The quiet sound of car doors opening and whispering wakes me from a deep and pleasant sleep. Though it seems I am still dreaming, thoughts have yet not returned as natural. But I can hear two pairs of feet walk around the back of their car and stop, low whispers muttering for a split second to tell one something. It's Aragorn and Thranduil.

And I can hear a smile on Aragorn's lips. I can also tell that from their voices they are both facing Legolas and I...

I let my eye hidden by shadow flutter open just barely, for a second to see Aragorn holding a smile back as he turns away from discovering my husband and I sleeping together on the pickup bed, me curled in the elf's arms like a child.

Thranduil keeps there, staring at us with a smile that he regrets letting come forth.

I try to keep indifferent to make sure he doesn't find out that I am not still asleep.

But he retreats for a short time to talk in the early morning light, almost rolling his eyes and shaking his head after he takes his eyes off us.

The smile I had been holding back finally spreads on my lips as I lie there. My fingers rest on the muscles of the chest of my husband, feeling how it moves slowly up... and then down with each peaceful breath.

I lie that way until I feel one breath a bit shorter as the muscles of his mid section flex to allow him to move just a tad. His chin moves to my direction as I still pretend to be sleeping.

                    . 

THRANDUIL:

      . 

I saunter to the back of the stationary carriage where the two lie and catch the opened eyes of my leaf that returns my gaze. He looks at me with some form of nervous and embarrassment hidden in his expression.

But then his eyes fall upon the sleeping angel coiled against his body with sensitivity.

To the left of where I stand, Aragorn shares a bite of waybread with Lady Éowyn under the dim light of the peeking sun.

The king's eyes say that we should keep moving, but my gaze falls back on Legolas with Vilora sleeping so gently on his chest.

I don't have the heart to wake her. And it seems the others do not either. It is a fact that we are losing time and daylight. But we make sure there is nothing left to be done before we must move on.

I leave my trapped son and stand a distance away to speak to Aragorn quietly about our route. He says we should take this road until we see signs of orc. I suggest we follow them until they lead us to the dark lord.

Éowyn talks to us for a few short moments before we get prepared to journey on.

And I return to what Vilora calls "vehicles".

As I approach my two children nestled together I notice something precarious on my leaf's left arm.

Hinting a frown I ask, "Legolas what is on your arm?" quietly.

I see him look up, about to speak but his eyes flash back down to little Vilora, a grin appearing on his lips almost as he watches her.

From here I can tell that she just smiled after my question.

I hold back one of my own and walk to Aragorn, informing the man that the child is awake and we can continue.

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VIL:

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Legolas's chest twitches subtly to let me know that he's chuckling under his breath. I open my eyes and look into his.

"...Hi," is all I finally say.

He smiles widely, the cheeks drawing back towards his ears.

"We should go shouldn't we?" I frown.

"It would be wise," he squints and keeps a smile on his lips.

              .

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After I put up the blankets and hop in the passenger seat Legolas steps into the driver's seat by me and passes me a nibble of Lembas. I swallow it gladly and he shuts the car door.

I tell him to back out first and make our way back to the road, taking the path that was made by the wheels last night and getting back on the concrete street.

As soon as the vehicle is moving again on the road I stretch and yawn. Glancing at the constellation on my husband's arm I let a smile escape.

We drive for a few hours. It's silent at first... knowing again why we are here. But I have to keep the mood light. I don't want to make my miserable husband even more miserable.

So I talk with him and joke with him. I search the memory in the car's tablet to find saved music and decide to play a few things I remember listening to a long time ago. Alternative rock it was. Music like this is strange to him. He has only heard the ghost-like choir of elves and harps. But this has more pronounced voices and a numerous count of instruments.

But after listening to it for a while he gets used to the odd new sounds.

I find an absolute ancient song on here from the twenty-first century called "Everlasting Light" by The Black Keys. And when I play that he seems to take a strange liking to it. And even older one he likes too. It's called "Simple Pleasures" by Jake Bugg.

Surprised at these two facts I find more upbeat, happier stuff after that and find myself actually almost singing along; something I haven't done in ten years.

