Last Act of Love (Sequel to The Last One)

Chapter 16

"Where is she? The woman who gave you that jewel." Éowyn asked.

Aragorn remain silent for a moment, his mind drifting to the woman he loved. Ruive, who was walking ahead of them listen closely. She knew Éowyn had grown very fond of Aragorn, she was starting to believe she loved him. She hope she would not fall for him, she would only get her heart broken.

"My lord?"

"She is sailing to the Undying Lands with all that is left of her kin." Aragorn replied.

Ruive sighed and looked ahead of her. Her eyes found Legolas standing at the top of a hill, surveying the land ahead of them. She began to wonder what he would do when this is all over; would he sail to the Undying Lands along with his kin? Or would he stay? Why would he stay, what would hold him hear? His people are all leaving, his father, he wouldn't stay for her, would he? Not that she wanted him to, after all she didn't love him. Lie; she did love him, but she did not want to, the last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt. 

Ruive's ears twitched at the sound of a man screaming.

"Wargs!" 

She heard one of the guards cry. She swung up onto Kerberos and galloped to Legolas who was shooting an orc.

"A scout!" He shouted.

Aragorn ran back to warn the people while Ruive started firing arrows from her position on Kerberos' back. She continued to shoot arrows as the Rohirrim and Aragorn charged behind her. She kicked Kerberos into a gallop as the other caught up to her, rolling her eyes as Legolas swung up in front of Gimli. The orcs and the soldiers of Rohan clashed into battle, the wargs biting and tossing the riders around while the Rohirrim fought back with sword and spear. Ruive shot a few more arrows before swapping to her sword.  She swung her sword expertly, cutting down orcs and wargs. She could hear Gimli arguing about death counts somewhere nearby. How typical of an Elf and Dwarf to be arguing, even in the midst of battle.

Aragorn was fighting with an Orc when a warg charged at him and threw him off his horse. Aragorn got to his feet and grabbed the warg and climbed on behind its rider. Ruive looked around the battle field and caught sight of Aragorn struggling with a Orc on the back of a warg. She kicked Kerberos in his direction, urging him faster as the Orc fell off and Aragorn fell but his hand was caught on the wargs saddle, headed straight for the cliff. When she was close enough she jumped off Kerberos and landed on the wargs back. She reached down to her left boot and pulled out a small knife and began sawing through the ropes and leather as fast as she could.

"Why do you always get into these situations?" She muttered.

The cliff was getting dangerously close as she frantically cut through the last strap that trapped Aragorn. The warg jolted causing her to drop her knife, instead she reached pulled Aragorn's hand free. Aragorn grabbed onto Ruive's wrist, his hand wrapping around her cuff instead which slipped off her hand.

"No!" Ruive yelped.

She tried to jump off the warg, but it was too late. Ruive and the warg tumbled over the cliff and plummeted into the raging waters below. Ruive slipped into darkness as the current washed her away.

Aragorn tried to grab her hand again but as he skidded along the ground, his head collided with a rock jutting out of the grass. 

"Ruive..." He slurred, falling in and out of consciousness.   

The Rohirrim fought and scared off the last of the Orcs and wargs. Legolas and Gimli looked around for Aragorn and Ruive. Legolas' eyes widened as he saw a barely conscious Aragorn struggle to his feet.