Chapter 6:
A/N: Hehe, yes, this chapter continues on with my Elf angst. It strikes me, that as an Elf and a prince Legolas is both used to and puts upon himself high expectations. I'm hoping to capture that. To those who asked, no, not going to have a romance. Tempting perhaps, but the better part of me just doesn't see it happening. Nope, they're just friends.
OK, on another note, I've been really enjoying writing this, and the characters. I've got another story brewing in the back of my head, dealing with a much younger Aragorn and Legolas. Hmmm, must finish this one first though.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, only the ones who Tolkein didn't write.
~*~
Legolas finished tying the bandage around Dani's arm. His hands dropped to his thighs and his gaze lingered on the floor, his mind wandering. Estel was hope, the embodiment of it, and indeed a champion of lost causes. The truth weighed heavily upon him. The men of Rohan needed someone to lead, and Theoden, for all his years in rule had no conception of the evil that would storm his Keep. It would be unrelenting, and would not, as the King had predicted, be so easily thwarted by the protection of the fortress. The Uruk-hai were no meager force, and the sheer number of men dwindled in comparison. But he, an Elf, an entity apart from man, could not possibly rally them all as could the Dunadan.
Suddenly the Elf's eyes lost their focus. The stone floor beneath his sight rippled. The muscle of his thigh beneath his palm trembled against his bidding. Legolas started slightly, the move barely perceptible and gave a small shake of his head. The moment had passes, and the still gray stone lay quiet again.
"Are you well Legolas?" Dani's question further broke him from his reverie. "You seem………pale." Her brow knit. "If it is that an Elf can be pale."
Legolas stood and fixed her with a comforting gaze. "Nay Dani, I am well. Hope dwindles, but is not gone. Aragorn will return to us, and the men will follow him. My hope lies in that. Farewell for a time; I go now to prepare." -Prepare, and think,- he said inwardly. He walked soundlessly through the back of the cave, toward the stores and where the women and children would stay.
Dani watched him go. "And my hope lies in the trust you place in this man. May your faith and your strength guide us all," she whispered.
--
Legolas walked swiftly back through the caves. A sharp pain pierced his side and unbeknownst to him Saruman's infliction swelled. To those that saw him, his gait was swift and sure, but the Elf's own mind felt differently. The cloud was creeping up on him again, lingering in the rear of his head. His eyes swam. As much as he detested caves in general, these back labyrinths offered a solace like no other and it called to him. His hands trembled at his sides.
He moved past the horse chambers, past where men and women lay stores, even past where the last torch had been lit. All the while his agony increased. The pain in his side had spread over his entire abdomen and he was nauseous. The call of one of the Rohirrim guard went unheeded as the Elf staggered further into the dark bowels of the Deep.
His sight and mind blurred. The floor seemed to roll and pitch beneath his feet. Cold sweat broke out on his brow. He stopped in a dark chamber. The voices of the people still reached his keen ears, but surrounded by thick walls of stone on all sides, they were muffled and seemed very far away. He laid one hand on the cold, wet stone, leaning into the wall. He squeezed shut his eyes.
He could not weaken now, when the battle loomed. He must stand and fight to the last. It was what was expected of him, what he expected of himself. "but I am weak," he murmured to himself. "Weak. Was that relief at the cliffs, to be free of my final burden? How can that be, when Aragorn has stood by me many times? Now I am weighed by guilt. I remain here, but I despair for these people. I am measured, and lacking."
The dim flickering of a lone torch around the corner, cast weak light and illuminated unnaturally pale features. Unknown to him, the scar Saruman had laid on him grew, black tentacles creeping across his stomach and back beneath his skin.
"What curse is this that the Valar has placed upon me?" he wondered aloud. His guilt gnawed at him. "It is in payment for my treacherous mind. So then bring on me the worst there is, for I deserve no better for my disloyalty, my cowardice."
The first evil black tendril reached the small, hidden jewel laid on the Elf's chest. The mithril backed stone flared, constricting his chest and stealing his breath. A roaring in his ears all but deafened him. His eyes rolled back into his head. His knees buckled, sending him crashing down.
Collapsed on the floor his eyes snapped open, rolling forward again, gleaming dark and deadly. Then the muscles in his back spasmed and his eyes reverted to a crystalline blue. He sucked in a breath just before he wretched. He choked on the dark, viscous liquid that spilled from his lips onto the ground. His throat burned and he detested the foul, acrid taste on his tongue.
Face drawn and strained, he wiped at his mouth with a trembling hand. "Penance," he whispered. The darkness swallowed him and he lay quiet, unmoving. He lay for hours, as his body fought the pain and poison, till everything drifted away and all he heard was the beating of his own heart.
--
The night passed quietly, with no sign or sight of anything approaching Helm's Deep. Theoden rested in small chambers, but never once at peace. He was too old, their numbers too few. He would defend his people to his last breath, but feared that his days were numbered.
Eowyn woke often in the night, mind plagued by dark dreams. Three times she had woken in blind panic, her heart racing, as she imagined watching Aragorn fall. Each time she was standing near to him, useless as the battle raged around her. Dani lay not far away, laying on her side, her injured arm curled over her stomach.
