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44. The Black Gate

[LEANE POV]

"Remember to stay close by my side no matter what happen," Legolas said as we marched side by side on our own horses, along with the rest of the army.

"I will," I replied with a small smile. I was going to be with him 'till the end and fight alongside him. Challenging death one more time.

We were wearing full on armor with the symbol of the white tree of Minas Tirith on the plate of our chests. The same logo that symbolized men's last hope was also on the banner that led us to the Black Gate.

I was nervous and played with my engagement ring absently. I glanced around to look for my companions, making sure they were around. Merry and Pippin were looking at each other in worry. They were scared.

Heck, we were all scared. All but maybe except Legolas.

He looked handsome in the battle armor as he fixed his laser focused eyes foward, only opting once in a while to glance at me, making sure I still follow. His expression gave away nothing but determination and focus– he was all about business today.

The men of Rohan and Gondor were silent. What could be heard was nothing but the sound of horses' hooves and the sound of metal on our armors and swords in its sheaths.

I didn't dare to put my wall down even a little bit unless necessary. Surely the emotions of the army must be too overwhelming if I did. I guess I'll save it later in the heat of the war.

Everything was still except the flapping of the banner against the wind as we reached the Black Gate. I pulled the hood of my cloak to cover my head upon seeing the eye from afar. 

Hatred was all I felt towards it. He started all of this; he put us through hell. I could even still feel Sauron’s malice and darkness without lowering my wall.

Legolas glanced at me and motioned before marching forward. All of my companions except me went forward to the gate as I waited along with everyone else to watch from afar.

It was one of the condition Legolas asked of me if I were about to follow him into the battle– the one I despised but had no choice but to obey. That is, to stay behind as they move to face Sauron's ambassador.

Then it came upon me.

Frodo was climbing his way up a rocky mountain, where balls of fire from Mount Doom shot up in the background of the sky. 

His clothes were tattered and dirty. He struggled to breath as he climbed, as if an invisible, great burden was placed upon his tiny shoulders. He passed out along the way, laid between the sharp rocks on the steep wasteland. Sam yelled. The mild mannered hobbit came to his friend's rescue and held him close.

The scene changed. I saw from the eagle's eyes the view just in front of the Black Gate. Our armies were many, but we were surrounded by the army of orcs that was about seven times the size of our armies. Soon our group formed a circle as the orcs surrounded us. We were outnumbered.

Now Sam was carrying Frodo on his shoulder, but the creature Gollum came into view and attacked them both. They struggled as Gollum hit Sam on the head with a rock and choked Frodo.

Later on Frodo succeeded to flee from Gollum, but he stumbled upon a rock. The hobbit groaned in pain. He struggled to get up. Though he kept on pressing, the injury on his foot slowed down his pace greatly.

The eagle's eyes zoomed in closer to the ground on the battlefield. I saw Aragorn running towards the sea of the enemy, followed by the two hobbits who screamed battle cry for Frodo. The rest of our armies then charged forward, the hobbits' boldness inspired them.

I saw myself intertwined my fingers with Legolas as we exchanged meaningful gazes towards each other before we too ran on foot towards the enemies. My sword drawn. Legolas was beside me the whole time as we slashed through everything in our paths. Together we were lethal.

In the heat of the battle, I saw a giant troll came to Aragorn, their sword slashed against each other. Aragorn was not a match for the troll. Soon he fell and the troll stood tall in front of him, putting his giant foot on his chest.

I saw my own self looking at Aragorn with bewilderment. I pushed through the crowd to his aid. Legolas who were carried a little further away from me by the crowd followed my gaze and started to run towards him as well. His facial expression mirrored mine.

Legolas shouted in warning, but not towards Aragorn; he was screaming towards me, for a troll raced to me from my blindside. By the time my running form registered Legolas' warning, my body was thrown away by the kick of the giant creature.

I watched Legolas averted his eyes to my limp body and started making his way to me instead of Aragorn. The elf prince came between me and the giant, facing the troll, seething.

"Die!" spat Legolas with dangerously, his sword drawn as he charged the giant nimbly. 

Little did he know that another orc came behind my limp body and stabbed a sword to my gut. I died quickly in silence, painlessly, as Legolas kept fighting a losing battle, unaware that I was a lost cause.

I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to him.

Nobody came for Aragorn. The creature that was on top of him roared in anger as Aragorn stabbed his sword at its feet who in return thrust its blade into Aragorn's shoulder. He screamed in agony. 

Just then another scream was heard from the eye of Sauron. The black tower it was stood upon was crumbling down, marking the destruction of the One Ring. The orcs and the trolls fled to all direction in fear and defeat. 

