LEGOLAS TITLE:Elenath AUTHOR:Emily Kinsman RATING:PG FEEDBACK: emilyk@apptechnc.net DISCLAIMER:The characters from Lord of the Rings, their wonderful world, and the Elf-lore are all borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. I wish he were alive to see the LOTR pandamonium! The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily Kinsman. 'Nuff Said SUMMARY:I don't want to ruin any surprises, but an Elf-babe is abandoned in our world (through a nexus of sorts) to be raised by a human woman. This is the story of her return to her true home. FEEDBACK: Please Please, Pretty Please tell me what you think! I'm new at this. ARCHIVE: YES ****************************************************** 45. Legolas took Elenath by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Why are you doing this? Do you want to die? Are you not happy here? If you want to leave Mirkwood, you know that I will follow you anywhere. Just name the place." "Legolas, your words are like curses flung at me. Do not say that I will die. Maybe I will, but I fail to see why God would allow that to happen. Shouldn't you be more worried about my honor guard?" "Another reason you should abandon this ridiculous plot," he said. "At the first blast of fire from that dragon's mouth, every one of them will go down: Kara, David, Mike, and ten young humans from another world. How could you allow them to do this, Elenath? I thought that you cared for them." She glared at him. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? I love those kids. Don't you dare ever accuse me of feeling otherwise!" "If you loved them, you would have sent them back where they came from long ago," said Legolas. "You don't understand where I'm coming from," she seethed. "You see what you see with your eyes and talk about the spiritual realm as if it was far away from you, out of reach and uncaring about the affairs of living beings. Well, that's a load of tripe, Legolas! To understand where I'm coming from, you need to understand that my God knows what he's doing when he does things. Even when he does crazy things and things that don't make sense and cannot be explained. He rescues the unrescuable and saves those for whom all hope has been lost. You think that I'm going to die and that no one can rescue me? My God can! My God has!" The poor Elf was taken aback by his wife's tirade. He looked at her with eyes full of confusion and exclaimed. "Elenath, I know almost nothing of this God! How am I supposed to trust him with the safety of my wife and child? If you think that I will, then you must not understand how much I love you, how much I need you, how much I love our baby." Her statement softened a bit. "Legolas, Amin mela lle! I love you more than I love my own life! And the child in my womb is more precious to me than anything else in this whole world. But the Sword has spoken that I must fight with the ten from the other side of Andotempla at my side. Over and over again, the Blade has spoken the words of my God to me, and I trust that it is an instrument to help us find God's will here in Middle Earth. There is a purpose for all this. If I live or if I die; if we win or if we lose, there is a purpose far greater than you or I or even our little baby could ever fathom." "You truly believe this," he said. It was a statement, and not a question, for his wife had shown by her actions again and again that she believed it. "Yes I believe it! Where God leads I choose to follow, even if it seems crazy." "And if I did chain you up?" he asked. "I'd like to see you try," she replied with a mischievous grin. He laughed. "I would not be so bold, My Lady. I do have one request, however." "And what is that?" He knelt before her as the ten warrior Elves had done in the Great hall. "Let me ride with you, Elenath. I will make the fourteenth member of your honor guard and will gladly protect you with bow and life if necessary." She looked at him with wide eyes. "But… you're the Prince! You should be riding into battle with your own honor guard!" "Just as you should have done fifty years ago when you chose to ride in my honor guard. Melamin, you died for me. I am willing to do the same for you, if only I can be by your side." Doubts crept into her mind, but she subdued them. What he said made sense. "Then yes, if it pleases your father, I will grant your request." *** King Thranduil did grant Legolas' request after two hours of debate with his son. The king was not pleased with the idea, but he knew Legolas well enough to know that he would find a way to fight at Elenath's side regardless of what anyone else said. "I just hope this is not the death of you, Son," he said. Legolas lowered his eyes, unwilling to let his father see the worry in them. "If Elenath dies, Father, then I am as good as dead myself. It only makes sense for me to guard her. I am