Chapter 31

Under the shadow

So many of the people here were ill. So many needed aid. For all I could think I was happy we had arrived when we did.

Elves around us rushed about, yet my wife was no more to be seen.

"Idril?" I cried out as our captain came over from helping some of the humans.

"yes my lady?" she asked and bowed her head.

"Have you seen Elwen? I cannot see her" I asked with curiosity in my voice.

"Nay I have not.. she did help some of the people…" she quieted up before barking orders.

"Where is the lady, has anyone seen her?"

A few moments passed and a warrior hurried over.

"Yes captain, she is in the tent healing a woman of their people. The lady asked me to inquire of if any others had both cold sweats, yet burning heat in them. With little or no memory of what happened." He asked as I listened.

"I know not…" Idril responded as a few of our warriors who also heard of what was spoken spoke up.

"Over here, same symptoms and here. Over here as well." Several cried out.

That was when it dawned on me, this was no illness of the world. Elwen had told me much of what might come and not, this would not be an easy night as we had hoped.

"Gather all the Athalas we have and warm water. Set out watches around the camp and if anyone arrives I want to be told. Go!" I ordered the warrior who had come to us.

"Of what is happening my lady?" Idril asked with a worried look.

"If it is what I think the night will be long and dangerous if they are still close. Or it might be an illness of the air. But my wife will know better than me. We still have to prepare!" I looked at our captain as she processed what I said and the guards with me. "GO now!" I cried for them to move.

Orders were now barked to all those not aiding in healing and guard posts were set up and manned by our warriors. The men and their families reacted to it but said little as our aid to them seemed to have earned us their trust if only some. But still, the leader of the camp came towards me.

"My lady," he said and bowed.

"Belethor" I responded and kept moving towards my horse to see what remedies I had along.

"May I ask what is happening?" he said with worry in his voice.

"We are just securing the camp…" I started to say as I turned and saw his worried eyes. I could not hide it from him.

"Have any figures dressed in black been around the camp before and after your people fell ill?" I asked as I started to move again.

"None lady, none… wait… after the falling ill of Morgan… Ergon's wife. The one who questioned you and your wife…" he said and acted ashamed still of it.

"Do you know what happened to her or did you see?" I asked finding more strands of Athalas balm.

"Nay lady, some of our hunters saw them move away from our camp and found Morgan straight after. We know not where the black clothes came from only that they went south east…"

"Amon Lanc," I said and stopped him.

"Yes. The old even fortress" he confirmed.

"Do your people know of Athalas?" I asked with worry in my voice.

"Do you mean kingsfoil?" he responded.

"Yes, do you have any or know where to find it?" I asked with hope in my voice.

"We have some for its sweet smell, but little grow here now…" he said sad as he was.

"Gather it all and give it to me, Lady Elwen or Idril. We will need it." I said and rushed past him before he could respond.

I made sure all knew of what was happening and the guards made sure the area around the camp was now safe. Elves and men together protect those not able to defend themselves. But more and more of the men and women living here cried out for their loved ones and a scream covered the camp, one of our warriors was already there trying to aid, but it helped not. As I came over and sat down on my knees by the child the warrior looked at me.

"Lady Tauriel. I have tried all, cooling balms and water fresh with herbs, but none seem to work." He said sad.

Looking over the child as he spoke and feeling its forehead I took a breath and felt darkness radiating from it.

"We beg thee, lady, please save our daughter, we beg thee!"

The parents continued to beg.

"This is no illness of the world," I said low in elfish so only our kin would understand it.

"it is what I thought lady, but I would not say it to them." He responded.

"Keep making them Athalas tea for them to drink I will ask my wife, she is more a healer than I," I said to his bows and rushed off again towards the tent Elwen was said to be in.

"My love, my love" I cried and pulled the shade aside. There she sat on her knees talking to a human woman, speaking to her softly as the world around stood still. Her healing skill was past any others in our company and I could not reach her to her knees when it came to such matters. Being the daughter of lord Elrond it did not surprise any of us in the end.

"Rest now Morgan, I will come back and see you soon. The light of the Eldar is over you, go to sleep" she said in such a soft tone in a language Morgan clearly did not understand, but before my wife stood Morgan was already lost to dreams.

She turned towards me and led me out before she spoke.

"This is not an illness of the world my love. But several unnatural illnesses. I do believe that Morgan is struck with the black breath. What the rest have I know not."

Sadness came over me as she spoke.

"If you know not, my love then they are doomed… as if words of the black breath are not ill enough news…" I said with despair in my voice.

As I spoke a hissing sound came from all sides. As if laughter of a bygone age, cold we felt to the center of our bones and spirit but from where the laughter came we could not point in even with our elven ears. Then we heard it.

"YOU WILL ALL DIE TO NIGHT… NONE MAY LIVE… THE ONE HAS COMMANDED IT… DEATH TO THE WEST"

The laughter and voice disappeared fast. There was no movement in the air or around the camp… not until screams of horror came from the northern side and we ran towards it drawing our swords to be safe.

Several of the humans and a few of our warriors were outside the perimeter before us and on the ground lay a body…

The closer we came I got a foul feeling in my bones.

