Dedication: This chapter is for storywriter108, Guest reviewer, and secondbreakfast. You all requested for a longer chapter and here it is! :) It's 50% more than the last chapter. I'll try keeping the next chapters at this length (or maybe even longer?). Enjoy!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
They were wearing armour this time. Tauriel watched in horror as the arrows she aimed bounced back from their iron protectors. Legolas did not seem to mind, each and every arrow he shot found their exposed necks, foreheads, or knees. She tried her best to imitate him, but she was far from reaching his prowess. She missed the exposed points by arms lengths away.
Aiming was made harder by the fact that she had to parry their incoming arrows. They were outnumbered six-to-one, but she saw that that was changing quickly with the pace Legolas and Aegnir brought them down. The orcs lined in the opposite side of the field were falling to the ground as quickly as leaves being blown off from their mother tree. Arwen was not doing badly either, all the arrows she let lose found their course. Tauriel realized this with relief and frustration. She did not appreciate being the most useless in the group.
She had to pause for breath when she finally struck one in the neck. It was the first time she had ever hurt someone, orc or not. She had heard many stories of killing, but none told her about the weight of having to end a life. She felt the sudden loud beat of her heart along with the adrenaline that pumped beneath her skin; she couldn't help but think of the useless muscle that was now inside the orc she had just murdered. She would have froze in place if it was not for the realization that the orcs were getting closer to them. Her eyes widened in horror as she desperately tried to quicken her pace, which of course did nothing but all the more destroy her aim. She knew nothing of close combat. Her trainings with Legolas were limited to archery—but even only for them, she was now eternally grateful.
Legolas seemed to sense the same. He spared her a quick glance, but she did not fail to notice the worry that laced his features. It caused an unrecognizable feeling in her chest, but she shrugged it off and shot another arrow at one orc's knees. The arrow stuck to his joint, but the orc still lumbered on. "Tauriel, Arwen! Move back!" Legolas shouted through the noise.
She hesitated, but knew that her short distance would bear nothing fruitful. She exclaimed in frustration as she walked back, careful to keep her eyes on the orcs. She could see that Arwen did the same.
The group of orcs were splitting, half moving towards Legolas, who was in their far right; and half towards Aegnir, in their far left. Tauriel realized with distress that they were only a few paces away from the two Mirkwood elves. "Tauriel, cover me!" Legolas shouted as he swiftly dropped his bow and withdrew the two daggers on his back.
"Arwen!" Aegnir shouted, as he did the same and brought out a sword.
Tauriel turned towards Legolas and aimed towards the orcs moving towards him. Arwen mirrored her movements, only towards Aegnir.
It seemed the pressure of having to defend someone else improved her aim. She did not miss any more orcs, and slowly, she could see that the crowd surrounding Legolas decreased by the moment. They dwindled to only three, and she shot an arrow to the neck of one. Legolas finished the last two with his daggers, killing one orc by his left hand and another by his right. The dark blood stained his clothes, and he gasped to catch his breath.
When it was safe to avert her gaze, she looked towards their friends. Aegnir was also then killing the last of their foes. He sliced through the last orc's leg. The orc screamed in pain, and fell to the ground. But he was not dead. They would not kill him, she knew. Like Legolas at the Old Ford, they would leave one alive. It was their way.
However, it seemed that chances of interrogation were slim. She could see the orc choking out dark blood, its gurgling sound made her clench her fists. She cast a glimpse at Legolas who nodded at her. They turned to walk towards the orc when the movement caught her eye. It was a lone orc, emerging from his hiding place in the woods. Her breath hitched as she watched it bring out a bow, and aim, his arrow point facing Legolas.
"Legolas!" she called out in alarm, but she knew her words would do nothing.
Aegnir and Arwen's attention were also on him. Her cousin's mouth was open in a silent scream. Tauriel pulled an arrow and let loose, hoping that she would be able to hit the arrow before it met its target.
But her arrow met empty air.
In the last second, the orc had swung his bow towards Aegnir and released an arrow, his grin wide and triumphant. It flew fast, and dug itself into Aegnir's leg. He shouted in pain, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground.
A strangled cry came from Legolas' direction. Before Tauriel even had the time to face him, she heard a twang, and a loud thump from the direction of the woods. She knew that the orc who had shot the arrow was dead.
She ran towards her injured friend, but Legolas was far more agile than her. When she had reached them, his dagger was deep into the neck of the last remaining orc—Legolas' anger seemed uncontrollable.
"We need to hurry," Arwen said breathlessly, as she ran towards the horses.
"Aegnir," Legolas cried. Aegnir had become pale, his pants were stained and he clutched his thigh in pain. "Can you ride?" Legolas asked, and Aegnir nodded, the simple effort seemingly tiring him. Legolas raised his friend, arms laced around him. Tauriel moved to the other side of Aegnir, hoping that she would help lessen the weight. Together, they hoisted him to the horse.
