Hello friend;)
Sit back and let yourself be carried away by my sapphic imagination. I know Tauriel isn't canon but her creation itself is very good in my opinion, it's the romance that broke that character, soo I'm about to fix it ^^
And also I will mix events from the book and from the movies since sometimes it'll be easier to write one version or another.
I don't own anything, we're all here thanks to dear sir Tolkien.
Enjoy!
The Hornburg fortress seemed to be used to the noise, turmoil and fear that filled its walls. Years of bloody battles and neverending wars surely left their imprint on it. Little did the fortress know that it had yet to witness its greatest battle.
"All women and children must shelter in the caves!"
"Every boy and man able to wield a sword must head to the armory!"
Commands and instructions could be heard all across Helm's Deep. An army of Uruk-Hai was to arrive at the gates at the sunset, so there was no time to waste. Everyone had to be ready.
King Théoden stayed in the fortress's headquarters, where he was commenting on the strategy, alongside with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Rohirim commanders. In one they agreed. The enemy was close and they needed every pair of hands capable of wielding weapons if they wanted to win that battle.
"I can fight too, my lord," suddenly, a strong yet soft female voice broke the silence. King's niece, Éowyn, listened to their talks. A young woman with an unusually fair complexion stepped closer to the table. For many, she would be considered a beauty if it weren't for the fact that because of Grima Wormtongue's rule she's lived in the shadow, within the walls of Meduseld, for many, many years.
Yet she seemed so suprisingly unbothered by that fact. Her confident gaze watched them carefully from between the fair hair that fell partially on her face. She didn't brush them away.
"The battlefield is not a place for women. Your place is here, behind the walls of the stronghold. Our people will need your presence," the king replied firmly. Every man in the room was now watching them. Few knew of king's niece desire to fight, and even fewer that Éowyn actually was a damn fine shieldmaiden.
A furious flame flashed in her ash-gray eyes at Théoden's words. This flame could have started a fire, were it not for the fact that at that moment the sound of a horn was heard throughout the Deep. For a second everyone froze.
"That is no Orc horn," Legolas was the first to spoke. He wrinkled his forehead, as if in a gesture of deep thought, and then without hesitation ran out into the courtyard. Needless to say, Aragorn and Gimli followed him immediately.
The sight that greeted their eyes was extremely mysterious, intimidating even.
Yes. Intimidating. Éowyn could not think of any other word that would do the justice to what she was feeling right now.
An army of elven warriors waited at the gates. Beautiful, tall, dignified and, above all, bringing the help that was so much needed. Their very presence breathed a mysterious spell into the courtyard. Storm in the distance, metallic noises coming from the armory, here and there screams and cries of frightened people, yet they were surrounded by complete peace and quiet.
"The White Lady sends greetings," one of them spoke up. Haldir, from what she understood after Aragorn welcomed him warmly.
Éowyn was about to invite them on behalf of the king when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Théoden joined them, looking at the warriors with an unreadable expression.
"So it came to this day. Men and Elves fighting alongside to defeat a dark and horrendous enemy," king followed their faces with his wise and sharp eyes. He looked at them for what seemed to be centuries, until finally his gaze stopped on one face. Amongst all of elves, there she stood, steady and proud. An elven woman, dressed in an emerald tunic, probably serving her as a light armor, deceptively similar to the one Legolas wore. Her long auburn hair was embodied in beautiful braids, seeming to burn with live fire in the light of the setting sun.
The king was not the only one whose attention she attracted. Éowyn almost immediately followed her uncle's gaze, absorbing the aura that this extraordinary figure was spreading. But it was only when the warrior turned her head towards her, when their eyes met, that she felt... something. Something that made her breath freeze on her lips for a moment and she had to strain her mind not to bend and look away.
"Tauriel!" Legolas' agitated voice broke their connection. The mysterious girl shifted her gaze to the young elf, who was now walking towards her, and her face was lit up by a smile. With this one expression, as king's niece noted, from a formidable warrior, tough and steadfast as a rock, she turned into a petal; delicate and beautiful, yet very dangerous.
"I reckon you know each other?" Théoden's voice betrayed distrust.