Gimli slept outside, back pressed against the wall, after he'd taken a watch. He wondered briefly over Legolas' whereabouts, but not for long. The Elf had often disappeared while in Lorien, only to reappear later with no explanation. True, at times he had taken Gimli with him, but he would not begrudge the other a few hours of solitude if he so desired them.
Meanwhile, Aragorn rode deliberately through the night toward the fortress. Brego was true as his name, carrying him without fail, even when the strength of the Ranger waned and wavered. It was nearing the dawn, when he caught sight of Saruman's monstrous black army marching steadily into Rohan, that he pushed the horse to a faster gait. He had to reach Helm's Deep and warn Theoden, to muster their strength and prepare, for war.
--
The sun was but a flicker in the East when Eorman found Dani in the stable chamber. He watched from the doorway as she moved between the animals, checking their legs and offering each a swallow of water. She took no notice of the man watching her greedily. Finally he spoke, making her jump, his voice low. "Have you come to a decision?"
She nearly dropped the bucket she'd been holding, sloshing water on the hem of her skirts. She lowered the bucket, regarding him silently, her head cocked slightly to the left. Her mind had not rested all night as she'd considered her position. Eorman was a man possessed of much bravery, and yet stricken by hopelessness. Could she go with him, and so callously toss aside her people, her home? Even if it meant life beyond this day, she realized then what she must do.
"Yes," she said nodding.
Eorman's eyes lit. "You will come? Let us fly then, and we will reach Orthanc on the morrow."
She held up her hands, quieting him. "Eorman wait. I have reached a decision, but it is not the one you seek." She stepped aside, revealing behind her Eorman's horse, already saddled. "If you are to go, he is ready."
His face fell. He strode over to the girl, stooping slightly to meet her eyes. "You would stay? Stay to die?"
"I would stay to fight for what I believe, for what I love. I will not flee, and see the fields of my life lost to darkness. I may not do much for our cause, but it will be something."
"You do not love me." The realization hit him squarely. "I could give us a good life Danuriel, if you would only come. Love me now you may not, but perhaps, in some later day………" his voice trailed off when he saw her shaking her head. "What is it that you would ask of me then, to prove myself to you?"
"I ask you to stay Eorman, to fight. Your people need you."
Gray eyes turned cold and his mouth curled. "I will not die for a people who follow a feeble, corrupted man calling himself King. You all go to your deaths. I will not participate in this folly."
"Do not blaspheme the name Theoden," she growled. "I'm sorry for the hurt I cause you now, but I will not suffer you to sully those I consider family. It pains me that you will not stay, but I must follow my heart Eorman, and it does not lie with you."
The warrior seethed. He grasped her upper arm in a vice grip, and new blood pricked the bandage that bound it. She shrank back, suddenly fearing the man before her as she had never done. "You will see all you love decimated Danuriel, before your life is gone. I will make it my purpose." He shoved her back onto the floor. Still in a rage, he launched himself onto his horse's back and spurred him forward. She did not expect to see him again.
--
Aragorn crested the last hill on his ride. He drew Brego back and looked upon the Deep. He saw, much to his surprise, a man riding toward him at full gallop. The roan's eyes were wide and wild, the man hunched low over the animal's neck, pressing for speed. They flew by, disturbing the air and causing a breeze. Perhaps Theoden had changed his mind, sending a rider for aid. His brow furrowed, but he went the wrong way, towards Isengard. They would find no aid there. Exhausted and more than a little confused, he continued on to the fortress.
Atop the wall a young guard stood watch. He recognized Theodred's Brego from a distance, but knew not who the horse carried. They had released him as a rogue, and never had expected him to come back bearing a rider. Knowing that this at least, was no evil tiding, he rushed from his station, calling to all. "A rider!!! Brego comes and bears a rider!"
The call rolled down through the rows of the fortress and milling people. Excited murmuring turned the once quiet Deep into a clamoring din. Legolas had been dozing when the sound of shouting reached him. His eyes, that had been half closed, sharpened and he pushed himself off the ground. He stood, grimacing at the sharp pounding that emanated from his temples. He'd been little more than an elfling the last time he'd had such a headache, after he'd drunk far too much of Thranduil's elvish wine.
He straightened, giving a small shake of his head. His memory of the last night was intact, but vague and seemed very far from him. He touched light fingers to his lips and they came away clean. His sight was normal and his body felt as always. "Evil dreams," he muttered. Then, spurred on by continuous happy cries, he made his way back out of the caves.
He came out into the horses' chamber. Dani knelt on the far side of Hasufel, out of the Elf's immediate line of sight. Looking between the gelding's legs, she saw him enter and was about to all to him, hen her voice caught in her throat. She sucked in a breath. The sight of him made her blood run chill. He walked, shrouded by shadows all his own. His face was dark, eyes pitted. Dani blinked, shook her head and looked again. Legolas as she knew him had returned, blonde and fair, but the chill had taken her and she did not call to him.
