Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

In a land of shadows	By : Nuredhel Category: -Fourth Age to Modern times and beyond > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1448 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien, and i do not earn any money from this work of fiction, it is solely written for entertainment and not for profit at all.I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien,

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter six: Let there be light
Without darkness there can be no light
Without light darkness is without substance
What then with the world of shadows
Forever trapped in between
Forever awaiting the beginning
Or the end
Ravenne was standing in front of a huge glass window, staring down at a large table where healers and other experts were cutting away at the weird creature the wizards had brought with them from Aman. She had never seen anything even halfway that ugly before and she knew that the thing had scared them all when they first saw it. The elves were performing a necropsy and everything was being recorded for later use, she wanted to be there but they wouldn’t let anyone in who couldn’t make themselves useful and she knew that the stench of this thing would have made her sick.
They were cutting away and the sight made her flinch, yes, it was smart of her to remain on the gallery. Verya came in through the door, she had been at home resting and now she had returned to hear what they had discovered about this creature. She grinned at Ravenne and took a quick look at the action downstairs. She immediately gulped and turned around. “Oh by the Valar, that is just so gross!”
Ravenne nodded. “Yes, hope you haven’t eaten, I have seen two of the healers leave the room to puke already, and those ellith are rather tough, believe me.”
Verya just shook her head in disbelief. “That thing looks utterly bizarre? What in the name of everything sacred is it really?”
Ravenne shrugged. “Hopefully the healers will be able to tell us that. It looks as if they are finishing down there.”
Verya rushed out the door and Ravenne followed her, not less enthusiastic but with far more dignity. They did not have to wait for long, the leader of the colony came out and pulled off a facemask and a white coat which was covered with goo. He looked horrible and his face was green, Ravenne did pity him a bit. Luin sighed and rolled his eyes. “Phew, what a job, I won’t get rid of that smell ever, I swear. I am gonna feel it until the end of days!”
Ravenne had to grin, Luin was indeed stinking and she knew that the room had to be absolutely revolting by now. Some of the healers emerged and their faces were also very green, they too were covered with goo and one of them disappeared into the nearest bathroom in an alarming speed, hand pressed against her mouth and panic in her eyes.
The one in charge of the necropsy was an elleth Ravenne yet hadn’t met, she was rather short and willowy and she had thick red hair and green eyes which were shining with excitement. It was rather apparent that this elleth had found something she found fascinating. She stopped by Ravenne and Luin and grinned at them, Verya had to turn around, her grimace told everybody that she was ready to say goodbye to every meal she had had this day. “I am Mallina, I have been working with many interesting specimens in my life but this one is in a category of itself, damn, I am all giddy still. Have you any idea of how bizarre this creature is?”
Ravenne had to grin. “No, but I am rather sure that you are willing to tell us exactly how weird he is.”
Mallina was giggling. “First of all, it isn’t a he at all!”
Verya was staring slack jawed. “Are you kidding me? It is a she?! By Morgoth’s balls she is ugly, I am glad I haven’t seen any of the males then!”
Mallina grinned widely, her arms were moving like a conductors and she was beaming with energy. “It isn’t a she either, I discovered something rather weird. This creature is almost like a working bee or ant, it is genderless. Its sole purpose in life is to bring food and materials back to its hive, I think this enemy is almost like an anthill. “
Ravenne felt how an ice cold chill ran down her spine. “Then there has to be a queen, controlling them all. And she could very well be the only intelligent creature among them!”
Mallina nodded. “Yes, I am rather sure of that too. But that queen has to possess some kind of magic to be able to send her soldiers into different worlds to gather food, and like I told you, I think this is a worker, not a soldier.”
Verya was pale. “I have seen ants, the warriors are huge! And damn do they bite!”
Mallina looked serious for a minute. “I would expect that that is the truth also for this species. The warriors are probably a lot bigger and more aggressive and a heck of a lot more dangerous. These creatures does not exist as individuals, the entire hive is one being in a way, a super organism with specialized organs in the form of workers, warriors, builders and so on.”
Ravenne was thinking hard. “Then it cannot be something that is completely new can it? The inhabitants of Lithui have had to have faced them before?”
Mallina frowned. “You know what? They could have been in hibernation, maybe it was just one egg. And when it hatched it became a queen and now she has got a whole hive to feed.”
Verya made a grimace. “Then that queen must have been able to lay eggs without a male?”
Mallina shrugged. “That’s not so weird actually, they call it parthenogenesis and some species are known to use it. She’ll mate with a male offspring from her first clutch of eggs and then she’ll lay hundreds of eggs.”
Ravenne hissed. “Oh please don’t tell me its hundreds of those monsters out there? The Ce’agar has to know anything about them.”
Mallina made a grimace. “Wouldn’t bet on it, if this hive is in a new area where there has been no such creatures before they could be as new to the elves there as the motorcar was to the first of us who came to earth. The Ce’agar doesn’t inhabit all of Lithui, we already know that. There are huge areas which are unexplored even by them.”
