Chapter Eleven

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

"You will let me pass" Legolas said in a toneless voice, as he faced the palace guards barring his entrance into Willow's room. His face remained smooth and unreadable, as usual, but inside he fumed and seared with anger.

"Your Highness, we have received specific instruction not to allow anyone beyond this point" The blonde guard; the bolder of the two elves in front of him, was the commanding officer. The other with the mousey brown hair, stayed as quiet as his features. A personage easily forgotten after he passes.

Legolas glowered at the blonde guard and placed his hand on the scabbard of the long knife at his side. Gimli stilled Legolas' hand, stopping him from drawing his weapon. His eyes pleaded with Legolas, "Lad, I don't think you want to be doing that."

Legolas shoved Gimli's hand away and returned his attention to the elf before him, "You dare to challenge me. Whom beyond the king has the authority to stay the crowned prince!"

Gimli gave a look of surprise, for the first time in their long friendship he's had to do a thing he'd never before done for Legolas. He tried in vain to dampen Legolas' fury. Legolas was never one moved easily to anger; it was always the other way around. The look on Legolas' face meant that he was on a war path. He would not and could not be stopped, even if it meant decimating an entire battalion of guards down to a single number, were he not permitted on the other side of that door.

Legolas' breathing deepened as his ire continued to grow. He had never before used his title as leverage but in his desperation to see Willow he would try anything. It had been a fortnight since she disappeared from his bed. Each time he tried to see her; some excuse was given. Her handmaidens would turn him away before he'd even gotten a chance to find out why she would not see him. His father kept him busy at the front fighting in the war, battle planning during the day but every chance he got he tried to get to her to no avail. Today, however, would be different, no one would prevent him from achieving his goal of being his woman.

Legolas had had enough, "You will move or you will be moved" he said in a murderous voice. He drew his twin blades and gripped them firmly in each hand as he glanced at each of the guards who had drawn their weapons.

"Legolas, this is madness. There must be another way, Lad. Leave it be for the moment." Gimli desperately tried to appeal to Legolas. If he took the lives of these guards, his own would be forfeit. 

Legolas continued to ignore his friend's pleas. His eyes assessed his opponents, quickly noting weaknesses he could exploit before soundly defeating them and stealing away with Willow. They need never return. He could accept being stripped of his title and inheritance, if it meant he could be with Willow.

"Stay your weapon Legolas Greenleaf and those foolish thoughts." Lady Galadriel said as she calmly climbed the staircase behind them betraying the urgency she felt within. Gandalf followed closely on her heels.

Galadriel gracefully and seamlessly, positioned herself between him and the guards. Gandalf stood at her right, silently observing the interaction but clearly at Galadriel's side.

"Urwendi does not desire to see you nor anyone else. I pray you leave this place in peace and do not cause undue harm to these elves who are simply following her wishes." She gestured to the guardsmen, who now felt more at ease with Lady Galadriel coming to their defense.

Legolas' face remained impassable, as the merest wrinkled formed between his brows, a sign of his growing irritation "My Lady," He said as he bowed, showing the respect that Galadriel deserved. "I do not think you understand my relationship with Willow. She would not readily refuse me nor I her. What we are to each other, none of you quite understands."

"Young Prince it is unseemly for an elf of your standing to cause such vulgar scene. I beg you, think of your dignity. I am well aware of your desires for one another but Urwendi's purpose in this world was never to be your mate. She was charged to be the bearer of the sun. And as you also aware such a position is one of solitude and sacrifice." Galadriel said clasping her hands together.

"I mean you no disrespect, my Lady, but I would hear the words from her lips and no others." Legolas breathed out through clenched teeth.

Gimli could sense Legolas' patience reaching the brink of his control. He tugged on his and towards the stairs leading away from Willow's room. "Lad, we are expected to be on the battle field at any moment. The sun is setting. It won't be long until the battle will begin again."

But Legolas would not be moved. His eyes focused on the door to the room he was desperate to get into. His sharp vision picked up bits of her blue radiance as it shone just around the door frame. He could hear her breath and sense her presence. Yet she was silent in this whole debacle. This alone for Legolas was more telling than any excuse Galadriel or Gandalf could give. He relented and followed Gimli out on to the battle field.

The night sky was ablaze with the flames of war. The orcs moved on the forest, hacking and burning as they tore their way through elven and dwarfish defenses.

Legolas could see in the distance the charge of the balrogs. Giant beasts of the ancient world with streaming fiery manes, cloaked in shadow and flame.