That night when they stopped for camp, they laid him on a bed of leaves. He winced upon contact with the ground. With his dagger, Legolas opened a cut in Aegnir's pants to free the wound on his leg. He had already removed the arrow earlier, and tied the injury hastily with cloth. Tauriel looked worriedly while Legolas opened the bandage. The wound was small, the arrow seemed to have penetrated his flesh shallowly, but there was a dark color that lined its corners.
"It's poisoned," Legolas noted, voicing out her thoughts.
Arwen was quicker. "It is a paralyser. The athelas may help delay the effects, but I do not know for how long," she told them while she started a fire. Tauriel went to help, now regretting her inability to use the herbs. Her mother had always encouraged her to learn the way of healing, and she had rebelliously refused.
"How many days?" Legolas asked.
"A week, at most," Arwen told him. "But we will need to apply the athelas every night."
Legolas nodded determinedly. "Then we will arrive in Rivendell in a week," She frowned at his direction, it was a difficult task, considering Aegnir's condition. But he was determined, and there was no fazing him. "Do we have enough?"
Arwen opened the brown satchel that hung on her shoulder. It was filled with the unmistakable green leaves.
"I'm sorry," Aegnir muttered suddenly, and they all turned to him in surprise.
"You have no fault," Tauriel answered him, remembering how she had assumed the orc would aim for Legolas.
Legolas nodded in agreement. "Rest," he told Aegnir, while Arwen and Tauriel took his place by Aegnir's side. With Tauriel's assistance, Arwen cleaned the wound. Aegnir winced many times, but he never cried out. It pained Tauriel to see him so vulnerable.
His condition did not improve the next night, or any nights that followed. But he assured them that he was still able to feel and move his limbs. Still, Arwen warned Tauriel and Legolas to look over him as he slept. And they did, they took turns taking watch every night. The orc attack made them wary, and perhaps they should have been wary from the beginning. Tauriel realized this as she warmed her fingers by the dying fire before her. It had been getting cold as they travelled back to Imladris, and she had not brought enough garments to warm herself.
They were huddled under the cover of a boscage. It was a good distance from the road, such that they were hidden, but it was also near enough for them to resume their journey at a fast pace. She was at the edge of the thicket, and the night's wind blew into the warmth of their small camp.
It had been four nights since the attack, and so far nothing had happened. Still she could not imagine herself feeling negligent until they reach the borders of her home. But tonight her thoughts were riddled with questions and puzzled that the sudden voice made her jump.
"You look troubled."
Before she could stop herself, her hands flew to the arrow behind her and the bow she left lying on the grass to her right.
She turned to see Legolas smiling at her, his feet were silent in the grass. "You must have been too preoccupied to not hear me awaken," he whispered, careful not to disturb Arwen and the ill Aegnir. He walked to her, and now that she listened, his feet seemed like hammers clanging in the quiet of the night. Upon reaching her, he chuckled at the arrow she clenched in her hand.
She loosened her fingers hastily. "I thought you were an orc," she whispered, abashed.
"If I were an orc..." He sat beside her, his legs crossing beneath him. Their arms brushed when he showed her the arrow he twirled in his own hand. "You would be dead," he pointed out, smirking.
She raised a brow, but smiled all the same. She hoped the hotness in her face did not show. She had been caught unawares. And she was careless, but he did not reprimand her, and she was grateful. Minutes passed before she spoke again. "Do you remember Bilbo's words?" she asked.
Legolas did not answer her immediately, and instead stared at the fire for a moment. There was only a shadow of it left. Small flames were licking the wood it was only a matter before they died out. "He warned us," he told her simply.
"Yes," she agreed, still extending her hands to what remained of the fire. The flames were barely there, but the wood still emitted much heat. "And he told us what the Men overheard. That the orcs were deliberately looking for a group of elves, and that they mentioned an 'important elf'," she sighed. "Like Arwen, I had thought they were referring to you. So when the orcs attacked by Amon sul, I was sure that they would target you," she shook her head, remembering how she had wrongly aimed for Legolas' direction. "I could have prevented that arrow from reaching him," she confessed. She bent her legs, and buried her chin on her knees, feeling very much like the child she used to be, hiding from her mother's sharp eyes.
Legolas was quiet, but he gently placed an arm on her shoulder. "Do you know you put too much burden on yourself?" he asked. He gave her a sad smile when she dared to look at him. "We all had a chance to prevent what happened, and you are not the only one to blame," he withdrew his hand and stroked the body of the arrow he held in his hand. "I was too complacent. I thought we had taken them all down. I forgot to be more careful. Yet it seems no care is ever enough these days. There is too much evil around us."
"Yes," she agreed. "I know I've told you how I wanted to be taught in the ways of fighting, but it seems more complicated than I anticipated," she sighed. "How do you manage to keep doing it? When I was covering for you, I... I was scared. I couldn't think how it would have been like if you got hurt and I was there. And I thought, what more when you lead armies, knowing that they waited to follow your every command? It must be so difficult, knowing the lives of so many depend on your actions."
