My Warriors, My Beloveds

*************************************************************************************
Chapter 6: Pride Goeth Before a Fall

Silvan Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood: 28th of March, 2969
Dawn

The group traveled south along the path towards Forest River. They were half-asleep on their horses, as they had been roused to leave so shortly after midnight. Movements were slow and jerky, as many were approaching a full day without a wink of sleep.

“Thorongil,” Harry murmured sleepily. “Perhaps we should take a break and allow ourselves some rest. It is not fair to push your men so hard.”

Aragorn cut his beloved a sharp look.

“I wish to leave behind the realm of the Elves with haste,” the Man replied, pushing his horse a little faster.

Harry sighed, keeping a steady pace with his friend. They led the group, the other seven Men following sedately behind.

*************************************************************************************

Northern Bank of the Forest River: 28th of March, 2969
Noon

“The sun is high overhead,” Harry commented. “Perhaps we should dismount and break for lunch before crossing the river.

Aragorn sighed, looking over his weary comrades.

“Halt, Men,” he called. “We are going to stop for the day.”

“For the day, Thorongil?” Harry questioned with a smile.

“You are right,” his friend admitted. “The Men are tired, and we have made good time today. We can resume travel on the morrow.”

Harry nodded, then dismounted his horse. Thorongil and the Men followed suit.

“I am going to collect wood for the fire,” Harry stated after he had tied his horse to a nearby tree.

As the little Elf headed towards the thicker woods, all hell broke loose.

“Orcs!” one of the Men called, spotting a large group of the monsters stumbling towards them from the forest path they had just passed.

“Harry!” Aragorn called, unsheathing his sword.

The dark-haired Elf was unarmed and closest to the vicious beings.

“Tinechor!” Harry shouted, and a shimmering shield physically held back the orcs’ attacks.

And then the orcs were upon them all, and the battle was on.

Although the filthy creatures were smaller and weaker than the Men, they largely outnumbered Thorongil’s forces. There were perhaps three or four orcs for every Man, and each was soon isolated and surrounded.

Thorongil quickly cut a swathe through the many orcs surrounding him. Decapitating and disemboweling one after another, his only thought was to reach Harry.

The Elf was surrounded by more than ten of the vile creatures, banging on his shield with clubs and axes. Though his shield protected him physically, it also prevented him from attacking.

With the lack of sleep and weariness, it was just a matter of time before the shield fell from the pressure.

Aragorn quickly cut the legs from a warg. A few of the vicious wolf-like creatures were assisting the orcs in battle.

“Thorongil!” one of the Men called. “We must retreat! We are being overpowered!”

Aragorn took his eyes from Harry’s form for a second to assess the state of his Men.

Only three remained standing. Bodies of Men and Orcs alike littered the embankment.
Aragorn’s attention was brought sharply back to the battle as an arrow ripped through his tunic to tear a piece of flesh from his side. He glanced to the treeline to see more orcs armed with bows.

“We are surrounded!” another Man called.

Aragorn put a hand to his side. Though the wound was not deep, he could feel weakness set into his bones.

Perhaps the Men would have stood a chance if they were not weary with exhaustion, but he knew it was just a matter of time before they succumbed to the orc’s great numbers.

“Ah!” he heard Harry call, just as his vision became blurry.

Aragorn witnessed Harry’s shield fall. Harry was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, and an orc swept the Elf onto the back of a warg before retreating back into the forest.

Before Aragorn succumbed to the darkness, he had half a mind to wonder why the rest of the enemy forces followed and did not finish the remaining Men off.

*************************************************************************************

Circyn watched as Thorongil fell and the Elf was taken. There was little he could do, as he was engaged in battle and surrounded by far too many orcs.

As the warg with the pretty Elf retreated into the forest, the remaining enemies followed. Circyn dashed towards Thorongil, who lay on the ground not far from where the Elf was taken.

“Thorongil?” he murmured as he bent to examine his leader.

The Man’s pulse was thready and weak, though his wound was light.
Poison.

“Addramyr!” he called to the only remaining Man standing. “Check on the others! We must return to the Elves for healing. I fear Thorongil shall not make the journey.”