Verya bit her lower lip. “But I do hope they will help us nonetheless, we don’t know that world at all. “
Mallina tilted her head, she looked curious. “I heard you have a live Ce’agar in the infirmary? Oh by the Valar how I would love to examine him, thoroughly. I have heard that they are such exceptional creatures.”
Ravenne suddenly felt angry, why she did not know. She just snapped. “His name is Narriar and he is not some specimen, he is an elf just like us and not a freaking lab rat! Show some respect!”
Mallina blinked, she looked shocked. “Pardon me, I was being rude. Of course, he is a person, I was just a bit over eager.”
Ravenne almost growled. “Don’t let that happen again!”
Verya frowned and her face looked very shocked. “Where the heck did that come from Rav? You are not usually that protective of anyone?!”
Ravenne just sighed, she didn’t understand either. “I just pity him, just as I told you!”
Verya pressed her eyebrows together and threw a very suspicious glance at Ravenne, she didn’t say anything but her eyes spoke volumes. This wasn’t like Ravenne at all, something was off but what?
Mallina sighed. “Anyway, the fact that this worker is genderless is just one weird fact, the other is that their stomachs are huge! They are probably eating as much as they can and then they return and regurgitate most of it. “
Verya went green again. “Oh Nuath, that is so vile!”
Mallina shrugged again. “Canines do that, to feed the pups. It isn’t anything unnatural about it. Furthermore I did find out that they are practically blind but their skin is very sensitive to sunlight, or more precisely to UV light. It burns them almost like dragons fire. Their skin is very tough, I had huge problems even getting a very sharp scalpel through it but the throat is rather vulnerable. And so are the eyes in fact, the brain is just behind the eyes. It is a tiny target but an arrow or shot will kill them if it hits it.”
Ravenne nodded. “Anything else worth knowing?”
Mallina grinned. “They have got an amazing nose, better than that of a dog but I noticed that they probably are unable to pick up certain scents. Only those useful for hunting are followed.”
Verya swallowed hard. “I am no hunter, what scents would that be?”
Ravenne tried to look calm. “The scent of bodies, sweat, blood, breath. The scent of fear, of death. I bet they never would even care about the smell of a carcass or something that isn’t alive, like wood or metal.”
Mallina nodded with a serious look within her eyes. “Yes, anything which tells them that food is available. I bet they are rather primitive in this matter too, unable to switch their attention from one thing to another. I guess that could be their weakness.”
Ravenne sent her a swift smile. “So do I, we can perhaps use that fact in some way.”
Verya shuddered. “Well, I do for certain hope that this is the last specimen of this race I ever will see.”
Mallina made a grimace, she stared at the floors. “There is one more thing, I am rather certain that they will increase the number of attacks from now on. They have discovered that there is food available both here on earth and in Aman. If they are to be stopped they have to be stopped at the source. Trying to get rid of them when they arrive is just like trying to plug a leaking dam with a piece of cork. It will only hold for a little while, then everything will crumble for the pressure.”
Ravenne closed her eyes. “We have to go there right? Someone has to go to Lithui and find the source of these invasions.”
Mallina tried to smile but it became a grin. “Yes, but believe me, we will provide those who leave with everything we can get our hands on of equipment. Weapons, explosives, armor. We have some really cool new stuff that’s been developed just recently.”
Ravenne had a strange sensation of resignation, she would go. She had no choice, it was her destiny somehow. “Good to hear, we will need it all.”
Mallina was being called upon by one of the other healers and she excused herself and had to go, they had some reports to write and deliver. Verya shook her head and she looked very nervous. “Damn, I hope she is wrong, we cannot cope with more attacks!”
Ravenne nodded. “I know, I fear for those back home, they have even less to defend themselves with than we do, they are brave but I don’t think that is enough to save them if an army of these monsters show up in a city.”
She suddenly got an idea, a revelation. “Mallina said UV light right?”
Verya nodded, she looked confused. “Yes, why?”
Ravenne got a dark and determined look within her golden eyes. “Because I think I have an idea, and I am rather sure that it will work too. Follow me!”
Verya frowned. “Why? To where? “
Ravenne picked up her handbag and checked that her card was in it, she had quite a lot of money and now it would come to good use. “The super marked down the block. And get someone to get there asap with the vans and a lot of crates.”
Verya looked bewildered and shocked but she obeyed and Ravenne ran and rushed into the supermarked like she had an army at her heels. She ran towards the department which sold smaller electrical devices and luckily she found what she had been looking for. She had seen a commercial for them some nights ago and she grinned when she saw that the shelves were filled with them. Verya arrived and she stared at Ravenne as she filled several shopping carts with the huge flashlights. They were very powerful and could be switched to UV light just by the flick of a switch. The commercials told that they had a range almost as long as the headlights of a truck and that they would give at least five hours of strong light with fresh batteries. Ravenne waved at Verya, three ellyn had followed her. “Fill some carts with batteries, and you two, drive to the other marked on the other side of town and buy every flashlight of this type you see. Get the others to do the same, I want every available flashlight brought to the colony by tomorrows light. We have to give those back home a fighting chance.”
