Chapter 18:
Morié sat next to her cousins as she looked back sadly at Lothlorien and saw Galadriel standing like a white pillar as she waved goodbye. Letting a tear roll down as she saw Legolas stand next to the Lady and wave goodbye, she lifted a hand and waved once then turned back to hide her sadness at their passing. Elladan nudged his brother as he caught the glisten of a tear on her unusually pale face. Looking casually at her, Elrohir saw the tear and smiled at his cousin in encouragement then slapped his brother fiercely as Elladan continued to nudge. Giving him a fierce look, he turned back and saw Legolas standing there and he understood. Cantering up to his cousin, he began to pull faces but stopped when he saw her staring into space as if she saw nothing at all but the tunnel of grief she was locked in.
Looking back, he saw Legolas disappear from his place and looked at Aragorn hopelessly. Spurring his horse forwards, Aragorn rode beside his foster-cousin and began to chat to her in Sindarin, except it was too low for the twins to hear. Letting their mounts trot, the twins looked at each other nervously as they passed through the Redhorn Pass and saw the mounds of the dead elves they had found by the side of the road. Hearing the whistle of orc arrows, they saw one coming straight for their cousin, so they spurred their horse forwards just in time to see Eriador go down and Morié tumble off. Yelling to Aragorn to stay with her, they fought off the orc archers and killed many before they were surrounded. As they prepared to fight to the death, they were amazed as one by one the orc were felled from behind.
Looking around in confusion, the orcs were killed before they knew what was happening. As the last orc fell dead, they could see Legolas charging on a horse through the bodies of the orcs, his bow still twanging with the release of that last arrow. Rushing to the girl's side, he swore to himself as he saw her unconscious in Aragorn's lap. Her cut had been opened again and she had fallen on her ankle badly. She was barely breathing, as if she had no will to go on. Sobbing, he gathered her in his arms and stroked her gently. As Aragorn checked Eriador and shook his head, Legolas rose with Morié in his arms and surveyed the horse's wounds. One leg was badly injured and his side was pierced with orc arrows. Looking at his glazed eyes, Legolas took up his sword and put him out of his misery with a sob. Then, he hopped back on his horse and they rode as fast as they could towards Imladris, where the healers took charge of Morié.
---
As Elrond entered and eyed the men below him, Legolas bowed gracefully and felt immediately at ease when the Lord smiled at him warmly. Bowing back, Elrond offered him a seat in his chamber. Sitting on a chair, Legolas looked around and then focused in as Elrond spoke.
"I thank you, Legolas Thranduillion for saving my kinswoman's life many times. However, you have done her great ill also. Though she is sleeping safely and will awake soon, to what she will awake: hope, or forgetfulness, or despair, I do not know. And if to despair, then she will die, unless other healing comes which I cannot bring. Now, ye must rest. Boys, take Legolas to a spare chamber that he may use."
And with that, he exited the room to check on Morié and found her awake and watching the far south, her slender body pressed against a windowsill as if to support herself. Sighing, she turned and saw her uncle, the terror of Mordor mirrored in the green-blue eyes that had lost their heavenly light, their inner spark. Now, all that remained was a frost, the eyes hard and unforgiving but extremely vulnerable as she turned back to watch the darkness over Mount Doom. Crossing, Elrond could do nothing but stroke her softly as they watched the darkness gather...
Morié sat next to her cousins as she looked back sadly at Lothlorien and saw Galadriel standing like a white pillar as she waved goodbye. Letting a tear roll down as she saw Legolas stand next to the Lady and wave goodbye, she lifted a hand and waved once then turned back to hide her sadness at their passing. Elladan nudged his brother as he caught the glisten of a tear on her unusually pale face. Looking casually at her, Elrohir saw the tear and smiled at his cousin in encouragement then slapped his brother fiercely as Elladan continued to nudge. Giving him a fierce look, he turned back and saw Legolas standing there and he understood. Cantering up to his cousin, he began to pull faces but stopped when he saw her staring into space as if she saw nothing at all but the tunnel of grief she was locked in.
Looking back, he saw Legolas disappear from his place and looked at Aragorn hopelessly. Spurring his horse forwards, Aragorn rode beside his foster-cousin and began to chat to her in Sindarin, except it was too low for the twins to hear. Letting their mounts trot, the twins looked at each other nervously as they passed through the Redhorn Pass and saw the mounds of the dead elves they had found by the side of the road. Hearing the whistle of orc arrows, they saw one coming straight for their cousin, so they spurred their horse forwards just in time to see Eriador go down and Morié tumble off. Yelling to Aragorn to stay with her, they fought off the orc archers and killed many before they were surrounded. As they prepared to fight to the death, they were amazed as one by one the orc were felled from behind.
Looking around in confusion, the orcs were killed before they knew what was happening. As the last orc fell dead, they could see Legolas charging on a horse through the bodies of the orcs, his bow still twanging with the release of that last arrow. Rushing to the girl's side, he swore to himself as he saw her unconscious in Aragorn's lap. Her cut had been opened again and she had fallen on her ankle badly. She was barely breathing, as if she had no will to go on. Sobbing, he gathered her in his arms and stroked her gently. As Aragorn checked Eriador and shook his head, Legolas rose with Morié in his arms and surveyed the horse's wounds. One leg was badly injured and his side was pierced with orc arrows. Looking at his glazed eyes, Legolas took up his sword and put him out of his misery with a sob. Then, he hopped back on his horse and they rode as fast as they could towards Imladris, where the healers took charge of Morié.
---
As Elrond entered and eyed the men below him, Legolas bowed gracefully and felt immediately at ease when the Lord smiled at him warmly. Bowing back, Elrond offered him a seat in his chamber. Sitting on a chair, Legolas looked around and then focused in as Elrond spoke.
"I thank you, Legolas Thranduillion for saving my kinswoman's life many times. However, you have done her great ill also. Though she is sleeping safely and will awake soon, to what she will awake: hope, or forgetfulness, or despair, I do not know. And if to despair, then she will die, unless other healing comes which I cannot bring. Now, ye must rest. Boys, take Legolas to a spare chamber that he may use."
And with that, he exited the room to check on Morié and found her awake and watching the far south, her slender body pressed against a windowsill as if to support herself. Sighing, she turned and saw her uncle, the terror of Mordor mirrored in the green-blue eyes that had lost their heavenly light, their inner spark. Now, all that remained was a frost, the eyes hard and unforgiving but extremely vulnerable as she turned back to watch the darkness over Mount Doom. Crossing, Elrond could do nothing but stroke her softly as they watched the darkness gather...