Part 10
His hair, now severed unevenly, fell around his sore face. Legolas struggled against the bonds that held him to the post. For days on end he was moved place to place on camp, and he was certain that it was more to keep his presence secret. The mercenaries marched on, with him hidden inside dingy tents.
On the long nights that he was left on the open field, bound to the unmoving wooden stake, Legolas' only sanctuary was inside him. In the cold, he retreated into memories of warm breath on his skin and a pliant body pressed on dewy grass. Surrounded by hostile men of the East who fought not for glory or honor but for gold, Legolas called to mind a perfect glowing face, a vibrant smile and sparkling eyes. If he should surrender his immortal life, it would be in exchange for one mortal day back in Chiara's embrace.
"One lifetime for a kiss," he promised himself. "It would be enough."
Legolas closed his eyes and called to all the powers for one strike of miracle to sunder the ropes that held his arms behind him. "Ten thousand years for one second," he bargained with the Valar. He shook his head and admitted then, "But one touch and I will need her forever."
Before he was dragged into camp, he had wondered about her fascination with the camp. He doubted if she even knew the particular reason. She was drawn to watch the camp. She rationalized this by an expression of fear, that she dreaded the coming of the mercenaries for the plunder of her home. Stepping into the sphere of the camp, Legolas knew why.
He felt the power of the Silmarils as if they were balls of fire surrounding him. The jewels would bring them together. He had promised it to Chiara unknowing of the measure of truth it would hold. The mystical power of the gems held the destinies of the many children of Eru. They were no exception.
From a distance Legolas saw the black night light up with explosions of light. Gondor's sky danced with merry fireworks. For the first time in his long life, Legolas pulsed red with fury at the sight, for she knew what it stood for. Rohan and Gondor were one. Chiara was wed.
Inside the halls of the grand City of Kings, lights were extinguished. Servants passed through one corridor very silently. In bed, the Lord Elboron kissed turned to the young woman who lay beside him on the bed.
"'Tis a relief to be finally united," he began. "This was a dream that long needed fulfillment."
Chiara did not open her eyes. Elboron knew from the flicker of her lashes that she was still awake. Very slowly, he reached for her hair and brushed a lock away from her face. "Chiara, you will love my land. There is a cave on the foot of a hill where the princes of Rohan are buried. Outside there are mounds of earth crowned by white flowers beyond number," he described, his voice low and soothing.
"My lady mother is the White Lady of Rohan. I have been told that you would often slip outside. There in Rohan you can ride free over the hills. The horses we breed are the best in Middle Earth."
She turned her head away, no longer pretending sleep. A tear seeped from the corners of her eyes.
"Chiara, tell me why you have no light about you."
Elboron touched her cheek, and she flinched. He leaned over hers and kissed her tears away. "You are my wife," he said. "I will change what you dislike."
His hand slipped to cradle her nape. His other hand ran over her shoulders and on the décolletage of her gown. Very slowly, he placed a kiss on her chin, down to her collarbone. She was fragrant, heady. Elboron thought that this must be how Valinor felt like.
Her stifled sob stopped his actions.
Elboron sighed and murmured, "Sleep well, Chiara." Defeated, he turned his back on his new wife.
~~
"The castle!" Chloe cried, as she eyed the emerging figures. "It's the safest refuge now." Unconsciously she grabbed Legolas' arm. "We have to go."
Legolas wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close as they rushed to the only direction from where no mercenaries seemed to struggle their way out of the earth. Elboron frowned and ran after them. "Have you gone daft?" he yelled after the two. "It's ages past our time. Minas Tirith has long since diminished!"
Chloe looked back at Lex, who was eerily transformed into another man while maintaining the appearance of the Luthor son. "Just run! There is a castle here."
Chloe's lips parted when she noticed the small dot of dirty yellow fast approaching and revealing itself to be Clark Kent's truck. She ran even faster and waved her arms.
"Chiara, you call attention to yourself!" Legolas reminded her.
"We need to hitch a ride," she answered.
Legolas looked at Elboron for clarification, but the prince seemed as oblivious to her meaning as he was.
"Clark," she cried. "Clark!"
She sighed in relief when the truck stopped in front of them. Clark reached across the seat to open the door. "I was worried about you two when you didn't come after a half hour," he told Chloe. And then he noticed the presence of another man, who seemed awfully close to his friend. "Anything I don't know about?" Chloe noticed where he was looking. "An old acquaintance?"
"You could say that," she replied with a brief smile. "Clark, we need to get out of here."
"Hop on," Clark said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Chloe and Legolas squeezed in the backseat. "Lex, you ride shotgun."
Elboron's eyebrows furrowed and looked at Legolas who was no help. Clark saw the brown figures behind Lex, getting closer, shedding the soil that coated their bodies. "What the hell are those?"
"Clark, gas!"
