Ch 7- Battle across the Plains
With Aranel:
Aranel ran from Gandalf's chambers, tears rolling down her cheeks, until she reached the land beyond the gardens. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't be able to choose. Harry, the boy she had grown up secretly loving, never telling a single soul. She had loved him until that day, the last day of their seventh year. The day he killed Lord Voldemort and rid their world of Voldemort's malice. She loved him with all of her heart, but she loved Legolas with all of her soul. Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, and the one person who could make her life complete. He had found her, loved her, cared for her, and completed her. While she loved Harry, she found she still wasn't complete. A piece of her was missing. When she met Legolas, she became whole. He was the missing piece. She could never choose, but she couldn't have them both, no matter how much she wished she could.
"I love them," she whispered, gazing at the sky. It was a dark gray, the same color of her dress. A storm was coming. Aranel laid down on the yellowish-parched grass and looked at the vast, open land around her. I love them both, but I cannot choose. She stared at at the forest in the distance and blinked. It couldn't be. Not now!
A large mass was leaving the forest, marching steadily across the vast land. Aranel shot up and ran into the Golden Hall. She ran, not watching where she was going, and ran straight into Legolas, who was accompanied by Harry.
"Legolas," Aranel said, trying to catch her breath. "A large mass of orcs, or men are marching steadily nearer from the forest." Legolas stiffened, hurried to the door and peered out at the forest. He saw them as clear as if they were right beside him. It was a relatively small army of orcs, at least five hundred, but still strong yet. They also had a white wizard. They must have been sent by Gadsahji, the Black Wizard, the most feared force since Sauron. He came back to Aranel, and Harry.
"Aranel, go tell Eomer Gadsahji's army of orcs is coming steadily to Edoras. We need the Riddermark and all able body men. They also have a wizard. Gandalf is gone so we do not have the advantage of one," Legolas said. Harry cleared his throat.
"I am a wizard," he said, and Legolas looked at him, and then at Aranel, who nodded, confirming it was true. She left and told Eomer, who got the Riddermark prepared and stationed outside the walls of Edoras. Eowyn and Aranel dressed in the garments of Rohan's soldiers, and took up swords. Putting on helmets, the set their faces so their emotions were impassable. Legolas, Eomer, and Harry, all three on horses, led at the front. The Riddermark, led by Eowyn and Aranel, followed.
Legolas stopped them when the orcs were a league away. Eomer sent out scouts who came back with the report that the orc army had set up camp.
"We will take them at night. They will not expect a night attack, not with their wizard, but they do not know we, too, have a wizard," Eomer told his men, and had Eowyn and Aranel set out orders to set up camp. The Riddermark followed the woman's orders just as if Eomer himself gave them out.
Night crawled upon them and soon Eomer had signaled for the company to move out. Harry set a fog blanket upon them as they traveled silently, on foot (as ordered by Eomer), across the plain.
Within ten minutes, they were there, and the enemy's wizard shot a black shadow at Eomer's company, which dissolved the fog cover of Harry's. A cry ran through the enemy camp and soon arrows shot passed their heads. Legolas took out his bow and loaded an arrow. He released it, hitting an orc, and took another arrow. Around him some fought with bows, and many fell , after being hit by an enemy arrow.
Soon they were too close to resort to bows so they switched to swords, Sounds of metal to metal rang in Harry's ears as he waved his wand, sending the killing curse at the enemy wizard, and dodging the ones the enemy threw at him.
The battle lasted long and Eowyn and Aranel did not stop until the last orc was dead. Now the only ones still battling were Harry and the enemy wizard.
Harry dodged a ball of ice blue light and sent a beam of green light. It hit the wizard in the chest but with one last attempt the dying wizard shot a ball of glowing black lightning at harry, who had turned at the wrong time, and the ball struck harry in the back and Harry fell to his knees. He swayed and his eyes blurred. He was dizzy and all around him people moved slowly.
Aranel and Legolas ran to him. He fell into Aranel's arms and looked into her brown eyes. He was dying, and he knew he didn't have long to live.
" Her-mi-one," he said, trying to ignore the pain. " I l-loved you. I k- know you will be happy with Legolas. Now you d-don't have to ch-choose." He looked at Legolas. "F-forgive me my friend. Take care of her. Love her with all of your heart" he turned back to Aranel. "Go with Legolas now, you two long together..." He took one last shuddering breath and let it go. He was dead. Aranel shook her head, tears rolling down her face. She hugged Harry's lifeless body to her own, and whispered a passing song in elvish. She laid his head down on the ground and, and went to Legolas.
"I didn't want to choose and now I won't have to," she said, sobbing. "This is my fault." Legolas took Aranel in his arms and hugged her.
"It is not your fault he died. It was his fate. He loved you, and he knew it was his time to go. I love you Aranel... Hermione. I want you to be happy. If you want to go back to your old world, you can. If you choose to go, I will always love you and will never forget you." Aranel looked around at all the dead. Most were orcs, but a fourth has from the Rohan company. Eowyn, Eomer, and the other unwounded were helping thoes wounded to horses, and leading them back to Edoras.
Legolas and Aranel followed. Aranel took Legolas's hand.
"I must go back to my own world, Legolas. I've been gone long enough. Come with me,"She offered. Legolas shook his head.
"Aranel, you know I cannot. This is my home," he said, waving his hand at the land, trees, people around him. "I cannot venture from it." Aranel nodded, and looked down, not wanting Legolas to see her cry. Legolas lifted her chin for her to look at him.
"Don't cry, Hermione," he said, but Aranel shook her head.
"I'll always be Aranel, to you." Legolas nodded. He hugged her tightly, and kissed her swiftly. Together they headed back to Edoras with the others.
