- - - Grace - - -
We killed orc after orc until they seemed to understand they needed to send more to overpower us. The door we had come through was off-limits for going back; the ledge was small and neither Gimli or I could jump that far. I was starting to get tired when I saw Aragorn look up. He yelled something and soon there was a thick rope thrown to us.
Backing up slowly, but slashing at the Uruk-hai the whole way, we approached the rope. Gimli and Aragorn grabbed onto it and as it started to be raised, I felt Aragorn grab me hard around the waist. I clutched at the rope, not wanting to fall back down to the blood-stained stairway below me. A pair of strong hands grabbed me when we had reached the top of the wall. I was pulled over and I stumbled and fell into the person holding me. Holding tightly to them, I looked up. Legolas.
Letting out a breath I had held the whole way up, I threw my arms around his neck, forgetting I had been furious at him only earlier that day. Slowly he raised his arms to encircle me. I could feel him brushing my hair lightly with his fingertips. It felt so nice just to be held that I forgot that we were in the middle of a war. I actually forgot. I didn't know Legolas was capable of doing that to me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Saving Aragorn's ass, that's what," I said, and I saw Aragorn smile.
We went back to our fight, this time all four of us together. I had noticed that there were a lot less people standing than there had been originally. Not only the Uruk-hai had dwindled in numbers but the humans had too. Elves seemed to be able to fend for themselves pretty well so most were still standing. I thought they were going to be the ones where most went home.
Until I saw Haldir fall.
- - - Legolas - - -
With the help of the citizens of Rohan, I pulled up the rope with Gimli and Aragorn on it. When it reached the top, it took me a second to realize they weren't alone. I grabbed whoever was with them and pulled him over the wall. He stumbled into me and I looked down. It wasn't a man as I had thought, it was Grace!
I thought she was delusional when her arms were thrown around my neck. Then I realized she seeked comfort. I held her tightly and brushed her hair, that had a coarse feeling to it. There was nothing more I wanted to do than to hold her until the battle was over and we were all safe. But I knew that would not be possible.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her. I wanted to know how she had escaped from the caves.
With a smirk to Aragorn she said, "Saving Aragorn's ass, that's what."
I took her hand and we followed Aragorn and Gimli back into the heat of battle. I was astonished that Grace was allowing me to touch her without a struggle of any kind. When I had stopped her from running in the caves, she had thrown herself away from me like I was a live coal. Maybe this was a sign she was forgetting what I had said to her. I wished it would be so.
We fought together, the remaining Fellowship, until there were bodies of Uruk-hai piled up in every direction around us. I watched Grace swing her elvish blades and was amazed at the skill she had after mastering them only a short time ago. I had lost all my arrows long ago so I was using my knives and helping to take down as many Uruks as possible.
I heard Grace gasp and saw both her and Aragorn run off in the same direction. An Uruk-hai attacked me viciously so I could not follow. I glimpsed Grace as she fell to the ground beside someone as Aragorn slashed more orcs. At first, I thought Grace had been injured until I saw tears rolling down her face while she held onto someone.
- - - Aragorn - - -
I slashed at the Uruk-hai surrounding Grace and Haldir. When I turned, I saw Grace holding his arm with one hand and stroking his face with the other. Her small body was shaking from holding back most of her tears. I sank to the ground beside her and touched my forehead when I saw Haldir had already passed on to the land of the Valar. As I stood, I gripped Grace's shoulder and tried to pull her up.
"FALL BACK!" I yelled when I realized how outnumbered we were.
I grabbed Grace and scooped her off the ground and ran towards the one safe room in the fortress. Grace kicked and screamed trying to make me release her. I didn't let go and she kept yelling over my shoulder and fighting viciously. Once we had entered a safe room and barred the door behind us, I set her on her feet.
Immediately she ran towards the door and started to fumble with the locks and bars we had just put onto it. I started towards her but Legolas beat me there. He wrapped his arms around Grace's stomach and pulled her back gently, whispering elvish into her ear. Finally she stopped fighting and stood watching the door while Legolas kept whispering to her and trying to sooth her. She had told me about his confession and at the time had been incredibly upset about it. But as I watched her turn around and start weeping on his shoulder, you could see he held her with love and would have done anything to comfort her then.
We stood in the deserted room for a long while until we decided we had to ride forth or stay there and wait for the Uruks to finish us off. Gimli would go and blow the horn that was situated high on top of the fortress and the rest of us would ride out. As I looked out the window, I realized that the sun was about to rise. I remembered what Gandalf had said to us. I took a moment to pray to the Valar he would come.
As Gimli departed and Grace started to come forwards towards me to mount with me, I saw Legolas grab her hand. She turned to him and he quickly touched his lips to hers, almost in a parting gesture. Grace froze and Legolas walked over to Arod and mounted him.
"Grace," I called. "We must hurry. Come!"
She walked slowly towards me, brushing her thumb over her lips and a ghost of a smile appeared. I took her hand and helped her onto the horse and the doors opened.
I don't remember much of what happened. We fought for only several minutes before Gandalf led Éomer and his army over the crest of a hill. With a cry, the rushed down and most of the remaining Uruk-hai tried to escape. We prevented that and soon the battle was over.
We were victorious.
(A/N: Dum dee dum dum dum… How'dya like that? A little Leggy-lovin' for all of you that wanted it. I have a question for you guys. In the movie, where DO the horses come from that they ride out of that room on? Anyone know? Cuz I sure don't; maybe they lived there or something. Meh. Anywho, Grace isn't all of a sudden going to love Leggy and stuff sooo, wait a while and there should be some fluffer fluff. OH YEAH! And I want you guys to read another story of mine. It's new and I need some feedback on it. It is Escaflowne but you don't have to have seen the show or anything to understand it. It's AU and called Amicitia. That's right. Go read it. Now. No, seriously. C'mon you guys. No, wait. Review first. Then read the other one. AND THEN REVIEW THAT ONE! Mwahaha, don't I have the wackiest ideas? Not really… Okay, I'll see you guys soon, I hope!)