"War comes easy…" She sighed, hoisting her arrows over her shoulder and strapping her blades to her waist. "Victory does not."

"Donduriel!" She froze, turned to look at the face of her little sister.

My God…

Vully was clad in a small tunic that mirrored her own, and boots as well. Her quiver was filled with sticks and her bow was no more than that of a violin. She swing it around and pretended to draw and let fly her stick arrows. "I shall go with you, sister! I shall help defeat the enemy!"

Teres…No, you cannot become like me…

Donduriel crouched so she was eye-level with her kin and put a hand upon her small shoulder.

"You can't come with me, silly!" She said, smiling. "Who will protect mother? Who will defend her if those ruffian Orcs come?" She grinned and tickled her baby sister playfully. "You know she is helpless!" Teres giggled, her sweet face lighting up.

"I shall defend mother in your name!" She cried and pretended to ride a horse away into the garden, where no doubt she would frighten the pigeons by pretending to battle orcs and save her kingdom.

"Thank you, Donduriel." Arwen whispered. She took her daughter's hand. "As hard as it is to believe, I was like you once…"

"What, brash, pigheaded and quick to anger?" The princess quipped, laughing slightly. Arwen smiled gently and shook her head.

"No, willing to sacrifice anything for love…" She tapped the star that rested around her daughter's neck. "I gave that to your father a very long time ago…along with my vow to forsake my immortality, in order to be with him always." Donduriel looked down, grasped it with one hand.

"I swear Mother, I will bring him back." She whispered.

"I know you will. I have faith in you…"

My mother…what if I never see her again?

For the first time since childhood, she kissed her mother's soft, pale cheek.

"I won't let you down." She murmured, taking a step away. Arwen nodded again, this time her smile real. Donduriel tried to smile back, but failed.

"Take our fastest stallion. Right fast, ride hard…do not look back."

I will not fail you…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donduriel was riding three hours before dawn. Her steed was the swiftest, her father had raised it. She murmured to it words of what was to come should they fail. The horse was like dust over the earth, being swept fast and hard and silent, her hair flew back behind her and she stood up a bit in the saddle, hunching over a bit for an easier hold of the reins.

They leave at sunrise…Please…don't let me be too late…

The horse whinnied and pushed itself harder as the first lights of dawn began to creep past the mountains, gray and pink wisps of light. Then the sun itself peeked over the low valleys. The stallion was frothing, it's sweat soaking her thighs and legs, lathered white all on it's coat. The expanding of it's sides was heavy, but she paid it no heed. Her father and her lover were preparing to die, and no force on heaven or earth could have made her slow. She felt herself begin to crawl out of her skin, her anxiety was so intense, her legs tensing to jump. She was still a good fifteen minutes ride away, and the sun was rising with every beat of her heart, faster and faster until it's rays were bright on the ground ahead of her. The stallion was reaching it's limit, it's breathing rasping, it's heart thunder against it's sides.

This animal can last no longer…

With one final noise of pleading, it's legs buckled and it hit the ground. The dust rose around them, swirling, she pulled her left leg out from under it's heaving side and fell again. All down the outside of her calf was a mud-made-from-horse-sweat-and-dust caked gash created from her abrasion against the ground. She let out a sigh of frustration and stood. The animal struggled to it’s feet and whinnied, tossing it’s head. They were close, she could faintly hear the growing din of preparation for war. The horse lipped her tunic as if to urge her back into the saddle, but she shook her head and stroked the velvet of it’s nose gently.

"You rest." She murmured, kissing it’s snout. "We could never make it in time anyway." She glanced wistfully in the direction of the camp, and then patted the horse’s forehead. "They’ll be okay." She whispered, hoping to God that it wouldn’t be a lie. The blood ran down her leg and puddled on the dusty earth, the last remainder of hope spilt forth over the ground.

"Donduriel!" Quickly came the thunder of approaching hoofbeats. From the trees in the direction they had come from, emerged a figure on a white horse. The voice that had called her was one she recognized. Donduriel stepped away from the horse and closer to the path the newcomer was taking. "Give me your hand!" She reached her arm out and the rider grasped it, using the inertia of the animal they rode to swing her up onto the saddle behind them. Donduriel leapt up as the person swung her, and after a moment they were both planted firmly on the back of the beast, which was fast approaching the battlefield.

Elentari!" Donduriel smiled. "I knew you would return."

I know you knew." Elentari grinned and glanced over her shoulder at her sister-in-law. "But aren’t you glad I decided to do it now instead of later?"