Galadriel, Gandalf and other such powerful personages were on the front lines during battle, none of them were foolhardy enough to believe that they alone could defeat so many powerful foes. Even the orcs fled before the terror inspired by such menacing beasts. 

Fear gripped his heart, as Legolas thought that these were his last moments in this world. They were numbered and dwindled much like their forces had begun to do during this battle and he would never again set eyes on that which he cherished the most, when suddenly a light appeared in the night sky.

Legolas turned to gaze on Urwendi's splendor, she glimmered and shone, bright as a star, making day of night. His comrades hid their faces, even Gandalf could not bear to look upon her, for her power was immense but her light did not afflict him so. 

The orcs ran as if scolded and scorched by flames. They were not creatures who could tolerate sunlight, to them Urwendi's light was death. Even the balrogs turned back as she hovered in the night sky over their position. The battle was all but lost, it only took her exposing her power to turn the tide. She could challenge Morgoth himself wielding a power such as this.

Her light dimmed to a soft glow, as she floated down and her bare feet gently landed on the cool earth. Although the vastness of her strength remained hidden, no one dare to look at her save him.

He finally was able to see hear clearly without the cloak of radiant light. She wore a simple white shift, her dark hair was marked with streaks of shimmering gold, as it cascaded down her back and her expression was sullen. She started towards the fortress alone.

"Willow" He called as he ran to her.

She turned towards him, shocked that he was able to tolerate her light even as she tried to dampen it for the sake of not harming others. Her eyes were brown no more but blue and gleamed much like the rest of her person. Her lips deepened to a rich red, much of Willow's person was transformed. She moved with an eerie grace and seemed more ethereal than human.

"You should bar your eyes, Legolas Greenleaf, or you'll go blind. It is not permitted to look upon me." She answered in a soft unfamiliar voice. 

Legolas grimaced. The words were uttered from her lips, but it was not Willow's voice, it was Urwendi's.

"Willow, what's happened to you? Will you not speak with me," He took her hand in his. She quickly pulled away.

"Don't. I don't want to hurt you. You have to give me space, Legs." She answered sounding much more like the woman who had quite stolen his heart without a word of protest from him. 

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. His Willow was not lost, Urwendi was simply beginning to awaken. His mind briefly struggled with the two identities in this one small body; one near god-like, powerful, terrible in the fullness of her splendor and the other woman with strengths of her own. He was not certain if he could accept who or what she was becoming but he would never abandon her. He would desperately hold on the person he knew she was.

He took her hand again, "There is no space between us." He hauled her to him and pressed his lips to hers, demanding an answer, which after a few lingering moments she gave passionately. She clung shaking to his broad shoulders as their lips separated.

"Why did you not see me, Willow? Why did you endure this alone?" He begged, as his eyes pleaded with her and his hands slipped around her waist.

"Because I'm not just Willow anymore. I remember much of my past now. I remember how hard it was to shield others from my power and how I hurt them without meaning to. I had to separate myself from the others. Do you know how lonely I was? How I wished that I could just be without these powers and when the opportunity came I shed them. I entered an alternate realm as a human. Very soon, I'll have to return, my powers have not fully awakened yet. I won't be able to stay near you or anyone else without causing them harm." A single tear rolled down her cheek, appearing very much like a diamond from Gimli's glittering caves.

He whipped the stray tear away. "Your light has yet to harm me. Nothing short of death with separate us. I am ready to bind myself to you Willow...Urwendi...from now until eternity."

She touched her lips gently to his once more and pulled away from his embrace. "I can't allow you to do that. You have to be with someone who can be around for you. Someone you can have a life with. My purpose was always to return the Silmaril and take my place back where I belong. There is no going back to what we were. For your sake and mine, don't seek me out anymore. It's time to let me go." Her face even more crestfallen as she walked away. 

Legolas felt the gentle tapping of rain against his armor as she started to cry. He wanted so badly to go after her and tell her she was wrong. To have her understand there would never be another. She would be queen in the Woodland Realm. Alas, he stayed silent as he watched her radiant form grow further and further away.

"Legolas!" Gimli shouted, breaking him from his reverie, "Everyone is returning. There is to be a feast. We've won this night! They will not return so easily knowing we have Urwendi to defend us! Ha ha!" Gimli laughed as he danced with joy. Legolas could not partake in his friends merriment. While they gained a most valuable weapon of war, he just lost the one creature in this or any world who meant the most to him.


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net