Legolas romance picks up in this chapter !
I shook my head and shoved it back into my boot. I walked towards the armory seeing men, young and old running to and fro grabbing swords and shields. Some were putting on chain length vestures, others leather padding as armor. I reached for a sword along the wall and was grabbed and dragged out of the armory. I knew who it was before I met his gaze. "Stop I want to fight" I wonder what my dad would think hearing me say that. I yanked on arm he was dragging me by, he didn't reply just walked faster his blonde hair flying into my face in the wind.
"Let me go Legolas!" I said with more force trying to plant my feet firmly to stop us but he was stronger and dragged me on. He didn't say anything. His grip on my arm was tight. We reached a small cave opening guarded by two men, there were several couples embracing around us. The women crying as the ones they loved had to go off for war. Children clung to their fathers' legs not wanting to part from them. He released me in front of the guards "You are not meant for war Moe lóth "[soft flower]
Before I could argue he turned around leaving me standing there in front of the cave opening. I watched as the somber women gathered themselves for their children's sake and urged them past me into the cave. All knowing death was near.
"Miss you must enter now" one of the guards urged me in. how long had I been standing there? The sun was setting now. They planned on barricading the entrance. I shivered at the thought. No I will fight, I might not be meant for war but I will fight! I turned on my heel and fled back towards the city. They called out to me but didn't chase me. I made my way to the armory and found a sword, it was dull and blunt and heavy to hold, there wasn't any armor, or shields. I saw a small metal helmet and put it on; it was to big sliding forward slightly blocking my eyes. I tilted my head back to readjust it. I began marching towards the gate of the city. I needed to get out there and use my gift. The gate was blocked by hordes of men, I turned and saw the steps leading up to the wall and climbed up them. Keeping my head down hoping not to see Legolas, I reached the top of the wall and looked over the edge. A horn sounded and guards rushed to open the gates underneath me I peer down at them, they looked like Legolas, soldiers clad in gray cloaks their hoods drawn shadowing their faces. They all carried wooden bows much like Legolas and knifes on their belt or back. Reinforcements? Will this be enough? I could hear them speaking underneath me "An alliance once stood between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together, we come to honor that allegiance."
Elves.
"Mae govannen, Haldir."[well met] I froze hearing his voice underneath me. Legolas… what would he do if he found me up here? Drag me back to the caves? Of course he would nobody seemed to have confidence in me. I thought bitterly, remembering Gimli jumping on the table forcing Legolas to make me a plate of food like a child. Of course he thinks I'm a child that needs protected that's how he's always treated me. I reached out along the ledge on the wall looking at the field before me. My arm was sore holding the sword but I didn't set it down. The ground rumbled at the approaching enemy. Elves and men alike filed onto the wall on all sides of me as I tried to focus and ground myself. Focus on the blind rage I felt when Aragorn was lost, the fear I felt when the orc came for me. The grief on faces I saw in Edoras. I scrunched my eyes gripping the ledge.
"What's that?"
"Look at that over there!"
I opened my eyes breaking my focus there was a hedge of spiky thorns that stretched along the plains protecting the keep it grew and spread snaking its way in a line, it was at least 8 foot tall some sections taller.
"A Hedge of protection! Eru be blessed!"
I closed my eyes again focusing on the pain I felt in my shoulder, the wail of children I heard standing before the cave mouth. I felt the energy surge from me this time. Opening my eyes and staring as another hedge of thorns grew several yards further out in the valley.
The men marveled and exclaimed in astonishment. Not knowing the cause of the hedges or their source. I felt weak and light headed I leaned on the wall. An elf stood next to me, I turned my face not wanting to be caught, could he tell I was a woman underneath my helmet? Would he also drag me to the caves? Several other elves stood along the wall in a line next to me. The anticipation of war made me shake vigorously, looking onto the plain seeing the tall hedge barriers knowing they wouldn't be enough. But maybe they could be a stall. The sound of the approaching army grew louder, their war cries in an unfamiliar tongue. Chanting together like waves. The ground trembled underneath them.
Lights appeared in the distance, thousands of them, as if it were an army of fireflies. As they closed in on the keep, their chanting seemed so loud and unnerving I let go of the ledge to cover my ears. An elf next to me began to shout in elvish and arrows flew from beside me finding their targets. The uruk-hai snarled and ran for the keep, running over their fallen brothers and straight into my second hedge. The elves picked them off quickly.
