Chapter 12: Everybody's On the Move
The battle in Rohan had continued but everything went to the enemies' advantage when the legion of Trolls arrived. Ten great dragons that attacked all the men within their sight accompanied them.
"Kill all the men but do not harm the women, children and old men," ordered the Troll chieftain.
"Do not charge them!" yelled Denethor. "Try to avoid the blasts of fire and attack the Trolls!"
"Faramir, do you know how to kill the dragons?" asked Éomer.
"I have never encountered this species of dragon before. If I remember well enough, these are the great Urulóki. They are virtually invincible and it is recorded in the archives of Gondor that they were bred in the deep pits of Angband," responded the young Captain.
"What do you suggest us to do?" queried the Third Marshal of the Mark.
"Avoid them at all cost. We need to concentrate our efforts on the Trolls in order to aid the other soldiers," replied Faramir.
Éomer nodded and ordered the Rohirrim to attack the Trolls. The Uruks took advantage of their reinforcement's arrival by attacking the city. Armed men at the gates greeted them and the sound of swordplay echoed in the plains.
Denethor's soldiers were having a difficult time fighting the Trolls. The creatures wore armor and carried heavy clubs in their hands. It was nearly impossible to pierce their body and their blades bounced off the creatures metallic mail. Archers delivered a hail of arrows but only managed to kill one Troll while ten Gondorian soldiers fell by the beasts' hands.
"Archers! Aim for their heads!" barked Éomer, after leaping from a fire blast from one of the dragons. "Draw your swords!"
Hails of arrows came from the bows. The Trolls' helms protected them from the deadly projectiles.
"Charge them!" ordered the Troll chieftain.
A hundred of the Rohirrim fell when the enemy charged. Both the Gondorian warriors and soldiers from the Mark continued to fight valiantly against their foes. The dragon's fiery breath turned many men to ashes. Painful screams reverberated throughout the region.
"There are no dragon's nests close to Isengard. Where did Saruman find these dreadful beasts?" demanded the Steward to Faramir and Éomer.
"Perhaps they are a gift from Mordor," suggested the Marshal thoughtfully, after swinging his sword at a Troll.
"No, Sauron would never give Saruman creatures like these," countered the young Captain as he attacked the beast with Éomer. "These are Morgoth's minions," he added.
"Who is he?" asked the Marshal as he attacked the monster again.
"The Dark Enemy. He was cast into the Void by the Valar ages ago," explained Denethor, recalling the tale from his childhood.
Faramir then blocked a blow from the Troll thus protecting the Steward.
"Do you think that Saruman is serving that Dark Lord?" questioned Éomer as he continued to battle the Troll.
"Perhaps, but I cannot say for sure," answered Denethor as he continue to aid his son and ally in the battle.
The fought the enemy as best as they could, but still men were being slain left and right by the monsters. They had managed to take down another Troll and noticed that the Uruks were showing no mercy to the troops stationed at the gates. Four Trolls joined the Uruks to help them against their adversaries. The men tried to defend the gates but they ended up being slaughtered.
"Take as many captives as you can but do not attack the castle," ordered the Uruk Chieftain.
The Uruks did as they were commanded with the aid of the Trolls as men continued to fall on the battlefield due to another attack from the dragons.
"We have to retreat. We can't stand long against the enemy," shouted Faramir as he still tried to kill the Trolls.
"My sister's still in Meduseld with Théoden. I can abandon them," replied Éomer firmly.
"We can no longer fight them in the open. That is, if we want to survive," declared Faramir.
"You can go to Helm's Deep or Dunharrow. I am needed here. I have to defend the city," stated the Marshal.
"I will stay by your side and fight," proclaimed Denethor, having no desire to leave the battleground.
The young Captain took a horse and fled to Helm's Deep.
The enemy was so busy fighting the Rohirrim that they did not notice Faramir's escape. Éomer and the Steward continued to clash with the forces of Isengard. The Dragons never ceased with their assault and legions of men died with each fiery attack. A few hours later, there were only a few soldiers left to stand against them. Their numbers had been reduced to fifty men and the Trolls were able to crush them with their massive clubs. Both Denethor and Éomer perished. They came to a horrible end. The Marshal took a blow to the head, which splattered his brain all over the ground. And the Steward let out a cry as he became engulfed in flames by one of the Uruloki's.
