A Shattered Life (LOTR/Legolas Fanfic)

Chapter 28- The End of All Things

"He did it! It's over. It's finally over." In that joyful moment, Mount Doom erupts. Amara stumbles back, Legolas keeping her steady as they both look at the Mountain in shook. Merry cheers halt. Gandalf begins to cry. The Ringwraiths fizzle and disappear.

"Frodo." Amara hears Pippin cry.

Amara steps away from Legolas and looks back at Aragorn, who nods.

"What are you-?" Legolas' question is cut off by Amara's whistle. And Eagle swooped down and picked her up, flying straight for Mount Doom.

"No!" She heard Legolas shout, but she didn't look back.

Legolas took two steps forward before Aragorn stopped him.

"Let her go, she must do this." Aragorn said.

"You knew? You knew of her plan?" Legolas said accusingly.

"Yes. And I'm glad for her courage and determination, because otherwise, we may have been searching for Sam and Frodo's bodies. They may yet be alive if Amara finds them in time." Legolas calmed slightly, but his eyes were still fixed on the eagle carrying Amara.

Amara's eyes searched the erupting mountain, watching for movement among the rocks. There was another explosion, the eagle dodging the falling rocks and fire that had been thrown into the sky.

Amara was suddenly flung from the eagle's grip and she fell fast towards the ground. The eagle let out a cry and swooped down towards her, but another explosion sounded and a rain of rocks pelted the eagle. Both fell at an alarming rate towards the molten lava below. The eagle grabbed hold off Amara in its claws, wrapping its wings around the elf dwarf. Together they crashed into the mountain. Amara rolled out of the eagles grasp and hit the rocky ground.

Amara groaned and opened her eyes. The eagle's wings were bent awkwardly and it squawked out in pain. Amara scrambled to her feet, wincing  and ran over to the creature. Her hand gently caressed the eagles beak as it shuddered out its last breath.

"Esta sii' Mellonamin.  Lle nosse alia  Ar' Diola lle." {Rest now, my friend. Your family awaits. And thank you.} She said sorrowfully. The eagle shut its eyes and fell limp. Amara swallowed the lump in her throat and searched her surroundings. The mountain was covered in lava, with various large rocks jutting out above it all, much like the one Amara now stood on. 

"Frodo! Sam!" She shouted, coughing on the black smoke that swirled up from the burning fires. Her eyes squinted, searching for movement on the desolate mountain. Spotting a nearby rock, Amara squatted and leaped over to it, jumping from one rock to the other, shouting out for her hobbits.

"Here! Over here!" She heard a distant voice called. Amara halted and turned in a circle, spotting a small hand waving just in front of her. The elf dwarf took a breath and jumped from rock to rock three more times before she landed just a few feet from two faces she never thought she'd see again.

Amara ran forward and tackled Samwise into a tight hug.

"Sam!" She exclaimed, releasing him. "And Frodo, I have missed you!" She hugged the ringbearer next. Frodo held a smile on his face, but his eyes were tired and his lips were cracked and dry. Him and Sam were littered in cuts and scrapes and their clothes hung on their thin frames loosely.

Amara searched the skies, hoping to see the eagles above her, but the smoke was so thick and black, that not even her elven eyes could pierce through them. She stood up, casting a worried glance at the two withering hobbits.

There was no way down. The lava levels had risen, the path of rocks that Amara had taken were nearly covered.

"Mr. Frodo?" Amara whipped around at Sam's voice, seeing him kneeling over Frodo, who had collapsed. His eyes were glazed over and he blinked slowly, unaware of his surroundings. Amara knelt down at his side and gathered him into her arms.

"Frodo, stay with me. Stay awake." She whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. His brow was burning but yet his face was clammy and he shivered. Looking up, she noticed Sam's eyes flutter slightly and he shook his head slightly as if trying to stay awake. She held a hand out.

"Come here Sam. Lie down." She said. The hobbit nodded and curled up almost immediately in the crook of Amara's arm. His and Frodo's breathing slowed. Amara closed her eyes to fight back the tears as a sob grew in her throat.

"Legolas.. my eagle went down. I've found Frodo and Sam, but there is no escape. Send us help, there is not much time." She into the wind, hoping the elvish prince heard her voice in the distance. There was silence, deafening silence as Amara's eyes and lungs stung and burned from the smoke. She held her hobbits tightly, listening intently to their faint heartbeats. Then an answer came.

"I'm here, my love." Amara looked up to see three great eagles soaring above her. One by one they swooped down, the first one grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her into the sky. It dropped her almost immediately, but she didn't fall far before landing amongst feathers of the second eagle.

Legolas wrapped his arms around her tightly as the eagle flew up into the sky, in the direction of Minas Tirith.

Amara turned to see Gandalf riding on the second eagle, Frodo clutched tightly in the eagles claws. And the third held Sam, Aragorn riding on the back. Amara then looked up at Legolas, who stared ahead.

"I'm sorry." She whispered quietly. Legolas looked down at her and smiled.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I should have known you would go search for them." Amara reached a hand up and brought Legolas' head down, placing her lips on his.

There they sat together in each other's  embrace, at what seemed like the end of all things.