Her Starlit Path (sequel to "Playing with Fire") [Legolas/Tauriel]

13: No Love

Chapter 13

Legolas urged their steed on. "Faster, mellon. We need to reach Dale."

Behind him, Tauriel was silent. It was probably best that way, as her words would only have rubbed salt in his already aching wounds. Any other day, Legolas may have asked her what was troubling her, but since Eyela's death, he found himself to be lost. He did not remember who he was before; he could not know who he was going to be.

It will not happen again.

Yes. I love Kili.

The stab to his heart that followed those thoughts caused him to suck in his breath. How did it come to this?

As they approached Dale, Legolas's heart went into his throat. Thousands of Orcs streamed into the city, killing any innocent bystanders in their path. Behind them, the battle raged on. Legolas could discern Woodland Elves from their golden armor that caught the sunlight. Dwarves wore heavy grey armor, weaving through the battalions of Orcs. He could see Gandalf speaking to a Halfling on one of the many high bridges above the buildings of the city. He could not, however, see his father.

Thranduil would be furious with him-this he knew. He also knew why his father was here, and what he looked to achieve with this battle. He could also see the hundreds of fallen elves, littering the floors of the city. And not being able to see his father in such chaos caused an immediate flurry of panic within him.

Tauriel was firing arrows behind him; he took to doing the same. The horse kicked Orc scum out of their way, its hooves clicking rapidly on the cobblestone entrance of Dale.

"Gandalf!"

The Grey Wizard had been the first to be kind to him after Anona's accident, and had told him many stories in his youth. This was not lost of Legolas; however, they had more important things to think about.

"Legolas." Gandalf hurried to him. "Legolas Greenleaf."

"There is a second army," Legolas said without preamble. "Bolg leads a pack of Gundabad Orcs. They are almost upon us."

"Gundabad?" Gandalf looked troubled. Then realization dawned in his eyes, along with something else that Legolas could not quite place. "This was their plan all along. Azog engages our forces, then Bolg seeps in from the North."

"The North?" The Halfling on the ground looked around. "Where is the North, exactly?"

Gandalf looked almost sympathetic as he turned to his small friend. "Ravenhill."

Legolas followed his gaze to the tower of Ravenhill, where Azog had certainly been lurking until recently. He looked down at the Hobbit, who seemed to be panicking:

"Ravenhill? Thorin is up there, and Fili and Kili, they're all up there."

As much as it pained him, Legolas turned to see how Tauriel had reacted such news. He thought of how he might have reacted to such news regarding her, and poured water on the fire of jealousy within him. He prepared a speech in his mind. We can go after them-

The string of comforts and reassurances stopped dead in his mind. She was gone.

____________________

Tauriel rushed through the City of Dale. She was hardly aware of her movements; yet, as she ran, Orcs fell at her feet. In her mind was only one thought: Kili. She had not saved him, and given him her promise to let him die so easily.

Only when she was slightly aware of her surroundings, could she see the elves along with the Orcs on the ground. Her breath caught in her throat. Many of these had been members of the guard with her. She could recall their smiling faces vividly. And yet, when she looked again, their blood stained the tiles of the city. Is this war? This death, this suffering...

She almost understood King Thranduil's hesitation to engage with the outside world now. Seeing her kin whose immortal lives had been cut short, she understood.

And yet, when she saw her King, approaching from the right with elves at his back, her anger blazed. He is retreating? After all that they have been through? After all that they have lost?

"You will go no further."

He slashed another Orc out of the way before meeting her gaze. Tauriel did not tremble. "You will not turn away. Not this time."

"Get out of my way." He snapped.

"The dwarves will be slaughtered."

"Yes," he began to smirk, to smile. "They will die. Today, tomorrow, one year hence a hundred years from now-what does it matter? They are mortal."

Before she could think, her bow was aimed, arrow pointed at the pale face of her King-of her former King. She remembered now that she was banished, that she would never again see the Woodland Realm. Therefore, her voice came without restraint.

"You think your life is worth more than theirs. But there's no love in it. There's no love in you." She spat out the words, and, if she had been aware, she would have seen the mask of a calm regal king fall from his face.

He looked down, and quickly moved his sword through the air before bringing forward to rest below her cheek. Her breath hitched. I am not afraid of my father.

"What do you know of love?" His voice shook. "Nothing! What you feel for that dwarf is not real."

Kili. Was it real? The question she had been trying to push away had resurfaced at the strangest time: now, before the King. His statement seemed so firm, so absolute, when in her mind; her opinions were quite the opposite. It occurred to her that she did love Kili, more than she had for any other, and it would not leave her.

"You think it is love?" Thranduil's lips thinned. "Are you ready to die for it?"

She was not. Kili's face appeared in her mind. He was happily smiling at her, as he had been on the night of the Feast of Starlight. She closed her eyes, preparing herself-

Suddenly, she could no longer feel the weight of the sword. Legolas's hand came down fast, blocking her from his father's sword.

"If you harm her," every word was venomous. "You will have to kill me."

She watched, stunned, as they stared at each other for a brief moment. Then, Thranduil, the stony-faced Elven King that she had grown up with, looked away from his son in resignation. Tauriel thought she saw tears in his eyes. This, she recalled, was the first time that Legolas had seen his father since he came to get her.

"I will go with you," Legolas said.

___________________________

They ran up to the bridge of Ravenhill. Legolas did not look behind him to see if Tauriel was following. He did not need to, just as much as he did not need to ask if she was worried for Kili. He also did not need to ask himself why he had stood against his father and defended her, even when she was being rash and unreasonable. The answers were all too simple.

They were nearing the tower when the bats came. They swarmed the tower, their black pelts peppering the fog. Legolas's jaw tightened. It seemed that Bolg's army was closer than they thought.

Tauriel's voice came from behind him, in a whisper. "No."

Legolas had had enough. Spotting one of the bats, he willed it to fly lower, and, when it did, he took hold its legs. Tauriel's face faded into the fog. Legolas shoved down the growing feeling of panic as her eyes disappeared from his sight. I will see her again.

Won't I?

~~~~~

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but the other two will make up for it :) That's right...only two more to go and then an Epilogue. Thank you so much to those of you who have remained followers of this story. You all mean so much to me, so a big THANK YOU ^_^

Next chapter, we'll be deep in the Battle of the Five Armies :)

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote!