Legolas' POV

After gathering a search party, I saddled up my horse and led the elves out of Mirkwood alongside Elronis to search for Melaina. We rode swiftly to the clearing where I found her necklace. I slowed my horse down as we entered out of the thick covering of trees and into the clearing. I sighed in relief seeing that all the footprints were still there. Hopping off my horse, I began to inspect the ground again, trying to confirm my earlier theory that she had been taken to Dol Guldor. Elronis jumped down and joined me as well.

Once I was satisfied, I jumped back upon my horse and signaled to the elves accompanying me. "Let's head out! She's this way!" I pointed in the direction of Dol Guldor and began following the footprints that led toward it.

We rode for quite a while before at last, I saw the run down fortress. Once we got closer, I instructed the elves to dismount and tie their horses to a tree. We needed to be extremely stealthy to approach the orc infested fortress. My men and I crept along through the trees quietly. We observed everything, making sure nothing was out of place or different.

"Okay. Here is the plan." I instructed, "Melhonin and I will retrieve Melaina. The rest of you and Elronis will wait right out here in case we need you."

They all nodded their heads in agreement except for Elronis. "No." he said, "I am going with you. Forgive me, my prince, but Melaina is my fiancée and I am going to find her."

"Elronis, I need you to stay here. Please. I work better with just one man alongside me. I promise that we will get Melaina out. Now you will stay here." I tried to persuade him. I didn't want him to do anything stupid if his feelings got in the way. Of course, that could happen to me as well but I was going to not let that happen. Elronis nodded but didn't seem happy about it at all.

I turned to Melhonin, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go get Melaina." he replied. Instantly, I turned and began heading even closer into Dol Guldor.

I snuck up to the entrance with Melhonin alongside me. There were several guards at the door, but I quickly sliced their heads off and entered Dol Guldor.

We quietly and quickly searched every room. Every once and while, a couple of orcs spotted us, but we managed to kill them before they could raise the alarm.

After what seemed like forever, and I almost started to give up thinking that maybe Melaina wasn't here, Melhonin and I came upon a locked iron door. I tried the handle, but of course it had to be locked. Then, I looked into the small barred window in the door, but it was too dark to see anything.

"Melhonin!" I whispered, "We need to find a key." He nodded and we started searching the hallway. A moment later, I felt a tap on my a shoulder, and there stood Melhonin with a key! He handed me the key and I put it into the keyhole in the door. Click. A small noise echoed through the hallway as the door unlocked. Melhonin stayed in the corridor to keep watch as I walked in.

At first, I couldn't see anything, but then my eyes adjusted. There, in the corner, laying curled up on her side, was Melaina! I rushed to her side and crouched down.

"Melaina! It's me, Legolas!" I gently shook her.

Startled, she opened her eyes and flinched. Then, she squinted. "Legolas? What...no. This...this has to be a dream." she said to herself. "Please...stop. I know you're not real, Legolas."

Confused, I answered, "Melaina, this isn't a dream. I'm really here! So is Melhonin. We've come to take you home!" I started to lift her up, but was stopped by two things, one, she was chained, and two, she let out a startling cry in pain when I lifted her. Quickly, I put her back down.

"Legolas...is...is it really you? I...I thought you had forgotten about me." She said, starting to realize that I was real. Then, Melaina started sobbing.

"It's going to be all right. I'm here now. I will protect you." I softly rubbed her hair, it was matted and dirty, but that did not matter to me. "We need to leave right now, Melaina. We need to get you home. Can you stand?"

"I...I don't think so."

"That's okay, I'll carry you."

I started to reach out for her, but she cried out, "No! Please don't. It hurts too much. I can't move. The pain is too much. You need to leave me behind and go. I...I wouldn't make it."

I suddenly realized how much she had been through. How much pain she had endured, and yet, she was still alive, still fighting. "Melaina...what...what did they do to you?" I started to choke. My little sister so broken...so...so frail! No one should have to see their loved one go through this. No one.

"Please, Legolas, just go. I'll never make it." She reached up and caressed my face, but was stopped by the iron bracelets that held her down.

"No." I said. "I'm not leaving you. What I am about to do may hurt, Melaina, but I need to get you out of here." I gently lifted her wrist, and tried the key for the door in the lock. It worked! The wrist cuff clicked open and I proceeded to do the same for the other wrist too. Too my disgust and horror, I noticed large blood stains underneath her. They were hard to see in the dark, but I had fought enough battles to know what blood looked like.

Very gently, I lifted her into my arms. She quietly moaned, trying to be brave. I carried her like a child and walked out of the cell.

Melhonin started to smile when he saw me, until he looked at Melaina, and his smile dropped. I nodded to him, letting him know it was time to go. Taking the key from me, he expertly locked the room back up, and put the key back.

We headed back through the halls, retracing our steps. Thankfully, we were not greeted by any orcs.

At last, the exit appeared up ahead. We were almost to freedom, when all of a sudden, a dozen orcs turned the corner right in front of us! For a split second, everything froze. We were both so startled to see each other, that neither group moved! Finally, Melhonin snapped to his senses and unsheathed his sword. I backed away, still holding Melaina, and gently set her down. During our flee back to the entrance, she had passed out and now lay unconscious on the cold stone floor.

Shooting an orc in the chest with my bow, I charged the orcs to aid Melhonin. We fought side by side, each defending each other's back. Pulling out my twin blades, I sliced orc after orc, spraying blood everywhere.

After a battle that seemed way longer than it really was, all the orcs laid dead. Glancing down, I noticed something on one of the orcs' bodies. I reached down, about to find out what it was, when I felt a searing pain in my arm! I jerked my head over and found a small blade protruding from it! Gasping, I pulled the blade from my arm and stabbed it into the Orc that was lying on the ground, not dead. He had stabbed me. Ugh! How could I be so careless?

I realized that we needed to get out of there before more orcs came. "Melhonin! Let's go! We need to hurry!" I rushed over to Melaina and picked her up. Instantly, another shooting, flaming pain lit up my arm. I inwardly screamed.

We raced out of the fortress, and into the woods. When we reached the other elves, the blood from my arm had started seeping through my sleeve. I hoped that that no one would notice. We didn't need to worry about me right now. Elronis and the other elves sighed in relief when we appeared through the trees.

We mounted out horses and quickly set out back to the palace. I held onto Melaina tightly, so she would not fall from the horse for she was still unconscious.

We rode swiftly, and before long arrived at the gates of my father's realm. I climbed off my horse with Melaina, leaving it to the other elves to care for, and hurried to the healing room with Elronis right behind me.

As soon as we entered, two elves rushed over to me. "My prince, what can we do?" They asked.

"Please, help her. I do not know all the damage that has been bestowed upon her, but I can tell that she is in great pain."

"Of course!" One of the elves said, "Set her over here." she pointed to a counter. I walked over, suddenly feeling dizzy, and laid her down upon it. The elves hurried to help her, as I stepped back to get out of their way. I watched, until slowly, everything went black.

Phew! She's safe! I wasn't sure where I was gonna take that chapter! That was a long one! Man! I hope you like it! Please vote, comment, and follow me! Thank you for reading this!!!!!!:):):)

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