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Chapter 12
Iasbelin and Legolas sat outside the large door for what seemed like a lifetime. Iasbelin wasn't sure what her husband was waiting for but she decided to sit and wait with him. They did not speak, they simply sat and held hands. Many people walked past them and stared at the Elven couple who sat outside Theoden's door. Most of these people had never seen Elves before so it was a very interesting sight.
After about two hours Iasbelin heard ruckus down in the refugee camp and stood to go see what it is all about. Legolas grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. They remain seated for a few more minutes before a weary looking man trudges up the stairs. Iasbelin shot up from her seat and looks at the Ranger standing in front of her. She looked towards Legolas and smiled, he knew that Aragorn was not dead.
"You're late" Legolas said in his native tongue as he stood to greet Aragorn. Iasbelin walked over and stood next to Legolas. Legolas looked over Aragorn's injuries and scowled. "You look terrible"
Aragorn laughed wearily and looked at his Elven friends. He was glad that they had both made it to Helm's Deep alive. Legolas held out his hand and revealed Arwen's Evenstar pendant. Aragorn took the necklace and grasped his hand around it. Iasbelin heard something moving behind her and turned to see Eowyn running to her position. She smiled at Eowyn and she saw her face become relieved of all of her worry and pain.
"Thank you." Aragorn said as he clasped Legolas on the shoulder. Aragorn gave Iasbelin a simple kiss on the cheek and the two Elves move aside for Aragorn to enter the King's rooms.
"I must go with Aragorn. You can find some place to help I am sure." Legolas told his wife. She knew she was not welcome in the war meetings.
"I am sure Eowyn could use some help." Iasbelin said sadly as she went to find her friend. She looked back at Legolas and saw him walking into the room Aragorn had disappeared into. Iasbelin walked to the inside of the fortress and got directions to where Eowyn might be. Several people told her that she was in a makeshift hall of healing and Iasbelin went to the room to see if she could be of any assistance.
"Hello," Iasbelin smiled when she found Eowyn "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Do you know how to dress wounds?" Eowyn asked.
"Yes, I do it often back home." Iasbelin replied. As an Elven women she was taught at a very young age the art of healing. She would help as often as she could back in the Mirkwood palace's healing halls.
"Good, you can help this young man here. His name is Húrin." Eowyn told Iasbelin as she walked away to service another solider.
"Hello, Húrin, my name is Iasbelin." she told the solider as she rung out a rag in a water bowl that was near her. She placed the rag on his wounded arm and began to clean the cut.
"You're an Elf." The man muttered. Iasbelin smiled at him.
"Yes, I am." Iasbelin continued to dress the man's wound as she smiled. the one thing she loved more than anything in this world was being able to use her abilities to help people.
"A great host you say?" Theoden asked Aragorn as they stood in his private rooms in the keep.
"All of Isengard is emptied." Aragorn replied.
"How many?" Theoden asked warily
"Ten thousand strong at least." Aragorn responded.
"Ten thousand?!" Theoden asked surprised
"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall." Aragorn told the King.
"Let them come!" and with that Theoden walks away to prepare his men for the battle of their lives. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli follow the King to the keep's wall. They find Gamling standing at one of the lookout stations and the King went to speak with his old friend.
"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall." Gamling nods and walks away to find enough men to repeal Isengard's attack.
"We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg." Theoden said to Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas.
"This is no rabble of mindless Orcs. These are Uruk-hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad." Gimli said to the King.
"I have fought many wars, Master Dwarf. I know how to defend my own keep." The King snapped. Gimli huffed and Legolas put a calming hand on his shoulder.
"They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn, we've seen it before. Crops can be resown; homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them." The King said optimistically.
"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people. Down to the last child." Aragorn told the King. Theoden looked at him with angry eyes and pulled Aragorn close to him.
"What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance." The King snarled in Aragorn's face.
"Send out riders, my lord. You must call for aid." Aragorn said.
"And who will come? Elves?" The King said gesturing to Legolas, "Dwarves?" The King gestured to Gimli, "We are not so lucky in our friends as you are. The old alliances are dead."
"Gondor will answer." Aragorn replied
"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gon– No, my lord Aragorn, we are alone." The King spat in Aragorn's face. Theoden turned and yelled out orders to his soldiers. "Get the women and the children into the caves."
Legolas looked up and remembered that he had sent Iasbelin to find something useful to do while he conversed with the men. Legolas gave Aragorn a look and Aragorn nodded. Legolas took off running and sprinted down to the main street of the keep. He found a solider and asked if he had seen another Elf any where around the keep. He found that Iasbelin was with Eowyn in the healing hall. No matter what Iasbelin had done to him he would not let her die. They have been married for six hundred years and he cannot throw that amount of time away for something petty. Legolas found the hall of healing easily and ran up to his wife who was at the far side of the room speaking with a solider. He grabbed her arm and she excused herself from her former conversation.
"What's wrong?" She asked as he pulled her aside.
"You will be asked to move into the caves with the women and children. There is an army of ten thousand marching towards us as we speak." Legolas informed her. She gasped and looked up at him.
"Ten thousand? How will we fight? We haven't a thousand able bodies." She replied.
"We will find a way. I will not leave you and the rest of the women and children to their deaths. We will win this fight." Legolas told her. Iasbelin looked around at the people in the healing hall and she took Legolas' hand and led him to a connecting room where she knew nobody could hear them.
"Tell me the truth." Iasbelin demanded. Legolas sighed and looked at his wife squarely in the eyes.
"We will not last the night. We do not have enough men to defend the keep."
"You will die defending these people?" She asked
"I will die defending you." He responded
"I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Iasbelin apologized as she touched Legolas' face and stepped closer to him. " I don't want you to die and not know how sorry I am."
"I forgive you, Iasbelin. I love you so much. Nothing that anyone could ever do would make that change." Legolas responded. He pushed a lock of blond hair out of her eyes and leaned down to kiss her.
"Do not leave me to fend for myself. Come back to me." Iasbelin whispered against his lips. The kiss was passionate and warm. The two lovers knew that this could very well be the last kiss they ever shared and they savored it. Legolas grabbed her dress and pulled her closer to him and circled his arms around her small waist. Iasbelin deepened the kiss and earned a moan from Legolas' mouth. Soon their tongues were fighting for dominance and Iasbelin found herself being pushed up against the wall of the room. Legolas deepened the kiss even further and let his hands roam her body. His fingers traced the neckline of her dress and then went to cup her neck.
"Women and children must make to the caves with haste!" A solider yelled in the adjacent room. Iasbelin broke away breathlessly from Legolas and panted for a good minute. She remained in Legolas' arms for a few more seconds.
"I need to leave." Iasbelin said, wiggling her way out of Legolas' grip. She gave him one last lingering kiss on the lips and raced out of the room to go to the caves.
"Good-bye" Legolas called after her. She turned around once more to see her husband's smiling face and ran after the others.
A/N: What do you guys think?! Please leave a review and let me know