Chapter 9
Lily rode quickly along the rode that led east from Osgiliath to the Crossroads of Ithilien. Behind her rode two men of Gondor, tasked by the head of the garrison of Osgiliath to accompany her, despite her protest that she needed no attendants or guards. But they were the price she paid for passage across the Great River Anduin on the ferry from Osgiliath to the eastern shore. The head of the garrison was unwilling to prevent her from taking her journey—after all, her fame as a warrior was known to all and she was a commanding presence, as well as a friend of Aragorn and Gandalf and the other leaders who had set out for Mordor only a day or two earlier—but he would not let her go alone. In truth, Lily believed that her "guards," as she thought of them, just slowed her down, but they were brave soldiers who did not turn back even when she told them that she was going to the Morgul Vale. They had camped one night to rest the horses and the Men—Lily was not at full strength, but would have kept going had she been alone. She ate little of the food that her escorts offered to share with her and was up before dawn to continue her journey, with the men struggling to keep up with Snowstar and the Elf-maiden they had been charged to protect.
"Please don't worry about me," she had said as they sat by the campfire. "The forces of Mordor are gathered to its defense and will not trouble our road; no doubt we will come upon allies as we travel." And they did—they met a messenger who had been sent with tidings for Lord Faramir of the progress of the army of the West toward the Black Gate, and when they came to the Crossroads, a party of Men were restoring the stone statue of the king that had been defaced and beheaded by Orcs. They welcomed Lily and her escort, but were alarmed when she announced that she was going to Minas Morgul. She refused to be dissuaded, or to take additional Men with her, although two requested to be added to her escort. "Numbers will not help us," Lily tried to explain. "We go to prevent anyone from escaping Mordor through the Morgul Vale, but we will not require an army."
The Men murmured as Lily led her escort east from the Crossroads the next morning, and after raising her hand in token of farewell, she urged the men and horses to haste. She could sense a disturbance in Mordor, but had no idea if it boded good or ill. She only knew that some task lay before her in the ruined Valley of the Moon.
They went as far as Lily thought wise and camped for the night. She warned her escort not to drink from the stream that ran from the Morgul Vale. They camped a short distance from the entrance to the valley, foregoing a fire, and could see the sickly green glow that emanated from the place. Elanor spent the night pondering the words of her mother's poem:
At the maiden's sacrifice, I restore the valley:
With the maiden's love, I restore the moon.
What sacrifice would she be required to make, she wondered. Her life? If necessary, but she didn't want that to be the case and didn't see how the valley could be restored by her death. And what did it mean for the valley to be restored? Certainly she had no power to reverse the loathsome changes that years of rule by the Nazgûl had inflicted on the land and water and all the life in the valley.
Dawn came in a haze of smoke and uneasiness—clouds were once again spreading from the heart of Mordor. Elanor wondered if the Army of the West had reached the Black Gate, or if Frodo and Sam were anywhere near Mount Doom and fulfillment of their quest to destroy the Ring. She told the men who had joined her at Osgiliath that she wished they would go no further, but they refused to leave her. They left the horses packed and ready at the camp and walked the last paces to the entrance of Minas Morgul.
The place seemed to be sleeping, although tension was so thick in the air that it was as though someone were continually plucking a high-pitched string on a harp. Elanor crept forward, careful to stay near the center of the road and to avoid touching anything. Still, the vibration was ever faster and louder, and as she approached the bridge that led to the tower gates she put her hand on her sword hilt. The sickening fields with their foul flora seemed to vibrate as well, and the ghastly castle of the Nazgûl to lean forward with menace. When the vibrations seemed about to burst her ears, and the Men of Osgiliath fell back in pain, she felt the time had come. Drawing her sword, she walked onto the bridge and held it high, facing the Tower of Minas Morgul, and called into the noisome, sickly valley:
"I am Elanor Tindómiel, daughter of Celebrian and Elrond of Rivendell, and here is the sword of Celebrian and of Elenriel! I come to restore Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon, and the Valley of Ithilien! All evil be gone from this place! None will escape Mordor through this vale!"
Minas Morgul seemed to stretch up to the sky, as though to overshadow her, and the bridge shook. The Men of Osgiliath cried out, but Elanor stood firm, and her eyes were drawn to the high peaks above the valley to the north. In the sky above them a pillar of cloud and fire rose, and the world seemed to shake. She stood steady and raised the Sword of Celebrian higher, where it caught a faint reflection of the pillar of fire and reflected it toward the evil tower. The sword grew warm in her hand.
This is the sacrifice, Elanor knew. I must sacrifice the sword, and with it my place as one who wields any sword. It is not only that we will not face battle here; I will never again face battle anywhere. I am a Healer; I will be a Mother. And the Sword of Celebrian will restore the Valley of the Moon.
Quickly she pulled the sword down to her lips and kissed the place where the blade met the hilt. She grasped it with both hands and raised it above her head. "Celebrian for Gondor! Celebrian for Minas Ithil!" she called. Turning, swinging around on the bridge a few times, Lily let the sword fly with all her strength toward the looming tower of Minas Morgul. It struck the face of the tower with a clear, ringing sound that vibrated through the valley, damping the tense, string-like vibration that had filled the air before and replacing it with a sound like the high tolling of a silver bell. Elanor turned and ran, grabbing the arms of the two men who had come with her. "We must flee!" she cried, and dragged them towards their camp. Soon, they were running on their own and mounted their horses moments after Elanor jumped on Snowstar's back and turned to look back at the Morgul Vale. A lick of white fire had started in the center of the tower where the sword had struck and was spreading rapidly outward and upward, following the bell-like sound in concentric waves throughout the valley and up the sides of the surrounding mountains. The valley was being cleansed.
The earth shook more and the cloud rising from Mordor began to spread out into the sky. "Fly!" she called, but reined in Snowstar so that she followed her escort as their mounts carried them toward the Crossroads. As they rode, Lily's heart grew light and she saw as in vision the destruction of Mount Doom behind her; Sam was leading Frodo away from the fiery mountain. "How will they escape?" she thought, and immediately the vision shifted to a great battle at the Black Gate of Mordor, where she saw Legolas fighting beside Gandalf and Aragorn, and even Pippin battling some gigantic monster with his small Hobbit-sword that had been a dagger for a Man of long ago Just as her vision faded, she heard a call, "The Eagles are coming!" and she knew that Frodo and Sam would be rescued from the destruction of Mordor.
"My lady!" One of her escort called. He had stopped to look back and stared amazed as the cloud in the skies above Mordor began to dissipate and patches of blue sky appeared above the Mountains of Shadow for the first time in the memories of living Men. Lily slowed and turned to look, and then smiled at the two men.
"What did you do?" one of them asked.
"My part was a small one," she said. "What you see is the result of the bravery of the Halfings, and of the Army of the West."
"But what about your sword, my lady?"
"Gone," Lily said. "Even a sword can have a destiny, as you know from the story of the Sword that was Broken, now the Flame of the West, with which the Lord Aragorn has helped to defeat the Dark Lord. Celebrian's sword has fulfilled its destiny."
They resumed their ride toward the Crossroads, the two men talking, and Lily following behind them, silent. She leaned down to rest her head on Snowstar's neck and let the horse follow the others. She was surprised to find herself weeping a little. She felt light; the sheath of Celebrian's Sword seemed empty of more than the blade. When they reached the Crossroads at dusk, the Men there greeted them with curiosity. Lily shared the news of the destruction of Minas Morgul, as well as her vision of the destruction of Mordor and her certainty of victory for the Army of the West. There was much rejoicing in the camp. Lily was happy as well, but soon retired to rest and to ponder the events of the day.