The monsters achieved their victory and brought the prisoners that they captured in Edoras to Isengard.
Saruman heard the racket and went out onto the balcony of Orthanc. He scanned the land with his eyes and saw that his armies had returned from Rohan. He anxiously waited for the Uruk Chieftain's report.
"Hail to you Saruman, our Master," greeted the Chieftain, after bowing before the White Hand.
"Give me your report," commanded Saruman in a soft voice.
"Rohan has been defeated once and for all. We have slain all the soldiers and took prisoners, as you had instructed us to do," reported the Uruk Chieftain.
"That is excellent news. Chain them in the caves," ordered the corrupt wizard.
"It will be done as you wish, Master," answered the Uruk-Hai as he bowed. He then left.
The creature carried out Saruman's orders by chaining the captives in the caverns.
Meanwhile, Sauron awoke, crawled out of bed and put on the clothing that was lying on a chair. One of his minions had cleaned the vomit off the floor and another one had put out clean clothes while the Dark Lord slept. Once he dressed, he returned to his throne room and looked into his palantír. He was eager to see how things were transpiring with the battle.
His stone showed him that Isengard had been victorious. He saw a sleeping Théoden in the Golden Halls of his ruined kingdom. Rohan was no longer a threat. That pleased the evil Maia to no end. He laughed evilly.
'With both Rohan and Gondor destroyed, there's nothing more to fear from the race of Men. Now, it's the elves turn,' thought Sauron before turning his attention to Isengard. 'The Power of Mordor is calling you Saruman," declared the Dark Lord.
The corrupt wizard heard the voice, as his own seeing stone was nearby. He glanced into it and saw the evil Maia without his mask.
'What do you want O Sauron, Melkor' lieutenant?' asked a disgusting Saruman.
'You have done a good job in Rohan. You should be proud of yourself,' replied Sauron.
'It was nothing,' answered the corrupt wizard.
'I have seen that Denethor's youngest son has escaped. Excellent! He will send a message to the Elves in order to report what happened to the Horse Masters,' stated a satisfied Sauron.
'They will wage war against us,' shouted a panicking Saruman.
'No, because your part is already done. You are no longer any use to me,' retorted the Dark Lord harshly.
'What about the Fellowship of the Ring?' inquired the corrupt wizard.
'Do not worry about the travelers. I'm taking over now… personally,' responded the evil Maia coldly.
'But what if the Nazgûls fail you again? You have witnessed their incompetence numerous times,' remarked Saruman.
'I'll deal with it myself should it happen again. Now, you shall receive your reward,' declared Sauron harshly.
The conversation was over and with a snap of his fingers, the Dark Lord summoned a Black Dragon. He pulled on his gloves and dark coat and pocketed his palantír. He then put on his heavy hood and climbed onto the saddle. He grabbed the reins and led the creature to the topmost balcony of his tower. Once there, the dragon took off into the air, flying in the direction of Isengard.
The Fellowship was unaware of what transpired in Rohan and Isengard. The members were still enjoying the sweetness of Lórien. They were preparing to leave the Golden Wood at the end of the month. Robert and Menelleth went for a walk and decided to visit their favourite clearing in order to spend some time alone.
The two lovers spent the entire day together, whispering sweet words to one another and kissing. They remained there until night had fallen and then the young man returned to camp. He lie down and soon fell asleep. The ex-CIA agent drifted into the dreamscape and landed somewhere in darkness.
Robert was walking in complete darkness. He then stopped. A tall man, the size of a giant, was standing before him. He was wearing dark clothes and had black shoulder length hair, dark brown eyes and jet-black hands. They were alone. Sauron was nowhere to be seen.
"Welcome to the Void, young Mr. Fraser," said a pleasant sounding voice.
"Huh? Melkor? What are you doing in my dreams?" asked the confused secret agent.
As their eyes locked, the ex-spy felt a cold chill go up his spine and he became overwhelmed by genuine fear.
"I deem that the time has come for us to meet face to face… and alone," said the evil Vala quietly.
"I… I suppose that Sauron has told you all about me," replied the young man as he desperately tried to hide his terror.
"No," he replied simply.
"You… you know, sometimes it's better to ignore certain things," said the New Yorker.
"No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to hide anything from me. I will always discover your secrets," declared the Dark Lord coolly.
"I'm your bane and I'm going to bring about your final downfall, you son of a bitch!" shouted the young man defiantly.
