Bound By Blood {Legolas x Reader}

Chapter Seventeen - The Cursebreaker & The Dead

Adriel swung up onto Hasufel's back, her nimble fingers curling around the reins. She looked down to Aragorn who fastened his saddle bag to Brego's saddle, tugging on it to make sure it was secure. Adriel shifted nervously in her saddle, adjusting her quiver on her back. She had snuck back into her and Legolas's shared tent to collect her weapons and cloak but she had not seen her beloved, her mind reeled at the thought of leaving without telling him.

"Why are you doing this?" Eowyn breathed out as she marched towards Aragorn and Adriel. Adriel's jaw clenched, bringing her hands back down to Hasufel's reins. "The war lies to the East. You cannot leave on the eve of battle," Eowyn's gentle face contorted into a look of anger and sorrow, "you cannot abandon the men." Aragorn pursed his lips, dropping his hand from Brego's saddle.

"Eowyn," he murmured, moving to grab Brego's reins. Eowyn looked between Aragron and Adriel, desperation shining in her eyes.

"We need you here," she begged. Adriel frowned.

"Why have you come?" Aragorn quietly asked from where he now stood on Eowyn's other side.

"Do you not know?" Eowyn mumbled, her shoulders dropping. Adriel sucked on her teeth, averting her eyes from the woman. Eowyn's affection towards Aragirn had been obvious, Adriel dreaded this moment knowing that the affection would never be returned. Aragorn looked down at the ground for a long moment, a hard look plastered to his face.

"It is but a shadow and a thought that you love," Aragron whispered, shaking his head, looking back up to Eowyn. Adriel pursed her lips, playing awkwardly with Hasufel's reins. "I can not give you what you seek," Aragorn continued, Eowyn's hopeful face dropped, tears welling in her blue eyes. She took a small step away from him, shaking her head. Aragorn's eyes flashed up to Adriel, the Witch gave him a small nod, nudging Hasufel forward to walk alongside the man as he turned away from Eowyn.

The pair silently made their way through the camp, Adriel's hood pulled far over her face in an attempt to draw no attention to herself as she rode alongside Aragorn. Guilt seemed to consume her, she did not want to leave Legolas. Her chest seemed to ache. She softly sighed, knowing well that they needed the men in the mountain to even stand a chance

"Just where do you think you're off to?" Gimli asked gruffly. Adriel jumped slightly in her saddle, surprised by the Dwarf's voice. Her eyes snapped to him as he stood from where he had been sitting alongside a tent chewing contently on the end of his pipe.

"Not this time," Aragorn sternly spoke, shaking his head as he looked at the Dwarf, "this time you must stay, Gimli."

"Mm," Gimli hummed, a small grin forming on his bearded face.

"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Legolas asked from Adriel's other side, leading Arod to stand beside Hasufel. A sense of relief washed over Adriel, the Prince's voice banishing the guilt and fear that seemed to radiate off of the Witch.

"You might as well accept it. We're going with you, laddie," Gimli's eyes turned to Adriel, "m'lady." Adriel smiled broadly under the hood of her cloak, turning to look at Legolas who was already looking up at her.

"You're not as stealthy as you think you are, Adriel," Legolas murmured, a small smirk adorning his face. Adriel shook her head.

"Maybe I was not trying to be quiet," Adriel shot back, still smiling.

The foursome rode silently through the camp towards the narrow passage of the mountain. Gimli sat behind Legolas on Arod who walked shoulder to shoulder with Hasufel and Adriel, Aragorn and Brego leading the way. Adriel kept her hood up, opting for the warmth of the Elven cloak to ward off the chill of the early morning air. Brego came to a halt at the passage's entrance, pawing nervously at the ground. Aragorn turned to look at Adriel who nodded, steering Hasufel around Brego, taking the lead. The Witch took a deep breath, patting Hasufel on the neck as she urged him forward into the narrow passage, the power of ancient magic that she felt only grew the further she ventured into the foggy passage.