𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 ✯ 𝑙𝑜𝑡𝑟 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ✓

The Stars Have Fallen - Part Eight

Thranduil pushed his sons out of the way when the ground beneath them started to show some cracks. Thranduil himself was too slow and when Legolas and Phoenix had recovered from the sudden knock against their backs, all they saw was their father falling into a huge cleft in the ground. He was not screaming though, he only hoped his sons would make it out alive.

Phoenix and Legolas both leaped back to grab their father's hand but he slipped right between their fingers.

"No!" they both screamed, their tears burning behind their eyes.

"Fly, you fools!" they heard their father's voice faintly in the abyss beneath them. For a moment, the princes were too shocked to do anything but then Legolas grabbed his younger brother by his elbow and dragged him along.

They ran and ran, but they were not fast enough.

The royal family all died that day.

~*~*~*~*~

Narsil reached with her hand towards Varonwe who stood at the other side of the ravine while Caladhiel held her onto her left arm. The gap was too large for the Dúnadan to leap over. But it was his only option and if he did, he would reach the boarder of Ummamrod's power. The ground Narsil and Caladhiel were standing on was not rumbling nor did it show any signs of falling apart.

Varonwe's face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. He still couldn't believe he had been too slow to save Victoria. It more felt like a bad dream than reality. He also wasn't sure how he had managed to reach the border of the forest without falling into the abyss. His mind was still playing Victoria's death over and over again, but his body must have acted on its own.

"Jump," Narsil said, she reached even farther and Caladhiel gripped her arm tightly. She didn't like the fact that the elleth was leaning so far over the edge. Caladhiel glanced over her shoulder, perhaps someone else should come and help too, but Arwen, Amarië, Aragorn and Elrohir were in shock. Elladan's and Ayleen's death had frozen them to the bone. If it hadn't been for Caladhiel and Narsil, they wouldn't have reached the boarder of the forest as well.

"I'll catch you," Narsil assured Varonwe. However, Varonwe continued to stare into the gap while everything around him fell away. His mind seemed to be miles away. Caladhiel suddenly realised Victoria was not there. But, the two had been inseparable. The realisation hit her hard. No, no, no. Not her too. For a moment, Caladhiel closed her eyes, but quickly pulled herself out of the emotions. Now was not the time to mourn. Though it was a question whether there would ever come a time to mourn or if they would all die by the hands of Ummamrod.

"Varonwe!" Narsil shouted in an attempt to get his attention. She could not bear it if they lost someone else while they were this close. His puffy eyes snapped towards her and without any other hesitation, he jumped towards Narsil's outstrechted hand. For a split second, he wondered what would happen if he would redraw his hand and let himself fall into the abyss. But he did not and his fingers enclosed Narsil's wrist. As he should have done with Victoria. Guilt filled his heart, he felt so guilty. Why couldn't he have been faster?

Narsil almost lost her balance due to the sudden weight but thanks to Caladhiel's iron grip and steady stance, she managed to haul Varonwe up. Her hand rested on his shoulder while she scanned the area; where the beautiful green forest should have been, there was now nothing else than a gaping black ravine from which they could not see the bottom. If there even was a bottom.

All of Greenwood was wiped away.

Some elves had managed to reach the boarder, but it weren't many. Most had fallen into the abyss.

"What must we do now?" Narsil wondered and she looked at Caladhiel, her captain but not even the red-haired elleth had an idea. Caladhiel sighed and focussed her eyes towards the sky, trying to fight back the tears. Her homeland was destroyed. Most of her friends she had known while growing up were probably dead. And the royal family was nowhere to be found. She felt like she had failed as a captain of the forest guard.