Chapter 11 – Playing Poker

There were two other small orc patrols guarding the stair, the companions discovered. They were dispatched quickly with well aimed arrows from Link. Shepherd didn't want any of his team to use their guns and ammunition yet. They would have no way of replacing it, and without silencers the noise the weapons would make would be announcing to the whole of Middle Earth where they were. Billings and Davidson searched the orcs' outpost and bodies but found nothing useful. Even their rations looked spoiled and inedible.

They got the boat safely back into the water at the bottom of the falls and climbed back in. "Ok, we're now in enemy territory," Shepherd observed. "Eyes open."

The woods which had given them some cover before had given way to open plains and fields along this stretch of the Anduin. They could see for miles, and they were certain they could be seen just as easily, but there was no other way to get to their objective quickly. After the first day in from the falls, Shepherd became more tense. The sky above them was covered in thick black clouds that the sun couldn't seem to penetrate. In the distance they could see fires that had been lit on both sides of the river.

He voiced his concerns, "Someone's going to be missing those troops we took out back at the stair. They should have been expected to report by now, I would imagine. I'd expect it, anyway." Shepherd said.

"You think those fires could be friendlies, sir?" Johnson asked.

"I doubt it." Shepherd said.

"There sure are lots of them." Johnson replied.

"Let's just hope the darkness gives us some cover out here on the water." Shepherd said.

High up in the sky, but out of their sight, a crow followed them for a distance then flew off towards the south and west.

Demise watched the little boat through the eyes of his spy. He could see the flash of green which one of the members of the little party had worn, but he couldn't see much else from that height. Could it be the Hero? And if it was, who were the men who were with him? He pondered this and the loss of one of his crows back at the upper parts of the Anduin. That crow hadn't seen anything but the arrow which felled it.

"My lord," a rasping voice addressed him from behind. He turned to see one of his lieutenants, Giliwog.

"Report." Demise ordered.

"We've lost contact with our outpost at the foot of the Falls of Rauros. They haven't reported in for the last day." Giliwog reported.

Demise digested this news carefully.

"Should we send a scout to check on them, my lord?" Giliwog asked.

"No," Demise decided. "No, I have a good idea as to what befell them. Send another platoon to take their place and clean up the mess."

"Yes, my lord." Giliwog replied obediently.

"And summon two legions to assemble on the west bank of the Anduin north of Osgiliath. I believe we're going to have visitors, and I want to welcome them properly. Give instructions that the green clad boy is not to be killed under any circumstances. He is to be left to me. They can do what they wish with the others." Demise instructed.

"Yes, my lord." Giliwog said, then backed away to carry out his orders.

Demise watched him go. He could feel the large orc's belief in him radiating out. It energized him.

Around the middle of the second day on the water, the darkness had grown more intense. They could see a city on the water from a distance. Fires burned bright around it.

"Do you think it could still be...?" McKay asked.

"You read the book, and I saw the movie. Look at the sky Rodney. We're not going to get a warm reception at Osgiliath. We're going to have to try and go to shore and make our way overland across the fields."

"Right. Of course." McKay replied.

They rowed to the west bank of the river and pulled the boat up on to the shore. The men who had them drew their guns and the seven of them began their survey of the landscape in front of them. In the distance, they could see the outline of mountains where what looked like a large white structure had been carved into the side. That was their objective. But there was a snag they hadn't expected.

"Holy crap." McKay exclaimed. In front of them were what looked like thousands of huge orcs in armor, standing in lined formation, facing them. They were just standing there, waiting. The seven had no cover to speak of, they all hit the ground as soon as they saw them and prayed to whoever was listening that they themselves hadn't been seen.

"Greetings Hero!" A rasping voice boomed out from across the fields. "I've been expecting you for some time. I'll have to admit I thought you'd be here sooner than this, but better late than never. And you brought friends to the party. How nice."

"The Demon King." Link said.

"Can he see us?" Shepherd asked in a whisper.

"I don't know. Probably." Link responded whispering as well.

"Oh, of course I can see you, and hear you quite well." Demise's host's voice boomed across the fields. "You might as well stand up and stop groveling in the dirt, unless of course you prefer it there."

They stood up to face the host of orcs in front of them, and their unseen master. Their weapons were raised. Link unsheathed the Master Sword and hefted his shield.

"Are you afraid to face me yourself?" Link shouted.

"I could ask the same of you. This is the first time you've brought friends. But no, these orcs aren't for you, Hero. They're here to entertain your friends while we get on with the business at hand." The voice boomed.

At this the orcs began marching towards the river. "I will see you shortly, Hero of Hyrule." The voice faded off.

"Great, now what." McKay asked.

"Wait until they're close enough for us to see their eyes. Make every shot count. When we run out of clips and bullets, we draw swords." Shepherd said, eying the approaching army. "Let's hope that armor isn't bullet proof."

The orcs marched closer and closer, weapons out. Finally Shepherd called out, "now!" And they let loose with gunfire. Row after row of orcs went down, and row after row orcs stepped up to take their place.

"What's going on?" Shepherd shouted. "I thought they would have cut and run by now! They were never this disciplined in the movie!"

"How should I know?!" McKay shouted back.

Link was next to them firing arrow after arrow. Not a single shot missed its target as he found the chinks in every orc's armor he aimed at.