Circyn headed towards the tied horses. Only two had managed to survive the attack, those tied furthest from the forest line. He brought the white stallion forward, and managed to heft Thorongil onto his back.

The white hair was quickly stained red with blood.

Addramyr shook his head sorrowfully.

“There are no other survivors, Circyn. Roryn fell just before the Elf was taken,” the burly blonde Man stated.

Circyn shut his eyes tightly. There would be time for mourning, later. If they could, they would return for their fallen comrades’ bodies. Now, they had to ride fast to save Thorongil’s life.

He urged the horse to begin along the path the orcs just fled, and Addramyr mounted the only remaining horse and followed. They could only hope that the orcs had retreated far into the forest.

Thorongil’s life depended on it.

As did their own.

*************************************************************************************

A few hours later…

“My lord!” a dark-haired Elf shouted, bursting into the dining hall. “The Men were attacked by a large band of Orcs just outside the border!”

“What?” King Thranduil questioned, rising from his seat. Legolas followed his father’s example, approaching the bearer of such news.

“Three returned, one gravely wounded,” the Elf explained. “A scout ran into them as they returned along the southern path. Their leader has already been taken to the healers. Poison, they said.”

“And the other two?” Thranduil prompted.

“Weary from battle and from the return journey, but unharmed,” the Elf replied.

“Who are they?” Legolas questioned. “Was a dark-haired Elf in their company?”

“I do not know, my prince. Two Men. No others returned with them,” was the answer.
Legolas paled drastically and stumbled backwards, disbelieving.

“The others? Did they say what happened to the others?” he pleaded, feeling as if his heart would burst from the pain.

The healthy glow of his skin was already Fading. Thorongil would not have left Harry behind if there was any other choice…

“All dead, my prince,” the Elf answered, fearing his prince’s reactions.

Legolas let out a cry of pain, and he would have sank to the floor had not Glorfindel supported him.

“We wish to speak to the survivors,” the elf-lord stated. “I wish to know exactly what happened.”

*************************************************************************************

Circyn was shocked out of his vigil over Thorongil’s bedside by three fair-haired Elves bursting into the healing chambers.

It was the king, the prince, and the lord.

He managed to stumble to his feet to face them, cutting a quick glance at the slumbering Addramyr in the other chair.

The prince looked pale and shaky, the king sad.

“We know you are tired, but a report would be much appreciated,” Glorfindel hinted, tone even.

“We were ambushed by a large group of orcs and wargs near the northern embankment of the Forest River as we set down for lunch. We were tired and vastly overnumbered, and quickly overtaken,” Circyn murmured. “Thorongil was pierced by a poison arrow, and gravely wounded, though the healer believes he will soon recover. The others are dead.”

Legolas let out a gasp of pain.

‘Dead, dead, dead, dead,’ repeated in his head, and he pictured the life bleeding out of beautiful emerald green eyes that had spit fire at him just the night before. How could he have been so stupid?
His pride was worthless if all it brought was this pain.

He wanted to drop to his knees and pray to the Valar to wake from this nightmare.

“And how did you and your companion survive, if you were so largely outnumbered?” Glorfindel questioned.

“Did you leave him there?” Legolas questioned angrily, looking to share the blame with another. “Just abandon him to save your own skin?”

“Silence, Legolas,” Glorfindel ordered sternly. “Let him explain.”

“I fought just as bravely as any other,” Circyn defended. “The orcs retreated once Thorongil fell and they captured the Elf.”

“Capture?” the king questioned.

“Yes,” Circyn confirmed. “He was nearest to the tree line when they attacked. Though his magic shield held for a while, there were just too many. The Elf was knocked unconscious and dragged away upon the back of a warg.”

“There is still hope, then,” Legolas whispered. “I am departing for the scene of battle immediately. Perhaps I can track the orcs back to their encampment and rescue Harry.”

The hope filled his chest with warmth. He was going to steal his heart back, no matter what it took…
Legolas quickly departed from the room, his father watching with sad eyes.

“H-harry…” Aragorn murmured from his bed, eyes opening blearily. “Took h-him. N-need to…”
Aragorn gasped as a shudder wracked his large frame.

