Thank you to all who reviewed my last chapter. Short wait this time, I had a rotten day and had sitting on dark energy so put it into creating something good, like an edited chapter, and now I feel accomplished and can sleep in peace. :) Enjoy peeps.

A strange, wet thunk from behind caused Legolas pause in his desperate struggling. The tight arm around his throat suddenly loosened and fell away. A spark of hope surged through him and he twisted forward, managing to catch the two Uraks holding his arms off guard.

Throwing all his weight into their grip, he sprung up, tucking his legs up and snapped them out, slamming the balls of his feet into the side of the slightly smaller Urak on his right. It faltered back, snarling. The action was enough, Legolas ripped his arm from the Urak's grasp. Quick as a viper, he swung down, snatching up Aerlaer's fallen sword from the water, before the Urak still grasping his left arm could hinder him.

With a roar, it made to grab him, but as it lunged Legolas thrust the sword up, simultaneously yanking the creature, still gripping his arm towards him. Tilting the blade and then throwing his remaining strength behind it, he slit its throat. Nearby he heard a roar from the other Urak, and a blade crashed down between his shoulder blades, sending him staggering haphazardly over the Urak he had just slain.

A familiar, robust, battle cry answered the Urak behind him, and not risking a glance back, Legolas regained his footing and charged forward towards the Urak who was attempting to cut out Aerlaer's heart through her chain-mail, as the elleth fought furiously, trying unsuccessfully to evade her own blade. The Urak had effectively pinned her to the wall and he was not prepared for Legolas's attack.

He slammed, full force into the heinous creature, knocking it sideways. The Urak, spun towards him, snarling, but he was unsteady and, having foolishly forgone his own large cutlass to draw out Aerlaer's death, he was no true match to Legolas. With both hands, Legolas drove the sword with such intense ferocity into the Urak's chest, it cut through his hard leather armor and tough skin, piercing his withered, black heart.

Satisfied he had slayed her would be killer, Legolas kicked the Urak's body away, letting it slump into the dirty water as he withdrew the sword.

"Help her laddy, I'll cover you." Gimli called to him from nearby as he swung his axe into another Urak, with another wet thunk.

Legolas rushed to where Aerlaer had fallen to her knees and as he approached she tried to scramble back from him and hit the wall. He made to grab her and pull her up but she suddenly fought him, eyes still showing fear in the moonlight and he just managed to grab both her arms to hold off her vicious attack.

"Aerlaer it's me." He said, distressed by her outburst and she suddenly stopped fighting and he immediately pulled her up, searching her for injury. His eyes fell on a dark patch below her collarbone where her chain-mail had been pierced. A cold chill swept through him. Too close she had come to death. If it had not been for Gimli's arrival.

"Where are the Uraks?" She gasped, looking around warily.

"They're dead." He answered in confusion. He had slain two before her very eyes.

"Where, there are more." Her words trembled from her lips and he quickly stole a moment to cup her frozen cheek, for she was frightened in no lesser way than a wild animal caught in a trap.

"Not right now, Gimli is holding them off." He tried reassuring her but she glanced around in distress, searching. "Look at me, you are safe for now, I won't let them catch you again." He felt his eyes stinging and his heart tightened. "I promise." He managed to swear to her.

"I can't see you." She spoke brokenly. "I can only see darkness… the explosion..." Her voice trailed off sharply as there was a nearby cry of pain. Fearfully, Legolas realized the entire time, Aerlaer had been unable to see. This was why she had been caught, she could not defend herself without her sight, without any light to guide her.

He felt utterly numb guilt washing over him. To lose sight of the light, Elves were creatures of the light, needing the sun, the moon and the stars just as much as the air in which the breathed, the water which sustained them.

Guilt washed over him, he could have prevented all of this. When he had searched her out after the wall had exploded, he had thought her fine. She had been slaying one of the enemy. Instead she had been lost in shadow. She still was and it was all his fault.

