Where do I belong? A Legolas Love Story

Chapter 19 Final Count

Happy New Year!

Chapter 19

When I found Legolas he was with Gimli and they were comparing their number of kills. "Final count, 42." Really, there was no way in hell Legolas only got 42. He had to be playing it down for Gimli's sake.

Gimli was sitting on a corpse with his axe in the head; he had his pipe in his mouth. "Oh, 42, that's not bad for a pointy-eared elfish princeling. I myself am sitting pretty on 43." I burst out laughing as Legolas shot the dead orc that Gimli was sitting on, right between Gimli's legs.

"43," Legolas said smirking as I continued to laugh.

"He was already dead," Gimli said not at all cornered about Legolas firing an arrow so close to his privates.

"He was twitching," Legolas replied.

"He was twitching because he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system." I was full out laughing, leaning into Legolas to keep from rolling on the ground. "What's so funny princess?" Gimli asked.

"You," I said. "Did both of you seriously only get into the 40's?" I asked.

"How many did you get?" Legolas asked smiling. I just smiled back, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer and that Gimli's response would be grand. "Oh come now, tell us," Legolas said as my eyes glinted.

"Guess," I said trying not laugh.

"20," Gimli said.

"You offend me Gimli, that hurts, it truly does," I said placing my hand over my heart.

"50?" Legolas asked.

"Out of ten thousand, you think I got 50? I'm not that bad. Much higher," I said walking away laughing.

I heard them running after me, "hey oh many did you get?" Legolas asked catching up first.

"How many did you actually get? There's no way you got 42," I said. He started to say something, "The one Gimli was sitting one doesn't count."

"420," Legolas replied. That sounded more like it, I smiled at him.

"Now that's not bad, for a prince," I said smirking.

"Is that so princess, let's hear your number," he said picking me up making me squeal as he ran off with me over his shoulder.

I laughed as he tickled me and I hung upside down over his shoulder on my back as he tickled my stomach. "Put me down," I said flipping over his shoulder.

"Your number," he said coming after me as I took off laughing.

"You and Gimli have to catch me first," I called heading down into the keep. I didn't want to see the dead. I knew a few that lay among them. I soon heard heavy and light footfalls coming after me as I made it to the stables. I went up to the rafters to wait for my pursuers.

"Where did that lass go?" Gimli asked coming into the stable. "She can't have disappeared.

"She's quick for half oof," Legolas said as I jumped down taking him and Gimli to the ground.

"Got you," I said laughing as they were both pinned under me. "283," I said.

"What!" Gimli roared.

"You were outscored by a pointy-eared princess who was self-trained." Afterward, Éomer, Théoden, Gandalf, Dad, Legolas, Gimli, and I rode to Isengard as the guards were ordered to bury the dead then go back to the Golden Hall.

"Sauron's loss will be terrible, his retribution swift. The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle Earth is about to begin. All our hope now lies with two little hobbits, somewhere in the wilderness." I knew our friends were being led by the creature Gollum. I wished another guide was possible for them, but Gollum still had a part to play. He was vital to making sure the ring was destroyed.

After a few days of travel, we were going through the forest of Fangorn again. The forest seemed more at peace this time. As we were coming through I could hear the hobbits talking about the Shire. When this was all over I would like to see the Shire, I wanted to see everything: Erebor, the Greenwood, Dale, all of it. Stone giants, the Eagles, Beorn, Radaghast, Gandalf's fireworks. I was about to meet an Ent! The world I grew up in you were called crazy for believing in magic, for even thinking that the possibility magic could exist.

Here magic was everywhere. Wonder was in the air, magic didn't have to be spells and incantations. "A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find feasting and smoking!" Gimli roared as we stopped in front of the hobbits.

"We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good," Pippin said.

"We're under orders from Treebeard, who has taken over management of Isengard," Merry said pointing. He clearly had some to drink. We went on into the flooded area were discussions were short and Saruman was killed along with Wormtongue. Pippin picked up the seeing stone and we were off. The Ents were incredible. In the world I left everyone was so self-absorbed that if a tree walked by them they wouldn't notice. This place was incredible.

"Arathina!" Dad called. I looked at him, "we're leaving." I had been looking around, paying attention to everything else.