“Lay back,” the healer commanded as he rushed to the Man’s bedside. “You were poisoned. You are feverish and weak, and in no condition to do anything.”

“We will return soon, my friend,” Glorfindel murmured as the healer put Aragorn back to sleep. “Thank you for your information. It was most helpful.”

“You are welcome to rest as long as you would like,” King Thranduil offered. “There is no rush.”
Glorfindel and Thranduil left the healing chambers, following Legolas to the armory.

“Glorfindel…” the king began, just before they entered the armory. “Even if you manage to rescue Harry from the orcs, chances are…”

“I know,” Glorfindel murmured back softly. “I was there after Celebrian was returned from the orcs’ capture. There is a large chance that Harry will Fade anyway.”

“And my son will follow soon after,” the king replied sadly.

“We will have to trust in his strength,” Glorfindel comforted.

“My son is strong,” Thranduil defended. “His feelings are too strong, that is why I worry.”

“I was speaking of Harry,” the elf-lord corrected before opening the door and slipping into the room.

The king stared at the shut door in bewilderment.

He had better inform the stable to prepare the two fastest horses. And if there were as many orcs as the Man reported, his son would need reinforcements…

*************************************************************************************

Glorfindel entered the armory, watching Legolas quickly strap daggers to each thigh. The prince also grabbed a sword and a bow, as well as a full quiver of arrows.

“You are not willing to sacrifice your pride for his heart, but you are willing to sacrifice your life to save his?” Glorfindel questioned Legolas, quickly choosing his own weapons.

The prince glanced at him quickly, then headed towards the door.

Glorfindel followed.

As they quickly approached the stables, Legolas murmured, “You were right. I am a fool.”

The elf-lord looked at the prince in shock. He had not expected such a declaration.

“If…if I had not…he would be safe within the castle walls right now. Instead, Harry is left to the mercy of the orcs, and I know they have little. Especially…” Legolas shuddered as horrible thoughts and images passed through his mind’s eye.

“You fear he will sail to Valinor, even should we rescue him,” Glorfindel pointed out reasonably.

“I would follow,” Legolas swore. “And I would spend the rest of eternity begging his forgiveness. Damn my pride, I would fall upon my knees and crawl behind him as a slave until he deemed me fit to once again stand tall by his side.”

“Those are pretty words,” Glorfindel commented. “Let us see if you shall live up to them.”
Legolas scowled, knowing he deserved the elf-lord’s pointed commented. It was true, the prince was very good with words.

He just needed his actions to suit.

*************************************************************************************

King Thranduil and a group of about fifty warrior-elves met Glorfindel and Legolas at the gate.

“The Man estimated that there were about sixty too seventy orcs and a dozen wargs,” the king stated. “With Glorfindel at your side and these Elves behind you, you should have no trouble with a thousand.”

“You gathered them quickly, ada,” Legolas commented, mounting his horse. “Do you not think it overkill?”

“I am not doubting your skills, but it is better to be safe,” the king replied. “You and Glorfindel alone could no doubt rescue Harry, but there is no reason to go alone.”
Legolas made to protest, but Glorfindel silenced him with a look.

“Thank you, Thranduil,” the noble Elf said gratefully. “We shall remove the menace from your forest, though Harry is our top priority.”

The other Elves quickly mounted their horses, following Legolas and Glorfindel as they took to the path Harry and Thorongil had traveled just hours before.

And though Legolas blamed himself, with good cause, for making Harry leave, the prince swore to the Valar that he would find some way to return his love in good health.

And he would not stray from Harry’s side once this mission was accomplished.

If the Valar granted him Harry’s safety and wellbeing, he swore that he would never lay eyes upon another in lust again.

And that was one promise that Legolas would not break.

*************************************************************************************

“Fair winds, my son,” King Thranduil murmured softly as he watched the band Elves depart, Legolas in the lead. “May the Valar guide your path.”

He turned to the castle, not noticing the Man who stole away behind the group on a large brown mare.

His absence would be noted in the healing chambers not fifteen minutes later, but by then it was too late.

Aragorn would not fail his love again.

*************************************************************************************

Author’s Note: I promised you action – I hope that was enough. I know there wasn’t much Harry this chapter – he will be the star of the next.