Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 63 * Still Breathing

In a time of ugly chaos Kordelia showed both her allies and enemies the wondrous beauty she portrayed through her dance of death. It was if the earth's soil were her canvas and the blood of her enemies was her paint leaving her blades as her brushes.

The enemy numbers were dwindling which seemed impossible especially as many ran when they saw her until a green hue became known on the battlefield which seemed like a swarm of crazed bees as they destroyed all in their path however the Last of the Wilds kept fighting until she was surrounded by the beasts and that was when she halted and looked at the dead faces of the victims she had slain for her people.

They were there to kill her as she had killed them, she could see it in their eyes. She knew this was where she was supposed to die but even though she could not kill them again she was going to fight to her last breath.

She looked each of them in the eyes and seemed to chant, "I'm still breathing."

The clash of her swords against their dead blades made an awful dull clang that sent would send a chill through her bones but she would not let them pierce her flesh.

By the time her sword had crossed each and every one of her victim's they seemed to encircle around her once again in a menacing manner which told her she was going to be rushed by them all. A coward's move, but she would die swinging.

She pivoted and whispered to herself, "I'm alive." Until she had made a full circle and then she screamed defiantly, "I'M ALIVE!"

When she had finished they began their rush with a loud roar.

Kordelia was ready to die, she was at peace with it no matter the pain inflicted on her.

As she felt their cold bodies descend upon her she braced for the end but before their blades could touch one last time they turned to dust and seemed to blow away in a breeze of death leaving her surrounded only by those slain in the battlefield.

She looked all around frantically until she realized what had happened. They had been released.

In anger she fell to her knees and let out a roar of rage, pain, and sorrow that surly sent ice through the veins of those still alive.

Upon her knees she wanted to weep, she wanted to scream, she wanted to hate Aragorn and Legolas. How could they do this to her? She knew it was a necessary evil to save Middle Earth, however it was something she did not believe she could forgive.

For some time she stayed there on her knees with her head bowed as the horrifying memories of her people's death played out slowly in her mind.

She could hear their screams, feel their pain, taste the smoke in the air. Everything was so vivid as if she were in fact there when it occurred. Never before had she felt this way or saw these things. She was then taken to her encounter with the aftermath and felt and saw things she had hidden deep in her mind. The sound of her feet crunching on scorched wood, the stench of putrid flesh, the choking taste of death and ash in the air and the heart stopping sights of the hell her home had become.

There on the battlefield it was over. She had both won and lost her battle for her people. Tears fell down her cheeks, burning her cheeks and then the sobs came in uncontrollable waves.

When she could cry no more she looked around at the devastation which surrounded her. So many dead but Gondor stood in its new glory from the victory of this battle.

Her body ached as she rose to her feet knowing she needed to find out what was next and that meant finding Éomer, whom she knew was sure to be in the presence of Aragorn and Legolas.

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