More than you could ever know." She responded, wrapping one arm around Elentari’s waist tightly and unsheathing her sword with the other. "Sun’s up! They’ve begun!" She informed her. The black horse she herself had ridden reared in the horizon and whinnied in what seemed to be happiness. Donduriel bared her teeth and balanced herself in a standing position against the saddle. In an instant an Orc leapt on her quite unexpectedly from a tree and she tumbled off the horse, rendering her effort a waste of energy. She cried out as her injured leg struck a rock and the Orc rose, lifting his sword above her head. She grappled for her own sword, which had slipped from her hand in the tumble and lay not two feet away from her outstretched fingers. She grunted, her leg a searing pain that ripped pure up her side, her heart an arrow piercing her chest with every beat.

"Donduriel!" Elentari cried, driving her heels into the stallion’s sides and the horse reared, then it’s hooves came crashing down on the Orc. Donduriel was caught in the spray of blood and innards as the beast went down. "Are you okay?"

Peachy." Donduriel responded, wiping her face off and rising, leg stinging, heart racing.

"Where is everyone?" Elentari asked, looking around.

"Die, spies f Mordor!" A host of elven warriors, done up to look like their foes, rushed them, spears and swords drawn, they let fly arrows, and Elentari’s horse whinnied and fear and then they both disappeared into the woods as her spooked beast fled.

"Bastards! You killed my husband and my father!" Donduriel screamed, grabbing her sword from the ground and at the same time her other from it’s sheath and whirling, preparing herself, thinking the masked warriors to be Orcs in disguise. The pain in her leg went out like a light in the face of those who had massacred her loved ones. "Now feel the wrath of a Princess! For them both!" She charged them, but they surrounded her and soon, cornered her. Donduriel wailed as one caught her around the waist and delivered her a swift kiss on the lips. The swords were wrested from her hands by her aggressor as it shoved her gently up against the trunk of a tree and kissed her again,

"Hello there, halfling." It said.

"Disgusting thing...! You killed my husband and now you want to take his place in my bed!? You...You...killed...husband..." Donduriel's hope was fading. It had both her swords, it dropped them on the ground and kissed her again.

"Fool. I am your husband." It said, wiping the paint from his face so his features were revealed. He smiled gently at her and her face melted into sigh of pure relief.

"Legolas!" She cried, falling into his arms. "I thought you had died! Or were going to..."

"It’s okay." He whispered, stroking her hair. "I’m okay. It’s okay." He kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes, lifting her chin so she could look at him. "Why are you here? We left you to take care of Rivendell!"

"I couldn’t... I couldn’t!" She stammered.

"Why?" He seemed confused, here was the only woman in all of Middle Earth who didn’t want him, here to take care of him...he couldn’t have been happier if...

"I love you." She said finally, and it surprised him, because it was the first time she had ever said it to him. "I don’t want to see you hurt. If anything ever happened to you..."

...You...?"

Yeah, I know..." She muttered. "....I’m so ashamed." She looked away from him.

"No you’re not." He told her, turning her face back to his with his hand. She smiled slightly.

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Yes." He responded, without missing a beat. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips against hers again, lingering longer this time. She kissed him back, wrapping one arm around his neck. There was a prompt clearing of throats as the small group of remaining warriors behind them parted and a rather sinewy man approached them.

"What are you doing!?" The kiss abruptly ended because Donduriel had turned away, blushing.

"N-nothing!" She stammered, as if the thing that she had done was the most shameful in the world.

"I’m glad to see you two getting along, but aren’t you supposed to be at home right now?" Aragorn, the same sinewy figure, chuckled. Donduriel smiled.

"Sir Aragorn, son of Arathorn?" She questioned him sharply, and yet somehow in a joking fashion. Turning, she advanced on him. "I come bearing a message from Arwen Undomiel..."

"Oh yes, Arwen, it has been too long since I have seen her!" He commented, playing along. She grinned.

"Get home now, and she’ll let you keep your place beside her." She curtsied. He laughed and grabbed her in a big fatherly hug of sorts. Hugging back, she sighed. "And if you cannot, then the fine warrior, Donduriel Elessar, will be your champion..."

Oh, no she won’t!" Legolas intervened, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around roughly so that she faced him. Aragorn was quickly pulled away by one of his warriors, consulting him on the matter at hand.

"Legolas! I knew you would be a bother when it came to this!" She exclaimed, his eyes were harsh.

"Listen to me. You will not put yourself into the middle of this!"

"I will do... what... ever I wish!" She replied, breaking free of his grip. "I love you. It doesn’t mean I obey you." She knelt and picked up her swords. He couldn't help but smile.

