Greenleaf (Legolas x Aragorn)

Chapter XIII

PART V: BLADES & ASHES

As they all had expected the battle was fierce and violent. Every man, dwarf and elf had fought until their life had been taken away. Nothing was left but ashes, blood and burned hopes. But they kept fighting as their brothers in arms were left lying lifelessly around them.

Gimli had been violently thrown to the floor but he did not wait to get up. He felt rain and death cover his face as he looked around and let reality hit him brutally. He could see no meaning to what he was doing anymore. The dwarf had become a weapon following orders and he did not feel tiredness anymore.

It was when he exceed the point of no return that he faced one of Rivora's dwarf that had the guts to speak to him. Words took over violence when his voice echoed in between the screams of his companions but it was just as harsh as the events surrounding them. "You are a disgrace to your people, dwarf." Only his lips were moving on his dry blooded face but it went right to Gimli's heart. "Look around you and see your brothers motionless in the dirt. Let this vision haunt you for the rest of your miserable life and do not dare to say you can live with yourself afterwards! I hope you are blessed with a long life, so you will suffer more than anyone else that was hit by your axe on this shameful day!"

The end of the dreadful battle had begun. Yet, Gimli still had the feeling it was impossible to overcome it as the other dwarf screamed at him. Unfortunately, his words were undoubtedly right. Because of some wizard's vanity thousands had gone against their own morals. Everything had lost its purpose. Nothing was left to hold on to and a hurtful rage erupted inside Gimli's body. It was all because of Saruman and he had had the audacity to not even be part of the disaster he had caused.

Rivora's ruins were once again on fire and Legolas was nowhere to be seen. However, Aragorn's sorrow could not be less visible than it already was. He used everything he had to take down Saruman's pawns with the simple hope that it would finally make him come to the battlefield.

And his prayers seemed to be heard. His heart instantly stopped when the image of the elf he had lost appeared not far away from him. The city's brightness increased with the famous signature of Saruman's arrival. But this time it was not his long white hair that appeared with him.

As he had predicted, Gondor's king was left unable to move. Legolas seemed to be the same. As if nothing had changed since the day he remained lifeless in between Aragorn's shaking arms. He was wearing the exact same clothes he had travelled with, the exact same look he had when he laughed or kissed him. Yet, only one thing brought back the king to the awful truth. A horrifying stain of blood was left where Saruman had cast his spell.

Aragorn defended himself from the attack of other angry soldiers until his haunted lover spoke the words of another person. Those words as well as his gaze were not destined to the king though. The white wizard's attention remained focused on the other wizard standing in the battle. "Gandalf! Do not waste so many lives for something you can not see clearly!" Even if Gandalf was still using his power against Rivora's soldiers he did not miss a word of what Saruman was saying. "Your power is mighty and I feel ashamed to witness how you are using it today. A greater good is happening. You should not try to stop it because you refuse to understand it. Do not remain blinded by your beliefs, I will forgive you for their lack of rightfulness."

Gandalf was out of breath when he stopped to answer the outrageous malice of the wizard he had once been close to. "Forgive me? I believe it was only natural for you to forgive me for doing what you could not do, Saruman." Gandalf could feel the poisonous blade lying against him and he did not see why he should have wasted more time before using it. He walked closer to the lightful elf with more hatred dialogue in his mouth. "Stop this madness before it is too late for life to be built back after it. Save us from this unbearable destiny." Gandalf had had just enough time to get so close to Legolas' haunted body that he felt awful about taking the elvish sword out of his pocket. It was clear Aragorn would have been nothing but incapable of doing what Gandalf was about to do.