Through Fire and Water (A Legolas Love Story)

Meeting Someone New

Since there’s nothing better for me to do, and since I have some money, I’ve gone shopping. The people of Minas Tirith are holding a market and my companions were being rather dull so I left them to their own little tasks and went off to see what I could find. I am pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of stalls I find, selling all sorts of things from food to clothes and trinkets. Rounding a corner, my eye is caught by a stall selling what looks like cake. I have a massive sweet tooth (doesn’t everyone?) and so I waste no time in hurrying to the stall. Unfortunately I encounter the biggest problem a shopper can encounter, too much choice. The woman running the stall just smiles at me as I ‘ummm’ and ‘errr’ over her cakes until I eventually close my eyes and point at one. “That one” I say, opening my eyes to see my finger pointing at the delicious looking chocolate cake I was secretly hoping I would select. “Yay!” I say, childishly, and the woman smiles as she cuts me a very large slice, winking at me as I hand my money over. “Thank you” I say, taking an indulgent bite and going “Mmmmmmm” as the cake fills my mouth.

Suddenly people everywhere start yelling something about rangers returning. Everyone starts to rush towards the city walls and I follow, quickening my pace when people start yelling “The White Rider!”

When I reach the nearest city wall I elbow my way through the crowd and peer out over Pelennor fields to see a group of men, scattered across the plain, riding for the city as Nazgul swoop over them, sending men and horses flying.

“Oh god” I hear a woman next to me say and I can’t help but echo her sentiment. They’re being completely destroyed out there. But once I’ve got over the original shock I see a white horse with a man in a white cloak and with a white beard riding towards them. I can also just make out a small figure on the horse in front of the rider and I recognise the two of them as Gandalf and Pippin instantly, they’re not exactly hard to miss.

Gandalf raises his staff and a beam of white light spreads from it, fighting off the Nazgul and giving the men a chance to get to the gate and stream into the city, safe now.

Growing up, I thought war would be many things: Exciting, scary, dramatic, maybe even painful. But I never thought that it would be boring. Once the fighting starts I’m sure it will all get more interesting, but as it is, Minas Tirith on the edge of war is extremely dull. Perhaps most people are relying on their fear to occupy them but for those of us who need a little more to keep our minds busy, sitting around and waiting for the fighting to start is both tense and dull.

The excitement of the lighting of the beacon and the arrival of the men earlier today has long since worn off and boredom has set in. The constant rumbling and explosive sounds coming from Mordor make most tasks impossible because all you can focus on is the noise, so I have resorted to standing out on a balcony, leaning on the railings and watching the shadow grow ever closer, partly dreading the arrival of the battle and partly wishing it would come sooner so that I have something to do. It can’t be very late in the day but it is already quite dark, the sky bathed in a reddish glow from Mordor and the sun blocked out by the black clouds Sauron has sent ahead of his army. A gentle breeze blows into my face but it brings only warm air, providing no relief.