When Morgoth heard that, he laughed evilly.
"You are a fool to think that you can defeat me," he said mockingly.
"I'll tell you something Morgoth: you're no different from the men that I've killed while defending my country. And you're going to die just like them," replied the American in a challenging tone.
"I wonder how you're going to do that without the aid of my brethren," Morgoth sneered.
The young man fell silent. He was thinking of a response to Morgoth's comment that would add more fuel to the fire. After a few moments, he replied, "Don't worry about that, bastard. I'll find a way to accomplish my task when the time comes. Mark my words: I am going to save the world at any cost because that's what I do best," shouted Robert insolently.
"I won't forget that," replied the Dark Enemy coldly.
"Now, you will answer my question: where's your damn lieutenant?" demanded the young man sharply.
"I don't know. I suppose that he's doing his job," responded the evil Vala.
"The end is drawing near. In five months it'll all be over - no more evil in Middle-earth," retorted the ex-CIA agent.
"You hate Sauron because of everything that he has done to you from the beginning, but you have no reason to show me that same hostility," declared the Dark Enemy.
"Save your speech for your minions, Morgoth. I have no love for evil guys and it's not about to change now," countered the American rudely.
"You are playing a dangerous game with both my servant and I. None before you have ever tried to do that and I should kill you myself," replied Melkor ruthlessly.
"What are you waiting for?" queried the secret agent.
"Do not take me for a fool, little mortal. I'm not going to ruin my only chance for freedom," retorted the Dark Enemy callously.
"Fine. I have another question for you. Why are you waiting for your trusted crony to free you when you can do it yourself? Are you not the mightiest of the Valar?" inquired Mr. Fraser.
"Yes, I am. But I cannot do it alone because it takes all the might of the Valar to open the Door of Night. It requires great magical energy and Sauron has all the tools at his disposal to succeed," answered Morgoth.
"Save your respect! You should stay in the Void where you belong," replied the young man.
"You cannot prevent my return to Middle-earth!" exclaimed the fuming evil Vala.
"Farewell, Morgoth," said the American before awaking.
He awoke in the middle of the night. Everybody was still sleeping except for Menelleth. The half-elf had had a nightmare and she was staring at the stars.
"Are you alright, honey?" asked the young man as he sat next to her.
"I had a terrible dream. We were traveling together in a boat on the Anduin River when the Nazgûls attacked. Their leader was riding on the back of a Blue Dragon that spat some type of electric blast. Our friends' boats were destroyed and the beast flew only a few centimetres above us when its rider unsheathed his dagger. He was about to stab me, that's when I woke," revealed a frightened Brennil.
"Shh… everything's going to be fine. It was only a dream," said Robert reassuringly, before kissing his girlfriend on the lips.
She calmed down, much to the New Yorker's relief. He then told her about his dream. Menelleth listened with great interest.
"Be at ease, Robby, you did well with your confrontation with that liar in your dream," replied the half-elf gently.
The young man smiled when he heard the lovely nickname that she called him whenever they were alone together.
"Thanks, my beloved star," replied the young man passionately.
She kissed him and they crawled under the blankets and chased away their nightmares as they became as one. As Robert felt her body against his, he knew instinctively that he had not only found the woman of his dreams but also his life mate, with whom he wanted to spend the rest of eternity with.
Robert awoke at dawn. Menelleth was still sleeping soundly. The secret agent remained by her side, slowly playing with her ebony hair. A few minutes later, a voice that he had not heard in a while appeared in his mind.
'You are disgusting,' said the deep, sonorous and familiar voice of Sauron.
'Would it hurt you to say good morning like everybody else before getting straight to business? What do you want?' demanded the young man in a clear tone.
'I have excellent news to tell you,' responded the Dark Lord, ignoring his adversary's first question.
'Good for you, bad for me. Go ahead. I'm listening, as usual,' retorted the New Yorker. He was not in the mood to talk with the evil Maia.
'Saruman has attacked Rohan and it has fallen just like Gondor! There will be no more resistance from Men and now only the Elves remain,' announced a delighted Sauron.
'Why are you so happy? Do I have to remind you that you're going to be sent into the Void at the end of the fifth month?' countered the American sharply.
'Everything is going as expected. And it brings me joy to know that you will soon join me in Mordor,' answered the evil Maia.
