Eventually there was nothing left to kill. Eventually everything was either dead or had long since fled from them.
Eventually. Finally. It was over.
Thank Eru it was over.
Next to him, Celeborn seemed to have come to the same conclusion. And then slowly, the warriors around them.
"Is it…?" Farlen asked, dried and wet blood from probably too many sources to count covering at least half of him, "Is it over?"
Against his own will, his fingers seemed absolutely unable to keep the grasp on his sword and it tumbled from his grasp.
"Yes." Thranduil heard himself say, even though he honestly wasn't even sure he was still inside his body. "It's over."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Avaleina's legs gave out beneath her. Now that he had been still for so long his own reactions were slowed, he reached out with his spirit to find where the injury was.
Only to find it was everywhere. The worst wound of all; for there's nothing in the world worse for a body than complete and utter exhaustion.
Others began to fall, their bodies finally succumbing to everything they had been forced to do relentlessly for the last year of the war.
The multiple assaults on their home. Having it nearly burnt down for a second time. Saying hundreds of painful goodbyes with a moment to actually say them.
All around the forest sent waves of concern, love and appreciation. Happily searching the souls of the elves at their feet to see which were simply tired and which needed healers.
The information flooded into Thranduil's head, but he directed it to the mind of another. Somebody who was actually in charge of their own body at the current moment.
Celeborn looked incredibly startled for only a moment, before he set his own warriors to work to help those of Greenwood. Thranduil could feel Galadriel's interest raking through the information with equal care and attention.
The trees had trusted the Avari leaders to share their information without Thranduil having to direct it himself.
Over.
It was finally over.
Those left standing began to weep in an indistinguishable combination of joy, relief, and unbelievable sorrow.
Whispering to one another, "Over. It's over."
Somebody came to stand before him, strong bands taking hold of his elbows to stop the minor sway he hadn't even realized he had, "Thranduil?"
A measure of warmth and strength flowed back into him from where Celeborn gripped his arms, a semblance of himself was stirred back to life. Allowing his mind to wander to the exact same place it always did when it had nowhere else to be, "Do you think Legolas is still alive?"
"There is not a single doubt in my mind." The from confidence was comforting, even if Thranduil wasn't certain it was as sincere at sounded. "He has too much of his father's stubbornness and tireless resolve. Aragorn and the Dwarf will keep him from drifting too far towards the stars or wherever else his heart pulls him."
"Dwarf?"
Celeborn smiled, "A conversation for another time."
Nearly against his will his eyes closed, taking endless pleasure of the wonderfully and achingly empty forest. He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't had felt the darkness pressed against his border and spirit, leaching cold hate wherever it touched.
But now the forest was warming again.
"Thranduil?"
With a great amount of effort his eyes opened again, and found Celeborn looking more concerned than Thranduil would have liked, "I will be alright."
"Certainly, however might I suggest in the meantime, we find you somewhere to lay down near the rest of your warriors. We will take care of your people while you rest."
Thranduil found himself laughing at that, though it wasn't really all that funny; it was very unlikely that any of the Woodland Realm would follow the lead of Galadriel and Celeborn.
Before at least having the dignity to alert him they were there, several tears slipped from his eyes and all Thranduil could do was laugh again, "I'm not entirely confident I can even move my legs right now."
Celeborn was not deterred, he was no stranger to the uniquely various effects of war, "Together, then. We have the time."
"Because it's over."
Celeborn moved his hands from his arms to his face, "Yes, my dear Oropherion it's over. You and your people made it, I will never understand how, but you made it."
0p0o0o0o
Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyy this was so late.
Oops.