more than willing to die if it means she will live and bring forth Mirkwood's new heir." The king sighed. "Oh that she had returned to us in a time of peace, Legolas. She is confused and overwhelmed enough just by being here, though she slowly remembers. But now… we require her to fight as well. It seems a cruel punishment for one undeserving of anything but honor." "She will rise to the occasion," replied Legolas, "just as she always does. Noble Elf that she is, she would never consider doing any less. But when this is over… when the dragon and the orcs are defeated, she will never have to lift a weapon in war again if I have any say in the matter." "I felt the same about your mother," replied the King. "Now go, whip that honor guard into shape as best you can. Your wife's very life depends on it." With a nod he retreated from the Great Hall and went in search of the ragtag group that had vowed to ride into battle with Elenath. *** 46. Legolas tried to ready Elenath's honor guard for battle as Gandalf looked on from the side, often with an amused twinkle in his eyes. A couple of the teens made pretty decent archers, including Susan who surprised everyone with her ability to pull back a 65-pound bow. Marcus and a good number of the others had trained with Elenath in Kendo, and they were, as their friends said, "pretty wicked with a sword." Three or four of them, however, were hopeless. Clumsy, weak, and unsure of themselves, they fumbled around the practice field like fish out of water. Legolas could only shake his head as Elenath encouraged them as only she could. "Don't worry!" she said one day when one of them had hacked the arm off of a statue on the edge of the field, "That statue never looked quite right anyway. We'll fix it after the battle. Next time thrust a little more this way, and maybe you'll hit your opponent." Most nerve-wracking to the Prince was the fact that his wife's honor guard spent almost as much time on their knees in prayer as they did in combat-training. It drove him crazy to sit there as they asked God for protection, guidance, peace, knowledge, skill, and a hundred other things. They encouraged each other with passages from their ever-present Bibles and, most of the time, acted as if their lives were not in danger at all. Finally, two days before the battle, Legolas lost it. They were singing. Singing! Singing while they were supposed to be learning to ride Mirkwood's horses. Singing while they were supposed to be getting used to their new armor. Singing! If Legolas had known what a musical was, he would have felt that he was stuck in one! "Stop! Stop right now!" he shouted, pulling on his hair in a very un-Elf-like manner. His face was flushed red with anger and his face twisted in an ugly grimace. "What is wrong with you? Do you not understand that in two days we will face death?" The entire group fell silent and stared at him, mouths hanging open in surprise. "The future of Mirkwood is in your hands and it appears that you do not care!" He shouted. "You sing songs about this God saving you and giving you victory. Well what good will that do when you cannot even wield a sword properly?" He looked over at Gandalf who was laughing at him. "What do you find so funny, Wizard? You! One of Elrond's trusted advisors laughing at a time like this! What is wrong with all of you?" He let out an angry bellow and kicked a rock, sending it flying through the air. "I have had enough of singing and prayer. You must learn to fight or be prepared to die!" Marcus shook his head and looked at Elenath. "Haven't you taken the time to explain anything to your husband?" he asked her. "El, what were you thinking? The poor guy's about to have a coronary. Look at him. I'm wicked surprised at you." Elenath looked back at him. Marcus was right. She had not even taken the time to explain the spiritual warfare that her friends were engaged in with her husband. To him, the prayers and songs and Bible verses had seemed like fun and games while she had known all along that it was important work – far more important than weapons training or horse-back riding. "There hasn't exactly been a lot of time available, Marcus." "Dude," said Marcus, approaching the Prince. "You need to chill, man. Come on. I'll explain some stuff to ya." For some reason, Legolas believed him and followed the young Man off the field and out of sight, turning his back in disgust at the rest of them. Gandalf followed as well, and the practice continued under David's direction. *** It was a completely changed Legolas who came back two hours later. He was certainly more relaxed, and he even laughed when one of Susan's arrows stuck fast into the forehead of the armless statue at the edge of the field. He was suddenly much more patient with the young warriors, and when they sang he joined them. "What did he say to you?" Elenath