Meanwhile, Aragorn had ridden through the gates of the fortress. He slumped forward, slithering off the bay. Brego stood still as stone by the Ranger's side. Gimli pushed his way through the throng of people, barely believing what his eyes saw. "Aragorn! Why you are the canniest, the luckiest man!" The Dawrf was overcome, mouth split into a wide smile. Aragorn smiled tiredly down at his friend, but did not stay long. He still needed to warn Theoden of the coming army.
Araogorn walked swiftly towards the chambers of Theoden King, lost in his own thoughts. He very nearly walked into the person that stood in his way. Silver flecked eyes raised. Legolas looked upon his friend in silent awe, though inwardly his heart sang. ~You are late,~ he announced plainly in the grey tongue. Aragorn grunted, one corner of his mouth quirking. A dim smile played on Legolas' lips though he managed to keep a straight face. "You look terrible." The two old friends grinned, clapping hands down on each others' shoulders.
Eowyn had sighted Aragorn and Legolas only moments ago. Her pale face lit and she did not quite believe the sight of the man before her. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes there he stood. She almost ran over to him, but stemmed the impulse, waiting instead for the friends to finish their conversation, for she'd been witness to Legolas' misery. However, only a moment later her elation fled, when she saw Legolas reveal Aragorn's crystal pendent.
The Ranger's solemn face eased into something resembling relief. He squeezed the Elf's shoulder, reverently placing the pendent back around his neck. Eowyn faltered. This time was not for her. She turned her back on the men. She would find him later. With a heavy heart she returned to tend her people.
--
"The Deeping wall is strong," Theoden argued later with Aragorn. "No force has ever breached the Keep. They will break upon these walls like a wave. How many are there? How many come?"
"Ten thousand at least, my Lord," he answered with a small shake of his head. He alone had seen the force Saruman had mustered. It would be no small matter to dispel them, and Theoden seemed to only want to deny what he surely had to know, that the Uruk-hai would come, and keep coming, till all were dead.
"We can last many days behind these walls. Villages may be rebuilt our crops resown. Let them come."
All the weariness had gathered on the Ranger, wearing his patience thin. He cried out, "They do not come to raid your villages and burn your fields. They come to destroy Rohan's people, down to the last woman and child!"
"And what would you have me do?"
"You must send out Riders, call for aid."
"And who would answer? Elves? Dwarves?" he cast a hard glance at the Ranger's companions, trailing just behind the two men. "We are not so lucky in our friends as you."
"Gondor will answer," Strider pushed, vehement.
"Gondor? Where was Gondor when our people were run from their homes? Where was Gondor when the Westfall fell? Where was Gon………" the King's voice tapered as he thought of his son. "No. We are alone." The King turned to one of the guard.
"Send every man and boy able to wield a sword to the armory. It will not be long now."
--
A couple of hours later the three companions strode for the armory. Eowyn came from the opposite direction, Dani on her heels, looking harried. Aragorn held up his hands, gently gripping her shoulders. "My lady."
"Theoden has ordered me into the caves!" She cried disbelievingly. "I am to remain with the women and children!" her disdain for the order seeped from every fiber of her.
"It is an honorable charge," Aragorn tried to placeate her.
"But I can fight! Let me stand by your side this night, and prove my worth. Speak with Theoden on my behalf." Eowyn implored him.
"Eowyn," he spoke quietly. "A time may come for valor without renown. Your people will need someone to lead them."
Legolas, Gimli and Dani stood apart from the arguing pair. Dani took a step away from the Elf. She couldn't help herself. The figure that had stalked through the stables earlier had given her a deep scare she could not seem to shake, though now the Elf looked as fair and kind as always. Gimli spoke first, while Legolas watched her, puzzled. "How do you fare lass?"
"I am frightened, I am not shamed to admit it. But I suppose I fare as well I may, considering."
"And your arm?" Legolas interjected. He had spotted the blood upon the bandage. He reached out, but Dani backed away, wary.
"It mends," she replied crisply.
"I have heard that Eorman rode from here this morning," the Elf pressed. "Will he return?"
Dani sighed. "No, he is gone. Our parting………it did not come well, and he left with ominous words."
"Will you remain in the caves with the others?" Gimli sensed the subject was a sore one, and let it be.
"I am to remain with the horses, so unless great ill befalls and they breach the Keep I will be far from harm. Now I must go. May we earn victory and all of us survive this night." Shooting a last, nervous glance at the Elf she left.
"What was all that?" Gimli asked.
Legolas' eyebrows shot skyward. "I know not."
Meanwhile, Eowyn beseeched Aragorn once more. "They," she pointed to Legolas and Gimli, "would not be parted from you. They would stand beside you, because they believe in you, because they love you." She searched his face for any reaction, but there was nothing. "Please."
"It is not in my power to command it." She said not another word. Head bowed, she walked away. Aragorn watched her go, unable to express how torn he felt. Then he went for the armory, the conversation riding heavy on his heart.
Legolas stayed close. "You must rest Aragorn," he implored, frustrated with his friend. "You are no good to us half alive." The Ranger ignored him and went overlooking the dispensing of arms. If he stopped now he would surely drop. "Stubborn fool of a man," he growled.
