Alanna's army followed her as she galloped away. Instead of heading
straight to the orcs, she positioned herself and the army on and around a
hill near the orcs.
The moment the orcs saw the army, Alanna felt a dark, ugly, rage among them and knew this would be no easy battle. She gulped and drew her sword. The orcs saw its light and screamed, shielding their eyes. The sword brought back memories of the first fall of Sauron and they yelled with desire to quench its flame forever.
The orc army ran to the hill and surged around it. Then the fighting began. Alanna had her archers atop the hill rain flaming arrows onto the orcs, and her swordsmen below slashed at anything or anyone they could reach.
Hours passed like eternities, yet no sign of who the victor would be emerged. Alanna saw many men fall before her eyes, and knew that unless she did something drastic, the orcs would win.
Then she knew: her life was but a small price to pay for the goodness of the world. She was not important, just an instrument in the grand production. She smiled, cherishing that moment of knowledge.
Then... she jumped from the hill into the mass of orcs.
Alanna's warriors, inspired by Alanna's jump rushed from the hill, turning from a retreat to an attack. Alanna was in the center, hacking and slashing at all orcs near her. She fought bravely and well, employing all drills and patterns she knew to keep herself alive.
Shower after shower of arrows poured down upon the orcs, while Alanna fought on. Her sword began to glow with a mystic bluish white light that frightened the orcs more than anything.
Then, a deadly black blade came slicing toward Alanna's neck, the only unprotected part of her body, but she was facing the other way, fighting another orc. The blade came closer and closer, it would find its way to her neck soon; but with one swift movement Alanna felled the orc before her, turned, and caught the black blade on its quest for her life. She struggled with its owner, a larger and heavier orc, forcing the blade away from her, while he pushed with all his might, determined to end her life.
Suddenly, Alanna broke the grip and, before her enemy had time to think, knocked him down.
She turned, not noticing that, as he fell, the orc's sword cut a long, deep gash on her leg.
The tide of the battle turned then, the orcs began retreating, but Alanna's army cut off those trying to escape. Then, Alanna ended the battle by killing the last desperate orc.
She grinned fiercely, no more orcs would trouble the peaceful lands of Gondor and Rohan. Then, she swayed, and, as she fell, she thought of Harry. Then she hit the ground, and knew no more. ************************************************************************ Alanna awoke on a bed tucked in among many layers of silk, velvet, and wool. She sat up on her pillows, wincing as she turned her leg.
"Don't move it too much if you can help it until Legolas can tend to it some more. He treated it a little, but had to go help the others wounded in your army." A voice spoke and Alanna turned and found herself gazing into Harry's green eyes. His hand moved across the sheets to grip hers tightly, "I thought you were going to die."
Alanna blinked, holding back tears, "I thought you were already dead." Then Harry closed the distance between them and held her in a careful, but crushing embrace.
"I love you," he whispered, fingering her soft hair, gazing deep into her eyes.
"I love you too," she said softly, then their lips met in a kiss.
************************************************************************ Hermione was sitting in a giant armchair in the common room of the guesthouse, napping, when a knock on the door awoke her. She opened it to find a page in the livery of Gondor standing with a scroll in his hand.
"Here, princess!" He handed her the scroll with a grin and ran off. Hermione closed the door and returned to her seat. She untied the ribbon on the scroll and unrolled it. A message was written in elegant calligraphy with the Aragorn's seal on the bottom. It read:
Dearest Princess Hermione,
We bid you join us in a grand feast to celebrate the final defeat of Sauron, our greatest Enemy. Monarchs from near and far will join us for this occasion.
With great respect,
King Aragorn
~The seamstress will come soon to measure you for a new gown and other arrangments will be made later.
Hermione felt the light fluttering of excitement in her stomach and grinned! A ball! But then, she felt her heart sink. Since Sauron had been defeated, she, Ron, and Harry would have to go home after the ball. They couldn't stay here forever. Or could they?