asked him during a short break. Legolas shook his head and chuckled. "He told me that it's 'all good' and that God is in control." She put a hand on her hip as she looked up at him. "I already told you that, Legolas!" "He also explained to me about the power of worshipping God in song, and of speaking God's words, and of prayer. And he told me many tales about the ancient days in his world, when God did amazing things. Like that time that he led the Israelites out of Egypt." "He still does things like that," she said. "Did he tell you that too?" Legolas nodded. "Then he prayed for me while Gandalf cast this spell…. And I could suddenly see things so much more clearly. It is as if I was given memories of the ancient days before we Elves were born to Middle Earth, when we lived in Heaven with God." "Are you still afraid, then?" she asked him. A little of the shadow returned to his eyes and he nodded. "Yes. Yes and no. I do not want to lose you, Melamin. And I worry for our child. But… I really believe that we will win this battle. The only question is who will still be standing when it is over." She gazed at him for a long moment, for the first time imagining her life without him. Everything came into clear focus. The world would be a cold, lonesome place without Legolas' merry laughter, his beautiful songs, his warm embrace, and the completed feeling she had when she was in his arms. "I fear losing you too," was all she could manage to say before tears clouded her eyes and she looked away. He pulled her near. "Let us not think of that now. We must first prepare for the battle and deal with the future when the future comes." Nodding, she wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. "I can't wait until this whole thing is over and I can just…." "Just what?" She shrugged. "Just be your wife and the mother of our child. All I have remembered from my past is the fighting and the warfare, and I am weary of fighting, Legolas. Perhaps after this battle there will be peace in Mirkwood." He lifted her chin and gently pressed his lips against hers. "There will always be peace for me right here in your arms," he whispered, "regardless of anything that happens around us." 47. "A'ight, a'ight. Break it up now." Marcus approached the prince and princess with Susan at his side. "Break's over. Come on you two." He smiled at them, mischief showing brightly in his green eyes. "Prince Legolas, you're comin' with me again." The prince reached for his quiver and arrows, but Marcus stopped him, picking them up himself. "You won't need those where we're going. Come on." Susan had taken Elenath's sword and was leading her in the opposite direction. "What's going on?" asked Elenath. Susan just grinned. "We have a surprise for you." "What kind of surprise?" asked Legolas as Marcus practically dragged him off in the opposite direction. The young Woman shrugged. "Just a little something." With that she turned and walked away, taking Elenath with her. *** Something was going on. Something big. Elenath realized this more and more as Susan escorted her into the palace, past an elaborately decorated Great Hall. Here it was two days before the big battle, and the scent of flowers wafted through the palace. Susan rushed her through the corridors too quickly for her to get a good view of what was going on in any of the palace's common rooms, but there was certainly a lot of activity and none of it involved weaponry or armor. "What's going on?" asked Elenath, but Susan would not reply. They drew nearer and nearer to Kara's chambers where all of the female members of her honor guard were gathered, along with her mother and numerous maidservants. The maids were upon Elenath at once, unceremoniously stripping the princess of her armor and sweaty clothing and practically tossing her into the luxurious bubble bath that sat waiting for her. "What in the- We don't have time for this! What are you doing?" demanded Elenath as she was scrubbed with rose petal-laden soap and water from the bottoms of her feet to the very top of her head. They even fussed over cleaning and trimming her fingernails, something she had never ever done in her whole life. And no one would tell her anything. "Chill," said Susan. "You sound like Legolas did this morning." "But-" One gleeful glance from her mother silenced her at once. While Elenath still sat in the bath, Llilwen approached her with the only piece of Middle Earth that the princess had ever seen before actually arriving there. The golden necklace and the green jewel that dangled from it had belonged to her mother, and so Elenath had returned it to her shortly after her arrival in Mirkwood, but now the princess had it in her possession once again. The green jewel still shone as brightly as it had in her grandmother's living room back in Indiana. "You will want this," said her