"Look at them," Gimli nodded at the men. "These are no warriors. Most have seen too many winters." He watched a feeble old man grasp a bow with quaking hands.
"Or too few." Legolas ached, watching a small boy grasp a sword in two hands. His helm, chinked and old, fell down over his eyes. Suddenly, it all became too much. They went to war, but not victory. They were cursed by darkness from the East, and a foolish old man with too much pride. He feared, feared that he would have to watch his friends be felled that night. He'd lost Aragorn once already, and was not prepared to lose him again so soon. "They are scared," he said darkly. Voices in the armory stilled. "I can see it in their eyes."
Aragorn whirled, teeth clenched, as anger bubbled in his chest. It prompted the Elf to change his tongue to Elvish. ~And they should be! Three hundred, against ten thousand? They will all die!~
"Then I will die as one of them!" he bellowed. He stalked past the Elf, out of the armory. It had been many, many days since he'd argued with Legolas. It was still unsettling.
The outburst had surprised the Elf almost as much as the Ranger. His mind reeled as he watched Aragorn leave. He would have gone after him, Gimli restrained. "Let him go lad. Let him go."
--
Saruman stood in Orthanc, a slow smile spreading over gaunt features. At first, seeing that the Ranger had not died as he'd hoped, Saruman had been thrown into a range. Had Wormtongue been anywhere within reach he would have slain him. But as it was, his plans were not yet spoiled. The jewel of Sauron was working as he had planned, slowly leaching doubt and despair into the mind of the immortal. Dissention among them was a good sign for him. And the night that crept up would offer him an ideal opportunity.
IN the dark, and chaos of battle, it would be easy to kill Aragorn. The Elf was weakening under the power of the stone. His mind was far easier to enter than it had been the first time, and he could remain, lurking in the back of the prince's mind without him knowing. For now he was content to remain, watching.
--
Dark clouds rolled over the Fortress. A few hours after their argument in the armory, Legolas had sought Aragorn out to apologize. The Ranger had seen the apology coming when Legolas handed him his sword. Words were not necessary, though Legolas spoke them anyway. It was good to leave it behind them. The elves arrived a little after, and sight of Haldir and his bowmen gifted the men of Rohan with new vigor.
Men and elves lined the Deeping Wall and up above in the Keep. Bows were strung and restrung, the weight and balance of swords checked. The women and children had been pushed deep into the mountain side, and there waited with baited breath.
Legolas moved off from the others. A doubt had been niggling at his conscious all day, and he wished to stem it before the battle fell. His dreams from the night before, his dark words to Aragorn and the reaction Dani had had upon sight of him. Something was amiss, and he had to know. He went quickly up the stairs and back to the stable chamber. Dani moved away from Legacy's side. "Legolas? What are you………"
"Dani, be silent, for I have precious little time. For days now I have been plagued by dark thoughts and dreams. Today I sensed your fear at the sight of me."
"Now? You wonder about this now?"
"I must know. What is it Dani, that suddenly brings you to fear me?"
"I do not fear you Legolas, only whatever darkness may compel you. I saw you earlier, coming from the caves. You carried with you a shadow, and your eyes burned black like the Dark Lord's they say."
Miles away, in the tower of Isengard, Saruman grew concerned. His eyes narrowed to slits, brow knit together. This would not do at all. The wizard was not sure how exactly this girl could see what no others could, what he had worked so hard to conceal. An idea bloomed. Now was the time to test his hold over the Elf. His head slipped back.
At Helm's Deep, Legolas turned from Dani. I wail assaulted his ears and the black cloud overtook him. His right hand slipped between the folds of his tunic. "And if I told you no darkness held me?"
"Than I would say that you lie, or that you do not feel what I see." The Elf's head fell, shoulders slumping down, and he slowly turned. "Legolas," she went to him, if only to soften the blow of her words. "What I saw, it was for but a moment, but inspired such fear I have never known. I know not what else to say, and if I be wrong than my apologies."
The prince grasped her shoulder with a slender hand. "Your eyes see much Danuriel." On her blind side he raised the dagger. His hair obscured his face. Then his head snapped up, eyes burning black as night. Dani gasped and tried to launch back, but his grip on her turned crushing and she reached for his wrist with both hands. He sneered. "Too much than is good for you."
He thrust the knife at her side, wishing to slide it between her ribs. The Elf's face contorted, his eyes turning blue once more, but could not stay his hand. At the last moment he thrust the knife down, piercing the soft flesh above her hip in a shallow wound. Dani gasped as the dagger slid through her. She stumbled. "Legolas."
His face was pained, horrified. Dani's weight slumped against his hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Then he was gone, and the darkness took him again. Furious at the Elf's continued ability to defy him, SAruman compelled him again. He brought the hilt of the dagger down near the base of the skull and let her fall, unconscious. He grasped her hair in one hand, dragging her to one of the stalls and leaving. The horses snorted, dancing away from him. "Now, Aragorn."
Chapter 6
Hehe, hope this was enough angst for you. I think Legolas is a strong character and what not easily fall to the will of another.
Oh and as a side note, I apologize for my butchering of lines from the movie. I have not seen it in a long time, so I was going only by memory. Thanks, and please feed the review hound.
