Author's notes: - I am very sorry for the delay but I having been moving
into my new house at Uni and it took a lot of organisation and cleaning.
Also we can't afford a phone line or Internet in the house so I can't
access the Internet every day. Thank you so much for the reviews and I hope
you enjoy this!!! The end is near! Please continue reviewing as I have just
seen the workload for Uni and I need cheering up!
**
The water was freezing. It drove all the air out of his lungs and made his chest constrict painfully. Water flooded into his lungs as his mouth opened involuntary as the cold invaded his body. He struggled as if fighting an invisible foe, over and over he turned desperate to reach the surface but had no way of knowing whether it was up or down. Grey, swirling grey was all he could see and as the air in his body disappeared his vision blurred and darkened. As his vision dimmed his struggles lessened, warmth flooded his body and he floated in the water moving with the currents like a discarded doll. The light in his eyes dimmed and just as it threatened to go out something seized upon him, his limp body was dragged to the surface but he knew nothing of it. His mind had ceased to function, his senses gone and his body still. Too far gone to even shiver. No air passed through his lungs and darkness encased him.
Suddenly air flooded into his lungs displacing the water, which fled up into his throat. His body wracked with heaves as it got rid of the water before it took shuddering gasps of breath. His eyes blinked and awareness slowly seeped into him. He had no idea why he had survived he only knew that he had to get to Ithilien.
Legolas began to shiver violently as his body attempted to warm itself. Any mortal would have been killed instantly when they hit the water but being an elf he had survived and again wished that that had not been so.
The extremely weakened elf struggled to his feet. His feet carried him in the direction of Ithilien without his mind engaging in a conscious effort to do so.
Using the secret pathways known only to the elves of Ithilien he came upon his home and halted. Horror, guilt, pain and fear washed over him in a wave of emotions that caused him to stagger as if hit. The tall central palace of Ithilien was almost completely destroyed. The giant tree that it had surrounded was burnt and dead, its magnificent silver leaves gone. The elegant stairways that linked the levels of the structure had crumbled. The small homes of the Ithilien elves were smouldering. There was no sign of life. Stumbling forward uncaring of his own safety guilt flooded through his veins. As he headed towards the central courtyard he froze. On one of the trees that had lined the courtyard hung the body of an elf. Vaniean the captain of his warriors. There were no other bodies; all signs of death had been removed except for the one body. It was a sign. It was a sign that the elves had fallen. That they had been defeated. There was nothing left for them on Middle Earth. With an agonised cry he sank to his knees. His head bowed to his chest and his wet muddy hair hung limply around his face. He had failed them, he had not been with them in their time of need and this was the result.
"I am sorry, so very sorry." He whispered. Rain that had been falling lightly previously was now beginning to pour down. Legolas did not move. The shivering rocked his body violently but the guilt of his failure paralysed him. He remained frozen as the hours past by and that was how the Eomer, Gimli and the surviving soldiers found him.
* Eomer had felt the devastation of Ithilien hit him hard. Legolas was a close friend and his home had been destroyed. He did not know what he would have done if Rohan had met a similar fate. Walking towards Legolas after deploying his guards to search the ruins he knelt in front of the broken figure. He said nothing for he had nothing to say. Nothing could save Legolas from the overwhelming guilt and agony the elf felt. Eomer studied the elf that had not moved at all when he knelt down. Legolas was drenched and muddy. Bruises marred his pale skin. He shook violently his lips a pale shade of blue. Water ran down his face in rivers dripping off his nose and chin. Moving his hands to cover Legolas's freezing ones he rubbed them to try and warm them. Still Legolas did not move. Gimli had left the pair alone thinking that the two had gone through so much in Gondor and he knew that Eomer would hopefully help Legolas. But still Gimli mourned for he knew the friend that he had grown to love like a brother was gone. His 'death' and then resurrection and now the destruction of home would have affected the sensitive elf very deeply.
