The Second Fellowship: The Stone of Might

Chapter 15: Hope

A/N: WARNING SUPER CHEESY CLICHE ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAY CONTAIN HEROIC SPEECHES AND LOVE CONFESSIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 15: Hope

Oreth POV

A great fire drake lay slain before us.

My friend stood atop it, gory blade in hand, blood running down her face. Her eyes were covered by singed blonde hair, and her cloak was dirty with mud and ash. Tirnel looked more dangerous, and more anxious, than I had ever seen her before. The fight with Naegung, and whatever spell he'd placed on her had seemingly added years to her appearance. She was naturally slim, as are most of the elvish, but her face now appeared gaunt and starved. Skin, a bloodless pale seemed wan and thin. Weakness and fatigue seemed to course through every inch of her being.

Tirnel wiped a smudge from her wire framed spectacles and stepped down, clutching her knife handle so hard her knuckles appeared white. She tried to smile at me, but I could see the effort it took.

When no one spoke, I stepped forwards and pulled her into an embrace, ignoring the stench that haunted her clothing. When I pulled away, I placed a hand on her shoulder, studying the contours of her face. She stepped back and ran a hand through her hair.

"That was... I don't know. We should carry on, who kno-"

"You slew a dragon," whispered Ofi in awe, laying down his axe, and slowly bending a knee. "You slew a dragon, a fire worm of huge size and power. Naegung pain-bringer, bane of my people. Slaughterer of children, defiler of homesteads. Thank you, Tirnel, on behalf of my people, and, I believe, on behalf of all Middle Earth."

Tirnel watched bemused as Ofi bowed his head to her. He had sounded so eloquent that I found it hard to believe he was truly the mead loving dwarf we all knew him to be.

"He's right, you know," I said. "You've done the world a great deed today."

"And you as well," replied Tirnel, gazing around at all of us. "And you as well, all of you. How could I have reached my weapons without you? How could I have seen what he did not? How could I have had the power to carry on, without my friends? Without you? No, Ofi, Oreth. Middle Earth owes me no debt. Middle Earth owes the debt to you, Oreth, Ofi, Caranel, Boron, Thannor, Bria, Alric, Alden and Faineth. How could I have slain pain without love? Without friendship, and kindness, and hope. Naegung pain-bringer was wrong about many things, but mostly he was wrong about me. I do not style myself a leader. I do not aspire to be a leader. I style myself, I aspire to be a friend. So do not bow your knee to me, Ofi. Do not try and lay your weapons in my service, or bestow titles upon me. I shall not accept them. All are equal in these dark times, in these broken moments, the stolen days before the end comes. The debt is owed to no one, and by no one. When there is hope, all are united, with none above, and none below."

In that moment, I swore the darkness departed and light seemed to dawn over the far off Misty Mountains. The trees, the hills, the fens and glades, the moment. All seemed to shine in the sun that radiated from the sky. In that moment, I felt hope in the air, hope in the world. And I knew we could do it. We would fight, and we would win, and we would live.

I was crying, I realised, tears running down my face in thick, watery streams. But in a way, they were tears of happiness.

"Guren glassui, mellon nin. Mae bennen." I said[My heart is glad, my friend. Well said.]

"Ni lassui, Oreth." [Thank you, Oreth.]

As soon as Tirnel said this, she stumbled. I only just caught her, and she was shaking. "Boe i poston...." [I need to rest....]

Concerned, I replied, still in our native tongue. "Posto hí." [Rest here.]

Tirnel sat down, and Bria immediately plonks herself beside her, speaking about some jewel she possessed back in her mountainous home. I got up and walk a little, stopping nearer the river. I had not noticed how near we were to the Argonath. The huge, kingly statues tower above us, and even I feel nauseous looking up at them.

"So near..." I whispered to no one in particular. "So near to where they fell. And so near where we nearly fell."

It would have been an awful thing if both fellowships sent out to save the world fell within a mile of each other. Except death by imprisonment and slow torture is probably worse than a quick and painful dragon blast, I thought. The poor souls. I'd known Aragorn, Estel, when he dwelt in Imladris, and had met Legolas Thranduillon a little, though Tirnel had spent more time with him. And the halflings... I was so thankful we had none of them to care for. How were Frodo, Sam, Merry and... and the other one, surviving? Maybe they haven't. Maybe they're already dead...

A hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present, and I spun round, nerves already up at the thought of torture and death by dragon fire. But it was only Alden. I heaved a sigh of relief, and leaned back against his shoulder. We were approximately the same height, though he was muscular. As he rubbed my neck, I played with his hair. It was a dark brown, and despite the fact it hadn't been washed for ages, to me it still felt soft.

"Your friend is very poetic, Oreth," he smiled

I nodded. "Living in Imladris, you tend to hear a lot of poetry."

"When we were younger, Alric and I used to pretend what it would be like, living with elves. We always wanted to meet you, ask you questions. Now we have, now I've..."

He stopped kneading my tense muscles and leant forwards, kissing the tip of my pointed ear. "Now I've fallen in love with one."

We sat under the shadow of the statues of ancient kings. I leant back on the lush grass, and Alden undid my hair, braiding it again in intricate styles I'd never even imagined. It was the first time I'd felt truly peaceful since Lothlorien.

"Teach me some elvish," he said unexpectedly as we lay under the soft, velvety skies.

"Gi melin." I said instantly, rubbing his rough hand. [I love you]

When he didn't reply, I rolled over, facing him and not the stars.

"I know that one,"

"Why? I've never said it before."

"I know you. I know how you said it. And I know that you mean it."

"Sevig i velethen, you have my love." [you have my love (duh)]

"Sevig i velethen....sevig...velethen," he whispered, rolling the words over his tongue.

I realised in that moment, if I had not realised already, that I loved this man. Alden was the light of my life. His grey eyes caught mine, and I had to laugh. He was no simple warrior from Rohan. He was brave and kind, and hopeful.

Sevig i velethen, Alden. Gi melin.