A knock sounds on my door the next morning as I prepare myself for the road ahead. Éowyn is up in the main hall getting herself and her people ready as well.
"Come in," I say while trying to get my armor fastened, my arm still bruised and tight from my encounter with the Wild Men.
Legolas comes in, wearing his Elven gear with his bow in hand and his quiver on his back along with two Elven blades peeking above his shoulders. I look in awe at how magnificent he looks, still not believing that he is mine. He smirks at my stare and comes forward.
"Need help?"
I give him a nod and he moves to clasp my armor together. I look up to his concentrated eyes.
"You look very handsome," I say.
He meets my eyes as he finishes fastening the last piece of my armor while he plays with my necklace charm.
"And you look very alluring yourself," he says.
I feel myself blushing and he cups my face.
"Why do you still blush?" he teases.
"I am not used to being complemented or called beautiful is all."
He just shakes his head with a smile, placing a kiss on my forehead.
"You should be called beautiful every day and showered with kisses, which I plan to do."
I laugh and playfully push him back. I fasten my quiver onto my back with two long knives as well, put two daggers into each of my boots, and of course fasten Lightsbane to my side.
"Ready?" I ask him.
He nods and takes my hand as we head outside where everyone is saddling up, the column of Rohirrim people forming a long line that marches out of Edoras.
"Ride with me?" Legolas asks.
I look to Gimli.
"Don't you normally ride with Gimli?" I ask.
As if the Dwarf knows we are talking about him, he comes up to us with a proud look.
"I want to ride by myself today," he says and moves back to his horse.
"Well all right then," I say to Legolas. "I will."
Aragorn awaits with his horse and Ashkin, handing the reins off to Legolas. King Théoden is at the head of the group of his men, giving orders to set off. Legolas jumps into the saddle and I climb up behind him. I press myself against him as I settle behind, wrapping my arms around his waist after attaching my bow next to his on the saddle. This being my first time on a horse with Legolas, I find myself feeling a bit giddy. We move out and join the king's men, going to the front of the line of refugees. Time goes on as we cross the Riddermark, Legolas and I talking softly together. Gimli sits well atop his mare and is talking animatedly with Éowyn who leads her horse next to him. Aragorn reins up next to us and just smiles as we listen to Gimli.
"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," he says.
Éowyn smiles and turns to look at Aragorn.
"It's the beards," he says quietly and makes an invisible beard with his hand.
Éowyn shh's him with a smile and turns back to Gimli. I feel Legolas rumbling with laughter he is trying to keep held in and I turn to punch Aragorn's shoulder since he is so close, holding in laughter myself.
"This in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women...," Gimli goes on then spreads his arm to show what I think is an explosion. "And that the Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground."
He and Éowyn just laugh together, Gimli's deep rumble spooking his horse as it takes off. The Dwarf goes flying off and falls harshly onto the ground, groaning.
"Ohhhh!" I draw out as Legolas and I burst out laughing.
"It's all right," Gimli says as he tries to gain his confidence back. "Nobody panic."
Éowyn helps him up, the two walking together now. The king falls back to Aragorn's side and they begin talking, Théoden admiring his niece who can't stop smiling. Legolas and I move forward next to Gimli.
"Are you still sure you want to ride a horse on your own?" Legolas teases the Dwarf.
"Ha-ha, at least I had the balls to do it!" Gimli says proudly.
The Dwarf and the Elf continue to go at it and my sides hurt from laughing so much. In my laughter a sudden sense of evil comes to my thoughts and my muscles tense from habit.
"Faylen?" Legolas asks over his shoulder.
"Darkness is near," I say.
As if answering me, two of the Captains, Háma and Gamling, ride past us and other travelers to scout the area ahead. Legolas and I intently watch them, seeing Háma's horse start to grow wild and tugging at the reins.
"Wargs!" someone shouts ahead.
Legolas immediately jumps down with his bow in hand. I ride up to Éowyn and jump off Ashkin.
"Take him," I quickly say and hand her the reins.
I run after Legolas, feeling Aragorn riding behind me as we join the guards rushing to the scene. I get there just in time to see Legolas, sword in hand, standing over a Warg and an Orc. He stabs his knife into the Orc's chest and turns to face us.
"A scout!" he yells.
I immediately load my bow and look around, feeling the shadow growing. Aragorn rushes back to the refugees and no doubt the king. Screaming sounds from the line of Rohirrim and I hear Théoden's voice above everyone else.
"All riders to the head of the column!"
