A Rose By Any Other Name

Warnings for this chapter??? Sap. Lots of it. Some fighting, a little bit of angst towards the end… not really anything of much note. Since I’m a little late getting this chapter out, I’m going to skip responding to specific reviews, but I will name names. Thank you all once again for reviewing! You guys are the light of my life, truly you are. Well, much luvs people! Do keep it up ne?!

kirameki; Drucilynda; Elerrina Rose; Anon; AzureDragoness; and jw.

Thank you all for reviewing. I very much loved the detail of some of the reviews you guys gave. It warms my heart to hear such things. Once again, my deepest thanks. I’m sorry if it starts to get corny… but I have to tell you guys… I’m a hopeless romantic when it comes down to it, and like Asca, simple touch means more to me than a thousand words. A simple brush of fingers to the back of one’s hand, will mean more than the brightest poem. Anyway… enough of that. ^^ Keep it up my friends!

~~~ A Rose by Any Other Name ~~~
Chapter Eleven

Ascadholiel woke up the next morning to a soft caress on her face. Stretching, she opened her eyes to see her husband’s smiling face above her. She yawned a little. “Mea govannen Legolas, melme.”

Legolas chuckled gently, a new light shinning in his eyes. “Mea govannen melamin. I brought you some of the breakfast that Samwise made. Would you like to eat it here or over by the fire?”

Ascadholiel raised her head and looked up, seeing the plate Legolas held in his hand as hen knelt beside her, his bs bas back in his hair, and then looked to the fire at the group who had obviously just turned away from them, all of them smiling idiotically. She smirked. “I think I’ll move to the fire.”

Legolas nodded and stood, holding his free hand out to her.

Ascadholiel accepted the help up and a kiss good morning and moved to the fire to sit by Frodo, who had paused in his eating to watch her. She leaned over and swiftly gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Good morning Frodo. Good morning everyone.”

They all said their good mornings back, grinning as the elf settle down next to her, handing her a plate with enough food for the both of them on it.

Legolas wrapped his arms around her waist in and open show of affection, which brought stares from the rest of them, not used yet to seeing their stoic elf show emotions like that.

This told Ascadholiel that Legolas had yet to reveal their happy news, so she picked up a piece of cheese between her fingers and turned a little to offer it to Legolas. The glint in her elf’s blue eyes told her he knew what she was doing as he opened his mouth and accepted the small morsel she held up to his thin lips. Their eyes locked only on each other as he chewed and swallowed, then kissed her again. She smiled as he did the same for her, picking the food off the plate on her lap with slim, strong fingers, before placing it in her mouth and kissing her.

When Ascadholiel looked at the rest of the fellowship again, she saw everyone but Aragorn and Gandalf staring in blatant shock, the two of them just grinning, Aragorn chewing on the end of his long pipe, though not smoking for fear the potent smell of the grass would attract unwanted attention. The human woman shrugged closer to Legolas, leaning against his chest, not caring in the least that the leaf-shaped buckle of his harness strapped across his chest to hold his weapons on his back, was digging into her back a little. She grinned happily. “What? Haven’t you ever seen a newly bonded couple eat?”

This caused a brief explosion of sound as everyone burst out talking at once, before there was sudden silence, some of them clapping their hands over their mouths or over the mouths of others as they remembered where they were. One at a time after that, they started asking questions, and giving blessings and well wishes, Legolas and Ascadholiel alternately answering and feeding each other. Everyone was more than happy with this development, sudden and unexpected as it was, as they had never imagined that the elf they deemed, ‘theirs’, could look so blissfullppy,ppy, his eyes sparkling and a smile plastered, unending on his lips, reaching the equally smiling eyes.

Finally though, it was time to move on, and even the bliss of finally being forever with someone who shared her undying love, could not stem her fear of the cavern. Ascadholiel stuck close to Gandalf, with his light when Legolas was scouting, or to Aragorn or Boromir, but usually was as close as she could be to Legolas. At night, Legolas would find some little nook within his hearing distance of the rest of the fellowship, and would take his bonded there to let them both relieve the stresses of the day with passionate, though quiet, lovemaking.

This was the pattern every night in those god-forsaken mines. Sometime on the fourth day, they entered the dwarven realm of Dwarrowdelf. Despite herself, Ascadholiel was awed at the huge pillars and stone structures.

Ascadholiel started and jumped when Gimli gave a shout and ran into what was obvious to her, a mausoleum of sorts. They all followed at a run to see Gimli sobbing as he knelt at the foot of the tomb, centered in the room in a shaft of light. Gandalf stepped next to the tomb and read off, “Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.’ He is dead then. It is as I feared.”