Verya gasped, she suddenly realized the genius of this plan and she went to action with vigor. The clerk at the door looked shocked, why would anyone buy several hundred flashlights and more than forty pounds of batteries? Ravenne just grinned as she paid for the many carts of flashlights and batteries, she told the clerk that it was for a children’s camp. She had no idea of whether or not the man believed her but she did not care. They went to every marked they found and bought flashlights by the hundreds. Before dawn there were no more left in any shop in a forty mile radius of the colony. Several vans were filled with flashlights and batteries and Ravenne put some others to work putting the batteries into the flashlights and making them ready for use.
Then Verya had an idea of her own, since these creatures had such good noses bearspray should be very efficient right? And then they were at it again, Ravenne was too tired now but she convinced Luin of the brightness of the idea and he agreed. He sent every available elf he could find out to buy bearspray, maze and some water guns they filled with tabasco sauce. Suddenly there was a surge of more or less good ideas and some even suggested that they bought some pounds of the strongest type of chili peppers and used them as weapons. Ravenne went to the infirmary and laid down on the bed next to Narriar’s. He wasn’t conscious yet but she saw that the healers had changed his bandages and one of them stopped by and left her with some bread cheese and a jug of thin ale and some milk. She accepted gracefully and the elleth told her that he was getting better by the minute. The Ce’agar had an ability to heal that was close to being uncanny. He would be weak for a few days and he would be in pain for even longer but strong enough to get out of bed. She grasped a blanket after she had eaten and laid down to sleep. She just hoped that this night wouldn’t bring more death and destruction. She knew that their leaders had identified the next possible target and they were prepared now, they couldn’t get the flashlights over to Aman before the morning, if there was an attack back there this night they were on their own and she just prayed that everybody she knew was safe. Before long she was fast asleep and the healers just grinned and didn’t wake her up when they came back to check in on their patient, she needed her rest now.
In Tirion the day went slowly and yet so very fast. Everybody was getting ready and the vaults were closed and fires light. There was no darkness anywhere and even the women were armed. The tension was almost palpable, many were sitting there praying and the mayor sat by his own in a corner, surrounded by two barrels of his best wine and he was holding on to a ceremonial dagger so hard his knuckles were white. It wouldn’t do him much good if they were attacked in there but at least he was holding on to something solid.
Outside the warriors were patrolling the wall, they had a strange kind of calm, they knew more or less what to expect and they had seen action before. Many of them had fallen in battles long ago and been re-embodied and to them the fear was something they could control. Legolas stood at the wall, staring out at the darkness which was creeping towards them as the sun set. He swallowed and had to remember another evening when he had stood on a wall like this, awaiting an attack. That time he had been surrounded by his friends, Aragorn, Gimli and others too. This time he stood alone and it didn’t feel good at all. He still missed Gimli, being brought to Aman had given the dwarf a long life, much longer than normal but in the end age took him and Legolas had mourned him for years. It was such a long time ago but now in this moment it suddenly felt like it was yesterday and the sorrow and longing was as strong as ever.
He got a grip on himself, watched how the last sunlight disappeared and the night placed her carpet of silvery stars across the skies. Not knowing was the worst part of this, waiting. But he trusted these ellyn and knew that they would fight well. The bonfires were ready and so were the mirrors too. He could just hope and pray that the trick would work. Silence fell, the city seemed to be sleeping but he knew that very few if anyone was sleeping now. Vegylion walked over to him, the tall darkhaired ellon grinned, there was a strange fire in his eyes and he had put on some armor and wore two long slender blades. “I guess this is it my lord, we’ll see if we can make it or not and it will happen tonight. “
Legolas nodded. “I fear you are right, my daeradar doesn’t make many mistakes. Well he has done a few huge ones but not when it comes to these kinds of situations.”
Vegylion nodded and took a sip from his leather flask, he held it up. “Here, take a sip, it is brandy. Rather strong but you look as if you need it.”
Legolas took the flask and found himself gasping and coughing, strong? It felt like liquid fire and Vegylion laughed and pat him on his back, rather hard. “Yes, you needed it, it makes you feel quite alive!”
The archer shook his head and although the taste was very good his throat felt raw and sore. “No kidding! What is this thing made of? Dragons blood?!”
Vegylion grinned widely. “Nope, but it does burn well, I saw an unfortunate fellah spill his glass into a fire once, boom! He lost his hair and his eyebrows, all in one flash!”
Legolas eyes got narrow, he stared at the flask. “Tell me, how much of this stuff do you have?”
Vegylion frowned. “Two barrels, why?”
