Return Of The Shadow

Chapter 13: The Prisoner

They brought the prisoner in and threw them on the ground. When they left Legolas inspected the newcomer.

To his surprise it was a woman. Her gold hair was matted with dirt and blood. She was thin and her arms were covered in scars. She wore a plain brown dress and was barefoot.

Legolas went over and gently rolled her onto her side. When he saw her face it was covered in scars. He almost cried out in shock when he saw who it was.

"Eowyn." he said aloud.

Boromir looked up, Faramir, (who had been awake) followed his brother's gaze.

At the sound of her name she stirred. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. She saw Legolas in front of her and gasped in disbelief.

"Legolas? I thought- I thought you were- We all thought you were dead! Aragorn said- He said you were dead."

Legolas forced a small smile and took her hand.

"I am not dead. Not yet at least."

Eowyn looked around the cell and her eyes fell on Boromir and Faramir.

"What are they doing here?" her eyes were wide in shock as all the people she had believed to be dead now sat before her.

"It is a long story, and one that we do not wish to share."

Eowyn seemed satisfied with his answer for now. She let go of Legolas' hand and attempted to sit up.

Legolas helped her to a more comfortable spot in the back of the cell.

"What happened Eowyn? After the battle, what happened to everyone?"

"We all fled into the mountains. It was terrible, everyone was so afraid. We didn't know what to do, and Aragorn, he grieved so much for you, and Pippin."

Upon hearing the hobbit's name Legolas looked away. Eowyn gazed at him hopefully.

"Is Pippin here?"

Legolas shook his head.

"He is dead."

Eowyn took in a sharp breath. She couldn't believe it.

Legolas looked at her again. "Aragorn, and the others, are they alive?"

"Yes. They are all alive. After the battle Aragorn led several men into the northern lands to rescue anyone they could from Sauron."
"And?"
"They managed to rescue some men, a few hobbits, and even some dwarves."

Legolas waited for her to continue but she said nothing.

"What about the elves? Surely they were able to save some of them."

Eowyn turned to Legolas with tears in her eyes.

"They were too late Legolas."
"What do you mean?"
"Sauron had been attacking the elves long before he recovered the ring. When Aragorn arrived, there was nothing. They're gone Legolas. Every one of them."

Legolas' mind spun. 

He felt dizzy.

He needed air. 

Something to hold onto. 

The shock of Eowyn's words had rocked him.

His people, his father, the only family he had left....

Gone?

"What about Elrond?" Legolas' voice cracked as his eyes started to fill with tears. "Galadriel? My father?"
"There is no one left Legolas. Sauron killed them all."

Legolas sat against the wall, staring at the floor in a daze. Sauron had taken everything from him. His father, his people, his friends.

He felt a light touch on his shoulder and turned to Eowyn who had tears running down her face.

"Legolas, I'm sorry." 

Empty words. "I'm sorry" would not bring back Legolas' people.

He was about to turn away again when something caught his eye. There was something hanging from Eowyn's neck that looked vaguely familiar.

"What is that?"

Confused by the question, Eowyn gently lifted the jewel up and showed it to Legolas.

He recognized it immediately. It was the jewel that Aragorn had worn, the one that Arwen had given to him, the evenstar.

"Where did you get that?"
"Aragorn gave it to me, after we-"

She paused.

"After you what?"

She looked up at him and said, "After we were married."

Legolas couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. Aragorn had married Eowyn? What about Arwen? He had loved her! And she had loved him back! Why did he marry Eowyn?

"After he found out that Arwen was dead, Aragorn grieved for months. Eomer led the people during that time. I- I wanted to help him. I talked with him, and tried to make him feel better. I don't know what happened, but one day, he admitted that he loved me. And I told him that I did too. We were wed a few days later, and he gave me this."

Legolas couldn't believe it. What was Aragorn thinking? How could he go from loving one woman to another? His mind couldn't comprehend it!

Elves only fell in love once in their lives. Even if the one they loved died, they never stopped loving that person, and they never turned their love over to anyone else.

Why? Why would Aragorn do such a thing?

As if his situation couldn't get any worse the cell door opened and two orcs entered. Eowyn tensed and shifted closer to Legolas as they approached.

Legolas pushed aside his feelings. It didn't matter what Aragorn did. He would protect Eowyn from now on.

But the orcs hadn't come for Eowyn, they had come for Legolas.
They grabbed him by the arms and dragged him to his feet. Without a word they led him out of the cell.

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Alright! Now you know what Aragorn's been up to. But what's gonna happen next?