Chapter 10

Raeya was screaming.

She had awoken in a tomb of rock, buried alive in rubble. The dust stung her eyes and clogged her lungs as she tried to struggle free. Nothing was moving, and she felt pain in her side. What had happened? She remembered the turret as it came hurtling towards her. Then she remembered, the light and. she saw his eyes wide and staring, the blood...

"LEGOLAS!!!!" she screamed.

She was suddenly aware again of the light. The rubble above her head moved, and the sunlight crept in through a small gap. The gap was getting bigger as urgent hands pulled away the rubble that was crushing her from above. She thrust her hand into the opening and someone pulled her up from her rubble prison. Her eyes were sore with dust and her vision was blurry. She looked up into the face of her rescuer. He held out his hand to her and Legolas pulled her up towards him. He looked deep in her eyes, and said

"You are safe."

Raeya's mind whirled, she had seen this before. Legolas turned and ran back to the battle his knife drawn.

"No!!" cried Raeya.

She scrambled to her knees and rubbed her eyes. Focus damn it, focus. she drew forth her bow and arrow as the orc fell under Legolas' blade. He turned back to look at her and started to walk towards her. Too late, too late! her mind was screaming. She spun around and tried to concentrate, where would the arrow come from? She let her senses guide her. She listened through the noise of battle, and the ringing in her head from the rubble, and listened. listened. there. She fired, the arrow flew through the air gracefully, it swerved to the right and hit through the chest as the Ura-Ki was pulling back its bow string. Raeya exhaled as the Ura-Ki snarled and fell to the ground dead. She had done it, she had saved the light, and she had saved Legolas. She turned to face him and smiled, tears rolled down her dirty cheeks, she ran up to him and hugged him. The war would be won by men, and Legolas would live.

The battle raged on for some time after this, but Raeya was not troubled. She had seen the future, and sure enough the battle was won. The keep was now clear, the battle out side was coming to an end and Raeya searched for Legolas. She found him slaying the last of the orcs, and she could not contain how happy she felt that it was over. She could love him now. She no longer needed permission from her elders, for she had surely done them proud already. Legolas looked up and saw her. The love he had flashed through his face, and he started towards her. They did not need words any more, they just knew. They would spend many lifetimes exploring Middle Earth together, many life times loving each other. An eternity of bliss stretched out before them, and they drew closer together striding over dead orcs and men, walking over mud and blood to be together. Raeya smiled, this was meant to be. A sudden pain flashed through her, a red hot burning sensation slashed through her body like a hot knife through butter. She felt faint, and queasy, and fell to the ground clutching her abdomen. She looked at her hands, it was covered with blood. But not black orc blood, red blood, her own blood. The orc stood over her, the bloody dagger in its hand and snarled at her. Two arrows smashed through its back and it too fell instantly dead. Raeya was dazed. She felt hurt coursing through her body. I'm dieing, she realised. She looked up and saw Legolas, the hurt on his face could rival her own. She looked up at him helplessly. Blood gurgled out of her wound, as he knelt down to cradle her.

"No." was all he said. He held her in his arms, and rocked back and forth. Raeya cried, she had no energy, she could not see if she would live, the waters of time were whirling out of control and no images came to her this time.

"I'm going to die" she said, not realising that she had said it out loud.

"No, I will not let you die." Cried Legolas and he swept her up into her arms and carried her away.