Ascadholiel whimpered a little when Legolas stepped up next to Aragorn, Gimli muttering a sorrowful dwarven lament in the background. “We cannot linger here. We must go.”

Gandalf began to read from a stone-covered book, and as he did so, Ascadholiel back up little by little, moving closer to the door, until she ran into Legolas and he wrapped her in his arms. She turned in the welcome circle of his arms and buried her face against his chest. She jumped again and shrieked however when a loud series of crashes sounded, echoing in the quiet of Moria, seeming to go on forever.

Legolas gently hushed his bonded’s sobbing as everything finally went quiet again and they all froze, holding their breaths and listening hard.

Gandalf grabbed his hat and staff back from poor Pippin. “Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!” He started to turn when there suddenly came a low boom from somewhere deep in the mines. Then another sounded, and another.

Drums had started and there was a horrible shrieking and cackling sound from the great hall outside the flimsy wooden door they had all come through, which was the only way in or out of the room.

Ascadholiel looked up at Legolas with horrified eyes, both of them knowing what this meant. She would now have to show what little she had learned with the dagger. She looked over in time to see Boromir almost get his head pinned to the door with two thick black arrows.

The man pulled back in time, his hair flying as he did so, and stated almost matter-of-factly as Aragorn helped him close the door, “They have a cave troll.”

Legolas took Ascadholiel’s face into his hands and kissed her deeply. His face and voice were hard as he spoke firmly, his beautiful lilting accent clear to her now that she knew much of his language from the day of lessons when they had nothing else to talk about. “Go get behind Gandalf with the hobbits. Hide if you can. Remember what I taught you, and don’t try to help. I love you.”

Ascadholiel wouldn’t normally let herself be bossed around like that due to her history and nature, but she was terrified, and knew he was right and looking out for her as a husband, friend, and warrior should. She drew the dagger and held it the way he had taught her, hardening her face bravely, even though he could clearly see the fear and terror in her eyes. She got behind Gandalf and watched as Legolas smoothly drew his bow, tossing the men discarded axes and weapons to help bar the door for as long as possible.

Gimli stood on the tomb of his cousin, rage flowing from everything he said and did, impressing Ascadholiel and making her proud that she could call this fiery dwarf friend. The hobbits beside her drew their own swords, Frodo’s curiously glowing blue, as Gandalf stood before them, his own sword and staff at the ready. Directly before the tomb, in between the tomb and door, his lithe body gracefully poised and ready for battle, stood Legolas, an arrow notched, bow drawn taught and steady as he aimed at the door. To his left stood Boromir, his eyes nervous but determined, his sword held before him with the expertise and certainty of a warrior, waiting to defend them as he was sworn to do. To the elf’s right was the other human, and his long-timeend,end, Aragorn, Aragorn own bow drawn taught and still steady, taught by the elves, though his stance was slightly different, his body and skills honed by his time with the dunedain, the rangers of the north, whom he was lord of.

They didn’t have to wait long, and Legolas effortlessly took a shot, his long flaxen hair flipping back with the force of the arrow, as a hole was chopped through the door. Ascadholiel couldn’t help but smile as the unseen creature it hit shrieked, and she watched in wonder as almost immediately the elf had another arrow ready.

Aragorn’s shot hit it’s mark as well, and then all hell broke loose. The door broke and the fellowship all gave war cries and charged into battle, even the four small hobbits.

Ascadholiel stared in horror. These things were more terrible and hideous than the other had let on. She stood frozen in shock. She looked at Legolas as he fought with the grace of his kind, and then back at the orcs and shook her head still wide-eyed. ‘How can these things have come from elves? All that beauty, that grace and wonder, stripped so cruelly from them. How…’ Her thoughts were interrupted with a cry from Boromir.

“Lady Asca! Move!”

Ascadholiel turned, and her eyes widened as she saw the orc bring its filthy, curved sword down on her. She felt only strange pressure on her arm and upper right breast, and she was falling. Then the pain kicked in and she screamed as she landed, her own blood splashing on her face. She heard another scream from someone else that sounded familiar, along with some of the hobbit’s voices.

What seemed like a few minutes later, Legolas was there, holding her upper body off the ground. “Ascadholiel! Valar!”

Tears of pain were streaming down the blonde woman’s face. She had never been cut so deeply before. She had still been cut before though and the pain kicked her into survival mode. She bit back most of the pain and pushed at Legolas. “No. I’ll be fine for now. I’ll drag myself behind something and play dead. They need you in this fight. Your vows were first to Frodo and this quest. Fulfill your vows! The elf I bound myself to would. I won’t die strait away. No go!” Though it hurt and scared her badly to do so, she knew a sense of duty that most did not, and she knew that without her love’s bow, they might very well loose someone else as well.

