Iluvien: Thank you… and I wish I had a break that was an actual break. I mean, no sleeping in, two papers, a project, way too much lab work to do… why do they call these things breaks?

Laughard72: Where did the cockroaches come from?

Kelsey: I suppose you could say that. My friend watched that movie about ten times in two weeks. I never made the connection though. Maybe because I always saw the movie as a girl trying to save her father… which Alyeni certainly isn't interested in doing.

LadyJadePerendhil: Actually, my reason for reading is procrastination. I think it's a genetic problem. Any kids I should have will be doomed! I am going to read the Sil some day. I am. Probably right after I memorize the anatomy of the brain. (And sadly, I'm not joking… sigh.) Well, glad you like it. This chapter… probably won't go up in the best of all chapters list.

Kat: Well, sorry it took so long to get this up, but things have been a bit nuts. I've spent hours in lab, more on research, and on planning a psych study of my own. I would ask for volunteers, but I probably can't. There's no doubt a rule about it somewhere. Solicitation, perhaps?

farflung: In the book, at least, Arwen sends a flag. It's been about three years since I read it, but I think it has a tree (or trees?)… I don't know anymore. I'm pretty sure it was black… not that that's all that helpful. I just can't picture Lord Elrond (movie now) in a frenzy. Yes, he looks at Merry and Pippen like some cockroaches just appeared on his banquet table, but… no frenzy. I don't have that much imagination. I know what you mean about little Leaf. I get a kick out of picturing this little elf with his bow. I don't know… I think you could argue that either way. On the same note, do they die of mortal wounds? I suppose I'm a bit torn about the whole Arwen/Aragorn thing myself. Okay, she's an elf. He's a human. She's how many centuries old when they meet? But she falls in love with him pretty darn quick. Maybe there is some sort of spiritual recognition between elves, sometimes, and she just knew… but then how could Elrond protest? I run in circles every time I think about it. He was infatuated, then he's in love… oh… back to your review. Yes, Elrond understood. He sees more in her than she sees in herself… the future princess, perhaps? Arwen is a bit too… optimistic…

IvannethFuin: Very good question. See below and make your guess.

sarah: Um… who says he finds out?

And thanks also to Name1 for reviewing.

I like the whole editing window thing they've got going on now, but they got rid of my divider, and won't let me put it back. Sorry.



Chapter 29:

Even before I made it to the part of Mirkwood where elves yet dwelled I could feel the change. The air—always heavy and still so far into the wood—seemed oppressing beyond anything I'd felt before. Heat buffeted me, slowed my horses as the sounds of war reached my ears. I called them to walk, and we crept warily along, knowing we would be of no use if we died before even reaching the battle.

We reached a small clearing, the trees having parted just a bit here, almost as if there was once a path. The first thing I saw was red. Red blood on the ground, red blood on a kneeling elf who was gazing up with glassing eyes at an orc who hovered above him. The rest of the world faded out as the crude—crude, but effective—weapon the orc held began to arch down. I threw my dagger, leaving it in his neck as I bent and hauled the elf onto my horse, never stopping.

"Which way to the lines?" I yelled into his ear.

He blinked several times and made a faint motion.

"Hold on," I instructed.

With a faint nod he kept blinking, his hand holding onto mine which was holding him upright against me more to hold himself into this world than anything.

When his grip began failing I shook him roughly. "Have a family?"

He shook his head.

"How about a she-elf, then?"

A slight flicker of his lips.

"Then hang on. The Halls of Mandos are not a good place for you two to next meet."

Another faint nod, his hand tightening on mine. I saw the hastily constructed healing tents and let out a shrill whistle. At once an elf emerged and took my charge. I winced to see how weak he had become, but after sending up a quick prayer, I started to turn, when I was stopped. The elf's breastplate was being held up by a maid. At my look she dropped into a faint curtsy. "He wished you to go better equipped," she explained.

"Thank him… and pray for us all." As she nodded I rode towards the fighting, handing off my horse to the first group of elves heading towards the tents. The other horse followed me until I'd unloaded it, then it began carrying elves to the tents as I began handing out swords and daggers to those near me.

They looked at me in surprise, but many were quite happy to get new weapons, throwing away their commandeered orc ones with relief. A few warped blades also went aside… and no one said a word as I fell into line beside them.

All battles are bad, and this was to be no exception. The sounds around me fell away, my eyes growing dim to everything except that which was directly around me… battle rage. It takes and tunes the senses of warring elves so they are aware only of that which could kill them. I'd heard of it, but this was my first taste of it. It was not a taste to be savored, by any means.

