Deep Black Night

Night. Deep black night. A pitch black ceiling studded with pinpricks of light. I can see nothing but the specks of stars from where I stand looking out, in front of my hotel window.

I am Liriel Galadorn. How I got in this gaudy hotel, I do not know. I fell asleep and when I awoke hours later, I was here; wherever 'here' is.

I look around the room; it is hideously decorated with a wallpaper border of golden flowers. The remainder of the wall is pockmarked with off-white paint. I simply have to get out, and breathe the clean air, for the room is stuffy and the window will not open. Stepping over to the creaky old door, I listen before opening it. Not a sound penetrates the dull silence of the hall, so I open the door and leave my ugly quarters.

I walk down the dusty hall to the dimly lit lobby. It is just as revolting as my room, with the same golden flowers covering the walls. I glance around quickly, and what I see astounds me. My friend Samantha is standing before the reception desk, but it is not the sight of her that brings out such shock in me. With my friend are the wizard Gandalf the Grey and Samwise Gamgee, checking out. My mouth falls open, I am that surprised.

Almost shyly, I edge into the room, my eyes on my friend Samantha.

"Sam!" I call out, using her nickname, remembering only after that there were two Sam's in the room. I need not have worried, for neither of them turned around. Slightly put out, I raise my voice and call out again, this time using her full name. Still, no response.

Now fully irate, I march up to Samantha and wave my hand vigorously in her face. I grit my teeth in frustration. "SAM!" I snap. My friend ignores me completely. I sigh in disgust and turn away, but I stop midway through. What if they can't see me?

I look over my shoulder and realize something strange. Samantha, Sam, and Gandalf aren't moving. Just standing motionless. Hesitantly, I poke Gandalf's cloak.

By the stars, it's as hard as stone! Warily, I back away, finally turning and opening the hotel door. "What the-!" The previously pitch-black night is bathed in a watery moonlight. But how could pitch-black become light in less than five minutes? Unless there was some serious cloud coverage, this is impossible! Still puzzled, I shrug it off. There's nothing I can do about it anyways.

I look at the view before me, and my jaw drops again. A dense forest stands before me, and just beyond that lies a huge lack. What frightens me is the massive volcano at the far edge of the water. The tip of it glows a sickening red, and it belches forth steam and smoke into the atmosphere. I swallow, suddenly afraid. I turn to check back on the hotel, so I know the general direction in case I get lost, and bite back a scream.

The hotel is gone, vanished completely! I am on my own now, not that I wasn't before. I look back at the volcano. Somehow, it looks evil, like a bad omen. Not only that, but I recognize it from… somewhere. I am not sure wh- wait! Something around my neck is cold… and heavy. I can feel it pressing into my chest, like a block of ice. I pull on a chain that wasn't there before, and gasp.

"It can't be…" I moan. Before I can analyze the situation further, a strong hand clamps down on my shoulder. I yelp in terror, now acutely aware of the great danger I am in. Fearing the worst, I turn and see a rugged-looking man, tall and slightly bearded: Aragorn! He must have seen the fear vanish from my eyes, for he glances at me strangely beore speaking.

"What would a young woman be doing, prowling throughout these woods in the darkness of night?" he asks sternly, keeping a firm grip on my arm. I am lost for words… I don't know what I'm doing here!

"Uh." I say. Oh, very smooth beginning. "Well, see, it's like this: I left this hotel and then it disappeared and-" but Aragorn isn't listening.

"Where did you get that?" he asks suddenly. Before I can even open my mouth to answer, he speaks again. "Never mind, it matters not. You will come with us and destroy it!" he snaps.

"Us?" I ask, confused. I did not see any more people. I beome excited, though. What if I get to meet the fellowship? "Uh, who's us?" I say, and six other people approach from the shadows of the forest. I stare, thunderstruck, and I recognize all of them. There are Frodo, Merry, and Pippin, the hobbits; Gimli the dwarf, Boromir; and Legolas the wood-elf. His deep blue eyes flash over me, and suddenly, I feel embarrassed, looking over my baggy black clothing.

"Oh." I say, feeling very small. "This is 'us'."

"Orodruin, Mount Doom, is just across the lake. We will go there and destroy it once and for all!" says Aragorn. I nod and edge slightly to my right; away from Aragorn and closer to Legolas. Hey, if I'm going to meet them, I may as well get started with the hottest!

"We must remain unseen and unheard." Legolas says softly. "Come." He sees my nervousness and pulls gently on my arm. "Stay close," says Legolas, looking down at me. "I will protect you." I nod again. Protect me, or the evil I carry? I sigh inwardly. Oh well.