The terrifying sight grew clearer and clearer. Clark reached for Lex by his upper arms and dragged him into truck. "Shut the door!" he commanded. That, Elboron was quick to understand and follow. Clark sped away from the cemetery.
Halfway down the road to the castle, about a dozen of the grimy bulging mercenaries blocked the way. Elboron muttered a Sindarin curse and glanced at Legolas.
"This contraption is for cowards," the prince said of the truck. "We are warriors. We must wage war on these barbarians!"
Legolas nodded curtly. Chloe tightened her arms around him. "You will not face them," she said. "Not again."
Legolas fisted his hands. "Elboron speaks rightly, Chiara. 'Tis our sworn duty." He closed his hand around Clark's shoulder. "Do you have a bow and arrows that I may use?"
"Uhhh... not exactly," Clark stammered. His eyes met Chloe's on the rearview mirror, seeming to ask, 'What is this?'
Legolas shook his head. "A sword then. Do you have yours, Elboron?"
Lex, or the prince rather, reached for his side and looked surprised. "My trusty sword did not travel here with me." He felt something in his pocket and slipped his hand inside. He then drew out a black leather wallet. "What use is this?" he demanded.
"That's Lex Luthor's weapon," Chloe informed him. She caught Clark's eyes on her again. "We are going to get killed."
Clark stared at her for the space of a few seconds then tightened his jaw. "Not if I can help it." Then, Clark slammed out of the truck and strode towards the line of mercenaries. To Chloe's amazement, he fought with the earth warriors with bare hands and threw them one by one.
"A warrior that fights without weapons," Elboron commented. "I am inferior to no future man. I too shall fight." He pushed his shoulder against the door. It did not open. Once again, he pushed.
Legolas kissed Chloe's cheek. "I will keep you safe," he vowed. Chloe smiled and reached around him to open the door. When he got down and joined the melee, she also helped Elboron open his.
In no time, the half dozen mercenaries lay unconscious on the side of the road. Chloe watched from inside the truck as the three dusted themselves off. Finally, her eyes settled on Legolas as he straightened and looked back at her. Very slowly, a smile softened the planes of his face. With the setting sun behind him, he had a beautiful glow that brought moments of peace to mind.
The three walked back to the truck. They climbed in easily. "Hmmm," Clark grunted. Chloe looked up to where Clark was staring and saw several dozens of mercenaries also approaching. He floored the gas and assured Chloe, "You will spend your entire life explaining this to me."
His hair, now severed unevenly, fell around his sore face. Legolas struggled against the bonds that held him to the post. For days on end he was moved place to place on camp, and he was certain that it was more to keep his presence secret. The mercenaries marched on, with him hidden inside dingy tents.
On the long nights that he was left on the open field, bound to the unmoving wooden stake, Legolas' only sanctuary was inside him. In the cold, he retreated into memories of warm breath on his skin and a pliant body pressed on dewy grass. Surrounded by hostile men of the East who fought not for glory or honor but for gold, Legolas called to mind a perfect glowing face, a vibrant smile and sparkling eyes. If he should surrender his immortal life, it would be in exchange for one mortal day back in Chiara's embrace.
"One lifetime for a kiss," he promised himself. "It would be enough."
Legolas closed his eyes and called to all the powers for one strike of miracle to sunder the ropes that held his arms behind him. "Ten thousand years for one second," he bargained with the Valar. He shook his head and admitted then, "But one touch and I will need her forever."
Before he was dragged into camp, he had wondered about her fascination with the camp. He doubted if she even knew the particular reason. She was drawn to watch the camp. She rationalized this by an expression of fear, that she dreaded the coming of the mercenaries for the plunder of her home. Stepping into the sphere of the camp, Legolas knew why.
He felt the power of the Silmarils as if they were balls of fire surrounding him. The jewels would bring them together. He had promised it to Chiara unknowing of the measure of truth it would hold. The mystical power of the gems held the destinies of the many children of Eru. They were no exception.
From a distance Legolas saw the black night light up with explosions of light. Gondor's sky danced with merry fireworks. For the first time in his long life, Legolas pulsed red with fury at the sight, for she knew what it stood for. Rohan and Gondor were one. Chiara was wed.
Inside the halls of the grand City of Kings, lights were extinguished. Servants passed through one corridor very silently. In bed, the Lord Elboron kissed turned to the young woman who lay beside him on the bed.
"'Tis a relief to be finally united," he began. "This was a dream that long needed fulfillment."
Chiara did not open her eyes. Elboron knew from the flicker of her lashes that she was still awake. Very slowly, he reached for her hair and brushed a lock away from her face. "Chiara, you will love my land. There is a cave on the foot of a hill where the princes of Rohan are buried. Outside there are mounds of earth crowned by white flowers beyond number," he described, his voice low and soothing.
