Note: Biku, I'm borrowing a little of your MK idea here. Thanks.
Darkness And Light Chapter ten: Second ChanceShe found herself in Lothlórien once again, at the moment where Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles, had arrived at Galadriel's summons.
"Fly well, Gwaihir, my friend," Galadriel said. "Rest, but do not tarry. Let no Nazgûl overtake you."
"The Halfling shall be well borne, Lady."
"I'm back here?" Valerie mumbled, forgetting the sharpness of Elf ears. "So maybe this means I should go with Frodo?"
"What mean you that you are back here?" Celeborn asked. "For you have all along been here and nowhere else."
Deciding not to answer him, Valerie said, "I'll go with Frodo."
All who were present were surprised. "You did not tell me of this plan!" Legolas accused.
"It was on the spur of the moment," Valerie half-lied. "Um, Lord Gwaihir, will you take me?"
The eagle's sharp eyes scrutinized her. "The child is light. I will bear you and the two Halflings."
Frodo smiled. "I will be glad of your company, Valerie."
She nodded. "Then let's go."
Legolas held a dagger out. "Take this with your sword. Return safely." He glanced from her to Boromir.
The teen turned red. It seemed that the Elf knew of her attraction to the man. "Thanks, Legolas." She climbed onto Gwaihir's back, her arms around Frodo and Sam. "Take care, you all."
With a few mighty flaps of his wings, Gwaihir took to the sky, and Lothlórien shrank in size and disappeared from view.
***
They had little rest, for they did not dare tarry. Frodo and Sam shared the lembas they had been given with Valerie. Gwaihir was more than able to catch his own food.
And so it was that they flew east, the mighty windlord never tiring for even the briefest moment.
They passed hundreds of Orcs marching by below them, all heading for Lothlórien. But the army below did not see them, for Gwaihir had borne them so high he was but a speck of black against the lightness of the sky.
But see the Orcs, Gwaihir could, and with his keen sight, reported all that he saw to the ones on his back.
He bore all three of them gladly, but was especially careful with the child of Men, for he sensed that she was terrified, much more so than even the Ring-bearer himself.
Valerie, for her part, desperately hoped that they would reach Mordor as soon as they could, for many a time, her hand would creep towards Frodo and the One Ring, and it was getting harder each time to resist its call.
It was no different this time, and she forced herself to clench her fist. And when she could bear it no longer, she fell into sleep, tired out by the fight with her greed.
***
"Wake up, young ones," Gwaihir called softly, "for we are at Mount Doom."
Frodo and Sam awoke instantly while Valerie stirred, pushing herself up slowly. Gwaihir's flying was so smooth that if it wasn't for the shriek of the chilly wind about them, she would never believe that she wasn't on solid ground.
Valerie found that the eagle was circling at a height three-quarters from the base of Mount Doom. "Gwaihir, you're not going to just take us totally up there?"
"Nay, child," the windlord answered gravely. "I will not go so near the accursed fires that forged the Ring."
"But you only have to let us off, Gwaihir," Valerie pleaded. The eagle's presence always calmed her down.
The eagle landed and as they got off, it placed a wing on the teen. "Do not fear, child. I will be near." He then directed his next words to all of them. "Call for me when the Ring is destroyed, for only when it is will I near the fires of Doom."
Valerie nodded and whispered an, "Okay," before following the two Hobbits upwards.
It took them half an hour to get to the top, and another ten minutes to find the way in.
"Frodo, throw the Ring in," Valerie said, eager to get out of there as soon as they could.
The dark-haired Hobbit did not move, only held the Ring up and stared at it, playing with it. Valerie knew how he felt. She had not worn the Ring, but was already tempted by it day and night. How much harder was it for the Ring-bearer to part with it?
"Mister Frodo?" Sam started, and Frodo looked at him. "You have to throw the Ring in."
"No," Frodo said, to the surprise of Sam. "It is mine, my precious. It came to me."
Hearing the actual words that someone had claimed ownership of the Ring, the darkness and greed inside Valerie bubbled, boiled and came forth, and she lunged for Frodo, struggling with him. "No! It is mine! Only I can wield it!"
Frodo somehow managed to slip the Ring onto his finger, and he disappeared from sight. But Valerie still had him in her hold, and she wasn't about to let him go.
In the distance came several shrill Nazgûl cries, and Sam started. He could not decide what to do, for both were his friends. So he pounced on the both of them and tried to break them apart. "The Black Riders are coming!" He cried.
That only earned him a kick from Frodo, and he staggered backwards. Frodo then bit Valerie on the arm, and in rage, she flipped him over her.
Frodo rolled to the edge of the bridge of the narrow stone bridge, and he clutched at the edge desperately, legs dangling below him. With death awaiting him so near below, the hold of the Ring on him weakened. "Help!"
Through her messed up mind, Valerie heard the scream of a friend, and snapped out of her madness. "Frodo!" She scrambled to the edge and felt for Frodo's wrist.
"Valerie!" Sam cried. "Mister Frodo!"
Valerie glanced up, and saw what she assumed were the Nazgûl approaching, swords drawn and held ready. She swallowed. However powerful the evil in her was, the Ringwraiths answered only to Sauron alone. She could not defeat them by herself, however much she would like to.
"Frodo, take the Ring off," she pleaded. "Destroy it. I don't want it anymore, and neither should you." The statement was a lie, for she did still want the Ring, but not at the costs of their lives.
There was no answer, and the Ringwraiths drew closer. "Frodo, c'mon!"
Frodo's wrist moved in her grip, and his voice was a gasp. "Take it, Valerie. Take it!"
Valerie quickly felt for Frodo's hand. The Ringwraiths passed Sam by, for he could be dealt with after their Lord has got the Ring.
She found it and pulled it off his finger, hurling the Ring down even as Frodo reappeared. The Ringwraiths cried out and reached for her as she hauled Frodo up, but it was already too late.
The Nazgûl fell with shrill cries, and Mount Doom trembled.
But Valerie could sense that it was not only the volcano that shook. Everything else was shaking, even lands far away. She realized with horror that something had gone very wrong.
And she fell.
***
Instinct told her even before she opened her eyes that she was back in that timeless, space-less place, and that the being was already there.
"I did something wrong again, didn't I?" Valerie stated.
Indeed. But there is still hope, yet one chance that is left. No more shall come. Think well, for what will come to pass shall be determined by this last act of yours.
And she was brought back.