A/N: Hehe, yes, this chapter continues on with my Elf angst. It strikes me, that as an Elf and a prince Legolas is both used to and puts upon himself high expectations. I'm hoping to capture that. To those who asked, no, not going to have a romance. Tempting perhaps, but the better part of me just doesn't see it happening. Nope, they're just friends.
OK, on another note, I've been really enjoying writing this, and the characters. I've got another story brewing in the back of my head, dealing with a much younger Aragorn and Legolas. Hmmm, must finish this one first though.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, only the ones who Tolkein didn't write.
~*~
Legolas finished tying the bandage around Dani's arm. His hands dropped to his thighs and his gaze lingered on the floor, his mind wandering. Estel was hope, the embodiment of it, and indeed a champion of lost causes. The truth weighed heavily upon him. The men of Rohan needed someone to lead, and Theoden, for all his years in rule had no conception of the evil that would storm his Keep. It would be unrelenting, and would not, as the King had predicted, be so easily thwarted by the protection of the fortress. The Uruk-hai were no meager force, and the sheer number of men dwindled in comparison. But he, an Elf, an entity apart from man, could not possibly rally them all as could the Dunadan.
Suddenly the Elf's eyes lost their focus. The stone floor beneath his sight rippled. The muscle of his thigh beneath his palm trembled against his bidding. Legolas started slightly, the move barely perceptible and gave a small shake of his head. The moment had passes, and the still gray stone lay quiet again.
"Are you well Legolas?" Dani's question further broke him from his reverie. "You seem………pale." Her brow knit. "If it is that an Elf can be pale."
Legolas stood and fixed her with a comforting gaze. "Nay Dani, I am well. Hope dwindles, but is not gone. Aragorn will return to us, and the men will follow him. My hope lies in that. Farewell for a time; I go now to prepare." -Prepare, and think,- he said inwardly. He walked soundlessly through the back of the cave, toward the stores and where the women and children would stay.
Dani watched him go. "And my hope lies in the trust you place in this man. May your faith and your strength guide us all," she whispered.
--
Legolas walked swiftly back through the caves. A sharp pain pierced his side and unbeknownst to him Saruman's infliction swelled. To those that saw him, his gait was swift and sure, but the Elf's own mind felt differently. The cloud was creeping up on him again, lingering in the rear of his head. His eyes swam. As much as he detested caves in general, these back labyrinths offered a solace like no other and it called to him. His hands trembled at his sides.
He moved past the horse chambers, past where men and women lay stores, even past where the last torch had been lit. All the while his agony increased. The pain in his side had spread over his entire abdomen and he was nauseous. The call of one of the Rohirrim guard went unheeded as the Elf staggered further into the dark bowels of the Deep.
His sight and mind blurred. The floor seemed to roll and pitch beneath his feet. Cold sweat broke out on his brow. He stopped in a dark chamber. The voices of the people still reached his keen ears, but surrounded by thick walls of stone on all sides, they were muffled and seemed very far away. He laid one hand on the cold, wet stone, leaning into the wall. He squeezed shut his eyes.
He could not weaken now, when the battle loomed. He must stand and fight to the last. It was what was expected of him, what he expected of himself. "but I am weak," he murmured to himself. "Weak. Was that relief at the cliffs, to be free of my final burden? How can that be, when Aragorn has stood by me many times? Now I am weighed by guilt. I remain here, but I despair for these people. I am measured, and lacking."
The dim flickering of a lone torch around the corner, cast weak light and illuminated unnaturally pale features. Unknown to him, the scar Saruman had laid on him grew, black tentacles creeping across his stomach and back beneath his skin.
"What curse is this that the Valar has placed upon me?" he wondered aloud. His guilt gnawed at him. "It is in payment for my treacherous mind. So then bring on me the worst there is, for I deserve no better for my disloyalty, my cowardice."
The first evil black tendril reached the small, hidden jewel laid on the Elf's chest. The mithril backed stone flared, constricting his chest and stealing his breath. A roaring in his ears all but deafened him. His eyes rolled back into his head. His knees buckled, sending him crashing down.
Collapsed on the floor his eyes snapped open, rolling forward again, gleaming dark and deadly. Then the muscles in his back spasmed and his eyes reverted to a crystalline blue. He sucked in a breath just before he wretched. He choked on the dark, viscous liquid that spilled from his lips onto the ground. His throat burned and he detested the foul, acrid taste on his tongue.
Face drawn and strained, he wiped at his mouth with a trembling hand. "Penance," he whispered. The darkness swallowed him and he lay quiet, unmoving. He lay for hours, as his body fought the pain and poison, till everything drifted away and all he heard was the beating of his own heart.
--
The night passed quietly, with no sign or sight of anything approaching Helm's Deep. Theoden rested in small chambers, but never once at peace. He was too old, their numbers too few. He would defend his people to his last breath, but feared that his days were numbered.
Eowyn woke often in the night, mind plagued by dark dreams. Three times she had woken in blind panic, her heart racing, as she imagined watching Aragorn fall. Each time she was standing near to him, useless as the battle raged around her. Dani lay not far away, laying on her side, her injured arm curled over her stomach.
