Two chapters for u wonderful reviewers!!! Hope u enjoy!
Preparations and Anticipations
When Elimay opened her eyes, she hoped that everything had just been a bad dream. But the grey roof of the cave told her otherwise. She rolled onto her side and saw Legolas sleeping there. She snuggled against him, breathing in the fresh forest smell of him. He opened his eyes, roused by her movement, and caressed her cheek with his hand.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, smiling lightly to her.
"As well as I could have," she answered, not able to return his smile.
Her stomach turned with fear and she felt strangely cold. She wished with all her might that she were back in Rhun with her family, and unaffected by the wrath of Saruman. Nothing would be able to stem the panic she felt within her now.
Without a word she got to her feet and saw that Gandalf was standing by the entrance to the cave. Ignoring Legolas' sound of protest at her leaving, she went to stand by the wizard. The new day showed the near impossibility of the task at hand. If she were to get past the barrier, she had to brave the treacherously thin ledge that ran along the inside of the deep crevasse. Then she had to pull herself out again, to enter Isengard by the only entrance. Thankfully the entrance itself was not guarded but there were hoards of orcs swarming over the flat rock that spanned out from the great tower. Once inside, she did not know what would happen. She felt the cool metal of her dagger against her skin in her boot, and prayed it would serve her well as it had done many times previously.
Gandalf looked round to her as she approached him and gave her a small smile. "Good morning, Elimay. Are you ready for the day?"
"I will never be ready, Gandalf," she confessed in a quiet voice. "But it must be done."
He nodded and looked to the view before them. "I can make a small gateway in the barrier; just enough for you to get through. It will close quickly for I do not have enough power to hold it open for longer. You must go quickly and take to the ledge before you are spotted."
Elimay nodded mutely and took a deep breath.
"When you kill Saruman, we will be able to get through to help you; we will have enough at our hands out here with all those orcs."
Elimay looked abruptly to him. "You will never come out alive with just the two of you," she cried. However skilled they both were, they could not face thousands of Saruman's worst beasts.
Curiously, Gandalf smiled slightly and gave her a side look. "I may have a small trick up my sleeve. You must not worry about us my dear. Just focus on your task and get your family out of there. We will be able to cover you when you come out of the entrance."
He makes it sound easy, she thought. He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked at her straight. "You have everything to live for," he told her. "Plus, we would not want to loose such a beautiful elf maiden."
That made Elimay smile and her heart lightened slightly.
The three companions crouched behind a jutting rock, just beside the invisible barrier. From their vantage point they had a clear view of the eastern side of the tower where the entrance lay. The sky was a light grey and unfortunately very clear, making the task of stealth a little harder, but they would have to make do.
The wizard looked to the maiden and saw the fear in her eyes, but noticed that she had managed to find her centre. Then he glanced to Legolas, seeing that he was frowning at Elimay's back, a look of deep fear and sorrow in his eyes. His fingers were grasped around his bow and he held a sword in his other hand.
When he managed to take a hold of himself, he stepped up to the maiden.
"Eli," he whispered. She turned and looked at him, pushing back all her feelings making her seem cold and emotionless. He raised the sword to her but his eyes never left her face. "Your sword," he said.
Elimay raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smile. "Now you decide to give it to me?"
Legolas sighed more to himself than her and dropped his gaze. She shook her head. "I do not need it prince; it will only slow me down."
The prince looked up at her again and frowned. "But what will you fight with?"
She gave him a sly smile and put her hand on his. "I have my dagger."
He looked momentarily surprised but then smiled. "I was wondering where it had gone. I was afraid that maybe I had lost it and was working up the courage to tell you."
She laughed quietly and allowed herself a kiss. Her lips touched his soft cheek and she heard him sigh, wanting to move his lips to hers, but she pulled away. It would only make it harder.
Then she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and looked to Gandalf. "I am ready."
Preparations and Anticipations
When Elimay opened her eyes, she hoped that everything had just been a bad dream. But the grey roof of the cave told her otherwise. She rolled onto her side and saw Legolas sleeping there. She snuggled against him, breathing in the fresh forest smell of him. He opened his eyes, roused by her movement, and caressed her cheek with his hand.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, smiling lightly to her.
"As well as I could have," she answered, not able to return his smile.
Her stomach turned with fear and she felt strangely cold. She wished with all her might that she were back in Rhun with her family, and unaffected by the wrath of Saruman. Nothing would be able to stem the panic she felt within her now.
Without a word she got to her feet and saw that Gandalf was standing by the entrance to the cave. Ignoring Legolas' sound of protest at her leaving, she went to stand by the wizard. The new day showed the near impossibility of the task at hand. If she were to get past the barrier, she had to brave the treacherously thin ledge that ran along the inside of the deep crevasse. Then she had to pull herself out again, to enter Isengard by the only entrance. Thankfully the entrance itself was not guarded but there were hoards of orcs swarming over the flat rock that spanned out from the great tower. Once inside, she did not know what would happen. She felt the cool metal of her dagger against her skin in her boot, and prayed it would serve her well as it had done many times previously.
Gandalf looked round to her as she approached him and gave her a small smile. "Good morning, Elimay. Are you ready for the day?"
"I will never be ready, Gandalf," she confessed in a quiet voice. "But it must be done."
He nodded and looked to the view before them. "I can make a small gateway in the barrier; just enough for you to get through. It will close quickly for I do not have enough power to hold it open for longer. You must go quickly and take to the ledge before you are spotted."
Elimay nodded mutely and took a deep breath.
"When you kill Saruman, we will be able to get through to help you; we will have enough at our hands out here with all those orcs."
Elimay looked abruptly to him. "You will never come out alive with just the two of you," she cried. However skilled they both were, they could not face thousands of Saruman's worst beasts.
Curiously, Gandalf smiled slightly and gave her a side look. "I may have a small trick up my sleeve. You must not worry about us my dear. Just focus on your task and get your family out of there. We will be able to cover you when you come out of the entrance."
He makes it sound easy, she thought. He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked at her straight. "You have everything to live for," he told her. "Plus, we would not want to loose such a beautiful elf maiden."
That made Elimay smile and her heart lightened slightly.
The three companions crouched behind a jutting rock, just beside the invisible barrier. From their vantage point they had a clear view of the eastern side of the tower where the entrance lay. The sky was a light grey and unfortunately very clear, making the task of stealth a little harder, but they would have to make do.
The wizard looked to the maiden and saw the fear in her eyes, but noticed that she had managed to find her centre. Then he glanced to Legolas, seeing that he was frowning at Elimay's back, a look of deep fear and sorrow in his eyes. His fingers were grasped around his bow and he held a sword in his other hand.
When he managed to take a hold of himself, he stepped up to the maiden.
"Eli," he whispered. She turned and looked at him, pushing back all her feelings making her seem cold and emotionless. He raised the sword to her but his eyes never left her face. "Your sword," he said.
Elimay raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smile. "Now you decide to give it to me?"
Legolas sighed more to himself than her and dropped his gaze. She shook her head. "I do not need it prince; it will only slow me down."
The prince looked up at her again and frowned. "But what will you fight with?"
She gave him a sly smile and put her hand on his. "I have my dagger."
He looked momentarily surprised but then smiled. "I was wondering where it had gone. I was afraid that maybe I had lost it and was working up the courage to tell you."
She laughed quietly and allowed herself a kiss. Her lips touched his soft cheek and she heard him sigh, wanting to move his lips to hers, but she pulled away. It would only make it harder.
Then she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and looked to Gandalf. "I am ready."