Our Song Lives On

Love

Eluriel made it up to Ravenhill just as battle drums rang. She stopped only for a split second before she began running even faster towards her goal. The drums stopped and Ellie was a floor below Thorin, her view cut from above.

"This one dies first," she heard the White Orc say, and something in her gut sent her rushing out forward, though she had to catch herself from falling. She barely held her weight against the ruins as she caught sight of the scene above. 

Her heart wrenched when she saw Fili in the air, bloody in the grip of his mortal enemy. He knows it's the end as he pleads with his uncle, his line of sight showing him what he wanted one last time. Her ears went deaf as her eyes locked with Fili. Ellie prayed that somehow she could save him by just looking at him, but a heavy wall of dread blocked the heavens.

Her own breath echoed in her ears as he fell, her hand far enough slow his descent for only a little. She doesn't even know how she finds herself next to him, her body numb to pain. 

"Ellie..." She heard him whisper only thanks to her elvish ears. 

"I... I'm here, Fili. I'll save you," Ellie sobbed as she placed her hands over the stab wound, knowing she had nothing to give. 

"Al-ead... did," Fili managed to slip his hand over hers, too broken to move anything more. 

"Fili..." she pleaded, smiling for him as she lifted his hand to her face. She felt the brutal cold creep up his wrist.

"I love you," Fili said with the last bit of warmth left in him. His words stayed in her ears for such a long time, she lost her senses. Until someone said her name. 

Thranduil was fighting his way up through Ravenhill, hoping it was worth his while. As he pulled his sword out his latest victim, he heard another yell "finish them". Thranduil took a bow and arrows from a nearby elf who no longer needed them and chased after the orcs. He got himself to high ground as the monsters ran out on the frozen river, outnumbering the dwarf king. Thranduil aided his dwarven counterpart. shooting down orcs for as long as he could before ultimately his own family took precedence. He heard his son in trouble and went to help, leaving Thorin with a nod of luck.

After all was over and done, Thranduil went searching for his wife, his pulse paused until he found her sitting in the court ruins. 

"Eluriel..." he called her name with his first breath.

Eluriel heard her name, half wishing it was from the man in her lap. Her other half, however, felt guilt as she recognized who the voice belonged to. 

"I do not want this," Eluriel choked as Thranduil kneeled beside her. "Why does it hurt so much?" She asked him wounded.

"Because it was real," Thranduil answered with certainty, fixing his wife's hair as she mourned her lover. Eluriel melted in her husband's touch and finally broke down in tears as shock left her. 

"Nana..." Eluriel heard Legolas and pried herself from Thranduil to hug her son, relieved that he was alive. 

"Are you hurt? Are you bleeding? Are you broken?" She smothered him with motherly concern and Legolas let her have her moment. 

"I'll survive," he assured her as he stilled her hands on his heart.

Thranduil went toward his family, but their attention went behind him. He stood next to them before turning to look back. Tauriel had found them, escorting a hobbling Kili. It wasn't his injuries that made him fall next to his older brother, his cries hurting Eluriel. She buried her face in her son's neck as Legolas turned to his father confused. 

It wasn't long before they were joined by others; the surviving company and Gandalf. As Kili barely made the effort to look behind him, the dwarves took a knee. That seemed to shake the young dwarf out of his trance. 

"Get Thorin," he sniffled, turning his attention back to Fili, making every effort to lift him. "We have to take Fi home."

"My king-"

"Is uncle!" Kili cut Dwalin. "You bring him here, and help me take Fili home!" 

"He is already with your brother, lad," Balin gently informed him. "That makes you..."

"Shut up!" Kili stumbled to his feet. "Thorin is king. Fili is king! I'm no king. Do you HEAR me!?" he demanded, pointing accusingly. 

"I wasn't supposed to be king. It was always Fi! My brother!"

Kili turned to his older brother. "You're the heir. It is your throne now. Are you listening!?" He fell to his knees, but he wasn't kind. "Wake up!" he shook his brother's shoulders, as he used to do when they were little. "Wake. Up! Wake up!" Kili demanded of his brother, using more energy than he had to try jolting Fili awake.

Eluriel had enough and ran to Kili, falling next to him as she pulled him away from his brother, holding him till he finally passed out. 

It was all too much.