Author's note: This past week has been rather productive, and I was able to finish this story. I think there will be one or two more chapters, which will bring my own, original ending. I will take a break from writing fanfiction and am not sure if I will write it again. Most likely yes, but I find myself lacking the imagination, and quite honestly, I am not content with the level my writing is at. So, at the end of this rant, I would like to thank all of you who reviewed, favourited and followed, and I hope that you will stick around to read the last few chapters, which I will be posting weekly.
The battlefield was a horrible sight to be seen, with bodies of both orc and men strewn about, butchered and maimed. Many wounded still shrieked in agony and writhed in pain. There was no time to aid them, as it was obvious who the current winner was. I slashed and hacked through the on slot of the orcs, blood splattering from the wounds, gut spilling on the floor, making it slippery and unsteady to walk, let alone run amongst the warriors. A glint of gold caught my eye and I turned fully in that direction, just in time to notice Eowyn being struck down by one of the Nazgul. I increased my efforts and found myself countering the strike that could very well have taken Eowyn's life.
"You fool!" exclaimed the Nazgul "No man can take my life!"
I smirked slightly at these words, twisting out of his grasp and extending my arm, cutting off his arm, along with the sword.
"I am no man!" I spoke, mocking in my voice, as I swung my other arm, beheading the once great king.
The Nazgul fell to his knees and then disintegrated right before my eyes. A great howl was heard as his brethren felt the loss.
"Merry" rasped Eowyn behind me, somehow managing to climb to her knees.
"I will take care of him, you see to your uncle!" I spoke, rushing over to the fallen hobbit. He was out cold, but upon further inspection, seemed to have suffered minimum amount of damage. It seemed his arm was broken, and he lay on an odd angle, but I assumed that his ankle was merely dislocated. I pressed my palm to his cheek, checking his body temperature. He seemed to be doing fairly well, and I turned to Théoden king.
He seemed to have been severely wounded, a stabbing wound lying in his chest. He bled profusely, and I dropped to my knees beside him, immediately applying pressure to the wound. The bleeding did not stop, and I felt his spirit was seeping through the wound, by far out of my control.
"I know your face Eowyn" rasped out the dying king, blood spurting from his mouth. "My eyes darken."
"I will save you!" spoke she quickly, but we both knew the truth. The king was beyond salvation.
"You already did, Eowyn," he spoke, his eyes closing "my body is broken. You have to let me go."
"No" whispered she, as tears streamed down her face, falling on the king's paling cheeks.
"I go to my father's, in whose mighty company, I shall not feel ashamed"
"Eowyn" rasped he, using his dying breath, to form the name of his kin.
The woman broke out into sobs, hugging now dead king. I put my hand on her shoulder briefly and noticed that she slacked, falling beside him. The fight and the pain have been too much and her consciousness left her.
"Rest now daughter of Rohan" I spoke, adjusting her in a more comfortable position. "No orc shall come near you"
I stood up and drew my knives, facing the orcs, my resolve firm. The rest of this king would not be disturbed.
Many of the orcs were taken care of by the army of the undead, while the others fell easy prey to my knives.
I sat down beside the three and rested my hands. I was growing tired ever easier and even though my condition could not be seen, it truly showed its face subtly.
Night had fallen by the time the others found us.
I was notified of their presence when Pippin showed up, from what seemed like nowhere to my tired eyes, and screamed "Merry!"
His exclamation was followed by a distraught call from Éomer, who rushed to his sister's and uncle's side, falling on his knees.
"Merry is fine, battered and bruised, but otherwise unharmed Pippin" I managed to rasp out, my voice breaking on more than one occasion.
My presence seemed to have been noticed only then and Pippin looked up to see me sitting beside the fallen king, and with teary eyes, threw himself instantly in my arms.
"Evelyn" he sobbed "it is so good to see you!"
"It is very good to see you too, my kind hobbit" I replied, patting his back gently.
