Wanderer

56 - Nothing Left

Jade

"People of Lindon, my brothers!"

Elrond's voice could never compete with Erenion's.  Erenion had always had power drenched through his tone and his voice could reach the farthest corners of the audience. And no matter how bad Erenion had it, he'd always been able to keep the heart-searing pain from his voice. 

"I am not a prince, or a seasoned fighter. I haven't even graduated from the Elite yet." 

I knew what they were thinking, all of them: seriously? Because Elrond's voice was warm with pain, but he was hard and cold, the sword in his hand bright, his armor radiant in the dying sunset, seven stars gleaming on his helmet.

Elrond was high king of Lindon. 

I was looking up at him from the massive centre square of Lindon, with the remnant of the army. Night was falling fast behnd Elrond, who stood on the battlements alone, harsh orange light silhouetting him. 

"Valthalion in my opinion isn't much better," Elrond went on. "He never made it into the Elite, let alone graduated. However, he believes he's going to crush us."

Elrond paused, smelled the fear rising from below him.

"We have certainty in victory." 

I didn't believe him. There was going to be a massacre at best that Manwë was going to stop. That would be the case if he arrived.

But Elrond kept on.

"Ere the sun rises, we will be rulers of a free world. Who is with me?"

A spontaneous shout erupted from the crowd. I didn't understand. Why were they with him if he was leading them all to their deaths?

"Death!"

"Death!" 

"For Eärendil!"

"For Eärendil!"

Elrond pointed with his sword to the gate. Right on cue, the wardens began to open the temporary wooden slabs that served as a gate.

I still didn't understand, but I had never been afraid.

I don't know if Manwë will come. If he does, then that's best case. If I'm still alive then, then Eru will grant that Elrond still lives too. 

"Jade"

I turned. Daeron and Khelek were right behind me. It was Dae who had spoken. "You got this, Jade. And we have your back."

He'd said the same thing Elrond had. I turned away from them, fighting the emotion. I turned away, and in that moment, I saw Elrond alone.

"Dae, I need to go back..."

The crowd swept me forwards, out of the city, into the frosty night.

The camp loomed up, large black and silver tens, little dots of light of campfires. At the top of the hill, everything stopped, and the night was cold under my armor. I shivered, even though I was pressed up against Daeron's body. He felt me tremble and wrapped his arms around me. For all his faults, he was there when I needed him. 

Then Elrond thundered past on a bay stallion, a torch in one hand and a sword. "Attack!"

So we did. The army poured down the hill and took the huge camp completely by surprise. Shouts and surprised yells ensued, with half-dressed warriors stumbling from their tents, weapons clenched in their hands. Valthalion's voice was heard shouting frantically, and I caught a glimpse of his blue-black robes swirling in the fray.

Daeron never left me. Even when the soldiers swarmed the Remant, as they did soon enough, I felt him fight his way back to my side.

Elrond rallied the army again and again, even after the scattered soldiers we besieged gathered their weapons and wits and formed a defense.

Indis and her flank arrived from the west to help, and Khelek arrived late as usual, but in the grand scheme of things, they really did nothing. We were vastly outnumbered, about three times. It turned from a surprise attack to a slaughter very quickly. I grew accustomed, after twenty minutes, of men dying beside me. Even Elrond was not immune. His horse was cut out from under him, and my heart stopped briefly. He rolled out of the way with a flourish and his people surged to surround him. 

I started breathing again.

After an hour of intense fighting, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was dripping with sweat and a dark red color that was slick on my forehead. My heart pounded so hard that it was actually painful to take a scratchy breath. My vision blurred every few seconds, going a pinkish tint that was alleviated when I rubbed a hand across it. My armor made me unbearably hot, but what absolutely paralyzed me was the bone-chilling fear. I could feel myself gasping every few steps from the sheer terror.

"To me, Remnant!" Elrond yelled, his voice cracking.

The ground was wet beneath my feet as I took a step towards him, my sword drooping.

Suddenly the world around me spun as someone yanked my head back by my braid. I fell to the ground, which gave slightly beneath me. My assailant whipped his sword down, opening a wound on my shoulder. With the explosion came the realization that I was about to die for real.

There was nothing left.