The Daughter of the Moon Volume III

Chapter 18 : Return

It was in her steel star armour that Elenwë opened her eyes. Around her, the light of the Telperion tree was concentrated, dazzling the enemies.

She straightened, reaching for the hilt of her sword. Drawing it, she lunged at the second Nazgul.

Her deadly attack was amplified by the light that emanated from her and weakened the Dark Spirits.

Legolas turned his head towards her and could not hold back a slight smile from his lips. He was so happy. She was still alive!

Encouraged by this good news, he fought with more strength. Elenwë easily decapitated another of the Nazgûls and pierced the other two with a spear stolen from an inattentive orc. A troll threw his spear in his direction. The blade grazed her neck, making a slight gash, but Elenwë, in a saving reflex, had stepped back. She threw her sword between the giant's eyes and took it back, looking around.

Turning her face to the side, she saw that Aragorn was in a bad position, ready to receive the coup de grace. Eomer was doing his best to protect Merry, whose arm was bleeding. Gandalf was struggling against a troll and Gimli was panting, trapped under a warg that was trying to reach his throat. Elladan and Elrohir eventually managed to reach Aragorn, but the troll sent them away with a club.

Elenwë was suddenly more than afraid for her friends. She closed her eyes, feeling the energy running through the surface of her skin. Like electricity, it sizzled with the sound of lightning. She breathed in and screamed, releasing her energy all at once as she hit the ground hard. Within a radius of about two hundred yards, all enemies fell to the ground, dead.

The men looked in awe at the elven warrior whose silver armour glittered in the darkness. They regained hope as she ran towards them, shouting:

- Gather round!

Immediately, the men, driven by the courage and strength she exuded, gathered together as the enemy army also organized itself.

Elenwë took a horn and sounded the charge once again, rushing ahead of the army she was leading.

- FORWARD!

The orcish arrows seemed to avoid her as if the light acted as a protective shield. Yet Legolas and Elenwë's companions trembled to see her collapse under the arrows of the enemy.

The eye, from the top of his sinister lair, Barad-dûr, fixed on the elf who was advancing without bending.

He tried to stop her, to make her doubt, but he could not fight against her strength. At the same time, the mountain shook and a shock wave spread to the dark tower, which collapsed.

The men shouted with joy and Elenwë turned to Gandalf with tears in her eyes:

- They have done it!

Mithrandir nodded, and the hobbits looked at each other and threw themselves into each other's arms.

The ground around one collapsed where the last of Sauron's servants stood, leaving only a strip of land that would allow them to return to Gondor.

However, the summit of Mount Doom exploded in a firework display of lava and glowing blocks. The Fellows froze in horror. This could not be!

Merry and Pippin cried out in fear, and Elenwë looked at Gandalf.

- Do something, Mithrandir, please. They cannot die like this!

- I know what I must do. THORONDOR! I beg for your help!

Moments later, the eagles arrived. A huge eagle, their leader, landed in front of the Maiar.

- Thorondor," Gandalf whispered, "thank you.

- Let us make haste. the bird decreed.

The white mage climbed onto the eagle lord's back and clutched at its feathers.

The bird spread its wings, covering almost sixty meters of wingspan. Elenwë felt small before her birds, who were like family to her as Maiar.

Mithrandir, Thorondor and three other eagles flew towards the Mountain as Elenwë decided to join her brothers and her fiancé.

Her pale armour was splattered with blackish blood, as was her hair, which had turned red. A numbness gripped the left side of her neck, where a blade had nearly decapitated her. A pain stabbed at her left side, under her ribs.

She took a few steps, feeling her breathing become difficult. The energy of the battle had passed, and she felt drained of strength. She nervously pulled on a strap of her armour, tightening it.

At that moment, as she withdrew her hand, she became aware that she was wounded. Her hand covered in blood, her own this time, she took a few more steps before she faltered. She turned pale and her brothers noticed her condition, rushing to her side. Legolas narrowly passed them, arriving in time to catch Elleth before she fell to the ground. Sitting back on his heels, he stroked the elf's face, tucking one of her no-longer-white locks behind her ear.

Elenwë felt Legolas' reassuring arms close around her and she stared at him with her grey eyes, murmuring:

- I have... no... more... strength.

- It is nothing. Now it's over. You can rest.

She heard Legolas' soft voice saying something to her, but she could no longer understand. Exhausted, her eyes were covered with a translucent veil and she surrendered to sleep in the arms of her fiancé.

Elladan and Elrohir smiled as Legolas carefully rose to his feet and carried their sister to his horse. He climbed onto Hasufel, carefully placing Elenwë in front of him.

The twins also climbed back onto the horses, as did the men of the army. Aragorn had lost his horse, Arod, in battle, so Ebene came to him, inviting the heir of Gondor and the dwarf Gimli to ride on his back. The hobbits climbed on behind two willing men and the convoy set off for Minas Tirith, under the command of Isildur's descendant.