Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ LOTR : On the Wings of a Dragon ❯ Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Legolas stood on one of the platforms in Cares Galeton. His heart felt heavy. It had been four days since the battle to save the elven city. It was a victory, bah! It was no victory! He had lost a close friend and companion that day. To him, it had been no victory. He had not let Aragorn leave his side until he had told him what had happened to Akila. Aragorn had told him the whole, horrible truth.

Akila had been mounted. Aragorn had seen her from the corner of his eye as she had sheathed her sword and brought forward her bow. She had begun to pick off the orc crossbowmen. Aragorn had turned his head forward again for just a moment then looked back. Akila was about to fire again when a crossbow bolt struck her in the chest. She faltered. Aragorn immediately turned his horse towards her and shouted her name. The scene was in slow motion. She knew that if she fell, she would be trampled. She fired her arrow. Another bolt struck her in between her neck and her shoulder was there was no armour. Aragorn tried to get to her but was caught in the fighting. The last thing he saw was Akila lying limply on Alassea's neck as the horse, now bleeding in the shoulder from an arrow, fled southward. Then Akila and her white mount disappeared, forever.

Legolas rolled the cool silver object in his hand. This was all that was left of her, her pendant. He had found it before they began the trip to Caras Galadhon. They had removed the arrow from his leg and bandaged it. He could walk, but not very well. He had begun to look across the battlefield, seeing the newly put up tents and men burying the dead. The smoke rose from the battlefield and Legolas feared that he would see Alassea lying in a heap on the ground, or worse, Akila's body, trampled and destroyed. He saw neither. Then he had seen it. There was a small, shiny silver object no more then thirty paces from him. He had walked to it and picked it up. It was Akila's pendant, covered in mud.

 

Akila could feel something wet on her cheek. She tried to open her eyes. No light welcomed her. The ground was hard beneath her. She could hear a soft nicker and she looked up the best she could. She felt a warm breath of air that smelt of smoke. Alassea stood over her, nudging her in her cheek, trying to get her up. Where was she? She tried to get up. She groaned in pain. All she could do was bring her left hand to her chest, where a crossbow bolt stuck out from her armour, and her body. With all her might she pulled the bolt out and threw it as far as she could, which was only a few feet. She breathed in heavily. Was she going to die? What had happened? She couldn't remember anything. Her head hurt, but so did the rest of her body. She couldn't move. Suddenly Alassea started to scream loudly. Akila didn't know what was happening. She was becoming unconscious. Then she heard the growls, the low growls that rumbled in her ears. She knew immediately what it was. Wargs. No wolf was that vicious. Alassea reared and kicked her fore hooves out, but the wargs did not back down.

“Go.” Her elven voice was barley a whisper. “Run, Alassea, now.” Alassea continued to rear. “Alassea, run!” Alassea took a look at her fallen rider and companion. She then turned north and galloped out of Akila's sight. The wargs began to close in around her.

`I'm going to die.' She thought. `But I will feel no pain.' Then the black curtain of unconsciousness took her.

 

Legolas mounted Arod with Aragorn's help, much to his annoyance. His leg was fine now; it had been merely a flesh wound. The army was setting off from Cares Galeton, but Aragorn was going to Edoras to speak with Eomer. Aragorn and his guard would go to Edoras, while the rest of the army returned to Gondor. Legolas and Gimli would be going to Edoras with Aragorn as well. Legolas, at the moment did not care where he went. He had been planning to speak with the elves here, but had barely spoken to any of them for he still grieved Akila's death. Aragorn said they would have a funeral for her when they returned to Gondor, so that her actions of valor and kindness could be recognized. It would take nine days to reach Edoras, and as they set out, that was the least of worries on Legolas' mind…. They left Lothlorien three days ago and now they were camped at north-eastern tip of Fangorn Forest. Legolas sat in a tent with Gimli as he bandaged his leg again.

“So, how is the leg feeling, Legolas?” Gimli asked. Legolas sighed as he finished up.

“As good as it can, it is still stiff but it will heal.” As Legolas finished his sentence, men yelling and horse squealing was heard outside. Legolas and Gimli got up and walked outside the tent. Some of the soldiers had a length of rope around a grey coloured horse's neck. The horse reared, squealing again. The beast was covered in mud, and its rump, neck, and shoulder was covered in dry blood. Its nose and chest were raw from the bridle and chest plate rubbing on its skin. Aragorn walked out from a large tent, where he had been discussing matters with his generals. The horse reared again. The soldiers lost hold of the rope and the horse began to charge, toward Legolas and Gimli! Before either of them could react the horse was mere feet in front of them. It halted right in front of them and looked at Legolas.

“Alassea?” Legolas looked at the horse. The fire that he always saw in the horse's eyes was diminished, but not gone.

“That can't be Alassea, can it?” Gimli knew the horse, if you knew Akila, had known Akila, you knew her horse. Indeed it was Alassea; she nudged Legolas in his chest and rested her nose there, breathing in his scent. She had finely found someone she knew.

 

They set off again the next day. Alassea had been cleaned up and her wounds had been tended to. In hope of finding Akila, or her body, Aragorn had sent out a search party into Fangorn Forest. They didn't find her. Legolas held on to Alassea reins as she walked beside Arod. Her saddle had been removed and her coat was white again. But her head was low, her eyes looked at the ground, they seemed empty. Legolas knew that Akila and her mount had been through a lot together, and that Alassea would never be the same. Legolas always hoped that somehow, Akila had survived and that she had been found by someone, anyone, and was being taken care of. But in his heart he knew that he would never see her again. Aragorn looked at Legolas' face over his shoulder. He slowed his horse down so he rode beside Arod.

“Legolas. You are very troubled my friend.” Even though Gimli sat directly behind Legolas, he knew that if Aragorn spoke in elvish to him, that it was private. So Gimli `closed his ears'.

“We all miss Akila.” Aragorn began. “No one will ever replace her. I know that even from the short time I knew her.” Legolas looked up.

“I miss her Aragorn, more then you'll ever know.”

“I know how it feels, Legolas, it is the feeling I had when Arwen and I departed years ago.” Legolas nodded.

“I'm sorry Aragorn, I forgot…”

“Do not be sorry friend, you have no need.”

 

Alassea began to step oddly, and her eyes rolled white in fear.

`Oh no.' Legolas thought. He knew what this behavior meant from Alassea. He turned his head and directly behind them, diving from the highest clouds, was a Nazgul.

“Aragorn, Nazgul!” Aragorn clenched his teeth. He did not even look. He shouted.

“Men! A Nazgul!” Immediately the entire army began to run. They were in a bad position. They were too far from Fangorn forest to their left to reach it in time they would have to stand and fight the beast. The Nazgul, seeing its prey fleeing, let out its shriek. This was the second time they had been attacked by a Nazgul, but this time they didn't have Minas Tirith's walls to save them. They were dead men if they could not drive it away. The Nazgul soared over the army, completely ignoring the foot soldiers, and even the cavalry. It went straight for the front of the army, and Gondor's king.