The dream was sweet, though a little sad. Why was Arwen appearing to him at that moment?

He will never see her again. Lord Elrond, her father, demanded that she leave for the Havens by July. And it is now the month of May.

She begged him to wake up.

Aragorn wanted to stay in this warm daze.

He was half in the river and half on the bank.

Panting, his whole body made him suffer.

Even if he wanted to get up, he doubted he could do it alone.

Aragorn closed my eyes. To sleep. Just for a moment.

Something wet on his face woke him up.

A horse's nostril?

Aragorn opened his eyes. Hasufel! What a brave beast! She had found it!

Hasufel knelt down, allowing a weakened Aragorn to grab his mane and ride the horse as best he could.

Bent in half by the pain that ran through his rib cage, Aragorn looked up.

He had fallen some fifteen meters. It was a miracle they were still alive!

He clung to Hasufel's brown mane and set him on his way to the abyss.

On the way, he noticed a gigantic cloud of dust in the distance, as well as a dark mass.

An army. An orc army, according to the grayish-blackish color...

How many were they?

At least ten thousand. On their way to Helm's Abyss.

They must be warned.

Rising on his saddle, he put Hasufel at a gallop.

At dusk, he saw the chasm.

He could barely stand on the saddle. Behind him, the sun was setting, igniting with its last scarlet rays the relief of the landscape surrounding the Ranger.

The gates of the fortress opened.

Aragorn almost fell off his horse and took a few steps.

Gimli welcomed him immediately.

- My friend, you are the luckiest man I know!

-Yes, I am! Fitted Aragorn.

Legolas arrived, followed closely by Elenwë.

Legolas smiled until he felt a mass of air pass by him.

Elenwë rushed towards Aragorn.

-My friend! Aragorn! You are alive! But you are wounded! Lie down.

Aragorn did not protest and lay down on the ground.

Elenwë invoked his healing power which lit up his hands.

In a few seconds Aragorn felt fresh and rested?

He thanked the young sheth and sat down.

Legolas looked at her with an impenetrable gaze.

-I must see King Theoden.

Aragorn stood up, accepting Legolas' hand.

Gimli, Legolas and Elenwë rushed after her. Entering the throne room, he stopped all conversation and all eyes turned to him.

-An army of killer whales will arrive within a few hours. Said Aragorn to the king.

-How many of them? asked Theoden.

-At least ten thousand.

-That is a great many. Let every man of sword-bearing age be armed and ready to defend the abyss. Lock the women and children in the caves!

Legolas looked insistently at Elenwë and she remembered his request from earlier in the day.

-It is out of the question, Legolas.

She closed the door of the throne room behind her.

Aragorn looked at Legolas with surprise.

-What has happened? he asked the elf.

Gimli answered.

-Legolas made the mistake of telling Elenwë that she should not fight.

-What?! But that's absurd! She's a better swordsman than me! Legolas! What have you done?

-She's not in full possession of her powers. He persisted.

Aragorn shrugged and Gimli sighed:

-If you go on like this, she will hate you.

Preparations were actively underway. Elenwë was preparing psychologically to participate in his very first battle.

As she was looking at the horizon, she felt the presence of Legolas behind her.

-What are you doing here? she asked.

-I've come to apologize.

-Did you really come to apologize? Is that the only reason?

Legolas didn't answer.

He approached her and said:

-I don't want anything bad to happen to you in this battle.

-I know how to fight!

-I know how to fight.

With these words, he grabbed her and held her with his left arm against him while with his right hand he pressed a nerve in the back of the young elf's neck.

She felt herself weakening and looked Legolas in the eyes.

-For... what?

she said before she lost consciousness.

Her gaze was there and she let herself go into Legolas' arms.

The Prince of Mirkwood gently took Elenwë in his arms.

He placed her in a small deserted room and put her down on the floor.

He took off his cloak and left her on the floor.

Kneeling beside her, he caressed her cheek and whispered:

-I hope you will forgive me...

He took Elenwë's sword in his hand and went out.

Gimli saw him further on, carrying the sword of the young elf at his belt.

-My friend... Let me tell you that she will really hate you!

-I... I know.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli took their positions on the ramparts.