I knew that Legolas would follow me and I knew that he would come alone, I did not need foresight to know these things. He tracked me down and I did not make it difficult for him, following the river where the orcs also left easy trails to follow though when I sensed Legolas approaching I turned into the trunk of a tree, concealing myself from sight. He jogged past with the steps of a leaping deer, hair flickering under the sunlight as I then admired him for a moment as he halted, searching for the rest of my tracks but found none. "You knew I was following you." He guessed, turning around and seeing me standing there.
"Yes." I answered, stepping forwards and starting at a walk, bow still in hand. "Though I did not guess it would take you this long to find me, you are losing your touch, Legolas." He smiled at that, seemingly forgiving me for my earlier deception. Before I could walk out of reach his fingers touched my arm, running down to my hand where he held me from getting too far away.
"Why do you follow these dwarves, Eleni?" He questioned me, expression tender and inviting. "Do you really intend to track and slay thirty orcs alone? Or are you going to save that dwarf who was poisoned?"
"I intend to do both." I responded simply, turning so that I faced him with an earnest expression. "This is my home, Legolas, though I have spent the least amount of time here in my years. These trees carry my heart and soul, the forest is one that I treasure most deeply and these orcs have sullied its beauty with their presence. I will not allow them to cross our borders as they please and hunt down my companions. They will learn that they cannot do as they please within my homeland." As I spoke Legolas had lifted his other hand and started to fondly run one of the rope braids through his fingers, toying with it distantly. "Legolas, this is something that I must do."
"The king has ordered that everyone return within the city and that no one is to leave. He will not forgive you if you do not obey him now, Eleni. He only wishes to protect you, it is why he sent you away that time and why he is considering it again. All he wants is for you to be safe." Taking his hand in mine I tucked it against my heart, looking up into his warming gaze.
"If what I know is true then we will not be safe anywhere unless we begin to fight against it now." With a soft whisper I leaned my head against his neck, touching my brow to his skin and Legolas naturally turned his face into mine. "My visions show me terrifying things, Legolas, things that make me want to run away and hide somewhere safe and sheltered, but I cannot. I shall stand and fight against an entire army of orcs if I must in order to bring the world back into order and balance, which means that unless I begin to find my courage and do what I know to be right then I shall never forgive myself." Drawing back to look at him once more, I lifted my brows questioningly. "Will you join me?"
Legolas gave a long sigh, bowing his head slightly as he counselled his own troubled mind, our fingers still tightly entwined until finally he nodded. "I shall stand with you, little starling, until the very end." He promised me before drawing me forwards and together we ran, remaining bonded through our linked hands as the sun rose higher into the sky and shone upon our backs. I knew that they would follow Thorin and the others to Laketown, so we did not waste time with following the tracks for long, running at full speed throughout the day and into the evening, remaining stealthily quiet and passing over the guards at the front gate by climbing over the rooftops. "This way." Murmuring softly I released Legolas's hand and drew my bow, listening carefully with my ears before sliding down one of the roofs and landing upon the rickety walkway with the water lapping underneath with a strong scent of fish in the air.
Legolas followed my lead until we captured sight of the orcs, the filthy beasts climbing over the roofs and crashing into one house in particular where they must have found some of the dwarves. Kili would have been left behind, I knew that and I suspect that some had chosen to remain behind with him, Fili for example though as Legolas began to climb upwards back onto the rooftops a yell of alarm caught my attention and instantly I turned, running along a bridge and shooting the orc that had cornered and unarmed Bofur, my arrow piercing it through the heart. If it had one. With no time to lose I swiftly ascended the stairs, shooting an arrow into the house where I quickly saw three young children cowering together, the two girls screaming as Fili wrestled with one of the orcs so I shot that one next, stepping inside and quickly exchanging my bow for my sword as there was not enough space to shoot with so many orcs surrounding us. I growled through my teeth, slicing my blade and blocking an attack before I rammed back my elbow and artistically turned, throwing a knife that lay on the table to strike through the eye of another orc as Legolas dropped down from the hole in the roof that these senseless creatures had made.
"Oin! Get down!" I ordered fiercely, blade flashing in the light as I reached outward and grabbed one of the orcs by its hauberk, dragging it away from the two girls before I sliced it down. Oin hurried towards the girls and made them cower low behind an overturned table, Fili grabbing the bow and protecting his head as I vaulted forwards and reached out for Legolas, grabbing his quiver to haul him back from a wild swing of a wicked looking blade before I then pushed him forwards again, helping him maintain his balance as I moved through the house, slaughtering any orc filth that crossed my path before I then reached Kili who was screaming in pain, an orc having grabbed his leg. "Unhand him filthy scum." I growled darkly, swinging my sword so hard that it embedded into the wood and held up the decapitated head, the orc's face frozen in fear before I wrenched it free and in the movement I cut through another orc who had come at me from behind. "Kili…"
"Asta…you came…" He breathed heavily, pale and sickly looking as I felt his brow and found it burning hot with fever. I had come in time but the orcs were still out there, though we had chased them away. I could hear the voice of the same powerful looking orc from the water bridge as he summoned his hunters back to him.
