Building Ithilien [Legolas] LOTR

The Battle Told

And so the army passed into the wetlands along the Anduin on the northern edges of Gondor. The sun had already started to sink lower in the sky, and the elves could see the fort at Calenfen, smell the smoky fires of orcs, and hear their wild drums.

Aragorn stopped his men and divided the ranks. Fear tightened in Miredhel's throat as she watched Legolas tighten his bow and ready the mithril arrow. A sharp peal rang through the air as the king, her brother, and the host of men drew their swords high.

There was a moment of silence that lingered, a great intake of breath. The air around them buzzed and tension heightened, though still in the distance one could hear the cadence of the orcs' savage drums. Miredhel's heart matched their pounding beat for beat.

Aragorn called for his riders and archers to break through the orcs' ranks. Next to the king, Eledhel whispered elvish to his fidgeting horse and gripped his bow. Then the men all shouted again and leaped forward in a cloud of dust and blur and were gone.

Miredhel glanced back at Legolas.

His eyes were cool, detached, even as he watched his friends plunge into battle, knowing that he must wait behind them. He reminded himself that this was one battle he was not meant to fight. His role was one of patience and skill; for if their plan succeeded, and the dragon made himself known, he had only one shot with the mithril arrow to bring the beast down. That arrow was the only remainder of the ones that Galadriel had gifted him. Their every hope depended on this single chance, and Legolas grimly realized, albeit slightly, how Frodo must have felt during the War of the Ring. No wonder the poor hobbit had sailed to the Grey Havens.

"Go on now," he called to Miredhel, desperately trying to keep his tone light. "You remember what to do, right?"

Her eyes flashed, but her face was very pale. "Yes, I remember." She was to ride across the edge of battle and draw out the dragon, hopefully luring him back toward Legolas and the mithril arrow. She summoned the two men who were supposed to ride along side her and headed toward the fray. They had only traveled a few yards when Miredhel stopped.

"My lady?" questioned one of the men.

She turned her horse around and rode the short distance back to Legolas. He had been resolutely sitting there astride his horse, his face schooled into a martyred acceptance of his fate of having to stand by and wait. His features softened at Miredhel's reappearance.

"Miredhel," Legolas spoke quietly, "You must go. There isn't any time. "

"I know. I just..." she faltered.

Legolas' lips curved. "Don't make this about goodbye," he said wryly.

"I hate it when you use my own words against me," Miredhel replied and looked down at the ring on her hand, his ring. Her eyes met his. "Be careful," she said and was gone.

Miredhel caught back up with her escort, and the three of them skirted the outer edges of battle. Smoke hazed over both men and orcs, over the black and occasional flash of sword or bright helm, almost obscuring them to mere shadows in the dusk; and the maddening beat of the enemy's drums exploded into a squall—thousands of stamping feet, bodies colliding, shouts, and shrieking.

All Miredhel could see was the hot mesh of bodies before her. It was all just too dense, too dim for her to make out any sign of the dragon. There was no time for watching and waiting. Their soldiers would not last the onslaught. Finding Anglachur was key. He must be killed and quickly, for without his leadership the orcs would hopefully scatter.

She turned and urged her horse and guardsmen further and further into the fight until they were swallowed by the deafening thunder. Here chaos ruled, but she had a better line of sight and could already make out the distant outline of what could only be the fort at Calenfen. And with unlooked for hope, she made out a flash of grey heading toward the old stone walls. Eledhel. Then just as suddenly, that same hope died in her chest, for she saw a great black silhouette rise against the flying ashes.