Elf Dream

Chapter 5. Edoras

Around midday, I noticed that the horses were beginning to act up. I tapped on Legolas’ shoulder.

“The horses are restless.” I said. He glanced around at the surrounding terrain, looking for what could have caused the disturbance.

“Wargs!” he shouted. “An attack!” He steered the horse forward with his knees and released an arrow, killing the beast instantly.

“All riders to the front!” Theoden yelled.

“Wargs!” the villagers yelled. “we’re being attacked!”

Legolas and I galloped to the front. I pulled my sword out of it’s sheath and readied myself.

‘What was a warg?’ I wondered. I supposed they were the beasts the goblins rode, but I wasn’t positive.

“Attack!” Theoden yelled, brandishing his sword above his head. The horses surged forward towards the wargs and orcs. Legolas’s bow sang as he shot arrow after arrow into the group of beasts coming towards us. As I got closer, I studied the wargs closely, looking for the best way to kill them. They were slightly smaller than a horse, with giant deadly fangs and claws. They had long fur coats and fierce eyes. When we were almost upon the wargs, our horse reared, throwing me off. Thankfully, with my elf like reflexes, I landed on my feet. Hacking and slashing, I made my way towards Aragorn, whose horse had fallen.

“Aragorn!” I yelled. “There are too many!” Our men were falling faster than the orcs were. With a yell, Aragorn leapt onto a warg, grappling with the orc riding it. With a sharp “Crack!” the orc’s neck broke and he toppled to the ground. Aragorn cut the beast’s throat with his hunting knife and leapt off.

“TO ME!” Theoden shouted. “FALL INTO RANKS! Blast it, TO ME!!!” All of our remaining soldiers streamed backwards, and, as Theoden ordered, fell into ranks. The orcs were unprepared as we once more, attacked. However much I disliked killing, while in battle, I felt so alive and vibrant.

‘Besides,’ I consoled myself. ‘These monsters attacked us, and chose to serve Sauron.’ But even so, I felt guilty. ‘It was what had to be done.’ I decided. Hacking, slashing, shooting, and cutting, Legolas and Gimli slowly fought their way towards a small band of our surviving warriors, including Aragorn. I leapt over a warg and rider, smashing the latter’s head in with the dull edge of my sword. I spun in the air, and with a quick swipe, felled the warg also.

“Enyala!” someone yelled. I turned around to see who had yelled my name.

“Duck!” Legolas shouted as he shot an arrow directly where my head had been a moment earlier. The arrow went straight through the first orcs head, through the neck of another, and continued halfway into the eye of a warg. As I plunged my sword into another beast, I noticed that most of the remaining riders were fleeing. With a final sweep of my sword, I killed the last one. Legolas came riding up and pulled me onto the back of our horse, Arod. I glanced around the grisly battlefield.

“Where is Aragorn?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” He said. “I can’t find him.” Suddenly, from our left came a screeching, throaty laughter.

“Your friend is gone, gone, gone…” he wheezed. “Down he went! Over the side.” I jumped off and lifted the dying orc off the ground.

“You lie!” I growled. With a final groaning laugh, he held up his clenched fist. I pried his hand open. “No.” I moaned. Legolas knelt next to me.

“What did he have?” I held up Aragorn’s necklace. “The orc said he went over the cliff.” I jumped up and ran to the edge. Gimli came and peered over the side.

“Where is he?” I mumbled.

"He is dead, then.” Theoden said in a sorrowful voice. My eyes filled with tears. I had known him for nigh on a week, but he was always so kind, and I had come to know him well.

‘No.’ I thought. ‘It can’t be. He can’t be gone!’ I knelt down at the edge, searching for any sign of him. Suddenly, I heard a groan. I jumped up, instantly alert. I leaned over the edge, a spark of hope lighting in my heart. Aragorn lay limp on a ledge about ten feet down.  I let out a sigh of relief and jumped nimbly down to him. I rolled him over so I could see his face.

“Aragorn?” I asked. He moaned again. I picked him up and scrambled up to the top.

“Is he all right?” Gimli asked, his voice full of concern. “Will he be all right?”

I handed Aragorn over to Legolas.

“I don’t know. I am no healer.” I said wearily. Legolas looked him over.

“He should be alright, after a few days.” Legolas decided. He gently laid him down on the ground, searching for any major injuries. He tore a strip off his tunic and wrapped it around Aragorn’s shoulder. “Other than that, he is only bruised, not broken.” Gimli and I let out twin sighs of relief. Aragorn groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

“Arwen…” he muttered.

“What?” I asked, confused.  He blinked once, then began to struggle.

“Ahh!” Legolas cried as Aragorn kicked him. He placed him on the ground and began to whisper soothingly to him in another language. Aragorn gradually stopped writhing around and lay still.

"I believe you lost this." I said, handing Aragorn his necklace back. He slipped it back around his neck and thanked me. I could tell it was very precious to him.

“We should prepare to leave.” I said, turning toward Theoden. “Legolas says Aragorn should be up and about in a few minutes.” He nodded and tapped one of his soldiers, relaying the message.  After a few minutes of rest, we helped him up onto his horse and continued on our way: To Helm’s Deep.