Yes. Two chapters in one day. Unheard of! Things written in BOLD are being said in Elvish.
Enjoy and review if you would like! :)
~:Elven Kat:~
Rìan paced back and forth on the battlements.
Queen? I can't be a queen, she thought.
Yes you can. You love him and he loves you, her mind responded.
He does not deserve me.
A small cough interrupted her thoughts. Gimli stood before her.
"Hello Gimli," she said.
"My lady, go to him," he said.
"He does not deserve me," she mumbled.
"You deserve each other. It does not matter what you used to be," Gimli said, as if he read her thoughts.
"Gimli, what if I am a horrible wife and queen?" she asked.
The Dwarf raised his eyebrows.
"You? Horrible? I think not. You have been through a lot. It has made you stronger and wiser. The makings of a wonderful wife and queen."
Rìan let the truth of his words sink in.
Valar, what have I done?
She looked at the Dwarf, slight horror written on her features.
"Go lassie. He is in the armory," he urged.
She thanked him and ran to the armory, hoping things could be saved. She found him, amidst soldiers preparing weapons for the battle. He stood when he saw her.
"Forgive me. I was not thinking when I spoke," she said.
"There is nothing to forgive my love. I should have told you sooner," Legolas replied.
Her lips found their way to his. Hungrily, they kissed under the eyes of soldiers, only breaking apart when their hunger was satisfied.
"Where is Aragorn?" Rìan asked, still mesmerized by his touch.
"I fear I have angered him," he said, nodding towards a door.
She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. Aragorn was pulling his leather vest over his chainmail. He searched for his sword but stopped when he noticed Legolas holding it out towards him. Aragorn took it, accepting Legolas' apology. They grasped each other's forearms as a sign of friendship. Aragorn looked over to Rìan who was smiling at the two males. Gimli appeared in the doorway, struggling with some chainmail he was wearing. He let it drop, the ends dragging on the floor.
"It's a bit tight around the chest," he said.
His friends chuckled. Distantly, they heard a horn blaring.
"That is no Orc horn," Legolas said, taking off up the stairs with Rìan on his heels.
Rìan's mouth fell open slightly when she saw what lay before them. A long line of Elves in dark blue cloaks stood there, led by Haldir, Marchwarden of Lorien. Her kinsmen.
"Haldir!" she cried, running to the Elf.
They had spent some time together during her short stay in Lothlorien. He was the only one she spoke to while she sulked after being told she was to leave with the Fellowship.
"Rìan!" he managed to say before she was upon him, hugging him tightly.
As she finally let him go, the line of Elves turned in unison to face Theoden. After greeting Legolas and Aragorn, Haldir spoke.
"We are proud to fight alongside Men once more."
~:✿:~
Rìan stood between Haldir and Legolas on the battlements, watching the army of Uruk-Hai march closer.
"You could've picked a better spot," Gimli grumbled, his short height not allowing him to see over the wall.
Legolas grinned. As the Uruks came closer, Aragorn was shouting orders in Elvish to the Lorien Elves. Rìan gripped her bow tighter. She felt a couple drops of rain hit her head. Soon, it began to downpour. Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance. The Uruks stopped.
"What's going on out there?" Gimli asked, jumping up.
"Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to fetch you a box?" Legolas asked, smiling.
Gimli looked at him for a moment, and then laughed.
"Get ready!"
The Elves raised their bows, already strung with arrows. Aiming at the ugly creatures before her, Rìan took a deep breath. The Uruks began to bang their spears on the ground. An arrow from one of the men on the wall flew into the neck of one of the Uruk-Hai. They went silent.
"Hold!"
Then the Uruks began to roar, the sound sending shivers down Rìan's spine. She watched as they began to charge.
So it begins, she thought.
"Aim!" came the order.
Rìan narrowed her eyes, looking down the shaft of the arrow and aiming it at one of the advancing Uruks. She pulled it back as far as she could.
"Fire at will!"
With a loud twang, she released the arrow, watching it fly into the neck of the creature. She fired arrow after arrow until she noticed objects being placed against the wall.
"Ladders!"
"Good!" Gimli yelled, gripping his axe tighter. "Send them to me!"
As the Uruks began to climb the ladders, Rìan prepared herself for close combat. They appeared over the wall, snarling. With a yell, she swung her sword at one of them, knocking him off the ladder.