Legolas scrambled to my side and picked me up from the ground. Upon seeing the blade on my chest and the spurt of fresh blood, he wailed and screamed. His emotions laid bare for all to see, agonizingly raw as he buried his face on the crook of my pale skin.

Several men were trying to save Aragorn, putting great effort to keep him alive. But after almost an hour trying, Aragorn body gave up and he too, gave up life.

Despite our victory against the dark lord, Middle Earth grieved, for it has lost its king.

The scene changed. I saw Legolas. He wandered through a forest with his head lowered under his hood, a symbol of great mourning. The once full of life, strong elf warrior was reduced into nothing but a vessel of what he once was.

He no longer had his beloved bow with him; his strength had left him. He walked with his head down, and though he still possessed that grace that only his kind had, he simply had no more will to live, for he was brokenhearted. There was nothing in all lands that could comfort him; nothing that could mend his heart back.

He kept on walking and walking– in solitary; in silence, until he faded away and ceased to exist. His soul remained lost forever, not accepted anywhere– not in Arda, not in the Undying Lands. The graceful elf warrior became nothing but a tale told to many generations to come.

***

"Leane!" called Legolas, shaking me back to reality. "What is it? What do you see?" asked Legolas knowingly in a haste.

My friends were all now staring at me anxiously. I didn't recall when they came back to rejoin us, or when the Black Gate was bared wide open, revealing the army of Orcs that had started to march at us.

I kept my gaze at Legolas' face, shocked at the heavy amount of fight and strength in his blue eyes– it was an absolute look from what his eyes held when I saw him just now.

This Legolas was strong, deadly–unrelenting. That Legolas that I saw earlier, on the other hand–he was sad and he had no fight left in him. The elf that I had seen in that vision depicted a picture of a man that had lost everything.

"Speak to us, Leane!" blurted Pippin anxiously.

"Wait! I need to think!" I said impatiently.

I worked my brain out to make of my vision. I searched for the root of the problem and cursed, finding that it was beyond my reach to fix. I couldn't help stop the injury that will slow Frodo down and delay everything.

"Shit..." I cursed under my breath. Before closing my eyes and think.

"Legolas, we have to change our tactics. I can't stay by your side along the battle, the consequences are unspeakable," I stated and Legolas' eyes widened in shock. But one look was all it took; he nodded and didn't object.

I turned to my friends and spoke to them, "There will be a few seconds of delay, just try to stay alive through it all. Buy some time for Frodo."

"What about you, Leane?" asked Gandalf.

"I just have to stay away from Legolas. Like really stay away from him to the point where he can't see me anymore. That's all."

They all nodded in silence and fixed their eyes on the marching enemies.

"Why?" asked Legolas in a low tone to my ears, his eyes stormy with many emotions.

"I'll explain on our way back to Minas Tirith," I said mustering my confidence. I grinned at him, though I suspect it came out more like a cringe more than anything. "Turns out staying together is a bad decision, melleth nin," I told him in a playful manner, trying to light up the mood.

Legolas smiled sadly. "Having a second thought coming here?" he asked half jokingly as he kept his eyes forward.

"My second thought is having a second thought," I replied nervously, though I was rolling my eyes.

I pulled him into a brief kiss and spoke quickly.

"Still have that coin?"

"Aye."

"See you when it's over. I gotta move back further behind the men. Remember, it is important that you and I remain separated. Do not search for me– don't even think about me," I warned. "And keep an eye on Aragorn. Trust me, I will find you."

Legolas' eyes filled with conflicting emotions. He nodded before kissing me again one more time in a chaste, searing kiss.

"Gi melin. I love you, my Legolas," I whispered to him before pulling away and pushed past the men further in the back, making sure I was being in the middle of the circle.

If previously my vision prompted me to keep someone else alive, this time it was prompting me to keep me alive. And again, Aragorn.

I thought of a battle strategy as I heard Aragorn's battle speech from the distance. I had to stay alive. For Legolas. And for me. I was not gonna leave my life just before I even started. And Aragorn– he was the key to all of this: he was my mission. He had always been. He too, has to live.

I kept on moving as the soldiers moved to keep their stance against the enemy, slowly forming a circle. I kept on pushing my way to find the eye of our circle.

Battle cry was heard and the men started to charge forward. I held my ground as adrenaline rushed through my veins. I lowered my wall and ignore the flooding emotions that came hitting like tidal waves, scanning for imminent threats towards my way.

As I stood I tapped into my fea (spirit) and searched for any trees around me. I found them and willed it to form a wall behind my back, protecting my blindside as I attacked any opponent within my range.

I was doing well and having no trouble taking out orcs after orcs that came my way. Once in a while I also used my magic to aid the men near me. Everything seemed to be going on just fine.

It was such a swell; a walk in the park.