Legolas remembered something he had seen at a fair almost an age ago. A man had been spewing flames like a dragon but it had all been some flammable liquid and he lit it with his torch. “Just get them here, now! And find as many pocket flasks you can get, every warrior gets one.”
Vegylion looked puzzled. “Are you thinking of getting the ellyn drunk?”
Legolas smiled, a rather sinister grin. “No, I think about turning them into dragons!”
Vegylion just stared but then he turned and ran and Legolas face turned serious again. Most animals fear fire, he just hoped that this was the case for these creatures too.
After a short while Vegylion and some other warriors returned, they pulled two rather large barrels after them on sleds and one had his arms full of the small leather bottles one usually gave soldiers who were going into battle. They would normally contain water but this time they were filled with something far more explosive.
Legolas gathered the warriors around him, he just hoped that this would be a good idea and not a disastrous one. “I have an idea, and I would like for the sword fighters to try it out. Try to go into pairs, one will carry a torch and keep it burning. The other one gets one of these flasks and don’t drink the contents however tempting that may be.”
The ellyn just stared at him, some looked a bit disappointed, Vegylions brandy was well known for its ability to chase away both fear and anxiety, and perhaps wits and wisdom too. Legolas grasped a torch and took a mouthful of the stuff, it burned his tongue and he cut a grimace but then he turned towards a wall and spewed out the liquid through the flame and it worked, a long flame burst forth and hit the wall, scorched it. The ellyn stared with huge eyes. “It is really easy, just do as if you were to spit out something nasty, and don’t stop until you have nothing left. Just make sure that you wipe off your face before you go anywhere near an open flame afterwards.”
The ellyn grasped the flasks reluctantly but he knew that they would obey and at least try. If fire could frighten these creatures then this would be rather efficient. He sighed. “Do not attempt to attack these creatures alone, one will distract it and the other one will strike, the throat is the weak spot and I guess that the eyes are one too. They cannot have much of a brain but try to hit it. Other than that they seem rather tough so don’t underestimate them at all. “
The warriors nodded and went to their posts and Legolas grasped a flask and attached it to his belt. It was dark now and the moon was rising but it was just a small crescent and gave no light to speak of. So now they were playing the waiting game and Legolas sighed and prepared for a very nervous watch. An owl did hoot from the small forest in front of the gates, the terrain was rather steep and they had left a wooded area just in front of the city because of the danger of landslides. And the ground was covered with huge boulders and could not be farmed without huge efforts, now the forest was a nice place to let the cattle graze but it did block the view of the road towards the gates. Legolas listened to the sounds coming from the surrounding area, from afar he heard a waterfall further up the valley and he also heard some foxes argue about something down by the small lake. He smiled, nature always made him feel at ease and content and he also knew that it would warn him of any danger.
It was quiet for a couple of hours, then he suddenly heard something new, a strange almost hissing sound which appeared to come from everywhere at once and the hairs of his neck stood up. The air was loaded as if a thunderstorm was approaching and he tenses up. It was happening, he just knew it. He closed his eyes and gathered all his courage, for the sake of the defenseless females and children they had to hold their ground. He heard that some birds shrieked, a loud piercing warning sound and he raised his horn and blew it once. A short warning that made all the warriors jump onto their feet and grasp their weapons. Legolas grasped the bow he had chosen and checked that the quiver was filled with arrows. A young ellon stood by his side with more arrows, ready to refill the moment it was empty. The elf was shivering and his eyes were huge with fear but the archer knew that the young ellon would stay there to the bitter end. A weird green glow appeared just beneath the wall, inside the main square and Legolas took a deep breath and knocked an arrow, prepared to take aim. The ellyn on the roofs were ready to light the bonfires and the sword fighters were in formation, ready to strike. He lifted his head, stared at the stars. “Morilinde, pray for me tonight!”
He whispered the words as the square suddenly was filled with at least a hundred and fifty grotesque creatures. They were growling and drooling and they carried clubs and weapons similar to the one the council had been shown. Legolas felt how his focus changed, he was in fighting mode now and let the first arrow fly. It hit one of the beasts right in the eye and the thing fell like a rock and didn’t even move. The others seemed unaffected and just started to move out. The bonfire was lit and the mirrors had been placed so the light reached the square, suddenly it was as light as in the middle of the day and the creatures stopped and roared with discomfort. They tried to shield their eyes and the elves went into action. Legolas saw that the archers were doing very well, they shot with amazing precision but it was very obvious that a near hit was no good. They had to hit exactly in the middle of the beasts eyes or through the jugular to kill them and some beasts soon looked like walking pin cushions.
The armor piercing arrows were very good but the flesh of these monsters was so dense the arrows stopped before they reached any vital organs. Legolas saw that several of the warriors started to use the brandy and it proved to be very efficient indeed. Flames were nothing these beasts appreciated and now the square had turned into a real battlefield. Legolas had fired his arrows and nodded at the young ellon who had helped him. “Stay up here lad, don’t leave the wall.”
