Chapter 2: Death on Swift Wings
Rein
paused, hearing the tiniest of breaths carrying words. “I fear that will
be your title before the day is out.” “No.”
As
quick as a hawk, he turned, running back to the edge of the clearing. He
didn’t like the sounds.
“You
will die, Elf King!” Legolas bit back a yell as the orc blade bit into
his rib cage. “Don’t expect your precious forest to stay this way either.
It’ll be dead, just like you, light one.”
“Nardorhuan!
[Cowardly dog!]” Legolas yelled, his own short sword claiming the life
of the orc in front of him. “Dolle naa lost, yrch! [your heads are empty,
orcs!] Tol a gedimin! [Come and catch me!]” For once in his life, Legolas
felt a terror rush through him as the orc crowd parted, revealing an Urik-hai.
The grin upon the creature’ s face was horrible, almost like seeing Suaron
again…
“Amin
saesa. [ My pleasure.]” A sudden blinding anger gripped Legolas, He tightened
his grip on his sword, left to him by his father.
“Manka
lle merna aneitha-min, car-ha ned lle garn falathren! [ if you want to
insult me, do it in your own language!]” The huge orc-beast smiled again,
slowly stepping towards the King of Mirkwood.
“It
would be my pleasure, king Legolas.”
Somewhere
in the back of his mind, Legolas knew… he knew, this was the end. There
was no use fighting, though he would, he would die either way now. In the
distance he heard the hoof beats of Elvin horses… his honor guard. And
his heir was in the bushes. They would stop him.
A small
smile appeared on Legolas’s bruised face. The scar from many years ago,
cutting through his brow and ending just below his eye, started bleeding
again. He clasped his sword in both hands, lowering it. For a moment, the
orc looked surprised.
“gûr
ll is ere’ I yesta.” And the orc swung his blade.
Legolas
felt a slight sting as the tip brushed his throat, but then there was quiet.
No sound, none at all. He could feel his breath choking where the blade
had severed his windpipe, but it didn’t matter. He could make no sound
either… his vocal chords were also ripped through.
He
fell to his knees.
So
this is what death felt like. He vaguely wondered if it was this quiet
when Aragorn died… or better yet, Arwen. He saw Rein out of the corner
of his eye, rushing forward, the honor guard just behind him. He mouthed
one word alone.
“ú.
[no.]” And his body couldn’t stay up. He let his eyes close and his head
hang back.
He
was dead before he hit the ground.
“Ú!
Ú, Legolas!” Rein darted forward, slicing the orcs as he ran to
his uncle. He pushed and pulled, vaguely hearing the Honor Guard finishing
off the battle. He dropped to his knees beside the only family he had ever
known. “Legolas…”
It
was too much. Legolas looked almost peaceful, asleep, if you will. If you
ignored the gray blood seeping from the deep gash through his neck, and
the drop from the long healed wound. Rein grabbed Legolas’s body, holding
it tight. There was no familiar heart beat and the warmth was fading. He
pulled back a little, watching the pale face gently turn gray. He lay Legolas’s
body on the ground as the honor guard rode up.
“What
did he say?’ Rein only blinked back tears.
“’
Death Is only the beginning.”