"It's, it's okay, I won't let anything happen to you." He reassured her but his words felt empty no matter how much he meant them. He had already let so much happen to her, all because he had not gone to her, not truly determined if she was unharmed from the explosion.

He had to get her out of there now, back to the keep if it were still safe. Saruman wanted her dead, he wanted her very heart delivered to him. The idea sickened him, that it had nearly happened felt like the twist of a dagger within his own heart. Taking a breath, he drew forth all the composure he had left. She was in terrible danger and he needed to get her to safety. While my heart still beats, no one will stop hers. He resolved, grasping both of her shaking shoulders.

"I'm going to keep you safe, and I'm going to get you out of here, alive." He spoke with conviction and she nodded in understanding. "Don't move, I am just here." He told her and putting himself fully in front of her, he grabbed her bow which was nearer than his own. Relieved to feel a full quiver awaiting his fingertips, Legolas pulled out an arrow and made fast work of imbedding the sharp, unforgiving tips into every Orc or Urak which came within eighty feet of the two of them or Gimli.

Legolas vaguely heard the King calling from somewhere above the wall over the terrible noise of battle. "Aragorn pull back to the gate!" Legolas looked up to the Hornburg to see more dark masses of Orcs flowing down towards the deep.

"What's happening?" Aerlaer said fearfully from behind him.

"We have to get back to the keep." Just as he said it, he heard Aragorn call out over the noise of the battle.

"To the keep! Pull back!"

"Gimli! Cover us again, if you can. I need my bow." Ahead he saw Gimli nod and he turned to Aerlaer, placing his hands on her shoulders once again, so she knew where he was.

"What have you been using?" She asked shakily, looking up into his face but missing his eyes. How in Arda did she look into them before? He held back a shudder at the memory not wanting to alarm her.

"Your weapons, the Uraks disarmed me. Don't move, I'll be back."

…

Aerlaer felt rooted to the spot in fear where she stood pressed against the wall. Still she could only see the darkness and shadows and all around she could hear the shrieks of Orcs and cries of men and clash of metal and smell the stench of blood, muddy water and sometimes, burnt flesh. She tried to follow Legolas's grey shadow as he moved about ahead of her but it soon became lost to her and she tried not to panic, trying to press herself further against the stone behind her.

"It's me." A soft voice said and she sensed the other Elf move to stand closely before her and felt a little relief. "I'm re-arming you." He said and she felt a hand at her sword belt and then the weight of her sword securely in its sheath. Automatically she grasped it, the familiar grip a small comfort. "I am sorry, I can only find one of your knives." He pressed one into her right hand and she curled her fingers around the familiar handle. Then she felt him reach over and hook her bow to her quiver.

"Legolas, we must go!" She heard Gimli's urgent voice call out nearby.

"You need to follow me." Legolas spoke urgently and grabbed hold of her left hand. He was all she had in that moment, the only semblance of goodness, of peace and familiarity and she held on tight, trying to push back the terror in her heart at the great wave of roaring darkness and screams which approached them.

"There's so much darkness approaching." She gasped, unable to move despite a light tugging to her left arm.

"Aerlaer." The soft voice pulled her from some of her fear and she looked towards the shadowy form of the other Elf. "We are going to run now, keep holding my hand and don't look back." She felt a gentle tug on her arm again and this time she stumbled quickly alongside him, trusting every unknown step she took to his keen eyes.

"Imagine we are running back in Lórien." He said softly as they ran. "The sun is shining through the golden leaves and the woodland floor is dappled with light." She heard someone cry out nearby in pain and an Orc gave a shrieking laugh and Aerlaer nearly stumbled in fear.

"The Elves are singing in the trees." Legolas continued and Aerlaer followed on, trying to imagine the light of the woods and not the darkness around her. "Quickly we must ascend the stair to the talans high above." He urged and Aerlaer found herself stumbling up a steep stair. Not once did the other Elf let her go.

