"Wake up, love," Legolas cooed as he kissed my forehead while I yawned and stretched my arms, "It's time."
Filled with excitement, anticipation and anxiety all on one, I stood up, helping Legolas to his feet.
I had been looking forward to this moment for centuries, the day I would avenge my homeland. But now the day had come, I was lost.
I was overwhelmed with a fierce desire to be back at Mirkwood with Legolas. I had lived there for centuries now and founded a family there, surely Mirkwood should be a home.
Of course, I loved Mirkwood. Most of my happy memories included the woodland realm. I married Legolas there, became a Princess and not to mention the many nights I shared with Legolas. Then there was our wonderful children, they had been born and raised in Mirkwood.
Perhaps I shouldn't have even tried to come back to Moria. After all, I could happily live in Mirkwood forever and forget Moria. The Mines of Moria had been unoccupied for centuries, it's not like anyone was forcing me to take it back. No one would have blamed me if I declared Moria a lost cause and simply let the place rot.
But then again, as much as I loved Mirkwood, Moria would always be my childhood home. All my fond memories of me and my father came from Moria.
I would rather go down knowing I at least tried to liberate my homeland than go down being the woman who gave up on her homeland.
"You ok?" Legolas asked quietly as he took my hand, leading me through our ranks of soldiers who were all readying themselves for the battle.
"I'm fine," I sighed, taking out my axe, "Just anxious..."
"It's going to be fine," Legolas said reasuring me as we made our way towards the largest crack in the ground, "And hours from now when you take out the last of the goblins, your childhood home will be free again."
"Thank you," I sighed as I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"For what?" He questioned.
"For sticking by me all these years and now helping me liberate my home, even though you yourself have no reason to do so."
When finally we found ourselves at the nearest split in the ground. The gap was huge, the split reaching maybe a few miles into the rock. Along the edge, our soldiers were standing next to huge barrels of oil, all poised and waiting to be poured.
Beneath the barrels, smoldering coals which had been burning for a few hours now, were glowing under them, heating up the oil. It was on the verge of boiling, with a few pockets of gas bubbling to the surface.
The soldiers awaited my order, ready to tip the barrels of boiling oil into the crevasse.
All eyes were on me as I made my way over to the nearest barrel, Legolas following close behind. Together, we braced the barrel and Legolas waited for my approval before we began to push.
Before we knew it, the searing hot liquid fell through the air, sloshing against the cold stone, hissing all the way down. All the soldiers pushed their barrels, following our example and I watched with a malicious smile as a tsunami of boiling oil drained down the walls, running deeper and deeper, leaving rivers streaming down.
At last we heard the screams of the enemy. We could hear the searing of flesh and the hissing of the Goblins and the Orcs as the oil fell down on them.
Listening to it was like music to my ears but the fun wasn't over yet.
Kicking the pike of smouldering hot coals which the barrels of oil had been boiling on, I watched heartily as the coals dropped into the abyss.
The second one of the burning coals hit the side of the stone crevasse, the streams of oils which streamed down it caught alight.
In an instant, it was as if the whole crevasse was ablaze, the roaring fire now licking over the edges, nearly catching my feet. Whilst all the other soldiers stepped back, I didn't even flinch. I was determined to look over the edge into the fire, the breeze from the flames billowing in my white hair.
Staring deep into the fire, my eyes brimming with tears at the sheer ferociousness of the flames and the vast intensity of light it exuded, I saw shapes begining to emerge and distinguish themselves.
"Stragglers!" I yelled, pulling out my bow and immediately firing into the fray, taking out as many as I could before they could climb to the surface.
As half of my archers lined up by the edge to fire down into the fire pit, I ordered the other half to stay back.
By this time, I could hear the scuttling of the Goblins which were climbing down from the cracks in the ceiling. I could hear Legolas barking orders at the archers and preparing the rest of the soldiers to brace the shield wall which was stationed around the bulk of our force.
I took out as many of the flaming enemy as I could but me and my archers were forced to retreat once the Orcs, still aflame, breached the surface and ran full throttle at us.
Stowing away my bow, I pulled out my axe.
The Orcs were running at us now. Their nashing teeth and hideous faces illuminated by the flames burning their flesh as they raged towards us. Snarling in response, I leapt forward and swung my axe down upon the nearest flaming Orc, splitting it's skull wide open, my arms only just avoiding the flames.