Gimli slept outside, back pressed against the wall, after he'd taken a watch. He wondered briefly over Legolas' whereabouts, but not for long. The Elf had often disappeared while in Lorien, only to reappear later with no explanation. True, at times he had taken Gimli with him, but he would not begrudge the other a few hours of solitude if he so desired them.
Meanwhile, Aragorn rode deliberately through the night toward the fortress. Brego was true as his name, carrying him without fail, even when the strength of the Ranger waned and wavered. It was nearing the dawn, when he caught sight of Saruman's monstrous black army marching steadily into Rohan, that he pushed the horse to a faster gait. He had to reach Helm's Deep and warn Theoden, to muster their strength and prepare, for war.
--
The sun was but a flicker in the East when Eorman found Dani in the stable chamber. He watched from the doorway as she moved between the animals, checking their legs and offering each a swallow of water. She took no notice of the man watching her greedily. Finally he spoke, making her jump, his voice low. "Have you come to a decision?"
She nearly dropped the bucket she'd been holding, sloshing water on the hem of her skirts. She lowered the bucket, regarding him silently, her head cocked slightly to the left. Her mind had not rested all night as she'd considered her position. Eorman was a man possessed of much bravery, and yet stricken by hopelessness. Could she go with him, and so callously toss aside her people, her home? Even if it meant life beyond this day, she realized then what she must do.
"Yes," she said nodding.
Eorman's eyes lit. "You will come? Let us fly then, and we will reach Orthanc on the morrow."
She held up her hands, quieting him. "Eorman wait. I have reached a decision, but it is not the one you seek." She stepped aside, revealing behind her Eorman's horse, already saddled. "If you are to go, he is ready."
His face fell. He strode over to the girl, stooping slightly to meet her eyes. "You would stay? Stay to die?"
"I would stay to fight for what I believe, for what I love. I will not flee, and see the fields of my life lost to darkness. I may not do much for our cause, but it will be something."
"You do not love me." The realization hit him squarely. "I could give us a good life Danuriel, if you would only come. Love me now you may not, but perhaps, in some later day………" his voice trailed off when he saw her shaking her head. "What is it that you would ask of me then, to prove myself to you?"
"I ask you to stay Eorman, to fight. Your people need you."
Gray eyes turned cold and his mouth curled. "I will not die for a people who follow a feeble, corrupted man calling himself King. You all go to your deaths. I will not participate in this folly."
"Do not blaspheme the name Theoden," she growled. "I'm sorry for the hurt I cause you now, but I will not suffer you to sully those I consider family. It pains me that you will not stay, but I must follow my heart Eorman, and it does not lie with you."
The warrior seethed. He grasped her upper arm in a vice grip, and new blood pricked the bandage that bound it. She shrank back, suddenly fearing the man before her as she had never done. "You will see all you love decimated Danuriel, before your life is gone. I will make it my purpose." He shoved her back onto the floor. Still in a rage, he launched himself onto his horse's back and spurred him forward. She did not expect to see him again.
--
Aragorn crested the last hill on his ride. He drew Brego back and looked upon the Deep. He saw, much to his surprise, a man riding toward him at full gallop. The roan's eyes were wide and wild, the man hunched low over the animal's neck, pressing for speed. They flew by, disturbing the air and causing a breeze. Perhaps Theoden had changed his mind, sending a rider for aid. His brow furrowed, but he went the wrong way, towards Isengard. They would find no aid there. Exhausted and more than a little confused, he continued on to the fortress.
Atop the wall a young guard stood watch. He recognized Theodred's Brego from a distance, but knew not who the horse carried. They had released him as a rogue, and never had expected him to come back bearing a rider. Knowing that this at least, was no evil tiding, he rushed from his station, calling to all. "A rider!!! Brego comes and bears a rider!"
The call rolled down through the rows of the fortress and milling people. Excited murmuring turned the once quiet Deep into a clamoring din. Legolas had been dozing when the sound of shouting reached him. His eyes, that had been half closed, sharpened and he pushed himself off the ground. He stood, grimacing at the sharp pounding that emanated from his temples. He'd been little more than an elfling the last time he'd had such a headache, after he'd drunk far too much of Thranduil's elvish wine.
He straightened, giving a small shake of his head. His memory of the last night was intact, but vague and seemed very far from him. He touched light fingers to his lips and they came away clean. His sight was normal and his body felt as always. "Evil dreams," he muttered. Then, spurred on by continuous happy cries, he made his way back out of the caves.
He came out into the horses' chamber. Dani knelt on the far side of Hasufel, out of the Elf's immediate line of sight. Looking between the gelding's legs, she saw him enter and was about to all to him, hen her voice caught in her throat. She sucked in a breath. The sight of him made her blood run chill. He walked, shrouded by shadows all his own. His face was dark, eyes pitted. Dani blinked, shook her head and looked again. Legolas as she knew him had returned, blonde and fair, but the chill had taken her and she did not call to him.