The battle raged on through the night. Rìan's sword was covered in black blood which ran onto her hands, making them slick.
"Legolas! Bring him down! Bring him down!" she heard Aragorn yell.
Turning to see what he was speaking of, she saw the Uruks part to let one through. He was carrying a torch. Before she could move, he flung himself into the storm drain at the base of the wall. All she heard was a loud boom as the wall exploded. She was thrown to the ground as pieces of rock rained down around her. She made to get up when a large chunk hit her forehead, knocking her back down again. As she fell into darkness, she felt her blood dripping onto her chest.
"Legolas!" was the last thing she heard before darkness claimed her.
~:✿:~
Rìan awoke to the sound of banging. She opened her eyes to see the door of the hall shaking as the Uruks tried to smash their way in. A single beam of light fell to the floor from with window. Upon noticing she was awake, Legolas came over to her.
"I thought I lost you," he whispered, grabbing her and holding her to his chest.
"You will never lose me," she whispered back.
"Melamin," he breathed.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called, as he mounted a horse.
Legolas stood up, sweeping Rìan into his arms.
"What is going on?" she asked, confused.
Legolas managed to mount his horse with her in his arms. The sound of a horn made her jump.
"We are riding out," Legolas told her, making sure she was secure in between his arms as he held Arod's reigns.
"Forth Eorlingas!" cried Theoden, leading the charge.
They cleared a path through the Uruks as they rode down the causeway. At the top of a hill next to them, Rìan noticed someone on a horse standing in front of the rising sun.
Gandalf.
Another man appeared next to him.
"Eomer," she heard Theoden say.
"Rohirrim!" Eomer yelled.
Behind him, an army of riders appeared. As the sun rose above the hill, they charged, a thousand men, into the blinded Uruks.
They made short work of the Uruk-Hai. Those that remained fled into the woods that had appeared in front of Helm's Deep during the night.
"Stay out of the trees!" Eomer ordered his troops.
They watched as the last Uruk disappeared into the woods. It was silent for a moment. Then, the trees began to sway back and forth. Rìan could hear the crunch of bones as the Uruk-Hai were crushed by the trees. After the trees had finished their business with the Uruks, the men turned their horses back to Helm's Deep. Now came the task of clearing and burning the bodies of the Uruk-Hai and burying their fellow soldiers. Legolas dismounted and helped Rìan down, handing the reins to a soldier. They walked over to Gimli who was sitting on the body of an Uruk, smoking his pipe.
"Final count...42," Legolas said to the Dwarf.
"42? Not bad for an Elvish princeling," Gimli replied. "I myself am sitting pretty on 43."
Rìan laughed. These two had been keeping count of how many Uruk-Hai they had slain. Legolas whipped out his bow, strung an arrow onto it, and fired it right in between Gimli's legs. The Dwarf looked down and then back up to the Elf.
"43," Legolas said, smiling.
"He's already dead," Gimli grumbled.
"He was twitching," Legolas pointed out.
"He was twitching cause he's got my axe buried in his nervous system!" Gimli roared, shaking his axe to prove his point, causing the dead Uruk's limbs to twitch.
Rìan burst into laughter at this. But she quickly stopped when she saw two of the remaining Elves carrying a body that looked eerily familiar. She sank to the ground when she realized who it was.
"Haldir," she whispered softly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The two Elves bowed their heads when they noticed her. Legolas placed his hand on her shoulder.
"They will give him a proper burial," he told her. "But for now, we ride with Gandalf and Theoden to Isengard."
Rìan pulled herself up and into Legolas' chest. Gimli stood next to them as they grieved, staring at the ground. He did not care much for Haldir but seeing Rìan so upset caused him great sadness. As much as he hated to admit it, he was becoming quite close to the two Elves, something unheard of between Elves and Dwarves. Arod, sensing Rìan's distress, came up to her and pushed his muzzle into her hair. Legolas released her and mounted the horse.
"Come," he said, holding out his hand to Rìan.
She took it and mounted Arod, settling down behind her lover.
They rode up next to Gandalf and Theoden who were looking towards Mordor. The Black Land burned red in the distance. They were all quiet until Gandalf spoke.
"The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle Earth is just beginning."
Melamin - my love