Author's Note: Dear Peoples...I know you all know that I don'town any of this. Ijust love to write and this story has been in my brain ever since I first read Tolkien's wonderful trilogy when I was eight years old. This story has gone through many changes and it might have a revision or two in its feuturebut unfortunatly I can't continue it because it would just be waaaaay to time consuming. But anyway I hope you enjoy it. Aslo I do not knowif the elvish is correct but Itried my best. Please Enjoy

Prologue

The Fair Green Country

It is very green here. And the light is just how I imagined it in all my dreaming. Smooth and liquid flowing almost as the water does, Clear and full of life. The music too is like my dreams. Sometimes livid and sorrowful, other times deep and stirring. It is uncanny how my father used to sing to me these same songs. Oh, if only I had known then what it meant, my journey would have been so much easier. But so is fate.

I don't really know where to begin. It has been a long time since this story has started, but it is a story worth telling and one that will never end . . . My story. I will tell of my history, my past because without a past one cannot have a future. I fear that if I do not keep a record all the sharpness will fade from the edges of my memory, and it will crumble like old parchment. Though I may not be here to keep this record in its many volumes, I will start it now and hope that its ending will be sweet.

And I will not open from the beginning of my life. But the time I began to live it . . .

Chapter One

The Tide of War

The city was dark and gray. Smoke was everywhere like spidery blue threads drifting in the sky. The pungent smell of burning wood was on the air. Screaming melded with the thwip sounds of arrows, The banging of drums and the singing of swords. It rose high this symphony of terror and death that is war. People were struggling to get to the upper levels of the city. Slowly it filled with madness as the dark armies clambered up and over the walls like black insects. The war of the ring had come to Gondor and there was no escape.

Everywhere we ran the City crumbled down on us. Rubble poured from the heavens like some terrible force was sending down a rain of stones. The sour smell of panic and pain ran on the air, and I could almost see it like yellow fumes. It mingled with the dark blue drifting smoke and it turned the whole scene a sickly greenish gray.

The people flowed like a rushing river up the streets crashing like waves, splashing and spilling over each other fighting to get ahead their instincts converting them into a swarm of clawing hands and stomping feet. And my brother and I were running through it, against the tide. Shoving past, tossed about by pushing arms with tearing fingers that ripped our clothes and scraped our skin.

It was getting harder for me to fight the urge, that ancient force pulling me in the other direction and willing me to follow the crowed. Why were we doing this? It felt so entirely wrong. I stopped suddenly, not able to continue in that direction. I would not, and he couldn't make me. My brother disappeared into the flood of people, shrinking back into the blurry mass.

"Where are you Eamon?"

I screeched frantic and fearful. Someone kicked me and I fell on my face, my lip was torn and it bled salty warmth into my mouth.

"Eamon!"

The only things I could see were feet running past me. People were falling all around me. Some were dead some were trampled to death, others got back up and kept running. Of the dead I will forever remember a woman. Her dark hair reminded me of stories of my mother . . . All I ever had were stories. As I was kicked again, closer to her I remember reaching out to her in a daze.

"Mother?"

I lovingly ran my hand through her hair, down her neck. The next kick landed in my stomach knocking the air out of me, knocking the sense back in. I screamed and backed away. No, this was not my mother. She did not die like this, face twisted in terror, her throat torn by vicious claws.

"No, no!" I struggled up to my feet. Pushed and shoved, handled and clawed. "Help me, somebody."

"Amondine!"

I heard him calling, then an arm burst through the surge. My brother crawled out through the sea of people, His head and shoulders struggling through.

"Take my hand."

He said reaching for me, trying to pull me to him. I just stood there, staring at him dumbly. He snatched my hand and pulled himself to me. We stood there jerked and pulled about.

"Hurry. We must get to the Gate."

He took my hand and started to pull me. I didn't want to move. I just wanted to hide.

"No!"

He took me by the arms and pulled with all his strength but I planted my feet and made my self heavy.

"Please sister! You don't understand."

"Take me back! Take me back home!"

"We cannot go home. There is no more home!"

"I will not, I will not!"

"You have to trust me."

"NO!"

There was a loud crack as more marble tumbled from the sky. He picked me up by my legs, threw me over his shoulder and leaped into an open doorway. I watched from behind as an enormous rock fell where we had stood.

I veigly saw dim shapes huddled in a dark corner of the room. A chill ran through me as I peered through the shadows trying to see if the forms were friend or foe. My brother grabbed my shoulders sinking his fingers in. I jumped startled.

"Amondine look at me."

He said breathless, turning me to face him. I squinted and tried to look away. Eamon took my face in his hands forcing me to look into his blue-grey eyes shining with fear. His tussled black hair all over his face.

"The world is ending, we do not share its fate."