He pulled his swords and ran down the stairs, threw himself into the battle. Everywhere the creatures were being attacked with fire and steel alike and they were roaring and screaming in confusion and rage. Even if the light blinded them they were terribly efficient and Legolas could see that many elves had gotten killed already, his heart felt cold in his chest and he knew that these creatures were much faster than a troll or orc. He ducked underneath a rock sword which came hurtling towards him and spun around while using the creature’s knee as a ladder, his sword cut through the beast’s throat and he saw that it fell, he then went for the next one with teeth bared and the fire of battle in his veins. Time seized to exist and everything that was in those moments were the sounds of steel against flesh and armor, the grunts and screams and the fire. Vegylion was fighting like a madman, his eyes were blazing and he fought with an elegance and strength which clearly showed that this was an elven warrior who had fought before and done that well.
Arrows still flew but the archers didn’t fire as often now out of fear of hitting their own, the beasts were moving around trying to fight off the defenders and the ground was slick with blood. It looked like a scene from hell, but they held their ground and didn’t let any of the beasts get through the lines.
Legolas slipped on some blood and one of those terrible blades came crashing down towards his legs, he just managed to jump out of the way and thrust his sword into the eye of the attacking monster, it let out a piercing cry of agony and twitched and fell. He felt a throbbing pain in his leg, the sharp rock shards had nicked him but the wound wasn’t that large although it bled rather profusely. Many of the beasts were on fire, rambling about in a panic trying to wipe off the flames but to no prevail. They were easy targets in that state and he saw that several of the warriors used rather nasty tricks to stop them. He did see that some veterans used their spears to pierce the creature’s rear and when they stopped and turned to remove the literal pain in the ass another warrior went for their throat. They could not think of more than one thing at a time. The green glow did not return, it was apparent that the magic that sent them back home to wherever they belonged didn’t work when they didn’t bring back what they had been sent to retrieve. The individual beasts were just cannon fodder and of no importance. It made the archer cringe, the enemy had to have huge forces to just waste some hundred like this.
Some beasts still fell for the arrows and others for brave and sneaky attacks towards their necks and corpses covered the ground. Legolas was still in a haze of fear and battle fever, he fought like never before, with both his sword and the twin knives he had carried on his back. With them he was more agile and could go for close up attacks but the sword was better at parrying attacks. The beasts were very strong and their weird blades strong too, but he had noticed that the rock shards were rather brittle. If you hit them at an angle they would shatter and he saw that some of the warriors had noticed too and switched to axes which were much better at doing just that. Some had also realized that an attack from behind was very efficient. While one distracted the beast up front another sprang onto it back, held on to its armor and sliced its throat from behind. If the attacker was quick at it the beast didn’t have time to react to getting a passenger on its back. Legolas grinned and started using the method himself and he felled a few like that. At the end he found himself fighting side by side with Vegylion. The warrior had a gash to his cheek and another one to his shoulder but he was grinning like crazy and he didn’t hesitate for a second. Legolas felt a strange fondness for the ellon, he reminded him of the stories his ada had told him of the ancient days, of the great battles and wars fought against the enemy.
The numbers of monsters was dwindling in a steady rate, soon only ten was left standing and then it was five and suddenly the last one was brought down and silence followed. The elves just stood there, panting, swords and bows in hand and all bloody and covered with sweat and the goo of their opponents. They were gasping for air, looking for the next opponent and slowly it dawned upon them that it was over, that the last beast was dead. Weapons were lowered, almost reluctantly and some rather nervous smiles were exchanged. Legolas blinked, it felt as if he just had awakened from some terrible nightmare, in the east the sky was getting lighter and he knew that there would be no more attacks this night. He took a look around, the place stank and he took a deep breath and gathered his senses. “Get the wounded to the infirmary, collect and count the dead and drag the carcasses out of the gates. We’ll burn them as soon as we can.”
Vegylion came over and lifted his flask. “Cheers, I have a few drops left of this poison, want some?”
Legolas nodded and took a rather deep draught of the brandy. It hit him like a hammer but by the Valar, he needed it. He thanked Vegylion who grinned and emptied the flask entirely. He snapped for air and his face turned red but he smiled and appeared to be very glad it was over. “Morgoth’s rotten teeth! Those things are damned ugly and they stink worse than an orc lavatory. But we got them!”
Legolas grinned, he suddenly felt very tired. “Yes we got them, but they got many of us too. They are much faster than I imagined, and hard to kill.”
Vegylion sighed. “We knew that some would fall, it was inevitable. These men knew what they were heading into my lord. Do not fear for that my friend, they knew. We would all gladly lay down our lives to save the innocent ones.”
Legolas nodded but his eyes were sad. “We have saved this city but what with the next in line? What are we to do about that one?”
