Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is property of Tolkien and there are many references throughout to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I only own what you do not recognize. The character Chinky is not meant to cause offence and is named after a real horse whose name has been shortened from a Fiat Cinquecento (Chinky – Chento).
Authors Note: Well, here we are Part 5, the major battles are in this part, in fact there will only be one more part after this! I've just finished writing Chapter 42, and its now 12:40 am! I should have been in bed hours ago! I knackered! I would like to say that I'll get the next chapter up quicker but you know what I'm like by now. Anyway, I like the next few chapters. I've written chapter third the last, (well that's what I've named it) It was originally going to be the very last chapter but my mind wanders so this story is getting ever longer! But I now know where I am going and I guess there will be 7/8 more chapters after this one, but don't hold me to that!
Happy reading!
Part 5: Battle of Our Time
Chapter 40: A battle awaits
Legolas stood calmly at the front of the ship, his arms folded behind him as he looked out over the coming dawn. In the distance behind and alongside him he could see similar ships carrying similar men, all ready to go into battle for the King of Gondor. He could hear the noise of the sailors of Pelargir behind him. The daily bustle of keeping a ship afloat and sailing it masking the tension that hung in the air. The battle just passed and the battle that would be fought later that day hung heavy in the sailor's hearts, yet they knew it must happen. Until it did they carried on with their duties blissfully unaware of the screams of battle Legolas' elf ears picked up.
His ears twitched as he heard the near silent footfalls of Damer walk up behind him. The young elf eventually stopped at Legolas' side a pace behind, in the manner of a good apprentice awaiting for his master's approval.
"What bothers you Damer?" Legolas said turning his head to look at the blonde elf, nodding slightly he indicated that he should stand next to him.
Taking a step forward Damer raised his head and looked out over the water. "For as long as I can remember I wanted to be in the elven army, even to the point where I lied about my age. I realise now that I was not old enough despite any skill that I had with a blade. I was in the battle of Helms deep, I cannot forget the sight of people dying around me, and the screams still ring in my ears."
"Yes you were too young for battle, not only because someone your age should not have your skill, but you were not old enough mentally for it. Yet now I think that you have aged far beyond your years. Everyone here can still hear the sounds of dying men; I can still hear the sounds of dying men. Just remember that they were dying for what they thought was right, it does not matter if they were on the losing side or the winning, they were fighting for their freedom." Legolas said turning his gaze to the broad expanse of water in front of him.
"You can still hear their screams? That makes me feel a bit better, yet I will still not rest easy until this war is over. I can still here the sound of the man next to me gurgling on his own blood as a blade went into his lung. I killed him Legolas, I couldn't let him die like that, one swipe with my blade and he was dead. He was on our side Legolas. On our side and I killed him." Damer looked down at his feet again.
Legolas sighed and placed a hand on Damer's shoulder. A mercy killing was hard to deal with, yet they had all done it at some point in their fighting career, and there was no chance of him being any different. "Do not think badly of yourself for killing that man. You gave him the best gift of all, a swift end. Would you rather he had been left there and drowned in his own blood perhaps taking hours to die, no you put him to a swift end. You have done him and his friends and family a great kindness; they will know that he did not suffer for long before he fell."
Damer nodded and lifted his head to look at Legolas and could see the compassion in the blue eyes. "Thank you, for I needed to get that off my chest. This battle we face will also not be pleasant, yet this is what I wanted and now I will not back down. Thank you for what you have done for me my prince."
Legolas smiled gently as Damer turned and walked away, the battle was looming, the sounds vivid in his ears. He only hoped that Amy and the Rohirrim made it Gondor on time. It was beyond his imagining that Amy could be riding with his father at the moment, talking about one of Mirkwood's best kept secrets.
Sighing he saw a white swan skimming over the water, its large wings barely moving, it was innocent in its beauty. Death would come this day, for when he looked out over the water and to the horizon a red sun rose.
