Chapter Seventeen:

The Fellowship charged into the battle, to see that it has been raging for some time. There were Orc and Uruk bodies strewn in the hundreds, with arrows and sword slashes abundant. A hasty glance around assured Aragorn that neither Legolas nor Kayla had joined the bodies in the dirt. An equally hasty glance showed him that his Company was as ready as they could be to join their friends in the fight. The Hobbits were grouped together, barely hidden fear etched in their faces. Gimli was gripping his axe, ready to join the fight, and Aragorn knew that he was ready to face the action. Faramir had sword in hand, a frown slashed across his handsome features. Aragorn drew his own sword, and the group looked to him for guidance.

Being the experienced leader that he was, Aragorn knew that if he said anything at that time, it would disrupt them from their own mental assurances that they would do well. So instead, he gave them a terse nod, and yelling the name of the one he loved, he joined his comrades in battle.

"Undómiel!"

Legolas heard the cry across the field of battle, and his spirits lifted slightly to know that the Company had come to fight at their sides. It felt good to know that there was someone else out there, that the burden of protecting the world was no longer on two sets of weary shoulders. There were others there to help share the burden. Legolas and Kayla had been fending off legions of Orcs and Uruk-Hai for what seemed a lifetime. Now there were more people on his side, Legolas felt he could spare a precious second to check how Kayla was faring.

Kayla was separated from Legolas by a sea of bodies. She was amazed that none of the bodies were her own. After having fought for such a length of time, it was incredible to think that Kayla had caused such destruction, and she was still standing with energy left to create a little bit more. She had heard Aragorn's cry upon joining the clash, but she had not found the time to check that all her friends were present and safe. Well as safe as you can be in hand-to-hand combat, Kayla thought wryly, in between sword slashes and thrusts.

If Kayla had never touched a sword before embarking on the journey, it'd be impossible to tell now. She fought as if she had been born with sword in fist. She had even found the time to whip off a few arrows. But she was beginning to tire, and she sensed that the moment her dream showed was approaching. But she had no time to be afraid. No time to slacken the pace. There was just too much to be done. She felt someone's gaze upon her and she smiled, in between the hacking and slashing. Somehow Legolas had found a few spare seconds to check that she was ok, and she knew that it would be the last time that he would see her, alive and well and holding her own. So she doubled her efforts so he could have the memory of her fighting to help ease the pain of her loss.

And in that moment, all background noise seemed to cease. All Kayla could hear was the whistling her sword made as it whipped through the air, and the rustling of a stray group of leaves as they were stirred by the increasing wild. Kayla went into a dreamlike state, knowing instinctively where the next Orc was coming from, and how she had to move to block the attack. She closed her eyes and began to fight on pure instinct. She even knew exactly where the rock was that she would trip over, but she was powerless to stop it. She fell, and her sword flew from her grip, exactly as she had dreamed. As Kayla grabbed for her sword and rose to her feet she heard the command echo over, just as it had in the dream.

"Kayla, drop!"

Kayla fell to the ground and felt, rather than saw, two arrows flash past her and imbed themselves into the attacking Orc. She rose to her feet once again, knowing she would have to act out the sequence exactly as she saw it. It could throw off the balance of events if she deviated from the plot. Her feet were kicked out from under her, just as she expected, and she fell, twisting her body to avoid the weapon she knew was lying right behind her. Once again, her sword having flown from her grip, she was weaponless. But it didn't matter. She knew she wouldn't need it again.

Legolas' aim was true. The arrows pierced through the Orc's chest exactly as they should have. The Orc swayed on the spot, and for the first time, Kayla felt the onset of déjà vu. It was exactly as she had seen it, and it was eerie. The déjà vu blossomed into a mild case of fear as she saw the muscles strain in the Orc's arm and chest, as he prepared to throw himself forward onto her. She closed her eyes to wait for the strike, but they snapped open again, as she heard a cry float across the air. But it was not the voice she expected to hear. It was Pippin.

He was running across the battlefield, leaping carcasses as nimbly as a hare. That was not supposed to happen. She was supposed to be stabbed. She had to die here. But what could Pippin do? He was just a Halfling, too small to cause any real difference. But he did. He sliced his small sword across the backs of the knees of an Orc standing nearby the arrow ridden one. The cut severed all the muscle, and the Orc fell, crashing into the other and they both fell, neither getting the chance to run Kayla through. A fleeting grin lit Pippin's face as his eyes met with Kayla's. She was too bewildered to smile back. What was going to happen now? How was she supposed to find Melkor now?

But there was no time to think about that, for Pippin's dash across the field had attracted the attention of quite a number of Uruk-Hai. And they were heading right towards where Kayla and Pippin stood. Shaking herself physically, Kayla got her thoughts together, and raised her sword in challenge. Beside her, Pippin did the same. And the fight began again. Swords clashed and clanged, and the woman and Hobbit, fought enough for ten Men. But the enemy were strong. Kayla could see that Pippin was tiring rapidly, and the Orcs were coming in droves. A lucky swing caught Kayla on the upper arm, leaving the limb bleeding and useless. She had to keep hold of her sword in her uninjured hand, and pray that there would bee some type of salvation on the way. If there wasn't then Kayla and Pippin would surely be killed, and Middle Earth would fall to ruin.

A glance at Pippin saw him swinging wildly, managing to connect with some Orcs. It was incredible to think that the Orcs hadn't been able to batter him aside as if he were nothing more than a stinging mosquito. But Pippin's method of attack left a blind stop in his vision, and an Orc had taken advantage of that. Coming up behind him, the Orc raised his sword and prepared to strike. But it did not make its mark. It took Kayla instead.

Seeing that Pippin was unprotected and in danger, Kayla had leapt, pushing Pippin out of the way and facing the Orc herself. But her action had not stayed its arm and it still had come crashing down, to clout her right in the stomach. The sword slid in deep, and the Orc tore it out, causing more damage still. A cry, bone aching in its intensity, flew across the battlefield, and Kayla knew the course of destiny had settled back into its groove. The cry was Legolas.

"N'UMA! [NO!] "