'I have something to tell you that's not going to please you. But before I reveal that to you, I want to know where you are,' requested Robert.
'I'm traveling to Isengard; I have a wizard to eliminate,' responded the Dark Lord in the Black Speech.
'I have met with your Master. We were alone in the Void. Even if it was only a dream, I did have a little discussion with him,' disclosed the ex-CIA agent.
Sauron attempted to read the New Yorkers mind but found himself in a thick haze. The evil Maia was lost in it and caught only glimpses of what the young man wanted to show him.
'What is that?' questioned a confused Dark Lord.
'It's a protective barrier that I've made to prevent you from reading my thoughts. You can only see what I'm willing to show you,' explained Robert in dark language of Mordor.
'Have you told Melkor what you have learned about me and your Quest?' queried Sauron.
'Yes, he knows. I have informed him… personally and with great subtlety,' responded the ex-CIA agent with confidence.
'Luck has found you once again. My Master would have been tempted to kill you,' stated the Dark Lord cruelly.
'Oh! I told Morgoth to execute me. He categorically refused to because your Master has no desire to risk losing the only possible means for him to be freed from his prison once and for all,' replied the American.
'The end is close, Robert. I'm going to face my doom soon but you know that, don't you?' queried Sauron.
'Yeah. And your wasting your breath, as usual,' replied the young man curtly.
'I have to go. My mount is trying unseat me,' said a furious Dark Lord as he hung on tightly to the beast.
'See you next time,' retorted the New Yorker emotionlessly.
The discussion was over and the connection had been broken. Menelleth had awoken just as an elf arrived delivering a message.
"Hail to you. I have been sent by Lord Celeborn, who wishes to have you join him at his table tonight at the feast," announced the messenger.
"You can tell him that we are honored by his invitation and that we accept," answered Brennil.
The messenger left the encampment. The half-elf turned her attention to her lover. Robert sat by her side, deep in thought. She started to play with his short platinum hair affectionately. The American came out of his reverie when he felt her touch.
"We have been invited to a feast by Lord Celeborn," proclaimed Menelleth.
"When?" asked the ex-spy.
"Tonight," she replied before kissing him.
"Thanks, honey," said Robert before returning a kiss.
The other members of the company had finally waked and left to enjoy their breakfast as the two lovers got dressed. They soon joined the others at the table where they dined on fresh bread and fruit.
When they finished their breakfast, the two lovers returned to their favourite spot in the woods. They sat on the grass as Brennil told him many tales about Valinor. Robert listened intently before sharing his own stories about the twenty-first century with the half-elf.
When it was time for the feast, everybody gathered at the dell, which was decorated with magnificent ornaments. Several tables had been placed there and both Celeborn and Galadriel sat in their high seats, watching everybody. The Elves were singing beautiful songs and many were dancing.
Robert danced with Menelleth, proving to her that he was indeed a good dancer. Shortly thereafter, the Elven rulers joined in the festivities. The ex-spy saw that Glorfindel was having a good time with the elves as well as the other members of the Fellowship. After a few hours of dancing, everybody sat as the meal was being served. Wine and miruvóre poured freely into their cups.
"Aragorn has told me that you have a beautiful voice. Will you sing a song for us?" requested the half-elf.
The young man smiled as he thought about what song to sing. The lyrics to a song from his world suddenly popped into his head.
"Usually, I do this in private, but for you, I'll sing it right now," responded the New Yorker. He took a deep breath before he began to sing:
"So
lately, I've been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on
your face
If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us
all
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your
own
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will
go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back
someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of
your days
If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us
all
Well I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me
back to you
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever
you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you
will go
Runaway with my heart
Runaway with my hope
Runaway with my love
I know now, just quite how
My
life and love might still go on
In your heart and your mind
I'll
stay with you for all of time
If I could, then I would
I'll
go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go
wherever you will go
If I could turn back time
I'll go
wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go"
Everybody had listened to Robert; they never heard that song before. When the last note faded, the people applauded with respect.
"That was gorgeous. I suppose that's a song from your world?" asked Menelleth tenderly.
"Yes, I've heard it once when I was back home, and the lyrics have been stuck in my head ever since. The song's called 'Wherever You Will Go' and it reflects my feeling for you," answered Robert softly.
The continued to eat and drink while seated at Lord Celeborn's table. The feast ended late that night and soon everybody went to bed.