Looking up briefly, I could see the ugly critters still streaming out from the cracks in the ceiling of the hall.
This was exactly why I wanted Gemstone, Amethyst and Jewel away from the Grand Hall, the bulk of the Orcs and Goblins would be attacking us here.
"Trolls!" I heard some of the men cry, near to my group of fighters holding out the front lines.
"Captain, you have charge!" I yelled at the leader of the group I had previously been commanding.
Another soldier taking my place, I spun around and followed the screams towards another group of soldiers on the other side of the forces. Pushing my way through the pact lines of soldiers, I rushed towards the shield wall they were forming.
"Steady men! Hold your ground!" I yelled, my eyes widening as I saw a whole rampage of cave trolls stumbling towards us in a blind rage.
"Don't think you're having all the fun!"
I turned to see Legolas clambering towards me, his quiver depleted and his bow strung over her shoulder. He drew his short swords and stood next to me, poised and ready for attack.
"Any plan?" He asked quietly, not wanting the soldiers around us to think we were unprepared.
"I'm working on it!" I hissed back, my eyes darting around the hall.
Finally, my eyes landed on a possible solution though I knew Legolas wasn't going to like it.
One of the huge pillars of marble was already broken but was balanced at an angle against the pillar beside it. Obviously it wouldn't be moved by any number of men no matter how hard they tried but if they could somehow get the pillar to drop at the right time, they could take out all the cave trolls in one whilst hopefully not bringing the whole hall down on us.
"You said we had just one catapult, correct?" I rounded on Legolas who nodded quickly.
"Good, have the catapult aim at that pillar," I pointed to the the marble structure as Legolas looked at me confused, "Order the men to fill the catapult with some stone chunks that have fallen from the walls. Hopefully, it will have enough power to dislodge the pillar. But you must wait for my signal."
"You can't be serious!" Legolas retorted as he had just pieced together my mad plan, "Are you insane?"
"Yes, I am," I scoffed, "But just do as I say!"
"Know you, if you bring the whole cave in on us and kill us all, I hope you know that I will be blaming you!" He pointed a finger at me as he turned to find the catapult.
"And I hope you know that if we survive, I will remember you said that!" I replied.
Thankfully, the Trolls were quite slow, after all, the hall was huge and the soldiers that had warned us of their incoming presence, saw them early enough to formulate our plan. Legolas was running out of time though as the Trolls were soon approaching the marble pillar in question.
"On your command, Princess!" One of the Captains yelled from the catapult.
I could tell the soldiers around me were uneasy as the Trolls approached. Many were confused as to why I had not ordered the catapult to fire yet but I knew I had to time it right so I held fire.
"Fire now!" I yelled as I saw the Trolls just mere steps away from the slanted pillar.
I heard the unmistakable whoosh of the catapult as I saw the huge marble boulder fly through the air, hitting the pillar dead center. The ground gave a mighty shakes. At first, there was a few seconds wherein nothing happened nor moved.
Thinking we had failed, I drew my broadsword and axe, growling as I knew we would have to deal with them the old fashioned way.
Then, to my relief, I saw the pillar begin to buckle, dusk falling from it as it began to fall.
Many soldiers were knocked to their feet as the pillar hit the floor, squishing all the Trolls beneath it. Though I was glad to see the foul creatures gone, the ground still shook slightly and I hoped to any deity that the hall didn't just collapse down onto us.
Relief surged through me as the ground finally settled.
Turning back to the bulk of our forces, I headed towards the shield wall on the other side of the army. Their so-called shield wall was splitting at the seams as the Goblins tore through the ranks.
Both me and Legolas entered the fray, his short swords tearing through them while my axe cleaved them.
***
When at last the enemy stood defeated and the Hall hung quiet without the oppressive march of Orcs or Goblins, I held my axe up proud, all the soldiers, Dwarves, Men and Elves alike following suit.
"My brothers and sisters at arms!" I yelled, my voice filling the vast hall, "You have freed my homeland from the grip of evil and for that I am forever grateful! This victory does not belong to one race of people, but to all of us, as one! Let us rebuild this once great city together, free from any prejudice we may have once held for each other!"
As the soldiers began to spread their cheers of victory, I basked in the glory of freeing my homeland.
Even though my joy of liberating my home was exhilarating, my mind still wouldn't be at ease untill I knew my children were safe.
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