CHAPTER XLII – On the Riverbank

Everyone had stopped. Elves stared in horror. Uruk-hai and Orcs watched with amusement. Boromir was almost sick.

Legolas collapsed, all strength gone from him limbs. "Êlanna…" he cried. "No! NO!"

The Uruk with the green eyes gave the signal for the others to leave. They were all gone in a few minutes, armed and still willing Elves followed. Bodies littered the ground; among them, many of Haldir's battalion. He walked towards Legolas and bowed his head. Boromir was shortly behind him. The rain had slowed down to a calm drizzle, but it was still dark. Galadriel and Celeborn came down the stairs, Galadriel was running. She stopped dead when she saw all the dead Elves and almost fainted when she saw Legolas and Êlanna. Celeborn held her as she cried. The hobbits, two of them helping Aragorn, came out from their refuge. Aragorn fell to his knees when he saw what had happened. Legolas removed the dagger from his beloved's back and held her in his arms, just staring at her. In a moment of weakness, he bent over her. He quickly recoiled, though, when he found she was still breathing. "Êlanna…"

Her eyes half opened, shadowed. A weak smile played at her lips. She reached up and cupped his face. "Legolas."

"Êlanna, I wasn't worth it—"

"Of course you are. You are worth more than all this world holds, Legolas. I was lucky enough to have you." Now she was starting to cry. Death was hovering near her. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

Legolas kissed her gently and she kissed him back. He tasted the salt from her tears on his lips. Then she was still; her hand fell heavily to the ground. Liberating a cry of sorrow, Legolas buried his face in her neck. His shoulders twitched with every breath; unshed tears were suffocating him and yet he could not cry them.

Aragorn's eyes were stinging with tears he would not allow to fall. Why did this have to happen? Why did Legolas have to lose his father, his brother, and his wife? What had he done? He remembered Galadriel's answer: Immortality. Beside him, Pippin fell to his knees. As he blinked back the tears Aragorn put his arm around Pippin's shoulder.

It seemed like an eternity of darkness before someone broke the silence. Orophin, one of the Elves who had gone after the fleeing Orcs and Uruk-hai, returned and said, breathlessly, "Some are trying to get back in. You should all go, now."

Haldir looked at Legolas and bit his lip. He slowly approached his friend. "Legolas—" his voice was raspy— "you have to run or they'll kill you."

"Im avo matho, I don't care," Legolas replied, not looking up.

"I do. Legolas, I won't stand back and watch you die!" Haldir stated, biting back the emotion ripping through. "You'll run."

Now Legolas faced him, hate burning in his eyes so that they were almost smoky and no longer blue. "Until when? I cannot run forever! Look at what it has done!"

"Legolas—"

"No! There is one more person that they can take from me and I will not give them that chance by running!"

Aragorn stood now and joined Haldir. "I won't watch you die, Legolas. Run."

"Run, Legolas," Frodo said.

"Run."

Legolas looked at all of them. Galadriel nodded to him. He looked at Êlanna's pale face and kissed her forehead before laying her down. The flame in his eyes was vanquished, so he looked more tired than anything. Standing, he stared Aragorn and Haldir in their eyes. "I. Will. Not. Run."

Aragorn's heart fell into the pit of his stomach.

"Naneth!" Eryn's voice could be heard crying as she ran back from the Kardaina. She soon appeared, stumbling around and through puddles. Legolas looked frantic. Boromir saw this and met Eryn as she ran, catching her in his arms. "Are they gone?"

Boromir nodded. "They're gone."

"Then why are you crying?"

Searching his mind for an answer, his thoughts were interrupted by a harsh scream in the bushes behind them. An Orc ran out, set on its prey. Boromir reacted by grabbing the knife from his belt and throwing it at the dark creature. Eryn hid her eyes in his tunic. There was more rustling in the bushes.

"Ada," Eryn sighed as Boromir passed her to Legolas. "Did we—what's wrong?"

"Legolas!" Haldir called, noticing the creeping shadows. "Run now."

"Honey, I have to go away. Go with Galadriel and do what she tells you. I promise I'll come back as soon as I can," he said quickly, spinning her and setting her down so that she would not see her mother's body. "I love you."

Eryn, though confused, obeyed and ascended the stairs to Galadriel, who accompanied her further.

Legolas watched her disappear and then gathered Êlanna into his arms and handed her to Orophin. Haldir stared into Legolas' eyes for a moment then embraced him. "I'll watch her."

"Hannon lle, mellon-nîn."

"Run," Haldir said.

Legolas regarded him for another moment then followed the Fellowship to where the boats were. Halfway there, he began to doubt what he was doing and almost turned back, but Aragorn grabbed his shoulder. The pain was already unbearable. Fighting against Aragorn's grip, Legolas found himself being half-dragged to the boats. As they all took places in the canoes, the Elf felt as though he were watching himself do all of this, completely detached, trying to understand exactly what was going on. He felt and yet did not feel the oar in his hand. He did not know how long he rowed for until they stopped on a beach down the Anduin. An hour had gone by, but the darkness held fast. The hobbits gathered firewood and built a small flame where it could not be seen from the banks of Lothlórien. Cold and sorrowful, they all gathered around it, save Legolas. He stood near the river, staring out at things that only he could see.

"It's alright, Pip," Merry comforted his cousin, putting his arm over his shoulder.

Pippin shook his head. "Êlanna shouldn't have died."

