Avadis - A legolas story (slow moving!)

Chapter 55 - Falling

"Gandalf, where is she?" Pippin asked Gandalf behind him, trying to look to the sky despite the bright sun shining down on them. As soon as Avadis had disappeared away from the view of Aragorn, they all began to panic. Legolas brought his horse around next to Aragorn's in a panic, frowning and whispering to Gandalf and Aragorn, "she's gone. She went over the gates."

"I didn't ask her to go in!" Aragorn exclaimed with frustration, turning his horse around and bringing the company to a complete stop. "Legolas, please tell me you can see her."

The elf squinted his eyes as far as he could, sheltering them with his hand from the sun above them. Desperately he scanned the horizon, eyes darting hopelessly towards every slight movement even by the smallest of creature. "Nothing" he whispered in despair. "She is gone from my sight." His forehead creased with growing worry, never taking his eyes away from the gates.

Gandalf muttered something under his breath. "All of you stay here" he yelled before turning Shadowfax around and bolting towards the direction to disappeared in. "Take us quickly Shadowfax" he muttered, the horse braying in response and picking up the pace even more.

"Gandalf is she going to be alright?" Pippin asked from infront of him, bouncing around from side to side as they continued to sprint forwards. Gandalf said nothing more than a grunt, his eyes constantly ahead and scanning the skies. They came to a high ledge that overlooked the gates below. There was not a sound to be heard, no trees or creatures, only the grey dust of the ground that swept around in the wind. "What a horrid place" Pippin whispered, instinctively leaning back slightly into Gandalf. 

"Stay" Gandalf muttered to him before leaping off Shadowfax and making his way up to the edge of the drop. Pippin watched as the wizard removed his cloak and spoke some strange language before lifting his staff high into the air. A powerful beam of light broke free from the top of his staff, filling all around them with a light so bright that Pippin shouted in surprise and shielded his eyes with his hands. It was only for a moment before the light was gone and Gandalf stumbled backwards with a loud cry.

"Gandalf!" Pippin yelled, jumping from Shadowfax and running the wizard's side, holding his arm to help him keep his balance. 

"I am alright dear boy, I am alright" Gandalf said, patting the hobbit's hand before looking desparately to the sky. "Come on Avadis" he whispered. Just as he spoke he saw Avadis' body seemingly fall down from the sky, landing with quite a loud thud just meters from them. 

"No!" Pippin yelled, beginning to run towards her. Gandalf took off running too, overtaking Pippin much to the frustration of the distraught hobbit. 

On the ground, Avadis moaned and tried to lift her body from the ground.She slowly was regaining conscious movement again, but not as fast as she would hope to. Her breathing was rapid, her heart beating through her chest. Everything around her moved in a blur, as if she had just awoken from a very strange dream. But it was not a dream, what she had seen was real. Thousands upon thousands of them, and the great eye watching over them all.

"Avadis!" Gandalf appeared in her blurry vision as she heaved herself from the ground where she had fallen. "Easy now watch your step" He reached a hand out to her, helping her up to her feet. He patted her gently on the back and swept a strand of her hair behind her ear as her vision and balance returned to her. 

"Gandalf there's so many, there's so many" she whispered to him, glancing back at Aragorn and his company who were rapidly approaching them, not at all heeding Gandalf's words. "They won't be able to hold them back for long enough to buy any time." She groaned and pressed her hand to her head, still aware of the pounding headache left behind. Breathe in, breathe out.