Nothing is Forever ~ Legolas/LOTR

Battle at the Black Gate

Agardess woke up to the sound of metal clanking. It was soft and if she were not an elf it wouldn't have woken her, but she was and she was now awake. Agardess let her eyes flutter open to see Legolas slipping his knives into his quiver. He turned around and saw her awake.

"Did I wake you?" He asked, doing a final button. She shook her head and stretched, lifting the blankets off of her and stepping out of the bed. "Aragorn is looking for us, he is in the Great Hall." She nodded and he slipped out of the building. Agardess dressed, realizing she had lost her broadsword. It didn't matter, if Eowyn still had it she could keep it, if it were lost in the battlefield then it would rust and become one with the land. Either way Agardess didn't care, she barely used it anyway. She made her way to the Great Hall, walking slowly. 

Her dream had affected her in more ways than she wished to admit, watching the events unfold over and over again. When her sister first died the dreams had haunted her every breathing moment. As she grew older she forgot, pushing everything into the back of her mind. She couldn't recall her sister's name. She couldn't recall anything of her mother or father. The only thing she could recall was her sister's face and Agardess wasn't sure how she felt about this. 

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight," Gandalf explained once she entered the Great Hall. Agardess remained expressionless and moved to stand by Legolas, clutching his hand in her own. "The darkness is deepening."  

"If Sauron had the Ring we would know it," Aragorn said. 

"It is only a matter of time. He had suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping." Gandalf began pacing, Agardess followed him with her eyes, making no other moves to speak or move.

"Let him stay there," Gimli said, he was smoking his pipe. "Let him rot, why should we care?" 

"Because ten-thousand Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom. I've sent him to his death." Gandalf replied his voice holding the despair that reflected in his eyes. 

"Is there no way we could reach him?" Agardess asked. 

"No, we cannot just rush into Mordor, we would be slaughtered." Gandalf sighed, raising his pipe to his mouth and puffing unhappily into it. 

"No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and a safe passage across the Plains of Gorgoroth." Aragorn turned to Gandalf. "We can give him that." 

"How?" Gimli and Agardess both demanded. They exchanged a glance, before facing Aragorn. 

"Draw out Sauron's armies," Aragorn announced. "Empty his lands. Then we gather out full strength and march on the Black Gate." 

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms," Eomer scoffed. 

"Not for ourselves, but we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves," Aragorn insisted. Agardess felt her face light up in a smile as she understood. 

"A diversion," Legolas said and you could practically hear Gimli vocal light-bulb.

"Certainty of death, small chance of success," Gimli asked and mocked looking thoughtful. "what are we waiting for?"    

"Sauron will suspect a trap." Gandalf said shaking his head. "He will not take the bait."

"Oh I think he will," Aragorn responded his eyes lighting up with mischief. 

~*~

Together they rode forward, approaching the black gate. Agardess, although she rode on her own horse, reached and grabbed Legolas' hand, he squeezed it once before releasing her.