Vegylion sat down on a small decorative wall surrounding a flowerbed. He looked a bit misplaced in armor, covered with goo sitting in front of a set of very beautiful roses, but Legolas guessed that this was the paradox of war. “West of here is the land of the Valar, very few settlements are further west than the foothills of these mountains. Maybe they will change their tactics?”
Legolas cut a grimace. “And begin anew further south in Eldamar? It is a possibility but not one I like, New Greenwood is south of here, in the forests of Orome. He allowed my father to rebuild his old home there and the wood elves are welcome there. The place is well protected but I still fear for my loved ones.”
Vegylion raised an eyebrow. “Of course you do. I have heard that you are married, any kids?”
Legolas shook his head. “No, not yet. We keep hoping but nothing so far.”
He tried to hide the expression within his eyes, nobody, not even his own family knew that there had been a child but that it had been taken from them by the hands of a very evil and deranged person. It was a hurt neither of them had managed to get over.
Vegylion patted him on his back. “Let me give you a piece of advice lad, don’t try! Just forget about begetting children and then it will happen before you both can imagine. It is those who are trying too damn hard that fail. Believe me, my wife and I tried for several centuries and she almost wore me out but to no prevail. Then we just gave up and before the year was over she was on her way with our first one.”
Legolas wiped some blood from his face and felt a little awkward. It was such a bizarre topic to be discussing in such a situation. “Have you got many kids?”
Vegylion sighed but there was a glimpse of mirth in his eyes. “Two sons and two daughters if I regard my lastborn son as what he is pretending to be.”
Legolas had to laugh. “Well, I did notice that he found me rather attractive. “
Vegylion just shrugged. “I do not blame him for being the way he is, nobody can be blamed for their taste in partners but he is so darn immature. My other two sons are very different from him and my daughter is a very head strong and ambitious. They are doing well but he has been given a job and title he doesn’t deserve because of favors he has done. I think I know exactly what kind of favors those were!”
Legolas didn’t know if he should grin or not and Vegylion turned around, an ellon approached them and he looked very tired. “My lord, we have done a count. We have seventy five wounded men but they will probably make it. We have lost a hundred and ten my lord.”
Legolas sighed and rested his head in his hands, hundred and ten dead warriors, and seventy five who could not fight again for a while. They could not face another attack, it was impossible. He nodded to the ellon. “See to it that the bodies are treated with the outmost respect. Have them washed and put into clean robes. We will burn them as soon as we can.”
The ellon bowed and left and Vegylion got back on his feet. “And the sun is rising at last, I was in doubt back there for a while, I feared that I had seen my last sunrise but no, this old warrior still knows how to deliver a punch. Follow me lad, there is a bathhouse here and I will make the servants prepare a meal for us. The warriors deserve it and I feel famished, it felt like a darn lifetime.”
Legolas just smiled, a short melancholic smile. “Yes it does, it always does.”
The night had been uneventful back at the council but everybody were tense and nervous as they gathered that morning. A courier had arrived from earth and he told them of the things the healers had discovered about the enemy. The news left everybody in a state of shock. There had been an attack back at earth that night and that piece of information made Thranduil go pale, then Tirion had been attacked too for sure. Oropher laid his hand on his shoulder, his eyes were calm but filled with both worry and tenderness. “He is alright son, I am sure of it. He has survived.”
Thranduil just gasped for air and felt how his legs barely could carry him. “I pray you are right, and that their losses has been few.”
The courier told them that they had been ready for the attack, they had managed to evacuate the small city claiming that there was a major gas leakage and that everything was about to explode. When people were brought out of the way they got ready with Ravenne’s idea and snipers on the roofs and it proved to be a brilliant idea. The combination of the UV light and modern weapons meant that they stopped the attack and killed all the monsters without losing a single elf. That news was applauded and crates of flashlights were distributed to be sent to the different cities as fast as possible. Thranduil made sure that one crate was sent for New Greenwood too and he was a bit suspicious of this human wizardry but if his daughter had come up with the idea it was good enough for him.
The courier told them that the expedition would be sent as soon as Narriar was well enough and they all accepted that. This had to be dealt with the sooner the better. Two attacks had been stopped, so what now? Would the enemy continue following the same pattern or would it change? Thranduil tried to fit the new information into the picture, if these creatures indeed were like the workers of an ant hill then the queen was the one they had to find and destroy. And she could very well be smart enough to break out of the habit and send her gatherers to somewhere else than before. If she had young to feed they probably couldn’t go hungry for that long and so they had to be prepared for another attack again the next night. It appeared that the council finally was taking this seriously and someone came up with the idea of evacuating the cities and moving the population out into the countryside. With fewer people assembled in one place at a time finding a place to attack would be harder and suddenly there was a rush of eager ideas. Some even proposed that they borrowed the fishing boats from the fishermen and let the population along the coast of Eldamar stay onboard them for the duration of this conflict. But the idea of spreading people more out was actually accepted and couriers were sent out with the message that the cities were to be abandoned and that everybody should seek shelter out in the open. They all knew that few would follow those advice, it always feels more safe to be behind solid walls than to be gathered in the woods but at least they had tried.