The orcs just kept coming, wave after wave… the day turned to night, and then became as day… for the trees were on fire. That shook me out of the rage, and for an instant I stared at the trees in shock, hearing their pain as the trees I had known all my life were engulfed in flame, the yellow orange light scorching the sky, making it as bright as day.

I felt something come up behind me and ducked away, barely in time. Pain slashed down my outer thigh, but it was passing, for the wound had not been dealt with a sharp instrument. It hadn't even broken the skin. Such realizations were fleeting, falling away in the cataclysmic knowledge that my home was being destroyed.

The orc who had attacked me had fallen to the ground, dead, before I was aware I had reacted to his attack. Two others fell by my hand before I noticed the elves around me were lining up, driving the orcs farther into the forest as others—wounded and she-elves—began carrying water in hopes to slow the destruction.

From the corner of my eye before I completed my intent to join the others, I saw something which made me pause. Leaf?

I tilted my head, and in that moment caught a glimmer from his eyes, and I stopped entirely, my jaw dropping open. He was battling an orc, two orcs, three… and he was not doing well, at all. The elves around him seemed clueless to his plight, and he didn't ask for aid, as to do so would be beneath any warrior, especially in such a battle as this. The world fell away as I ran forward, a sword in my right hand, a dagger in my left. Two orcs released their dark blood for getting between me and my goal, and then one of the four now attacking him fell to my sword as another one fell to his. I got rid of the third, and turned…

To see a blow about to fall. I leapt forward, thrusting aside the blow with my sword, shoving my dagger into the orc's gut while he was preoccupied with my sudden appearance. I shoved him back and hauled the fallen elf up. "You're a bloody fool," I snarled at him, before turning back to the fight, pressing on with the others as the fire roared above our heads, the heat and ash working together to sting my eyes as we went on.

"Oh, and I suppose you're so wonderfully intelligent to have come?"

I snorted and shook my head, my reply paused to kill another orc as my eyes watered to be rid of the irritants. "Well, it was in everyone's best interest. Can't bloody well have Leaf taking over the throne," I growled, knocking off another orc who tried to team up against him. "Would you take off the bloody sign that says 'Kill me, I'm the king'?"

"I'd love to," he muttered, "but I can't."

I glanced at him, noticed for the first time that he was wearing the colors of his house, and with a sigh and a shake of my head, I turned back to the fight. "I suppose not," I agreed. To do so would be to let the elves around us lose hope—which was scarce enough in this bloody night. "To the red dawn," I murmured, feeling the rage seep into my senses again, numbing the effects of the fire.

Thranduil nodded his head slightly at me before his senses turned entirely to the fight as well.

I kept an eye on him, as any elf would if they'd noticed who they were fighting beside, and so I saw the instant in which he was knocked to the ground by a doubled attack of the orcs. I again saw bits of Leaf in him as a third orc came up behind him, lifting the red-stained black weapon above him.

I had lost my dagger a while back, and my aim throwing swords could prove deadly to the wrong being, so I raced forward once more, seeing the orc before him was keeping him pinned as the second one he was aware of also lifted his blade. Time to hold off but one…

My blade crashed with the orc's as the other's fell. The impact knocked me off my feet and onto my knees behind the King. "To the King!" I yelled over the clamor of war around me. "To the King!" I shouted again, my voice cracking, wincing as the orc behind me ripped his crude weapon from my shoulder. I heard elves shouting around me, saw the orcs above us fall in battle with others, saw the one whose blade had ripped through the metal over my shoulder fall at my side, his eyes open, mouth gaping grotesquely, foaming black blood seeping from a wound in his chest and from his mouth to stain the ground by my thigh. Thranduil was helped up and escorted away from the lines before he was deemed all right, and then someone was at my side, pulling me to my feet.

My vision began to fade, the world going fuzzy and brown as I slipped to the bloodied earth again, unable to gather my feet under me. Red blood again, I thought faintly. Valar, I never knew death would be like this. Everything was going cold, the world fainting around me as sounds disappeared, replaced by an odd sound I had heard before… But what was it? Oh! It was my heart… slowing.

In my fading vision I saw Thranduil look at me, saw him yell out something to someone, felt arms come around me, lifting me… but I couldn't force my heavy body to move enough to find out if it was elf or orc. The last thing I saw as the brown tunneled away the last of my vision, sending it all to black, was the welcome sight of seeing Thranduil's guard form around him again. The King would not fall tonight, and he would see that red dawn.