mother gently. "Wear it always." Elenath took a moment to gaze into the gem just as she had on the other side of the Gate. How long ago that seemed! Surely it had been years since she had arrived here! But no. It had been only a couple of months. "What do you see?" asked her mother. The princess saw nothing at first in the stone, but when she looked more deeply, she smiled. "I see Legolas." "That is as it should be," her mother said, smiling, "for the stone shows that which you long for above anything else in all of Middle Earth. Now look deeper." Elenath did, and after a few moments a radiant smile lit her features. "What do you see now?" asked Llilwen. "I see the Lord Jesus standing with open arms at the gates of the golden city." Llilwen nodded. "This is what you long for above all else in all of creation. Let these visions be a light to guide your life, for they are the two most important things to you. Cherish them both." The princess smiled. "Thank you, Mother. Amin harmuva onalle e'cormamin (I will treasure your gift in my heart). But what is the occasion?" Kara came up beside her then and laughed. "I'll tell you what the occasion is, 'ol buddy 'ol pal 'ol friend! Susan and Marcus happened to overhear a conversation that you and Legolas had the other night in the courtyard. Something about how you didn't remember what you promised him on your wedding day and how you'd been planning your wedding since you were five and you wished you could remember the ceremony." "And so," continued Susan, approaching with a vast cloud of white fabric in her arms, "We have planned a small ceremony so you can be wed before Elves, Men, and God before riding off into battle and risking your life!" She shook the fabric out and Elenath gasped at the wedding gown she held. "It's gorgeous! Where did you get it?" "Out of your very own wardrobe. The seamstress, bless her heart, had altered it too just in case," said Diana, Pastor Mike's Wife, as she entered the room with Little Rebecca tagging along in white taffeta, a basket of flower petals in her hand. *** 48. Legolas stood looking at himself in the mirror, his closest friends gathered 'round him. He wore the green velvet robes of Mirkwood – the same that he had worn on his wedding day a thousand years before. "This is crazy," he said, "Why is this so important to her?" David chuckled and shrugged. "Perhaps it is not so important to her, Legolas, though I know that she wishes to exchange vows with you in the Christian tradition. But it means a lot to us, her friends. We never got to see her married, and we all want to." "It seems silly now to take time for this," said the prince. "I know," said David, "But it's not really. None of us knows what the day after tomorrow will bring. They all want to see this come to pass before they risk their lives." *** The wedding gown was the most beautiful thing that Elenath had ever worn. She was taken aback by the silken fragility of it, amazed that it had survived a thousand years. Its low neckline and the hem of its full skirt were embroidered with gold and flecked with diamonds. The long train was adorned in the same way, and her long sleeves fit tightly from shoulder to elbow and then flared prettily to golden points that nearly touched the floor. From the perfectly fitted bodice to the diamond-encrusted slippers it was obvious that the ensemble had been made especially for her. Just when she thought that she was fully dressed and ready, Kara brought forth a full-length veil and draped it gently over her head. "This is new," said Kara. "The Elves thought the veil was a charming tradition when I told them about it, so they made this for you." The sheer circle of white fabric was studded with tiny diamonds and bordered with the same embroidery as her gown. It covered her from head to toe, giving her the surreal, gauzy appearance of some magical creature, and Kara secured it in place with the princess's bejeweled golden circlet. She smiled at the affect. "There," she said, "You're a masterpiece!" And in fact, Elenath did feel as if she were a work of art on exhibit. Everyone stared at her in awe, her mother wiping away a few stray tears. When the princess finally turned to look in the mirror, she gasped. "Wow." "Yeah, wow!" said Susan as she slipped her green velvet dress over her head. "You look gorgeous!" "I feel gorgeous," replied Elenath, unable to take her eyes off of her reflection. The emotions that filled her at that moment were a little overwhelming. How long had she dreamed of this day? She was a bride! And when she thought of the Elf who would be waiting for her at the altar, tears of joy threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Thanks you guys. Thanks so much! You don't know how much this means to me." "It means a lot to us too, El," said Susan, "and don't you dare cry or you'll get us all