Authors notes: Many thanks to all my reviewers!!!! As I may not be able to post until after Christmas I wish everyone happy holidays!!!!!
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Gandalf sighed in annoyance.
"Would you give me some room?" he snapped at the elf Thranduil had sent with him. The elf frowned at him and took a step backwards.
Gandalf turned his attention back to the spell and he closed his eyes as he began to chant. The air seemed to hum with power as the words grew louder. Suddenly the wizard opened his eyes and blew what appeared to be stardust from his cupped hands. The dust hung in the air for a moment and then transformed to take the shape of a golden dragon. It looked so real that the elf stumbled backwards and withdrew an arrow.
"Hold" Gandalf stated as he rose to his feet. The dragon unfurled its wings and stretched itself to full height. It towered above them.
"Is it real?" the elf whispered afraid that too much noise would result in his bloody messy death.
"That is a matter of opinion. You and I know that it is not but the enemy might have to waste a lot of time and resources on finding that out." Gandalf smirked and the elf smiled.
A scream announced the arrival of another Nazgul.
"I think that would be the cue to let it fly!"
With a roar of its own the dragon took off and flew towards the battle. Gandalf and the elf hurried after it.
"You do have control over it right?" the elf cried. Gandalf didn't answer and the elf cursed.
They burst out of the trees to see the dragon swoop over the raging battle. Many of those it flew over fell to the ground desperate for cover.
"There!" the elf shouted indicating the appearance of a reserve army with three Nazgul flying overhead. The golden dragon diverted its course and charged towards the Nazgul.
O
Aragorn halted his horse intent on catching his breath and allowing his horse to do the same. The two flanks had met each other and had paused. Wounds were dressed and any spare water was drunk. A couple of the men had fallen to the ground, exhaustion overcoming them. Unfortunately a scream announced the presence of another and more disastrous problem.
'This could not get any worse' Aragorn thought. Most of the men were far too tired to even lift their weapons let alone swing them. The Nazgul would be able to drive them apart and the orcs would pick them off.
"Do you think they will agree to a temporary truce so I can get some sleep?" Aeolian questioned as he rode up to join Aragorn.
"Well you could try." Elrond commented as he to joined the pair. "But I fear you would be sleeping a lot longer than you planned."
"Indeed Master elf." Gimli muttered as he staggered to the group. Aragorn regarded the dwarf with relief for he had not seen Gimli since the major part of the battle had started.
"Bring them on I say. The dwarfs are ready." Gimli stated proudly.
"That's good to know but I fear our forces can not rise to meet this new threat." Aeolian sighed rubbing his hand over his face as his horse shifted it weight.
A roar so different from the ear spitting screeches of the Nazgul made them look up.
"A dragon?" Gimli said in disbelief.
"Finally!" a new voice stated and the group turned to see Thranduil hurry towards them.
"Took the old man long enough!"
"Father, for the rest of us who have no clue what you are going on about, would you please explain yourself and the dragon?"
"Gandalf! Its Gandalf's dragon." The king said.
"Gandalf has a dragon?" Gimli asked amazed.
"No its magic."
Aragorn rolled his eyes.
"So our secret weapon is a magic dragon? Is he going to turn the Nazgul into chickens next?" The man said sarcastically, bone numbing weary chipping away any kind of polite tone he normally adopted.
"I wouldn't put anything past Mithrandir." Aeolian commented and after the group turned to watch the dragon he continued. "It seems to be doing its job well. They are falling back and regrouping."
"Well at least the Nazgul seem to be more intent on killing it than us." Thranduil pointed out. "I say we take this opportunity and move our forces back and take some rest while we can."
Aragorn nodded his assent.
OO
Aeolian turned his horse ready to usher the troops back when he caught sight of Kiren. Confused and deeply concerned he urged his mare into a gallop and quickly drew up alongside the elf.
"Kiren where is Azian?" he questioned anxiously. The elf halted his horse and looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else in Middle Earth rather than answering that question.
"He went to get Legolas."
"He went to get Legolas? From where? Inside the tower? HE WENT INSIDE THE TOWER!" Aeolian stated almost hysterically. Kiren would have been incredibly amused if the situation wasn't as terrible as it was.
"He felt that Legolas was in trouble and that he needed to save him. He commanded us to return to warn you of the reserve army and then he headed to the tower."
"My brothers are going to be the death of me. I am going to throttle him when he returns." Aeolian turned and gazed long and hard at the tower. You stupid and brave fool, he thought.
"I am sure he will appreciate it." Kiren smiled.
"AEOLIAN, KIREN!" Aeolian heard his father call. Thranduil was stood on the crest of the hill. Surrounding him were a number of small fires all awaiting the arrows that were to be lit and fired at the Nazgul. The two swiftly changed direction and cantered towards him.
"That dragon is not going to keep them occupied for long." The king said as he indicated the fight in the sky. The Nazgul were flying in circles in a vain attempt to catch the dragon but it succeeded in evading them each time. Below it he could see the orc commanders cajoling and in most cases beating the other orcs into reforming the lines. This brief lull was not going to last long.
"We need a new plan? Fire only slows them down temporarily."
"I don't know. I am all out."
"We need to send a group into the tower preferably with Mithrandir to try and stop it at the source." Kiren proposed.
"Take out Sauron?" Aeolian asked shocked.
"Everything can be killed, everyone has a weakness. We just need to find it and I think Mithrandir would have more of an idea than anyone."
Thranduil thought over the idea and realised that at the moment it was the only option left to them. There was no chance of them overcoming the second force and the Nazgul. They needed another choice and Kiren had just presented it to them.
"Speak to the others about it quickly. Tell them to take anyone they want. Azian will probably want to be included. Where is he?"
Aeolian turned to see that Kiren had paled even further and he decided to take pity on the young elf.
"It seems that Azian has pre-empted Kiren's proposal."
Thranduil's brow furrowed in confusion and then widened in shock.
"He what? Why?"
"To save Legolas."
"No." Thranduil whispered. "I cannot lose two more sons." Aeolian quickly dismounted and moved to his father's side. Kiren took this as an opportunity to leave and went in search of Mithrandir.
"We will get them back father." Aeolian comforted but Thranduil mutely shook his head. He could see no way that that would happen, it all seemed so hopeless.
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