"MY KIN" I cried out as I ran towards the body. Elwen not far behind me.

"Tauriel, my love.." she spoke and put her hand on my shoulder as I fell to my knees.

"It is Arminui… a friend from long ago…" I said and cried… his body was torn and ripped. "What by the Valar happened to you…" I said low…

"I am so very sorry my love…" I heard Elwen say as she came to her knees as well holding me.

"He must have come with the Queen… and if so they are in danger!" I said firmly and looked at her. "Let me…" as soon as I spoke Elwen shook her head.

"Nay I do not allow you to go alone or even with a party of our warriors. It is too dangerous if a force of the woodland realm set to aid us to lift a siege was taken out." Her coldness and leadership mindset disgusted me for a moment.

"What if it was Lord Elrond or Lady Celebrian? Would you stay?!" I said no matter with fear and sadness in my voice.

She did not move and held me firm as she let out a sigh.

"Tauriel. It is not the same, the queen is not your nana, no matter how…" at this I cut her off.

"She may not have adopted me as they did you Elwen, but I still love her as my own and all they did for me, you cannot say I must stay and wait for morning when I might be able to help or save her!"

At this point, the elves with us slowly looked at us and the humans did not understand as we spoke in elfish.

"Tauriel. Stand down!" Elwen responded to me quite harshly. "We know not what is out there. They want us to separate and be easier to take down alone. We will go as soon as we can to find the queen and save her if we may, but if we are to leave now the humans will die and it will be on us. Can you tell them their fate is now to them? Can we let them stand alone against an illness their healers have no understanding of? Or what If what assaulted Arminui comes back? They are not fighters, not like us, my love."

Her words were true. Hurtful as they were. What had spoken to us we knew not. The humans needed us still and I could not say to them we would leave them to their fate. No matter how much I wanted to go for my former queen. I bowed my head to my wife and accepted her command as it was.

"Yes my wife, I understand what must be done" I responded and rested my head on her shoulder. "But I do not need to like it" I added as Elwen looked down on me.

"Nor do I my love, but for now it is what can be done." We stood on our knees for a moment before our guards spoke to us.

"My ladies. We need to pull back to camp, we are too exposed here"

As he spoke she kissed my forehead and reached for my sword on the ground and handed it to me as she took her own after.

"Yes, we must, bring the body back to camp, set guards to honor the dead one, and keep watch around. No matter what happens I want to know" Elwen commanded as we got aid to stand up, the humans still oblivious to what we had said and slowly moved back with us. Her arm around me as we slowly walked back, our swords seethed.

"What is happening my love" I whispered to her and I saw sadness on her beautiful face.

"Much and some that I do not think should be happening so soon." She responded looking at me. "Worry not, we will meet it together as we always do," she said and gave me another kiss, this time on my mouth and I felt better for it.

While we moved so slowly the elven warriors that had run out to find the body now carried him right behind us and a crowd drew to us. Whispers came from all sides.

"An elf? Someone killed an elf? From where?" screams of pure terror came from others seeing the torn body.

Belethor then came towards us shocked on his face.

"You have lost a warrior?" he asked.

"Nay he is not of ours. But of the woodland realm" I responded before Elwen could. "Ask your people to stay in their tents, do not come out unless need be. This night will be long and dangerous it seems." I added as Elwen nodded.

"I have some ideas of what the voice was, but I cannot before until I see it myself. For the safety of your people I want them all in their tents, order those that can fight to stand guard outside them and let us have the line around the camp" Elwen said determined as only she could be.

The man was to ask more questions, but Elwen gave him a simple stare that said not now as Idril came towards us and bowed.

"My ladies, we found more Athalas and are boiling water as we speak. More of the people are falling ill. Some are even close to death." If nothing else that gave us hope and we let each other go and hurrying after our captain eager to help and we did. Many that were on death's doorstep slowly got better as we tried our best to heal them. A darkness was in them and it was not of ease to cleanse their bodies. But as Elwen had said it was no mere illness of the world.

As she showed me and several of the others how to heal the most severe cases of what the illness was the ice-cold voice returned out of the wind. But now it was different.

"Elwen… come out… meet me… I know you hide in the tents of men… come out…" The tone was barely heard even by elven ears and yet it made our bones shiver.

I looked at my wife and she stood up and turned, looking into the night. Her long hair blew as a gust came from the east blowing out what little light from the fires we had and then we heard it metal feet moving towards us, slowly. Very slowly and I saw her walk towards it and I slowly followed her as She did not make any move yet as if we were in danger, but we all knew that we were in more danger than we could ever imagine.

"Elwen… come to me… come to me and I will let them live… or they will DIE!"

That was when I saw a figure in between the tents. A shade of white and grey mixed. An armor I had not yet seen. But he lit up like nothing I had seen before… except the witch king… but this was not him…

"ELWEN" I cried out and she looked at me giving me a look that said it all.