Legolas rushes over to the tallest hill and begins repeatedly firing at something coming at him. He jumps down with Wargs on his heels. I pull back my bowstring and begin firing at oncoming targets, aiming to take down the Orc riders first since they control the beasts. Swords begin to sound around me with screeching. Gimli rides past me and I see Ashkin behind him as if he escaped from Éowyn and ran towards the fight. I move to fire at an approaching Warg but he is charging too fast so I pull out my sword and move to the side just as it reaches me, parrying a blow to the Orc riding it. He falls down and I plunge Lightsbane into his chest. I whip around, my braid flying with me, as I bring my sword down on the neck of a passing Warg. I pull my sword back out with all my strength. Ashkin races towards me with Legolas guiding him. He holds out a hand as he comes running past. I grab it and swing myself into the saddle as we join the line of charging Rohirrim riders. Spears are thrown at the Orcs while Wargs slam into horses, knocking them and their riders down. Legolas fires arrow after arrow while I cut through Orcs and Wargs we pass with my sword steadily in hand.
Up ahead I can see someone struggling under a dead Warg with another approaching. I can hear Gimli shouting at it from beneath. Legolas shoots at the Warg with an arrow and rides past Gimli who crawls out from under the corpse.
"That one counts as mine!" Gimli shouts.
"Keeping track, huh?" I ask Legolas as I bring my sword out to behead an Orc.
A rider up ahead shoots an arrow from the ground at an approaching Orc but gets ran down by the Warg. Then I see another figure get thrown off his horse after killing an Orc.
"Aragorn!" I shout and jump from the saddle.
He just barely misses the Warg coming at him and I let out a sigh of relief. I take on an Orc with no Warg, cutting into his heart. Adrenaline runs through my veins like the feeling of fire as I lash out at both Warg and Orc. Gimli nearby brings his axe down onto one of the beasts. The battle is beginning to clear as the remaining Wargs retreat, the Rohirrim who still have horses under them charging after. I turn to see Legolas dismount Ashkin and moves to Gimli, both safe. I turn around and scan for another face, my heart dropping the longer it takes to find him.
"Aragorn!" I shout.
Legolas looks to me in horror before joining in the shouting. I rush around the battlefield, even forcing myself to look at the slain riders.
"Aragorn!"
I have now reached the stony cliff where one Orc is still alive, his guts spilling out as he is sprawled onto the ground. He begins laughing and I press a foot down onto its chest, pushing into its airway. Legolas and Gimli rush over. Legolas bends down just past the Orc, knowing that he is looking for tracks.
"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," Gimli growls at the dying Orc.
"He's dead," the Orc gets out. "He took a little tumble off the cliff."
I pull the Orc up by its neck and stare at it with all the anger I can muster, knowing this cannot be the truth.
"You lie!" Legolas shouts.
The Orc laughs before he chokes and passes into death. I throw him down in disgust, moving to survey the area. I see a path where a Warg trampled towards the cliff, dragging something along with it. I can see where the Orc fell off but the Warg continues until the trail goes beyond the cliff's edge. Legolas stands with something clutched in his hand, the bright crystals sending me over the edge; Arwen's Evenstar. Legolas looks up in horror and I drop to my knees, looking down beyond the cliff. Tears fill my eyes and blur my vision, not believing this. I feel a hand on my back, looking over to Gimli next to me and Legolas beyond, shock and disbelief on their faces as well. I see grief cross Legolas's features for the first time, knowing that he is not used to seeing death.
"Leave the dead," I hear the king yell to his men, before riding up behind us.
I give him an incredulous look from his words, tears running down my face and I know he can see what happened. He looks to Legolas next.
"Come," Théoden says before riding off.
I don't care about catching up with the retreating guard, crouching down as I cry in pain. I don't know how long we stay like that before Gimli's hand leaves my back and I turn to see him moving to leave.
"We must go," he says.
His words don't register and I can't move, my grief paralyzing me. Aragorn is my brother, the man who helped raise me, who taught me about wonders of the world, who trained with me, who had my back when I had his. I let out another sob and feel familiar hands lift me up, cradling me to his chest. I cry into Legolas's shoulder as we move away from the cliff and to the two horses waiting for us. Legolas swings up into the saddle, still carrying me, and settles me in front of him. His arms surround me as he grabs the reins and the three of us move to catch up to the guard in silence. I eventually stop crying and just stare forward, Legolas occasionally kissing behind my ear.
Soon the Hornburg comes into view, the line of refugees ahead as they go through the entrance. The plains in front of the fortress next to the mountainsides are flat so we ride across at a quick pace. We move into the gate and slow to a trot behind King Théoden. People of Rohan surround us, showing some have already been here for days, and the new group of them we traveled with move into the halls of the fortress with their supplies. Legolas jumps off Ashkin and I get myself together enough to get off too. Ashkin nuzzles his snout in my hair from behind before being taken off to the stables by a young boy. Legolas's hand rests on my back as we move forward into the fortress.
"Make way for the king!" Gamling shouts to the surrounding crowd. "Make way for Théoden!"
Éowyn is up ahead, her face turning somber and grim as she speaks to Gimli. Then she looks to her uncle who just gives her a look before turning forward to move with his men. She catches my eye and runs over to me, now knowing the truth of what happened. I feel her pull me into a hug but I can't find it in me to hug back. I pull away without a word and Legolas's arm surrounds me again as we walk after Gimli.