"Lady Eowyn shall be alright also, albeit serious, her wounds are not fatal, of that I assure you lord Éomer" said man looked up to meet my gaze and gave me a grateful nod. "I, however, wish to give you my most sincere condolences, your uncle's spirit has already left this world."
"Thank you my lady" he spoke, once again giving his sister his full attention.
Pippin also returned to Merry's side and whispered to him in a low voice : "Merry?"
The hobbit seemed to have opened his eyes, but it seemed to me that no light shone through his lens.
"Merry…. It's me…. It's Pippin!" tried the poor hobbit and seemed to shake Merry out of his stupor.
"I knew you'd find me" responded Merry groggily and rather disorientidly "are you going to leave me?"
"No , Merry, I'm going to look after you" replied Pippin urgently, almost desperately.
I shakily got to my knees and turned my back on the distraught group. However cruel it may have been, I did not need their grief adding to my own.
The night was silent as I stood in front of the House of Healing. No stars shone upon the sky, and a slight drizzle, like the sky itself mourned our losses, started moments after I left Eowyn's side. Her brother was now looking after her, and as helpful as I could be, with my observance and knowledge of the healing methods of my people, I was of no help, with my mind constantly playing with me.
I listened to the soft patter of rain on the stony path and thanked the Valar for the unlikely victory. A serious blow has been dealt to the foul creature, whose eye could reach me over this short distance, of that I was sure. My destiny was fulfilled, as one of the former great human kings fell by my hand. Now, the turn is on you foul beast, I have too much to lose to allow you to live.
I was shifted out of my thoughts by the sound of heavy footsteps that made their way up the stairs, heading for the House of healing. I was clad in black, and knew that, if I were to close my eyes, Aragon, whose footsteps I heard and recognised would not be able to tell I stood within reaching distance of him.
Therefore, I opened my eyes, allowing my friend, my kin, to note my presence. "Oh Evelyn, why stands thou in the rain? Do you wish to fall ill once more? Only after having survived a battle this deadly?"
"I appreciate your worry my friend. I was just about to leave to seek out the comfort of my bed, it seems this past couple of days have been most tiring for me. I am in dire need of rest. "
Aragon managed a small smile and spoke with somewhat lighter note "That is alright, but I must ask that you do not sleep through tomorrow's meeting. I fear I would not bear to stand there without my most important counsellor"
"You flatter me kind sire" I spoke, and felt my lips stretch in a matching smile "but I am more than aware of your ability and your knowledge. You will make a just king. "
I turned to leave, but was stopped by his words, ones I did not expect to hear : "He doesn't deserve it"
"Excuse me my friend?" I asked, turning back to face him, although my mind already had a pretty good idea to whom he referred to.
"Legolas may have done you harm, that much I will admit, for you are not the kind to shun him for no reason. But you do not see through our eyes. The way he looks at you, the way he smiles upon hearing your name. Think about it my friend, you are wise, I believe you will reach the best decision for you both. And one last thing, all the times you 'fought', he never once insulted you, no matter what you said. What does that tell you my friend, what does your heart tell you?"
He had made quite a speech, unfortunately, his words could not move my mind. Were his words true? Somewhat. Were they what I wanted to hear? Yes, I wanted nothing more. Were they what I needed to hear for my heart to settle? Again, yes. Were they beneficial for my child? Could I entrust my child to a person as unstable and as unreliable as he? Well my answer was obvious wasn't it.
"I am sorry my friend, but you have said naught I had not already heard, or thought myself. Your words may be true, but I simply cannot accept them. I have my own reasons, and I would like nothing more than for you to respect them, if you cannot understand. What that elf and I had was a mere misunderstanding. That is all I have to say on the matter."
I walked away briskly after that, not trusting my own voice. I was afraid that my pain would show, that it would somehow overshadow my decision. This was not for me. This was for him. So he could grow carefree, so he could grow happy. So he could never doubt for one second whether or not he is loved.
I stood in the great hall of Minas Tirith the next day, along with Gabriell, making the only female part of this war council. Here also stood Gandalf, Haldir, Gimli, Éomer, Aragon and the foul elf.