started!" They had all dressed in elaborate green velvet gowns, a far cry from the armor they'd worn only an hour before. Elenath was just beginning to admire and compliment them all when a light tap sounded on the door. When the maidservant opened it, Elrond stood there with a handful of Elite Mirkwood warriors – the very Elves who usually guarded the King. They were heavily armed and seemed to have the attitude that this was the most important mission of their lives. So serious was the air that surrounded them that for a moment Elenath feared there was something wrong. "Ah, Elenath," said Elrond, seemingly speechless for a moment, his smile lighting up the room, "Vanimle sila tiri (Your beauty shines bright). Legolas will be more than pleased with his bride." Elenath could not stop the blush that crept into her cheeks. "What thinks Legolas of this surprise, Grandfather?" He chuckled. "He does not understand, Lirimaer (Lovely One), but that will not matter in the least once he sees you. I doubt he will understand, or even care to understand, much of anything once he sees you coming toward him. Now come. Legolas awaits." He offered his arm which she took with a smile. They followed the bridal attendants out into the corridor just behind little Rebecca. Elenath was surprised when the guards surrounded them, weapons drawn in their defense. "Should I be worried?" Elenath asked her grandfather and she noted that a guard or two seemed to be fighting smiles. "No, Lirimaer. This is simply an Elven tradition. The bride is heavily guarded to prevent her from being stolen by-" At that moment, David and Raion dashed into the corridor with a band of Elves who surrounded the bride and her bodyguards as if trying to kidnap her. There was an awkward moment of silence when they first saw her, and Elenath heard David suck in his breath as if wounded. She met his eyes for a moment and almost fell to her knees with the pain she saw there. The pain of one who could never have what he desired above all else; an all-encompassing pain that came and went in the blink of an eye. Before she had time to register the feelings that assaulted her heart, his whole demeanor changed and he was coaxing and taunting her with the rest of the Elves, trying to reach through the bodyguards to kidnap her, and she was laughing along with his merriment. "Come with us," they said, "And we will save you from the horrible prince Legolas!" "Do not answer them, whatever you do," Elrond whispered in her ear. "It will only make things worse." He was grinning ear to ear as Raion promised her a much grander palace than Mirkwood's if Elenath would but marry him instead of Prince Legolas. The walk to the Great Hall took twice as long as usual as the groom's attendants tried their best to sway the bride with compliments and poetry, sonnets and songs that would have made any self-respecting woman melt into a puddle at their feet. Estel surprised the princess with a sonnet of such tenderness that she found herself wondering if he really meant it. Even Marcus was in on the action. "Yo, hot momma!" he hollered, "Come over here and let me show ya a good time!" Many of the princess' own attendants were blushing wildly by the time they reached the doors of the Great Hall and the "attackers" finally relented and joined Legolas at the altar. The bridal party stood far enough back that Elenath was not in sight of anyone within the great hall, so she turned the guards who were lowering their weapons and smiled. "You were all very brave to protect me from those ruffians. Lle ume quel, belegohtarea (You did well, mighty warriors)!" With that she kissed each one lightly on the cheek through her veil. "Thank you." Their leader answered for them all. "If such kisses were payment for the employ of our swords and bows, then we would travel anywhere at any time for you, Princess." She smiled at them as they disappeared into the Great Hall. 49. Elenath found herself at the end of the long line of her attendants, Elrond at her side. "This is really quite charming," he said as a huge bouquet of wildflowers was handed to his granddaughter, "all of these human traditions. Here I am, as David said, 'giving you away' as if you were at one time my possession. That was never true, Elenath. You've had a mind of your own since the day you were born." "Grandfather, you own more of my heart than you realize, I think," she replied quietly. "I have remembered bits and pieces of our lives before I left Rivendell, and I remember how much we loved each other." "Loved, Elenath? My love for you will never die. You are my granddaughter; the miracle brought to my daughter in her darkest hour. You saved her life and brought joy back into mine." Music had begun to play in the great hall and the line started to move forward. "What do you mean?" asked the princess. Elrond smiled. "There