"That's something to think about," Hermione thought as she opened the door for the seamstress.
After a miserable hour of turning and standing still while measurements were made and pins placed, Hermione went to the citadel to have supper with Harry, Ron, Alanna, Meridelle, Legolas, and Aragorn.
As she sat down she heard Aragorn speaking of the upcoming ball, "Everyone will be here: monarchs from every country to celebrate the defeat of the Enemy. This will be the most elaborate ball ever thrown in Gondor. Everything must be perfect."
"It will be," Legolas answered, "I will see to all the little details that everyone forgets."
Hermione beamed at him and he reached over and kissed her hand with a lofty grin, "My lady, you and Princes Harry and Ron will have to be most magnificently arrayed. After all, if it wasn't for you three, the Enemy might have conquered us all."
Hermione blushed furiously as Ron's ears turned scarlet and Harry thanked Legolas.
Halfway through the meal, Hermione cleared her throat and spoke about the thing she had been dreading for days.
"Um, I was thinking about our departure lately. I love it here, and I would stay forever if I could, but I miss my family and we still have to finish up school. I hate to say it but, I think we should leave after the ball."
Ron nodded and Harry frowned, "I agree."
"I have an idea," Ron blurted out, "I say we go and finish up our year at Hogwarts, live a few years in the wizarding world, then come back and live here for good."
Hermione thought about it for a few minutes, then spoke, "I like that idea, and that is exactly what I am going to do. A few years in the wizarding world will be enough. Hey, maybe I'll convince Mum and Dad to come too. What about you, Harry?"
Harry nodded, not speaking, but Hermione could tell what he was thinking: he loved Alanna and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and if it meant coming back, why not? Middle Earth is a great place.
Apparently, Alanna knew what he was thinking too because she sent him a look of pure love.
"Then it is settled," Hermione announced. "At the ball, we will announce our plans. It is good to get that weight off of my mind."
Each person nodded absentmindedly and spent the rest of the meal mulling in their own thoughts.
The moment the orcs saw the army, Alanna felt a dark, ugly, rage among them and knew this would be no easy battle. She gulped and drew her sword. The orcs saw its light and screamed, shielding their eyes. The sword brought back memories of the first fall of Sauron and they yelled with desire to quench its flame forever.
The orc army ran to the hill and surged around it. Then the fighting began. Alanna had her archers atop the hill rain flaming arrows onto the orcs, and her swordsmen below slashed at anything or anyone they could reach.
Hours passed like eternities, yet no sign of who the victor would be emerged. Alanna saw many men fall before her eyes, and knew that unless she did something drastic, the orcs would win.
Then she knew: her life was but a small price to pay for the goodness of the world. She was not important, just an instrument in the grand production. She smiled, cherishing that moment of knowledge.
Then... she jumped from the hill into the mass of orcs.
Alanna's warriors, inspired by Alanna's jump rushed from the hill, turning from a retreat to an attack. Alanna was in the center, hacking and slashing at all orcs near her. She fought bravely and well, employing all drills and patterns she knew to keep herself alive.
Shower after shower of arrows poured down upon the orcs, while Alanna fought on. Her sword began to glow with a mystic bluish white light that frightened the orcs more than anything.
Then, a deadly black blade came slicing toward Alanna's neck, the only unprotected part of her body, but she was facing the other way, fighting another orc. The blade came closer and closer, it would find its way to her neck soon; but with one swift movement Alanna felled the orc before her, turned, and caught the black blade on its quest for her life. She struggled with its owner, a larger and heavier orc, forcing the blade away from her, while he pushed with all his might, determined to end her life.
Suddenly, Alanna broke the grip and, before her enemy had time to think, knocked him down.
She turned, not noticing that, as he fell, the orc's sword cut a long, deep gash on her leg.