"Frodo has passed beyond my sight" spoke Gandalf, crossing the hall with his long steps over and over again. "The darkness is deepening"
"If Sauron had the ring we would know "said Aragon, in a failed attempt to comfort the worried wizard.
"It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but beyond the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping. "answered the wizard, never once breaking his stride.
"Let him stay there! Let him rot! Why should we care?!" urged Gimli, conveniently sitting on the throne.
"Because ten thousand orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom!" shot back Gandalf.
All seemed to ponder his thoughts and I chose this to be a convenient time to speak up.
"He has no hope of arriving at his destination with a force of those numbers standing in his way. The orcs will sniff him out in seconds" I spoke, voicing my thoughts.
It, however, did not prove to be a wise choice of words as Gandalf got even more upset, which I did not deem possible, and spoke utterly defeated :" I sent him to his death"
His words, in turn, earned me a smack on my arm from Gabriell with a look that clearly meant: 'you insensitive twat" . I also earned stern looks from Haldir and Aragon, the latter of which tried to comfort his old friend once again :" No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."
"And how do you suppose we do that?" asked Gimli.
"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march to the Black gate. "
This answer, Gimli did not expect. Upon hearing it, loud coughing erupted from his chest, having almost choked on his pipe.
"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Tried to reason lord Éomer.
"Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eyes fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves." Replied Aragon with a rather wry smile on his face.
"A diversion" voiced the foul elf what my mind seemed to name this foolish plan.
"Certainty of death, small chance of survival, what are we waiting for?" exclaimed a rather too enthusiastic Gimli.
"Wait a moment" I called, stepping forward, blatantly ignoring the reprimanding and warning look Gabriell was giving me. "I refuse to walk to that battlefield like a pig to slaughter; I refuse to sacrifice all I hold dear."
All heads turned to me and Gabriell stepped forward ,putting a comforting hand on my elbow. "Evelyn..."
"Instead" I continued, as Aragon opened his mouth to argue; "I choose to ride to battle which we will win, our one last battle. I will see the beast fall."
Gimli let out a roar of a laugh at my words, and jumped from the throne he was currently occupying.
"That's the spirit lassie, I knew you had it in ya"
"Sauron will suspect a trap, he will not take the bait" warned Gandalf, worry evident in his creased face.
"Oh, I think he will" answered Aragon confidently, which made me think of him as rather sly. That man had a plan, and I was sure he would see it through to its very end. And we would stand with him, we all would, each for our different reasons. But we would all be there, as my grandfather would say, the change we wished to see in the world.
The company that rode out of Minas Tirith was no majestic army. Although our numbers were significant, I was sure that we could not last long against the forces of the dark. I observed my surroundings shortly, wondering which one of them would be riding back with me. Pippin, riding in front of Gandalf, brave Merry, riding behind Éomer. Or perhaps it would be that brave man, who I have hurt with both words and actions, my loyal friends, who had only now found true love, Aragon, whose future shined bright, were he to survive the night, or perhaps the bravest of dwarves, Gimli, who rode in front of me? I was sure of only one thing, no matter how selfish it may have been. It would be me. Me and my child would survive, at any cost. My loyalty to my people was great, but greater was that to my son. I would see him live.
We arrived at the great plain, and stopped, facing the black doors that led to the deepest and vilest part of Middle Earth, Mordor. We were expecting to be met by a great army, whose number we could not foretell, and whose appearance alone would dwindle our spirits. Great was our surprise when no such scene met our eyes. The plains were barren and the dark gates closed, sight in itself far more ominous than we could imagine.
Pippin seemed to be unable to wait any longer, and voiced once more what we all thought : "Where are they?"
Aragon seemed to have another, more thorough look around, and after not finding what his mind sought, he nodded with his head subtly, a sign to the members of the war council to ride with him. We rode, forward to brave the black gate, a Gondorian following us, carrying the banner of the house of horses.
"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth" called Aragon, seemingly addressing the gate "let justice be done upon him!"