"It is. But in accepting you as their leader, they also accept the mistakes that you may make. There is no perfection in this world, Tauriel, especially not in the battlefield. Ah," he exclaimed suddenly, looking at her worriedly. "The orc earlier. Was it the first life you've taken?" he asked.
She was surprised he had noticed, and also again she wondered how he read her so easily. But she was thankful, it saved her from having to voice out thoughts she would rather not put into words. She could still remember very clearly the orc she had struck down. She could see the spurting blood and his eyes rolling over as he fell to the ground. But more than that, she could still remember how her heart stopped momentarily. And the guilt. It was still with her now. "It was... difficult," she sighed, not knowing what word would be enough to describe the feeling.
His eyes softened when he looked at her, but he did not provide her comfort, or show her pity. Instead, when he talked, it was like he was talking to himself. "Killing is never a pleasant thing," he gazed at the arrow that was now quietly lying on his hand. "But remember that with every life you take, you are helping to protect so many more. It is what my father taught me, once before. And whenever I feel discouraged, I try to remember it again. He told me also, that what was more important was protecting your own people. No matter what the cost. But sometimes..." he sighed. "Sometimes I think no kind is ever made to protect only themselves. Certainly not the elves."
She smiled at his words, mulling over them. "You will make a good leader one day, and I for one would not be more proud than to fight with you," she laughed hollowly then. "But I have yet many years to go."
Their attention was caught by a fit of coughing from Aegnir's direction. Both stood to check upon the elf but he quieted almost immediately. And soon, they listened to his level breathing.
After sharing a look, they settled back down. "Do you think they deliberately attacked us, because of Aegnir?" She finally asked, verbalizing the question that had most plagued her since the attack.
"I did not wish it to be so, but there seems to be no other explanation for the wound he had taken. They knew who they were targeting, the arrow did not miss its course. I noticed it the when first they revealed themselves. The larger part of the orcs immediately walked to his direction, though I could not confirm if it was he or Arwen they were after. It is as I said earlier—I should have been more wary. I knew something was wrong, that they had a particular target, but I thought too little of it."
She nudged him gently by her shoulder. "I think I have to return your own words to you. You shouldn't put too much burden on yourself," she told him.
He smiled wryly, but frowned after a while. "Aegnir's condition troubles me as well."
Tauriel nodded, shivering both from the mystery and the sudden cold. The fire was now long gone, and even the wood seemed to lose some of its heat. "Why Aegnir?" she asked, and by the way his eyes furrowed, she knew that he was wondering the same thing.
"I hope to find answers when we reach Imladris," he was removing his cloak when she spared him a glance, and before she could react, he had placed the garment around her shoulders. It was still warm, and she could smell the scent of leaves from the cloth. "I don't feel cold," he said as answer to her surprised expression. "You should get some rest," he stood to adjust the wood before them. She didn't understand why, but he was avoiding her eyes. "I can take the next watch, it will be only a few more hours until we depart."
She opened her mouth to talk, but closed it just the same when she realized she didn't know exactly what to say. Instead, she hoisted herself up to join the sleeping figures of Arwen and Aegnir. She approached their sleeping figures quietly, and she lay on the bed of leaves. Her last view was of Legolas staring at the wood. When she woke that morning, she wasn't sure if she imagined the confused look on his face.
They set out early. Legolas had wanted to take advantage of the protection of the light, and rightfully so. The last remaining days of travel, they moved only when the sun was out. When they had finally reached the Ford that served as the gate to Rivendell, Tauriel wondered if it was that simple fact that prevented any more enemies from attacking them.
Her mother and a company of elves met them past the river. With their assistance, they were able to bring Aegnir safely to Elrond. He gave no questions and instead instructed them all to rest. They took Aegnir into a smaller house by the castle, and Tauriel's last sight of him was his face wincing in pain, and his eyes shut tight.
When she was finally alone in her bedchambers, Tauriel looked curiously at the soil on her table. It was all that was left of the Athelas she had brought into her room. Her mother came quickly afterwards to replant them. Tauriel sighed as she pulled off her boots, suddenly realizing how her feet ached. Was the small plant really worth all that happened? She sighed as she dropped herself into the bed. She was still troubled by the unanswered questions but her eyes closed in weariness. A breeze blew from the open window and she clutched her clothes tighter around her body. It was only then that she realized she was still wearing Legolas' cloak.
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: A BIG shout out to all the reviewers of the last chapter. I really want to thank you all individually (hello to the guest reviewers!) but, well, you know why. Send me a PM when you guys get decide to make an FF account!
What did you think of this chapter? I'd really appreciate constructive criticisms at this point of the story. I've got the next chapter ready but I might be making some major revisions. I'm having pacing problems. Ugh.
Love always,
Vee
