Éomer, Théoden's nephew, and were given two horses, Arod, and Hasufel. Legolas took the fiery Arod straight away, and Gimli rode behind him. Aragorn had Hasufel. They reached the borders of Fangorn Forest, and found the pile of burning Uruk-Hai, which the Rohirrim had slaughtered.

  They entered the forest after realising that is where the two Hobbits had gone, and met again with Gandalf, who was white. He had been returned to life after defeating the Balrog, and was to finish his task.

  They walked back to the borders, and he called Shadowfax, the Lord of all horses to him. "He has been my friend through many dangers," said Gandalf, patting his neck. Legolas and Gimli once again rode Arod, and Aragorn, Hasufel. They rode with great haste to Edoras, and the Golden Hall of King Théoden.

  In Rivendell, they heard of Gandalf's survival, and there was great rejoicing. Rinamarth and Arwen felt the happiness long before anyone else found out, but they kept it to them selves. Legolas and Aragorn were obviously ok, for now.

  Gandalf released Théoden from Sarumans' power, and they marched to Helms Deep. Gandalf went in search of Éomer. Before he left, he told Aragorn;

"At first light on the fifth day, look for my coming. At dawn, look to the East."

  The battle at Helms Deep was to be long, and gruelling, but they were ready. Saruman had unleashed his army of ten thousand Uruk-Hai, and they were marching towards Helms Deep at a great pace. As they awaited the arrival of the army, and everyone prepared, Legolas felt a little alone. He felt betrayed by his own people, and felt that they shouldn't have left the Men to stand alone. His only comfort was to look at the heart, and quietly read the inscription to himself. "Elen síla omentielvo."

Elrond sent an army, led by Haldir, to Helms Deep, to help the Men. He was still worried about Arwen. He tried to persuade her to go to Valinor, but she refused. She still had hope. So did Rinamarth. They refused to give in. Elrond did not want to see his daughters hurt again, but nothing he could say or do would change their minds. They were staying.

  At Helms Deep, they were preparing for battle. "Farmers, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers," said Aragorn, flinging a sword he had been inspecting down on a pile of others. "Most have seen too many winters," agreed Gimli.

"Or too few," Legolas added, looking round at the very young boys that were to fight. "Look at them. They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes." The whole room went silent. "Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig! (And they should be. 300 against 10,000!)"

"Si beriathar hýn ammaeg nâ ned Edoras. (They have a better chance defending themselves here than in Edoras.)"

 "Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir otheri. Natha daged dhaer! (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!)"

"Then I shall die as one of them!" shouted Aragorn, and stormed out. Legolas went to follow him, but Gimli held him back. "Let him go lad. Let him be."

  Aragorn sat outside, and finally calmed down. He went to get ready himself. He was putting on his armour, and went to reach for his sword, but found it held out in front of him. "We have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

"U-moe edhored Legolas, (There is nothing to forgive Legolas.)" replied Aragorn, taking his sword. Legolas smiled at him, then Gimli walked in. He was struggling to put on his armour. He finally got it on, then looked down hopelessly. It was dragging on the floor. "If we had time, I'd get this adjusted. It's a little tight across the chest!" The other two smiled at him, then a fair horn sounded from outside. "That is no Orc horn!" said Legolas, and rushed out, with Aragorn in hot pursuit. 

"How is this possible?" asked Théoden.

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance was existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought, and died together." Legolas and Aragorn burst outside. Haldir looks up at them. "We come to honour that allegiance," he finished.

"Mae govannen Haldir! (Welcome Haldir!)" said Aragorn, embracing his friend. "You are most welcome!" Legolas then greeted him. He stood a little way behind Haldir, a huge smile right across his face. He was so happy, he no longer felt alone or betrayed by his people. Then, they went out to fight.