An answer was almost immediate with the opening of the black gates. Out from the depths of Mordor did not ride the numerous army we expected, instead a lone figure rode to meet us.
A messenger .It was a loathsome creature, whose demeanour alone reeked of darkness and evil he originated from. His face was without sight, as no eyes graced his features. The main feature that dominated his face was his mouth. His teeth like those of a best, rotten and black, were barred in greeting as a creepy smile found itself upon his lips.
"My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome" hissed the foul creature.
"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?" asked it.
"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this; the armies of Mordor must be disband. He is to depart this lands never to return" came the vehement reply of the old wizard.
The foul creature seemed to recognise him and its lips seemed to stretch further, beyond limits of possible, into a smile that sent shudders down one's spine :" Aha! Old Greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee!" At these words, the creature produced a glittering shirt, throwing it and assuring that the sunlight would shine upon it, giving it an unearthly sheen. Mithril. Frodo's Mithril.
My heart clenched painfully and I barely registered the halflings' distraught cries, and Gandalf's attempts at silencing them. The poor hobbits seemed to have suffered a horrible death, as I was sure that their death was not without great pain and torture.
"The Halfling was dear to thee I see, " continued the foul creature as tears slid down my cheeks. "Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought that one so small could endure so much pain? And he did Gandalf, he did."
My knife was thrown across the width of the field before I could stop my impulse and it found its target in the shoulder of the foul creature.
It did not seem to have been fazed by the black liquid that was now flowing relentlessly down his side.
"Ah, I have been warned of you as well, child of the forest. Or should I call you lady? For you clearly lost your child like appearance some nights ago." If that creature were capable of smirking, it now most surely wore a disdainful smirk. "You would have made a great asset to the forces of Sauron, as deceitful and as cruel as you are. And I am sure that you both would have met, ah quite a welcome in our troops. The offer still stands, my dark lady, it would be wise to consider it."
"She is nothing like you !" defended Gabriell immediately by my side, "She would never betray us! Evelyn knows of the justice in the world, and she walks in the light, so keep your stinking paws off of her!" She seemed to have been rather shaken by the news of the perishment that the young hobbits have met. And the insinuations on my account simply pushed her over the edge.
"That is alright, I have already made my choice, and the foul creature is well aware. He only seeks to distraught us and bring us further misery. Let us not allow him the pleasure my friend." I spoke, my voice forcibly calm.
"You are no fun" it seemed to pout as Aragon rode forward. "And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a King then a broken Elfish blade!"
Aragon refrained from answering, choosing to speak with his sword. He rode straight to the creature and beheaded it in one swift motion.
"I guess that concludes the negotiations" spoke Gimli, his voice distressed as he also seemed to be shaken from the lies the now so sadly deceased creature sputtered.
"I do not believe it. I shall not" spoke Aragon firmly , clearly having chosen to abide his heart.
Suddenly, the doors started to open, an army of orcs marching through them.
"Pull back! Pull back!" demanded Aragon as we rode back to the army whose faces showed their distress. The army was great, and we few. It was clear that we could not win, and that only death stood on our path.
"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!" called he, almost desperately.
Aragon rode in front of us, addressing us and doing his very best to keep us hopping :" Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see it in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not that day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down- but it is not this day! This day we fight!"
I had to hand it to him, his speeches were far better than mine. He brought hope to our hearts and reason to our minds. Perhaps we could hold out, perhaps there was still some hope left.
"By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!"
The orcs were moving subtly the entire time and have now come to completely surround us, and were standing in a not so loose circle around us. They sneered and jeered, poking their weapons at us and throwing their heads back in merriment. Truly beasts like no other. To think that such creatures could have once been my kin twisted my insides with disgust. I suppose it truly showed that there was such a thing as a beast in any of us, and how little it truly took for that beast to be summoned.
The orcs were merry, that much was clear, as victory existed as something given in their minds. Their laughter and provocations did not have the wished effect on the army, it seemed. The more they laughed, the fiercer the expression on the faces of our allies became. I noticed that my comrades have unsheathed their swords, and after a shorter debate I discarded my bow, deeming it useless in battle. Instead, I drew out my knives, assumed the first stance, having chosen to fight with all I had from the very beginning and set my eyes on the orcs nearest to me.