It was grotesque watching the uruk-hai blatant disregard for pain or life in general. Impaling fallen orcs with the thorns, using their bodies as shields, the hedge was broken in two spots. In one the uruk-hai had set fire to the hedge running through the fire and thorns cutting and marring their body. The second spot the uruk-hai had begun stacking dead bodies on top of each other forming a soft barrier to climb over. The orcs poured in through the opening from the fire some drawing up their own weapons and firing arrows towards the keep. It had begun to rain softly, it was cold and the wind blew fiercely.
The orcs that reached the First hedge threw torches on it; it lit up the night a wall of fire and smoke. The uruk-hai ran through the fire not phased. Some had flaming thorns and twigs embedded in their sides and legs. They trampled their dead approaching closer and closer to the wall. My stomach was in knots, I didn't have the strength to make another hedge. I didn't even seem to stall them that long. An enormous dark metal grappling hook flew by my head and clattered on the ledge in front of me. It had a long rope attached. I followed the rope with my line of sight, in the smoke and haze of fire there was a large ladder being raised attached to the rope. I gripped my sword and began sawing at the rope desperate to cut it in time. As it rose higher I saw uruk-hai were already on it standing, sword in hand. I heard screaming around me and crashes and knew there were ladders being raised on other parts of the wall as well. The ladder slapped against the wall in front of me much to my avail. Uruk-hai climbed up the ladder with blood lust in their eyes. My body was sluggish using so much energy making the hedges, I dodged and tried to run but more and more kept climbing up the ladder. My eyes were half lidded now, my arm seared in pain under the weight of the sword. The uruk-hai in front of me snarled and grabbed me by the throat lifting me off the wall. I dropped my sword as my body fought him and squirmed. My vision clouded as his hands squeezed around my airway and then, I was hurtled through the air my helmet flew off. A sound of an explosion tore through my ears. I flew backwards away from the uruk-hai and down into the garrison. My head hit the stony ground first then the rest of my body.
My ears were ringing I lay on the ground in a daze, watching the scene before me. The wall had a gaping hole in it, where I once stood. there were still elves and men alike on the other side shooting arrows and slaying them by sword if they climbed the ladders, the side I was on was now over run my uruk-hai. I sat up holding my head. The ringing in my ears vanished but the screaming and shouting seemed dull not quite as loud as they used to be. I stood up steadying myself grabbing the dagger in my boot trying to muster what energy I had left.
An orc ran for me from the stairs. I acted on instinct my movements were slow and choppy, my shoulder raged. I had to use both my hands to hold my dagger not having enough strength in just one arm.
"They have broken through the castle is breached! Retreat! Retreat!"
I couldn't focus on the movement around me I had to focus on the orc in front of me or I would die. He raised his sword above his head as to come down on mine; I jumped using all my energy to slash his throat with my dagger. He fell back stumbling in a heap. I felt no guilt or remorse this time. Orcs are no creatures that deserve clemency. They deserve death. I stumbled forward weak and light headed, a hand grabbed my arm dragging me forward I lost footing and fell not able to keep up. Before I could realize I had even fallen I was scooped up thrown over a shoulder. The person carrying me ran with powerful steps, my head ached being held upside down. My arms hung limply causing me to drop my dagger. My rescuer dropped my body down in the same room I was in earlier in the day; the one Aragorn had declared the tens of thousands.
"Barricade the door!" a guard screamed
I looked up and saw Aragorn was the one who carried me. He squatted kneeling beside me, I tried to stand but he gently pushed me down, resting a hand on my shoulder.
The room shuddered as uruk-hai tried to break down the door. Several injured men sat leaned on the wall across from me. Their eyes wide in fear as they gripped their swords trembling.
"The fortress is taken" Théoden spoke grimly "it is over."
Aragorn stood up and faced him "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it!"
He walked towards him now "They still defend it! They have died defending it."
The uruk-hai slammed against the door like a thump of a drum, the wood in the thick door began to splinter.
"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" Aragorn asked his voice holding a deep rage. "Is there no other way?!"
"There is one passage, it leads into the mountains"
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass and barricade the entrance!" Aragorn commanded
"So much death… what can men do against such reckless hate?" Théoden said softly
"Ride out with me" Aragorn said clasping his hand around the kings "ride out to meet them."
"For death and glory?" Théoden held his head high gallantly.