The tide of the battle turned then, the orcs began retreating, but Alanna's army cut off those trying to escape. Then, Alanna ended the battle by killing the last desperate orc.
She grinned fiercely, no more orcs would trouble the peaceful lands of Gondor and Rohan. Then, she swayed, and, as she fell, she thought of Harry. Then she hit the ground, and knew no more. ************************************************************************ Alanna awoke on a bed tucked in among many layers of silk, velvet, and wool. She sat up on her pillows, wincing as she turned her leg.
"Don't move it too much if you can help it until Legolas can tend to it some more. He treated it a little, but had to go help the others wounded in your army." A voice spoke and Alanna turned and found herself gazing into Harry's green eyes. His hand moved across the sheets to grip hers tightly, "I thought you were going to die."
Alanna blinked, holding back tears, "I thought you were already dead." Then Harry closed the distance between them and held her in a careful, but crushing embrace.
"I love you," he whispered, fingering her soft hair, gazing deep into her eyes.
"I love you too," she said softly, then their lips met in a kiss.
************************************************************************ Hermione was sitting in a giant armchair in the common room of the guesthouse, napping, when a knock on the door awoke her. She opened it to find a page in the livery of Gondor standing with a scroll in his hand.
"Here, princess!" He handed her the scroll with a grin and ran off. Hermione closed the door and returned to her seat. She untied the ribbon on the scroll and unrolled it. A message was written in elegant calligraphy with the Aragorn's seal on the bottom. It read:
Dearest Princess Hermione,
We bid you join us in a grand feast to celebrate the final defeat of Sauron, our greatest Enemy. Monarchs from near and far will join us for this occasion.
With great respect,
King Aragorn
~The seamstress will come soon to measure you for a new gown and other arrangments will be made later.
Hermione felt the light fluttering of excitement in her stomach and grinned! A ball! But then, she felt her heart sink. Since Sauron had been defeated, she, Ron, and Harry would have to go home after the ball. They couldn't stay here forever. Or could they?
"That's something to think about," Hermione thought as she opened the door for the seamstress.
After a miserable hour of turning and standing still while measurements were made and pins placed, Hermione went to the citadel to have supper with Harry, Ron, Alanna, Meridelle, Legolas, and Aragorn.
As she sat down she heard Aragorn speaking of the upcoming ball, "Everyone will be here: monarchs from every country to celebrate the defeat of the Enemy. This will be the most elaborate ball ever thrown in Gondor. Everything must be perfect."
"It will be," Legolas answered, "I will see to all the little details that everyone forgets."
Hermione beamed at him and he reached over and kissed her hand with a lofty grin, "My lady, you and Princes Harry and Ron will have to be most magnificently arrayed. After all, if it wasn't for you three, the Enemy might have conquered us all."
Hermione blushed furiously as Ron's ears turned scarlet and Harry thanked Legolas.
Halfway through the meal, Hermione cleared her throat and spoke about the thing she had been dreading for days.
"Um, I was thinking about our departure lately. I love it here, and I would stay forever if I could, but I miss my family and we still have to finish up school. I hate to say it but, I think we should leave after the ball."
Ron nodded and Harry frowned, "I agree."
"I have an idea," Ron blurted out, "I say we go and finish up our year at Hogwarts, live a few years in the wizarding world, then come back and live here for good."
Hermione thought about it for a few minutes, then spoke, "I like that idea, and that is exactly what I am going to do. A few years in the wizarding world will be enough. Hey, maybe I'll convince Mum and Dad to come too. What about you, Harry?"
Harry nodded, not speaking, but Hermione could tell what he was thinking: he loved Alanna and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and if it meant coming back, why not? Middle Earth is a great place.
Apparently, Alanna knew what he was thinking too because she sent him a look of pure love.
"Then it is settled," Hermione announced. "At the ball, we will announce our plans. It is good to get that weight off of my mind."
Each person nodded absentmindedly and spent the rest of the meal mulling in their own thoughts.