"My lady mother is the White Lady of Rohan. I have been told that you would often slip outside. There in Rohan you can ride free over the hills. The horses we breed are the best in Middle Earth."
She turned her head away, no longer pretending sleep. A tear seeped from the corners of her eyes.
"Chiara, tell me why you have no light about you."
Elboron touched her cheek, and she flinched. He leaned over hers and kissed her tears away. "You are my wife," he said. "I will change what you dislike."
His hand slipped to cradle her nape. His other hand ran over her shoulders and on the décolletage of her gown. Very slowly, he placed a kiss on her chin, down to her collarbone. She was fragrant, heady. Elboron thought that this must be how Valinor felt like.
Her stifled sob stopped his actions.
Elboron sighed and murmured, "Sleep well, Chiara." Defeated, he turned his back on his new wife.
~~
"The castle!" Chloe cried, as she eyed the emerging figures. "It's the safest refuge now." Unconsciously she grabbed Legolas' arm. "We have to go."
Legolas wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close as they rushed to the only direction from where no mercenaries seemed to struggle their way out of the earth. Elboron frowned and ran after them. "Have you gone daft?" he yelled after the two. "It's ages past our time. Minas Tirith has long since diminished!"
Chloe looked back at Lex, who was eerily transformed into another man while maintaining the appearance of the Luthor son. "Just run! There is a castle here."
Chloe's lips parted when she noticed the small dot of dirty yellow fast approaching and revealing itself to be Clark Kent's truck. She ran even faster and waved her arms.
"Chiara, you call attention to yourself!" Legolas reminded her.
"We need to hitch a ride," she answered.
Legolas looked at Elboron for clarification, but the prince seemed as oblivious to her meaning as he was.
"Clark," she cried. "Clark!"
She sighed in relief when the truck stopped in front of them. Clark reached across the seat to open the door. "I was worried about you two when you didn't come after a half hour," he told Chloe. And then he noticed the presence of another man, who seemed awfully close to his friend. "Anything I don't know about?" Chloe noticed where he was looking. "An old acquaintance?"
"You could say that," she replied with a brief smile. "Clark, we need to get out of here."
"Hop on," Clark said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Chloe and Legolas squeezed in the backseat. "Lex, you ride shotgun."
Elboron's eyebrows furrowed and looked at Legolas who was no help. Clark saw the brown figures behind Lex, getting closer, shedding the soil that coated their bodies. "What the hell are those?"
"Clark, gas!"
The terrifying sight grew clearer and clearer. Clark reached for Lex by his upper arms and dragged him into truck. "Shut the door!" he commanded. That, Elboron was quick to understand and follow. Clark sped away from the cemetery.
Halfway down the road to the castle, about a dozen of the grimy bulging mercenaries blocked the way. Elboron muttered a Sindarin curse and glanced at Legolas.
"This contraption is for cowards," the prince said of the truck. "We are warriors. We must wage war on these barbarians!"
Legolas nodded curtly. Chloe tightened her arms around him. "You will not face them," she said. "Not again."
Legolas fisted his hands. "Elboron speaks rightly, Chiara. 'Tis our sworn duty." He closed his hand around Clark's shoulder. "Do you have a bow and arrows that I may use?"
"Uhhh... not exactly," Clark stammered. His eyes met Chloe's on the rearview mirror, seeming to ask, 'What is this?'
Legolas shook his head. "A sword then. Do you have yours, Elboron?"
Lex, or the prince rather, reached for his side and looked surprised. "My trusty sword did not travel here with me." He felt something in his pocket and slipped his hand inside. He then drew out a black leather wallet. "What use is this?" he demanded.
"That's Lex Luthor's weapon," Chloe informed him. She caught Clark's eyes on her again. "We are going to get killed."
Clark stared at her for the space of a few seconds then tightened his jaw. "Not if I can help it." Then, Clark slammed out of the truck and strode towards the line of mercenaries. To Chloe's amazement, he fought with the earth warriors with bare hands and threw them one by one.
"A warrior that fights without weapons," Elboron commented. "I am inferior to no future man. I too shall fight." He pushed his shoulder against the door. It did not open. Once again, he pushed.
Legolas kissed Chloe's cheek. "I will keep you safe," he vowed. Chloe smiled and reached around him to open the door. When he got down and joined the melee, she also helped Elboron open his.
In no time, the half dozen mercenaries lay unconscious on the side of the road. Chloe watched from inside the truck as the three dusted themselves off. Finally, her eyes settled on Legolas as he straightened and looked back at her. Very slowly, a smile softened the planes of his face. With the setting sun behind him, he had a beautiful glow that brought moments of peace to mind.
The three walked back to the truck. They climbed in easily. "Hmmm," Clark grunted. Chloe looked up to where Clark was staring and saw several dozens of mercenaries also approaching. He floored the gas and assured Chloe, "You will spend your entire life explaining this to me."
