𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 | 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐟

𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬

After another hour or so of readying Rohan's 'forces', you and Legolas found Aragorn again, strapping on his armour.

"I am so sorry, brother," you apologised, giving him a couple seconds to register what you had said. "I was wrong to doubt you."

"You have lead us this far," Legolas added. "Y/N and I will stand by your side for the rest of this journey."

Aragorn pulled you in for a hug, and clapped Legolas on the shoulder.

Faint mumbling in recognisable Khuzdul made you pull away and look at Gimli, who waddled into the room in what was evidently supposed to be a chainmail shirt that pooled around him on the floor.

"It's too tight around the chest," he grumbled, and you could barely bite back a smile.

"You'll make do," Legolas assured the disgruntled Dwarf.

Just as you had opened your mouth to make some smartass comment that Aragorn would've smacked you over the head for, a horn blew. It was musical and clear - strong, fair and powerful, just like ...

"An Elf horn!" you cried, instead of the comment on the tip of your tongue, running from the room and towards the gates.

You could hear some of a conversation, but only drew close enough to see when you had reached the stairs leading down to the drawbridge.

"... come to honour that allegiance," you heard a somewhat familiar blond Elf tell Theoden. He had mustered an impressive force of Elven archers, all dressed in regal, shiny armour (there really was no apt human word - 'shiny' would have to do. It was simply incredible).

The Elf turned to face you, and you finally recognised him.

"Haldir!" you cried, racing down the stone stairs so fast that you almost tripped, leaping the last couple and landing unsteadily on the ground right in front of him. "You're here!"

"Indeed, Queen Y/N," he laughed.

Just before you left Lorien, you sought out the ellon who had brought you and the Fellowship into the Forest - Haldir.

"How may I help you, Queen Y/N?" he asked formally, cleaning Orc blood from his arrows where you found him in the armoury.

"Our quest," you rushed straight into your request, not bothering to correct his deference to your still-strange title. "We are likely to run into great trouble with the Uruk-hai of Isengard. Saruman is far from fond of our Fellowship."

"What would you wish to be done of this?"

"If-if any word comes from Elrond Half-Elven, our ally of Rivendell, I would implore Lothlorien to provide aid." You were tempted to fall to the ground and beg, if that would change his mind. "The Dunedain and the Elves have long been allies. As Queen, I swear to fulfill the oaths our people swore long ago and reunite our races once more."

Haldir stared for a minute. Then, absurdly, he began to laugh.

"You are quite something," he clapped you on the shoulder, finally finished with his arrows. "Of course, my Queen. This quest ... it is needed for the safety of our world. Being someone who lives in it, I would quite like Middle-Earth to still be standing next summer."

"Thank you, Haldir," you replied. "I truly am indebted to you."

"Never," he promised. "I'm glad to be able to help."

"Haldir o Lorien," Aragorn greeted somewhat more formally. "Mae g'ovannen." Haldir of Lorien. Well met.

Then, Aragorn pulled Haldir in for a hug. You almost laughed at how shocked the Elf look as he patted the man on the back unsurely, before nodding to Legolas and patting his shoulder.

"Elves and Men, fighting once more." You said the sentence with relish, as one of your hands fell to your scabbards.

"Indeed," Theoden replied stiffly - probably still in shock. "Get to your positions!"

- - -

It was cold and dark on the battlements, and the wind blew like a vengeful god. The sound of marching footsteps grew closer and closer, tens of thousands of Uruk-hai in a terrifying amassed force. Their torches shone in the darkness like a series of constellations - but that implied that it was beautiful and ethereal.

It was nothing like that. It was cold, and real, and it was war. The sheer number of forces ... you gripped your swords tighter.

"What's happening out there?" Gimli interrupted your dark thoughts, hopping up and down. He wasn't even tall enough to see the slightest bit of the action.

Legolas grinned, and you knew exactly how sarcastic his shit-eating response was gonna be. "Shall I describe it to you ... or would you like me to find you a box?"

Gimli's laugh eased the tension of the moment, but all the humour quickly died as the Uruk-hai began to thump their shields and spears, roaring loudly.

All the bows were readied, awaiting the command of Aragorn, who stood safely out of the way of the arrows.

Suddenly, one stray arrow flew lazily from the battlements. It hit an Orc straight through the neck, who collapsed, dead. Premature shot ... great.

"Dartho!" Aragorn yelled. Hold! A beat. "Tangado halad!" Prepare to fire!

Legolas readied his bow beside you, making a comment in Sindarin about how their armour was weak at the neck and below the arms.

"Leithio i philinn!" Release the arrows!

The order was scarcely completed by the time the silvery arrows of the Elves flew down to meet their targets, dozens, if not hundreds, of Orcs falling by their brethren's side.

"Did we hit anyone?" Gimli asked. You scoffed.

"Fire!" someone yelled in the Common Tongue, more arrows raining down.

"It's really begun," you whispered to yourself.

As you said that, a ladder slammed into the wall not a metre from you, berserkers scrambling up it madly.

"Fucking finally," Gimli growled, drawing his axe. You clenched your swords.

The first Orc scrambled up the ladder - you slashed across its neck, then kicked the ladder so they all fell backwards.

"Leave some for us, Y/N!" Legolas teased as he shot down warrior after warrior.

"You seem to be doing just fine," you grumbled.

"Elf! Y/N! Two already!" Gimli yelled.

"I'm on fifteen!" you screamed back triumphantly.

"Nineteen!"

"Fuck you," you muttered to Legolas. "Fuck. You."

So it began.

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