  The battle was long and tiresome. Many lives were lost, Men and Elves', Haldirs' included. He died in Aragorns' arms, a stab in his shoulder, and a gash in the back of his head where an Orc had hit him with his axe. He died bravely among his kin. Aragorn blessed him, then had to leave him. Legolas and Gimli played a little game, to keep their spirits up.

"Legolas, two already!" Gimli called over the noise of battle.

"I'm on seventeen!" came Legolas reply above the heads of Men and Uruk-Hai.

"Arg! I'll have no pointy-ears outscoring me!"

"Nineteen!"

  It went on for many hours. The Orcs had brought a strange device with them, a sort of 'gift', from Saruman. A bomb. They placed it by the entrance to the drain. A huge Uruk started running towards it, a flame in his hand. He jumped into the drain. The wall blew up. Huge broken slabs of rock, stone, and brick flew into the air, and fell back to the ground, squashing Uruk-Hai, Elves, and Men. Aragorn was knocked unconscious for a while. The Uruk-Hai flooded through the hole. Gimli saw from high above on the wall, the army heading straight for Aragorn. As he came round, he heard Gimli shout;

"Aragorn!" He watched him jump right from the top of the wall, into the centre of the oncoming Uruk-Hai. "Gimli!" he shouted, and got to his feet. The Elves behind him charged, and a battle of swords and knives began. Aragorn found Gimli, under the water that had been flowing out of the drain. He was alive. But eventually, the Uruks grew too many. They had to retreat. "Into the Keep! The Keep!" called Théoden. Gimli was dragged back by Legolas and another Elf against his will to the Keep. They got in, and started to bar the doors with tables, planks of wood, anything they could lay their hands on.

"Ride out My Lord, meet them head on," suggested Aragorn. Théoden disagreed. They argued a while, then Aragorn and Gimli crept out a side door. The Uruks were crashing against the door, trying to break their way in. They did not notice the two figures on their right hand side.

"Oh come on we can take em!" said Gimli, a gleam in his eye.

"It's a long way," Aragorn replied. Gimli peered round the corner. "Toss me."

"What?"

"You heard, toss me. Oh,er…just one thing."

"What?"

"Don't tell the Elf."

"Not a word," and with a yell, Aragorn tossed Gimli over the gap, and followed by jumping over himself. The Uruks were totally shocked by this, and a few fell from the runway up to the gate. They fought and fought. As he covered up the last gap with a bit of wood, Théoden called to Aragorn;

"Aragorn, get out of there!" Aragorn looked round desperately, and it looked as if they were trapped.

"Aragorn!" Aragorn heard a shout from high above on the wall. Legolas was there, a rope in his hands. He chucked it down. Aragorn grabbed Gimli, grasped the rope in his free hand, and swung away from the Uruks. Legolas pulled them up. The Men helped him. He dragged them over the top, and they ran inside. The Uruks broke through the door, and flooded in. The Men took refuge in the caves. Further in, the women could hear them breaking through. Some screamed, and children started crying.

  The battle continued. As the sun rose, Aragorn remembered Gandalf's' advice. "At first light on the fifth day, look for my coming. At dawn, look to the East." Aragorn finally persuaded Théoden to ride out, and they galloped out through the gate, slaying Uruk-Hai as they went. Gimli blew the Horn, and the Uruks fled at the sound of it. As the sun rose higher, Aragorn looked to the East. He heard a horse neigh. Atop the hill, he saw Gandalf, surrounded by a brilliant white light. "Théoden stands alone," he said.

"Not alone," said another voice, and from behind Gandalf appeared…

"Éomer," sighed Théoden. 

"Rohirrim!" Éomer called. A huge host of Men on horseback rode up behind him. They charged down the hill, and into the Uruks. They were so blinded by the white light that radiated from Gandalf, they turned and fled.

"Victory! Victory!" cried Théoden. Everyone cheered. Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas had survived. "How many did you kill Legolas?"

"41."

"Ha! 42! Beat you by one!"

"Well done Gimli."

So I'll see you again in a few days. Chapter 8 will be up as soon as possible, I promise. ^_^