Meanwhile, it took Sauron one week to reach Isengard. The Dark Lord landed close to Orthanc. He dismounted his dragon, leaving the beast in the care of the Trolls, who were told to be very careful. The evil Maia instructed them to leave the creature where he was for he would not be long.
A Uruk-hai went inside to inform Saruman about the sudden arrival of the Lord of Mordor.
Sauron entered the tower and went upstairs to the summit where the wizard's apartments were located.
"Welcome to Isengard, O Sauron, Melkor's lieutenant," declared Saruman solemnly as his visitor appeared before him.
"Your greeting is not necessary. I'm here unofficially. This is not a courtesy visit," replied the Dark Lord harshly.
"I know but visitors still deserve respect nonetheless," said the corrupt wizard fearfully.
"Yes, it's what someone should do before they die," agreed the evil Maia.
In one swift motion Sauron unsheathed his sword and prepared to deliver the fatal blow.
"You are not going to kill me! You will need my powers to bring the Master back from the Void!" exclaimed a terrified Saruman.
The Dark Lord shook his head when he heard those words from the corrupt wizard.
"You are wrong, Saruman. Now that Rohan is destroyed, you are useless to me. It's time for you to join Melkor in his prison. Salute him for me," said the evil Maia callously.
The White Hand grabbed his staff and cast a powerful spell towards Sauron. The Dark Lord dodged it with his own magic. The Dark Lord didn't wait for his adversary to attack again. He delivered fifty blows, one after the other, until the wizard was dead. By the time that the evil Maia sheathed his blade, Saruman's body lay lifeless on the floor and his soul had been cast into the Void. Sauron laughed wildly. He was satisfied with the reward that he had given to the White Hand.
Sauron took control of all the armies in Isengard and ordered them to bring the prisoners to Mordor before climbing onto his saddle. The dragon tried to unseat its rider again but failed. The captives, who were chained together, were led away by two Trolls. Legions began marching towards Mordor while Sauron took to the air and followed behind.
After three months, it was time for the company to leave the woods of Lothlórien. The elves provided Aragorn and his friends with provisions for their journey. They were given boats, ropes, lembas and clothes that were made by the Lady of Light.
"We need to decide who will travel in each boat for the trip on the Anduin River," advised Boromir.
"I think that we need to make sure that we have at least one experienced warrior in each boat since we are running straight into a trap," replied Aragorn.
"He's right. The Nazgûls are probably waiting for us down river," stated Gandalf with wisdom in his voice.
"I will take Frodo and Sam with me," said the Ranger.
"Gimli, who do you want to travel with?" queried Glorfindel. He did not want to make the choice for his friend.
"I will travel with Robert and Menelleth," answered the dwarf.
"I will take Merry and Pippin with me," declared the Elf Lord.
"Excellent. That leaves Boromir and myself in the last boat," said the wizard.
"Gandalf, we're going to encounter the Wraiths at Rauros Falls," warned the young man.
"Do not worry about it. We have distributed our strength amongst all the boats. We'll be able to fight them if they make any attempts before we reach Parth Galen. That is where we will stop before crossing the eastern bank," explained Glorfindel in a reassuring tone.
"The current is strong. We should practice navigating the boats with the elvish paddles before we go," suggested Boromir.
Everybody agreed. They all climbed into the boats and started practicing. Suddenly, a swan-like shaped boat appeared on the water and they followed it to a clearing where the Elven rulers disembarked. This would be their last meeting with them.
"We wanted to bid you farewell before you leave us and my wife has some gifts for you," announced Lord Celeborn once the company joined them.
The Elven Queen smiled as the group gathered around her.
"For you, Lord Glorfindel, I give to you a bow to aid you in your upcoming battles against Morgoth's minions. May it serve you well," said Galadriel. She handed him a beautiful bow with a quiver full of arrows.
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel," replied Glorfindel as he took the gift from her outstretched hands.
"For you, Gandalf, I give unto you this new walking staff to replace the ancient one that was damaged by the Red Dragon," declared the Lady of Light. She gave the wizard a golden staff with runes engraved on it. Gandalf took it gratefully and thanked Celeborn's wife.
Galadriel smiled before she turned her attention to Boromir.
"For you, Boromir, I give to you these magical gloves that will prevent the enemy from cutting your wrists," she stated, as she handed him two metallic-looking gloves that fit the Gondorian warrior perfectly.
