Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ LOTR : On the Wings of a Dragon ❯ Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Gimli was the first to see Legolas return over the hill. He then saw a second rider behind him. He walked up to Aragorn, who was unsaddling his horse and spoke.

“Legolas is back, and there is someone with him.” Aragorn looked up just as Legolas and the rider behind him entered the camp. Aragorn called to him.

“Legolas! You're back! And who is this you have with you?” Then he saw the rider. At first he thought she was a human woman, but then he saw her elvish features, cloak and armour. The two stopped in front of Aragorn and Gimli and dismounted.

“Akila, this is Lord Aragorn and Gimli.” She bowed to both of them. “Aragorn, Gimli, this is Akila Lúinwë. She was the one who saved that scouting party.”

“So you are the elven rider who saved my men.” Aragorn asked her, looking straight into her eyes. She did not look away.

“Yes Sire.”

“For that I thank you.” And with that Aragorn bowed.

Gimli then spoke up. “What happened to you two? You looked like wargs chewed you up and spit you out.”

“That is not very far off.” Legolas said before Akila could.

“Lady Akila, you need something to eat and rest.” Argorn said as he gestured to a soldier. He spoke to the soldier quietly. The man bowed to Akila and led her into a food tent.

“Legolas, what happened out there?” Aragorn asked looking at his friend. “Is she an elf?”

“No, she is a half-elf.” Legolas began, and then he described the battle that had just taken place.

“She seems very strong willed.” Gimli told Legolas.

“And brave,” Aragorn added. “To save my men with no thought of herself. Do you know of her family?”

“No. I've never heard of the Lúinwë family, but it is an elvish name.” Legolas stifled a yawn. His muscles hurt from the battle and the long day's ride.

Argorn crossed his arms. “Legolas, get some rest. We'll finish talking in the morning.” Aragorn turned his heel and walked towards the food tent to speak with Akila. Legolas wanted to go with him, but he knew he needed rest. He and Gimli walked toward the tents.

 

The army awoke just after dawn and began to pack up their tents and supplies. Aragorn had asked Akila to ride with them. She agreed without any hesitation. During the morning, she had helped with the horses and tents, and spoken with Legolas. She was very stiff around Aragorn, the reason for which Legolas and Gimli believed, was that Aragorn was king. Legolas had asked if there were any of her companions nearby as the army began to move out.

“It is just I and Alassea.” She patted the muscular neck of her horse.

“Have you just been wandering?” Gimli asked from the back of Legolas' horse.

“Correct, master dwarf. For as long as I could remember. I've been tracking that scouting party for days. I wanted to know what they were up to.” Aragorn called a halt. The army halted and looked at the devastation. The once plentiful fields were burning, the city was still smoking, and trees were newly cut for defenses. It was a barren wasteland. The orcs had waited for them. They were lined up in front of the now useless walls. Wargs, growled angrily. Archers with their misshapen bows yelled. Badly crafted spears were pointed towards the men. Then the drums began. The orc army formed up and began to march.

“Into position!” Argorn yelled. His men quickly formed up and prepared. Akila stayed next to Legolas and Gimli and drew her bow. Legolas did likewise. The mounted part of Aragorn's army would charge, except for a reserved unit that would flank the orcs. Following the mounted men, would be the foot-soldiers, who would charge after the armies met. Foot-archers readied their bows in long lines, and mounted archers prepared to fire as they charged. Aragorn rode in front of his troops and spoke to them.

“My brothers.” He began. “We have overcome this evil before. This time, at the least, we have the advantage in numbers and experience. We came here to liberate these lands from the leftover of a once dangerous evil. Now though, they shall fear us, we shall not fear them! No! Men of Gondor, stand and fight!” The men cheered, and Gimli raised his axe behind Legolas. Legolas looked over to Akila. She was patting her horse on its neck, speaking to it quietly in Elvish. She was scared, he could see it, but fire seemed to burn in her eyes. She didn't even have to be here but she was. She looked at Legolas and the two bowed their heads to each other.

 

The wargs howled and broke from the army, charging. Aragorn yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Charge!” The horses galloped forward in an organized line, their hooves seemed like thunder. The mounted archers notched arrows. Legolas aimed at a large warg that lead the pack. Arrows flew from both sides of the field. Horses squealed and men yelled as the two armies collided. Agony was heard all over. Gimli jumped from Arod's back and began to slice at the enemies in his path. Aragorn was still mounted and was busy removing the head of a warg. Legolas looked up and caught a glance of Akila but then she and her horse disappeared. Then the foot-soldiers of both armies arrived. A long horn blast came from nearby and the extra unit of horsemen charged into the flank of the orc army. Legolas tightened his grip around Arod as the horse reared at an attacking warg.

“26, 27, 28…” He could hear Gimli nearby counting his kills. Legolas sliced at a nearby orc when he heard it. A low growl. He looked up to see a huge white, warg staring down at Aragorn, blood dripping from its claws and fangs. It had no rider. The warg began towards Aragorn and easily knocked aside a foot-soldier of Gondor that got in its way.

“Aragorn!” Legolas yelled over clashing of swords and the banging of shields. Aragorn saw the white warg and turned his horse towards it.

 

Aragorn wasn't the only one to hear Legolas. Akila turned towards his voice and saw the stare down of the large warg and Lord Aragorn. She looked around madly and saw what she was looking for. She knocked an orc aside and kicked her horse towards a spear sticking up in the ground. She plowed her way through the orcs as she sheathed her sword and leaned down, her hand outstretched, as Alassea continued to gallop. She grabbed the butt of the spear and brought its head to the other side of the horse's neck, like a lancer would do. Still at a gallop, she turned the horse toward the warg and prepared for impact. At the same time Legolas let an arrow go, that hit the warg in the eye. The warg screamed in pain. It lifted its front legs up, trying to remove the arrow that caused it such pain. Legolas saw Akila at the last second as the spear-tip drove into the warg's chest. It wailed, forgetting the arrow in its eye, flaying its arms out. It fell into a heap, crushing another fallen warg, and ceased to exist.