That, until my luck ran out.

The same troll that attacked me from my vision marched at me from afar. By now I realized that he was sent for a single mission: to kill me

Holy fuck, Sauron sent a freaking hitman to end me.

Somehow the dark lord found out about me and intended to eliminate me from the equation. Just like he intended on removing Aragorn.

I killed the orc in front of me and then tapped into my fea again. A big root of tree spurted from the ground beneath the troll and held it back in its track.

It didn't last. The giant troll broke the tree roots and freed himself, eyeing me with a newfound rage as he marched towards me again.

Holy shit.

I blocked him with roots after roots, until I couldn't focus as I fend for myself at an incoming orc. Just when I killed the orc, another big blade came clashing with mine.

It was the troll's blade.

I kept on blocking his attack, but his strength was way beyond me. Soon my arms gave up and the sword fell from my hands. I was sent on my bottom on the ground. The giant looked down at me as it growled in a mock laughter. Disgustingly enough, he shot me that godawful toothy grin that would make every dentist's nightmare come true.

This was it. This was my end.

The troll lifted its gigantic foot and step on me. I felt its foot squeezing my chest and pushed the air out of my lungs, pressing me against the earth. I couldn't breath or scream as I feel the bones of my ribcage cracked under the weight.

For the first time in my life I knew how a potato feel when it transforms into a mashed potato. What a way to go.

Black dots started to form on my sight before it disappeared again. The troll that was bullying me was nowhere to be found and the orcs around us were running to all directions, scattered.

I gasped for a breath and stifled a cry at the sting on my chest with every breath I took. I controlled my breathing so I took only shallow breaths to reduce the obliterating pain on my chest. 

"My lady! Leane!" exclaimed someone in a Rohan armor. A strangely familiar face came to view. "Why can't we meet on another occasion?!"

"D-Doro...thir?" I croaked between breaths. He was the soldier who helped me back in Helm's Deep to save Bae, the young boy in battle.

"Stay still, do not talk. Save your breath," he said. Worry and concern swam in his eyes. "By the sound of it, your ribcage appears to be broken."

"I-I n...need t-to get to A-Aragorn..."

"You can't move!"

"I...n-need to s-see him. P-please..."

Conflicting emotions ran across his face.

"His...l-life... d-depends on it. T-trust me. I-I have m-magic," I croaked and gasped in pain.

To be honest I didn't even know how Aragorn was, but I just had to make sure. If he was hurt, I was the only one who might have the chance to save him.

Dorothir nodded after some time and spoke.

"You have magic. I saw it," he said as he put his arms under my back and my legs. "This is going to hurt."

And boy he wasn't kidding. Pain jolted through me as he lifted me off the ground and I gasped in agony at the pain on my chest. I breathed noisily, as if I was having a full blown asthmatic attack.

I wondered if Steve Rogers felt this way on every asthmatic attack before the serum.

I didn't know how or when I got on the ground again, but now a pair of icy blue eyes were staring down at me. Legolas panic and concern sounded clear in his voice.

"Leane! Oh Eru, I am so sorry... I am sorry..." he spoke in a broken voice, his hands grazed my face. 

"A-Aragorn...I-is he h-hurt?" I asked between gasps.

Another kind of pain stretched across his face and I knew the answer without him telling me.

"I-I c-can save h-him. B-bring me t-there!" I ordered like a brat.

Or choked like a brat.

A small hope flickered in his eyes as he spoke, "Can you heal yourself?"

I shook my head. "N-no, b-but I can h-heal him. Q-quick... I'm n-not in i-immi...nent d-danger. H-he is."

Legolas' eyes welled with unshed tears before he pressed his lips to my temple.

I grunted and gasped in pain as Legolas picked me up from the ground, my lungs burned at the movement. I fought to stay conscious and gritted my teeth at the pain on my chest.

"Just a bit more, melleth nin. We're almost there," he said comfortingly but his voice was broken and pained.

Then I found myself on the ground again. 

"Melleth nin..." said Legolas sofly as he gestured to his left.

I looked to my right and saw Aragorn's bloodied shoulder and chest. He was unmoving. Eomer was applying a pressure at the wound on his shoulder.

I calmed my breathing and with a series of grunts turned my body so I could crawl some more to Aragorn. With not a little struggle, I moved my hand to touch Aragorn's chest. I tapped into my fea and searched for Aragorn's. Gradually, the pain on my chest subsided and I found myself walking in total darkness.

***

[Author's Note: THE END! Thank you so much for reading my book to completion, you have reached the end of the story, the last chapter of my book! Kudos to all of you who persevered till the end!
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JUST KIDDING. There'll be more coming. Oh my gosh, now I'm worried whether you read this part or not. Stay tuned!]

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