"Legolas?" Eomer whispered. "Legolas." He said again louder. There was no response but he desperately needed the elf to say something. Elves could die from grief and from the look of Legolas he could see that the elf was probably heading that way.
"My lord, my lord!" a voice cried. He turned to see a scout running towards him. Eomer turned back to Legolas and sighed. The man stopped next to the two kneeling forms.
"A large host of those creatures are heading this way." The man said slightly breathless from the running.
"Recall all the scouts immediately." Eomer stated and the soldier headed off to do as he was asked.
"Legolas we have to leave" The elf again did not move. Cursing the fates and then himself he struck the elf hard across the face. Legolas's head snapped back and Eomer heard Gimli's cry of shock and anger.
"By the Valor Legolas move. We need to go. NOW!" Eomer yelled but still the elf remained in place. Cursing himself again for what he was about to say Eomer snapped angrily.
"Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of everyone because we won't leave you and we will die if we stay." Legolas did not even flinch. "CURSE IT" Eomer cried raising his hand to strike his friend again tears filling his eyes.
"EOMER!" Gimli roared. "If you strike him again I will not be responsible for my actions."
"Gimli he needs to move. We cannot remain." Eomer pleaded with the dwarf to understand.
"Hitting him is not going to help." Gimli snapped.
"He is in shock Gimli."
Before they could talk anymore they were interrupted by another soldier hurrying forward followed by an injured elf.
"Sir he found us on one of the forest trails. He says he needs to speak to Lord Legolas."
Eomer rose to his feet and nodded. "Hopefully you have better luck than I have had."
The elf knelt in Eomer's place wincing as his wounds were pulled. He was much older than Legolas but had known the elf since birth, as he was a bodyguard of the royal family from Mirkwood.
"My lord." he started but stopped as he noticed that Legolas had not looked at him. Leaning forward he place both hands on each side of Legolas's face and their foreheads touched.
"Legolas do not blame yourself. The attack happened without warning and swiftly. They were large in number and fought brutally. Even if you had been here there would have been nothing you could have done."
"I could have helped. I would have fought with you." Legolas whispered.
"You were dead my prince."
"What? How?" Legolas asked confused at how they knew.
"They showed the captured elves images of your death before they were killed. One got away and told us before he died. We have regrouped and are ready to fight."
A small smile graced Legolas's lips. "Lets fight then" he said and he staggered to his feet. Weak, wet, tired but the prospect of the fight had flooded his veins. They would not win but they will go down fighting and the last stand of the elves would be talked about for many years.
"No we must retreat." Eomer stated coming forward.
"No you must retreat." Legolas stated as he walked to stand in front of Eomer. "You have been an invaluable help to me Eomer and I could not thank you enough. You are a friend of the elves but I will not ask you to stay and fight. It is our fight."
"You will not win. Please come with us. We can figure out a strategy to defeat them." Eomer pleaded but inside he knew that there would be no changing Legolas's mind and Eomer could not blame him. He would do the same.
"Nay my friend by then it would be too late for Ithilien. What then for us? We are too little to form another colony and would you have us live within the cities of men or dwarfs. There is nothing left for us."
There was silence and Eomer felt his heart clench painfully.
"Then we will fight with you!" Gimli announced puffing out his chest and clutching his axe.
"Nay I cannot ask that of you."
"You have not. Gimli and I will fight beside you like you have done for us numerous times. I will send my warriors to get aid from Gondor. We can hold out till then."
Legolas shook his head it seems stubbornness was not only present in elves.
"Aye for we are elves and the fury of a wounded and scorned group of elves is not to be taken lightly. Thank you Eomer. Thank you Gimli but I feel that you will regret your decision." Legolas said.
"Nay it is our decision to make and we will fight beside you because you are our friend and your home had been attacked." Legolas grasped both Eomer's and then Gimli's arm in a warriors embrace.
"Then let's make a stand." Legolas stated. "Ready an ambush in the trees. We will not go down without a fight."
Eomer nodded and ordered his warriors away. "We are ready Legolas." He said. "May the Valor protect us."
