The Edge of a Knife

What Do We Do Now?

Aragorn was caught right in the middle of the fight. He saw men falling all around him.

"Aragorn!" he saw Eomer nearby, he had a clear way to escape.
"We cannot hold them any more! We have to go!"

Aragorn nodded.
"Retreat!" he called out to the men, they didn't have to be told twice.

Aragorn forced his way forward as he ran he was grabbed from behind by an orc and pulled onto the ground. He grasped his sword and swung it at the beasts' head, severing it from its body.

He scrambled to his feet just as another orc was about to stab him. Before it could an arrow flew over Aragorn's head and struck the beast in the eye.

More arrows were shot, not one missed their target. Aragorn looked up and saw the last person he expected to see.

"Aragron!" Legolas ran over and helped him to his feet. Aragorn didn't protest as they ran towards the escape.

An arrow struck Aragorn in the leg. He gasped in pain and collapsed onto the ground Legolas spun around and watched in horror as an orc aimed a spear at him.

Aragorn never saw what was behind him and Legolas knew that he wouldn't be able to move in time. The orc threw the spear and it headed straight for the man.

Aragorn felt himself being shoved to the side and heard the sound of a spear sinking into flesh, but he felt nothing.

He looked up and saw Legolas standing in front of him, he had fired an arrow that hit the orc in the head.

Aragorn paid no heed to the dead orc as he struggled to his feet and looked at Legolas.
"Legolas we must leave!"

But the elf didn't respond. His bow fell from his hand.
"Legolas?"
Aragorn's voice shook.
What was wrong with him?

Legolas turned around and looked at Aragorn, pain and fear were in his blue eyes.

Legolas suddenly stumbled to his knees. Aragorn saw the end of the spear sticking out of the elf's stomach. Blood poured out from the wound.

Aragorn's eyes widened in horror. Legolas had pushed him out of the way, he had blocked the spear, he had saved his life,and now he was dying.

Legolas fell backwards, one of his hands were wrapped tightly around the spear, Aragorn raced to his side and knelt beside him.

Legolas looked up at him with tears falling down his face.

"Run..."
He whispered weakly.
"No! I'm not leaving without you!"
Legolas said nothing. Aragorn watched as his eyes glazed over. He stopped breathing.

"NO!" Aragorn screamed as he shook him.
"Get up! Get up you stupid elf!"
But it was too late, there was nothing there.

Legolas was gone.

"Aragorn!" Eomer ran over and grabbed him by the arms and tried to drag him away. Aragorn fought, tears ran from his eyes and he continued to scream in anger.

"He's not dead! He can't be dead!" He wrestled away from Eomer and raced to the elf's side, he looked down at his friend's lifeless body.

"Aragorn! We have to go!"
Eomer grabbed him and dragged him away. Aragorn broke away one last time and retrieved his friend's abandoned bow. Aragorn cried in sorrow and grief as he left Legolas behind.

He's dead...
Legolas is dead...

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Frodo waited anxiously by the entrance. No one had come in for awhile and he was worried. Sam and Merry waited beside him.

Eowyn and Gimli stood next to them.
"We can't wait for much longer." The dwarf said grimly.

"Give them more time."
Merry pleaded.
"We don't have time."
Gimli replied.

Eowyn looked up.
"They're coming!"
The hobbits looked up in excitement. They'd made it!

Their faces fell when they saw that only Eomer and Aragorn had arrived. Where were the others?

When they got in Eomer ordered for the door to be closed.
"What about Pippin? He's still out there!" Merry called out.

"The orcs have overrun everything. If Pippin is still out there he's-" Eomer stopped.

He looked at Eowyn and saw the distress in her eyes.
"Theodred?" he asked.
She shook her head.

Eomer took a deep breath. He watched as some men closed the door.

Once it was shut if was almost complete darkness. Thankfully torches had been lit before hand.

"That door will not hold them forever. We have to move." Eomer announced. He looked at his friends and could clearly see their pain.

Frodo and Sam were in shock. Their faces showed no emotion. Merry was on the verge of tears. Not Pippin. Not his little cousin.

Gimli approached Aragorn who was standing in a daze against the wall of the tunnel.
"Where's Legolas?"
The dwarf's gaze fell on the bow Aragorn carried.

Aragorn shook his head as more tears fell.
"He is dead. He gave his life, to save mine."
Aragorn's voice was choked with grief as he slid onto the floor.
"And I did not deserve it."

Gimli stood in shock. He looked down at Legolas' bow and then at the door, as if hoping that by some chance Aragorn was wrong and the elf would enter the cave at any moment.

Frodo, Sam, and Merry stood close to one another and shared in each others' grief. Pippin was gone, most likely dead, and so was Legolas. Two of their friends; gone forever.

Eomer held his sister in his arms as they mourned for their lost cousin. All around them there was sorrow amd grief.

Aragorn was still sitting on the ground with his sword lying next to him and Legolas' bow in his hands.

Everything became silent.
Until Sam asked.
"What do we do now?"
No one responded.

Aragorn, without taking his eyes off of the bow replied,
"I don't know."

The End

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Continued in Return of the Shadow