Gwaedh [Legolas Love Story] - COMPLETED

XXVI.

Training, gathering supplies, preparing the armies, sending word to their allies. The two weeks pass by flying. Arwen and Eldarion stay in Minas Tirith, and Aragorn finds it very hard to bid them farewell. Athelas is joining the travel too, though she will be with the army and far from the fight, working with the healers on a tent for those who need. Faramir promises Elarinya he will watch over Athelas and protect her with his own life. Secretly, Athelas is asking the same of Legolas, that he protects her sister. The elf doesn't think twice about it. 

They ride for weeks until they reach the Forest Gate. They stand on the entrance.

"Are there spiders inside still?" Merry questions.

Thranduil answers "Not as many as before since the Battle of Dol Guldur, but yes." 

The horses are restless, Legolas speaks "Free the horses. They won't make it inside the forest." 

Everyone dismount and take their belongings. "My father told me of his journey here," Gimli starts "Though the idea of remaining in the path seems too simple, actually remaining in it is harder."

Legolas looks. Eight elves, including the six that came with his father, for two humans, two hobbits and a dwarf that will be affected by the enchantment of the forest. Legolas speaks in Sindarin to his kin. Three of them will scout on the front, while the other three and him make sure the others do not walk away from the path. He turns to Gimli "We will handle it." 

"It can't be that bad..." Aragorn whispers.

"Believe me," Elarinya returns in the same tone "It is."

They all head to the Gate itself, with beautiful curved trees that look like an elk's crown. Legolas stops a little behind, noticing his mother's statue. He moves the wild branches away, wipes the moss he can reach. Elarinya stands by his side. She had caught some wild flowers just before, and she puts some at her feet. She offers the rest to Legolas, who looks at her, smiles, and repeats the gesture. Elarinya speaks lowly "Are you ready?"

The sun is bathing her eyes, they look like the forest his home will turn into one day. He smiles and nods, and both walk into the dark woods.

The way isn't hard at first. The path is clear and the whispering isn't heard yet. Gimli even brags that times are changed and this will be the first dwarf not tricked by the woods. He is the first to trail away from the path, though one of the elves catches him and pulls him back right away. 

The hobbits try to escape shortly after and the two other elves have a hard time following them around, bringing them back. Aragorn and Elarinya try to disperse almost at the same time, but Legolas is quick and places a guiding hand over Aragorn's right shoulder and holds Elarinya's left hand with his right. She seems alert as soon as he touches her and keeps on the path. He smiles at her, though she doesn't return, she focus on his eyes. He turns his head forward and walks.

Legolas almost finds it comical. The elves look like parents with very restless children. Then branches crackle. 

"The spiders are near. Prepare to attack."

The spiders must have realized Thranduil was on those woods, because they all gathered to attack them. They could only see thirty in the dark, but there were surely more lurking around. The surge of the creatures and the beginning of the fight was enough to make the non elves return to their senses and fight back. 

The creatures are hard to kill, and the elves do a great job, the others not so much. In the dark it's hard to see, the spiders know the woods while they don't, and they can strike one leg but the spiders have eight, the sting threatens them too.