"Are you ticklish?" I ask him.

"Am I 'what'?" he laughs.

I reach over and pinch the skin on his rib cage and he flinches.

I gasp. "Elves are ticklish!" I laugh.

"You are so strange."

"I know." I smile.

But after a few more quiet seconds I reach over and tickle him with both hands below his ribs. He laughs and takes his right hand off the wheel to make me stop as I giggle and retreat.

"If I did not have to steer this thing I would get you back little human," he threatens, keeping a smile away.

"I'd like to see you try, elf."

"Oh really?" he raises his eyebrows.

That's when I notice something before we pass it. "Stop the car!"

He brakes it smoothly and Aragorn luckily doesn't hit our bumper behind us.

I open my door and hop out. Legolas does the same.

I stand at the edge of the road looking at brush...

When I'm grabbed from behind I gasp, but that turns into laughter as my husband's arms wrap around my waist and hug me to him. His revenge.

"Ah," I squeal. "No!"

His laughter fills my right ear as his fingers stick in the sides of my stomach.

I giggle without helping it and breathe. "You stupid troll—" I gasp. "Get off..."

His lips kiss my neck as he sucks in just enough to tickle me and I squeal again, my head coiling in to the feeling. I struggle with my limbs and finally shove him off me, my hand going to my neck and trying to look angry but I can't. A smile stays with me and reflects on his expression as he looks accomplished.

I stick my tongue out at him and he lets a chuckle loose.

"Why have we stopped?" I hear Aragorn ask as he approaches us.

I turn around. "This irritating piece of swine just decided to attack me without warning." I cross my arms.

He frowns but keeps away a smile as he looks over at Legolas.

I sigh and let my arms down. "Anyway I stopped because I..." I walk to the edge again and stare out at the entanglement of foliage with a frown, "thought I saw something."

I can sense Legolas and him exchange a look behind me as I walk forward into the grass.

I look down to where I saw something reflect the sunlight and pull away the leaves. A smile appears on my lips when I discover a metal sign with a familiar symbol on it. One that orcs cannot read. And from the appearance of this sign I also know that we are far from civilization from all directions.

I stand back up and walk to my companions who frown at me with a slight confusion. "Get back in the cars," I say as I pass them.

I take the driver's seat this time and Legolas walks around and hops in the passenger side. Shutting the doors I take the vehicle out of park and turn the wheel, pulling it forward and to the left. It bumps when I go off the road and head into the woods. But I check in my mirror to make sure Aragorn is following and he is. 

The vehicle roughs over brush and stone through the forest, passing trees and getting a couple tiny scrapes of branch every now and then. Through the thicket we drive until I see it, under vine and leaf I see the metal bunker made by the military and militias back when we were trying.

We come to a stop near the steel building and I hop out.

Aragorn parks by us and everyone climbs their way out of the vehicles. Upon the old army bunker we gaze until every foot stops by me...

"A building made of metal..." Aragorn breathes thoughtfully.

"Oh you're going to love what's inside then," I remark and walk to the entrance. I hack my way through the lock and let dirt fall from the opened seal of the thick door before I enter.

Inside is dark of course but to my surprise, lights flick on at our entry. Must be run on solar power and motion sensors.

As the room is lit I see racks on the walls and metal tables around the room... the large room...

"What are these things?" Éowyn asks.

"This is what will win us the war. Artillery," I answer.

I walk to the weapons and observe them. There's not a lot of dust on them considering this place had been abandoned for so long. I open the clip of a pistol I pick up and see it empty. I find ammunition in a box under the shelf and fill it.

Remembering that I saw targets outside I gather up four pistols and two rifles, having Legolas help me carry them out the door and towards the shorter area of grass.

I hand out a weapon to each of my companions and set the larger guns down for now.

"These will be tricky to get the hang of at first so I'll tell you how to begin," I say loud enough for them to hear clearly as I pass out the guns.

They look at them curiously.

"Legolas knows a bit about how to hold it," I nod to him and he grasps the handle with both hands.

The others mimic him as they face a target.

