Gwaedh [Legolas Love Story] - COMPLETED

XXV.

They sit around the table as Elarinya pulls books and scrolls, tries to find any information. The males try to conjure a plan of attack.

"We gather all men," Aragorn speaks "Gondor, Rohan, Ithilien."

Thranduil says "The Woodland Elves will join."

"I can send a word to the Iron Hills, Erebor, Glittering Caves and Moria," Gimli adds "But first we need to decide where to meet."

"The man said they would be ready to attack by auttumn," Legolas strategizes "They wish to go south and destroy everything, they intend to kill us anyway. So if we set the place, they will meet us," his friends look at him "We stay between Mirkwood and the Langflood or the Anduin. They will be trapped, die in the river or lose themselves in the woods."

"How can we be sure they will meet us there?" Gimli asks.

"They care little for the villages they come across, human bodies are mere food for them," Elarinya speaks with her eyes on a book "All they wish to is overpower powerful lands. The exact same that happened with you in the War of the Ring. Yes, they stroke villages on the way, but they only cared for the attack on Rohan and Gondor, the rest was just collateral damage they wouldn't mind. There is nothing powerful in the North besides Thranduil's Caves and Erebor, so that's where they will attack first. And yes, maybe ten can get lost or fall to madness in those woods, but among thousands certaily some hundreds will reach it, burn the entire place down. They want to kill you, Aragorn, Thranduil, Legolas, Faramir, Éomer, king Daín, all who possess great lands. They care little for the rest," she finally looks up from the book "Our powerful friends will be bait. They will not avoid a battle that provides a chance to kill kings. Just like what happened when we left Ithilien."

Arwen is the first to break the heavy silence that follows "Elarinya is right. And she was right about something too some time ago. This will all be for nothing if the elleth remains in command."

Aragorn rubs his beard "It would be easier if we knew who we are fighting against too."

"I do not understand how a she-elf ended up in that place," Gimli starts "I would say the Witch King himself was using some of his magic to change his appearance to a woman, had Éowyn not killed him."

Elarinya looked at him. Her mind started working. An elleth and a human. Witch King of Angmar. Both have some connection to magic, which is necessary for orcs. Aragorn and Arwen, Béren and Lúthien, she and-. Yes, they couldn't be the only pair of mortal and elf. "Gimli," she places the book down and searches in another shelf "You might be a genius."

"Well, of course I am!" though Gimli cannot imagine why.

They all stare at Elarinya as she pulls a chair, climbs on it and grabs a big book from the top of a bookcase. It's dusty and she sneezes to her elbow. She places it down and Arwen reads the title "Unions of Middle Earth?"

"It's a marriage record of important beings," Elarinya replies as she opens it "When was the Witch King born?"

Thranduil thinks for a few seconds "First centuries of the Second Age, I cannot precise when."

"It's good enough," she opens and starts turning the pages until the dates of the Second Age appear. She searches for Angmar along the pages, and finally finds something "Thidialis Amrûmben".

Thranduil furrows his eyebrows "She was one of my wife's cousins."

"Was she-"

"Yes," he interrupts "Pale hair, like ours."

"Is she alive?"

"She was by Legolas' birth. We weren't aware she was married. We weren't very close."

"She was in love with a mortal, it couldn't have been looked upon lightly," Elarinya comments, eyes still on the book, and Thranduil keeps looking at her. "Was she powerful?"

"She is as old as I am, so yes. She had a considerable connection with protection magic."

Elarinya mumbles "Not related to raising orcs from the dirt, but still magic."

"So we go to the palace of Angmar and finish that elleth, stick an axe in her skull-" Gimli starts, already imagining the massacre.

He is interrupted by Elarinya "She is an elf with thousands of years old, Gimli. Me, you or Aragorn won't be enough of a threat," Elarinya takes a glance at father and son "If Legolas or king Thranduil wished to kill us all, they would have done it in seconds and you know it."

"There is still some strenght in numbers," Aragorn speaks "We go and protect them, distract her. As soon as the battle with the orcs is controlled, us and a smaller army ride north to confront her. There will surely be more orcs there, still protecting the palace."

They all look among each other. Legolas speaks "It is settled then. On the first day of autumn, all armies should meet south of the Forest Gate. There should be enough time for everyone to prepare and ride there."

"I'm afraid we won't have time to design a plan of attack, specially without knowing the territory. An army rides slower than individuals..." Aragorn ponders.

Legolas looks at Elarinya for a second. She has always wanted to enter Mirkwood, and he is not afraid to return home anymore, not if it is with her. "Then we move separately from the army. We depart at the same time, but Éomer and Faramir lead Gondor, Rohan and Ithilien," he exchanges a look with his father "While we head to Mirkwood and prepare on the palace. We will have around a week to manage the battle in our home. And there must be more information about Thidialis than here."

Thranduil is surprised and proud. His son will return home, cross the woods and enter the palace by his side. After almost a century, here he is, back to him.

Aragorn nods "I'll send word for Éomer and Faramir."

Gimli adds "I will call the dwarves."

"Let the people of Dale join them," Thranduil comments to Gimli.

"Two to three weeks and we all leave," Aragorn concludes.

They all nod and it is settled. Aragorn will discuss it with the council, but it is decided and there is nothing they could say to change the way. There is a somber look between all of them. They are leaving to war.

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