When The Trees Sang: Part VIII
by Nicole
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It had been two days since the last attack, and Aragorn was beginning to get suspicious. He knew that something was being planned, although they may not be aware of it yet. He worried for Legolas, who hadn't eaten since the day Garania was taken, and was growing weaker by the moment. Aragorn could stand no more of it, and went over to speak with his friend.

"Legolas, my dear friend, please, why don't you eat?"

The Elf looked up at him, his eyes dull, and a hopeless expression on his face.

"I have no appetite for food."

Aragorn sighed, growing tired of this behavior.

"I understand that you are grieving for your wife, but this will do none of us any good. Not only you, but the rest of us as well. We need you. We need your strength in battle, and your sight and hearing to lead us on. You cannot go on like this. If I must force the food down your throat then I will, but I will not allow you to starve yourself in this way!"

Legolas looked up at him, shocked at his anger, but even more at the fact that it was directed towards him. However, this did not encourage him to put food in his mouth.

"I care not. Do what you will. It has no affect on me."

Aragorn had had enough. He sat down beside the Elf, now even more angry than before.

"She is gone! Do you understand that? Gone! Over to the dark side, and she is not coming back. She has seen the ways of her father and the evil blood that courses through her veins has drawn her to him! She will not return to you! She is a traitor, against you, and against the rest of Middle Earth!"

Legolas leapt from his seat at the base of the tree and fired back at the Man.

"LIAR! It is not her doing that she is in that dark castle surrounded by the flames of Mordor! She has gone to him unwillingly, and she will return to me! I know that she will! Our love is stronger than the power of Sauron and I will damn the creature that tries to keep us apart!"

With that he stalked off to the fire, and grabbed a lemba from the plate, shoving it in his mouth. Aragorn tried to keep the chuckle to himself, but it escaped him, and he had to walk away to hide his victory from the Elf.

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Mounted steeds lined the entrance to the castle, and dark cloaked riders sat atop them, ready to ride into the battle. Garania was at the head of them, beside her father, sitting atop a black horse, cloaked in a dark hood, and armed with a sword. Her father sat beside her, armed with a sword just a bit larger than Garania's, and bearing breastplates and a helmet of steel, much like the rest of their army, but covered in a hood to hide his face. He gave a quick glance at Garania, before turning his horse around to face his army.

"Do not fail me! We were nearly defeated at our last battle and I will not have that happening again! I will rule Middle Earth! Find them, and destroy them!"

With those words, he let out a loud battle cry, and set his horse into a strong gallop, leading them away from the castle. Garania brought her horse up close behind his, and together they rode towards the place where the armies were making their camps.

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The armies stood, awaiting the battle. They had sensed the king's arrival before they even saw him riding towards them in the distance. They stood, they only sound that could be heard was the sound of the approaching horses hooves pounding as they came closer. Aragorn drew in his breath, waiting, and Legolas watched with dread as he saw Garania's figure riding atop the horse beside her father's. In the next instant, the battle was upon them, and the sound of swords meeting echoed over the fields. The king and Garania sat atop their horses, watching the battle progress. Something caught Garania's eye, and she rode her horse over to stand beside it. Legolas saw her approaching from the corner of his eye, and his heart soared.

"She's coming back to me after all. I knew that she would," he thought as her horse drew nearer. He shot an arrow through an orc's throat, and turned to see her right beside him, still sitting upon her horse. Any thoughts that he had just had were wiped away when he saw the look on her face. He braced himself for what was to come, but she just cast him a cold, hard look, and turned her horse back around to where her father was.

The battle continued on into nightfall. When the shadows began to cast themselves over the land, the armies began to grow weaker and weaker. Aragorn knew that any hope that they had was running out. Somebody had to destroy the king, and quickly, as they did not have much time left. He ran to Legolas, who was sword to sword with an opposing enemy, and finished him off for his friend, before taking him by the arm, and dragging them away from the fighting. He spoke breathlessly, and his eyes were tired.

"Legolas, we must do something. Few of us remain, and their armies are overpowering us. We must attack the king."

Legolas nodded, and returned his sword to his side, drawing an arrow and placing it at ready in his bow. They crept as quietly as they could to where the king and Garania stood, still atop their horses, watching the battle with glee. Aragorn made his way behind the king's horse, and somehow managed to scare it enough to knock the king to the ground.

Legolas ran forward towards them, only to be cut off by an orc, who had come to his lord's aid. He took down the beast with one arrow, and continued over to where Aragorn stood fighting the king.

Garania watched as the Man whom she once considered one of her dearest friends fought her father. In the darkness, she could see a figure running towards them, bow in hand. She leapt from her horse and pulled her sword from its resting place.

Legolas saw her jump from the horse, and an awful feeling crossed over him. More orcs ran towards them, each one swiftly greeted with an arrow located precisely in some part of its body. Finally, he made it over to where Aragorn stood, slowly losing the battle. The king was too powerful for him to fight alone, and he was nearly done in when Legolas ran up behind them, arrow pointed straight at the king. Just as he was about to release it, a figure ran up towards him in the darkness, sword beared, ready to defend her father.

Garania knew that her father did not stand a chance up against one of Legolas' arrows, no matter how powerful he was. She raced over to him and raised her sword, ready to destroy whomever came in the way of her reaching her father's attackers.

Legolas slung his bow over his shoulder quickly, and pulled his sword from his hip. He knew that he had no choice. He must fight her, or there would be no hope of winning this battle. They met with clashing swords, each one striking back with a force matching the other's blow with as much strength as either could muster. Legolas was suprised at the strength she possesed, and feared that she would overpower him if he did not keep up the force of his blows. As they stood fighting, Gimli, and the four hobbits appeared out of the darkness, hardly believing the scene that they saw before them. Aragorn barely had enough strength left to bring one more blow to the king. Just in time, the dwarf and halflings ran over and began to aid them in the battle. Despite all of his power, the king was no match for all of them, and was quickly overtaken. Just at the time when they thought that they could fight no more, Aragorn raised his sword, and ran it through the king, watching him fall before him, the life slowly draining from him on the ground.

Garania saw her father fall, and let out a harsh cry. She met Legolas' blows with twice as much force as she had before, and was quickly overtaking him. Somehow, after a few more moments of fighting, Legolas managed to get himself into a position of power, and suddenly, thinking of nothing but the battle that they must win, ran his sword through her middle and watched as the expression on her face changed.

She stood before him, their faces nearly touching, the blade of the sword protruding from her back. The expression on her face went from a hard, cold glare, to one of pain, and confusion. As she slowly slipped away from him, she managed to utter to him quietly, almost inaudible.

"Legolas....why...."

She slid from the blade and landed on the ground in a heap, blood spilling all about her.

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