Chapter Fourteen:
The clouds blocked out any trace of the sun. They hung low and thick in the
air. As she moved closer, there came a deep rumbling, rolling through the
air towards her. The sound grew as she strode forward, until she had to
clamp her hands on her ears. She then saw what was making the thundering
roar. As she looked over the drop-off she saw hundreds of thousands of Orcs
and Uruk-Hai in armour, ready for war.
Kayla turned to stare deep into the eyes of the Elf standing next to her. His eyes were grim, but in their depths, she could see that he was ready for the battle. She smirked humourlessly. "Let's get into it."
Kayla awoke with a jolt. She drew a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. That wasn't a normal dream. It felt more like that vision she had before, the one about Gandalf. She rolled on her side, so look at Legolas, only to find him already awake. He had propped himself up on one elbow and was looking at her.
"What is wrong, melamin my love?" "I had a vision. I know what we have to do." Kayla sat up, and stretched. Legolas followed suit, and was soon sitting cross-legged facing her. She told him what she had seen, and as she mentioned the Orc army, Legolas turned and looked out towards Mordor. Kayla looked over to see what he was looking at. What she saw put her on edge.
The dark clouds she had seem gathering over Mordor days earlier had continued to draw together. They now formed a thick, black blanket that covered the sky for miles, and were still getting larger. Kayla scowled and turned away, hoping to block them from her mind, at least for a while.
She pushed herself to her feet, ready to get started on the nest leg of their journey. Legolas stood also, and a tender grin lit his face as he looked at her. "What is it?" Kayla asked. Legolas reached out and cupped her face in his hand. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then stood back and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "You had dirt on your cheek." Kayla smiled. "One too many nights sleeping on the ground, I guess." She turned away from Legolas, and started to gather their things together. This spurred Legolas into action, and he reached into his pack and pulled out a chunk of lembas for them to share.
Minutes later, they were packed and ready to start off on their trip to the gates of Mordor. Now that the time had come, Kayla was feeling less and less sure that she was meant to be a part of this. She didn't know what was going to happen, she only knew the destination. She would have to put her trust in Legolas, and hope that he was able to keep them both safe from harm.
Legolas was standing, his pack on his back, watching emotions flit across Kayla's face. He saw that she was feeling scared about what they were about to do. Legolas felt fear too, but he had faced battle many times and knew what to expect. Kayla had never seen war before. She did not know what horrors awaited her. But he also knew of her strength. He knew she would not falter, no matter what came to cross her path.
Their eyes met, and Kayla and Legolas both knew, in that moment, that their lives would never be the same. One side of this battle would come out the better, and Kayla knew that the odds were stacked against them. They could do nothing to give themselves the advantage, except to hope for the best.
"Are you ready?" Legolas asked, concerned. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish," Kayla replied. Legolas was reminded of the last time Kayla spoke those words. She had been encouraging the four Hobbits. He allowed himself a moment of fond remembrance, before snapping into BattleReady!Legolas mode. He held out a hand in the direction of the Gates. "After you."
Kayla turned to stare deep into the eyes of the Elf standing next to her. His eyes were grim, but in their depths, she could see that he was ready for the battle. She smirked humourlessly. "Let's get into it."
Kayla awoke with a jolt. She drew a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. That wasn't a normal dream. It felt more like that vision she had before, the one about Gandalf. She rolled on her side, so look at Legolas, only to find him already awake. He had propped himself up on one elbow and was looking at her.
"What is wrong, melamin my love?" "I had a vision. I know what we have to do." Kayla sat up, and stretched. Legolas followed suit, and was soon sitting cross-legged facing her. She told him what she had seen, and as she mentioned the Orc army, Legolas turned and looked out towards Mordor. Kayla looked over to see what he was looking at. What she saw put her on edge.
The dark clouds she had seem gathering over Mordor days earlier had continued to draw together. They now formed a thick, black blanket that covered the sky for miles, and were still getting larger. Kayla scowled and turned away, hoping to block them from her mind, at least for a while.
She pushed herself to her feet, ready to get started on the nest leg of their journey. Legolas stood also, and a tender grin lit his face as he looked at her. "What is it?" Kayla asked. Legolas reached out and cupped her face in his hand. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then stood back and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "You had dirt on your cheek." Kayla smiled. "One too many nights sleeping on the ground, I guess." She turned away from Legolas, and started to gather their things together. This spurred Legolas into action, and he reached into his pack and pulled out a chunk of lembas for them to share.
Minutes later, they were packed and ready to start off on their trip to the gates of Mordor. Now that the time had come, Kayla was feeling less and less sure that she was meant to be a part of this. She didn't know what was going to happen, she only knew the destination. She would have to put her trust in Legolas, and hope that he was able to keep them both safe from harm.
Legolas was standing, his pack on his back, watching emotions flit across Kayla's face. He saw that she was feeling scared about what they were about to do. Legolas felt fear too, but he had faced battle many times and knew what to expect. Kayla had never seen war before. She did not know what horrors awaited her. But he also knew of her strength. He knew she would not falter, no matter what came to cross her path.
Their eyes met, and Kayla and Legolas both knew, in that moment, that their lives would never be the same. One side of this battle would come out the better, and Kayla knew that the odds were stacked against them. They could do nothing to give themselves the advantage, except to hope for the best.
"Are you ready?" Legolas asked, concerned. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish," Kayla replied. Legolas was reminded of the last time Kayla spoke those words. She had been encouraging the four Hobbits. He allowed himself a moment of fond remembrance, before snapping into BattleReady!Legolas mode. He held out a hand in the direction of the Gates. "After you."