"For Rohan"
"Yes the horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time. Bring the horses!" Théoden shouted
Men ran out of the room and returned holding the bridles of several horses. The sun had started to rise the light of the dawn flickered in through the windows. I looked up and saw Legolas mounted on one of the horses, his gaze was hard. He frowned when we met eyes. His eyes held so many emotions at once, anger, guilt, and perhaps relief.
"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath" Théoden shouted riling what was left of the soldiers "Now for ruin! Now for a red dawn!"
The wood on the door splintered so much the uruk-hai could reach their hands through the holes. Grabbing at the benches and furniture barricading them in. the room shook once more with a pulse as the uruk-hai slammed into the door once more.
"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden shouted drawing his sword and pointing it at the door just as it burst open. The horsemen flew past me with loud war cries.
The men trampled the orcs and led them away from the great hall. All that was left around me were wounded. Men gravely injured, probably dragged or carried here much as I was. I stood up grabbing a lone sword that was on the ground, it was sticky with blood even holding it with both hands it dragged on the ground. I walked towards the entrance ready to do whatever I could to protect the wounded. I stepped over broken benches and shards of wood. I'm the last defense. I'm the last person who can fight in between the women and children and the … a group of 4 orcs were walking through the city into every building.
They spotted me standing at the entrance. And ran towards me. My anger seeped out of me into the ground. They were no more than 10 feet from me when, Thick branching shrubbery wrapped around their legs and encircled their waists; they held no thorns instead holding deep emerald green leaves. One was wise enough to try to cut the branches with his sword and freed a leg but not before his hand was seized by a branch, entangled and restrained. I stood in triumph no longer exhausted, invigorated in the new dawn. I let the sword clatter to the ground, no longer feeling need of it, or having the upper body strength to handle it. I retreated into the hall closing my eyes trying to focus. The entrance door was covered in thick blooming ivy, so thick no light was let in from it. I turn my attention to the wounded before me making a head count, 37. 37 elves and men their lives lay in my hands. I could hear the orcs snarling and growling outside fighting their restraints. I sat on the floor facing the entrance trying to listen, wondering how the men faired in their battle.
I heard footsteps approach eventually and peaked out through the vines. uruk-hai. I froze hoping they didn't see me but they did. Three Uruk-hai had wandered upon the hall and were walking towards me one aimed a crossbow at me.
"It's the enchantress!" The one with the crossbow snarled I stepped through the vines. He lifted the crossbow aiming for my face "no I want to relish this!" the taller one barked walking towards me, the orcs that were still entangled in my branches whined. I tried to focus as they approached slowly stepping towards me; the tallest uruk-hai was closest to me walking towards me as if we were playing a game of cat and mouse. The other two spread apart on the sides trapping me against my vinewall. I scrunched my face and branches began to encircle the uruk-hai on my left and right, starting at the feet wrapping around them tightly up to their shoulders they squirmed and grunted trying to free themselves. The tallest uruk-hai stood before me not seeming to realize the fate of his friends he reached out a hand causing me to flinch. Branches began shooting out of the ground where he stood encircling his feet. "I want to see your eyes when I do this" he said tilting my chin up. his this dark hand felt rough against my skin. I panicked. The branches were slowly climbing up his calves and thighs. Why weren't they going faster? Is it my fear? Or is it because I've done so much I ran out of power? He picked me up by the neck. I squinted at him my head light under his squeeze. The branches licked up his body to his torso. My vision blurred, my body felt limp
"Verity!" A voice screamed as I fell limply to the ground, the branches had encircled the uruk-hais neck allowing him to loosen his grip and drop me. The orcs were still whining snarling in their restraints. "Get a Healer!"
"She did all this?"
"It is only by her our wounded and our women live."
I fell in and out of consciousness. My head ached, my throat felt dry and almost collapsed.
"Simbelmynë Grow in the Valley My Lord come quick!"
A hand gripped mine. "Cin baur na guin-"[you need to live]
I floated into darkness again.
"Her fëa flickers, her light is dimming. All we can do is wait, see if she wakes."
"You owe your life to Her! Do not turn your back, You are a lórien medic! Heal Her!"
"Legolas, I am sorry. I know you… care deeply for her. We have done all we can."
"Cin maw i est- -o galadrim " [ you stain the name of elves.] "Get Out! If you mean to not help then leave!"