is no time for that story now, Lirimaer, for the time draws nigh to present you to this rogue Prince of Mirkwood who stole your heart against the wishes of two kingdoms!" The doors had opened and Elenath gasped at the vision that met her eyes. The Great Hall was covered in flowers and green plants. Every Elf in Mirkwood had ceased their work to attend. Most of them were not dressed for a wedding. It seemed that this was as much as surprise to them as it was to Elenath. Her mother stood smiling at her, looking back from the front row. And there, at the Altar next to Pastor Mike, stood Legolas, his statement of confusion turning at once to one of complete awe as he gazed upon her. She actually saw David reach out a steadying hand to the Elf as he faltered a bit in his stance. "Lovely One, how can it be that you have chosen me above all others?" he asked her very softly when she neared. Their eyes did not stray from one another as she answered, "My heart would not allow for any other choice, my beautiful Prince." "Nor would mine," he whispered as she turned away from him toward Elrond. "Nor would mine." The Lord of Rivendell gazed with love at his granddaughter as he lifted her veil, smoothing it lovingly back over her shining auburn hair before kissing her cheek. "Both of your hearts have chosen well," he said before retreating to the front row to sit next to Llilwen. Time seemed to move in slow motion through the ceremony. Every detail was perfect. They exchanged rings, which seemed to appear magically from the folds of David's robe and Kara's gown. And when Legolas spoke his vows, Elenath could no longer hold back her happy tears. "I, Legolas, take thee, Elenath, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live. According to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I pledge thee my faith." She promised the same, and then spoke the traditional Elvish vows as well. In the silence that followed, Kara readied her guitar and after a pause, spoke softly. "Ever since we were little girls, Elenath told me that she wanted this song to be sung in her wedding. Neither one of us knew then how appropriate it would be when the time finally came." And she began to sing as the prince and princess shed tears of joy and of sadness at the words: "When you are a soldier I will be your shield I will go with you into the battlefield And when the arrows start to fly Take my hand and hold on tight I will be your shield, 'cause I know how it feels When you are a soldier When you're tired from running I will cheer you on Look beside you and you'll see you're not alone And when your strength is all but gone I'll carry you until you're strong And I will be your shield 'cause I know how it feels When you're a soldier I will be the one you can cry your songs to My eyes will share your tears And I'll be your friend if you win Or if you're defeated Whenever you need me I will be here When you're lost in darkness I will hold the light I will help you find your way through the night I'll remind you of the truth And keep the flame alive in you And I will be your shield 'Cause I know how it feels When you are a soldier." [lyrics by Steven Curtis Chapman] That night after all the merriment and all of the dancing; after David had taken Elenath aside and admitted that he would always love her and would always be at her service and the prince's; after Kara had wept tears of joy for her friend and tears of sadness that her own marriage had failed so miserably; and after Marcus had pulled Susan close and admitted the love he had kept hidden from her for so long, Elenath and Legolas retired to their chambers. They knew not whether they would spend one more night together, or an eternity of nights, but it did not matter. All that mattered was their love for one another and they showed it in countless ways until falling asleep comfortably in each other's arms. *** 50. The morning of the battle arrived too quickly for anyone's liking. Elenath woke early, even before her husband, and lay next to him wishing that the dawn would never come. Legolas stirred next to her, drawing her closer into his warmth, burying his face in her hair. "Uuma dela, Melamin. Lye nuquernuva sen e dagor (Don't worry, My Love. We will defeat them in battle)." She was glad that he could not see her face as she grimaced, bravely forcing back her tears. The time had passed for tears. She had to be strong now. No point in wishing for things to be different. Things were as they were. She had to get up and face this day valiantly, just as she had faced every uncertain day since her arrival here. "Amin mela lle (I love you), Legolas," she whispered. He responded with a squeeze, "I never knew what love was until I met you, Elenath. Promise me something." She turned to face him, meeting his gaze and losing herself in it. Reaching up to brush