The coldness of a forever last night was in the air. I felt it before and so had our warriors. This was only a coldness that one of the nine could muster. As If it was far away I could hear the cries of the humans. Their minds slowly broke under the strain of the evil that came from this figure I knew not who was other than he had to be of the nine. Yet my wife stood as a beacon of light against its evil. While I watched the scene in front of me I remembered what my Nana said to me long ago before she passed of a broken heart.

"Do not let my regrets and hurts leading to my death become yours Tauriel. Do not stay behind when your love leaves for war and conflict. Stand by the side of them, support them as they support you. Fight for the love you have for them and share it in times of joy. Farwell daughter of the forest…"

At that moment I felt tears down my cheek as I got up and drew the sword my wife had made for me back before we got married. It was keen or felt so at least in my hand as I walked towards my wife and came in view of the darkness.

"There she is… the silvan filth you have for a mate… well she will die today and I will make sure you see it and feel it in your heart as my master has commanded!"

While he spewed his hate towards us Elwen held her sword as well while shadows came forth around the one radiating of white cold evil. She looked at me and smiled at me as I smiled back, black and red hair blowing in the wind as we readied for what was to come. Fires were lit slowly one by one by evil creatures as we saw elves… ohh so many dead elves… for a moment we faltered and shock came over us, but we did not yield. Evil laughter again filled the air, but we did not let it speak again.

"They begged for mercy before we slaughtered them… ohh how they wanted to aid thee… now we will send those that live to the one!"

His spew of hate and evil plans lit the fire in me and it seemed in my wife as well!

"NOLDORINDRIM TO US" we cried out together and hidden from view by the tents and makeshift barricades the number of our kin came out it seemed was not fully expected by the shadow as its laughter died slowly but surely.

Hate filled our hearts more and more from what we saw and we could feel the hate of our kin behind us. It was not hard to see we were outnumbered, but the odds were still good with our skill at arms compared to the servants of the enemy. There was no going back for us or them we all knew. Idril came up beside us and the rest of them stood so close we could feel their breath in our neck. It might not have been the tactical right command to give, but we knew it was the only one that had to be given.

Slowly I felt Elwen's hand grab mine and hold it hard. With Oswane, she said all that needed to be said.

"I love you" I smiled back to her "I love you too" and no longer could we hold our host back.

I saw her take a deep breath and a quick glance back at them before she let my hand go and held her sword tight as I did with mine. Time slowed and I told my Nana as I remembered from the memory. "I have no regrets, I am with her to death if must be" and thus the order came in the darkest of nights.

"FORWARD" and I set out with her, we ran all we could. Arrows flew over our heads taking out the first lines of the enemy. Elwen and I crashed in with the white and grey shadow that was a Nazgul without a doubt. Cries from orcs and elves filled the air as the humans of the camp dared not come with us. I blocked charges and enemies trying to help their master come at Elwen as we pushed him back, but for our gains in the middle, our flanks got pushed together and inward.

"Idril secure the flanks, do not allow them to encircle us!" I cried as Elwen was locked in a fight with the Nazgul and I kept aiding her while keeping her safe.

"Yes my lady!" she cried back and ordered elves to come with her.

Their numbers were overwhelming no matter our skill and elves fell as did orcs. Seeing through the lines of enemies we saw more wounded elves taken as prisoners and for me, it was fuel to the fire.

"Elves hear me! The enemy took prisoners of our woodland kin. If we fall they die. FIGHT NOW FIGHT! Not just for ourselves but for them and the sick in the camp! FIGHT!"

I blocked another orc armed with a sword, but missed one coming at me with a mace and I felt it slam into my side, thankfully my Noldor armor took the brunt of it and I cut them both down with ease.

To my surprise, two earlier voices rang after mine. Two voices that had been unsure of our choice to aid the race of men. Gaerdir and Pannion cried out.

"To lady Tauriel, to the lady!" and soon after "Forward elves FIGHT!" several more elven cries came after, but also to my surprise and that of the rest men crying out and charging forth from the camp as well and giving us their aid.

When our push came and the men also charged in the spirit of the enemy broke quickly and orcs ran east as fast as their legs could carry them. The wraith cried out in its full screech and few of us could withstand it. But those that could be enough to send it feeling east. Our archers cut down the orcs that fled, but none got the leader, not that any of our weapons would destroy him as is.

When we looked around, many were injured, and many had fallen. But not as many as first feared. Idril was on her tasks quicker than we could order and we hurried over to the woodland elves. Slowly we went through them and saw some had died while the fight went on. Some were slightly injured and some might be beyond hope. Dead orcs lay around them as we cut them down with arrows as they fled over our kin and then I saw her.

Dressed in green and grey of the high house of the woodland realm.

"Queen Lauriel!" I yelled out as I got to her and turned her over. She was breathing, but it was shallow as I turned to cry for my wife to come and aid me I felt a sharp pain in my side… my voice was gone as I turned to see. An orc had played dead… and struck me where the mace had hit my armor, separating the plates and opening it up. I tried to get to the knives on my back, but slowly I fell onto the ground. Someone saw and before I knew I felt an arrow fly over me and into the orc that tried to get up and end it all… The Night and uncounted years in the halls of Mandos seem to have come for me…