With A Broken Wing

III: For Rivendell!

I faltered as the story set into my mind. "I am sorry, my father does not let me outside of my room, usually,"

There was no sympathy in the eyes of the brown-haired elf. His olive skinned face was turning quite red as he stared me down. "His name was Aredhel. And my name? My name is Gwindor. You probably do not even know that. Shows what kind of leader you are," said Gwindor. His voice had risen to a loud speaking voice, and many elves around us had begun listening in. If I didn't silence Gwindor soon, I was going to have to have a mutiny on my hands...

"I am sorry, Gwindor, and although I admit I do not know the names of my subjects, I promise I will try to know them all," said I.

"What about the names of those who perish in this battle you have marched us to? Will you know those?" Gwindor shouted.

"Gwindor -"

"No, I will not let you speak. You have no right to speak. All of us are going to die and it will be your fault! Our people will fall after our deaths as they do not have enough soldiers to kill the threat that threatens our homeland! All of this will be your fault, Princess Lura," said Gwindor. "The death of the world will lie on your shoulders."

"Are you really that vain to think of the elves as the only beings holding the tattered pieces of this world together?" I asked him, taking a step back as he stepped towards me in anger.

"Yes, Princess Lura, I do. I know we are. We are the light in a world of darkness. Without us, the world will fall. If you kill us all, which you will, then the world will fall. This battle is folly! Can you all not see it? The death of us all will be the dawn! Our blood will run on the floors of the Rivendell palace as a red sun rises! Can you not see the soldiers around you, fighting to stay alive? Can you not feel the pain as you realize you've been ran through? Can you not realize we're following an elf whom we don't even know to our deaths?" Gwindor shot glances at everyone as they gripped their bows tighter. They looked from each other to Lura and then to Gwindor, faces turning to shock and anger.

I raised my hands in the air. "You guys chose to follow me," she said.

"Yes," said another elf, who I believe was named Aelrindel. "We did that because we were blind for your beauty. But now we realize that you knowingly lead us to our deaths! AAAAAH!"

The rest of the elves around me took up the cry.  I stepped back as they advanced towards me, but soon found myself with my back against a tree, surrounded on all angles. It was a disaster. Were they l going to kill me or hurt me and leave me to die?

"Give her what she deserves!" Gwindor said, angry, twisted smile glinting at me.

The elves raised an arrow to their bows, and pulled back expertly. A firing squad of around fifty arrows surrounded me. The other elves were wondering what was going on, but didn't proceed.

In seconds, I was going to be killed.

In seconds, I'd be blasted on all angles by fifty arrows, all trained at my heart.

"Wait!" A familiar voice matched a familiar red haired elf who pushed through the circle. "What is going on here?" It was Amara!

"Justice," said Gwindor, smiling.

Amara whipped around to stare down Gwindor before stomping towards him, face red and hands clenched.