The Dame of Dúnedain

Taken

Legolas had spent the last hour in his and Alaina's room with the healer as she tried to heal Alaina's wounds. The rest of their family and friends waited out in the hall, knowing that Legolas and Alaina both get emotional about the other getting hurt.

As soon as the door opened, Nuntari ran into her father's arms, "Father!" 

"How is she? Is she okay?" Aragorn was the first to ask, his hand landing on Legolas' shoulder as Nuntari pulled away.

"Oh, yeah, she's doing just fine, she's getting some rest." Legolas put his hand on Aragorn's shoulder as well, "She'll be up and moving perfectly fine when she wakes up."

Legolas began walking to the balcony at the top of the stairs, the whole group following him. Nuntari walked in to Alaina's room, not bothering to go with the rest of them. They all looked down at the main throne room below the marble stairs. It was littered with bodies and blood, it made Legolas wince in disgust.

"I recognize the men.." Aragorn said, "they're from the land in the South. We fought against them in the War of the Ring, do you remember?"

The group began to walk down the stairs, Legolas' eyes were stuck on the workers picking up the dead bodies below. "Yes, I remember."

"It doesn't make sense," Thranduil said as they got to the bottom of the stairs.

"I agree," Ilain said, walking up to the group after giving a few workers orders.

Nuntari stepped into her parents room with a smile on her face, giving the healer a respectful nod, giving her the gesture that she can leave now. The healer left the room leaving only Nuntari, her mother and her newborn brother in his crib.

Nuntari decided it would be best to leave her mother asleep, not wanting to disturb the healing process, knowing that sleep was extremely important. She stood at the end of their bed, watching her mother sleep when she then felt a hand cover her mouth and an arm go around her neck, "Don't move, or your mother's dead."

Nuntari didn't know what to do, she had never been in this situation before. She thought about the different possibilities, fighting back could cause her mother's death so she nodded slowly.

"Come with us, and we will leave your mother and brother alone," The man's raspy voice said in her ear. Nuntari nodded as her hands were put behind her back, soon being tied. "Come on," the man said, pulling her out the window and onto the small window ledge.

Nuntari got a look down the building, a thick rope hanging down to the bottom from where they stood. Nuntari got turned towards the man, getting a look at his face. Although he had been wearing a gold mask with detailing on it, and curled horns on the top.

Legolas examined the dead attackers who laid on the floor next to innocent civilians. "You're right.." He said, his mind finally coming into focus. "It doesn't make sense. They were completely outmanned, there was no way they could've won this."

"Something isn't right," Thranduil agreed, looking around, his eyes squinting.

They then heard fighting come from outside, Legolas and Thranduil's ears both perked up. Legolas was the first to run outside to see their guards dead and a group of men running off. "Dad!" Nuntari yelled, being pulled away by the group of men.

"Nuntari!" Legolas yelled back, sprinting off at full speed, Thranduil right behind him to cover his back.

Aragorn's mind instantly went to Alaina and Arathron, running back inside and running up the marble staircase to Legolas and Alaina's bed chambers. Once he ran inside he saw Alaina still fast asleep along with baby Arathorn. The window was open, with a large rope hanging from the top of the windowsill.

It wasn't until another hour that Thranduil and Legolas returned back, jumping off of their horses and running inside, "We have to go back and look for her!" Thranduil yelled at his son as they walked into the almost clean throne room.

Legolas turned around quickly, getting in his father's face, "We know exactly where they are!" His voice was raised and the veins on his neck popped. "We have the forest surrounded but until day time, they have the upperhand."

"How?" Thranduil asked, not moving at Legolas' threatening stance.

"There were hundreds of them, did you not see?" Legolas asked, his eyes squinting at his father, the whole of the room watching them eagerly. "We. Don't. Have. Hundreds, Father. Our army is not big enough from sending them to your kingdom to help you get rid of the remaining spiders and orcs hiding in your forest. We have seventy-five men against hundreds of mercenaries. Do you want to do the math or do I have to spell it out for you?"

Thranduil stood corrected, "But we—"

"-need to wait," Legolas finished, "We wait until morning, when we have daylight to level the playing field. You can bet your ass that if anything happens to her they will face the darkest parts of my soul," his voice was powerful. It sent chills down even the spines of Thranduil the great Elven king.

Legolas had been so focused on his father that only Aragorn's hand setting on Legolas' shoulder snapped him out of it. Legolas instantly turned around, "Is Alaina okay?"

Aragorn nodded, putting his hand back down by his side, his mind wandering to the sadness he felt, "She's still asleep, I can't bring myself to wake her up and tell her."

Without a second thought, Legolas put his arms around Aragorn. Aragorn was genuinely surprised but nonetheless, he put his arms around Legolas as well. This wasn't the first hug they shared, though it hadn't been for a long time.

Once Legolas realized the whole room was watching he let go, "We'll let her wake up on her own," he turned around to Ilain, "I want guards posted on every side of this building, including down by the water surrounding it."

"Yes, sir," Ilain said, turning around and ordering his guards all over the place.

"Everyone needs to get some sleep," Legolas demanded, "We will attack at first light." He then walked upstairs without another word, finding himself standing at the door, unable to walk in.

Legolas took a deep breath before opening the door up and looking at the sight in front of him. Alaina was standing next to Arathorn's crib holding the baby boy, rocking the child in her arms. Legolas' heart broke at the news he was going to have to tell her.

Alaina turned and instantly saw it in his eyes, putting Arathorn back down in his crib. By the time Alaina turned around, Legolas was next to her, his eyes filled with tears. "What happened?"

Legolas couldn't look at her, his head looking at their feet. "Nuntari was taken by the men who attacked earlier tonight.."

Alaina's face twitched slightly, but she remained calm, putting her hands on Legolas' face and lifting it up, "We will get her back."

Legolas looked into her eyes and saw confidence, something that he didn't know was possible at the moment. Alaina had never seen him like this, so she figured it was bad. "How do you do it?" Legolas asked quietly, "Be so calm and confident?"

Alaina took a deep breath, her mind racing with a million different possibilities. "You used to be like that.."

"Until I had someone to worry about," he said, looking at Alaina as she walked over to the bed.

"An entire kingdom is looking to me to lead, to make the right decisions, I can't let my head get out of the game," Alaina spoke, getting back in bed, "Get some rest, we're going to need it for the attack in the morning.