I blinked and tried desperately to understand what he was saying but I just couldn't.

"Why must we leave, this is our home?"

"You are too young to understand." He snapped. "We must find the Mithrandir, he will tell you."

Sobbs built up in my throat. His answer was sharp and almost angry. He took hold of my shoulders and shook them.

"Please try to understand. I need you to pay attention to me."

Suddenly it came to me, the image of the woman in the street, the blood trickling down her neck. We could die . . . That could be me.

"Are we going to die?"

I started crying, Eamon's eyes grew dark and a look of guilt flashed over his face.

"I don't want to die."

His eyes lightened and he brushed my tears away with his finger.

He held me close to him gently as I sobbed into his shoulder. I could feel his warm tears on my neck. His tears . . . Eamon had never been scared of anything before, he was almost a man now and I trusted him to take care of me. But if he was afraid, then what would happen to us?

I saw something move over his shoulder. The shapes were a woman and her two children, one of them a girl who looked to be my age.

"Look at me." He said again with the same urgancy. "This is our key."

He took from under his blue tunic a beautiful pendant that was of a metal I had never seen twisted into a wondrous shape I could never describe. At its heart was a black stone surrounded by small grey ones that were dull and did not shine.

"Remember father, before he went to fight?"

I nodded my attention torn between him and the young girl hiding in the corner. Her eyes were wide when she saw his jewel. Her mother saw too and started to shake, like she was afraid.

"He gave me this and told me to take it to the Mithrandir . . . If anything happens to me take it to him and tell him that you are Amondine Daughter of Haldis, He will know you."

He lowered his eyes and his hand slacked on my shoulder.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

I asked but I didn't need to know the answer. My father died the day he rode out of those Gates. His fate was sealed.

"Yes."

He nodded sadly.

I heard garish beast noises right outside the doorway. Afraid I clung to Eamon's arm. The woman jumped up and screamed.

"Get out! You will lead them to us! You have what they want!"

She flung herself on him and tore at his chest with ragged fingers.

"No, you don't understand . . . " He tried to calm her but she pushed him out the doorway and back into the chaotic street. I stood there still in shock watching her collect her children and scramble for the door.

"Wait you cannot go out there!"

I warned but caught up in her fear and panic she shoved me out into the street running through the smoke.

I landed in the middle of a soldier and a hideous beast. I didn't even have enough time to scream I could only scrambled around on my hands and knees trying not to be crushed as swords swung around me. I saw my brother out of the corner of my eye. He took a sword from a dead guard and threw it at the beast. But the sword missed its mark and the beast caught it in its claws and stepped forward to deliver his death blow. But it tripped on me and the soldier swung down his sword. All I heard was a spine tingling screech as my brother swooped in and picked me up. He ran down the street and around the corner where he set me down behind a large boulder. Eamon put his hand on my head and pulled me closer to him.

"It's going to be all right. We must make hast, he's there . . . I know he is."

"But I am afraid. I don't want to leave . . . This is where mother was."

"I know that you are frightened. So am I. But We must go on. I need you to be brave, no matter what happens."

He took my hands in his, eyes sparkling like stars.

"Can you trust me sister?" I nodded my head holding back a sob. He smiled. "Go that way."

He pointed toward the winding road to the City Gate. I took a deep breath, forcing my feet to move. My burning muscles rebelled, paining my calves and feet. I would not give in to the pain Eamon needed me to be brave. First one foot at a time, soon I was moving quickly. If I could just keep moving, I would make it.

Most of the people had made their way to the upper circles, save a few ducking behind boulders and running through the street to hide in various empty houses and buildings. The dead were left in their wake. People, soldiers and monsters, utterly gruesome and terrifying. They lay in pools of sticky stinking black blood and gore. Their red and yellow eyes stare blankly up. Their green and red skin torn and oozing. Groups of them still fought with the soldiers in the streets. Eamon and I wove our way through the rubble trying to stay out of their sight but we had been running for so long I just couldn't go any farther. My legs gave out under me and I crumbled to the ground. My brother picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. All I could do was watch everything go by in a gray blur. When I looked up I saw It.

The horrible beast with red eyes and black skin. I watched it raise its black bow, thick dark wood wrote with spells of malice and hate almost as twisted and as deformed as its ugly face. But it was too late, I couldn't do anything. It released the arrow, I heard it soar through the air . . . I heard the sickening thud and Eamon's shrill cry like a crow's. He fell and I flew over his head and landed in front of him. My stomach was sick to see the thick shaft sticking out of his right shoulder. I painfully got up and all I could do was stand there staring. The beast waddled forward, my brother struggled to get up. My heart was beating inside my chest like a savage animal pounding away at the bars of its cage. My lungs exploded and collapsed with each breath. Sweat trickled into my eyes and mingled with tears in a stinging that blinded me. I wanted to run up to him and help him up but I was so tired all I could manage was a slow walk.

