READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM OF CHAPTER!

Warning: VERY short chapter. Please don't kill me!

Also, the majority of you thought that Legolas would choose Estellia. Thank you for all the great reviews.

Chapter 24

'The War is Over' Or is it?

"CHOOSE!" Arya yelled again, drawing blood from Tari's neck. Arya was painfully aware that the armies outside her fortress were dwindling; and her uruks were not going to win. If she was going to lose this war, she was dragging someone down with her. She was going to make him suffer...

Legolas still said nothing from his place upon the floor.

"Shall I make the decision for you Legolas!" Arya shouted, making to slit Tari's throat.

"No! Stop!" Legolas yelled, reaching out his hand to Tari.

Arya stayed her dagger, grinning maliciously.

The doors opposite were suddenly blown open by a fierce wind, as a white Istari entered the Hall, looking livid. He held his staff defensively, his icy glare falling upon Arya.

"Ah! Mithrandir! Grey Pilgrim! What do you mean to accomplish here? There is nothing you can do, Storm Crow. This is Legolas's decision, and he must make it." Arya said, taking a few steps away from the wizard, dragging Tari with her.

Gandalf stepped forward over to Legolas as she stepped backward. "Release them, Arya." he seemed to growl.

Arya laughed manically again. "No!" she turned her cold eyes upon Legolas, yelling, "Your time is up Prince! You were told to come alone! Now you will face the consequences, and have two gravestones to lie heavily upon your conscience!" She raised the dagger, and brought it down upon Tari's throat as Legolas yelled out.

But before the blade could meet her flesh, it was stayed by an invisible force.

Gandalf was holding her hand at bay with his magic, feeling the witch fight uselessly against his will.

"Kill the girl!" Arya yelled at her guard, who immediately made to drive the dagger into Estellia's stomach.

Legolas was already close to Estellia as Arya gave the order. He grabbed the man's wrists, pointing the dagger away, and freeing Estellia of his grip with the other. His daughter quickly retreated far behind the Istari. Legolas broke the man's wrists with his grip, causing him to cry out in agony as he was brought to his knees in pain. Incapacitated, he didn't even see the elf draw his blade. And by the time his head was upon the floor, it didn't matter whether or not he could use his wrists.

Gandalf was forcing Arya's hand away from Tari's throat, but the she-elf was putting up a good fight.

The more she struggled, the weaker she became. "This is not the end!" With a cry of rage, she disappeared. The dagger fell to the floor with an ominous clang...

Tari fell to the ground in a dead faint; the exhaustion and brutality she had suffered was too much for her. But she would have rather taken a thousand beatings than have her daughter take them instead.

Estellia rushed out from behind Gandalf, falling to her knees beside her unconscious mother.

"Nana!" (mommy) she said desperately, shaking her shoulders. "Atara! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Forgive me for not believe you!" she cried, slumping forward over her chest. "Please wake up mama... please wake up..."

Legolas knelt down beside his daughter, peeling her away from her mother's fainted body. "She's alright, estel nin, merely fainted. It's not your fault..." (my hope)

Gandalf gathered Estellia in his arms as she cried silent tears, clutching tight to the surrogate grandfather's white robes as they left the fortress.

Outside, it was a deserted battle field filled with the carcasses of orcs and uruks. The army of men still lingered, as they gathered the wounded to heal them back at Minas Tirith. They found fresh horses, and mounted; Estellia in front of Gandalf, and Legolas holding Tari before him. She stirred and softly whispered her daughter and Legolas's names as she slept.

"Sleep, my warrior." Legolas whispered to her. "Rest now... The war is over..."

Since I got 10 reviews in the past 2 days for chapter 23, I decided not to leave you hanging for too long. By the way, I only have 3 more chapters ready to be posted after this one. I am having an enormous writer's block, so you'll have to bear with me if things end up taking a while.

Okay, we all know that things are coming to a close for Tari, Legolas, and Estellia. And no, I'm not making this into a trilogy. I just don't have the brainpower or ideas. But I will start another story that's been cooking up in my brain (another LOTR) for a while, if you guys really want me to continue. Please let me know.