"Thank you," replied Boromir before putting them on.
"For you, Aragorn, I have this sheath that will prevent Andúril, the sword of the King, from rusting," said the Lady of Light. She handed him the well-crafted golden scabbard with drawings of both stars and seabirds on it. The Ranger took it with a smile, which showed how much her gift was appreciated.
She was handed another gift from an elf. It was a platinum axe.
"For you, Gimli, I give you this axe. It will slay all evil creatures including Trolls, dragons and giant spiders. It will never loose its sharpness." She handed the weapon to the dwarf.
"Thank you, O beautiful lady," said Gimli courteously.
We she heard his words, the Elven Queen laughed heartily before she continued to hand out her presents.
"For Merry and Pippin, I give to you these mithril shirts. They will protect you from the enemy when in battle," announced the Lady of Light as she gave them her gifts.
The two Hobbits took their presents and put them on under their clothes after expressing their gratitude to the lady.
"For Sam, I present you with these daggers. These will help you in protecting the Ringbearer's life," stated Galadriel as she handed him a set of silver daggers.
"Thank you, great lady," said the gardener. He carefully placed the daggers into his bag with the rest of his belongings.
"For you, Frodo Baggins, I give to you the light of our beloved star, Eärendil. May it help you in dark places when all other lights fade," declared the lady as he gave him a crystal star-like shaped vial.
The Halfling took it with a smile; he was speechless. Menelleth was next.
"For you, Lady Menelleth Brennil, from Valinor and loyal servant of Manwë, I have a special gift. Here is your mother's legendary club, Alvanamba, that my march warden chief Haldir, had retrieved after he had slain one of Morgoth's minions," said Galadriel as she handed her the weapon.
"Thanks. For those of you who do not understand Quenya, Alvanamba means 'Blessed Hammer'," explained the half-elf as she took the club. The white club was made by Aulë and was covered with hundreds of pointy golden spikes. Two angelic wings linked together to form the handle. It was engraved with runes in the Valinorean Tongue.
The Elven Queen then turned and faced the last person in line - Robert. Galadriel was about to present her gift to him when a mysterious man appeared. He looked to be in his fifties and looked fair with a beard. The lady gasped in surprise at the sight of him and the half-elf immediately bowed before him. The stranger ignored Menelleth and fixed his attention on the American.
"I do not think that you know who I am, young Robert Fraser from Earth," said the man.
"Are you one of the Valar?" queried the ex-spy.
"I am Manwë, Lord of the Valar and rightful King of Arda. I have come from my home on Mount Taniquetil in Valinor to see you because Aulë has made something for you in his forge. I could have sent a messenger but none wished to leave the Blessed Realm," said the Vala Lord gravely.
"I'm honored to meet you in these dark times," replied Robert politely.
"Remember this: the bond that you share with Morgoth's servant was meant to be," disclosed Manwë before giving the man a strange package.
"I won't forget that," said the ex-CIA agent solemnly.
"Now, I must go. Good luck with your task," replied Manwë before he vanished to his halls, Ilmarin.
The ex-spy opened the parcel and discovered a wonderful blade in a golden sheath. Its hilt was encrusted with precious stones and there was a bizarre emblem on it; a six pointed black star with a flame in the middle.
"What does it mean?" asked a puzzled Robert.
"That is your symbol. The flame represents the power of courage infused by your love for your friends, Menelleth and your devotion to the world. The black star means that you are the only person that the Dark Enemy shall ever fear," explained Celeborn.
"My husband is right. This is the only weapon that cannot be destroyed by Grond because it possesses great magic's." Galadriel paused. "Now, it's time for me to give you the gift that I have for you. This armor has been made with mithril and it will help you greatly in your battle against Morgoth," added the Lady as she gave it to him.
"I thank you for everything you have done for me, Milady," replied the grateful New Yorker as he took the present. He put on the armor and belted his two swords. He was ready to face all the trials that awaited him on the road to Mordor.
"Farewell to you, fellow travelers. We wish you good luck on your Quests," declared Lord Celeborn.
The company bid farewell to the two Elven rulers and got back in the boats as they had before. They started paddling down stream. They had begun their journey and were heading straight for the Nazgûls, who were waiting patiently at Rauros Falls.
A/N: lyrics of 'Wherever You Will Go' by The Calling.