Meanwhile, Aragorn had ridden through the gates of the fortress. He slumped forward, slithering off the bay. Brego stood still as stone by the Ranger's side. Gimli pushed his way through the throng of people, barely believing what his eyes saw. "Aragorn! Why you are the canniest, the luckiest man!" The Dawrf was overcome, mouth split into a wide smile. Aragorn smiled tiredly down at his friend, but did not stay long. He still needed to warn Theoden of the coming army.
Araogorn walked swiftly towards the chambers of Theoden King, lost in his own thoughts. He very nearly walked into the person that stood in his way. Silver flecked eyes raised. Legolas looked upon his friend in silent awe, though inwardly his heart sang. ~You are late,~ he announced plainly in the grey tongue. Aragorn grunted, one corner of his mouth quirking. A dim smile played on Legolas' lips though he managed to keep a straight face. "You look terrible." The two old friends grinned, clapping hands down on each others' shoulders.
Eowyn had sighted Aragorn and Legolas only moments ago. Her pale face lit and she did not quite believe the sight of the man before her. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes there he stood. She almost ran over to him, but stemmed the impulse, waiting instead for the friends to finish their conversation, for she'd been witness to Legolas' misery. However, only a moment later her elation fled, when she saw Legolas reveal Aragorn's crystal pendent.
The Ranger's solemn face eased into something resembling relief. He squeezed the Elf's shoulder, reverently placing the pendent back around his neck. Eowyn faltered. This time was not for her. She turned her back on the men. She would find him later. With a heavy heart she returned to tend her people.
--
"The Deeping wall is strong," Theoden argued later with Aragorn. "No force has ever breached the Keep. They will break upon these walls like a wave. How many are there? How many come?"
"Ten thousand at least, my Lord," he answered with a small shake of his head. He alone had seen the force Saruman had mustered. It would be no small matter to dispel them, and Theoden seemed to only want to deny what he surely had to know, that the Uruk-hai would come, and keep coming, till all were dead.
"We can last many days behind these walls. Villages may be rebuilt our crops resown. Let them come."
All the weariness had gathered on the Ranger, wearing his patience thin. He cried out, "They do not come to raid your villages and burn your fields. They come to destroy Rohan's people, down to the last woman and child!"
"And what would you have me do?"
"You must send out Riders, call for aid."
"And who would answer? Elves? Dwarves?" he cast a hard glance at the Ranger's companions, trailing just behind the two men. "We are not so lucky in our friends as you."
"Gondor will answer," Strider pushed, vehement.
"Gondor? Where was Gondor when our people were run from their homes? Where was Gondor when the Westfall fell? Where was Gon………" the King's voice tapered as he thought of his son. "No. We are alone." The King turned to one of the guard.
"Send every man and boy able to wield a sword to the armory. It will not be long now."
--
A couple of hours later the three companions strode for the armory. Eowyn came from the opposite direction, Dani on her heels, looking harried. Aragorn held up his hands, gently gripping her shoulders. "My lady."
"Theoden has ordered me into the caves!" She cried disbelievingly. "I am to remain with the women and children!" her disdain for the order seeped from every fiber of her.
"It is an honorable charge," Aragorn tried to placeate her.
"But I can fight! Let me stand by your side this night, and prove my worth. Speak with Theoden on my behalf." Eowyn implored him.
"Eowyn," he spoke quietly. "A time may come for valor without renown. Your people will need someone to lead them."
Legolas, Gimli and Dani stood apart from the arguing pair. Dani took a step away from the Elf. She couldn't help herself. The figure that had stalked through the stables earlier had given her a deep scare she could not seem to shake, though now the Elf looked as fair and kind as always. Gimli spoke first, while Legolas watched her, puzzled. "How do you fare lass?"
"I am frightened, I am not shamed to admit it. But I suppose I fare as well I may, considering."
"And your arm?" Legolas interjected. He had spotted the blood upon the bandage. He reached out, but Dani backed away, wary.
"It mends," she replied crisply.
"I have heard that Eorman rode from here this morning," the Elf pressed. "Will he return?"
Dani sighed. "No, he is gone. Our parting………it did not come well, and he left with ominous words."
"Will you remain in the caves with the others?" Gimli sensed the subject was a sore one, and let it be.
"I am to remain with the horses, so unless great ill befalls and they breach the Keep I will be far from harm. Now I must go. May we earn victory and all of us survive this night." Shooting a last, nervous glance at the Elf she left.
"What was all that?" Gimli asked.
Legolas' eyebrows shot skyward. "I know not."
Meanwhile, Eowyn beseeched Aragorn once more. "They," she pointed to Legolas and Gimli, "would not be parted from you. They would stand beside you, because they believe in you, because they love you." She searched his face for any reaction, but there was nothing. "Please."
"It is not in my power to command it." She said not another word. Head bowed, she walked away. Aragorn watched her go, unable to express how torn he felt. Then he went for the armory, the conversation riding heavy on his heart.
Legolas stayed close. "You must rest Aragorn," he implored, frustrated with his friend. "You are no good to us half alive." The Ranger ignored him and went overlooking the dispensing of arms. If he stopped now he would surely drop. "Stubborn fool of a man," he growled.
"Look at them," Gimli nodded at the men. "These are no warriors. Most have seen too many winters." He watched a feeble old man grasp a bow with quaking hands.