The council were discussing defensive methods the entire day, most were rubbish and Thranduil had to laugh at some of the suggestions, they were to be expected from someone who never had been fighting or held a sword. Those elves were very brave but he knew that the sight and smell of real blood and the fear of a real battle would have paralyzed them immediately. In the evening a rider arrived with news from Tirion, he had ridden hard and switched horses on the way and Thranduil pushed his way through the crowd to hear what the elf had to say. He felt his heart hammering and his mouth was dry. The messenger saw him and bowed, seemed to forget about everybody there. “Aran Thranduil, I have a message from your son.”
Thranduil just nodded, he wasn’t able to speak that much. The messenger smiled. “He told me to tell you that he is ok, he is unharmed and they managed to save the city with the help of veterans from the wars of old and some ancient weapons. They lost a hundred and ten ellyn and almost that many are wounded, they cannot survive another attack but they killed all the monsters which came, about a hundred and fifty of them.”
Thranduil almost sat down with pure relief, he sighed and took a deep breath to calm himself. The messenger turned towards his horse again and took two bundles from the saddle, they were long and thin and covered with cloth and the ellon gave one to Thranduil and one to Oropher. “He told me to give you these, in case of an attack here. You may need them!”
The messenger then turned to the others there and started answering questions from them. Oropher blinked at Thranduil. “Told you so, he did make it. I bet he fought better than we ever did. “
Thranduil unwrapped the thing and stared at one of the best swords he had ever seen. It was obviously very old for the design and shape was ancient but it felt so damn right in his hand and he had to grin. A very wide and satisfied grin. Oropher unwrapped his gift too and it was also a sword, a shorter one better suited for his more traditional style of fighting, Thranduil had always favored the rather long slim blades with a slight curve and one edge and he was a true master with them. Oropher stared at the blades with narrow eyes. “I haven’t seen any of those since I was a lad.”
Thranduil still had that silly grin on his face and he let his hand slide along the shiny blade. “I cannot read the runes written on it, can you?”
Oropher sighed and nodded. “Those are very ancient, they were almost forgotten when I was born, they were among the first written languages we had. The text you see there is the swords name, it is named Dragons tooth. Mine is apparently called Steel song.”
Thranduil almost caressed the hilt and Oropher sighed and shook his head. “Don’t get too eager to try her out, you may get what you ask for, before you know it.”
Thranduil just nodded. “I just never imagined that I ever would see one of these blades, wrought by the master smiths of the ancient times. I wonder who made this? It is so perfect.”
Oropher sighed once more. “I guess we’ll never know, much has been lost during the ages.”
He turned around and grinned. “Let’s go back inside, I can smell food and the day has been long. Let us pray that this night will be a peaceful one.”
Thranduil caressed the sword once more, he could not help but think of those back home. He missed Nireariel deeply and he hoped that they never would have to face the horror of an attack. He followed Oropher back into the palace and he could not help but to see that the setting sun colored the skies bloodred. It was not a good omen and he swallowed and bit his lower lip. He just hoped that the gods were with them, that nothing would happen this night. The valar were powerless to stop this, they had to rely on their own strength and ingenuity to survive and put an end to the attacks. He knew that Glorfindel would join the expedition and something told him that Ravenne too would go. It made him shiver but she was an incredible fighter and she was smart too. She should have a chance and he knew that someone like her could be the difference between victory and loss. He could not be so selfish that he didn’t allow her to go and thereby made their chances even smaller than before. Many had already lost their families and who was he to save his own and let others die?
There were guards placed around the palace also this evening and Thranduil stared at them with a sour grimace. None of them had ever done real fighting and the training they received here in Aman was a joke. They were too soft, even if they were willing to fight they didn’t have the stamina or strength to fight for long. Maybe that would be changed from now on? In that case even this calamity would lead to something good. He said a prayer that night before he went to sleep, hoping desperately that those he cared about would be safe.
In Tirion they had removed the carcasses and burned the dead in a very sad but dignified ceremony that evening. Legolas hoped that his father and grandfather had received the blades he sent and he was happy that none of the wounded warriors would perish. They would all make it and the inhabitants were unharmed. They were cleaning up the mess and Legolas could only hope that the peace would continue. He had gotten his small wound stitched and fixed and he felt rather well in spite of the losses, he had done well. He saw the red skies and swallowed hard, there would be blood spilled also this night and he wished that they could eliminate this threat the sooner the better. Vegylion had done a great job as a commander and Legolas wondered if it was possible to give the ellon a better job. He would most certainly brag a little about the veteran. The warriors had been fighting very well and they all deserved a huge reward for their courage. He knew that the fallen were being mourned in many homes this night but they had all died for a good cause. The city had been saved by their sacrifice and he hoped that they never would be forgotten. He would stay there for a couple of days before he returned to his father, he guessed that he wasn’t needed in Tirion anymore.
