Through Fire and Water (A Legolas Love Story)

The Red Fog

My eyes are drawn to the hill on the other side of the battle field just in time to see hundreds of horsemen appear, charging down towards the orks, led by a figure dressed all in white and sat on a white horse.

“Gandalf!” I cry and Gandalf lifts up his staff, letting out a blinding light as the horses impact the ork army, trampling them and slashing at any that are left with their weapons.

“Legolas!” I cry, realising that Legolas has ceased to control our horse as he stares at the charge of the Rohirrim. Legolas shakes his head and pulls his eyes away, regaining control of our horse and guiding us away from the orks which had swarmed around us, cutting them down as we go. I don’t know why, but I’m smiling. Some small voice inside me says that I shouldn’t be taking this much pleasure in death, that something is not right in it, but I have been completely taken over by the bloodlust and I don’t have time to listen to that tiny voice of reason.

Now that we have reinforcements the orks don’t stand a chance. Before long they have given up, scarpering off into a forest which wasn’t here when we arrived. The trees have been walking and now that the orks have run off they finally get to have their fun. We stand well back as the forest begins to shake and writhe as the trees bring branches crashing down, killing every single ork that’s left.

All around me there are cheers and calls of “Victory!” and I join in, but I don’t feel quite right. That excitement is still running through my veins, the strange tingling feeling. Legolas jumps down from the horse and I follow him. The cries are still going around us, cheers of victory. Legolas and I grin at each other for a moment before he grabs me round my waist and kisses me. When he pulls away he looks worried. I’m still smiling but the fog in my brain hasn’t gone.

“Ana, are alright?” his eyes are filled with concern.

“Yes. Why?”

“You’re trembling. Are you sure you’re alright” he’s staring into my eyes now and I’m beginning to feel self-conscious.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just got carried away in the battle. It’s like there’s a fog in my brain. I couldn’t get enough, I just had to keep killing. I got this kick out of it, you know?”

“I know. You need to learn to control that, it’s dangerous. Is the fog still there?”

“Yes. It’s like I’m watching everything through this red veil” an ork stirs nearby, not quite dead. Without even looking away from Legolas I pull a knife from my belt and send it spinning into the ork’s heart.

“Maybe you should calm down” he says carefully, putting his hands on my shoulders “breathe slowly” I close my eyes, focussing on breathing in and then slowly breathing back out again and again until I find myself trembling less. When I open my eyes again I am feeling much calmer but Legolas doesn’t let go of my shoulders again until he’s looked deep into my eyes and established I am not about to go on a murderous rampage.

“Better?” he asks.

“Yes”