BREAK
Aragorn sat next to the captain of the ship, Andúril lay across his bent legs and his whetstone made a hissing noise as it rode down the already sharp blade. What he did not know was this was a form of relaxation to him; he did it whenever he wanted to think, and at this time he was thinking.
The paths of the dead had been a perilous path, yet in the end all had worked out well, just like he had hoped. The dead had swarmed down onto the Corsairs of Umbar and the men of Pelargir had risen to the battle as well. It had been a bloody battle more so for that it had taken place on the outskirts of a village and women and children had also been part of the slaughter in their attempts to escape the pirates. Yet they had won in the end and the people of Pelargir had sworn themselves to him and his country. Despite the fact that he had yet to win his country back. Still with their help in the coming battle he reasoned that the tides might just be turned on the people of Mordor. The dead army had been thankful when he had released them, he did not think he had ever seen a more blissful look on the face of anyone before.
The hissing continued as the stone slid smoothly down the other side of his sword, he neither heard nor noticed. He saw Legolas standing at the front of the ship with the young elf Damer at his side. The smaller elf had fought well in the past battle, yet he was affected by it and Aragorn could see that Legolas was trying to consol him. Battle's were always hard, especially on one so young, yet he was here by his own free will and still wished to fight in the battle ahead, no one could fault his courage.
Gimli thudded across the deck towards him, his solid iron and leather boots sounding as if they were going to travel through the deck into the hold below. A dwarf was never silent.
"Your whetstone for your thoughts?" Gimli said slumping down next to him.
Aragorn did not even register as Gimli took the stone out of his hands and started running it down the blade of his own battle axe. The hissing continued and he looked up at his companion. "I think of the battles ahead master dwarf and not all of them involve arms and blades."
Gimli nodded knowingly as the stone hissed down the blade again. "You still doubt your ability to be king do you not?"
"Aye, the blood of Isildur runs in my veins, I fear his own weakness."
"You are stronger than him; you let Frodo go with the ring when it was within your grasp. You are stronger than him. Do not fret Laddie. These people follow you because they see in you a King. On the other hand me and the elf follow you because we have nothing better to do!" Gimli said.
Aragorn smiled and placed a hand on the dwarfs shoulder. "The world would be a terrible place were it not for your humour."
"It's good to see a smile on your face again, I fear their will be too few in the coming days." Gimli said handing back the whetstone. "A red sun rises; no doubt the elf will have something philosophical to say about that! Where is the ale, I am thirsty!"
Aragorn laughed lightly as Gimli rose and headed off in the direction of the barrels of ale. He wondered what Arwen was going to say when he told her about the fatal kiss he and Amy shared. He hoped that she was safe on her way the Undying Lands, yet a larger part of him hoped that she was waiting in Rivendell for him. If she waited he would tell her at the first opportunity, no good could come of it, yet his conscious would not sleep until she knew. He hoped that she had it in her heart to forgive him. The hissing of the whetstone sounded again.
BREAK
The sun started to rise over the borders of Gondor, and the horses that had been walking throughout the night picked up their heads as their riders mounted swiftly, the daily gallop was about to start again. A few straggling horses snatched a last mouthful of grass before their heads were forced up as they were pushed into a swift trot.
A bright red fox sat and looked at the riders from its vantage point on a small grass tussock. Its breakfast, a rabbit, sat happily digesting in its stomach, and watching riders go past seemed like a nice way to let it go down before he went back to his den for a nap.
Of course there was no way he was going to be able to nap until the horses were past. The ground shook with the sound of over five thousand horses all galloping with haste towards the shining walls of Minas Tirith.
The fox wondered what evil had arisen to cause such and army to come, for yesterday he had been rudely awoken from his sleep by more thundering hooves, this time coming swiftly down from the north. He had moved out of his den to see the riders and had been surprised to see tall elven horses galloping alongside short dwarfish ponies, for even among the smaller creatures of the world they were known for their hatred of each other. Even stranger there had been a mighty horse at their front with a small person on its back. A small person of great renown and power for it had looked at him while galloping and spoke to him in his mind.
