The Lady of Rivendell

Chapter 19

Along the wall, they all stood, rows and rows of armed beings stood waiting in the night for the battle to begin.

The Elves held up the first line of defence with Haldir standing at the side of Allora and Legolas on her other side as they watched their enemy approach, their presence illuminated by a sea of flaming torches.

"Ugh! You could have picked a better spot," Gimli grumbled from where he couldn't see over the wall at Legolas' side.

"I would think that the front line would be the perfect spot for a warrior such as yourself, Gimli," Allora said with a small smile on her face as Aragorn joined them and the retort died on his lips.

"Well, lad," he said, "whatever luck you live by let's hope it lasts the night."

And thunder crackled across the sky as Allora and Legolas covertly joined their hands together.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas said.

"Let's hope they last the night," Gimli snarked.

"Indeed, they will. For the impossible can be done if you have hope," Allora said optimistically even as the rain began pouring down.

"Show them no mercy for you shall receive none!" Aragorn said to the Elves.

And the leader of the Uruk-Hai army stood atop a rock as it roared, and its army came to a halt and it became a stand-off.

Who would make the first move?

As usual, though, Gimli found a way to ease the tension unintentionally.

"What's happening out there?" he asked, trying to peek over the wall.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas asked as the rain soaked his hair. "Or would you like me to find you a box?"

And even Allora couldn't help but laugh before she met Legolas' blue eyes and squeezed his hand, the look saying everything they couldn't say right now as the Uruk leader roared again and its army began banging their spears on the ground like thunder beneath the clouds.

Aragorn and Allora drew their blades. 

"Archers to the ready!" Allora commanded as the Elves drew their bows, all of them holding their weapons at different angles as the humans joined in.

They were prepared, they were ready, but they would wait for them to make the first move. However, an old man who'd been given a bow had other ideas as he let his arrow fly. Be it an accident or intentional, his arrow found a home in the neck of one of the Uruk as it fell dead.

"HOLD!" Aragorn ordered as the man realised what he had done, but it was too late.

The Uruks let out raging roars as they charged forward.

And the battle began.

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"TAKE AIM!" Allora ordered her people as she joined them in notching her arrow. It was another thing and another reason her people were so loyal to her. She did not just command them into battle, rather, she commanded them to fight at her side.

Though the rain poured, it did nothing to obscure the vision of the Elves as they waited with bated breath for their orders.

"Their armour is weak at the neck and beneath the arm," Legolas advised his kin.

"FIRE!" Allora screamed and the sound of bowstrings popping back into place was louder than the thunder as thousands of arrows flew through the air and met their marks.