"We must stop a moment." Legolas gently pushed her behind him and she felt stone wall once again. He did not let go of her hand, but she felt her sword withdrawn from her side, followed by the close ring of steel on steel. There was a snarl and then the thump of a body crashing to the stair.

"We must keep climbing now." Legolas spoke again and Aerlaer felt herself pulled up the last of the steps, and then she was running along the flat stone path of the wall. She could make out Aragorn's voice now.

"Pull back! Hama! Pull back!" It seemed to scream commandingly over the noise. She then heard another man cry out and Legolas curse under his breath. Rough hands grabbed at her and she swung around wildly letting out a fearful, cry of shock.

Legolas pulled her sharply towards him and her stomach clenched as she was pulled over fallen bodies. There were shrieks and vile cackling and metal crashing close by as Legolas parried a weapon.

"Let's run along the rise of trees now as the sun is setting." He said softly, encouraging her to run once more. "The leaves are now all different shades of gold." He paused and she heard the blade again and the sound of a body falling and they ran on. "We are running over the bridge now. The water is sparking under the sunset." There was a shriek nearby and then a thunk of an arrow but they kept running on.

"We are nearly there." Legolas's voice said reassuringly and then she heard other people shouting and she felt the air become warmer and closer as she was lead running into a building.

Suddenly, Aerlaer came to a halt, as strong arms encircled her and pulled her in, holding her tightly. "You're safe now." She felt the other Elf shudder and then realized she was shaking uncontrollably. She felt a gentle hand stroking her wet hair. "It's okay now, we are back in the hall. You are safe. You are safe." His soft toned words were soothing and all she wished to hear, but the voices around her cut over him in their urgency, worry and fear.

"What happened to the she-Elf?"

"Where is Aragorn?"

"Hama has been lost to us."

"Quickly we must re-enforce the gates!"

"Explosion's light blinded her." That was Gimli's voice.

"Where is Gamling?"

"Lucky to make it back alive."

"How many injured?"

"Seventy-five and counting."

"Pull back!"

"Poor lass."

"The gate!"

"We can't hold it much longer!"

"How long do you need?" That was Aragorn's voice. He was safe.

"As long as you can give me." The King answered.

…

"What is happening?" Aerlaer asked, sounding bewildered by the chaos in the hall she could not see.

"They are trying to hold the gate." Legolas said gently. "Aragorn and Gimli have gone to help.

He was still holding onto her tightly, he really didn't want to let go, lest of all, ever lose her from his sight again, but he let his arms loosen and stepped back. He kept his hands on her arms so she knew he had not left. He peered into her eyes, they were green but also a dark blue. They were truly wild looking and it worried him immensely. She never looked like this. There was no gentleness in her gaze, only the wildness of the hunted and a shadowy desolation. "Do you think you can heal your eyes yourself?" He asked tentivley and relief flooded through him when she nodded. "And your chest?" He added tentivley, now eying the injury the Urak had given her. He hoped it was merely a flesh wound.

"It's, it's hard to stay calm to do so. It's so dark, it's terrifying. There's no light. I can't concentrate. I tried to before... there is so much confusing noise" There was a tremble in her words and when there was a great crash upon the gate, she jumped in fright, poised to either flee or attack for the way her body recoiled.

"You need to be somewhere away from this chaos." He muttered, glancing around. But there's nowhere. He released her arms and took her hand again. "Follow me." He led her to the side of the hall, away from some of the commotion. "Sit down here on the floor." He instructed and she sank warily to the floor. Quickly he went to work unbuckling her quiver, followed by her armor.

"I need to remove your chain. Can you lift your arms?" To his relief, she silently obliged and he worked the mail shirt over her head and cast it aside. "Your injury, does it feel bad to you?" He asked, pressing against the wound which bled lightly but steadily, just below her collarbone.

"It's okay I think. I just want to leave this darkness." She whispered and he nodded. An injury was surely of no compare to a world of shadow.