'Hush now little friend, I am sorry to break your sleep, in a minute we shall be gone and slumber you will once more. Tomorrow at dawn another army will thunder through you mighty domain. If all is well we shall not trouble you again.'
Trouble him again? He was troubled by the fact that one of these brainless two legs could speak his language! Yet it, for he did not know or care whether it was male or female, had been true to its word and now he sat watching another army on horses.
Soon the noise faded and he stood up and stretched his lithe red body and calmly loped back to his den, never to hear the thundering of so many hooves or care about people talking in his head again.
BREAK
Haldir lent forward slightly as his horse lengthened its stride into a gallop again. His bright eyes noticed a small red fox sitting on a tussock watching him with apparent interest, frowning slightly he shook his head. Really too much riding sent you mad; foxes do not look interested in people galloping!
His pale hands smoothed the mane down of the horse he was riding, he did not really see the point as the wind was whipping it away again, yet it gave him something to do. They had been riding for three days and two nights, and finally they were within sight of the walls of Minas Tirith, well they were within his elven sight.
He sighed as he looked forward through the ears of his horse, how he wished that he was riding his own stallion, Aleib. Yet he had to leave the bay behind when he marched for Helm's Deep and he would give anything to be upon him now. The horse beneath him, Laird was his name, had born him well, yet nothing could compare to a horse he had bonded with. He knew many of other elves thought this as well, yet they needed to arrive at Gondor with all haste and he was not in the mood for running such a distance!
The owners of the horses that the Lorien elves were riding had all perished in the battle for Helm's Deep, and so were offered to the elves. Haldir had chosen Laird as his bright bay coat reminded him of Aleib, yet he was of a different structure and nature. Aleib had a tendency to prance around and find the most mundane things terrifying. Haldir remembered a moment when his beautiful bay horse was reduced to a shivering wreck when a rabbit jumped out from behind a log. They had never been able to go past that log again. Laird on the other hand was so stoic he did not think that a drunken brawl happening on his back would make him twitch. Nethertheless the large bay was powerful and very fast and was quick to answer to his signals and so far had not put a foot wrong. His broad powerful chest bore his rider quickly.
He had been shocked to find out that Amy was not planning on riding to Gondor with him and the rest of the Rohirrim, for he was sure that was what she had planned. He was sent here to protect her and off she went by herself on some fool mission! He had an idea what this mission might be yet he prayed he was wrong. There was no chance the dwarves were going to listen to her! Dwarves and elves never got along. Then he thought of the dwarf Gimli and the young prince. The races could fight together and there was an example of it. Two races sworn to hate one another proud to fight at the others back. He should not be so unfavourable towards the other races of the world.
He went with the motion as Laird jumped soundly over a small log in their path, barely breaking his stride. In front of him rode the King and Èomer, both of them tall on their Mearas and half Mearas respectively. Snowmane's white tail like flying like the white horse banner which one of the Rohirrim carried. Both horses and their riders shone in the early morning light.
He closed his eyes for a brief second as they went over a small hill, for the sounds of battle finally hit him.
BREAK
Amy was bent low over Moridin's neck as they galloped towards Minas Tirith, they were nearly there now, her weaving of the time had helped them greatly yet they would travel the last leagues by their own steam. The Dwarven lord galloped his stout pony to her right, its short steel grey legs seeming to move faster than was possible yet it was easily keeping pace with the lengthier stride of Moridin and the Kings horse. The king galloped to her left not seeming to be paying attention to his surroundings. His eyes had a glazed look as if he was seeing far away. Amy wondered if he was imagining the mouth of the great river and hearing the sounds of the white gulls that were treacherous to any elf that heard them. Slowly she noticed him come back into present site and his head hung low as he turned to look at her.
"I will tell you of my sin, my Lady, for I no longer wish to keep it to myself." He said in elvish so that Throd and the rest of the dwarves could not understand.
Amy nodded, not wishing to break the moment, for she knew how hard this would be for him. She herself had gone though the same wrenching pain as she told Legolas of her and Aragorn. Nothing she could say or do would make it any easier, yet it would heal him in the end and if he were to die in this battle he would die with peace in his heart.