Legolas smiled as fire flashed in his eyes his wounds forgotten. He would probably die but he had already died once a second time held no fear for him. He was an elf after all. A creature of light, darkness would not destroy him.
**
**
The water was freezing. It drove all the air out of his lungs and made his chest constrict painfully. Water flooded into his lungs as his mouth opened involuntary as the cold invaded his body. He struggled as if fighting an invisible foe, over and over he turned desperate to reach the surface but had no way of knowing whether it was up or down. Grey, swirling grey was all he could see and as the air in his body disappeared his vision blurred and darkened. As his vision dimmed his struggles lessened, warmth flooded his body and he floated in the water moving with the currents like a discarded doll. The light in his eyes dimmed and just as it threatened to go out something seized upon him, his limp body was dragged to the surface but he knew nothing of it. His mind had ceased to function, his senses gone and his body still. Too far gone to even shiver. No air passed through his lungs and darkness encased him.
Suddenly air flooded into his lungs displacing the water, which fled up into his throat. His body wracked with heaves as it got rid of the water before it took shuddering gasps of breath. His eyes blinked and awareness slowly seeped into him. He had no idea why he had survived he only knew that he had to get to Ithilien.
Legolas began to shiver violently as his body attempted to warm itself. Any mortal would have been killed instantly when they hit the water but being an elf he had survived and again wished that that had not been so.
The extremely weakened elf struggled to his feet. His feet carried him in the direction of Ithilien without his mind engaging in a conscious effort to do so.
Using the secret pathways known only to the elves of Ithilien he came upon his home and halted. Horror, guilt, pain and fear washed over him in a wave of emotions that caused him to stagger as if hit. The tall central palace of Ithilien was almost completely destroyed. The giant tree that it had surrounded was burnt and dead, its magnificent silver leaves gone. The elegant stairways that linked the levels of the structure had crumbled. The small homes of the Ithilien elves were smouldering. There was no sign of life. Stumbling forward uncaring of his own safety guilt flooded through his veins. As he headed towards the central courtyard he froze. On one of the trees that had lined the courtyard hung the body of an elf. Vaniean the captain of his warriors. There were no other bodies; all signs of death had been removed except for the one body. It was a sign. It was a sign that the elves had fallen. That they had been defeated. There was nothing left for them on Middle Earth. With an agonised cry he sank to his knees. His head bowed to his chest and his wet muddy hair hung limply around his face. He had failed them, he had not been with them in their time of need and this was the result.
"I am sorry, so very sorry." He whispered. Rain that had been falling lightly previously was now beginning to pour down. Legolas did not move. The shivering rocked his body violently but the guilt of his failure paralysed him. He remained frozen as the hours past by and that was how the Eomer, Gimli and the surviving soldiers found him.
* Eomer had felt the devastation of Ithilien hit him hard. Legolas was a close friend and his home had been destroyed. He did not know what he would have done if Rohan had met a similar fate. Walking towards Legolas after deploying his guards to search the ruins he knelt in front of the broken figure. He said nothing for he had nothing to say. Nothing could save Legolas from the overwhelming guilt and agony the elf felt. Eomer studied the elf that had not moved at all when he knelt down. Legolas was drenched and muddy. Bruises marred his pale skin. He shook violently his lips a pale shade of blue. Water ran down his face in rivers dripping off his nose and chin. Moving his hands to cover Legolas's freezing ones he rubbed them to try and warm them. Still Legolas did not move. Gimli had left the pair alone thinking that the two had gone through so much in Gondor and he knew that Eomer would hopefully help Legolas. But still Gimli mourned for he knew the friend that he had grown to love like a brother was gone. His 'death' and then resurrection and now the destruction of home would have affected the sensitive elf very deeply.
"Legolas?" Eomer whispered. "Legolas." He said again louder. There was no response but he desperately needed the elf to say something. Elves could die from grief and from the look of Legolas he could see that the elf was probably heading that way.
