Legolas stood for a moment to take this in. "That is why it has been so quiet here recently. No birds, no forest insects." He muttered to himself. There was a loud bang noise and Mae, Éomer and Dingy came stumbling through the castle doors, followed by a large group of intrigued elves. Legolas ran to his sister's side that lay an exhausted Dingy down. Blood ran freely from a gaping hole in his chest. "What happened?" Legolas addressed Dingy. "It was ……a….a….. dragon." Dingy choked in a shocked voice. Blood spilled down the side of his mouth and he started to go white. His breathing became less ragged and slowed down to and alarming rate. He attacks….. the city tomorrow…… at sundown." He stared intently at Mae. "Goodbye Princess." He whispered before his eyes glazed over and his head fell limp to the side. "Oh shit." Legolas clenched his fists together tightly. "It has begun again."
The next morning Mae stood at her window, her eyes red and puffy as she gazed down upon the elven workers who were hurriedly building a small wall around the city. "That will never hold a dragon." Eomer muttered in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting fashion. "It's a defence mechanism. Dragons are not very intelligent. It can be used to ambush, trip or ….. hide." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I have decided something." Eomer whispered to her. "What is that?" Mae asked. "I am going to stay and fight for your city. To prove my loyalty to you and your people." He turned her around to face him. "If you wish me to."
Mae was a little taken aback by this. "I would love nothing more than to lose you in a battle in my own city." She hissed sarcastically, pushing him away from her. Eomer was startled. "Lose me? I would never let that happen. Trust me I will protect my own life as I will the others around me if only to look upon your face again."
Mae, who was not facing him, wrapped her arms around herself but she did not speak. "You will be in the dungeons of the city I take it. Your father said that was where the woman and the children who were not male and of fighting age would be placed."
Mae still didn't speak. "Your silence is frightening. Do not tell me you intend to fight!" Éomer yelled at her. "And what else would you have me do?!" Mae whipped around and began yelling herself. "Cower with the rest of the woman! It is ok for you to fight and defend your honour but for a woman it is unheard of, un-thought of even!" She whirled around once more and lent out of her window to breath in the air and calm herself. Éomer was silent only for a second before he changed the subject. "You still have not told me who that Dingy guy was." Mae snorted. "Jealous?" she asked.
Eomer didn't speak and looked down cast. Mae found herself wishing she hadn't said it. "He was a friend. But he didn't know who I really was. I never got the chance to tell him. He had no family, lived alone and served my father well."
Eomer stood and made his way over to her. "He shall have a royal funeral." He said leaning down and kissing her softly.
Legolas slowly dressed himself in his war clothing. Green. It was always green for elves of a city. He sighed to himself at the thought of his bow and the damage done to it by one he loved. Turning to pick it up he was shocked to find it not there. He cursed and spun around in circles looking for it. "Don't panic." A voice called softly from his door way. "Valia." He breathed as he approached her. Pulling her into the room and closing the door behind her he looked down at her bandaged leg. "You can walk?" he asked. "No. I slithered here." She laughed. He smiled at her and kissed her deeply. Wrapping his arms around her he felt something she was concealing behind her. "My bow!" he cheered, pulling it from her grasp and admiring the handy work that had been done to fix it. It was as if nothing had ever happened to it. "But how?" he laughed spinning her around in the air. Valia shrieked and demanded to be put down. "You never asked me what I was doing in the forest." She walked over to his window. "Galadriel?" he asked, stunned. Valia nodded and sat on the window frame. "Oh by all the powers in this world I thank you." He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her once more.
"Because I can't lose you." He finished his sentence to the emptiness of his room. By the time that afternoon rolled around Valia was seated with Mae on the steps of the forest watching the last of the wall being built. "Fáin Lightning-Slinger has said he has crafted special swords for us. We are to gather all the female's in our fighting group who wish to go into battle and assemble outside the back castle gate. Our armour and dress will conceal the fact that we are female." Valia explained to Mae "To trick my father I have dressed Gilly as myself. She will walk into the dungeons and he will watch and be satisfied. I shall hide out in your room when I send her off and we can go together. Until then I think we should not be seen together." Mae said standing. "Ok." Valia also stood. "I will round up the girls. See you then." Valia marched off through the wall and into the castle.
Mae stood watching the forest for a moment longer. "Princess." A worker called. "We are closing the last of the wall. Best get inside."
Mae nodded and silently walked through the closing gap.
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OK that was the last chapter. Please Review and tell me what you thought