"She's like a sister to me my lord,"
"So then tell me, would you let your sister be a warrior? Take part in the battle?" Now his voice was encorned by contempt, well heard by those who were meant to hear it. And perhaps that's why the only person who noticed Tauriel's hand tightening on the handle of her dagger, which she had hidden under her belt, was Éowyn. Not that she was going to do anything about it. She had nothing to blame the elven woman for. Something boiled inside her too, rage and helplessness at the words of the king. Legolas also knew what was about to happen, but his hand reaching for Tauriel's wrist turned out to be too slow. With one agile move, she jumped to Théoden, knocking out two knights closest to him, striking at the weak points of the armor. Before anyone could react, the girl held her dagger right next to the king's neck.
"Don't ever underestimade a woman, my lord. Especially an armed one," she whispered in his ear and let go contemptuously. A crowd of armed men had already gathered around them, ready to attack, but the king raised his hand up and laughed bitterly.
"I may be getting too old to comprehend this world, but I never make the same mistake twice," he reached his hand out to her. "It will be an honor to fight with you by my side," these words surprised not only the king himself, but also the people around him. Éowyn watched the situation with a strange sense of satisfaction. Though she tried to hide it, she was sure that Tauriel noticed a slight twitch in the corners of her mouth when the elf showed her skills.
"My lord," elven woman bowed her head as she shook king's hand. Astonishment was painted on the faces of the people around. Legolas smiled like a proud brother, Gimli made a comment about 'the fiery lad' and Aragorn nodded his head, his eyes full of respect.
"You are awfully quiet for a human being," Tauriel hummed, adjusting her bowstring. The sun had already set. The sky was dark as coal and whistling wind carried the smell of an upcoming rain. Almost no one remained on the walls except for the knights of Théoden and the army of Haldir. Almost no one.
"I suppose that years spent in the shadows have finally paid off," Éowyn smiled bitterly. At the sound of her voice the elf stopped fixing the bow and turned her head.
"I had a feeling that it was you," Tauriel's mouth twitched in a curious smile. "It's hard to startle an elf, but as I said..." her eyes were now focused on Éowyn's face, studying it carefully. "...you are unbearably noiseless my lady," the blonde smirked proudly at that remark.
"I don't believe we've been introduced,"
"In normal times, I don't think we would've been," the elf moved and came closer to the stone railing, leaning against it. "But then again, the world is pretty messed up at the moment, isn't it?" bluntness of her words took Éowyn by surprise. She wasn't used to people being this open and direct around her. She usually was arousing embarrassment in her interlocutors, but while talking to this woman, she was the one to go shy.
"Éowyn, daughter of Éomund and Théodwyn, younger sister of Éomer and niece of King Théoden. White Lady Of Rohan, beauty hidden in the fortress...a proud flower, untouched by the rays of sun," again those emerald eyes scanned her face. And once again king's niece felt like she could burn under this gaze. "News travel around the world, my lady,"
"Wouldn't it be fair then if I at least know your name?" she managed to ask, keeping her voice steady as if the presence of the elf did nothing to her.
"Tauriel of Mirkwood," she bowed her head in a theatrical gesture. "Captain of the Elven Guard of Thranduil's Woodland Realm. Or at least I used to be," her voice got quieter and the blonde noticed the slight tremor of her lips.
"What happened?" Éowyn asked carefully, not wanting to scare her away, but also being extremley curious. To her surprise, the elven woman laughed.
"So quiet..." she stated, pacing around the blonde. "...yet so awfully nosy,"
Tauriel was trying to intimidate her, Éowyn could feel her overwhelming presence from the moment she arrived. She wasn't even very subtle about it, quite the contrary, she seemed proud of this accomplishment. The only question was why.
As for Tauriel the answer was very simple. She just enjoyed it. There was something addictive about having this effect on people. She liked to corner and tease, although often they were just purely selfish motives, a desire to feed her own ego. With the lady of Rohan things were a bit different. Éowyn, although seemingly quiet and delicate, was actually very proud and durable deep inside. She had a fire within that, when released, could ignite entire cities and hearts. She also seemed to be one of the few people who didn't turn her head in her elvish presence. No, Éowyn was too proud, too confident for that. Instead of showing embarrassment, she preferred to challenge her opponent to her own duel of glances. And that's what intrigued Tauriel the most. How to break through this shell of coldness and distance?
