::Chapter Four::
The next morning, Fiwen was up before anyone else. There was still morning
dew on the grass, the river was still, and the sun had just begun to rise
about the treetops. She sang in Elvish to herself while brushing the great
white horse that stood before her.
"Up already?" a voice called out, disturbing her from her peace.
Fiwen turned around and was face to face with Legolas.
"Yes. I needed to get a few things settled before we left this morning," Fiwen replied, avoiding his eyes.
An odd silence fell between the two. Fiwen dropped the brush into a bag and sighed. Legolas fiddled with an arrow and looked at the trees absentmindedly.
"I suppose I'll wake Aragorn," Fiwen started.
"No need! I'm up!" Aragorn said, emerging from the trees.
"Where have you been?" Fiwen asked, a smile emerging on her face.
"Just looking around. We should leave soon. If we want to make it to Mordor within the next few days, we need to make good time. Are we all packed?"
Fiwen nodded in agreement.
"Legolas?" Aragorn asked. "Are you packed?"
The arrow Legolas was fiddling with sprung from his hands and fell to the floor. "What?" he asked.
"I said, are you packed?" Aragorn repeated. Fiwen put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Yeah," Legolas mumbled.
"Then lets go!" Fiwen said excitedly.
The three climbed onto their horses and took off through the trees. For hours they rode into the sun, each mile getting closer and closer to the fiery pits of Mordor. The three stopped just below a hill covered with trees and leaves. Just above the hill, covered in clouds and a light mist that was falling, there was a volcano. And that volcano was just where they needed to be.
"Ok, we let the horses go. They're of no use now. We should be in the center of the forest by nightfall. We reach the volcano by mid-noon tomorrow," Aragorn instructed.
Fiwen and Legolas climbed off their horses. They gave them a pat then shooed them off, returning them. Aragorn did the same then motioned for the others to follow him.
"Be careful. The forest is dangerous especially around these parts."
Fiwen nodded and took out her bow, ready for anything. Legolas looked about for signs of anyone in the forest. A twig snapped and Fiwen's ears perked up, listening for an unwelcome visitor.
"Orcs!" Legolas said, drawing an arrow and preparing for battle.
Fiwen did the same and Aragorn pulled out his sword. Hundreds of orcs then came running towards them, knowing Fiwen had the ring and wanting to return it to Sauron.
"Fiwen! Look out!" Legolas warned as an orc came at her with a sword.
Fiwen ducked, dodging a blow from the orc and stabbed it with an arrow.
Legolas was holding off the orcs, trying his best to protect Fiwen. If they got the ring, Middle-Earth would fall into total darkness.
With arrows flying and Aragorn sword fighting with the orcs, no one could have prepared for what happened next.
They were down to the remaining orc, a large one and much stronger than the others. The three were standing in a line, not even noticing the final orc sneaking up behind them. Drawing its sword, the orc charged at Aragorn. He turned around and struck the orc in the side. The orc didn't give up, yet fought harder. Drawing his sword once again he knocked the sword from Aragorn's hand and struck him in the stomach. Fiwen gasped and cried out, "Aragorn!", and let her bow fall to the ground. Legolas' eyes widened as he took three arrows from his pack and placed them in his bow. Aiming right at the orcs head, he released, causing the orc to meet its death.
Fiwen ran to Aragorn's side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Blood was visibly flowing from his stomach, sweat was pouring off his face, and cries of pain escaping his lips. Fiwen leaned over him and took his head into her hands.
"I-I'm so s-sorry," Aragorn gasped.
"It's not your fault. I wish this had never happened to you," Fiwen said, still crying.
"T-Take care of L-Legolas, d-destroy the r-ring, and a-always remember, I-I love y-you."
And with that, Aragorn took his final breath.
"Up already?" a voice called out, disturbing her from her peace.
Fiwen turned around and was face to face with Legolas.
"Yes. I needed to get a few things settled before we left this morning," Fiwen replied, avoiding his eyes.
An odd silence fell between the two. Fiwen dropped the brush into a bag and sighed. Legolas fiddled with an arrow and looked at the trees absentmindedly.
"I suppose I'll wake Aragorn," Fiwen started.
"No need! I'm up!" Aragorn said, emerging from the trees.
"Where have you been?" Fiwen asked, a smile emerging on her face.
"Just looking around. We should leave soon. If we want to make it to Mordor within the next few days, we need to make good time. Are we all packed?"
Fiwen nodded in agreement.
"Legolas?" Aragorn asked. "Are you packed?"
The arrow Legolas was fiddling with sprung from his hands and fell to the floor. "What?" he asked.
"I said, are you packed?" Aragorn repeated. Fiwen put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Yeah," Legolas mumbled.
"Then lets go!" Fiwen said excitedly.
The three climbed onto their horses and took off through the trees. For hours they rode into the sun, each mile getting closer and closer to the fiery pits of Mordor. The three stopped just below a hill covered with trees and leaves. Just above the hill, covered in clouds and a light mist that was falling, there was a volcano. And that volcano was just where they needed to be.
"Ok, we let the horses go. They're of no use now. We should be in the center of the forest by nightfall. We reach the volcano by mid-noon tomorrow," Aragorn instructed.
Fiwen and Legolas climbed off their horses. They gave them a pat then shooed them off, returning them. Aragorn did the same then motioned for the others to follow him.
"Be careful. The forest is dangerous especially around these parts."
Fiwen nodded and took out her bow, ready for anything. Legolas looked about for signs of anyone in the forest. A twig snapped and Fiwen's ears perked up, listening for an unwelcome visitor.
"Orcs!" Legolas said, drawing an arrow and preparing for battle.
Fiwen did the same and Aragorn pulled out his sword. Hundreds of orcs then came running towards them, knowing Fiwen had the ring and wanting to return it to Sauron.
"Fiwen! Look out!" Legolas warned as an orc came at her with a sword.
Fiwen ducked, dodging a blow from the orc and stabbed it with an arrow.
Legolas was holding off the orcs, trying his best to protect Fiwen. If they got the ring, Middle-Earth would fall into total darkness.
With arrows flying and Aragorn sword fighting with the orcs, no one could have prepared for what happened next.
They were down to the remaining orc, a large one and much stronger than the others. The three were standing in a line, not even noticing the final orc sneaking up behind them. Drawing its sword, the orc charged at Aragorn. He turned around and struck the orc in the side. The orc didn't give up, yet fought harder. Drawing his sword once again he knocked the sword from Aragorn's hand and struck him in the stomach. Fiwen gasped and cried out, "Aragorn!", and let her bow fall to the ground. Legolas' eyes widened as he took three arrows from his pack and placed them in his bow. Aiming right at the orcs head, he released, causing the orc to meet its death.
Fiwen ran to Aragorn's side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Blood was visibly flowing from his stomach, sweat was pouring off his face, and cries of pain escaping his lips. Fiwen leaned over him and took his head into her hands.
"I-I'm so s-sorry," Aragorn gasped.
"It's not your fault. I wish this had never happened to you," Fiwen said, still crying.
"T-Take care of L-Legolas, d-destroy the r-ring, and a-always remember, I-I love y-you."
And with that, Aragorn took his final breath.