"No!" He called "Run, run!"

He wanted me to run? I couldn't run, I could hardly breathe. But as I looked again I saw the beast coming closer. It lifted its rusty, bloody sword and came still closer, it's steps gaining in momentum until it was almost at a run. I saw the hate in its eyes, pure hate and a fear took my body. It took over all pain all reason and suddenly and without thought for my brother I turned and ran. My breath came in time with the shock of my feet hitting the ground But there was no escape. I bounced backwards and the breath flew out of my lungs in a sharp hiss.

I looked up to see another of the hideous breed. The thin red skin stretched over massive muscles and looked like it would tear at any moment. Its eyes were small and burning with evil as it laughed a gargled proud laugh. I scrambled around trying to get away but I couldn't my legs collapsed. It just stood there smiling, watching. I stumbled, got back up, stumbled again. I felt a huge hand reach around my throat and I tried to scream but nothing happened. The monster chuckled and pulled my ear to its mouth.

"Well, aren't you a pretty prize little maggot?"

It took its claw like nail and drug it across my face and down my neck leaving a thin red line then with its disgusting black tongue it licked my cheek.

"Mmmmmmm . . . Sweet meat."

I tried to call for Eamon but I could hardly breathe. The first beast had him by the hair and was raising a huge knife to his throat. The monster laughed again as it walked toward them me still swaying limp in its grip. The other looked up from Eamon and glared at me with squinty eyes.

"That's a nice worm. Too bad we have to kill them . . . They'd make a nice snack."

It licked its lips with a slimy black tongue.

"Been a long time since I had some fresh meats."

"Let her go!"

My brother yelled but his voice broke and it sounded pitiful. They both laughed cruelly.

The monster shook me and I flailed like a limp doll. I could feel the bones in my back and neck grinding together. I struggled for breath trying to pry its fingers from around my neck.

"Come on, lets finish her off. I want to see the look on his face."

It yanked Eamon's head back and he cried out in pain. He was trying to get away, wrestling with the beast trying to reach me.

"Amondine."

"Shut up you leech!"

It growled and hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of his large knife. He slumped over, eyes rolling into the back of his head. Again I tried to move or scream, to do anything but the monster's paralyzing grip prevented me and black stars began to sparkle in my eyes.

"How should we do it? Should we snap her neck? No that's too quick . . . I know. First we're going to rip you open and slurp you up."

He shook me again and everything went blurry.

"Then we'll skin you alive with ours bare hands, rip out your hair roast you then . . . Break your head open and feed your brain to our Wargs . . . and use your pretty hair to floss our teeth."

It added taking a handful of my hair and attempting to tear it out.

"Come on pig! Just do it now we's gots bunisses to finish."

The beast yelled grabbing my brother by his hair and dragging him up for the final blow. The Monster reached its grimy hand down to my stomach and squeezed it.

" Awwwwwwwww . . . Don't you want a slurp?"

"Come on pig or I'll . . . "

A nauseating gush sounded as a man rode by on his horse and severed the Monster's head which rolled along the ground. It dropped me and I fell next to my brother, black blood blinding my eyes. The rider turned around and swung his gleaming sword, like white fire and the second beast was felled. All I saw of him was a white flash and then he was gone.

My brother awoke and sat up on his knees and tried to reach for the arrow but it pained him

"Amondine, help me . . . I cannot reach it."

He needed me but the sight made my stomach turn sour. I tried to be brave, curled my fingers around the shaft.

"I cannot."

"Please . . . " He coughed "I need you to be brave."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pulled. Eamon cried out "I'm sorry I cannot I . . . I cannot I'm so sorry."

I cried and tried to hide my face from him. How could I be so cowardly?

"It's all right, you are so young . . . I shouldn't have asked . . . forgive me."

"But Eamon . . . "

"Don't worry."

I watched him as he reached over his shoulder and with a cry of pain pulled the arrow himself. I gasped turning away, my head swirling and black stars returning. I wanted to do something to make his pain go away but all I could do was sit there and cry while the city burned and my brother bled. I felt so stupid and so useless, completely helpless. He got up and walked over to me, took my hands in his and kissed them, staining me crimson. He held me for a moment, examined my neck where red and purple flushed to the surface.

"There." He pointed in the direction the rider went. "The Gate, not . . . much time."

"But you are hurt."

I watched the blood seep through his torn blue tunic, turning it an awful shade of brown. I noticed then that we were alone in the street and everything was still. The sound just dropped from the air and there was a silent pulsing, like the heart beat of some foul beast. We looked to the sky

A tremendous boom shook the city and the ground lifted in a wave and cracked beneath our feet.

"Hurry."

