Chapter 23 - A Fateful Moment
"Amarthel's Plan Exacted"

Many things happened in the short minutes that followed. Jocelyn and Arwen were firing arrows side by side from the roof. The Elf Princess was shooting downward over the edge of the wall when Jocelyn saw from the corner of her eye, an arrow come from a tree far back on the right side of the field. It flew noiselessly toward its target. Jocelyn looked down its intended path, and saw Arwen's unsuspecting and concentrated face. Jocelyn dropped her bow to push her friend out of the way as quick as her reflexes would allow.

But she was too slow. The arrow embedded itself in Arwen's shoulder, the head sticking out the other side of her. The wounded Elf's knees gave out, and Jocelyn resisted her fall, laying her gently on the stone rooftop. Her porcelain skin sallowed, and her mouth gaped in pain. Her wide eyes looked to her wound, then back to her friend's intense green eyes.

Jocelyn could do nothing. That was what hurt the most. She had no power to help her friend, only to call someone for her. So she did. She yelled for a healer with all her voice, and she spoke softly to Arwen, reassuring and supportive words. Down the line of archers, Jocelyn saw another fall, with an arrow in his throat.

From the stairwell opening, a white robed figure appeared, and looked to the fallen soldier, shaking his head down to someone below him. Then he spotted Arwen and Jocelyn, and he reached out his hand to them, motioning for her to bring the wounded Elf down to him.

Jocelyn stayed low to the ground, behind the wall, and drug Arwen to the stairwell, where she was entrusted to the steady hands of the healers. She followed them to the lobby of the palace, but stopped and watched them carry her out and to the infirmary. There was still more for her to do here. But she had lost her bow. Thankfully, she had a sword strapped to her waist. It would be no good on the roof, so she took a deep breath and headed for the courtyard door.

Nothing prepared her for the sight she was greeted with. A chaotic mass of moving, fighting things. Blood stained the very air she breathed. She pushed her way through the pairs engaged in their fights, and located some orcs to take down. In her mind, she envisioned Arwen the day before, fighting the first fifteen on the path in the woods. Before she knew it, three were dead, and she looked around for more. What she saw instead, was her husband.

His beautiful face was stained with dirt and blood, and his light blonde hair was a sandy brown color. The sweat beaded on his forehead and rolled down off the tip of his nose and he grimaced as he fought. Despite the blood and gore, it was a strangely beautiful sight. His strength, and the way he moved, the bravery reflecting in his shining bright blue eyes.

A shriek brought Jocelyn's eyes from her husband's graceful figure to the sky, where a black figure flew over the battlefield. Unlike the others, though, it did not look down at the Elves for someone to kill and feed on. It flew straight over the palace. She was not let time to wonder on this, however. A shrinking feeling in the pit of her stomach brought her eyes back to where Legolas was fighting. But he was no longer there.

She pushed through the figures, slicing at the hostile ones, until she stood where her husband had but moments before. He was gone. She looked feverishly around, her heartbeat quickening. How could she have lost him? If she had only kept her eyes on him, maybe she would have been able to see an attack on him, and helped him. But he was gone now. Maybe he was on the ground somewhere, being trampled and kicked off into the trees where she could not find him.

A figure passing in front of the sun cast a shadow over her, and the chillness caused her to involuntarily turn her face to the sky. Not very far above the field, the Rauko who'd passed over the palace was flying back. Only now he had a passenger. She screamed and lashed out and kicked her legs. The white bandage on her foot thrashed wildly in the air, attempting to free herself.

The white bandage on her right foot. It was Leyna, Jocelyn realized it in an instant.

"NO!" She screamed from the field, as if the fear and anger in her voice would frighten the Rauko into releasing her sister. It didn't even seem to hear her. Jocelyn glanced around one more time, in hopes of finding Legolas, but it was in vain. Her head felt light, and her body felt heavy. She needed to be safe, if only for a few seconds. She needed to rest her trauma weary mind and plan out a course of action.

So, she pushed her way through the masses once again, quickly killing orcs that jumped in her way. When she finally made it to the palace lobby, she threw herself on the floor with a clatter. She breathed heavily, and uncontrolled sobs escaped her lips.

So many things had gone wrong in so short a time. Her beautiful protected world of love and security was very quickly falling apart. Arwen was poisoned, Legolas was missing, and worst of all, Leyna was taken by a demon, probably to Amarthel's camp, only God knows why and to have God knows what done to her. Jocelyn pressed her hot forehead against the cool marble floor and waited for the nausea to subside. Once it did, she sat cross legged, and got her priorities straight.

Arwen was in the hands of the healers. Legolas was lost in the chaos of the battlefield. But he was strong, a good warrior. he could take care of himself. There was nothing else she could do for him but to pray and hope. That left Leyna. If she could reach her sister before Amarthel did anything terribly gruesome to her, she was sure she could release her of his clutches and maybe even kill him in doing so. Yes, she could kill the source of all this evil. Then the spells he had on his mignons would fail, and the strength they felt with him behind them would be gone. They would surely surrender.