She loves me...

"Please do this... because you love me." She set her jaw, her mouth puckering, eyes narrowing, "Please, Donduriel... please. Please turn around. Go back to Rivendell. Be safe." Whatever she was considering before was nowhere near what he had asked for,

"No! That is out of the question!" She yelled at him. "You think I want you here any more than you want me to be?" Donduriel chuckled coldly. "Why don't you turn home because you love me?"

"I am immortal! You are not!" He cried suddenly back at her, and her eyes burned deep into his at that comment.

Did I just say that?

"Very well then, Immortal." She hissed, he could see whatever color that was in her face draining, he could practically see the anger rising to take it's place. "I will go back to Rivendell and..."

"Donduriel, wait, I did not mean..."

"And I will carry out the rest of my mortal life alone!" She screamed, birds rose from the trees, squawking. Aragorn looked up from where he was going over a map with some comrades to see d silent, her hair flew back behind Donduriel, irate, sheathing her swords, icy glare aimed at Legolas.

"Wait! Please..." Legolas grabbed her arm as she turned to go, but she would not be held by him. Grabbing a sword with her other arm, she whirled, seemingly ready to hack his arm off. But she stopped the blade when it had just barely touched his shoulder.

"Let go of me." She said again, her voice an angry whisper. "Or I will kill you, husband."

"This is silly!" He told her, releasing her and stepping back. "Just because I spoke the truth!"

"Yes, I guess it is silly, that I shall die a mortal death, and you shall live forever."

Oh, I see now...She is afraid that our love will die with her...

She snarled at him, and then moved away, her father rose, but she lifted a hand as if to say ''There is no need. I don't want to deal with you now, either.'

"Donduriel!" Legolas called, but she did not heed him as she left the wood.

 

"Momma Momma!!!" Teres came rushing inside. "Momma, there is a rider here, with two black horses!"

"What?" Arwen looked up from where she was seated at the window, gazing out at the mid-noon sky, blue and hazy, day after her daughter had departed. She rose fluidly and followed her youngest child outside, where a pale, dark haired elven girl awaited her.

"Elentari!" Arwen cried, lifting her skirts, hurrying down the steps. "Elentari...What's wrong?" The girl had a grave look on her face.

"Your daughter has been taken by the Orcs." Elentari said after a moment. "I believe she has been killed..." Ari looked away. Dark hair fell over dark eyes, gloomy, saddened,

"W-wh...what?" Arwen took a step back. "No... that can't be true!" First time in her life Arwen's mysterious demeanor changed, and it was to that of denial. "I would know this! I would have felt this!" She put a hand to her heart. Still beating! Surely, surely she would feel if her own flesh and blood, her own daughter's had stopped! But no... she felt the same as even when she had been there beside Donduriel, in the grand hall or the library.

She cannot be dead!

"I saw it with my own eyes." Elentari's face creased with pain, no, deeper... it was sorrow written there on her features. "I would have stopped it! But my horse, she was spooked, and she ran..."

"I...she...Teres..." She murmured, realizing her kin was still at her side. "Would you go inside?"

"But Mooooommmaaaa..."

"Now, Teres." She commanded, her voice a gentle force against her daughter. Teres relented, and went back into the house.

"I am sorry, Lady Arwen." Elentari whispered, a single tear welled over her lower eyelid, leaving a silent path down her face. Arwen curtsied, as did Elentari. Their visit was over. Short, shocking, heart wrenching visit. But wait...

"Where will you go, Elentari of Mirkwood?"

"I go to recover her, to give her a proper and honorable burial." The girl answered without turning around. "To see the glory of one of the greatest warriors... restored..."

"...I...I am going with you!" Arwen said suddenly. "I must know that this is true!" Elentari barely had time to protest before Arwen had hurried back inside, found a consort to take care of Teres...

"Lady Arwen..." Elentari began, following her like a shadow. "You could not even begin to understand the peril you would be putting yourself in if you were to join me!"

"I do not care."

"Think of your family!" You may have lost one, but what about the rest? What if they lose you?" She was abruptly shut out of the Lady's room, there was the sound of drawers opening, armoire doors banging within.

"They will not. Remember who it was hat brought Frodo, the Hobbit Ring Bearer, unto the safety of Rivendell." The door open, and Lady Arwen stood clad in the tunic and boots of an Elfish Rider. "It wasn't that long ago that I outrode 5 Wraiths."

"Arwen..."

"Let's go then, I have fresh horses in my stable."