This is officially the last chapter—the road has led to this—the end is now.
Chapter Twenty Five~
Aragon's pace for the company of soldiers is a grueling one; little to no rest, little to no food, little to no anything. I can feel his urgency even from as far back as I am; I can't see or hear any of my family but know they are at the very front. The planes pass in a blur until they slowly change into harsh and rugged mountains and even harsher weather. The air is foul as can be as we draw closer to the Black Gate, the air filled with a poisonous fume. Before very long we are coming up to the Gate and as it looms overhead I slowly push my way through the men. While I move my horse forward I look down for the first time to see what sword I will have to fight with and to my stunned shock find Evening Battle hanging there.
"Thank you, oh thank you." I breathe as I unsheathe it and hold it up straight, the glow starting to come to life. As it does I feel the heat from my pendant and know that I have not only my family by my side, but fate. Putting my sword aside, I kick the pace up so that I will be in the front lines when we talk to the Mouth of Sauron. As I reach the front I see Aragon, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, Haldir and Eomer before the rest.
"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!" I hear Aragon shout fiercely over the howling winds as the men make ranks around the towering Gate. I watch as the Gate slowly opens just enough to show a rider in all black, his face covered mainly by a helmet.
"My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome." it says before it adds,
"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?" I watch the others reactions as the riders horse paces uneasily while Gandalf shouts,
"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this; the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return." the figure laughs coldly before he sneers,
"Aha! Old Greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee." and as he removes Frodo's silvery shirt I look to the Eye wondering where he and Sam could be now.
"The Halfling was dear to thee I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did Gandalf, he did." I can't stand it, I can't take it anymore and so I canter up so that I sit between Aragon and Legolas before I call out,
"Your armies may be many in numbers, but we are many in heart! For that and that alone you will never truly win!" everyone turns in their saddles to see me as I sit there still hidden by the helmet, and I'm not surprised when no one knows who I am. I see the figure start to laugh before I reach up with one hand and remove the helmet, the other hand raising my sword as I say,
"I am the Wielder of Evening Battle and Keeper of Golden Starlight!" and with my words the glow from my sword shines fiercely, begging me to be released. The figure starts to say something but Aragon rides up and slices off his head in one quick movement.
"I guess that concludes negotiations." I mock as the riders body falls limp to the ground and looking up notice the Eye upon us, upon me.
"Come get me." I whisper before turning round to the formed men just as the Gates begin to open.
"Pull back! Pull back!" I hear Aragon cry as the others begin backing up and once before the ranks wait for the others.
"Hold your ground!" I shout as the men behind me start to falter and turning around to see them scream,
"Hold your ground!" just as Aragon rides up to say his speech.
"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 this 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!" as the men's mood changes I set a hard look on my face as Aragon shouts,
"By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!" then he turns round to see the orc army marching in amazing numbers towards us as the rest come to my side. I say nothing as they approach, don't bother to look at them but keep my eyes on the Eye that is watching us, watching me. I dismount first and hold my blade out before me, the blue glow so bright it nearly blinds me as the others make ready. I know we are surrounded and that this will be my last battle but are willing to greet it with open arms.
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf." Gimli says to Legolas but I turn to the Dwarf as Legolas says,
"What about side by side with a friend?"
"Or a sister?" I add and smile to him when Gimli shouts,
"Aye! I could do that!" as we wait for the right moment I see Haldir whose face is filled with dread as the Dark Lords voice slithers into my ear,
"Oh Broken Wielder, oh Lost Keeper, come to die." I don't even blink as Aragon charges for the enemy and run screaming followed by the others. And so it starts, my last battle on Middle Earth. As I blink away to clear my vision I hear a horrible cry and look up to see the Ringwraiths have come to join the battle. They are huge winged black beast with bat like wings that stretch on endlessly, and they take out huge chunks of the men. Snarling, I raise my blade and slash it downwards at two of the beast and smile when the blue jumps to reach them. I hear another scream from a Wraith and notice a moth near Gandalf's head and so look up to see the Eagles flying down to aid us.
"The eagles! The eagles are coming!" I cheer as the birds block every other Wraith from hitting the ground with their talons. As the Eagles and Wraiths clash in the skies we on the ground battle for our lives. As I fight I keep hearing the Dark Lord's voice in my ear and with every hit, stab, slice and chop say in my mind,
"Go away!" and when I'm surrounded I shout,
"Try your worst!" and swing with everything inside me. My blades glow is brighter than the sun as I send it like a wave across the plane, carving down a path for the Resistance to continue on. Only then do I notice the Eye back on Mount Doom and the Wraiths flying back to their Master.
"Sauron! I call you out!" I scream as I run to get into a clear spot for him to see me. I notice Aragon fighting a cave troll and go over to help since I'm closer than Legolas. Aragon is fighting the troll desperately as I run for him, Aragon falling before the monster. I push closer to him and notice a figure fighting towards me but don't try to notice, I need my focus. As Aragon looks around stunned I meet his eye as I cut the head off of one orcs body. Just before the troll can put his foot on Aragon I step between him and the foot and stab upwards into the monsters foot, and when he realizes a cry of pain turn to Aragon to shout,
"Run!" just as Aragon rolls from under the foot I step back and watch the troll fall down and smile before the Eye begins to flare. Everyone's attention turns to it as it looks this way and that but then it sees me and the Eye widens as I hear,
"Come to me!" and to my horror feel my feet lift of the ground, my sword drop from my hand, and real fire wrap around my throat. I go to reach up but can't as the Eye laughs at me,
"I can see you!"
"No, you, can't!" I choke out before closing my eyes and breathing out,
"May, it, be." I hear a horrible screeching sound as I rise higher and higher into the air, the flames trying to tighten around my neck but I let all the air out of my lungs as I keep my eyes closed. The sound continues as the flames holding me loosen enough that I fall back to the ground, and onto something incredible sharp. I don't scream though, instead, I look up to see the Eye and Tower begins to fall and crumble. As the Tower of Barad Dûr falls it lets out a wave that sends all the enemy men fleeing in terror. Frodo has done it, Frodo and Sam have done it, it is over. I hear the ground starting to crumble and the Gate too and look up to the skies to see a star shining brightly down on me. I'm lifted into the air despite the fact I'm impaled on something, something sharp. I hear behind me the Mountain erupts into fire and ash and smoke and lava, see the Resistance back up to watch, feel the ground tremble in my chest. It's my time, my time has come, I am ready to die.