"My lord, my lord!" a voice cried. He turned to see a scout running towards him. Eomer turned back to Legolas and sighed. The man stopped next to the two kneeling forms.
"A large host of those creatures are heading this way." The man said slightly breathless from the running.
"Recall all the scouts immediately." Eomer stated and the soldier headed off to do as he was asked.
"Legolas we have to leave" The elf again did not move. Cursing the fates and then himself he struck the elf hard across the face. Legolas's head snapped back and Eomer heard Gimli's cry of shock and anger.
"By the Valor Legolas move. We need to go. NOW!" Eomer yelled but still the elf remained in place. Cursing himself again for what he was about to say Eomer snapped angrily.
"Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of everyone because we won't leave you and we will die if we stay." Legolas did not even flinch. "CURSE IT" Eomer cried raising his hand to strike his friend again tears filling his eyes.
"EOMER!" Gimli roared. "If you strike him again I will not be responsible for my actions."
"Gimli he needs to move. We cannot remain." Eomer pleaded with the dwarf to understand.
"Hitting him is not going to help." Gimli snapped.
"He is in shock Gimli."
Before they could talk anymore they were interrupted by another soldier hurrying forward followed by an injured elf.
"Sir he found us on one of the forest trails. He says he needs to speak to Lord Legolas."
Eomer rose to his feet and nodded. "Hopefully you have better luck than I have had."
The elf knelt in Eomer's place wincing as his wounds were pulled. He was much older than Legolas but had known the elf since birth, as he was a bodyguard of the royal family from Mirkwood.
"My lord." he started but stopped as he noticed that Legolas had not looked at him. Leaning forward he place both hands on each side of Legolas's face and their foreheads touched.
"Legolas do not blame yourself. The attack happened without warning and swiftly. They were large in number and fought brutally. Even if you had been here there would have been nothing you could have done."
"I could have helped. I would have fought with you." Legolas whispered.
"You were dead my prince."
"What? How?" Legolas asked confused at how they knew.
"They showed the captured elves images of your death before they were killed. One got away and told us before he died. We have regrouped and are ready to fight."
A small smile graced Legolas's lips. "Lets fight then" he said and he staggered to his feet. Weak, wet, tired but the prospect of the fight had flooded his veins. They would not win but they will go down fighting and the last stand of the elves would be talked about for many years.
"No we must retreat." Eomer stated coming forward.
"No you must retreat." Legolas stated as he walked to stand in front of Eomer. "You have been an invaluable help to me Eomer and I could not thank you enough. You are a friend of the elves but I will not ask you to stay and fight. It is our fight."
"You will not win. Please come with us. We can figure out a strategy to defeat them." Eomer pleaded but inside he knew that there would be no changing Legolas's mind and Eomer could not blame him. He would do the same.
"Nay my friend by then it would be too late for Ithilien. What then for us? We are too little to form another colony and would you have us live within the cities of men or dwarfs. There is nothing left for us."
There was silence and Eomer felt his heart clench painfully.
"Then we will fight with you!" Gimli announced puffing out his chest and clutching his axe.
"Nay I cannot ask that of you."
"You have not. Gimli and I will fight beside you like you have done for us numerous times. I will send my warriors to get aid from Gondor. We can hold out till then."
Legolas shook his head it seems stubbornness was not only present in elves.
"Aye for we are elves and the fury of a wounded and scorned group of elves is not to be taken lightly. Thank you Eomer. Thank you Gimli but I feel that you will regret your decision." Legolas said.
"Nay it is our decision to make and we will fight beside you because you are our friend and your home had been attacked." Legolas grasped both Eomer's and then Gimli's arm in a warriors embrace.
"Then let's make a stand." Legolas stated. "Ready an ambush in the trees. We will not go down without a fight."
Eomer nodded and ordered his warriors away. "We are ready Legolas." He said. "May the Valor protect us."
Legolas smiled as fire flashed in his eyes his wounds forgotten. He would probably die but he had already died once a second time held no fear for him. He was an elf after all. A creature of light, darkness would not destroy him.
**