to love someone else

Chapter 50: arrows

 One moment, Aerin was fighting a small pack of Orcs - she thought she could handle a small pack on her own - and the next moment she was pinned with her back against a tree, her feet dangling in the air. She could not touch the ground. She could not breathe. The Orc held her by her neck and sneered. She'd dropped her weapons in the process. She only fought to get air.

Aerin hoped someone would find and help her, for there was no way she was getting out of that one alone. She tried to swing her feet and kick the Orc, but this was a clever one and kept his safe distance.  With every moment that passed, her vision got blurrier. This one was enjoying her. He would have simply cut her down had it been in his interest.

With all her might Aerin kicked him but it left the Orc undeterred. The next thing she knew she was on the ground, coughing and wheezing, trying to get any amount of air inside of her. Her vision was blurry as she lay on the ground, and all she could see were shapes and silhouettes fighting before her. She thought she would bleed from her throat, the grip of the Orc was so strong. Aerin could still feel the filth on her skin. She  tried to swallow but it was so utterly painful, and it took her a few minutes before her vision settled and it became less painful to suck in breath. ''Are you alright, lass?'' Gimli asked as he crouched next to Aerin, one of his hands holding a bloody axe and the other touching her cheek. ''Gimli,'' Aerin said, merely for the purpose of testing whether she could still speak. Her voice was hoarse and her throat  were sore and in pain.

''Aye, lass. We almost lost ya there.'' Gimli spoke softly for a Dwarf. ''I- don't know how that happened,'' Aerin muttered, thinking how her voice sounded almost like that of a man. ''You distanced yourself is what happened,'' Gimli said. ''After all I've told you,'' Legolas said, his voice suprisingly to Aerin, full of worry and kindness all in one. His eyes bore into hers, with concern and relief alike. ''I'm sorry,'' Aerin said to him. She vaguely remembered promising him not to do it again. It was like an echo in her mind.

''Are you alright?'' Legolas asked. ''I'm fine,'' Aerin said, ''I'm just taking a moment.'' Legolas's face changed too suddenly, almost like a facade crumbling down. He seemed lost as he sat next to Aerin, lost as a child, and guilty, and deeply troubled. He put his arms over his pulled-up knees, almost hugging them. He did not look at her. ''You would be dead now, had I come but a moment later,'' he said, his voice so fragile Aerin thought it would break. ''But you've come,'' She said, wanting to comfort him, to rid him of the fault that was not his, ''As you always used to do.'' There was silence as they looked into each others eyes. Legolas thought this was the right time but no words came out-  after the battle he thought to himself.

"We better go.. we're still on a battle field.." Aerin laughed as Legolas helped her up. "Are you okay to fight?" He asked in concern, Aerin didn't reply she just nodded. They hadn't been fighting for long until Gimli began shouting out more numbers. "thirty-four! thirty-five!" He shouted as he cut the head of a nearby orc. "Forty!" Legolas shouted as he realised his bow and watched it pierce through the stomach of an orc. "fifty!" Gimli shouted increasing his number significantly. "sixty!" Legolas shouted. They kept increasing the number until Gimli got to 100. During this time, Aerin kept laughing and hadn't noticed an Orc walking some distance behind her. She laughed again then stopped when she felt a sharp pain pierce through her lower abdomen.

"one hundred and twenty!" Legolas shouted.  Aerin looked down and she saw the arrow which was sticking out of her. Legolas  turned around and noticed when he heard a loud cry coming from behind him. "AERIN!?" Legolas shouted over to Aerin as she noticed her stand still for a moment, tears in her eyes, as she then collapsed onto the ground. Before running over the elf prince shot an arrow which pierced through the head of the Orc. "Legolas..?" Aerin whispered. Legolas nodded his head, "Yes...it's me, Aerin. I'm here, you're going to be alright..okay?"

The pain doesn't go away and Aerin shakes her head. "I-It hurts. Please make it stop." Aerin pleadded as she looked down at the arrow head that is now deeply wedged into her side before looking back up at Legolas to see a tear fall down his cheek. "Sorry I can't.. make it stop. But stay with me. You must stay awake.. do you hear me? Stay." Legolas cried as he frantically tried to save her. "Gimli, cover me!" He ordered.

"Aerin!?" She turned and looked up to see Aragorn running over. "I'm here.." As he runs over she says, "It's bad isn't it?" As she looked down and saw loads of blood leaving her body. Aragorn didn't answer her question he just demanded for her to "Stay still." Now everyone was starting to cry. "The arrow.." Aerin said faintly as she began to close her eyes, but stops when she hears Gimli shouting at nearby orcs when he kills them. Aragorn touched her face, "Think about Rivendell.. think about your sister Arwen, your father.." He pleaded. "Don't leave them... don't leave us." He begged as Aerin murmured, "I'm cold... tell my family that I-I l-love them..." Aragorn shook his head, "I wont let you go.. I  will never  let you go.." He cried. Aerin touched his cheek gently, "Don't waist your time with me, my life is fading, I can feel it.. you've got a war to win. Save others from my fate, it's too late to save me." 

Taking her last breath Aerin looked up at Legolas, "I'm not going to let you go.." He cried. Aerin slowly closed her eyes as she heard Legolas screamed as he held her close. He had lost Aerin and he didn't even get to tell her that he loved her. Well, there were a lot of things he didn't get to say.