A surge of strength flowed in her. She had the power to end all this madness and save her city, and many lives as well. A plan blurred through her mind as she stood on wobbly legs to storm to the armory for more weapons. Only a sparse selection was left. She took two daggers and shoved them in her boots, and had the long sword she'd taken that morning.

As she stormed back out of the armory, ready to make her way around the palace and into the forest, she ran into someone very unlikely.

"Legolas!" She breathed, amazed, looking at his dirty face and wide blue eyes. "Thank God you're alright! I thought you might have been hurt or dead!" She said, pulling him to her.

"I am cut, I only fell. But I saw you on the battlefield. What were you doing out there?" He seethed.

"Defending my kingdom." She said defiantly, sticking her chin out.

"I specifically told you not to fight! You could have been killed!" He ranted, but she would not break.

"But I wasn't! And I have to go rescue my sister!"

"What?"

"A Rauko flew off with her to Amarthel's camp!"

"Oh, no…That was her?" He breathed, his heart sinking with fear.

"Yes. And I am going to get her back." She declared boldly.

"No Jocelyn. I will send soldiers to his camp after her."

"You need all the soldiers you can spare on this battlefield. I can fight this small battle on my own." She stated confidently.

"Then I will go." He tried his best to give every reason and resource he could, to keep her from going.

"Your soldiers need you here. Legolas, I can handle this. I fought fifteen orcs, and this is just one man." Jocelyn argued right back.

"This one man is very powerful."

"So am I."

Legolas sighed. When she had that determined look in her eye, there was not much he could do to stop her but to beg and plead. "Please, Jocelyn. Do not go. I have witnessed his power. He could kill you with a flip of his wrist. For my life, and our love, please do not go."

"For my family, and a sister's love, I must." Jocelyn said sadly, taking his dirty face in her hands to kiss him deeply.

"Be careful." He whispered back when she released his lips, knowing there was nothing more he could do.

"I will come home." She stated confidently, kissing him one more time before hurrying off out of the palace. She crept around the West end, and crept low past the twenty foot gap between the palace and the forest, which was riddled with only a sparse line of soldiers protecting the pathway. Once she was covered by trees, she jumped from behind one to the other, getting far enough away from the field so there would surely be no orcs.

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When Leyna had first felt the Rauko's cold hands on her, she could form no thoughts. The pure evil that emanated from the creature struck her dumb. But once it lifted her off the ground and started flying her over the palace roof and the battlefield, her voice was found. She screamed with everything she had, hoping against hope that some archer would hear and take down her kidnapper. Even the long fall that would come with it seemed better than being in such close proximity to the demon, and whatever fate it was flying her to.

But no such merciful rescue would come to pass. She kicked and screamed until the demon placed her gently on the ground in a clearing in the forest. There was a tent in front of her, and she spun around to see the Rauko cowering on the ground, shrieking softly and writhing away from her. But it was not her that it was afraid of. Behind her, Amarthel emerged from the tent. The thought of running came to her mind, but as soon as it did, Amarthel's strong hand landed on her shoulder.

She spun around to face him, but he would not let her back away. His white eyes locked with her frightened green ones. They were so searching, she felt so exposed, like he could see what she was thinking and it chilled her to the bone.

"Maedollen, Princess." (Welcome) He smirked, and pulled her inside the tent. Leyna was too numb with fright, or maybe it was some sedating spell his eyes and hands cast on her, to put up much of a fight as he tied her hands behind her around the pole that held up the tip of his tent. Amarthel stood before her, observing her head to toe with greedy eyes.

It gave her a chance to get a good look at him, as well. Aside from his black boots, breeches, tunic and cape that were a bit dirty and torn, he looked very well kept. His sandy brown hair was long and sleek, and his face was clean and glowing. He had good features; chiseled jaw line, dark, arched eyebrows, a good nose, and full, voluptuous, lips. But his hard, white eyes washed away any thought of considering the Elf a handsome one.

"My name is Amarthel. What is yours?" He asked in a low tone. She finally found her voice, though she did not answer his question. But asked one of her own.

"W-What do you want with me?" She stuttered, tightening her lips and hardening her eyes as best she could in her fright, and Amarthel laughed at her defiance.

"It is not polite to ignore your host's questions." He cocked his head and trailed a finger from her temple to her chin which scorched her skin, which seemed supersensitive in his presence. He repeated his question slower, deliberately. "What is your name?"

"Leyna Anessendi." She replied slowly, her wide eyes staring into his. He smiled and turned away. Leyna blinked quickly and shook her head.

"What do I want with you, lovely Princess Leyna? Why, I want what surely every Elf in your city wants…You on my arm. We will rule my empire together. All of Middle Earth will fall at your feet. Bow at your command. Think of the power, Princess." He talked exuberantly, animatedly, and turned back to her, taking her face in his hands. She hesitated, then jerked her head sharply away from his touch.