I pace behind them. "You'll want to keep both feet on the ground evenly spread apart for your first try. You'll aim down the sight—barrel—uh the top of the weapon towards your target. Like you would look down the arrow when firing a bow. Practice that. Get the hang of how it feels." I retreat to the bunker to grab ammunition. I pick up dirty boxes made of layered paper inside metal cases and bring them back to my companions.

"It's very important to not point it at anyone you love either," I snicker as I return. "You might accidently pull the trigger and that would be very serious."

I walk up to Thranduil at the end and take his pistol from him, pulling out the clip and loading bullets into it, my fingers sliding against the dirty metal as I put them in. "These are bullets. And they're like tiny arrows. To 'equip a new one' you have to cock it like this." I pull the top of the barrel back until it clicks, keeping the weapon pointed at the target and away from the others. "Here take it," I say and his fingers again wrap around the gun, keeping it aimed ahead. He holds it up to see down the sight and I place his finger around the trigger.

"Press it in when you're comfortable and make sure to keep your shoulders and back stiff because of the kick."

He presses the trigger in and just barely flinches at the jump and at the echoing sound that silences everyone else, unlike his son who was worse with it. He keeps his eyebrows pulled together as he cocks it again with ease and aims once more. To my surprise he hits the target not too far from the center. I guess I shouldn't be surprised really. He's an elf after all. And one of the oldest in existence.

Moving next I walk to Aragorn and load his weapon. He is a bit clumsier with it than Thranduil and almost points the thing to Legolas at the other end of the line. "Okay this is life or death here, be careful, filthy human."

"You're a human too, you know,"

"I know but... you're filthy..."

He chuckles and brings the gun up to point at the target ahead. "Put your fingers on the—okay good," I say as he already corrects himself. "Now you want to be prepared when you—" I am cut off by the gunfire of his pistol that makes him stagger off balance and fall on his palms and butt.

I guess Thranduil made it look easy.

Without hesitation I hear laughter from both Éowyn and Legolas. I join in as well when Aragorn lets a smile across at his own fail.

"You are supposed to stand up..." Thranduil says plainly to him that makes Aragorn laugh.

Legolas offers a hand to the man and he accepts it, letting the elf help him back to his feet.

I place the weapon back in his hand with a smirk and move on to Éowyn.

She breathes nervously when she holds the strange metal contraption. Knowing how badly Aragorn was caught off guard she doesn't seem to know how to prepare herself.

I chuckle a bit and fix the gun in her hands, pulling her arms up straight. "Make sure, unlike klutz-monkey over here, to keep your muscles flexed and stand firm. Look straight down the top there where this small lump is, see? And fire when you're ready."

She hesitates but I stand behind her as she presses the trigger and jolts a bit at the sudden pressure. I can tell from her expression that her heart is beating fast and I move on to Legolas who waits for bullets.

I remember when my parents were kids the guns would spit out the shells of the bullets behind you and you would have to wear safety goggles. But they don't do that anymore.

I fill my husband's weapon with ammunition and let him hold it like he did before back in Mirkwood... seems like it's been years since that day.

When he holds up the gun as I stand behind him and adjust his posture. I put my hands on his shoulders. "Don't be distracted. Hey Legolas. Hey Legolas. Make sure you hit the target..." I start to laugh as he does. I start to poke his arm with my finger.

He works a muscle in his jaw. "Please stop," he says as he keeps from laughing.

"That's not what you said to me last night—"

A gunshot gets my attention right as I say this and my head whirls to see Thranduil as he fires at the target... but his shot missed completely and hit a tree unlike the rest that are near the bull's-eye.

I bite my lip. When I look back at Legolas I realize he noticed the same thing and he keeps himself from chuckling, as do I.

Yes that was a joke. Legolas and I didn't get freaky last night.

My companions train a bit more. I have to help Éowyn and Aragorn more than the others but less than I thought I would have to.

Aragorn asks me at one point how the contraption works and Legolas answers him excitedly which makes me smile.

As they practice I walk back to the bunker and gather ammunition, stocking our vehicles with metal bullets in the back seat and putting some in the back end of Aragorn's car as well.