I could die. This could prove to be an unwise decision. I had a choice. I could have chosen to leave with my father, and therefore save myself and the child. If it died, his soul would rest heavily on my own. That is why, I decided, I would not lose. I would kill and butcher and maim. But I would not loose. There was too much at stake.
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with elves" spoke Gimli beside me. His axe already prepared for the onslaught that was sure to come.
"How about side by side with friends?" asked the loathsome elf, smiling serenely down at the dwarf.
"Aye! I could do that" agreed Gimli, answering with a smile of his own.
"Do not think of death, my friend" I spoke, my eyes never once moving from the orcs directly in front of me; "think of the life you will lead once you survive this war. You shall be celebrated as a hero."
"You make quite an argument lassie" he exclaimed, producing a merry laugh "did ya hear that beasts? I am going to be celebrated as a hero for taking yer heads! You will earn me wine and meat to fill my belly! Come, I cannot wait!"
"Still not kind huh?" asked Gabriell, standing on my other side.
"Not kind. Persuasive" I agreed with a wink.
I suddenly noticed strange behaviour from Aragon. His sword arm dropped to his side and he took a tentative step forward, seemingly without a thought. As if he were mesmerized. He turned to Gandalf, who seemed to have a cure for his sudden illness. He held up Frodo's shirt for Aragon to see, said Mithril shining on the day's sun. Aragon smiled once and shouted "For Frodo!" before charging at the ring of Orcs. The hobbits ran after him, with battle cries of their own, quickly overtaken by the rest of the army.
I ran head first at the orcs nearest to me, quickly depositing one knife in the neck of a nearby orc and using the other to behead another who jumped at me form the side. I brandished another knife, ducking in the same time to avoid loosing my head and thrust it into the stomach of the assaulting creature. I pulled my arm to my side violently, slicing open the creature's abdomen. Black blood spurted from the wound, covering my arm as I jumped to the side, throwing a knife into the chest of one of the fast approaching orcs. I seemed to have missed my mark, as the creature merely glanced upon my knife, which now laid in his chest, and raised his axe to attack. I rolled out of the way, and noticed that the creatures' head was cut off cleanly, as his body got trampled by his kin. Gimli seemed to be my helper, and I made a mental note to remind myself to thank him, were we to survive this war. I quickly sprung back to my feet, using the momentum to throw my knife in the centre of the forehead of a near-by orc. I saw a hand slashing at me from the left, and it was all I could do to jump to my left, avoiding losing my arm. It, however, took quite a bit of damage and was now bleeding profusely.
I cursed under my breath and ducked once more, as the foul creature aimed for my head. I kicked his left shin with my leg, causing him to stumble, and used the opportunity to relieve his neck from its unsightly burden.I made to throw my knife at another orc, but was startled by Merry's cry "The eagles are here!" which seemed to be originating from my immediate left. I had, therefore, missed my target completely and once again found myself compelled to express my disappointment through profanity. Words flew from mouth, the kind that a lady never should know, let alone be heard utter. I renewed my vigour in the battle, beheading many and maiming several orcs until the ground shook.
The battle had stopped in that moment, and both forces, the dark and the light turned to the east, to see the dark tower fall. The eye seemed to be screaming as it fell down, its pillar crumbling to dust. A chasm seemed to have been formed, originating form where the pillar stood but moments ago, and spread out towards us. A new sense of panic formed in my chest, tightening my lungs and rendering me unable to breathe. I could deal with orcs and I could slash Uruk-hai, but I could in no way protect myself from the chasm that was now formed. If it reached us, it would all be in vain. All that have fallen would have died for naught, and we would all join them. I found myself praying to the Valar, franticly begging to be saved.
The Valar seemed to have heard, and the chasm stopped a few feet from the army of light, taking only orcs in its unseen depths. It marked a line, a border of sorts, an exclamation. We won. We were free.