a long strand of hair from his face, she sighed. "What would you have me promise, My Prince?" "No heroics this time. Do not give your life to save mine. Please." "Legolas-" "Please," he repeated, "Promise me." "I could not go on without you by my side," she said. "You would go on, if nothing else, for the life in your womb. The child must live, Elenath, even if I die. Mirkwood's throne must have an heir. Promise me." She was silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and whispering. "Okay. I promise. But no matter what happens today, I will love you always." "And I you," he replied, kissing her gently. "Now come. The sun rises and the battlefield calls. Together we will defeat the orcs and the dragon. Cuamin linduva yassen megrille (My bow shall sing with your sword)!" *** If it were not for the huge Elven army gathered on the practice field in shining armor, their standards waving brightly in the autumn sunlight, it would have seemed a good day to go for a pleasure ride in the wood. Emerging from the stables on her bay mare, Elenath was immediately joined by her honor guard and Raion who presented her with bow and quiver of arrows. "You mustn't be without these, My Lady," he said with a nod. "I am no archer, my good Elf. A bow and quiver of arrows will not be worth their weight upon my back." She moved to hand them back, but he would not take them. "Please Raion. The battle is nigh. We haven't time-" "Hear me, My Lady," he interrupted, "I should have told my reasons for this long ago, but you must carry bow and arrows into battle." "Why?" "I never told you what the Sword showed me on the day of your first archery lesson." "Raion, this is not the time. It matters not. You've proven yourself a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. The reason for your change of heart that day is not important." "Yes it is," he replied. "You might not think me such a loyal friend after I tell you this…" She gazed at him, waiting as her honor guard looked on curiously. "Princess Elenath, from the moment you came to Mirkwood over a thousand years ago, I tried to hold you back from learning the arts of war. You were a princess – someone to protect, not someone to fight next to in battle! That is what I thought then. I failed miserably in my attempts to stop your training, but I did manage to instill a fear of archery in you. That was quite an accomplishment because, as you know, the bow is the principal weapon of the Wood- Elves." "That is ancient history, Raion. What has passed is not important to me." "I did not realize what a horrible thing I had done until the Sword struck me down that day. It showed me your final battle, when you saved Legolas' life by taking an arrow through your heart. I could hear your thoughts, Princess Elenath. I could hear what you thought as that orc aimed at Legolas. `Too near to hope for a miss and too far away to stop him before he shoots.'" He paused, guilt clouding his eyes. "If you had been an archer… Elenath, if I had not stood in the way of your learning archery, then you could have shot that orc where he stood, saving the prince's life and also sparing your own." He looked at the ground. "I might as well have killed you myself that day." Elenath's heart went out to the Elf before her. How long had he been carrying around this guilt? "Raion," she said softly, reaching out to take his hands, "You ARE a loyal friend and a skilled warrior. There is a reason for everything, and I would not trade the time that I spent on the other side of the gate, or the things that I learned there for anything." His eyes searched hers deeply, as if looking for the truth in them. Seeming to find it, he bowed deeply. "You are truly a remarkable Elf, Your Majesty." "Not nearly so much as you, Raion. Let your heart be free from guilt, for I hold no ill feelings against you." *** The strategy had already been discussed at length. Her mission was the same as that of Thranduil, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel. Find the dragon and slay it while the rest of the armies dealt with the orcs. And it was with this purpose that the leaders of Mirkwood hung back behind their armies as they marched the road to Rivendell. "Cast your eyes heavenward," suggested Legolas who rode as Elenath's point guard. "Watch for signs of the dragon." But it was David who first spotted the beast circling high above the Orkish armies, filling Elenath and her honor guard with black dread. It was so far away and high up that it looked like a mere black worm writhing in the sky. As yet it had not spied the Elvish armies. "I had hoped all this talk about dragons was just a bad nightmare," said Elenath, her voice shaking a bit. "I assure you it is not, My Lady" replied Legolas. The rest of the honor guard wasted no time in conversation but immediately began to pray for deliverance.