"My wife had bright blonde hair, almost white in colour. It hung in waves to her shoulders and it rippled with her gentle laughter. Her laughter filled the halls of my court and everyone that heard it filled with a joy beyond belief. Brelanin was her name, a soft and beautiful women that ever graced the world. I am not sure who was pleased more when we found she was with child. Elven children are rare things, I am sure you must know, and we had longed for one for so long.
"An elven pregnancy is a long eighteen months, half again that of a mortals. With each passing month she got bigger and yet she shone with a light that amazed all who saw her. Bright eyes flashed with mirth whenever she felt the child kick, long slender hands ran over the bump of her stomach when she felt him be at peace in sleep. She sung lullabies to the child and set aside a room in our quarters for a nursery.
"On the day of the birth she could not have been happier, the birth was long yet easy on her and I have never seen a smile as bright as the one on her face when the babe was laid in her arms. The babe was gorgeous, tufts of blonde hair stuck out from his head and when he opened his eyes, crystal blue stared back at us. Greenleaf was his name in the tongues of men. Legolas to us."
Here he stopped and looked at Amy as if seeking her approval. She nodded, he obviously loved his wife, and yet she knew in her heart that she was dead, for no sign of her had he seen in the halls of Mirkwood and Legolas never mentioned her.
"He grew up strong and sound. At the age of 100 he was getting into more trouble than most manage in a life time. Yet we cherished him and taught him all we know. He was the light in the Mirkwood forest. Our family was complete, yet it was not to last. One day when Legolas was only 500 he was out riding with his mother when they were struck by Orcs. He did all he could to protect her, and she was also fearsome with a blade, yet they could not hold back the black tide that was upon them. He did the only thing he could, he grabbed her off her own horse and pulled her onto his stallion, which was faster, and then galloped back home. He did not know that while he was pulling her off her own horse an arrow struck her fast in the back. The shaft fell free yet the poisoned metal remained. She bled all the way home. She died in my arms.
"I will never forget that moment when he came galloping into the stable yard calling for me. Getting off his horse it collapsed and died where it stopped, its last deed was to get Legolas and Brelanin home. I reached the stables and saw Legolas kneeling on the floor, his horse dead at his side and my wife sprawled on the cobbles, her immortal blood seeping away. Lifting her up she smiled at me, her smile as radiant as ever. 'Love you,' she said as her eyes closed and her final breath was exhaled."
Amy nodded at the sad tale. She now knew why Legolas never spoke of his mother. She had been bleeding to death in his arms and there was nothing he could do about it. His young body must have been wracked with guilt yet he probably knew there was nothing that he could have done. It was a sad enough tale, yet this could not be what his sin was, surely?
"I can see it in your eyes; you do not think this was a sin? Well it is what happened many centuries after, in fact it was 34 years ago today it happened. I still love Brelanin and still mourn her death even after all these years. Yet one day I was out walking in the forest and saw a woman with long blonde hair, the colour of Brelanin's. I sat down and invited her to sit next to me. I was not in my right mind when I got talking to her. She looked so much like my past wife that I poured out my heart to her. All my grief, my worry for my son and my loneliness. She listened and accepted everything that I told her. I felt warm, something that I had not felt in years. In that place, in that moment I lay with her. I lay with her! I betrayed the memory of my beautiful wife by laying with someone I barely knew!
"I ran off back to my rooms after that and tried to forget about it. I did not tell anyone. Legolas was off training some of his guards and so I ignored it and hoped I could forget about it and that Brelanin would forgive me. It came back to me though. Some time later I was called out to a house with the healers, a lady wanted me to bless her child. I did not think anything of it. Until I saw her lying on the bed, the elf I had lain with in my grief, she looked at me and pleaded with blue eyes. Slowly she started talking, 'I have never lain with anyone else.' She handed me the child and looking down at him I cringed, he looked exactly as Legolas did when he was born, but his eyes were the most startling. They were a milky blue.
"You have met him before. Wing, he is my son."
