Mending a Heart

Chapter 7: Attack


WARNING: Please note that this chapter contains mild violence.


Special Notes: According to the Encyclopedia of Arda
(www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm) elves often used the terms orcs
and goblins interchangeably. I have done this in this chapter even though Arda also claims that goblins were a specific type of orc. Hope you enjoy!

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The four elves passed through the forest, chatting animatedly about their day in Gaidon. The males, of course, were very careful not to reveal their jest or their humiliation to Arwen.

The day was drawing to a close as the sun began its slow descent behind the hills. The sky’s veil of blue had changed to orange and pink.

Legolas regarded the heavens carefully as the sun set. Even though orc attacks were not common in Rivendell, the prince was uneasy.

Arwen and Elrohir rode side-by-side, talking and laughing freely. Elladan and Legolas, who also rode beside one another, were bringing up the rear.

Elladan looked at Legolas intently and noticed that the prince seemed troubled. He hoped that Legolas wasn’t having second thoughts about their conversation.

“Legolas?” Elladan asked quietly, trying not to alert the others to their discussion. “Are you alright?”

Legolas looked at Elladan wearily and forced a smile. “I am fine.”

“You. . . you are not. . . having regrets about our talk, are you?” Elladan asked hesitantly.

“Nay, Elladan,” Legolas said, looking into his eyes. “Nay.”

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They were just beyond the borders of Rivendell when they passed by a thick mass of foliage. The moon was now their only source of light.

Without warning, Yon stopped abruptly.

Elladan looked back at the prince, dismayed. “What are you doing?” he asked, calling back to Legolas.

Elrohir and Arwen glanced behind them when they heard Elladan shouting.

Legolas looked around wildly, and Yon neighed in fear. Suddenly, the other elves sensed the creatures.

“Orcs!” Elladan cried.

Wordlessly, they began to canter, trying to reach the borders of Rivendell before the monsters were upon them.

As they rode on, scores of goblins emerged through the trees, wielding swords and knives. The creatures came from every direction, focusing their attack on whichever elf was in the closest proximity.

Realizing that there was no other alternative, Elladan and Elrohir dismounted and readied their swords in a moment’s time. The twins quickly destroyed any creature that came near them.

An orc shrieked loudly as Elladan stabbed it through the heart.

Elrohir called out to Arwen as he had lost sight of her during the attack. When she didn’t respond, he hoped that she had escaped.

Elladan looked back to see how Legolas was faring and watched in horror as orcs approached the prince from every side.

Legolas, apparently in shock, did not move.

“Legolas!” Elladan shouted. “Legolas!” He tried to move toward the prince but three orcs sprang forward, thrusting their daggers at him. Elladan grappled with the beasts furiously, fearing that Legolas would be dead the next time he looked upon his face.

Legolas stood transfixed, lost in the memories of a day not long past. He heard a male calling his name. It was his brother, Joren.

And then it happened. A scream pierced the forest. *Mother!* Legolas began to shake all over. *Mother!* The prince could hear the echoes of his mother’s screams in his mind.

The orcs that surrounded the prince approached him apprehensively. They had never seen an elvish warrior act so strangely.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” Arwen screamed when an orc grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her off of her horse.

The maiden’s steed galloped away in fear, heading toward Rivendell.

The orc moved to stab Arwen, but stopped when another orc’s piercing scream filled the air. Forgetting about the maiden, the orc ran away to aid his comrades.

“Arwen!” Legolas shouted, awakening from his trance. The prince realized that he was surrounded by orcs and became enraged. With sword in hand and without hesitation, Legolas struck hard at the creatures. The orcs’ shock at the elf’s sudden outburst aided him in killing every creature that was near.

Arwen screamed again as five goblins walked slowly toward her. Terrified, she stared at the approaching creatures.

Elladan and Elrohir tried to aid their sister; but with every advance that was made, more orcs would appear.

Arwen looked on in fear as a large orc raised his sword. She screamed when the monster lurched forward, knowing that her life was about to end.

Suddenly, the orc straightened up and looked down at his stomach. The tip of an arrow was sticking out of his abdomen as blood flowed freely from the wound. Befuddled, the orc looked at Arwen. Staggering slightly, it fell to the ground, dead.

Legolas was at Arwen’s side, wielding his bow in ways that she had never seen.

As Elladan fought, he saw Legolas beside his sisand and relief spread throughout his body. For a moment, he watched the prince and realized what a commanding warrior he was.

Legolas used his arrows as if they were spears or knives, stabbing and slashing every creature in sight. Then, he would ready and fire the weapons with the utmost of ease. When Legolas had ravaged every creature in Arwen’s path, he called out, “Ellie, Eliad, Yon, come hither!”

The steeds galloped forward awaiting the prince’s orders.

“Protect her,” Legolas commanded and ran off to destroy more of the evil beings.

Ellie, Eliad and Yon surrounded Arwen, forming a barricade of safety around her.

The orcs, not knowing what to make of this strange behavior, avoided the circle of protection. Instead, they decided to focus their attack on the warriors.

Elladan was glad when Legolas joined him and Elrohir in the heart of the battle.

Elrohir looked at Legolas in astonishment as the flaxen haired warrior fired arrows rapidly at orcs, never missing a target. Not only was the prince’s aim more accurate than he had ever seen, he was shocked by Legolas’ ferocity.

The corpses of dead orcs littered the ground, but the remaining creatures refused to succumb to defeat. The beasts charged the elves, hoping to overcome them. But the warriors would have rather died fighting than allow the loathsome creatures to conquer them.