Finally, the bullets were all spent. Link's arrows were exhausted and they still kept coming.

"It was good knowing you all." McKay said. Shepherd gave him a look, and then nodded.

"It will be better knowing you after all this is done." Link said, and then, Master Sword and Hylian shield in his hands, he charged the orc lines. Orc after orc fell to his blade as he slashed, spun, jumped, ducked, and stabbed. Before his companions knew it, he had carved a pathway deep through the orc ranks and sent them into total chaos.

"Well, are we going to let him have all the fun?!" Shepherd shouted.

"NO, SIR! Johnson shouted and, sword in hand charged the orcs himself, followed by Shepherd, McKay, Billings, Davidson, and Samuels.

They fought and fought. Each swing of the sword brought death, and they had to keep well away from each other because they no longer paid attention to where their sword blows were landing. But they knew it wouldn't be enough.

Then, in the distance a horn sounded. It was a familiar, welcome sound, though Shepherd had no idea where it came from. It was a Hylian horn, a call to battle. It was one he had taught his men. Then he heard, or more felt the rumbling on the ground. It was the rumbling of horses; hundreds of horses at least. Then there were gunshots, and orcs started falling seemingly for no reason.

Shepherd was able to get a glimpse of what was happening and it was the most beautiful sight by far that he had seen since coming into this world. So beautiful, he almost cried. Hundreds of men in bright shining armor wearing the Hylian crest. It was the Hylian cavalry, and they were charging the orcs, firing into them with McKay's rifles and riding them down with their hooves.

The orcs began breaking their ranks and turned to meet the new threat with pikes, but the cavalry was too well trained to ride into them. They pulled up their horses and began laying down a hail of bullets into the pikemen. In very little time, they were no longer a threat.

Link hadn't see any of it. He was too focused on getting to his own meeting. Orc after orc fell under his blade, and they all ran from him, not daring to fight back. He almost pitied them. Almost.

He had reached the other side of their legions and was staring at open field. Minas Tirith loomed before him. And he began his own long march towards the white city.

Then a black void appeared before him and it became a vortex. A lone figure emerged from it. The figure was tall, muscular, well armored, and imposing. It was an orc with flaming red hair that really seemed to be on fire. It carried two massive swords, one in each hand.

"Greetings, boy." The orc said.

"I see you've found another willing host." Link replied.

"Indeed." The orc remarked. "I regret this will be our last battle."

"Yes, it will." Link agreed. "So then let's end it. Now." The red jewel glowed brightly in the hilt of the Master Sword. He brought out a small blue jewel from a pouch at his belt and squeezed it between his fingers, causing a blue field of energy to surround him.

"So eager to die?" The orc asked.

"Eager to be done with this." Link responded, and lunged, jumping high into the air and brought his sword down towards the orc's head. As the blade came down it froze in mid-air, along with the rest of Link.

"Typical." The orc said. "You always were a little slow on the uptake." He calmly walked out from under the blow which should have cleaved him from head to hindquarters and stepped to the side. "You can do better," he whispered in Link's ear. He then snapped his fingers and Link fell to the ground.

He sprang to his feet again, shield and sword up and ready. "How?" He asked.

The orc didn't disappoint him, "Oh, that's right, you don't really understand how this works, do you?" He gloated. "I am ancient, boy. I existed before Hyrule. Funny, no real being in Hyrule had any true faith in me, but here..." he swept his hand to indicate all the land in front of them, "here I have found followers in abundance who have surrendered to me their complete will and devotion. I am more powerful now than all of Hyrule's so called gods put together. There is nothing you can do, little Hero."

Link attempted to swipe at the orc's arm but the orc vanished and then reappeared behind him. He gave Link a shove in the back with his bare, taloned foot, knocking him to the ground. "Now that wasn't nice, was it?" The orc said.

Link sprang back to his feet to face him. "So you're just going to use magic tricks? Are you afraid to face me in real combat? Or are those swords just for show?"

The orc twisted his lips into a cruel smile, "In time, when I'm ready to kill you properly," he said. "And speaking of magic tricks, Nayru's magic will only last you a few more seconds, and I'm in no hurry. I want to enjoy this."

Link then held out his sword and spun with it towards the creature in front of him. The orc thrust down a sword and blocked the full energy of the swing easily as though Link had only been trying to tap it.

"Haven't you anything better than that?" The orc asked. "I'm getting rather bored. I had hoped to enjoy this more."

Link thought for a moment, he didn't know if it would get through, but it was worth a try. He raised the point of the Master Sword high in the air and it began to glow with a radiant light. He then swung it down violently towards the orc. A blaze of light shot forth from the sword and struck the orc full in the chest. Knocking him to the ground. Link then took full advantage of it and leapt high into the air and plunged the tip of his blade through the orc's armor and into his chest.

The orc's eyes went wide, "how?!" Then light began to pour forth from them as the sangraal jewel flashed in its mount and activated. "Nooooo!" The orc cried out. The orc exploded in a radiant ball of bright light and Link was thrown backwards from the force of it. He landed several yards away knocked unconscious.

In the distance, Shepherd saw a bright white flash of light burst forth accompanied by a mushroom cloud. The orcs all around him panicked and ran. "Game over." Shepherd said quietly.