~*~ Last Time on So Far Away ~*~
"Hama have you seen Ainawen!" Legolas panted and worry filled his eyes."Yes, My Lord, she is leading the people who have finished packing to Helm's Deep. If you wish to follow her you can, My Lord." Hama smiled at the Elf's position."Oh thank valor, thank you Hama." Legolas grabbed his gray and white stallion and galloped after the female elf. Hama shook his head and laughed. Aragorn smiled who had come up and stood next to Hama and chuckled."He acts like it's the end of Middle Earth if she is out of his sight." Aragorn began to laugh full heartedly.
"Hehehe! Which is of course ridiculous..." Gimli began just as his horse suddenly rears up and gallops away as Eowyn loses her hold on the reins."Whoa!" Gimli cries as he falls off the horse after a short distance away from the group and lands with a loud thud."Oh!" Eowyn gasped an d ran over to the fallen Dwarf. Ainawen smiled as she saw Eothain and Freda burst out laughing at the Dwarf's predicament."It's alright, it's alright. Nobody panic, that was deliberate, it was deliberate!" Gimli stated as he tried to get up. Eowyn tried not to laugh as she helped Gimli up. Theoden gallops up towards Aragorn and Ainawen as Eowyn continues to help Gimli."I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time. She was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut down by orcs, she watched her mother succumb to grief." Theoden stated and smiled as he watched Eowyn laugh full heartedly as she brushed Gimli off and look back towards Aragorn.
"Then she was left alone, to tend to her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man, who should have loved her as a father." Theoden continued in a hushed whisper as he scorned himself inwardly for his own stupidity. Aragorn placed a hand on Theoden's shoulder in comfort. Making camp Ainawen stayed with Freda and Eothain and watched them wrestle and play, oblivious to the evils that would soon come to pass when they would reach Helm's Deep. Legolas sat down beside Ainawen and watched her longing gaze at the two children. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder she suddenly snapped out of her daydream and smiled at Legolas."What were you thinking about?" Legolas asked as he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.
"Nothing just thinking about how nice it would be to have a family of my own. I won't ever have one most likely, this battle is going to take many lives, this war is going to take much more of them. Possibly my own, or your's maybe even Aragorn's or Gimli's." Ainawen whispered as she continued to watch the children play."I wish I was little like them again, oblivious to the hurt and the pain of war. So full of life and innocence." Ainawen continued and looked at Legolas. Legolas kissed her lips and held her close to him as they watched Freda and Eothain play. night soon fell and Ainawen laid the children to bed, exhausted from the traveling and playing for the brief few hours that they were able to. Ainawen placed her cloak over the children, even though they were both sharing a blanket.
Ainawen then laid down next to the two young ones and closed her eyes draping her arm over them protectively. Legolas smiled when he wandered back over to her after talking to Aragorn about what happened earlier. Legolas wanted to crack up laughing when Aragorn told him about what happened when Eowyn made Aragorn soup, and how he told her his age. But since Legolas was an elf and that would ruin his reputation on being calm, collected prince that he was. Legolas sat down next to Ainwen and moved her hair out of her face and caressed her cheek gently. His eyes softened at the thought of couple of hours before, she wanted a family, and until this war was over she wouldn't get it. And may never get it his fears were the same as her's what if one of them died?"Valor, please keep her safe.." Legolas whispered into the night air.
Morning came too quickly and they were soon on their way again. Ainawen was once again riding beside Aragorn and Eowyn was walking beside Aragorn as well."Where is she? The woman.. who gave you that jewel." Eowyn asked quietly. Ainawen looked at Eowyn curiously and saw the love in her eyes for Aragorn. Ainawen's eyes softened knowing fully well that Eowyn would never be able to be with Aragorn. Looking over at Aragorn he had a distanct gaze as he was remembering something."My lord?" Eowyn said, snapping Aragorn out of his reverie."She is sailing to the Undying lands with what's left of her kin that did not stay to fight." Aragorn replied and took a glance over at Ainawen. Eowyn looked down her heart slowly breaking knowing she would probably never get a chance with him.
Gamling and Hama rode to the front of the group and Legolas watched them as they passed by."What is it Hama?" Gamling asked his friend, trying to calm his horse that was becoming restless."I'm not sure.." Hama answered as he looked around also trying to calm his own horse. Stealthily a warg rider appeared over the hedge and ran forward killing Hama. It soon turned towards Gamling, but Legolas killed the Warg with an arrow to the throat. He then grabs one of his daggers and slits the orc's throat just as Aragorn appeared over the hill."Argh! A scout!" Legolas shouted towards Aragorn who ran back to the people traveling that way. Legolas turned around as he threw the corpse of the orc to the side and watched all of the wargs slowly appear.
Theoden rides up Aragorn as he is running back."What is it? What do you see?" Theoden asked."Wargs! We are under attack!" Aragorn cried. Hearing this the villagers began to panic and Eowyn and Ainawen ride up."Get them out of here!" Aragorn stated quickly."All riders to the head of the column!" Theoden shouted for his men. Gimli was trying to mount Arod, with much difficulty."Come on, get me up here, I’m a rider! Come on! Argh!" Gimli complained as the two men tried to get him on the horse and finally achieved their goal. Gimli's horse galloped off and Theoden turned to Eowyn."You must lead the people to Helm's deep and make haste!" Theoden whispered."I can fight!" Eowyn begged her uncle.
"No! You must do this... for me, please Eowyn." Theoden pleaded. With one last look at her uncle she nodded hesitantly and began herding the villagers on a different path."Eowyn!" Ainawen shouted and rode up to her."Here, take Eothain and Freda! Take them to their mother in Helm's Deep for me, please." Ainawen handed Eowyn Eothain and Freda who were both scared and were quite reluctant to leave Ainawen's side. Ainawen thanked her and galloped off thowards the battle."Make for lower ground! Follow me!" Eowyn screamed at the villagers and began to lead them."Follow me! Yah!" Theoden cried and headed for battle followed by the soldiers.
Legolas pulls an arrow from his quivers and knocks it to his bow and shoots at a warg that was heading for them. Just as he reached for his third arrow, Theoden arrives with his men and Gimli galloping towards them. Legolas runs and jumps onto Arod and stopped him next to Ainawen. The warg riders shriek and charged towards the ."CHARGE!" Theoden cried and galloped forward his sword raised and cut off the first orc's head and stabbed a warg in the head.