"Love," she started slowly, as if cherishing memories that came with this word. The air was cold and the first drops of rain began to fall on their heads. Her sharpened hearing had already heard the sounds of an army of thousands Uruk-hai approaching Helm's Deep inexorably. Still, she continued. "We live in a world full of humans, wizards, elves, hobbits, dwarves, orcs and other mysterious creatures. However, by some miracle there are still many things that we treat as a perversion, as something abnormal,"
"How..." Éowyn started, but even her human senses were now able to hear the horrible sounds of thousands legs marching towards the gates. She could swore that she could hear their breaths, wild and bloodthirsceful. She shivered at the thought, the large drops of rain that now dripped from her soaked clothes only intensified that feeling of discomfort. "How long ago?"
"For me time is a pretty weird thing, it feels like it was both ages ago and yesterday. If I close my eyes she's standing right in front of me, but when I open them.." she hesitated, suddenly realising that she might've said too much. But it was already too late. "...I'm alone," she finished, looking at her bow. She didn't need to look at Éowyn to know what was painted on blonde's face. It was the look of surprise, confusion, curiosity and perhaps one of the emotions that Tauriel was most afraid to see, disgust.
But that was not true. Surprised? Very. Curious? She was probably too confused to be able to delve deeper into her own curiosity. There was no disgust, but there was something else, fear. It was the fear that Tauriel's words did not disgust her, as she must have been taught, but filled her with a strange, tingling feeling that she couldn't yet name. Perhaps that is why she unwittingly took a few steps back.
The elf didn't react. Instead, her fingers clenched on the bowstring, cool rain falling on her face allowed her to remain completely calm. She didn't have the time to think about her feelings any longer, because suddenly the air was filled with the ominous sound of the Isengard horn.
"You have to go," elven girl adressed the blonde.
"I'm not afraid," her serious voice pierced through the sounds of the storm. Tauriel gave her a warning look.
"Then you're a fool my lady," she looked at the archers standing on the walls on the front line. "Nányë sossëa," at that moment the elven language sounded like an ominous melody.
"Isn't that what you tried to prove to the king? That women can take care of themselves, even on the battlefield?"
"Of course it was! And I have no doubt that you would do just fine fighting this battle. But what about the rest of women, children and the elderly in Aglarond? You say you're not afraid, but of what? It is not hard to pretend to be bravado, but the important thing is admitting to care for other people, for your people!" now Tauriel was just shouting; both because she suddenly took a defensive stance against the blonde and because the sounds of Uruk-hai mixed with the storm became really deafening. "What are they to do? They need someone who will be brave for them, they need you," elf stepped closer, putting her arm on other women's shoulder.
Éowyn met her gaze and nodded slightly, not exactly knowing what to say. She was right, there was no time for pride, her people needed her.
She looked down at the fight that was about to begin. The roar of the orcs seemed to be ubiquitous, drowning out the sounds of swords and spears colliding with each other. Suddenly, her hearing, her average human sense heard something she should never been able to. The sound of stretched crossbows and the whistling of arrows being fired. She shouldn't hear it unless...unless the enemy was closer than she thought.
"Lýgion!," Tauriel cursed pointing at the group of orcs approaching them from the mountainside. She had no idea how they got there, but they were certainly close enough to attack both her and Éowyn.
"Get down!" suddenly the blonde shouted loudly. Her body worked automatically. Seeing the enemy reload their crossbows, she grabbed the elven shield that was set against the wall and, pulling Tauriel to herself tightly, covered them before the rain of arrows literally flooded the walls on which they stood.
For a moment everything froze. The elf was now looking at her with eyes full of gratitude and admiration. Strong grip of this inconspicuous Rohirrim woman made Tauriel thought to herself that maybe she wasn't so afraid after all.
As for Éowyn, fear broke into her mind. But not for herself, no, she couldn't care less of that actually. She began to fear that she would never again see this incredibly alluring and mysterious being that she was holding in her arms.
"You have to run. I'll cover you," Tauriel said, her tone serious yet caring.
"I'm not leaving you,"
"It wasn't a proposal, my lady. Run!" with these words she pressed the shield into Rohirrim's hand and grabbed her daggers. The blonde girl casted her one last look.
"Ava quel," it came like a whisper, but Tauriel heard it perfectly. And she was going to fulfill Éowyn's wish.
Nányë sossëa - I am afraid
Lýgion - Son of snakes; I took it as elvish form of Son of a bitch
Ava quel - Don't die
So the first chapter is here, thanks so much for reading. I truly tried to search valuable Elvish Language information and that's the closest one I've got. Please let me know if you liked it! And of course if you want the story to continue:)