"Or too few." Legolas ached, watching a small boy grasp a sword in two hands. His helm, chinked and old, fell down over his eyes. Suddenly, it all became too much. They went to war, but not victory. They were cursed by darkness from the East, and a foolish old man with too much pride. He feared, feared that he would have to watch his friends be felled that night. He'd lost Aragorn once already, and was not prepared to lose him again so soon. "They are scared," he said darkly. Voices in the armory stilled. "I can see it in their eyes."
Aragorn whirled, teeth clenched, as anger bubbled in his chest. It prompted the Elf to change his tongue to Elvish. ~And they should be! Three hundred, against ten thousand? They will all die!~
"Then I will die as one of them!" he bellowed. He stalked past the Elf, out of the armory. It had been many, many days since he'd argued with Legolas. It was still unsettling.
The outburst had surprised the Elf almost as much as the Ranger. His mind reeled as he watched Aragorn leave. He would have gone after him, Gimli restrained. "Let him go lad. Let him go."
--
Saruman stood in Orthanc, a slow smile spreading over gaunt features. At first, seeing that the Ranger had not died as he'd hoped, Saruman had been thrown into a range. Had Wormtongue been anywhere within reach he would have slain him. But as it was, his plans were not yet spoiled. The jewel of Sauron was working as he had planned, slowly leaching doubt and despair into the mind of the immortal. Dissention among them was a good sign for him. And the night that crept up would offer him an ideal opportunity.
IN the dark, and chaos of battle, it would be easy to kill Aragorn. The Elf was weakening under the power of the stone. His mind was far easier to enter than it had been the first time, and he could remain, lurking in the back of the prince's mind without him knowing. For now he was content to remain, watching.
--
Dark clouds rolled over the Fortress. A few hours after their argument in the armory, Legolas had sought Aragorn out to apologize. The Ranger had seen the apology coming when Legolas handed him his sword. Words were not necessary, though Legolas spoke them anyway. It was good to leave it behind them. The elves arrived a little after, and sight of Haldir and his bowmen gifted the men of Rohan with new vigor.
Men and elves lined the Deeping Wall and up above in the Keep. Bows were strung and restrung, the weight and balance of swords checked. The women and children had been pushed deep into the mountain side, and there waited with baited breath.
Legolas moved off from the others. A doubt had been niggling at his conscious all day, and he wished to stem it before the battle fell. His dreams from the night before, his dark words to Aragorn and the reaction Dani had had upon sight of him. Something was amiss, and he had to know. He went quickly up the stairs and back to the stable chamber. Dani moved away from Legacy's side. "Legolas? What are you………"
"Dani, be silent, for I have precious little time. For days now I have been plagued by dark thoughts and dreams. Today I sensed your fear at the sight of me."
"Now? You wonder about this now?"
"I must know. What is it Dani, that suddenly brings you to fear me?"
"I do not fear you Legolas, only whatever darkness may compel you. I saw you earlier, coming from the caves. You carried with you a shadow, and your eyes burned black like the Dark Lord's they say."
Miles away, in the tower of Isengard, Saruman grew concerned. His eyes narrowed to slits, brow knit together. This would not do at all. The wizard was not sure how exactly this girl could see what no others could, what he had worked so hard to conceal. An idea bloomed. Now was the time to test his hold over the Elf. His head slipped back.
At Helm's Deep, Legolas turned from Dani. I wail assaulted his ears and the black cloud overtook him. His right hand slipped between the folds of his tunic. "And if I told you no darkness held me?"
"Than I would say that you lie, or that you do not feel what I see." The Elf's head fell, shoulders slumping down, and he slowly turned. "Legolas," she went to him, if only to soften the blow of her words. "What I saw, it was for but a moment, but inspired such fear I have never known. I know not what else to say, and if I be wrong than my apologies."
The prince grasped her shoulder with a slender hand. "Your eyes see much Danuriel." On her blind side he raised the dagger. His hair obscured his face. Then his head snapped up, eyes burning black as night. Dani gasped and tried to launch back, but his grip on her turned crushing and she reached for his wrist with both hands. He sneered. "Too much than is good for you."
He thrust the knife at her side, wishing to slide it between her ribs. The Elf's face contorted, his eyes turning blue once more, but could not stay his hand. At the last moment he thrust the knife down, piercing the soft flesh above her hip in a shallow wound. Dani gasped as the dagger slid through her. She stumbled. "Legolas."
His face was pained, horrified. Dani's weight slumped against his hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Then he was gone, and the darkness took him again. Furious at the Elf's continued ability to defy him, SAruman compelled him again. He brought the hilt of the dagger down near the base of the skull and let her fall, unconscious. He grasped her hair in one hand, dragging her to one of the stalls and leaving. The horses snorted, dancing away from him. "Now, Aragorn."
Chapter 6
Hehe, hope this was enough angst for you. I think Legolas is a strong character and what not easily fall to the will of another.
Oh and as a side note, I apologize for my butchering of lines from the movie. I have not seen it in a long time, so I was going only by memory. Thanks, and please feed the review hound.