He yelled over the booming of battle drums that now sounded. Another familiar sound was coming our way, the clomp of hooves along the stone street. A horse came running toward us, a City horse. Its rider had been killed and was dragged behind it by the reigns. The horse ran around in a frenzied circle until finally the reigns broke and the body was tossed to the side. My brother went over to the horse, it shied from him as he reached for it's harness whispering.

"Sal si, sal si."

I was taken back, what was he saying? He led the horse to me.

"Salma llw tua le? Salma kanu lye a ho?"

The horse calmed and he smiled. Suddenly the enemy's call rose up over the drums and the stomping.

"Gron, Gron, Gron!"

They chanted. My brother helped me onto the horse and we raced down to the gate as the earth lifted again with a mighty crack and the horse reared. A fell voice lifted above all like an ugly cry of some dying thing garbled and speaking in an evil tongue.

The horse flew down the street like a whirlwind. I could see the Gate in the distance, growing taller with every bound of the horses legs. It was like time slowed down and the Gate came closer with every breath. My heart pounding, the pounding of the horses' hooves, the drums and the chants all came together in one loud noise . . . With a third and final crash the Gate that withstood so many days of siege finally gave way with an awesome crack. It splintered into hundreds of pieces that flew through the air like darts and stabbed into my body and arms as I covered my face. The horse reared and I was flown through the air and landed on my side. Pain shot through me and my lungs felt like they had been filled with shards of glass. My brother lie next to me, and I reached for him. When I saw him all the feeling trickled out of me like water from a leaking cask, I felt dry and lifeless. Eamon was pierced in his side by a great spear of wood forced into him by the blow that exploded the Gate. His face was ugly with pain and blood leaked down his waist and gathered in a pool around him. He opened his mouth to speak but only choked on the blood that dripped through his lips.

"What do I do?"

I asked shaking, holding sobs down, my stomach twisted in an awful knot. I leaned over him watching tears of pain roll down his face to join the blood at his side.

He lifted his hand and pulled the chain away from his neck then took my hand and gave me the pendant. The chain was dull in the evil dark and hung limply between my fingers.

"Take it to him." He said choking. "Take it to him."

Anger grew inside, anger for the world and the enemy, for war and death. I was only a young girl. Why did I have to take this key and open up a door that I couldn't see? I didn't even know who, or what a Mithrandir was. I wanted to stay in Minas Tirith. I didn't want the world to end, hadn't it just started. I wasn't ready.

"No."

But it came out in a whisper and not a shout like I had intended.

"I cannot do it without you . . . I will not."

"It's the only way, go."

He said and feebly pushed me away. The sobs I was trying to keep down bursted out of me.

"But I don't even know the way, I don't know where he is."

"It's not too late yet, be brave."

He smiled . . . He smiled and I saw the look in his eyes that was understanding and gentile. I wondered if somehow he knew that this would happen.

"Be brave."

I closed my eyes. He wanted me to let go, I could feel it. But how could I?

"I love you."

He whispered.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to let go, to get up then turn around.

I turned and saw the creature that would haunt my dreams for many years. Purely evil with black wings twice it's breadth that were tattered and worn at the edges. Its skin was mottled black and orange. It was scaled like a Wrym with small and yellow eyes, a long neck that snapped to and fro like a whip and when it opened its mouth it let out an ear piercing scream. Its red tongue slid over and between three rows of sharp gleaming teeth that were like white spears. When lifted up its wings and forced them down bringing it brought up a foul wind and my mind was torn between covering my ears and holding my stomach.

But more terrifying then all these . . . On its back was a Black King clothed in shadow. It seemed to drip off of him and onto his steed and swirl around his massive body. He exuded fear and evil, it rolled off of him and along the ground like a black fog that smelt of sweat and death. But it was not a King of men for he had no head. Only pits of fire that burned with red rays which shot into my heart and a cold thorny iron crown wreathed about an empty void, just floating there. I was frozen with utter fear. It rose up through my fingers and into my heart like an evil ice that was freezing the blood inside my veins. My heart slowed, I let out one last chill breath as ice crystals filled my lungs, piercing them with a cold sting. He lifted a great black mace and swung at me. A power blew me away through the air like a leaf tossed in a great wind and I landed on the ground with a loud crack. I lie there unfeeling. I was going to die, Eamon was going to die . . . The world was all burning and evil. There was nothing left, I was nothing . . . I had failed. I gave up and a dark tear slid down my face as the white flag of my surrender.

But then there came a most beautiful sound, such a simple clear sound. It rose high into the sky and it seemed that the air shuttered with it . . . The rooster's call. Calling up the morning, calling up victory and calling up life. As I looked up into the sky, the sun burst through the darkness with a blazing yellow light that blinded me. I felt like a great weight had been lifted off of me and I lifted off of the ground and into white light...