Ascadholiel knew she had done the right thing, as Legolas looked at her with a mix of worry and pride, then nodded and stood, whirling around. The next shot he took, was to fire two arrows at once at the orcs attacking Gimli.

Ascadholiel smiled, then bit her lips as she pulled herself behind the well to watch, holding her love’s dagger out and ready. Her eyes widened again as the huge troll came smashing its way in. She watched in growing horror as Legolas fought his way up onto a ledge, not seeing the orc sneaking up behind him. She took a risk and acted, knowing if she didn’t that her beloved Legolas would die. Using her left hand, she flung the dagger at the creature, and by sheer dumb luck, against all odds, the blade was buried deeply in the creatures back, killing it.

Legolas, hearing this turned and looked at it in shock, then turned the same look to his wife, who gave him a shaky smile and a thumbs up, her hand covered in blood from holding her wound. He nodded, then grabbed the dagger and started fighting again, with both of his weapons this time.

Just when Ascadholiel thought her eyes couldn’t get any wider, the troll turned on the elf and started swinging its chain at him. She didn’t see what happened next however, since an orc had spotted her and was now coming at her. She closed her eyes and waited for the last bit of pain to come, but then opened her eyes and stared in shock when the thing shrieked and fell just before it reached her. She looked up to see grey right in front of her. She sighed in relief. “Gandalf.”

The wizard smiled at her over his shoulder, his staff and sword held forward to fight. “Do not fear any more Lady Ascadholiel. I will keep them away from you as best as I can.”

Ascadholiel have another shaky smile and nodded, looking around Gandalf for a moment, but no longer seeing Legolas on the now demolished ledge. Everything was so confusing, and she feared for all the members of the fellowship.

True to his word, Gandalf kept all the orcs away from her, until only the troll was left. She looked over the well and saw Pippin still on it’s back, Merry having been tossed off before she looked. Then she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Legolas, alive and well, rush forward and deliver the killing blow with an arrow through the troll’s throat.

Legolas turned as soon as it lay still on the ground and rushed over to her side, helping her to her feet. That’s when she caught sight of the small body laying over in one of the corners. “Oh no… No. Oh god, Frodo.”

Legolas helped her walk over with the same look on his face as Aragorn turned the hobbit over.

The spear fell away from Frodo’s body and he gasped. “It’s alright. I’m not hurt.”

Ascadholiel would have sank to her knees in relief had Legolas not been holding her up. The pain was really getting to her.

Aragorn’s eyes were wide. “But how? That spear would have skewered a wild boar!”

Gandalf said, “I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye.”

Frodo opened his vest and shirt to show his shirt of mythril rings.

Ascadholiel, even through her pain, did a double take. “Wow.”

Gimli said, “Mythril. You are full of surprises young hobbit.”

More would have been said, but then there was more screeching from outside. Gandalf said, “Come, we must hurry! To the bridge of Khazadum!”

Legolas started to pick Ascadholiel up, but she stopped him. “No. I can run. We’ll need your bow!” And so they ran as orcs began to swarm around them. The pain and blood loss from Ascadholiel’s wounds were beginning to get to her again. Finally they had to stop as they were surrounded. The fellowship made a ring around her and Frodo, Legolas’ bow point flashing from one target to another.

There was a deep roar suddenly and all the orcs shrieked and hurried away, faster than they had come. For a moment, Ascadholiel breathed a sigh of relief, and then she too saw the strange light heading toward them.

Boromir stepped closer to Gandalf and voiced the question they were all thinking in one form or another. “What new devilry is this?”

Gandalf took a moment to answer. “A balrog. A demon of the ancient world.”

Ascadholiel looked over as Legolas’ arrow dropped from his fingers, the blood seeming to drain from his fair features, his terrified cry of, “Ai! A balrog is come!” shook her to the core. She was well and truly terrified now by the look of pure terror lacing her bonded’s every feature.

Gandalf went on. “This foe is beyond any of you. Run!” They needed not be told again,theythey all broke into action, running like bats out of hell. They ran through a doorway, only Legolas’ quick reflexes keeping Boromir from falling into the fiery depths below, and then raced down twisting narrow staircases.

When they came to a gap in the stairs, Legolas effortlessly jumped over. He turned and held his arms out. “Ascadholiel! Gandalf! Come one!”

Ascadholiel leaped into Legolas’ arms and gave a cry as it jarred her wounds. She was secretly getting more and more worried about it since it was deep and wouldn’t stop bleeding. More and more she was dizzy and out of breath, and she didn’t know if she could put up with the pain much more.