Frodo, too, was still disturbed by what had just happened. It was surreal to recall. He gazed at the shadow standing on the riverbank and pulled his cloak closer. This was too horrible… Standing and taking a pot from Sam's pack, he went to the water and dipped it in, glancing at Legolas. The Elf didn't notice him. Not having expected anything more, Frodo returned to the fire and set the pot over it. Now his gaze moved to Aragorn, who was lying in the sand with his hand over his eyes. Boromir had his head bowed over his knees. Then for some reason Frodo's mind wandered to Gandalf and fireworks. A smile flickered across his face. He removed the pot of boiling water from the flames and let it sit for a moment before going over to Aragorn and kneeling next to him. Carefully, Frodo removed the bandage that was wrapped around the Man's head and dipped a piece of cloth into the warm water. The warmth seemed to sooth Aragorn a little as the hobbit dabbed the cloth on the wound. "I'm sorry, Aragorn. It must be hard for you to see all of this."

Aragorn nodded, his eyes still sorrowful and glistening with tears. "I cannot believe... she's really…"

"I know," Frodo said sympathetically. No one should be so sad that they cannot cry. "What will happen to Eryn?"

"Providing she isn't viciously slaughtered in the siege," he replied slightly angrily, "she'll live with Galadriel."

"Can we not go back tomorrow? You, Legolas, and Boromir need to heal and I don't think Legolas is ready to leave," Frodo suggested, practically begging.

Aragorn regarded him. "I don't think so either. We'll go back tomorrow. Thank you, Frodo."

The hobbit smiled in acknowledgment and put the cloth back into the pot. "You should get some rest, Aragorn." He walked away with a nod and sat near the fire with his kinsmen and Gimli. The Dwarf seemed to be in deep thought, chewing on his empty pipe, glancing every so often at Legolas. Finally, he stood up and approached the Elf.

"You alright, lad?"

Legolas didn't respond.

"Look, lad, I know it hurts, but you're not doing yourself any good not expressing it," Gimli said, staring hard at Legolas. He noticed the Elf beginning to lurch slowly forward unto he fell to his knees in the water, finally crying over the loss of his love. "Let it out, lad."

Legolas dug his fingers into the sand until they felt like they would snap. He inhaled sharply between tears. Incoherent Sindarin fell from his mouth. They were curses, they were prayers, sometimes they were just sounds. A knife had been pierced into his chest, but not enough to kill him with the first blow. His head flew back as the tears came steadier with a scream and then he doubled over. Mordor had not hurt as much as this. Gimli's hand was comforting on his shoulder. It took almost an hour for Legolas to become relatively calm. Even then he just sat, the odd tear rolling down his cheek, waves breaking against his knees.

We might as well all die!

Let me die!

If we don't dress the wounds, he'll die.

Nîn na aut a' gurth.

Haldir held Eryn over his shoulder, dreading the impending moment when Eryn would ask where he mother was. It came too quickly. The little Elf began searching the flet for her or any sign of her, confusion written plainly on her face. Finally she stopped and asked him, "Where is Naneth?"

Kneeling in front of her and taking her shoulders, Haldir replied with a quieted voice, "Eryn, honey, your naneth… got hurt…"

"Is she going to be alright? Can we go the infirmaflet and see her?"

"No, Eryn. Honey, your naneth passed away." Haldir felt his head plummet into his stomach as though it were made of stone when he saw how terrified her eyes became. Tears were already falling down her cheeks, as well as his. "Eryn, I am so sorry." He pulled her into an embrace but she squirmed out and once again escaped down the stairs. Haldir went after her, but not to catch her. He followed her to the Kardaina. She ran past the basin of water, through the narthex where Elves used to admit their faults before entering the sanctuary, and marched straight to the throne. It was pale with moonlight that was not even there.

"You were supposed to keep her safe! You were supposed to protect her! She's the only one that ever comes here, even though it scares her! She prayed to you everyday and cried at home. You don't have the right to ignore her! She sacrificed so many things for you and you didn't do anything!" Eryn screamed angrily. "She's a better person than all of you! And I hate you! I HATE YOU!" She sat down on the stairs, the strength draining from her legs. "You stole my naneth from me…"

It broke Haldir's heart to see Eryn like this. No one should bear that kind of hatred at the age of six, no one should have to.

Orophin swallowed hard as he carried Êlanna's body up to a flet that was draped with cloth so that no one could see in. It was not a place for the living. He ducked behind the heavy curtain and laid Êlanna on the table. The only light in the room was a few dim candles that made Êlanna look truly dead. For a moment he thought he saw her chest rise, but brushed it away. Galadriel entered swiftly with a vile in her hand. Without wasting a second, she poured a drop of it onto Êlanna's throat. It bounced and began to faintly glow gold. Orophin didn't know what it meant, but it made Galadriel's eyes widen. She knelt next to the table and listened to Êlanna's chest. After a minute, she backed away. "She's still alive…"

Almost choking on his breath, Orophin stared at Galadriel and then at Êlanna. The Elf queen grabbed the tiny gold orb and held it between her fingertips. When she tossed it she saw a magnificent thing.

Êlanna and Legolas were standing toe-to-toe, captivated by each others' eyes. They were smiling at each other and Legolas mouthed the words 'I love you'. She blushed kissed him, retreating when a dove landed on his shoulder. It perched onto Legolas' outstretched finger. He held it before Êlanna and got her to follow his eyes. Happiness illuminated her face and she clasped her hand over her mouth. Legolas untied the ring from the bird's leg and slipped it onto her finger. "Be my princess?"

Galadriel was enchanted by it for a moment, but took no time in doing the best she could to make sure Êlanna lived.