The Daughter of the Moon Volume III

Chapter 6 : Saved! But... at what cost?

The knights of Dol Amroth went east, pushing the enemy before them: trolls, wargs and orcs who hated the sunlight.

Eomer went south, and those who fled before him were caught between a rock and a hard place. For now men were leaping from the ships on the docks of Harlond, and they were storming north.

There came Legolas, Gimli with the axe, Halbarad with the standard leading a great and valiant force of men from Lebennin, Lamedon and the southern strongholds.

But before them all went Aragorn with the Flame of the West, Anduril, like a new fire kindled, Narsil reforged as deadly as ever, and on his forehead was the Star of Elendil.

Eomer and Aragorn met in the midst of the battle, and, leaning on their swords, they looked at each other, and were glad.

-So here we are again, despite all the armies of Mordor that lay between us," said Aragorn. Did I not tell Fort Horn?

-'Yes, you did,' said Eomer, 'but hope is often deceiving, and I did not know then that you were a seer. But doubly blessed is an unexpected help, and never was a meeting of friends more joyous.

With that they embraced their hands.

-Nor more timely," said Eomer. You are just in time, friend. We have suffered great loss and affliction.

-Let us avenge them before we speak of them!" said Aragorn, and they returned together to the battle.

They had yet to fight a hard battle, and it was a long labour, for the Suderons were bold and fierce men, and fierce in despair, and the Easterners were strong and hardened to war, and they asked no quarter.

Here and there, by some burnt farmhouse or barn, on some mound or hillock or flat ground, they gathered again, rallied, and fought thus till the end of the day. And then the Sun finally descended behind the Mindolluin, filling the sky with a great fire, so that hills and mountains were as if stained with blood: the fire glowed in the River, and the grass of the Pelennor lay purple in the twilight.

Elenwë fought alongside her brothers, but could not reach her fiancé or her friends. Her arm fell mercilessly around her. With her other hand, she wielded a spear of water as sharp as a sword's edge. Her aura was more silver than sunny, but her ardour galvanised the exhausted and battle-weary men.

By this time the great battle on the field of Gondor was over, and not a single living enemy was left in the entire vicinity of the city. All were slain save those who had fled to die or to drown in the red foam of the River.

Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil rode back to the City Gate, and they were so weary that he felt neither pain nor sorrow.

Many were those who had perished, renowned and obscure, captains and soldiers, for it was a great battle, and no account has been given of it in full.

Elenwë dismounted from Ebene who left after greeting her.

The elleth found herself alone, having been separated from her brothers at the end of the battle. She walked towards the city and suddenly saw Legolas and Gimli in the distance. She rushed towards them, happy to see that they were well.

As she neared their level, she unknowingly approached a still living enemy. He waited for the right moment, leapt to his feet and stood behind her, who only sensed his presence at the last moment. He thrust his black-bladed sword into Elenwë's side.

She screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground, falling to her knees. Legolas rushed towards her, shouting :

-ELENWË!

Elenwë could no longer see Legolas clearly, she could only see his blurred figure. She wanted to get up and join him, but her strength failed her. She slumped to the ground, losing consciousness.

The orc laughed as the elf came closer to them. He stood up and grabbed Elenwë by the hair before putting his arm around her waist, and she was bent in half towards the ground like a bundle. His laughter increased and he said :

-The master wants to see her. I'm not sure she'll be returned to you alive. Unless she cooperates!

He grabbed a black marble and crushed it between his fingers. A dark shape surrounded the orc and the unconscious elf. The darkest night... worse than that, an evil night seemed to surround them. The orc laughed and they disappeared into the darkness.

Legolas could only close his outstretched hand over the void and feel himself suddenly fainting inside. He dropped to his knees on the ground and tears welled up in his misty blue eyes. He sobbed, moaning. He couldn't breathe and pulled at his tunic in search of air. Desperate.

His friend Gimli, also sad, came and put his hand on the shoulder of the collapsed elf and said:

-We must return to the city. Let's warn the others of the situation so we can act. Come on. Come on.

He lifted the elf up and accompanied him to the walls of the white city of Minas Tirith, where the survivors were already organizing to bring the wounded back to the healing houses. Aragorn saw his friends and the devastated face of Legolas.

-Mellon nin.. (My friend..) Pan mae? (Are you all right?)

-No, friend." said Gimli. It is Elenwë. An orc kidnapped her. He said that their master wanted to see her and that.

-They would kill her if she did not cooperate..." Legolas finished with a choked sob.

Aragorn's face suddenly showed a violent expression of painful sadness. He hugged Legolas, trying to reassure him as much as he tried to reassure himself.

Hi, Company! So how are you?

I'm fine... pretty much XD!😂