Of Futures Past (Legolas)

32

The next day, as they rode, two guards rode past them to the front, seeming restless. A moment later, a warg came into view, killing one.

"Wargs!" The other yelled, just as the warg went to kill him too. Legolas swiftly shot it with an arrow and Alana pulled out her dual swords to finish the job.

As the host of warg riders appeared in the distance, Theoden gave Eowyn the duty of leading the villagers away.

"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep. And make haste!"

"I can fight!" Eowyn protested.

"No! You must do this... for me."

Eowyn held his gaze for a moment before turning away, returning to the villagers.

Having watched the exchange, Legolas turned to Alana, asking her with his eyes whether she would fight, hoping she wouldn't. She nodded determinedly, no hesitation showing in her expression. Legolas paused, then nodded back.

"Be careful, Alana."

"You too."

Along with the Rohirrim, they rode into battle. Without fail, Alana shot orc after orc, killing them easily from a distance. It was when the riders and wargs crashed head on that she began to feel wary. The smell of orcs was invading her nose again.

Alana shook her head harshly to clear her mind and focused on swinging her blades.

As she was fighting, a warg bit her horse's leg, making it buckle beneath her, and its rider grinned as it got a glance of her.

"I got lucky today, pretty." It said, reaching out for her and raising its blade with its other hand. Alana panicked, her vision tunnelling on its hand as it prepared to strike. Before its sword could fall though, its head was knocked clean off.

"Head to the back and pick them off with arrows, Alana." Aragorn ordered. Alana nodded numbly, urging her limping horse away while grabbing her bow and an arrow.

As the battle raged on, she stayed on the outskirts, picking off orcs one by one whenever she got a clear shot. Every few seconds, she glanced around herself to make sure no orcs would attack her from behind, feeling as though their roving eyes were ever upon her.

As the number of wargs dwindled, Alana approached the other riders once more, searching the crowd for Legolas as the last of the orcs perished.

"Alana!" She heard, and turned to see Legolas running towards her relievedly, with Gimli close behind.

Alana dismounted her horse, allowing Legolas to wrap his arms around her. "I was worried when I couldn't find you."

"I was at the outskirts for most of the battle after Aragorn..." Alana trailed off. "Where's Aragorn?"

"I searched for you first." Legolas said, but a deep frown was set on his face.

Without hesitation, the three of them set, searching the faces of all the riders and calling out his name.

Running around frantically, Alana yelled out his name as loudly as she could, looking over to see whether Legolas or Gimli had found him, but both were standing near the edge of a cliff, looking down at a dead orc.

Alana rushed over to them, hearing the orc cackle.

"He's dead. Took a little tumble off the cliff." Alana heard the orc say as she neared, faltering.

"You lie!" Legolas yelled, while Alana turned pale, looking over the edge of the cliff in horror. The drop was great, and all that was seen below were the rushing waters of a violent river.

"It can't be true!" Alana exclaimed, turning back around.

The orc looked up at her, smirking and showing all of his repugnant teeth. Alana could smell him from where she was, over a metre away, and his beady eyes triggered her panic. She froze, only moving again after the orc had died and the vulgar look in his eyes faded.

As the three companions mourned the loss of their friend in silence, Theoden announced, "Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."

Legolas turned to Theoden with perplexed anger burning in his expression. Alana laid a hand on his arm, her eyes watery, and started gently pulling him away from the cliffside.

"I'm sorry Legolas." Her voice cracked, but she continued as best she could without crying. "There is nothing to be done now. We must get to Helm's Deep."

Legolas followed after her numbly, angry and vulnerable at the loss of his closest friend, while Gimli trotted behind them.

Due to her horse's injury, she stayed walking beside it instead of riding it, while Legolas also did not mount his horse so that he could hold her hand as they walked.

When they reached Helm's Deep, after a long, painful trek, they made their way to the stables, where Alana began tending to her horse's leg, keeping a careful eye on Legolas, who stood nearby. Once the stables had emptied, Alana walked over to Legolas, placing a hand on his cheek.

"You are allowed to mourn, Legolas."

Alana pulled him into a tight hug, petting his hair gently, and whispering, "You are allowed to be sad with me."

She could feel his body tremble in her arms though he did not cry, and she kissed his head, tightening her hold on him as his face buried itself in her neck, his back bent over to reach her height. She could feel her own tears streaming down her face, but just kept stroking his back and hair.

He only stayed for a few moments, but his eyes were lighter when he pulled away, more open and willingly vulnerable with her as he exposed his emotions. Noticing that she had cried, he wiped away the tears that had fallen and returned to his usual, strong posture.

They stayed in the stables together as Alana finished patching up her horse's leg and began filling the water buckets of all the others.

Before she'd reached the last one, Gimli came bursting through the stable doors, breathing heavily.

"That son of a.... Aragorn's alive! He survived the fall!"

The two elves stood up straight, eyes wide, before the three of them began running out towards the front gates of Helm's Deep, pushing through crowds.

"Where is he? Where is he? Get out of the way. I'm gonna kill him!" Gimli yelled as he navigated the crowds. Alana followed anxiously behind until she caught sight of him.

Aragorn. He was really alive.