He felt someone come up to them and turned from Aerlaer to see Rodwen silently hand him a large blanket, worry in her eyes as she glanced at the elleth. It was then he realized he was soaking wet and so was Aerlaer and she did not just tremble, she shivered, her fëa too troubled to ward off the excess chill of being soaked through.

"Thank you." He murmured quietly to the old woman before she was called urgently away. Shifting, Legolas sat down beside Aerlaer and unfolded the blanket, draping it over them both. He then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Leaning back against the wall for support, ignoring the injury he now remembered he had taken between his shoulders, he pulled her close to his side.

"There, you are safe. I promise." He said reassuringly. "Shut out all other noises and concentrate only on my voice and healing your eyes." He told her and began to sing softly.

…

Aerlaer was not exactly sure what Legolas sung of. It was possibly in Silvan, a language she knew very little of. It calmed her, as did his presence, the only semblance of light in her world of shadows. Slowly the fear ebbed from her heart and mind and she began to relax in his light embrace, letting her head rest against his armor-clad shoulder.

Letting her awareness focus solely on her closed eyes, she soothed and healed the damage her retinas had endured from the blinding flash. Nonetheless, her eyes stung as she carefully repaired the damage, causing her to tear up and she felt the other Elf take her hand reassuringly. The stinging slowly subsided and very slowly and with trepidation, she opened her eyes.

She blinked once, twice and the warm colours of the flickering flames mounted upon the walls appeared a little hazy across the hall. Oh my world is filled with light once more. She blinked a couple more times and as the hall came into clearer focus, she breathed a sigh of relief.

…

Legolas felt the change in the Elf beside him and moved to peer at her properly. Two grey-indigo eyes looked steadily into his and relief filled his heart. There was still a little wildness in them but all fear and sadness had gone, along with the worrying desolation which had been there. Despite the remaining wildness, there was a warm light in them he'd not seen before which seemed to make them look softer as she gazed at him.

"Thank you." She said softly. "If it weren't for you..."

"It was Gimli." Legolas interrupted uncomfortably. "All gratitude should fall to him." She stared at him firstly in confusion and then thoughtfully. He felt the guilt threatening to drown him.

"But if it were not for you I would still be in darkness." She gave an involuntary shudder at the thought. "And I am certain it was you who slayed the Urak which held me, not Gimli." She ended with a small smile.

"It was." He admitted. "But, I could not have done so without Gimli. They had me too. I should have been more careful." He drew in a ragged breath. It was my fault, I nearly lost her and I have no one to blame but myself. "Aerlaer I am so sorry, if I had known you were hurt in that explosion, no, I should have checked you were unharmed, regardless. I am so, so sorry." He hung his head. "I could have prevented this from happening, maybe. He finished dejectedly."

A gentle hand came to rest under his chin and he let her tilt his face towards her. Unwillingly, he lifted his gaze to meet those strangely beautiful, wild but warm eyes.

"Do not linger on what could have been different. It is in the past. We are still here. There is nothing to blame, Legolas." She spoke so quietly, yet he could hear each sincere word. "I will never be able to thank you enough, or Gimli, for if it were not for him, you would not still be here either." He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but she spoke again.

"It is because of you I can see again and I will never be able to convey to you how grateful I am, for there are no words. Now please, do not dwell on this so. We are alive and besides, it seems now I am back to owing you again." Her last words were light-hearted and the quick grin she flashed him was so warm yet still mischievous, he could not help but let a little smile form on his lips despite still feeling so guilty. For her though, I will try not to dwell on it.

She gazed at him a moment with an intense curiosity and he began to wonder what she was thinking to look at him so when she dropped her gaze and let her hand fall from where it had held his face.

"We should make ourselves useful, I hear there is a war upon us." She said very quietly and then as if on cue, there was a crash again as the enemy tried to break the gates of the fortress.

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