Legolas paused as he heard something approaching. *More orcs.* It mattered little to the prince. *I will join you soon, Mother, but I shall die well for you.*

Legolas fought like he never had before. He stabbed, maimed or beheaded any creature that came near him.

*Legolas! Legolas!*

The prince could hear his mother’s screams. *I’m coming, Mother! I’m coming!*

Elladan sighed with relief when the border patrol appeared. He remembered seeing Arwen’s horse flee towards the boundaries of Rivendell, and was silently grateful. The steed’s appearance must have alerted the guards.

Leading the group was Glorfindel.

When the orcs saw the heavily armed warriors rapidly approaching, they began to flee.

Legolas, haunted by his inner turmoil, began to chase the retreating orcs. He used every arrow that he had left, firing rapidly at the creatures. He did not know that reinforcements had arrived.

“Legolas?” Elladan shouted, running toward the prince. “It is over.” Elladan grasped the prince’s shoulder gently and turned Legolas to face him.

Legolas tried to compose himself. “Are they gone?” he asked, confused.

“Aye, they are gone,” Elladan replied.

Legolas sighed, and reeled slightly. He could hear Arwen sobbing in the background. And then he was transported back in time, holding his mother, sobbing unabashedly as she died in his arms.

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Glorfindel, Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir stood in silence in Elrond’s study.

The lord was in the reading chamber with Arwen, attempting to assess her condition.

Time seemed to pass slowly and the unrest in the room hovered like a storm cloud overhead.

Finally, Elrond entered the room with Arwen by his side.

“Oh, Legolas!” Arwen exclaimed, running across the room and embracing the prince. “You saved my life.” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Arwen released Legolas and stared in his eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Legolas nodded slowly, but couldn’t speak.

“Arwen will be alright,” Elrond announced earnestly. “She has had quite a scare, but has been spared of any physical injuries.”

Elladan and Elrohir sighed with relief in unison.

“Arwen,” Elrond said gently, “I need to speak with Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas privately. I know that you have had a frightful evening, so I have asked Zera to come over and keep you company tonight. I hope you do not mind.”

“Nay, Father,” Arwen, said, smiling with relief. “Thank you.” She was glad that Zera would be by her side, as she did not want to be alone.

“She is waiting in your bedchamber,” Elrond said kindly. “Glorfindel has offered to escort you to your room.”

Elrond looked at his daughter with unmitigated concern, but Arwen smiled reassuringly.

“Father,” Arwen stated sincerely, “I will be alright.” She left the room with Glorfindel by her side.

Elrond turned and looked at the three males. Their garments were torn and they were obviously weary from battle. But considering what they had been through, they looked well.

“I have never, ever,” Elrond began sternly, as all three males braced themselves for the lord’s outburst, “heard of such bravery in all of my life.”

Elladan and Elrohir looked at their father in shock.

Legolas wrinkled his brow and looked down at the floor.

“You are not angry?” Elladan asked hesitantly.

“Why should I be angry?” Elrond asked.

“Because,” Elladan said, “we went to Gaidon.”

Elrond smiled. “Are you not allowed in Gaidon?”

Elladan sat in silence for a moment pondering his father’s words. Aside from acting like juveniles, they had done no wrong.

Elrohir seemed to grasp the concept at the same time as his older brother; they looked at each other in amazement.

“If you are not angry,” Elrohir asked, “why did you ask Arwen to leave?”

“I wanted to ask you about the assault and did not want to distress your sister further,” Elrond remarked honestly. “It is troubling that the orcs would attack so close to Rivendell. Our borders are well protected and we rarely face this sort of raid. I know that you are exhausted from your ordeal. We can discuss this at a later time, but there is something that I must know. Gaidon is not very far from here, and yet all of you were heavily armed. Why?”

“Legolas refused to journey with us if we did not fully arm ourselves,” Elrohir stated, looking at the prince. “It is because of him that you have any children left.”

Elrond looked at Legolas who was staring at the floor.

Elrond walked over, stood before the prince and raised his chin gently. He looked into the his eyes in admiration. “You fought alongside my sons tonight, Legolas. And from what I have been told, you are a fierce and brave warrior. I marvel at you this day, Prince. You told me about your horse-speak in the stable one day, do you remember?”

Legolas nodded slowly.

“In my lifetime, I have known of only a few elves to possess your gift. But I have never known it to be used to protect the life of another. I have already lost so much,” Elrond said quietly, “and because of you, I did not lose more. Do you remember that I once said that as long as you are here, you are an extension of my family?”

“Aye,” Legolas said softly.

“That holds true no longer,” Elrond remarked seriously.

Legolas looked at Elrond, confused.

Elrond walked over to his desk and removed a small item from a container. Then, the lord approached Legolas. He leaned forward and fastened a small pendant on the prince’s tunic.

Legolas looked at the ornament in amazement, realizing that he had been given a family heirloom.

“You are no longer an extension of my family, Legolas,” Elrond said warmly. “You are a part of it. Should anyone come against you, they too have come against me. Should you ever need anything of me, you only have to ask. You may pass in and out of Rivendell as you please and if anyone ever speaks against you, they will no longer be welcome within these borders.”

Legolas looked at Elrond in incredulity.

Elrond embraced the prince tenderly as did Elrohir and Elladan.

The prince staggered upon being released. He heard someone ask if he was alright, but then all memories faded into darkness.

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TBC. . .