Faith and Despair

Disclaimer: I'm only visiting. Others own it all.



~~*~~


The darkness surrounded, penetrated, and permeated the air into a thick,
stifling cacophony of raw emotions. The women and children wept openly.
Their echoes clinging undyingly to the cavernous gape which now
enshrouded those in its cold, damp, protective embrace.

Footfalls upon the rough stone steps, the only audible traces of curt
movement beyond that of the shuffled walk of the worn and ragged in
their fortress below.

Through the dimness blindly, the midnight, moonless sky beckoned to the
shadowed figure ascending the steps. She had but one purpose. Escape the
strangling emotional turmoil from those in the caves below and to seek
solitude upon the battlements as she fought to break free of the
bombardment of others, if but for a few fleeting moments.

Cold night air burned bitterly within her lungs as the shadows
encompassed her emergence into night. Walking silently, clinging to the
security of the gray stone walls at her side, the woman with hair the
color of harvest wheat finally halted her stride, leaning heavily
against the stone at her side.

~~*~~

He saw her shrouded existence from afar. Normally his notice would have
been focused upon the impending battle that breathed its morbid breath
upon the stirring breeze. However, something quite inexplicable
whispered for him to follow his gaze, and so he complied.

There she stood, cloaked amidst the shadows of Helm's Deep. Yet her aura
shone as brightly as the summer sun upon the falls of Rivendell. Keen
eyes watched her every move upon his sober approach, as if afraid she
might frighten like a wild creature. But he knew better, he sensed
differently as he neared.

Slender, elegant fingers that belied her probable royal station in life,
lay splayed against the cool, rough stonework. Though her windblown hair
obscured her face from curious blue eyes, he could well imagine this
intriguing stranger's warm cheek resting gently against the damp
surface.

Indecision momentarily trapped the words within his throat before
curiosity released his question. "M'lady, what do you hear?"

His words did not startle. For she briefly closed her eyes and listened
intently to the stirrings beneath her fingertips before finding her
reply.

"The walls...they weep," she quietly whispered, her hand rasping against
the stone as she brushed fleetingly against the wall.

"It weeps with the resounding fears of those within its stronghold," he
continued, earning him his first glance upon her face.

Though the ire of dust streaked her cheeks and forehead, his eyes could
still fathom the enchanting flawlessness of her features. She was
mesmerizing with her eyes of jeweled green. He swore that within those
depths he could dare imagine the compassion and fiery soul that thrived
within her being.

Nodding her agreement, the rough stone scraping hauntingly against her
cheek. She slowly pushed herself off the wall to face this visitor who
could also sense the whirlwind which was threatening to engulf them all.

He was of Elven blood, that much she understood with that first glance.
But what caught her breath was the look in his eyes as he cocked his
head to the side, studying her as deeply as she dared study the handsome
warrior.

"Many have lost hope. They fear, and utter hopelessness permeates the
air within the caves," she spoke, watching as the warrior shifted his
stance, the crisp leather of his weaponry creaking in the cool breeze.

"It is easy to let fear take you by the hand and lead you into the pits
of despair," he knowingly replied. For he could fathom her own deeper
understanding by the way she smiled fleetingly while bowing her head.

"We must have faith..."

"Yes, M'lady. Do you still embrace faith? Even with what awaits?" He
asked, gesturing with a wide sweep of his hand to the darkness which sat
at his back.

With eyes now adjusted to the dimness engulfing the two. Her green gaze
searched the vastness of land behind the Elven warrior. He knew the
instant the young woman spied their fate upon the horizon. For though he
could tell she fought the instinct, a small, startled gasp still escaped
her lips.

"Do you, M'lady? Do you still find hope, find faith, in what beckons
before us?" He asked curiously, no condemnation to his tone.

Her soft lilting laughter made the Elf smile. "Yes, even seeing with my
own eyes the terror that surely arrives at our doorstep. I still find
faith alive. This evil, though the odds seem insurmountable, must be
defeated...we must believe...for if we lose hope, lose faith...what is
there left?"

Booted feet crossed the distance between the two as the Elven warrior
looked down upon the intriguing stranger. "M'lady, you should go below
with the others. You saw the torchlight of the approaching armies fast
upon the breeze, you must seek shelter before their arrival," he
insisted with warmth, earning him a reluctant nod of agreement.

"Be well," she ordered gently.

"And you, M'lady," he intoned, watching as she slowly turned to leave.

"Your name, M'lady, for when we meet once again...upon our victory at
Helm's Deep," he requested, a crooked grin upon his lips.

Smiling brightly, the warmth of his request seared her soul. "Erryn,"
she answered, glancing over her shoulder.

"You Sir, what shall I call you...upon our next meeting...after our
victory?"

He too smiled a smile that eased his warrior's soul. "I am Legolas. Now
go, M'lady...Erryn. We will meet again, I assure you of this," he vowed,
bowing his head.

"I will hold you to your word, Sir...Legolas," she quickly corrected
before nodding her head in agreement as she let the shadows once again
enshroud her, making her way back down to the relative safety of the
hidden caves.