I also pack up some rifles and a sniper that I find. There isn't anything else that would be of use except when I strike gold finding a grenade under some piled weapons. As I pack the things up Legolas is at the back of the car leaning against the windshield.

I approach him as he watches the rest of our little fellowship practice.

"Éowyn is more precise... she hits the center. But Aragorn is faster, stronger," he mutters with a dented brow as he observes them like a ranger.

"I think you've been hanging around Aragorn too much." I smile and put the ammo into the box in the back. I head to our vehicle to put my grenade in the cup holder where I can easily reach it in case of an emergency. I put my pistol on the compartment—

"We should leave now, Vilora," a smooth voice says behind me.

"Not before I teach you guys how to use larger artillery," I respond, walking past my elf and over to the others.

I pick up the rifle off the ground and carry it on my shoulder. "Thranduil, let's start with you," I say striding towards to him.

He eyes me without turning his head and stands there, firing one last time before I walk up to him.

I fill the gun with bullets and make sure it's alright to fire.

I take the weapon from him and hand him the bigger one, his smooth elven arms and hands holding it with strength, making the large piece of metal look as light as a feather.

He holds it up and I adjust it to where the butt it against his shoulder. "With these it's easier to aim and there's less reloading involved," I say to him.

He fires it flawlessly at the target once I stand back. The others look over at him from the sudden spray of gunfire that tears apart the bull's-eye.

I smile and pick up the other one, loading it and walking to where Legolas stands. "Here, practice with this. I'm gonna load the rest of the guns I packed. Just look at your father if you need to know how to hold it."

He takes the large deadly device from my hands and I continue working with what I was doing before.

"I'm gonna check for one more thing before we leave," I say and head back into the metal safe house. I look around until I realize this place looks much smaller on the inside than it does on the outside. And that's when I notice a door at the back of the room.

I run to it and open it, having to push a little hard though.

But the light comes on when I enter the new room. And it's an armory... or was...

Excited, I run back to my companions. "Hey," I say from the doorway.

Some of them turn around.

"I found an armory. Let's go." I turn and return to the back room.

They gradually walk back to where I am and I search for anything I can use. I find a man's chest plate that's boxy on the chest and on the shoulders but not bulky. It has a piece under the chest that extends over the abs and also has a back plate.

"Aragorn take this," I say and hand it to him. And I toss in a long sleeved black undershirt the same color as the armor.

I find thigh protectors and heavy boots also and I hand them to him, along with large forearm guards.

I find a female one that's almost shaped the same way but it's slightly lighter and fits closer to the body. It has one ridge across the chest and it comes back in and has a separate stomach piece attached along with a skirt. I hand it to Éowyn along with a shirt. One subtle shoulder plate and then a larger one with arm straps and guards all the way down I give her. I hand her some skinnier black trousers and knee protectors.

I find another male torso piece with a more stealth-like shape that has a longer piece to resemble a tunic's length all around, along with shoulder guards and arm bracers. I give it to Thranduil. And I find some boots and thigh guards for him.

I pick up a simpler short sleeved cuirass that is shaped like Thranduil's except this one doesn't resemble the muscles like his. It has the length of a tunic as well. I find a grey, long sleeved shirt that goes under it and some slender arm bracers. Then I find some boots. All of this I hand to Legolas.

We use the small room at a time to change into our new black colored gear.

I put on a tight black shirt with long sleeves and then an armor corset piece with a chest cover in the same piece. I find arm bracers that fit and a handy belt. I find some better boots that almost reach my knee and then very subtle shoulder guards.

When I exit I join the others that look so different now it's hard to look at.

The armor is so different than the kind on Middle Earth. It's so much simpler than what they usually wear. And all jet black.

Éowyn's hair fell out of the bun so I do her a favor and fix it into a French braid down the back of her head. I pull some of mine back into a have braid to keep it from my face.

Soon enough we decide to hit the road again, strapping on our new weapons and making sure we know what to do if we run into orcs... or run into anything worse.

Once we are moving again I don't feel as relaxed as I did yesterday. Now equipped with heavy artillery it feels again like a war. Which it is...

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