"Lie still Kili, odulen an edraith angina. I am going to heal you." I reassured him gently as I kept him as still as possible, looking up as Legolas ducked his head back inside the house, all three children staring at us in awe.
"Eleni, we must hunt the others."
"Boe de nestad. I cannot leave him or he will die." I answered him with a pleading gaze. "An ngell nîn." With a soft plea Legolas glanced to the others before nodding his head, disappearing back into the night as I then turned to Kili and hushed him, stroking back his hair before curling my hand underneath his head to cushion it a little.
"Asta, we knew you'd come. Prayed you'd come, can you save him?" Fili asked urgently as he hurried over to his beloved brother and my hand went to his back for his comfort as I nodded my head.
"I need athelas. It will slow and purge the poison from his body. Do you have it anywhere?" However blank faces peered back at me and I almost cried out in distress, opening my mouth to tell them that athelas was another name for kingsfoil, however before I could speak out, thumping steps hurried up the stairs and Bofur barged in, waving a cluster of foliage in his hand.
"I found it! I found…what in Durin's name happened here?!" Bofur demanded in alarm upon seeing the bodies of orcs lying on the floor however I was already running to him.
"Bofur! You have it, athelas, you found some!" I whispered in relief before immediately beginning to direct the others, cleaning off the plant with the small white flowers in fresh water whilst Oin, Fili and Bain held down Kili with the two girls coming to help also. "You must hold him steady, Bofur, restrain his other leg." I instructed, carrying the athelas to Kili's wounded leg which had been freed from the arrow shaft and with a quick slice of my blade I cut through the bindings and the material that covered his leg, exposing the blackened wound that smelled as if it was eating away at his flesh. Rubbing the plant between my hands to produce the sap, I pressed it against the wound and instantly he screamed in agony.
"Hold him, hold him!" Fili urged as I took a deep breath and began to chant, calling upon the Valar to help me save Kili's life.
"Menno o nîn na hon i eliad annen annin, hon leitho o gurth." May the blessing which was given to me be sent to him, release him from death. I repeated the powerful chant over and over until a light surged from within me, golden and pure as my skin glowed with a vibrant radiance as the Valar answered my call and I watched as the blackened ooze began to disappear from sight and Kili's skin cleared, his pained cries falling silent as his weary gaze fell upon me, all staring in wonder as I continued the chant, my voice rising and falling in undulating reverberation like a lilting lullaby, singing to him to further ease his discomfort as I pressed the herbs against the wound, a little breathless with relief as the plant did it's work to nullify the poison.
"You did it…" Fili breathed, holding his brother's head in his arms as he had been holding down his shoulders. "Is he going to be alright?"
"Yes Fili, just keep him warm and comfortable. For the moment he needs to rest until his fever is gone but the poison is no longer in his bloodstream and he will be back to his old self in no time at all." With a warm smile I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Kili's brow, sending him off to sleep finally before I bound his wound to keep it from becoming infected again. "But we do not exactly have the luxury of time on our hands. Children, come here." I invited them kindly, extending my hand and they all slowly approached nervously, uncertain of how to respond. "Gather anything that is important to you swiftly but make sure to travel light, only the bare essentials. Food, warm clothes, blankets and the like, we must leave immediately."
"Why? What's happening?" Bain, the son of Bard questioned me so I reached out and gripped his shoulder.
"Smaug will soon be upon us. So hurry. Fili, Bofur, Oin, quickly as you can."
"We cannot leave." Bain said to me urgently as his sisters hesitated on packing their things. "Not without our father, we cannot leave without him." Bard the bowman, he will be vital in Smaug's demise should events unfurl as they should, as I had seen them.
"Your father would want you to look after yourselves first and foremost, therefore there is no other choice but to escape now. Hurry, all of you!" With my incessant urgings I had everyone racing to gather sparse belongings whilst I ran outside to listen, hearing a hurricane of noise bellowing from the mountain. It was too late, Smaug was coming and his eye was set upon Laketown. And the lake shall shine and burn. The words murmured within my own head until I shook them off, swiftly drawing the three children out of the house as I cast my eye upon the city for Legolas, searching for him but he was nowhere to be found and neither were the orcs. He must have gone after them alone, I should be with him but I cannot leave Kili still weak and the others undefended. "Quickly, there is no time." Reaching out my hand I took hold of the youngest girl, Tilda, and carefully lifted her up so that I could float down the stairs and pass step place her into the boat carefully, setting her down with her brother and sister following and Fili helping the others move Kili as he was still barely conscious.
"Where do we go?" Bofur questioned, the three dwarves looking to me for a decision so I lifted a paddle and passed one back to him as I remained standing upon the boardwalk.
"Out of the city." I directed with a wave of my hand. "Head for the shore and go with all haste, do not stop for any reason."
"Wait! Where are you going? You have to come with us." Fili called as I made to move and I twitched slightly as they remained anchored in place so with a foot I pushed them out into the water, forcing them to get moving.
"I shall try to find the father of these children. Remember Fili, stop for nothing." I reminded him before then turning and disappearing into the dark town where the booming claps of thunderous wings were drowned by the unearthly and fear inspiring roar of an awakened dragon. Death was coming upon swift wings, and an inferno of fury shall soon descend upon us all.