With Aranel:
Aranel ran from Gandalf's chambers, tears rolling down her cheeks, until she reached the land beyond the gardens. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't be able to choose. Harry, the boy she had grown up secretly loving, never telling a single soul. She had loved him until that day, the last day of their seventh year. The day he killed Lord Voldemort and rid their world of Voldemort's malice. She loved him with all of her heart, but she loved Legolas with all of her soul. Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, and the one person who could make her life complete. He had found her, loved her, cared for her, and completed her. While she loved Harry, she found she still wasn't complete. A piece of her was missing. When she met Legolas, she became whole. He was the missing piece. She could never choose, but she couldn't have them both, no matter how much she wished she could.
"I love them," she whispered, gazing at the sky. It was a dark gray, the same color of her dress. A storm was coming. Aranel laid down on the yellowish-parched grass and looked at the vast, open land around her. I love them both, but I cannot choose. She stared at at the forest in the distance and blinked. It couldn't be. Not now!
A large mass was leaving the forest, marching steadily across the vast land. Aranel shot up and ran into the Golden Hall. She ran, not watching where she was going, and ran straight into Legolas, who was accompanied by Harry.
"Legolas," Aranel said, trying to catch her breath. "A large mass of orcs, or men are marching steadily nearer from the forest." Legolas stiffened, hurried to the door and peered out at the forest. He saw them as clear as if they were right beside him. It was a relatively small army of orcs, at least five hundred, but still strong yet. They also had a white wizard. They must have been sent by Gadsahji, the Black Wizard, the most feared force since Sauron. He came back to Aranel, and Harry.
"Aranel, go tell Eomer Gadsahji's army of orcs is coming steadily to Edoras. We need the Riddermark and all able body men. They also have a wizard. Gandalf is gone so we do not have the advantage of one," Legolas said. Harry cleared his throat.
"I am a wizard," he said, and Legolas looked at him, and then at Aranel, who nodded, confirming it was true. She left and told Eomer, who got the Riddermark prepared and stationed outside the walls of Edoras. Eowyn and Aranel dressed in the garments of Rohan's soldiers, and took up swords. Putting on helmets, the set their faces so their emotions were impassable. Legolas, Eomer, and Harry, all three on horses, led at the front. The Riddermark, led by Eowyn and Aranel, followed.
Legolas stopped them when the orcs were a league away. Eomer sent out scouts who came back with the report that the orc army had set up camp.
"We will take them at night. They will not expect a night attack, not with their wizard, but they do not know we, too, have a wizard," Eomer told his men, and had Eowyn and Aranel set out orders to set up camp. The Riddermark followed the woman's orders just as if Eomer himself gave them out.
Night crawled upon them and soon Eomer had signaled for the company to move out. Harry set a fog blanket upon them as they traveled silently, on foot (as ordered by Eomer), across the plain.
Within ten minutes, they were there, and the enemy's wizard shot a black shadow at Eomer's company, which dissolved the fog cover of Harry's. A cry ran through the enemy camp and soon arrows shot passed their heads. Legolas took out his bow and loaded an arrow. He released it, hitting an orc, and took another arrow. Around him some fought with bows, and many fell , after being hit by an enemy arrow.
Soon they were too close to resort to bows so they switched to swords, Sounds of metal to metal rang in Harry's ears as he waved his wand, sending the killing curse at the enemy wizard, and dodging the ones the enemy threw at him.
The battle lasted long and Eowyn and Aranel did not stop until the last orc was dead. Now the only ones still battling were Harry and the enemy wizard.
Harry dodged a ball of ice blue light and sent a beam of green light. It hit the wizard in the chest but with one last attempt the dying wizard shot a ball of glowing black lightning at harry, who had turned at the wrong time, and the ball struck harry in the back and Harry fell to his knees. He swayed and his eyes blurred. He was dizzy and all around him people moved slowly.
Aranel and Legolas ran to him. He fell into Aranel's arms and looked into her brown eyes. He was dying, and he knew he didn't have long to live.
" Her-mi-one," he said, trying to ignore the pain. " I l-loved you. I k- know you will be happy with Legolas. Now you d-don't have to ch-choose." He looked at Legolas. "F-forgive me my friend. Take care of her. Love her with all of your heart" he turned back to Aranel. "Go with Legolas now, you two long together..." He took one last shuddering breath and let it go. He was dead. Aranel shook her head, tears rolling down her face. She hugged Harry's lifeless body to her own, and whispered a passing song in elvish. She laid his head down on the ground and, and went to Legolas.
"I didn't want to choose and now I won't have to," she said, sobbing. "This is my fault." Legolas took Aranel in his arms and hugged her.
"It is not your fault he died. It was his fate. He loved you, and he knew it was his time to go. I love you Aranel... Hermione. I want you to be happy. If you want to go back to your old world, you can. If you choose to go, I will always love you and will never forget you." Aranel looked around at all the dead. Most were orcs, but a fourth has from the Rohan company. Eowyn, Eomer, and the other unwounded were helping thoes wounded to horses, and leading them back to Edoras.
Legolas and Aranel followed. Aranel took Legolas's hand.
"I must go back to my own world, Legolas. I've been gone long enough. Come with me,"She offered. Legolas shook his head.
"Aranel, you know I cannot. This is my home," he said, waving his hand at the land, trees, people around him. "I cannot venture from it." Aranel nodded, and looked down, not wanting Legolas to see her cry. Legolas lifted her chin for her to look at him.
"Don't cry, Hermione," he said, but Aranel shook her head.
"I'll always be Aranel, to you." Legolas nodded. He hugged her tightly, and kissed her swiftly. Together they headed back to Edoras with the others.