Gandalf made the jump to Legolas’ arms next. Next Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin, Legolas playing sharpshooter at the orcs who were shooting at them, and leaped across with the two in his arms.

Another part of the stairs fell away, making the gap wider, but not quite impassable. Ascadholiel looked on in admiration as Aragorn grabbed Sam by the pack he wore and tossed him across the gap into Legolas’ waiting arms, showing off the strength of the man. Aragorn started to grab Gimli, and Ascadholiel looked on in exasperation as the stubborn dwarf stopped him.

“No one tosses a dwarf!” And he gave a cry as he leapt over. He would have fallen back into the fiery chasm had Legolas, with his elven reflexes, not grabbed hold of the red beard and hauled him up.

Ascadholiel would have laughed at the indignant cry of, “Not the beard!” if the situation not been what it was.

Aragorn and Frodo were getting ready to jump when more of the stairs started to crumble. The ranger pushed Frodo back and caught the ledge just in time to haul himself up, but now the gap was unjumpable, with them on one side, and everyone else on the other. The rest of the fellowship watched in growing horror as part of the arch above crumbled under the onslaught of the pounding balrog, and fell, smashing the stairs just behind Frodo and Aragorn, blocking the way back, even if they had wanted to go that way, leaving just the section of stairs they were on. Then that section of the stairs itself began to break away. Through Aragorn’s good judgment, they were able to lean the way they wanted and jump off into the waiting arms of Legolas and Boromir.

With that behind them, they were off again, racing down the stairs, Ascadholiel struggling not to lag behind, but finding fear… and the view of her bonded’s rear… a good motivator. She was panting hard, not joking in the least when she had said she was out of shape, by the time they reached the sliver of a bridge, and Legolas nearly having to drag her over it as he gripped her hand and ran.

When they were well on the other side, they turned to see Gandalf standing in the middle of the bridge, facing off with a demon that was sure to give her nightmares for a very long time. Her eyes widened and she had to lean against Legolas’ own trembling form as she watched and struggled to catch her breath. “Is… is that the balrog?”

Legolas nodded, but did not turn his eyes from a sight Elves fear above almost all others. “Yes.”

They heard Gandalf seem to chant something, and then deflect the thing’s sword. He shouted, “You, shall not, pass!” Then he slammed his staff down, and when the balrog came forward, the bridge split in half, and the balrog fell.

Ascadholiel heaved a sigh again, but then gave a cry as a fiery whip came up and curled around the wizard’s legs, pulling him off the ledge to hang for a few seconds by his fingers. She heard Frodo’s cry for Gandalf as well. She stared at the wizard, holding her breath as he said, “Fly you fools!” Then he let go and the woman screamed along with Frodo, as the wizard who had become like a father, or grandfather to her, fell into darkness.

Boromir pulled Frodo away, as Legolas pulled Ascadholiel. Once outside, she joined most of the others, sobbing. When she looked at Legolas, she saw on his face, utter and complete confusion and bewilderment, showing plainly that, as an elf, he still didn’t quite, understand death. He looked at everyone else and saw the effect that this was having on them, realizing that this is what death is. That this is what death does to those who are left behind.

Aragorn, cleaning off his sword before sheathing it, said, “Legolas, get them up.”

Boromir was horrified as he said, “Give them a moment for pity’s sake!”

Aragorn’s eyes blazed with unspoken emotion. “By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien.”

Finally, Ascadholiel could take no more, and fell backwards away from Legolas, who caught her just in time. She heard Legolas’ frantic voice.

“Melamin! Melamin! Uma! Saes!” (“My love! My love! No! Please!”)

Ascadholiel world brightened and the darkness receded a little as she screamed in pain when there was a hard pressure applied to her wounds. She gasped and opened her eyes, the world spinning around her, and a silence filling her ears. She saw Legolas’ tear-filled eyes above her as he pressed and held something to her wound. Then Aragorn’s face Legolas’ in her vision, just before the world went black again.

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A.N.: Yay!!! Another chapter done!!! This is yet again a good thing! I’m glad you guys are all liking this, especially now that there’s lots of lovey type things going on…. Gods…. I’m such a romantic, but that’s a good thing right? Oh yeah!!! And more good laughs coming up. Just you wait! Ascadholiel’s sharp tongue makes another appearance in the next chapter or so. It’s a good thing… just don’t slight her friends or she’ll give you a tongue lashing but good. Anyway… REVIEWS!!!!! They are a GOOD thing!!!! Much luvs! Namarie!

~Celesta Hellewise Harman