Aragorn looks left and right, searching for hidden foes. I hear a noise like thunder, but decide not to mention it. I do not wish to appear a fool for being afraind of a distant volcano eruption! I realize now, that my silence is a mistake:

Thousands of Uruks surge out from the trees. "Hide!" Boromir shouts. Legolas grabs my arm again and lifts me up into the branches of a pine tree, lightly leaping up after me.

"Climb higher," he shouts over the roar of the Uruks.

"What about the others?" I ask. Legolas closes his eyes briefly, and I feel sick. I turned away, and see a shadowy figure scrambling up our tree. I let out a strangled scream, cut short by Legolas clamping a hand over my mouth.

"Be still!" he said. "It is Boromir."

Looking back down, I realize he's right, and sigh in relief. For a moment, I thought…

Legolas, Boromir and I huddle in the tree, listening to the cries of the Uruks. As much as I strain to hear them, I cannot make out the sounds of our companions. After what seems to be long hours, the yells and screeches suddenly cease.

Cautiously, we climb down from the tree, gummy pine sap clinging to my hands. I reach the bottom first, and the sight I see empties my stomach. Hundreds of dead Uruks litter the ground, some of their bodies mangled and distorted even beyond recognition. Black blood pours from oozing corpses, and disconnected body parts coat the forest floor. Legolas and Boromir land next to me, and I turn away to Legolas.

The elf stares wide-eyed at the bodies of his former companions and friends, lying near each other in horrific death. "Anye nallon, mellon-nin." Legolas murmurs over Aragorn's body, and places a hand over his heart. I shudder at the bloody sight. At last, Legolas wrenches his eyes away and motions sadly to Boromir and me. We follow our new leader around the edge of huge murky lake, not once speaking, too filled with sorrow to do so.

We are about halfway across the lake. Just ahead of us is a narrow wall to walk on. On one side is the fathomless lake, and on the other is a chasm gaping like a wide, angry mouth. I step onto the wall. Legolas touches my arm. "Be careful." He says. I smile a little, and begin to walk. Legolas follows, with Boromir bringing up the rear.

Without warning, Boromir gives a cry and tumbles into the water. I jump, and gasp as Legolas swiftly dives in after him. I leap for Legolas, meaning to catch hold of him and pull him back, but I, too, slip and fall into the icy water with a tremendous splash.

The water is dusky and gritty; I can't see a thing! My lungs are burning! I can't hold on… I think I have air for one last desperate struggle, and a firm hand snags mine, yanking me out of the water. I cough up mouthfuls of water, shivering uncontrollably. My rescuer, Legolas of course, holds me to him so as to keep us warm. Despite our situation, I smile. This is something I've dreamed of for a long time.

I remember our mission, and grope frantically for the chain around my neck. Touching the cool metal, I relax, but there would be time to rest later. "Where is Boromir?" I ask, still shuddering. The blond elf casts his gaze downward.

"No!" I cry. "This can't be happening!"

"And I wish with all my heart that it did not." Legolas says softly, "But we can do nothing except complete the task we set out to do." He gestures for me to follow him, and I do, shaking my head in disbelief. Why? Why were they all dead? I almost laugh at the horrible absurdity of everything, but catch myself. I don't want Legolas to think me a warmongering, insensitive, monster.

I look ahead of us and I see the doorway to Orodruin. Something in the back of my mind tells me that there is something wrong with this picture. As if things were very different. The entrance to the volcano is so near now. A small brown colored doorway is the only opening. I look questioningly at Legolas and he smiles faintly, now walking beside me.

"When we reach the entrance," he says, "Run as fast as you possibly can and destroy it!" I nod, my mouth and throat very dry. This is it.

We reach the end of the huge lake, and Legolas whirls around, unsheathing two gleaming elven daggers, also scaring the living heck out of me.

"What?" I yell as he sprints to the side.

"Go!" he cries, and I see what he is afraid of. A huge Uruk crashes through the trees, scimitar raised high. Legolas parries a brutal blow from the monster. "Go! I'll fend him off!"

I do not stop to think. I run, sprinting the last few yards to the opening.

Just as I reach the door, not even two feet from it, I hear a terrible cry of pain and the sound of something hit the ground. I spin around, hoping against hope that…

"NO!" I scream. Legolas lay unmoving on the ground in a pool of scarlet blood. The Uruk raised it's blade and plunged it into the elf's heart. "NO!"

Sobbing, I sink to the ground on my knees. "It's over!" I cry. Tearfully, I look up at the sound of cruel laughter and see the huge Uruk heading straight for me; blade dripping with the wood-elf's crimson blood…

Night. Deep black night.