"Surely you do not think me some barbarian? I am simply…an ambitious Elf. Thranduil did me wrong and I am settling the score. And living my dreams at the same time." He forced her to look into his face. "And surely you do not find me as repulsive as you pretend. I can see it in you. Do you find me attractive, Princess? You would not be the first." Leyna watched as he ran his tongue tantalizingly over his lower lip in anticipation of her answer. There was something about them, his red lips, that made her uneasy, some fear, and at the same time, some desperate longing. She just closed her eyes and tilted her chin up and away from him boldly. He laughed and took her chin again, more forcefully.

"Do not lie, my Leyna. I can see right through you." Amarthel captured her eyes once again, and she could not look away, she could not fight back. He dug into the depths of her soul, searching, grasping for something. What, she did not know, else she may have hid it from him. But slowly, his eyes bored into her, spreading their coldness through her every vein, ebbing out the warmth that was her mirthful soul.

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KT - lol you're a writer at heart, it shows. That's an interesting premise for a cute, funny fanfic.
Lost actually skipped a week. Last Wednesday there wasn't an episode. So you didn't actually miss one last week. Well, you may have missed it, as did I, but we didn't MISS it, if you know what I mean.
Did my last reply tell you too much about that LOST episode that you hadn't watched yet? I'm really sorry if I gave anything away. I thought by the time I posted that, you'd have watched it. I always hate it when people tell me what happens when I haven't seen it yet. So I apologize profusely if I ruined it for you.
Anyway, I am so glad Amarthel creeps everyone out as much as he creeps me out. I really developed a twisted character didn't I? I really didn't start out intending for him to be so…weird and gross. Like, he gets off on watching Jocelyn hack orcs to pieces and get covered in dirt and blood. Who does that, honestly?
Will I kill someone, or won't I kill someone? Hm…that is the question. If there were any more daisies growing around my house, I'd pull off the petals to decide. But, maybe I'll just flip a coin for Legolas's life. Muahhhahahah!

Artria - I know, fan fiction had some problems, didn't they? I only got four reviews for this chapter! In like, six days! AH! I don't think it was fan fiction's fault, maybe the chapter just wasn't that good that people didn't want to review… : ( I'll just have to make the next ones better so they have no choice but to review and say, "Wow, that was so good, I just had to review and tell you!"
-Rolls eyes- yeah right. Like that'd happen
You are so good at predicting stories. Or maybe I'm just good at foreshadowing. Or maybe both, eh?
LOL, oh but Amarthel would make pretty children with anyone. Pretty EVIL, too! He's actually a good looking Elf, that was how I envisioned him. Because not everyone who is evil looks that way. Looks can be deceiving, right?
Oh come on, you don't think Elrond's hot? -purrs- He's SO fine. -gag- lol just kidding.
Yes, I have seen Elf. It is great. Yes, I ate lots of turkey, and potatoes and salad and cheesecake. I wanted to die, I was so full. Totally blew my diet all to heck. But, that's what Thanksgiving's for I guess. We got lotsa snow here, too. Lots of people in my class have already slid off the road and hit light poles.
I hate snow. It was pretty and I loved it the first day it came, but now, its slushy and makes me slide on the road when I go around corners. Scary. I want it to go away. I want winter to be over. I want spring and summer again. I'd even settle for autumn.

Legolas: -walking along merrily, humming a tune. Almost steps in a pothole in the road, which surely would have broken his ankle, but Artria comes out of nowhere like a Linebacker and tackles him.-

Artria: Legolas thank God you're alright! You would've gotten hurt and taken away and I wouldn't have been able to enjoy your hottness anymore!

Legolas: Thank you, milady, you have served Mirkwood and its Prince well. I shall award you with my hand in marriage.

Artria: -hyperventilates- I'm…going…to…marry…you!?!?

Legolas: Aye. There is something about the way you tackled me off the path that stole my heart.

Jocelyn: -ahem- Legolas, dear. May I have a word with you? -pulls him roughly by the arm- You HAVE a wife, dipshit!

Legolas: -ponders the insult 'dipshit' for a moment- Ah, but Jocelyn, I love Artria!

Jocelyn: -narrows eyes at a scared looking Artria- Then she must die. -lunges at Artria and kills her. Legolas is distraught and in a fit of rage, kills Jocelyn. Then, seeing what he's done, kills himself- The End.

AustinB.: -twitch, twitch- I think it's time for me to sleep now. I forgot to take my medication today.

Dee69 - lol thanks for the insight. I love it when I get requests/suggestions from reviewers. You're like, the only one who gives me ideas, thanks a trillion! That's a good suggestion, too. It might make for a good extend of the story, though I'm not sure I have the time or dedication to write another part.

And last but certainly not least, many thanks to: Nessa!

-Austin B.