Ravenne slept through the night, exhausted and worn out by stress and adrenaline. She didn’t know of the attack which was stopped by her lights and the other ideas they had come up with She didn’t know about the carcasses they removed with garbage trucks or the hefty job with removing all the blood and gore. There were some rather tired elves who returned to the colony that morning. The mortals had not suspected anything and that was a miracle in itself. She was allowed to sleep as long as she needed to and she woke up when the sun had been up for hours. The room was kept almost dark because of Narriar and she didn’t really realize where she was when she first opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling and blinked, then she slowly remembered and sat up, she felt dizzy and knew that she needed a bath and then something to eat. She heard a noise and turned her head. Narriar was tossing around in his bed, he was sweating and moaning and she realized that he was having a nightmare. She got on her feet and realized that she had slept for too long. She felt weak and disoriented and she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Had her trick worked? She was curious and wanted to know but Narriar was more important. He threw his head back and screamed his friends name, his hands clenched the sheet so hard he ripped it and Ravenne realized how strong this elf was. Much stronger than those of her race, she knew better than to approach a sleeping warrior so she stood at a distance and shouted at him. “You are having a nightmare, wake up!”
Narriar went rigid for a second, then his eyes flew open and he turned his head, stared at her. She felt how those weird green eyes almost burned a hole all the way into her soul and she gasped. He groaned and pressed his hand to his stomach, gasped for air. She took a step closer, swallowed. “Relax, you are safe, you will be ok. You were badly hurt and you almost died, that is why you are hurting now.”
He forced himself to breathe in a normal rhythm, laid back onto the bed and she understood that he had a self-control that was nothing short of being stunning. He opened his eyes again, looked at her. “Where am I ?”
Ravenne moved closer very carefully, he was unpredictable and probably very scared but he did hide it well. His tone was almost arrogant and she thought that she could see a bit of her father’s demeanor in him, a leader’s mask of authority and never failing control. “You are in the elven colony of earth, you and your ashim were fighting monsters and you were brought here with them. We found you and managed to save you.”
He sighed. “My brother is dead, but he fought well. The spirits will welcome him, for he was brave.”
Ravenne swallowed hard, his tone was so filled with grief and she hesitantly sat down on the edge of the bed. “I am sure they will, how are you feeling?”
He tried to grin. “Terrible, but I have survived great injuries before, I will be fine. Who are you?”
Ravenne blushed by his rather blunt question. “My name is Ravenne, I am from Aman but I work here on earth as a guard.”
He looked a bit confused. “You are not like the others then. We have seen them, talked to them. They are so helpless and soft but you are not like that. I sense a warrior in you, something wild.”
She tried to smile but it became rather stiff. “You are seeing very well then, that describes me well.”
He tried to sit up and groaned. “Thaurbutz, it hurts! Those things almost got me.”
She reached out and touched his hand. “Don’t move, it won’t hurt so badly then. Have you seen those things before?”
Narriar shook his head, she could see how he was close to tears and she really felt pity, but also something else, something strange she never had encountered before. She had no idea of what it was but it felt almost familiar. “No, never, we were hunting to the north of our territory, it was Hithiar’s spirit quest, he had seen that we should go to the mountains and so we did, and then those monsters appeared. I have never seen anything that ugly before, or lethal.”
Ravenne sighed. “That is ok, just rest now. We’ll get you back home as soon as you are well enough.”
He grasped onto her hand, stared at her and his eyes were confused. She gasped when she saw that his eyes were reflecting light like cats eyes, as her own did. “I know you Phivanil, and yet I have not seen you before, I just…know you?”
She tried to smile back at him, he had described her own emotions just perfectly. “I guess I do to, feel as though I know you I mean.”
He lifted her hand and before she knew it he kissed it gently. The warmth of his breath felt almost electric against her skin and he caught her gaze. “I am glad, for never have I laid eyes upon something as exquisite as you Phivanil, you are like the stars themselves. “
She had to giggle and then she stared back into his eyes and suddenly she felt a strange surge of energy rush through her. His eyes got huge and hers too, they were staring at something impossible, what they felt was impossible. She gasped and backed away from him and he had to let go of her hand with a whimper, his eyes were confused and hurt and she felt like a bastard, but this was too much of a shock, it just could not be. She could not be bonded with him? They had never met before, they had never said any vows, never made love. It was just not possible. He kept staring at her, his eyes full of tears and his expression utterly confused and frightened too. “Phivanil? What…what happened? Why do I feel …this?!”
She felt herself shiver. “I do not know Narriar, I just don’t know”
And never had she spoken words of greater truth than these.
Words in Ce’agar:
Thaurbutz: rotten meat, a curse.
Phivanil: Radiant one, an endearing term used for someone of great beauty.
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In a land of shadows